PM: Second day of food

Today was a bit of a tough one for both Jeremy and I. I don't know the details of Jeremy, but I do know we both went a bit overboard today. I had some hand fulls of goldfish crackers this morning after having breakfast. I felt grimy afterward. : ( I also had some ice cream. :(

I do believe, however, that I worked off most of those calories at the commissary today. From 5-6 I worked up a sweat bagging large orders and bouncing from register to register...we were BUSY for that last hour, plus grabbing carts from the corral and the lot works up a sweat, and believe me, there were A LOT of carts to get.

After work, I was able to enjoy a girls' night sipping drinks and playing catch phrase. I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade, and I'm not a real boozer to begin with, but I like to think I have at least a bit of tolerance. One Mike's should not have effected me the way it did tonight. I think when I flushed my system on this cleanse, it lowered my alcoholic tolerance because my face got hot and I felt light headed and blissful for about a half hour after finishing my Mike's. It was very interesting.

Anyway, I have a ton to do tomorrow, but I WILL fit in a bit of time at the gym.

Day 2 after cleanse

I'm back down  0.8 of a pound from yesterday, but I'm still up 1.6 pounds from day 10 of the cleanse. It's progress. I expect to fluctuate a pound in different directions every couple days, but all in all, as long as the number goes down at the end of each week, I'm happy. I only have 12.4 pounds to go before I reach my goal weight. I don't have a time in mind to reach that goal, I just know I'm not going to quit losing weight until I reach my goal.

Right, so now that the cleanse is done, I'm going to take my body fat percentage again. My starting BFP was 31.4% and today I'm down to 29.5%!

The whole thought of this is exciting. It ALMOST makes me want to do the cleanse again... ... ...almost. I'm loving delicious food too much. Plus, now I get to eat again and also start going back to the gym. I'm going tomorrow mid morning. I realized I won't be able to go Saturday because I'll be at the bazaar all day then I'm coming home and cooking dinner. Yesterday was Jeremy's birthday, but we didn't have any special meal or anything. We decided to take it light yesterday and we will celebrate on Saturday after the bazaar. I'm making mashed potatoes, chicken wings, and fried onions, with cake and ice cream for dessert. Will most definitely have to go to the gym on Sunday to work that off.

Anyway, this morning I had a nice bowl of cereal and I am full! I'll be working at the commissary all day today then going to a ladies game night after work, but I think I'll pack a chicken salad sandwich and a cucumber with me to work. Ahhh, I'm loving the sound of healthy foods.

PM: First real day of food

Wow...food tastes good. Carrots are like candy. I had fun at the commissary today buying a half a cart full of fruits and veggies: Bananas, yellow and green onion, Roma and cherry tomatoes, spinach, iceberg and romaine lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, celery, strawberries, mushrooms, cilantro, jalapenos, apples, potatoes, grapes, garlic, and I may be forgetting something. Seriously though, everything tastes amazing. The strawberries especially. I added nothing to them - no sweetener, no whip cream...nothing and it was like eating candy. Plus it didn't hurt that the crop of strawberries to select from today was absolutely outstanding - HUGE, bright red, firm, juicy, sweet, with perfect looking seeds spaced out flawlessly. So amazing I had to take a picture of one before I ate it:

I do admit, however, that my visual appetite is much larger than what my stomach is allowing. It's hard not to be able to taste everything all at once, but I don't want to digress and lose all that I'd worked hard to accomplish so far. So I had to practice restraint and moderation. I spaced out my fruit/veggie snacking to allow for some digestion in between scrumptious flavors. It's seriously as if I'm tasting everything for the first time. And with nature's candy at my disposal, it's hard to think of fried fatty foods, though I am still looking forward to my burger and fries planned for Friday. I guess old habits die hard. I'm just hoping this new habit will prevail more strongly over the much less healthy yet completely addictive processed foods.

I'm also noticing something strange going on. Without giving TMI, I think the best way to describe what's happening is this: You know when you have a clogged sink? It's been slowly clogging and the water has been lagging more and more over time. Well, you get the most potent of Drano and pour it down the sink - for 10 days, maybe? Anyway, after you treat the sink, the pipes are crystal clear, right? Well when you finally run water through it again, what does the water do? Runs right on through faster than ever. Well, that's how my digestive system is working. It's interesting to say the least.

Today I ate fairly healthy. Jeremy got a sandwich at Java Flatts this morning and couldn't eat it all so he gave me the other half. I had a yogurt for breakfast, the other sandwich half for lunch, I snacked on some fruits and veggies, and we had fresh pico-de-gallo with tortilla chips for dinner.

My stomach gargled this evening not with hunger, but with a very pleasant sigh. It's almost as if it was saying, "YUMmmmm...my compliments to the chef...I...the tummy...am happy."

I still haven't worked out at the gym. I want to, but I have a ton going on this week between work, chores, and getting ready for a bazaar coming up this weekend. I'm hoping I'll be able to start going back to the gym on Friday. If not Friday, then DEFINITELY Saturday.

First day off the cleanse! Summing up the cleanse

Okay, so technically it's the second day easing back into normal eating. Yesterday my strategy was to start getting my body used to something besides lemonade. I drank a lot of broth, some orange juice, and some lemonade...without the syrup or cayenne (I used some Truvia sweetener). I don't know if I can EVER eat pancakes with maple syrup again...pancakes yes, but the maple syrup...I'm not so sure. Jeremy doesn't even want to look at another lemon for a while...but I am loving normal lemonade. My taste buds thanked me repeatedly for the broth. It was a welcome change.

Throughout the day I kept to liquids, trying to keep up the mentality of a growling stomach means I should drink something, rather than just because I can, I'll drink something. I worked at the pizza parlor and decided I should really be careful and ease more slowly back into getting my body used to digesting solids, so I had a tiny amount of vegetables: some pickle slices, piece of tomato, etc. I did falter a tiny bit when I had A-French-Fry and a small bite of ice cream. But still, added up, I consumed less calories than I had the previous days on lemonade. The lemonade and syrup was about 600 calories a day, but today, I only had about 400 calories. I'm trying to figure out now the difference between a hungry stomach growl and a digesting stomach growl.

Today is a new day, however. I'm up 2.4 pounds from yesterday, which doesn't make sense to me because if you added the weight of all the liquid and veggies I ate and drank, it wouldn't equal 2.4 pounds of consumables. I'm wondering if it has anything to do with "that time of the month" coming very near.

Anyway, today, I get to lightly feast on some yogurt, orange juice, and some more veggies. I'll take it slow and see how I feel, but I may try a small bit of a light soup as well. Tomorrow is the last day of transitioning, so I better make today and tomorrow count because Friday at lunch, I got a lunch date with hubby at the pizza parlor.

To sum up the cleanse, I do feel clean, lighter, and accomplished. I haven't lost my taste for junk food, but I feel more motivated to eat healthier. I bit into a carrot and it tasted better than ice cream. I bit into a cheeto and it didn't taste as good as I remember. I could feel and taste the unhealthy of it and it wasn't too pleasant. The flavor was good...not as good as the carrot, but there was just something gross about it, so maybe I kind of have lost my taste for junk food. Like right now, I cannot wait to have a cucumber, and chips are farthest from my mind.  

I'm glad we did it. I probably will never do this exact cleanse again, but I'm glad I did it. I think it set me up for healthier choices in the future, plus gave me the confidence to know that if I can virtually fast with nothing but lemonade for 7-10 days, I can conquer any diet or cleanse that comes after this.

It was a good experience...difficult, but good. The three biggest pointers I have for anyone who is interested in trying it are:

1. You have to WANT to do it (not try it) The mentality of finishing rather than trying to finish is stronger verbage that really helps - believe it or not.
2. You have to set CLEAR goals for yourself and will yourself to stick to them.
3. Tell friends and family about your plans to finish it. My biggest motivation was not the thought of failing myself, but proving the ones wrong who didn't think I could do it. Telling people about it held me accountable not only to myself but to others, which was one of the biggest factors in my success of it.

Day 10: Master Cleanse (AM)

I forgot to make a post last night, but I know it was hard working at the pizza parlor. My favorite ice creams were out and I REALLY wanted some nachos, but I held it together. I couldn't blow it; not on the last 2 days of liquids. I had some pretty intense hunger pangs after getting home, but it's cool down time now.

Today, I'm drinking lemonade - I'm not taking the syrup shot - and broth, orange juice, water, tea, etc. I want my body to get used to something other than the lemonade.

I'm feeling pretty good this morning. I'm down 0.4 pounds from yesterday with a total weight loss of 11 pounds now. I'm only 10.8 pounds from my goal weight. People are noticing a change in how I'm looking as well. The girls I work with said my face is thinner than last week. That right there was motivation for me to not have a bite of ice cream last night. Today should be much easier, but I do work again at the pizza parlor tonight and I cannot have anything again tonight.

I have also worked out an at home daily exercise routine. These things have never worked for me in the past just because I haven't stuck with it, but I think this Master Cleanse has taught me some discipline, and now I feel like I can stick to anything. So I'm going to try and do this at home routine every day for a month. The routine focuses on my "problem areas" which I consider to be my jiggly underarms, inner thighs, and lower abs. Plus I'll continue to do my 5 days a week runs at the gym. I'll start back off slow and quickly work back up to my 3-4 mile jogs that I was at before the Anchorage trip. All of that coupled with moderation and healthier eating, I'll be down to my goal weight in no time.

I call the cleanse a difficult but WELL worth it success.

Master Cleanse Side Note

I have been reading many people's journals online about their experiences with the Master Cleanse, and I'm realizing that in my experience, I need to make a change in my goal.

The other day, Jeremy and I were discussing our strategy for weaning back into good foods. Jeremy's reasoning for wanting to start the process on day 10 was so that he could give himself an extra day to let his system come back into normal foods because Wednesday (day 11) he may be eating some real foods. My decision was to remain on strictly lemonade through day 10 and Wednesday I was going to take it easy with yogurt, OJ, and fruits and veggies. According to ALL of my research, I'm supposed to have ONLY liquids on the first day of weaning off such as broth, OJ, water, lemonade, etc. I don't know why I decided to skip that day, but I'm thinking it's an important step, so I have changed my goal to be the same as Jeremy's. We will start our transition tomorrow.

I have NOT changed my goal because I'm anxious to get back to normal food, nor have I changed it because I simply can't hack the lemonade any longer. This decision was made purely for better health reasons. I don't want to risk shocking my system with solids so soon. So I will have liquids tomorrow, then Wednesday I will have yogurt and OJ and graduate to fruits and veggies. Thursday I will incorporate chicken noodle soup to the mix, and Friday will be regular solids.

I'm no longer considering this a breach of my goals. I'm considering this a healthier decision based on the fact that I was so focused on how we were going to ease INTO the cleanse that I failed to CLEARLY indicate how we were going to ease OUT of the cleanse. I know I vaguely set the plan, but it wasn't completely clear as we were going into the cleanse. And now that I know more about how it's effecting us, I think this decision is wise.

In all honesty, I could keep up this lemonade diet a few extra days, but I would also like to "cross the finish line" with Jeremy, who is pretty set on being done on day 10.

Day 9: Master Cleanse (AM)

The end is just around the corner...woo!!!

It's been an interesting morning. For some reason, Jeremy's phone died in the middle of the night (a very first in the 2.5 years we've been married) and he was late for work. He usually leaves for work around 7:15, but I woke up at 8...confused that it might be Sunday. Then I realized it was MONDAY! It's a good thing we live 5 minutes from his work.

But back to the cleanse. I'm surprised that I didn't lose more yesterday than the scale is saying I did. We were outside hiking for about a half hour - more exercise than we've gotten all week - and it's saying I only lost 0.4 pounds from yesterday. That brings my total loss to 10.6 pounds. I still have two more mornings to weigh myself, so hopefully I'll break 12 pounds.

Feeling good this morning. A bit tired, but I'll come out of it once I wake up a bit more. I have a lot to do today including finishing up some craft projects, getting ready for a bazaar this weekend, cleaning house, and reading for book club. Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day today.

Day 8: Master Cleanse (PM)

I have conquered a few trials this day. I don't know exactly where the aroma was coming from but this evening I was sitting on the couch imagining the things I'm craving and all of a sudden I smelled a beautiful aroma; I thought it was my imagination, but Jeremy smelled it the same time as me. We sniffed the air and it smelled like someone nearby was grilling...or baking some sort of Parmesan garlic beef steak. I also smelled rice. I may be completely wrong in what it was, but whatever it was, whoever was doing it...it was blissfully amazing and made my stomach growl. I had to chug some lemonade to get it to stop growling.

I do have to admit, being hungry isn't really a big deal to me anymore. It's been 8 days since not really eating anything...technically it's been 6 days on straight lemonade. It's hard for me to even think that I haven't eaten but only drank lemonade for that long and I'm still alive and not curled up in excruciating starvation. There are times where I feel I just have to eat something, but then most of the times I feel like I could go on longer than the 10 days. The lemonade is tasting good to me these days, but I still am looking forward to some yogurt, broth, any other liquids with a different flavor...plus of course REAL food.

Tomorrow's day at the pizza parlor should be a good test for me to see if it's as hard or less hard for me to work there than it was for me last week after just starting the cleanse.

My biggest fear right now is this growing list of recipes to try and foods we're craving. It's going to take us forever to get through this list and I fear we are going to overdo ourselves and not pace ourselves. Many of the recipes are very heavy...healthier than deep fried fatty foods, but heavy still - things like chili in a bread bowl, ribs, mashed potatoes, calzone, etc. I just don't want us to end up with all these leftovers from me making different dishes each day and feel like we have to eat the leftovers and make more dishes to get through the list. We need to know to pace ourselves between heavier dishes and lighter dishes, plus portion control AND leaving a day or two to eat leftovers. (We hate wasting food.)

Anyway, so concludes day 8. Only 2 days left before I can have some yogurt and OJ and light veggies, fruits...and I'm going to attempt a small can of chicken noodle soup. It's mostly broth with very soft noodles and minimal chicken, so I think I'll be okay. Jeremy's last day of lemonade is tomorrow before he plans to go to nothing but broth on day 10. He's not growing accustomed to the lemonade like I am.

The finish line is in sight!!!

Day 8: Master Cleanse (AM)

Sorry for the lack of post last night. Was having movie night with hubby and didn't think of making a post. I can remember, though, from last night that it was hard. We both got food cravings and our stomachs were both growling. We even considered starting our merge back into solid foods on day 9 or 10. We talked about only doing broth on those last two days, but I decided to stick to my original goal. I guess when I originally made out my goal, I didn't clearly set the rules about nothing but lemonade till day 11 with days 1 and 2 being a merge into lemonade. Jeremy has decided to go with broth on day 10 to give him an extra day of merging back into the solids. I'm going to continue with the lemonade through day 10 and go to broths and yogurt and juice on day 11.

Now as for this morning. I'm down 1.4 pounds from yesterday with a total weight loss of 10.2 pounds since this time last week. My clothes are fitting better, I feel better about myself, I feel lighter and perkier, and I feel a bit less self conscious. :) It's hard to believe that by the time this thing is over, I could be 7 pounds away from my goal weight. Right now I'm only 11.6 pounds away from my goal weight.

Feeling good this morning. Slept in till 9, but I'm energized and ready for the day.

Day 7: Master Cleanse (Mid Day)

I thought it was unrelated to the cleanse, but now I'm thinking it's a side effect. Nothing serious. I just feel like there's an invisible weird coating on my tongue. It doesn't hurt, but it just feels weird. IT won't brush off. It's not effecting my taste buds at all; it's just sort of...there.

Keeping kinda busy. I have a big list of things I want to accomplish today, but my mind is playing a bit of A.D.D and procrastination. I know i have a bunch to do but at the same time I don't know where to start so I do nothing.

I've been sleeping really well these past couple nights. I still feel a lack of energy in the day, but it's not all-consuming. I can see food and it doesn't bug me too much. It makes me think of all that I'm craving, but I don't have to use a lot of self restraint to keep me from eating it. I'm at a point now where if my stomach is growling telling me I'm hungry, I think of getting something...but then I remember that I can't and I move on no big deal. If I get a major craving for something like a burger, I look forward to having one, but the thought doesn't make me want to quit the cleanse anymore. If I say I want to quit, it's only words and my real self knows that I'm going to finish. I'm not about to give up these 7 days when I only have 3 left. I worked too hard to quit now.

I'm still craving non-healthy foods, but at the same time I'm motivated to try some new recipes that I wouldn't have thought to try before. For example: I like green beans, but I don't usually eat them. I don't know why, I just never buy them. But now I see a recipe for paprika shrimp and sauteed green beans and it looks amazingly delicious and I can't wait to try it. So I think before this thing is over, Jeremy and I are going to sit down with some of my cook books and pick out some nice dishes that I've never made before that we probably never would have made before doing this cleanse. The thought of veggies and fruits is very appealing in addition to the burgers and fried chicken and so on. So I haven't yet lost my appetite for junk, but I've added an appetite for healthier foods. Don't get me wrong; I liked fruits and veggies before this cleanse...I just chose not to eat them as often as junk. Maybe because the prep time for veggies is longer...peeling cukes, tossing a salad, wiping off mushrooms, etc, whereas opening a bag of chips was much simpler.

Day 7: Master Cleanse (AM)

I'm a bit hungry this morning. MY stomach is growling a bit, but I'm sure once I drink some lemonade and or water and or tea, I'll feel better.

I'm down another 1.8 pounds from yesterday making my total loss a whopping 8.8 pounds since Sunday!

This weekend should be interesting. Usually, it's a time of chilling, snacking, adventuring, etc...but we need to keep busy with our minds not on food. There's a few chores we need to get done this weekend, but again, I think the evenings are going to be the most difficult.

Not too much else to say this morning except that we're still motivated to finish...especially since we're over half way done.

On a side note, Jeremy tried the salt water flush yesterday and it didn't really effect him. Though, I imagine we're already pretty "cleaned out"...the salt water flush may have been more effective at the beginning of the cleanse when we still had a lot of junk food in our systems.

Day 6: Master Cleanse (PM)

I forgot to do a mid day entry, but not too much has happened differently from this afternoon. I've been hungry. I have not been drinking the water that I should be, but my lemonade for the day is almost gone. My stomach isn't growling right now, but off and on all day it has really been telling me I'm hungry.

I'm still craving a burger, or you know? I'd take anything I could just bite into and chew for a bit. Cucumber, banana, kiwi, tomato, grapes...I've also been craving jalapeno poppers, tuna salad sandwich, peanut butter honey banana sandwich, fried egg and toast, bagel and cream cheese, brisket, chicken noodle soup, tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy, and even some new recipes I've never really cared to try before but look really delicious now.

Dang...now I made myself hungry again. Like...not just craving and thinking I'm hungry...I mean tummy grumbling hungry.

I'm still surprised that I'm not dying of starvation only ingesting 60 oz of liquid all day, but my body is functioning completely normal.

I'm still motivated: Only 4 more days to go. That's when I think the real work shall begin. I mean, I can't let myself digress back into poor eating habits, and I have this long list of foods I crave, and It'll take weeks to get through mine and Jeremy's list of craved foods; we need to keep moderation in our vocabulary during those weeks. Not only moderation, but gym needs to be in our daily lives if this thing is going to keep working.

We probably won't ever do this again, but it's definitely a great experience and I'm glad we're doing it. It's a great first step towards a much healthier lifestyle. I admit, we will still have the occasional piece of chocolate cake and eat out at restaurants when we're not on Kodiak, but I think having gone through this intense of a cleanse, we won't want to lose what we worked so hard to achieve.

Day 6: Master Cleanse (AM)

I woke up with a bit more energy this morning. I'm actually looking forward to my lemonade mixture...not so much for the syrup/cayenne shot...but I feel pretty great this morning. I'm not craving anything for breakfast, and I'm ready to start my day.

I'm down 1.8 pounds from yesterday...with a total loss of 7 pounds since Day1. I look forward every morning to jumping on the scale now. I LOVE seeing the numbers go down. I'm now only 14 pounds from my goal weight. A lot of people and research says that once this thing is over, I could gain back about half the weight I lost, but I'm still holding high hopes that I don't. I think that if I ease back into a normal...albeit healthier diet mixed with my exercise routine I had been doing before the Anchorage trip, I will just simply continue to lose weight...slower for sure...but continue nonetheless.

I've gotten many questions over these 5 days including, "Aren't you hungry?" "Don't you get headaches from the lack of food?" "How can you do it?" First, I DO get hungry in the evening time when I have gone all day without solid foods and my body has used up the energy from the lemonade, but I am taking psyllium husk and wheat grass supplements which aide in the feeling of fullness as well as the cleanse itself. I have not yet gotten one headache from lack of food, though I did get a short-lived painful hunger pang that lasted maybe 5 seconds last night after I posted my PM update. It was more than a stomach growl...it was more like a pinch of hunger, but again it only lasted 5 seconds...then I was fine. Last question answered...I can do it because I WANT to, I have support from friends, my hubby is doing it as well so I don't have to see him eat, I am determined to finish, I'm seeing results which keep me motivated, and I have ALL THESE LEMONS-if I didn't finish it, what would I do with ALL THESE LEMONS? Plus, I'm over halfway done now, I may as well finish. Besides, it's really getting easier. I'm surprised because I'm a MAJOR food addict. I could be full and still want to snack on junk. At meals, I clean my plate even if I'm full. I go back for seconds just for the flavor of my favorites...even if I'm content and not stuffed.

I'm also starting to feel "cleaned out" from the tea and psyllium husk. I won't go any further than saying that, but I'll just say that the tea mixed with the supplements...it's working like a charm.

Until mid day...

Day 5: Master Cleanse (PM)

Still going strong. Working today wasn't nearly as hard as getting through working at the pizza parlor.

I still don't have too much energy, but I'm not really lagging. I just feel like I wanna be lazy. I'm not craving too much today. It's not eating at me like it was last night. I still think a burger and fries would be really wonderful right now, but my stomach isn't growling.

I've almost completed my lemonade for the day...then I'm hoping to drink a bunch of water.

The most annoying part about today is the hiccups. I have had REALLY BAD hiccups off and on all day. And it usually lasts a good half hour before it stops. Nothing works. I've held my breath, chugged water, taken long deep breaths...usually those things work for me, but not this time.

I think today was easier than yesterday. The thought of food was kind of maddening last night, but tonight, not so much...and the lemonade is starting to taste okay.

I can officially say we're half way done with this cleanse...it's been easier than I thought it would be in the long run, though at times, I admit I HAVE wanted to quit.

Day 5: Master Cleanse (AM)

I will only have 2 posts today as I work all day bagging groceries. I'm hoping it's not a rough day...last night was very hard. This morning it is just as I suspected...there's a reset button and my stomach isn't craving anything anymore...but by tonight...I dread what my mentality may be.

My throat feels better today as well. And I'm down 1.8 pounds from yesterday with a total weight loss of 5.2 pounds so far. It's exciting to see these kinds of results and that I'm not starving myself in the process.

It's definitely a tough diet, but I still hold hope for what it can do for me in the next 6 days.

Last night I did what Jeremy did towards the beginning of this thing and I drank a "special" tea and took a psyllium husk pill at the same time and by the time we actually went to bed, it was really making my stomach gurgle and make "those" sounds. I never did have to run to the bathroom, but I imagined that the tea was helping to wash the pill through my system scraping away at the impurities lining my insides helping clean me out.

I think I'll skip that part this morning just because I have to work all day today and I don't want to have those uncomfortable inside gurgles and groans while I"m at work. Bagging groceries, I don't really have time to run to the bathroom that often. I'll save it for when I come home.

Day 4: Master Cleanse (PM)

Evenings are tough...pizza parlor or not. I kept my hands busy crafting this evening, but my thoughts still trailed to food and my cravings remain the same. Jeremy went to get a tea bag and when he came back into the living room, I swear it was a cracker...a little square glimmer of hope and I asked him to share...but alas it was only a tea bag. Heh heh.

Still motivated to finish...one more day until we're half way there. And in all seriousness, I'm not dying of hunger. It's tough to break the habit of crunching food.

I didn't do well on my lemonade today. I did make myself extra lemonade today, and I drank some tea as well, but I still have a bunch of lemonade left. Almost enough for tomorrow's rations.

My throat is starting to hurt from all the citric acid. I'm hoping it goes away tomorrow.

It is hard knowing there's a half a tub of goldfish crackers in the no fly zone upstairs...It's a big enough tub that I could bury my face in the crackers and revel in the cheesy goodness.

I hold high hopes that after a good night sleep, my stomach will again reset itself and I won't have to go through the crazy evening munchie withdraws for another several hours.

Almost half way there...almost halfway there...almost half way there...*tummy grumble*

Jeremy and I just had some "erotic" food talk about tearing open a warm potato roll and spreading butter on each half and watching it melt from the outside in. 

Day 4: Master Cleanse (Mid Day)

So far today has been really good. I didn't have any more lemons to make my sustenance this morning, so I had to wait until the commissary opened at 9:30. I was really hoping they would have lemons today as I didn't want to go back to Safeway and pay that ridiculous price.

Luckily, I walked in and saw a huge mound of them. I needed 65 and I got about 70 just in case. That will give us enough to finish out the cleanse. So, if you went to the Kodiak commissary today after 10:30 in hopes for lemons and there were only a few left, that was my fault. : ( And the 70 I got...guess how much it cost? At Safeway it would have been nearly $140. At the friendly neighborhood Commissary, it only cost me $32.72...about $0.47 per lemon. It's a big load off my mind anyway. We can finish this cleanse without a worry now.

I'm getting to be a real pro at peeling these lemons. Thank God for citrus peelers. For a while I forgot I had one, so I was using a knife and it took longer and was more annoying...even getting splattered in the eye with lemon juice...BTW REALLY not fun.

The lemonade is getting easier to drink. I still don't like the aftertaste of the maple syrup, but it's not as disgusting as it was the first day. And I can't explain how much easier it is to put the cayenne pepper in 3 oz of the syrup and just chug it. Then I can just make my lemonade like normal, omit the cayenne, and use only half the amount of syrup to sweeten the lemon water.

I still crave a juicy burger and fries...and an oatmeal raisin cookie...but I'm not going crazy. I'm keeping pretty busy so my mind isn't on food. I still am not drinking NEAR the amount of water that I should be, but even just with the lemonade, I'm hitting the bathroom twice as much as normal.

Still waiting on the "cleanse effect" and on the lack of interest in junk food, but there's still 6 and a half days left.

Day 4: Master Cleanse (AM)

I woke up with a bit more energy than yesterday morning and my stomach isn't hungry anymore. Usually it gets hungry in the evening time.

I'm down 1.4 pounds from yesterday with a total loss of 3.4 pounds. Woo!!! I'm now back to my pre-Anchorage weight. Hahaha.

Jeremy has been having the "effects of the psyllium husk and tea" more than I have. I really haven't experienced the "frequent bathroom trips" yet and I'm taking my "stuff" twice a day as directed. I asked him what he's doing and he said he's taking the tea and the psyllium at the same time and it's working for him, so I think I'm going to try that today since I don't work.

The only chores on my agenda today are grocery shopping and a quick trip to Walmart and the Post Office...then I can come home and catch up on some Katie hobbies.

Still feeling motivated. Yesterday was our first full day without ANY real food and I have to say it was easier than I expected. It took some real discipline while I was at the pizza parlor, but I think it REALLY helped that we took the first two days to ease into it.

I sure hope the commissary has lemons this morning. I'm NOT paying $2 a lemon for the remainder of the cleanse. I need about 10 per day...(only 5 today since I had 5 for Jeremy this morning)...with a total of 65 more lemons for the remainder of the diet. It makes grocery shopping easy, but it's a real pain in the butt peeling all those lemons.

Jeremy likes it super pulpy, so for him, I peel the lemons and get out as many seeds as I can, blend it all up and add it to water with half the daily amount of syrup. Then he shoots the other half of the syrup along with the daily cayenne pepper mixture. After his lemonade is gone he drinks tea and water the rest of the day.

For me, I peel the lemons as best I can, get the seeds out, blend it all up the strain out all the juice and add it to water with half the syrup...so on and so forth. I just can't hack all the big chunks of pulp that won't blend up. When I drink the lemonade I chug it for a few seconds so it hits my stomach for an instant feeling of full for a while. And it's hard to chug it with lots of pulp. It chokes me up a bit.

Anyway, so far so good for day 4. I'm in better spirits today because I don't have to work at the pizza parlor tonight. Today should be pretty easy for me. I'm still craving a juicy burger and fries, though. Jeremy is starting to lose his craving for junky foods. Hasn't happened to me yet.

Day 3: Master Cleanse (PM)

I have officially made out my order sheet for the pizza parlor for a couple days after this cleanse is over. I can't do it the day it's over because I don't want to send my stomach into shock. I'm going to ease back into a normal diet and when I have...it's on! I have made my order sheet with detailed description of how I'm going to put the Parmesan cheese on the fries and make fry sauce out of mayo and ketchup...and my stomach is growling thinking of it.

Work was VERY hard to get through today without food. I made several mouth watering orders for people and felt myself green with jealousy that they got to eat it all. I made a double cheeseburger with bacon and a side of chili cheese fries for one person and I bout died.

Now that I'm home, it's easier to cope with the lack of food, but my stomach is still growling, but I'll be going to bed soon anyway so I don't have to deal with that for very much longer.

Still sticking to it. Determined to get through it. Still pretty motivated, but being so close to food makes it really hard. I'm proud to say I did it, though.

Day 3: Master Cleanse (Mid Day)

So far, so good. I've craved food a couple times today, but I've kept myself busy enough around the house that it's not driving me bonkers. I'm dreading working tonight, but I'm promising myself that I'll finish.

I haven't been drinking NEAR the amount of water that I should be, and as for the "bathroom trips," the psyllium husk isn't effecting me like it should. I REFUSE to do the salt water flush. I can't even gargle with salt water without gagging uncontrollably.

I haven't been drinking my tea either...boo on me. Jeremy is doing really good with tea, but not with his lemonade. Seriously, it's all I can do to get the lemonade down throughout the day without hearing all the liquid squish around my tummy.

Still in high spirits, though. I have bouts of resentment towards people eating food at times, but I know I'll feel really good once this thing is over. It's mostly in the evening that I lose motivation and want to quit, but then I just put my mind somewhere else.

Day 3: Master Cleanse (AM)

Not too full of energy this morning, but the good news is that I'm not hungry like I was last night. I'm also down 2 pounds from Sunday morning...0.2 from yesterday.

I'm getting ready to take my shot of syrup and cayenne and make myself a fresh batch of lemonade.

Supposedly the third day...today...is supposed to be the hardest, but since we took the first two days to ease into it, I'm not sure if today or two days from now will be the hardest. For me, possibly today because I work at the pizza parlor again, whereas tomorrow and Thursday I'm not around food.

I have plenty of things to keep me busy until work today, so the thought of food shouldn't be too big of a bother until I go to work. Then I'll just have to chug some water every time devil Katie shows up on my shoulder.

My words for the day...Determination and Faith.

Day 2: Master Cleanse (PM)

It's official...you can now add cheeseburger and fries, chicken strip sub, nacho grande, and pepperoni mushroom pizza to my list of cravings. Working at the pizza parlor tonight was one of the hardest things...no ice cream sampling, no munching on spare fries, making burgers and subs, smelling the aromas of fatty fried foods...it was torture, but I stayed strong.

The whole time I had a devil Katie and an angel Katie on opposing shoulders whispering to me that "it's only 1 french fry." "NO. One is still something and that means you fail if you do it." It was a 4 hour argument that angel Katie won...but it was an epic fight.

Now that I'm home, and I have finished all but a few pulpy ounces of my ration of lemonade today, I'm pretty proud of myself. I had some fresh fruits and veggies for dinner before going to work, but it really didn't stick with me for long before feeling hungry again. And by feeling hungry, I mean 50% was my brain telling me I want to eat, and 50% was my stomach actually feeling empty.

Blogging about the experience is also a big help because it's making me accountable for my actions. Working around food is so tough and knowing that if I blow it, I'll have to come home and face the blog and type it out...which means I can't deny what I did. It's also a huge help that the food in the house is out of sight and heavily guarded by masking tape and threatening words like "don't even think about it...fatty" and "you open this cupboard and you're a failure."

So today I have found a system for ingesting the ingredients that doesn't taste so rotten, and I have crossed a huge self control barrier. My stomach is still feeling empty, but I'm hoping a good night sleep will help.

Day 2: Master Cleanse (Mid Day)

It is much much much easier to shoot the syrup with the cayenne pepper and chase it with water. I think my new plan of action is just that

Breakfast: 3 oz shot of syrup with 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper...chased with some water and my wheat grass and psyllium husk supplements.

Then I'll peel my 6 lemons for the day, blend them to a pulp, and add them to 60 oz of water with my final 3 oz of syrup. That will be my snacking and lunch throughout the day.

At dinner time, I will continue drinking water and have some tea to rid the taste out of my mouth. We'll see how this goes today.

So far I have taken my 3 oz shot of syrup with 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Getting ready to make my lemonade and take my supplements for the day.

My stomach only growled once this morning, but the thought of food isn't driving me mad. I did have a thought about some brisket...or some chicken noodle soup...and the thought that I can't have it for another 8 and a half days makes me sad, but I know I'll feel awesome in 8 and a half days if I don't cave to my cravings.

Day 2: Master Cleanse (AM)

I know it's terrible, but yesterday we only were able to drink about 4 oz of the lemonade. We like spicy foods, but the cayenne pepper is seriously too much. I'm thinking of experimenting today. As long as we ingest the correct amounts of stuff, it doesn't matter how we ingest it, right? I think first I'm going to try and shoot the cayenne in a shot glass of water followed by an herbal tea chaser. Then I'll see how the lemonade tastes with just the lemon and syrup. If that doesn't work, I'll shoot the cayenne, then shoot the syrup then drink the lemon and water.

I also took a couple of psyllium husk pills last night, but it had no effect except making me feel full.

This morning, my mood is a bit better, my stomach isn't in so many knots, and I don't feel hungry, though my mind is telling me a fried egg sandwich would be delicious...or a bowl of lucky charms. But the thought of food isn't driving me mad. The junk food hidden upstairs is not calling my name yet.

I know yesterday was a pretty bad start, but at least we got some nutrition with the sandwich we had for dinner. Today I need to drink this lemonade...I cannot fast half the day today. I need to consciously drink plenty of water and figure something else out with the lemonade. Jeremy thinks he wants to try and shoot the cayenne and syrup, drink the water, and eat the lemons.

We'll figure something out that works for us.

Anyway, this morning I'm getting ready to take my wheat grass supplement for the day as well as another dose of psyllium husk. I'll get back to you on the effects of that.

Also, I'm thinking of separating my lemonade stuff into sets of 20 oz. and when my mind tells  me it's meal time, I'll do my usual routine of putting on a tv show and sitting down for a meal, but instead, I'll down my 20 oz of lemonade. And my snacks in between meals will be either water or decaf herbal tea. Tonight we get to eat fresh fruits and veggies for dinner and that will be the last solid food for us for the remainder of the cleanse. My true test will be tonight when I work at the pizza parlor.

Also, another bit of news is I'm down 1.8 pounds from yesterday morning. And my stomach is not growling.

Here's to day 2. Still motivated, seeing a bit of results, trying to figure out a way to make the lemonade go down easier.

Day 1: Master Cleanse (PM)

It's evening time...

Today is day one of two to ease into this cleanse.

Not sure how good of a start we're getting off to. We had the lemon fiasco this morning. I wasn't able to make our first batch of lemonade until noon today so we pretty much fasted the whole morning. With the mood I'm in today, I haven't even felt up to even drinking anything today. I made the lemonade in hopes of stirring my appetite a little bit, but the lemonade doesn't taste as great as I remembered when I tried a bit of it before. I like spicy foods, but the cayenne pepper is very strong. All day I was only able to get down 4 oz of it. And the maple syrup does leave a really weird aftertaste in your mouth.

We ate a normal dinner consisting of a Safeway select sandwich. Not once has my stomach growled today and I'm not really craving anything, though I think my experience is compromised due to my emotional state today. So we shall see how tomorrow goes. Our plan for tomorrow is to have the lemonade and water and teas and have only fresh fruits and veggies for dinner.

I think I might try something different with the lemonade. I'll try taking the cayenne pepper in a shot glass of water and see if the lemonade tastes better without it. My mouth was burning after a few gulps of the normal lemonade with it.

I'm pretty tired as well, but again, I think that has everything to do with my mood today and outside factors not in relation to the diet.

Day 1: Master Cleanse (Mid Day)

I'm still not hungry. I'm in no mood to do anything but mope around and be bitter at the world. Seriously, I'm not handling this guinea pig thing good at all.

And on top of all of that, I can't drive our new car on base because we can't get a base pass sticker on it until the plates get here and the temporary pass is only good for the primary on the vehicle. So we can't even sell the suzuki until we get our new plates in a month.

ALSO, the last ingredient we needed to get for our diet is lemons. The essential ingredient. We each need to drink at least 60 oz of fresh squeezed lemon mixture...translating into 6 TBSP lemon juice EACH or 12 TBSP TOTAL Per day for 10 days. One lemon equals about 1 TBSP so we need 12 lemons per day total. Since the commissary is closed Monday and Tuesday, we need enough lemons to get us through today, tomorrow, and Tuesday which equals 36 lemons.

With that said, we go to the commissary and they have a handful of lemons available. The discounted to sell ones were starting to mold, and of the ones left at the regular price of $1.49/lb, I could only get 4 that looked decent enough to eat. I'm not picky either...I mean, the ones I didn't pick up were soft enough I could have poked a hole with my finger; they were starting to shrivel. So I got 4 lemons there...no problem...we'll just go to Safeway, right? We get there and there are lemons galore. The price at the commissary was $1.49 per pound. One pound is about 3.5 lemons. So I get 3.5 lemons for $1.49 at the commissary.

At SAFEWAY, each lemon is a frickin' $1.99 EACH! It's NOT organic, and it doesn't have any magical powers...NOTHING! Two freeking dollars for a TBSP of fresh lemon juice. Are you kidding me?!?!?! 3.5 lemons for $7?????

I ended up getting 20 lemons there for $40 only because I have no other choice. I don't know what else I can do. I need 36 to get us through Tuesday, but I only have 24.

It's just a crappy day.

Day 1: Master Cleanse (AM)

Today is a day to ease into this Lemonade Cleanse.

We slept in today...the week in Anchorage really took a toll on us...but was super fun, nonetheless.

After waking up, I do not feel hungry in the slightest. The commissary opens in a little over half an hour and all we need to get started is a bunch of lemons.

My mentality for the cleanse only is in good spirits, however, my mentality in general is not so good. I have been excited for months about the trip to Anchorage not only to get our Rav4, but to also add a new buddy to the family, a guinea pig. So we get to Anchorage, and one of the first things we do after filling out car paperwork and eating at Golden Corral is go to Petsmart and pick out a baby guinea pig...Ginny. A sweet little short hair brown and white guinea pig. We spent 4 wonderful days with her and the day we bring her back to Kodiak, we get her home and she looks terrible...refuses to eat or drink anything and before going to bed last night, she died. It effects me more than when my parakeet of 11 years dies. I think because I don't know why she died. Snowbell the parakeet lived a very long and happy life. But Ginny was still a baby and I don't know why she died. I don't know if it was the stress of moving her from Anchorage to Kodiak, or if it was the terrible fumes in our room in Homer, or if she got cold in the car on the ferry, or if the store sold her to us and she was already sick. Either way, I feel incredibly guilty. Plus, I spent a good amount of money on food, bedding, toys, treats, and more for this little girl, and now she's gone after spending 4 days with her. I feel sick at the thought. And my first instinct is to curl up and mope with some ice cream...but my stomach is in knots as well.

Anyway, using the following website, I calculated my body fat percentage...I'd rather not say my weight because I do have a larger bone structure...but this website seemed pretty decent having me measure my neck, waist, and hips, and provide my height, weight, and gender.



So my total Body Fat Percentage for the morning of day one is 31.4%.

According to the charts: (gotten from this website: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php) I am just in the acceptable range. My goal is to get into the fitness range, and though I know I won't make the range during this 10 day cleanse, I hope to give myself a good jump start.

Classification	Women (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%
Athletes	14-20%
Fitness	21-24%
Acceptable	25-31%

So it begins...the Master Cleanse...tomorrow

So today we got back from our trip to Anchorage. It feels great to be home. Tomorrow is the big day that hubby and I are starting the Master cleanse. We have all of our ingredients except for the lemons. We're both pretty excited, but nervous at the same time. Tonight we're doing our best to get rid of all the junk we brought back from Anchorage. Chips, salsa, pizza, etc.

This is going to be a hard thing for me to disclose out in the open, so all I ask for those reading along is to not judge me. :)

Tonight, we are posting notes around the kitchen to remind ourselves why we are doing this. Why are we doing this? To rid the built up waste in our systems from years of junk eating habits, to reset our lifestyle to incorporate healthier choices without the need for self control, to feel better about ourselves, to know we can stick to something so intense, to lose that last bit of weight that's hard to get off, and many more I can't even remember right now.

As of today, I'm feeling pretty gross. An entire week of eating out with little to no fruits or veggies can really make a person feel bogged down. Even though it was delicious to be somewhere with good eats (Golden Corral, Moose's Tooth, Pho, etc.) the after effects aren't pleasant: bloating, fullness, feeling of being heavy, lazy, etc.

Starting this cleanse after such a stint of bad eating could either be a good thing or a bad thing...I'll keep you posted. The good thing is, after this week of dining and snack food binging, I feel ready to start this cleanse. I feel so full I can't wait to feel hungry and light again. On the other hand, this week has stretched out our stomachs to full capacity and starting this cleanse tomorrow could be suicide because out stomachs will go into hunger shock mode. Either way, it's all in our minds because our bodies will be getting all the nutrition we need. Plus, we're taking two days to ease into the diet.

Tomorrow we're having a decent but normal dinner with everything else being lemonade. Then Monday, we're having fresh fruits and veggies for dinner with everything else being lemonade. Then Tuesday through the 29th, we're having nothing but lemoade, water, decaf herbal teas with no sweetener, and the wheat grass and psyllium husk supplements.

I'll keep you posted, but as of now, I'm excited to start feeling better, and nervous about the "ridding of impurities."

Lady and at least 4 dogs

Some people are so inconsiderate. I have high tolerance for people I come across. Yesterday hubby and I took the dogs out for a hike. Delilah we trust off the leash, but I'm always ready to call her and pick her up or leash her if we come across people on trails. Scout, we keep on the leash at all times on hikes because we don't trust him yet.

Anyway, we went to a trail head and there was one car in the parking lot, so I knew there was someone on the trail. I heard the woman and her dogs nearby so I picked up Delilah and just then, 2 large dogs come charging out of the brush and come up to us...fine, okay. They appear friendly. Delilah is in my arms just chilling. One of the large dogs is a lab-looking dog, and one looks like a pitt bull. Then there were at least 2 other dogs...a terrier-type and a very large pom or small chow or something like that. There really could have been more as all the dogs were moving so fast I couldn't keep up with them...plus I was trying to keep our dogs safe. I say that because Jeremy had Scout on leash and the two larger dogs (Scout is a Cocker Spaniel) were all over him sniffing and barking in his face. I told Jeremy to pick Scout up, but with two large dogs swarming around him, he couldn't bend down far enough to pick Scout up without knocking heads with another dog. This goes on for at least 15 seconds and the owner is still out of sight, though she is calling her dogs...who aren't coming BTW. The situation escalates when Scout starts getting aggravated at these large dogs all up in his business barking in his face...so he starts barking as well. That further aggravates the large dogs who start growling and snarling at Scout, who in turn growls back. Jeremy is getting flustered, and I'm too busy holding Delilah to help Jeremy. Finally Jeremy is able to pick up Scout but the larger dogs are big enough they can jump up onto Jeremy and reach Scout who is snarling and barking and growling at these dogs who won't leave him alone. Both Jeremy and Scout are getting slobbered on and the lady calmly walks out from the trail talking on her phone, calmly calling her dogs who are NOT letting up and she simply looks at us and says, "Sorry...it can be intimidating." HAAAAA! Ya think!!!???

Holy Sh*t! If that were me, I'd have run to catch my dogs if they were swarming other people growling and snarling like that. Frick, Lady! Get control over your animals! Jeremy later told me he had half a mind to kick them out of his way, but didn't know if that would make the dogs bite or not. Holy Crap! We didn't know what the dogs were gonna do, and here's this lady, not worried about her animals jumping on, slobbering all over, snarling at, and barking uncontrollably at strangers and other dogs. Then she gives only a monotone...nonchalant "sorry...it can be intimidating." If I had been in her shoes...which I would never be because I keep my dogs under control...but If I had been her, I would have run towards the situation and pulled my dogs away and apologized profusely for at least a minute.

Seriously Lady? Where's the common sense and courtesy towards others. I'm just so glad no one got hurt. I'm pissed that the situation happened to begin with, but I'm happy that no one got bit. Poor Scout was so agitated for several minutes after that. He kept looking at the trail behind us and his hackles didn't lay flat for several minutes. Poor dog was probably thinking something along the lines of, "WTF just happened?!?!?!"

Crazy Lady.

What a night in Kodiak

What a night!!!

The island is alive with talk of Orcas earlier this week...

Northern Lights being spotted last night and tonight...

And a tsunami advisory because of the earthquake in Japan.


Then there's my life...I'm hovering on FB to see if the Northern lights are being spotted so I can go watch them as well...I don't want to drive aimlessly around unless I know for sure they're out. It's past midnight and my eyelids are heavy...I think I may throw in the towel.

Then there's the upcoming trip to Anchorage on Tuesday...the dealership still doesn't have the car they promised us. I will be livid...LIVID...if we get there Tuesday and they don't have the car. They told us they'd have it by the end of February...we put a $1000 deposit on this vehicle!

I swear if they don't have it, I'll make them drive Jeremy and I to the nearest dealership that's NOT them so I can give my business to someone else...OH, and of course, I'll get my $1000 deposit back...Jerks.

Yep...I'm in a mood...don't mess with me...I don't like being messed with...it's like poking the sleeping bear.

T minus 16 days before Master Cleanse

Why not sooner? Well the Cleanse lasts 10 days and there are things I need to prepare for before beginning the cleanse. First, I must get rid of the junk in the house...eliminate the temptations of chips and candy, right? Well I HATE the thought of throwing perfectly good food away. Tomorrow, we're planning a BBQ with friends, and we'll probably have leftovers as well, so the soonest we could probably start would be Monday, except for the fact that we don't have the proper ingredients.

No doubt we could find these ingredients in Anchorage...BTW, we're going to Anchorage on the 15th to get our new car! A 2011 Toyota Rav4! Super Excited about that. So while we're there, we can get the ingredients...also eat out at restaurants. Kodiak has no real good restaurants. Big City living in Anchorage (har har) is exactly what we need right now. So anyway, we're coming back to Kodiak on the 19th. So we can start this Master Cleanse on Sunday the 20th.

My insights on it right now:

I have studied up on this Detox Diet and I like what it can do for a person, I understand the negative side effects of hunger and grumpiness and frequent bathroom trips, and I also understand that these negative experiences are only temporary; that the end result will be worth 10 days of major sacrifice and discipline.

I know exactly what I'm getting into by studying what others have gone through and consulting the blog of an unofficial expert on the Detox.

I know it will be tough. Here's a little insight into that which is ME.

~I am addicted to food. I know food is necessary to sustain life, but with the amount of food I consume, it's enough to sustain several lives. I know I live in a country where overeating is the norm, but my willpower against junk food is very hard for me to control. I believe this is a problem. I'm not obese or anything, but according to the "charts", I am overweight and I want to change that.

Health experts put it in a great light...do you "eat to live?" Or do you "live to eat?"

Some have compared to the Master Cleanse as the feeling of quitting smoking cold turkey...and though I've never smoked, the feeling is oddly comparable with quitting food.

The Master Cleanse will give me proper nutrition to sustain what my body needs to live...in fact it will give me more nutrition than if I eat burgers and fries and chips all day.

Right now, I'm very excited to start this Cleanse and a little nervous. Working at a Pizza Parlor will be no easy task during this 10 days. 4 of those 10 will be spent at the Pizza Parlor and it will be hard to keep my fingers off the ice cream sample spoons.

But I plan to make daily entries here throughout the entire process.

This Detox effects everyone differently, so if you read this and think this is how it will be for you, chances are, that it won't. But you're welcome to follow along! I apologize ahead of time for any obscenities I may type during peak times of hunger...some have sworn the cookie jar has called out their name in the middle of the night. We shall see.

So for me...a junk food-loving...somewhat overweight...mid-20's...5'5"...big-boned...outdoor-loving...rough and tumble girl...stay tuned to see how this plays out for me.

It's Been a While

Hello, old friend, Blogger! It's been a while. I honestly don't know what happened between us...one minute you were the one I came to and typed at...the next, it's several months later and a glimmer of you comes back to the front of my mind...Oh! How I've missed typing my inner thoughts to you! :p

Anyway, I really don't know what happened. Let's see...last you heard, I was trying to lose weight...well, I think after my last post, I had lost 10 or 15 of my 35 pound goal. In August, my parents came to Kodiak for a visit, then it was my birthday, then it was Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year! And now we're in March, 2011!

I guess I started trying to lose weight again in January, but my motivation was non existent. When the middle of February rolled around, I started watching my intake and exercising more. I'm actually quite proud of my gym excursions and all that I'm accomplishing in running on the treadmill, however, the weight isn't coming off as easily as it had been before. After the holidays I"m sure I gained some back...and my new goal is to lose 20 pounds from where I am at now. In the past few weeks, I've only lost 2-3 pounds. It fluctuates each day...

I don't remember how it came up, but I've been looking into this thing called the Master Cleanse. Also known as the lemonade diet. Besides being a very intense 10 day body detoxification, some great effects include a better outlook on life, higher energy levels, better eating habits after the detox, and rapid weight loss from getting rid of all the junk from years of Happy Meals and Whopper Meals and Pringles and Hot Pockets and Soda.

I don't want to take up too much time on this post talking about this cleanse as I believe it deserves a full post all to itself, so I leave you now, blogger-land, but I promise I will come back very soon. It feels good to be back. :)