Sunday, October 13, 2013

ONE DAY LEFT! I survived Costco. And List of Side Effects. Day 13: The Skinny on the Cleanse

...to celebrate 2 weeks of cleansing being OVER, bizzles! 1 more day!

so. i have made it nearly 2 weeks. the end is nigh, and i'm so pleased that i stuck with it! sorry this blog is going up a bit late...i needed to do some non-cleanse related today, so i went to Costco with a friend/co-worker who needed to use my card for a party he is throwing (translation=#booze). i have to say that i'm really proud of myself for successfully avoiding my BIGGEST downfall at Costco. no, it's not all the little free food stations (which i avoided as well!). it's the cheese and tortilla aisle. they have these amazing uncooked flour tortillas-totally fresh and you have to refrigerate them-which i will eat like the whole pack of raw. i'm not even kidding. as i toyed with the idea of getting them, in my head was something that Chef Kelly said in one of her recent emails: if it's not in the house, you can't eat it.

and simple is as simple does...i didn't buy it. and guess what? now i can't eat it. (but damn, they are REALLY GOOD tortillas).

i did eat one (ok 3) raspberries because i had to make sure the batch i was buying was sweet. and when they hit my tongue, it was like a bright, fresh, pop rock. only natural. it was SO sweet i couldn't believe it! that's what no sugar will do to you for 2 weeks.

ok so for today's blog, here's a hodge-podge of stuff about the cleanse that i keep meaning to relay to y'all, i'm sure some things will be left out so i will add to Sunday's blog as i remember:

Recap of the daily/weekly structure of the cleanse+Options:
-i won the 2 week cleanse from Pureed Love, but you can also opt for a 1 week version.
-Chef Kelly recommends the 2 week version if you can afford it (i would recommend that one too) because it just feels like you need to allow your body to cycle through it twice in order to feel the fullest benefits. but, even just 1 week will do you wonders. remember that i lost 7.5 lbs by the end of week 1, so there are actually LOTS of benefits!
-you pick your purees and then also solid protein preferences before you begin the cleanse
-you get 5 purees a day for Monday & Tuesday, and then from Weds-Sunday you eliminate your least favorite puree (chef Kelly will ask you about that on Tuesday) and you get a solid meal instead.
-you eat every 2-3 hours. no exceptions.
-you may still have your coffee and tea and occasional glass of champs.
-otherwise, no exceptions. you ONLY eat the food they deliver to you 3x a week. (i had mine delivered to work)

Hodge Podge of Observations on Cleanse Effects on My Body:
Nails:
-my nails are usually really thin and weak. since i've been doing the cleanse, i notice that they have gotten stronger and been growing quickly; something i wasn't expecting and wasn't even looking for. i just happened to notice when i scratched myself on my face by accident the other day like one of those newborn babies. (you know the ones where they put the tiny mittens on their hands when they come home so they don't scratch their faces like i did? yeah just like that.)

Gas:
-i was legit concerned that this cleanse would give me gas, but i have to say that besides a few days towards the end when i started getting the salads/raw fiber protein dishes, it was all pretty calm down south

Bathroom Time:
-i was worried that i'd have upset stomach OR the opposite, complete blockage, but i was VERY regular, if not more regular, than usual. i thought i was going to have to take a laxative tea to help move this along, but i couldn't have been more wrong.

Sleep:
-i had a bit of trouble really sleeping, so i have to admit that i upped my regular sleeping meds a bit. (i'm just naturally really high strung, so i need help sleeping. sometimes i use melatonin, sometimes (most of the time) xanax, and sometimes an herbal alternative (you do the math). since my body was so clean and clear, and because i tend to be a night snacker (not to be confused with the night stalker, who terrorized Los Angeles in the 80's and was a serial killer), i was going to bed earlier to minimize the chances of finding myself wandering wantonly around in the kitchen at midnight each night.
-so it took me a bit to actually get to sleep, and i slept lighter than normal, but felt like i still got a good night's sleep each day, and tended to wake up naturally earlier than normal on my own.

Back Pain:
-miraculously, my severe back pain that is pretty much chronic/constant, the result of a severe herniated disc that i suffered when i was in my early 20's, has been SO MUCH BETTER. i can't explain that one. i haven't been working out at all (just walking the dog that i'm dog-sitting, which is more than i have been doing normally for a while)

Exercise:
-quick note: i can NEVER spell that word right, despite my best efforts. NEVER. maybe if i actually engaged in the action of exercising, it would be easier to spell? hmmm...
-since the cleanse states to not work out or to take it very lightly if you do, i took this as a full, free pass to actually not work out with a very good reason. god bless that part of the guidelines.

Caffeine:
-since i had overall less energy than normal (though when i was awake and alert i was VERY awake and alert-it was refreshing), i tended to drink more coffee than normal. usually i do 1 cup of coffee with vanilla soy creamer in the morning, or a double shot of expresso with soy creamer, and then drink tea all day long. during the last 2 weeks i've done like 2-3 cups of coffee a day, and still tea all day as well. it didn't affect me one way or the other...just helped me feel more normal.

last day tomorrow!!!!!!!!!! till then....

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