Straight Talkers San Diego Weekend!

Hey Blog Buddies!

It's been a while since I've posted on the GeekGirlKnows blog, but I've been active on all of the social media sites we connect on! (@LadyDJames on Insta, @GeekGirlKnows on Twitter). If you're in SoCal this weekend (December 9-11th) come down and hang out with Ross Mathews, Stylist Salvador, Josh Wolf, Nikki Boyer, Mark, CJ, Willy and the whole gang. Check out the fun activities we have planned - including a LIVE Podcast taping!

And if you haven't been around the Straight Talk podcast lately, click HERE to visit the site and watch the latest video of the live show below (where I had the honor of filling in for Nikki B this week).

Hope to see you in San Diego, peeps!

Cheers,

Daria

Wonders Never Cease.

What. Is. Up. ?!!?

It's been quite a while since I last posted here. Lots has happened since then, and much will happen going forward (for all of us, not just me!). The old Morcheeba song "Wonders Never Cease" embedded above is my current mood on a dark, rainy day in LA (which I love).

I find I always come back here when I'm engaging in self-introspection in order to re-center or align myself in some way or another. Whether it's been in larger creative endeavors like the Straight Talk with Ross Mathews podcast (which is still going strong!) or seeking answers to things like "can i find a natural deodorant that actually works?" (the answer is still no, not for me, but I will continue to try/look), or just sharing my personal photography, this blog is my totally open space to communicate with you all whenever I'm called to do so.

This is all very general, I know, but I'm building up to something. :) In the meantime, what have all of you been going through? What new wonders do you look forward to exploring this year? I'm not a New Year's resolutions type of girl, but I am all about setting new intentions whenever it strikes you to do so, so I'd love to hear about what your newest intentions are for you, whether it's this month, next month, this year or beyond.

What are your new intentions for yourself? What do you think about in your quietest moments? Share with me in the comments below (whether I know you or not!) if you feel like putting your intentions in writing is what you should be doing in this very moment.

Love,
d

It's here! Straight Talk with Ross Podcast is LIVE

Did Y'all download the first podcast episode with GeekGirl & Ross Mathews? REUNITED AND IT FEELS SOOOO GOOD!

Click here to subscribe via itunes and check us out on PodcastOne. Plus, email us your questions (or stay tuned for the call in number for next week's show) at straighttalkwithross.com.

Stay tuned for more exciting stuff-this is just the beginning!

A Photographic Ode to LA, GeekGirl Style

The Los Angeles Theatre in Downtown LA

You may or not know this about me, but i LOVE photography. You also may or may not know that until recently, i lived in an old loft (originally built in 1898) in Downtown Los Angeles for over 8 years, before it was the "cool" place to be. I'm not necessarily technically as skilled as i would like to be in terms of camera settings, but i make up for it in oodles of passion. whether it's my Nikon digital SLR camera or my iPhone, when inspiration strikes, i take a shot - literally.

one of my favorite things to take photos of is Los Angeles - my city of Angels. And my two favorite times to take pics of Los Angeles? One: the morning after it rains, early, before anyone else is up. The air is clear and crisp, there's a fresh smell in the air, and the light is somehow different. My second favorite time is at dusk, usually after rain (which is rare) or when there have been great, big, billowy clouds in the sky. it makes for the most beautiful sunsets streaked with pinks and purples.

I've long wanted to do a show of my favorite series of Los Angeles photos, but i have yet to get my rear into gear in order to achieve that. so instead, i'm going to post a few of my favorite Los Angeles photos to re-inspire me to do something with them. even if, for now, this is all i do. let me know your thoughts in the comments or tweet me @GeekGirlKnows!

Stay tuned for some exciting news this week that is about a blast from the past...those of you who have been around this blog for a while are going to be pretttttty excited, i think. :)

Cheers,
Dx

3rd Street Tunnel 

Victor Clothing Company Mural - "The Pope of Broadway"

The Armpit Chronicles: Update - It's the Humidity.

Angelinos are pretty smart, i don't care what you say. but the one word that we have a hard time comprehending is HUMIDITY. it's dry as a mofo out here. it's what makes 90 degree heat in April bearable...because we aren't also completely soaking wet when we step outside our doors.

So i decided to test out natural deodorants as a part of my quest to live better/cleaner. i unfortunately decided to do this when LA was hit with an unusual bout of hum...what's that word go like again? oh, yeah, humidity. that humidity is a bastard. 

as you know, that "Kiss My Face" roll on deodorant was DOA-basically i hated the smell of it the second i rolled it on, and so that one isn't going to survive this product test. 

i then wore the Jason deodorant and i liked the smell. 

it was a bit sticky, but i'm told that's normal with these deodorants since they are chemical-free. so of course, the first monday at work that occurred during this test, it was like 80% humidity in Los Angeles. so i decided that that was NOT ok to do to my co-workers, and i went back to regular, chemical-laden deodorant for the week. yummo. BUT, now that it's the weekend and the humidity isn't AS bad, i am back on the Jason. it makes my armpits feel soft, which i didn't expect!

in the meantime, i've also ordered a deodorant spray that a few of you have recommended, this Crystal Essense one. it's on it's way to me via Amazon (for some reason it's taking FOREVER even though i have Prime):

And lastly, i've been trying to avoid this because it costs SEVENTEEN DOLLARS, but like 7 people have recommended it to me. it's from Arbonne (side note: i only ever knew of Mary Kay as the in-office-cube-to-cube makeup/product sales company, but apparently, Arbonne is a thing! a few people i know either sell this stuff or have a friend/parent who does. anyway). so people keep telling me this one is the shizz, but i just cannot fork over $17 for a deodorant, especially because if i like it, then i have to keep buying it forever, or at least until they invent a way to turn off underarm sweat glands medically. BUT, someone may be letting me sample this, so if i do try it, i will let you all know how it goes.

so there you have it, the armpit chronicles, updated. stay tuned for hopefully sweety smelling news and more updates!

in other news, i finally broke down and ordered a Vitamix. it is already changing my life. more on that in the next post!

cheers and happy sunday,

Dx

#TBT: That Time Ross Mathews French Braided My Hair

this is an oldie but a goodie. randomly was looking up something about The View, and this popped up...memories!! enjoy. so proud of how far he's come!! xoxo

have a great day and take a little time to enjoy the view... HA (sorry i couldn't resist). :)

Cheers,

d

The Pit Chronicles: Natural Body Odor Fighters-Do they Exist?

Ok, so we all know (or are slowly learning) that antiperspirants aren't good for us. but no one wants to stink, right?

Plus, and chemical-laden deodorants that are placed so close to fragile breast tissue and lymph nodes (especially when you shave under the arms and get cuts, nicks, etc - pathways directly into the bloodstream!) are no bueno. though there's no direct link of deodorant to cancer that i can find in the science (full disclosure, i'm not a scientist; just very good at google searching and deep-dives), it can't be good for our organs to constantly be putting aluminum and other chemicals in our bodies. right? duh.

So, i'm trying to find a more natural deodorant that actually works. i was perusing the aisles at Gelson's yesterday, and just went based on what i could read on all of the labels that appealed to me. i didn't have a specific recommendation, i was just trying to be a responsible consumer and read the labels. (and also a marketing-person's dream consumer because that "clinical results" sticker on the Jason deodorant really worked on me!).

Results so far:

• as soon as i got home that day, i tried the kiss my face roll on. i got it mainly because i wanted to try a liquid/roll on, and also because it says it's lavender and i LOVE lavender. ask anyone who knows me-my office ALWAYS smells like lavender lotion at work. this shit was NO BUENO. if there is a lavender plant that smells like this deodorant, please for the love of all things right with this world NEVER PLANT IT AGAIN. so that option is out because i just can't stand the smell of it-it's worse than the smell of my own BO!
• yesterday and today i have tried the Jason traditional deodorant. first impressions: it smells nice, but it feels sticky when i put it on. i hear that that's normal with natural deodorants because antiperspirants and other chemical-laden deodorants use chemicals to actually stop you from sweating, so it makes sense that a different approach/formulation would have separate effects. 

In summary, i'm a bit sticky but not stinky. so that's good? i will let you know how it progresses. :)

Now, i want to hear from YOU! later i will post the insanely long thread on my FB page where people sounded off en masse on the types of naturals they use, but in the meantime, tell me in the comments below-do you use natural deodorants and if so, what is your favorite brand? any recommendations?

love to my lovelies,

d

On a New Path: 4th of July Spent in the ER, plus Armpits, Stomach & Kidneys.

How's that for a headline, eh?

So through the years, this blog has been many things. First, my video podcast and blog for all things geeky, techy, creative. Then, it was my outlet and documentation place for my 14 day soup cleanse, and you guys were with me every step of the way and even supported time that time that i wrote a poem about soup, not poop. (BTW, going through those posts i'm reminded how EXCELLENT i am at picking hilarious and random pop culture gifs to describe my relationship with food. srsly. i'm going to include the full archive links to those posts because, well because they made me LOL.) Recently, this blog also captured me winning the interwebs when i met George Takei.

Lately I've had some great progress in my life, but also some great setbacks. i have an amazing new job with a mission where i basically get to save the world daily. I have an incredible home that i weekend warrior projects on that make me happy to be doing work with my hands and planning designs and gardening. I have a great partner and family and cherished friends who have become my family, and i have love and laughter in my life daily. But i also just got a kidney infection out of nowhere and spent most of 4th of July in the ER at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles. I have lost a friend due to that parting of ways that sometimes has to happen to women in their 30's, and have been struggling to find time to do things that i know are good for me and nurture me. some of those things include:

• working out (blergh).
• writing
• blogging
• photography
• journaling
• eating right (most days i'm great at it, and other nights there's taco bell. WHAT I LOVE THEIR SOFT TACOS AND FAKE NACHO CHEESE).

In an effort to reboot my personal habits, i have come here, because you guys and this place have always been there for me before. I'm going to start writing about things that are less geeky (though there will still always be my love of gadgets, software and technology here!), and more organic, dare i use that buzzword.

for example...

• i just read a shitload of information about how bad antiperspirants are for you, and how we should not put aluminum and other chemicals under our armpits. i do NOT like BO, but i also don't want cancer. I am on the search for a natural deodorant that works. wish me luck on that, but i'll be posting about it here.
• i have this crazy plumeria plant that i bought in hawaii years ago that has this weird symbolic pattern to how it grows based on my relationship with above mentioned former-friend. i would like to document because it's just TOO WEIRD. 
• I am doing some awesome DIY home projects that i'd like to share with you all. for example, i made my own outdoor curtain hanging hardware using steel piping fixtures from Home Depot for like 20 bucks total. #irock
• I am attempting to get back into actually working out and overhauling my eating habits for life. not a diet, not a cleanse, but this time for GOOD. i am going to need all the help i can get with that one.
• i have started a separate site and Etsy store (#HomeMadeRad and #FizzyPopHome) almost a year ago that i haven't actually launched yet. i am making my crafts into home goods and i want to share my tips and tricks with everyone. i just need to actually FINISH that project. I'm so close you guys!

In summation, i have always been a jack of all trades. and i'm ok with that. i want to MASTER more than one of those things, projects, lifestyle changes, and i want to do it where it's most natural and lovely for me: right here on this blog with all of you.

So basically, what i'm saying is stay tuned for more, better, good stuff and a whole new look. I'm almost done with the BITCHIN new wix design for this blog, and will be making the swap hopefully in the next week or so.

Hope to see you around!

Have a great day,

D x

#TBT (ThrowBackTuesday, bitches): The Soup Cleanse Chronicles:

Click on a day to see full recap, tally, GIFs & musings.
-Day 1

-Day 2

-Day 3

-Day 4

-Day 5

-Day 6

-Day 7

-Day 8

-Day 9

-Day 10

-Day 11

-Day 12

-Day 13

-Poop? Nope, it's just Soup (a poem).

-Soup Cleanse prep-work.

The Day We Fight Back Against NSA Surveillance: 3 Ways to Take Action

"The SOPA and PIPA protests were successful because we all took part, as a community. As Aaron Swartz put it, everybody "made themselves the hero of their own story." We can set a date, but we need all of you, the users of the Internet, to make it a movement."

-TheDayWeFightBack.org

3 Ways to Get Involved:

A banner should pop up across the bottom of this page with 2 ways to instantly get involved in fighting back against mass government surveillance. you can either

1. call or 
2. email (or both!) your legislator directly from the pop-up banner. 

You can also go to the official coalition website for more info: TheDayWeFightBack.org

     3. Also, here's a petition you can sign on TakePart.com to demand transparency from the NSA.

Fight back, internet. Fight back.

I finished the Cleanse; Writing the Update Post...but in the Meantime, Here's George Takei and I. What.

so, i've been SLAMMED at work this week with, among other things, preparing to support an amazing documentary we will be airing on October 27th called Bridegroom. (if you are interested, watch the trailer here). as a part of this preparation i got to go to the premiere last night, and i met none other than George Takei, Mr. Sulu himself! Those of you who know my blog before i started writing about my cleanse know what a Trekkie i am. with this photo, i basically win the internet, IMHO:

George Takei and I at the Bridegroom premiere! 

my lunch today-thank you, Farmer's Market+fridge leftovers! Tasty & healthy.

Just wanted to share those two things with you and i promise that tonight i will finish one of the series of cleanse wrap-up and post-cleanse food head-games blogs that i have drafted. trust me, it's a doozy!! hint: i made it 13.5 days out of a 14 day cleanse. it all ended with a chicken apple sausage pretzel roll on sunday night. don't judge!! 

check back soon!!

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....

(UPDATED. I Did NOT Have a Taco!) I Had Vodka, You Guys. And I'm a CHEAP DATE! Day 12

---EOD REPORT+FINAL TALLY---

this afternoon, one of my co-workers who is also a friend and whom i love (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, TAMMIE! ;) came over to me and was like "OMG did you SEE what is in the KITCHEN?!" and i was like "no!!!", and "that was on purpose!" whatever it is, I CAN'T EAT IT! and she was like "but you have to support meeeee!! we have to stick together!" and i was like "ok ok ok you are right! you have been supporting me in my cleanse, i will go LOOK at what is in the kitchen with you." i'm strong, right?

so i went in the kitchen and come to find that some mystery meanie awesome person had left EVERYTHING for make your own tacos. i'm talkin' chicken meat (white meat, hand cut), beef (again, chunky beef, hand cut), onions, cilantro, limes, cheese, beans, rice....EVERYTHING. all in these neat little containers. let me tell you something...

I HEART TACOS. especially make-your-own tacos. taco night is infamous in my house, always has been. it's a great way to make a group dinner when friends come over, or great for a mid-week dinner with you and your bestie or lover or partner.

anyways, while my co-worker (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, TAMMIE! :) tasted the beef and we discussed how, if you avoid the tortilla, it's basically a healthy bowl of homemade goodness, (#girleconomics) we surveyed the landscape. and i am so proud of myself...i did not take even ONE BITE of any of the spoils before me. which sort of looked like this:

with that hurdle cleared (her tasting and me avoiding tasting), we were surveying what of the leftovers was suitable bag-it-up-to-take-home goods. again, i feel triumphant in this moment, because i did something that satiated me, yet allowed me to keep my word to myself and my diet. i took a ziplock bag, put a generous amount of cilantro (which i LOVE) and some beautiful lime wedges in it, and put it in the fridge with my LAST 3 DAYS' (WOOT) worth of cleanse food. 

when i got home tonight, i had my dinner (seared scallops and a hearty salad), and then when it was time for my final puree of the day (sweet pea, in case you are curious), i took some cilantro out, put it into the soup bowl, squeezed some fresh lime on top, and BAM! i felt like i had gotten my (free) money's worth of food from work. i didn't feel like i was "missing out" on anything just because i wasn't eating the tacos. 

in fact, i felt proud of myself for coming up with a creative, non-caloric and non-cheating-on-my-cleanse solution to free food being offered up at work (a situation that i know we ALL find hard to resist. we somehow talk ourselves out of whatever our normal eating habits are when there is free food involved...even if that food is not something we are craving, or even if it's something that we don't particularly love. what is up with that? #foodnoise, that's what. that's for another day).

so that's my story of the day. i feel like it was a strong finish to the end of a rather difficult yet successful work week. i feel that things are starting to fall into place for me, and this is just the beginning. i'm excited to blog this weekend about some bigger picture and summary thoughts about this life-altering cleanse, and also about the little nuances of it. i've officially made it 12 days as of today, and that is pretty awesome, if i do say so myself.

FINAL EOD TALLY:

-LBS LOST: 10
-NUMBER OF TACOS EATEN: 0
-NUMBER OF TIMES YOU WILL SEE A DANCING TACO ON MY BLOG: this probably isn't the last.

---MORNING REPORT---

so last night, try as i might to find champs at the Henry Fonda theatre, the closest thing i could find was this:

grey goose and soda with a few limes. what?

but when you are seeing this:

Stereophonics. #RockAndRollBaby.

and haven't eaten all of your soup purees, and the band didn't go on until 10 pm, and you all of a sudden feel REALLY old for the first time, a vodka+soda+3 limes is definitely in order.

and let me tell you, i was a CHEAP DATE!!! i took like 3 sips of my cocktail, and i was instantly buzzed. it was so funny! i had to sip it slowly, and then after i drank it, i was totally buzzed, and then like 2 hrs later i had a headache already. HA! my, how things change.

the concert was great, but man was i tired. it's hard enough on a "school night" to go out these days, and it was even harder given my cleansing state currently. but i made it! the concert was great, and i hit another milestone in being able to avoid the street hot dogs outside the theatre on Hollywood Blvd. at midnight last night.

this morning's weight loss tally is still the same (i reckon the alcohol bloated me up a bit too), and i got my FINAL food delivery today from Chef Kelly. we had a great chat about how she is going to help me understand how to continue this new way of eating on my own after Sunday. i CAN NOT WAIT to go to Trader Joe's and go grocery shopping this sunday! I CAN'T WAIT! i've saved so much money not shopping or going out to eat, it's insane. (i did win this cleanse, remember, so it's been free for me, but it is a good amount of money if you are paying for it. but i think that with 5 organic meals a day for 2 weeks, i'd still be saving money even if i was paying for it. #girleconomics.

so tonight, tomorrow and sunday i will be blogging about all of the details you guys have been asking me about privately. specifics about the food, cleanse, effects, etc. it will give a good overview/wrap up of all of the goods, so help me get through my last 3 days! thanks again for continuing to support me on this journey. cheesy as it sounds, i'm a changed woman. 

Day 11: 10 LBS Lost, Going to a Concert Tonight - #Stereophonics

first off, i'm going to a concert tonight. to see the Stereophonics, one of my favorite bands. if you don't know who they are, please make an effort to find out-they are SO worth it! here's a first step:

what a voice, eh? glorious.

so i'm super excited to go to this concert, however i'm a tad trepidatious. (is that even the correct tense/use of that word?). the reason i'm apprehensive (that's better) is that as i said in a previous post, i've been taking the whole social plans thing easy during this two week cleanse period because it's just better/easier that way. not only because it's easier to be away from temptation or being reminded of what you CAN'T have, and because i get more tired than usual because i'm eating less overall, but also because i think a big part of this cleanse is actually about self-reflection.

the quieting of the food noise in my head has left me with a very stripped-down and raw version of ME. and that's a very fragile state to be in, no matter who you are or how confident you are in general. so it makes sense that along with this period of resetting yourself physically, you also take some quiet time out to reset yourself spiritually and emotionally as well. i mean, that kind of happens on its own anyway. i keep saying that i feel like i just got the BEST therapy, but really it was the cleanse. i highly recommend it. (unless you are REALLY in trouble and actually need real therapy or professional help. go get that instead, in that case. :)

in summation, of course i'm excited to see one of my favorite bands. but i'm nervous at how i'm going to feel standing and cheering and dancing for a few hours (in case you've never heard how i behave at a concert, the high-pitched screaming right by the camera in this video is, in fact, me). and also, what if there's no champagne there, and i order a vodka-soda with some limes...is that cheating on my commitment to my cleanse, considering i said i'd only break the fast for champs?

i'm pretty sure i've used this GIF before. i'm totally ok with it. this GIF is important at all times.

lastly, i have lost TEN POUNDS (LBS), you guys! as of this morning! how cray is that? day 11, ten LBS. i know i know i know it's not about the weight loss, but now i'm on a mission to see if i can lose the 15 LBS that the cleanse website says is the high-end of a typical weight loss for this cleanse. since i've pretty much proven to myself beyond the shadow of a pistachio nut shell that i can do this cleanse, now i want to challenge my body to do it to it's maximum results.

wish me luck tonight!

(UPDATED!) Day 10: Better, Faster, Stronger. Plus, The Ice Storm.

--EOD REPORT--

i had the following delights for lunch and dinner today:

asparagus soup with some of my dinner salmon and veggies mixed in.

salmon with "gingerly" sauce and a hearty salad. 

the salmon was amazing. SO yummy. i put a big chunk of it in my asparagus soup for lunch, then ate the rest for dinner. there was a big salad with some radishes, cucumbers, cabbage, etc. with the salmon, and the delectable gingerly dressing. i have to say i'm not a big fan of salads in general. i love just plain vegetables, and unless it's arugala, i'm not really interested in the leaves. i guess because i've never been super into salad dressing? lettuce to me is just a vehicle for salad dressing. sorry to offend any salad lovers out there. :)

FINAL EOD TALLY:

LBS LOST: 8.5

PUREES CONSUMED: 4

NUMBER OF TIMES I HAVE COMMENTED ON ASPARAGUS PEE SMELL: too many. 

--MORNING REPORT--

better, faster, stronger.

sorry i didn't blog last night! like i said in the morning report yesterday, i had a tough day yesterday, mainly due to the Crimson Tide and being on day 2 of just purees, and then of course it got cold last night. (to clarify, i KNOW that y'all out there who don't live in SoCal are laughing at me because i think 60 degrees is cold, and you know what? i'm ok with that. it doesn't affect me. it was cold for HERE, dammit!)

so, i actually passed out early from all of these factors last night. and i woke up today feeling pretty darned good! i was still a bit tired, but that's to be expected, and i lost another .5 LBS. this morning as i was driving into work, on the first cool, rainy, chilly day in a long time, i felt great. i love this weather, and i love feeling like the seasons are actually changing.

not that i complain about our great weather here, but, well, i do complain.

because i need some rain to balance out all the sunshine. actually, i'd like a good amount of rain, because i'm moody like that. (The Ice Storm is one of my favorite books, what do you expect? also, btw's, there is a GREAT movie adaptation of that book starring these amazing people:

kevin kline, joan allen, sigourney weaver, christina ricci, elijah wood... and a 70's swinger sex party. if you have not seen this film, you must. that's all there is.

anyway, i was driving in this cool, moody weather fully aware of the change that i have been undergoing, and i was pleased that the weather around me was changing as well. we all work together, as a system, right? and then, Kanye came on again! this time it was a bit of a throwback- "Stronger" came on, and i just ROCKED OUT to it in the car, and i really felt like i was better, faster, stronger. and i was reminded by -Ye that that which does not kill me only makes me stronger; a metaphor for how things that are challenging are also rewarding once survived. so today, that is my theme. i'm one strong bizzle, and i am working it, baby.

lastly, i got my food delivery this morning and am SO excited to see solid food in there! here's what's on the menu (i told chef kelly how much i love garlic, so she added more to this week's food. SCORE! who knew garlic could make a girl so happy? just don't try to make out with me this week:

10/9

Salmon salad with B~12 crave dressing (lots of garlic for you)

10/10

Garlic shrimp asparagus quinoa with pine nuts

That's it for humpday morning report! make it a good day, people, and remember that Kanye wants you to be better, faster and stronger today. just do it.

My Body is a Quiet Room. And Katy Perry. Day 9 (Morning Report)

today i woke up groggy and tired. as i was driving to work, i got this overwhelming emotion. the best way that i can describe it is that my body feels like a quiet - silent, actually - room. all of the food noise is gone, and every other sensory experience is amplified and echoes through me, bouncing off the boundaries that separate ME from the space and time of the universe around me. (no, i am not stoned). for example, i haven't really even been wearing perfume lately, even though i love perfume, because the smells have been overwhelming me. even my olfactory nerve has reset itself!

it also means that the cramps i woke up with this morning rumbled around loudly (though, surprisingly, they are not NEARLY as bad as they normally are. which means that this cleanse has somehow done the impossible inside my uterus, which is to soothe it from it's usual rage of wanting to rip itself from my insides).

and finally, i blame the cleanse for me not changing the station when Katy Perry's "Roar" came on the radio this morning. the opening and lyrics are so silly and basically cliche after cliche - with a slight twist - but, what can i say...i'm a sucker for the chorus and its onomatopoeia (um, for the record, i totally just spelled that correctly on my first try, unaided. my B.A. from UCLA with a degree in English, American Literature & Culture at use here, folks. i am a champion, and you're gonna hear me ROAR...ok sorry, i will stop now).

MORNING TALLY:

LBS LOST: 7.5 (i think it may be more, actually. the Crimson Tide throws everything off)
NUMBER OF TIMES KATY PERRY ROARS IN THE SONG: 18

(UPDATED: I ATE A PISTACHIO. JUST ONE) Soup Cleanse Day 8

---FINAL EOD REPORT+CONFESSION+TALLY---

you guys, i ate a pistachio nut. and this is how it felt:

but i only ate one, not 4. and it didn't de-shell itself. and Psy wasn't there.

otherwise, i stuck with the all-puree cleanse today. it was just that today was hard, cleanse-wise. my focus is off mentally (blame the PMS) and i'm tired (ditto) and then, i had this really long, great email from chef kelly really waxing philosophical about food and the big picture, and it was SO great, and really resonated with me. (she really is all about inspiring people to see food differently and about the larger meaning of it) and then, in the email, totally nonchalantly as is her gentle, gingerly way, she said that i should not be surprised if i was emotional this week; "most people get emotional during week 2."

FUCK.

i'm already on the verge hormonally due to the inevitable life-force-tide that is swelling within me (and no, that was NOT a euphemism. but it was a metaphor. for periods. and cramps). so this is the backstory of the landscape that was in my mind as i stood in my kitchen, heated up my new tomato basil soup (part of the new batch of flavors i picked), and exactly what i was thinking about (perhaps whimpering about externally too?) when my glazed over eyes landed on a bag of nearly eaten pistachio nuts on the pantry shelf. 

so i had 1. BUT JUST ONE...just to chew something. i figured that since i had had nuts in quite a few of the prepared meals on the cleanse, it's not like it's a forbidden protein...right? anyway, again, this blog is all about my accountability and i am confessing to you all that i ate a fucking pistachio nut and i'm going to be TWICE as emotional as ever this week, so if ANY of you are left here reading by the end of this week, you are awesome. (sorry and thanks?)

FINAL EOD DAY 8 TALLY:

LBS LOST: 7.5 (woot!)

PUREES EATEN: 5

SINGLE PISTACHIO NUTS CONSUMED: trick category. the tally is in the category name. (1)

---MORNING REPORT---

happy(?) monday?

it's day 8! the only thing that brightened up my day today was...well, actually there are 2 things:

1. i lost another .5 LBS, so that is encouraging, especially knowing i'm going back to just purees for today and tomorrow. :/ at least i know that for sure i should keep losing weight today and tomorrow, rather than plateauing as my body tends to do after like an 8 LB weight loss in the past.
2. i got my all new purees today, and they are beautiful, bright and different colors, and it made me grateful for the fact that i changed out the flavors of the soups for this week. because i just could not continue with the ones i had for another 7 days...i wouldn't make it! 

so that's my report. tomorrow will be a true test of the effects of this cleanse on the ultimate force of nature: CRAMPS. i get them really bad, and they are scheduled for tomorrow. like i have to take 3 advil before they start or i throw up bad. so, if this cleanse helps alleviate that pain, then i will be even more of a believer than i already am in the whole cleansing/eating "clean" philosophy. 

but right now, all i can think about is the half-eaten Heath bar in the fridge at home that i found yesterday when i was reorganizing groceries (don't judge...i love to be in the kitchen. how do you think i got into this whole mess in the first place?!)

happy(?) monday!

The 777: 7 Days, 7 LBS Down; 7 Days to Go

I made it a full week!

The Last Supper Dogg. For this week, anyway.

Saved by the Bell. i mean...DWTS should have had Kelly Kapowski on this season too. THAT would be a dance off.

i feel cleaner and like i'm really clearing out a bunch of cobwebs; both physically and mentally with my body running on clean energy. and though i lost different amounts of weight on different days, i netted out by losing a little over one LB a day. (btw's, i don't know why i keep typing LB instead of saying POUND, but in case you are confused, that's what i mean).

i have to say that with the exception of the first 2 days of the cleanse, today has been the most difficult day. it's sunday, and tomorrow i have to go back to 2 full days of just purees (no solid meals :/ ). so, just the thought of that is difficult. then there's the fact that usually on the weekends i will cook or try to make something for dinner for my boyfriend and myself, or us and some friends, just to have a Sunday Dinner/Lunch (it's a British thing).

i was afraid to leave the house for any real social plans, because i didn't feel confident enough around, like, baguettes and jam, or eggs. or way too many glasses of prosecco. so the only thing that i allowed myself to do was to go see Gravity on 3d IMAX at Citywalk. (sidebar: it's a great film, cinematically. some parts i was like ok, srsly? but those parts were still good too. i highly recommend seeing it in IMAX 3d if you can-it was worth it. ps-i do not, nor have i ever, had the desire to travel into space. despite my love of Star Trek and Star Wars.)

we all know what going to the movies is about...snacks that you would never get anywhere else. usually, i opt for nachos and a coke or cheree icee. i don't eat either of these things anywhere other than the movies. so that was quite the hurdle to clear. i knew that i wasn't going to get either of these things today due to the cleanse, so instead i did treat myself to a Coke Zero. mind you, i gave up drinking soda about 6 months ago and basically just drink water, tea and coffee now, so i allotted myself something to feel like i was getting a treat from the concession stand. and i tell ya that coke zero was SWEET. like super sweet! my tastebuds were so shocked by it that i couldn't even finish it.

so i got through the movie, and then got home and had a great meal from my cleanse today. it was a tilapia with a rice concoction and some wilted spinach and then some sort of kraut-esque stuff on top. i ate every single last grain on the plate. i realized that i've also really missed cooking and i've had some organic carrots, broccoli and squash/yams that were about to go bad and my boyfriend basically doesn't eat if i don't cook (it's a compliment, not a mandatory). so i decided that i'd make up a broccoli soup for him using some chicken stock, the carrots, half an onion, some garlic, fresh thyme, and then also made him some mashed yams with rosemary, butter and brown sugar as a side. i can very proudly say that i made it through cooking both of these dishes that took a few steps each with only about 2 tastings...and only of the soup, to make sure the seasonings weren't off (i made him taste the yams and tell me what to add). since i don't use cream in my soups and it's basically a broth with broccoli addded in at the end and pureed, i actually think it was very close to the PureedLove soups that i'm eating, so i didn't feel terrible for tasting 2 teaspoons of the green goodness that i made. and i got to cook, which satiated me for a little while, though now i have cleanup to do and i'm hungry. :/

so that was this weekend. how was yours?

Lastly, for anyone who is interested, here is the actual form that you fill out for the cleanse once you're signed up. you pick from these categories, and i've decided to switch it up for week two...no matter how good a pumpkin or cauliflower soup is, i just cannot eat it for 14 days straight. (variety is the spice of pureed life, amirite?) i had to turn in any changes to my choices by EOD friday, and i opted for asparagus, sweet pea (recommended highly by my co-worker who's done this cleanse), swapped to white bean from the black bean (again, you just can't eat poop-soup for 14 days straight) and got the ginger beet soup. i'm excited to try new variations...i hope i like them!

Potpourri for Day 6, Alex. (7 LBS LOST!)

where is this on the pyramid of #self-actualization? ok i don't NEED liquor, but gosh it's nice once a week.

I've decided since it's the weekend, i'm going to give all of us a break and only blog once a day. i'm also going to use these weekend posts as a repository for the deeper, more philosophical thoughts about food, emotions (for which i hope you will join me in the comments) and other info about the cleansing process that i've been thinking about during the week, but didn't fit into my other posts. so the weekend blogs shall henceforth be known as "Potpourri Posts," in the style of Jeopardy. and so it was.

1. First off, i've lost 7 LBS. so there's that.

2. Secondly, and total sidebar here, but have you watched Orphan Black on BBC America? it is AMAZEBALLS. if you have, don't tell me what happens. i'm getting through season 1 on DVD right now. ERMERGHERD ERTS SER GHERD. but, if you have watched it, does anyone know why the eff it didn't get nominated for ANY Emmys?! Tatiana Maslany plays EIGHT characters. EIGHT.

Tatiana in 6 of 8 characters...MAIN characters she plays. often in scenes with herself. DUDE.

3. Third, some strange thoughts about food in general. Allow me to expand.

it's so weird, but i'm not craving any specific food, although i feel bound by this cleanse (and i am bound by it, because i made a commitment to it, so i'm not even entertaining the thought of "cheating" on it. i agreed at the onset with full disclosure that if there was to be a diversion, champagne would be my ONLY deviation. and so it was). anyhow, since i'm not craving any specific type or even an item of food, this simple fact helps to eliminate a lot of food "noise" from my head.

and it leaves me with this big, gaping hole of an epiphany that i wrote about slightly in an earlier blog...just about how emotional food is. i would be lying if i said that i'm not totally in a tizzy about what the hell, exactly, i'm going to start eating and stop eating when i come off this cleanse. i can't have food delivered to my doorstep forever, right? while thinking about what my first "free" meal will be post-cleanse, i found myself at a complete and utter standstill.

(photo from my series of original photography in Downtown Los Angeles' Grand Central Market. For the full series click here.)

i don't know what i WANT to eat. for the first time since i can remember in my state of being a sentient being. i don't crave any certain thing, nor do i like the sound of a greasy, pepperoni pizza, even though i LOVE pepperoni pizza. i like this CLEAN feeling of my body, but i don't like the lack of control or just being able to go out to a restaurant and even order light fare. i just can't do ANY of it now, which is, of course, the intentionally strict part of this cleanse. i imagine if we were left to our own devices to make these soups and meals (which is doable-they aren't super complex) we would likely mis-measure here, sub in some EVOO there, add a dash of something here, blah blah blah...just so that we could break the rules, in some teeny, tiny, miniscule way. and we'd think that this was somehow liberating us...somehow helping assert ourselves as our own person, totes in control of our own life because we EAT WHAT WE WANT, WHEN WE WANT, DAMMIT! but therein lies the whole irony: it's only hurting us. that mind fuck i talked about earlier about food being emotional...control is emotional. breaking the rules is emotional. it makes us FEEL an emotion, and food is the enabler that lets us do it.

so there you have my totally free-falling thoughts on the subject, as of now. like my general creative process has always been -- whether for my personal art or for high-level strategy and brainstorm at work, or even when i'm faced with a problem or a difficult decision -- i have always used one method, one point of origin, for attacking it. i take whatever it is that i'm facing or feeling, and i deconstruct it. disassemble it down to it's most minute of parts, and then, i try to put it back together again, and see if i can riff or make variations or adjustments that will make it better, or different in a better way better suited to my particular need for the situation.

i feel like i have sufficiently deconstructed the idea of food and control, and want vs. need, and have started to scratch the surface of what it is that we tend to be hungry FOR, and now, i have the next 8 days -- and you guys -- to help me figure out exactly how to reassemble how i eat and behave around food. so here we go!

New cleanse-related items on tomorrow's agenda to address in my END OF THE WEEK! blog:

• exercise 
• my new menu for next week, and 
• The Trouble with Tribbles. 

(ok, not really that last one. but it popped into my newly-clean mind. what can i say? once a #trekkie, always a #trekkie. you are, after all, at GeekGirlKnows.com, right? :)

(UPDATED) - Day 5 of 14: How a Dietary Cleanse Can Affect PMS and Allergies

EOD UPDATE+FINAL TALLY

this is pretty much how i feel about everything but my cleanse foods right now.

BUT... day 5, first full work-week of cleansing...CHECK! i have survived and i'm ready to face the weekend.

towards the end of the day today i had really crazy tummy troubles (read: that's a total euphemism for something waaaaay grosser.) that lasted for a few hours, and of course, it happened right when i had to get into the car and sit in LA traffic forever.

INFURIATING LA TRAFFIC.

even though i use that app Waze (thank you to Emmett for introducing me to it...it's AMAZING) to avoid traffic, sometimes that is just plain impossible in LA. especially if you are driving the route nearest the most accessible restroom stops (euphemism).

since i've been very regular until now, this was slightly unexpected... i have two theories:

1. it's either supposed to happen because, duh, i'm CLEANSING my body or 
2. it's because of the seared ahi tuna (read: basically raw fish with a thin layer around the outside cooked) that i took from tonight's dinner meal and put into my lunch puree. it also had brown rice and some raw cucumbers and i think a bit of radish in it, so any of those things could have been the culprit. 

and man, i tell ya, it is crazy when you start eating solid food and you can hear it literally moving through your stomach after you've eaten it. i can monitor my entire digestive tract, pretty much. it is a veritable force.

for those of you who didn't read the morning report, scroll down past The Dude dancing in the GIF for depictions of how (surprisingly) this cleanse has lessened normal effects of my allergies and PMS. as Martha Stewart would say, "it's a good thing."

FINAL DAY 5 TALLY:

LBS LOST: 6 (for SURE i've lost at least another half LB due to the EUPHEMISM above)

NUMBER OF PUREES EATEN: 4

NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE SEMI-FREAKED OUT ABOUT WHEN I START HAVING TO PLAN MY OWN MEALS AGAIN IN A WEEK: 8-9 (more about that in my weekend blogs)

hope you all had a great friday, and have a beautiful weekend planned ahead. i will try to "keep busy" as chef Kelly suggested, so wish me luck with surviving the weekend without structure, but full of purees. (oooh, and some scallops! i have yummy scallops for dinner tomorrow. i almost want it to be tomorrow night already just because of that).

cheers!

--MORNING REPORT--

HAPPY FRIDAY, DUDES!

so i woke up today with a pretty severe case of PMS rage in my head. like, so bad that i got annoyed at myself at something i thought about that didn't actually happen, it was just a hypothetical (in case you are interested, it was this whole diatribe i went on in my head about how some people say "that's mines" instead of "that's mine". it's MINE, not MINES! that's a pretty accurate portrayal of how it went in my head too).

then, i got into work and my food delivery for today through sunday wasn't here yet, i was like RAGGGGGGEEEEEEE. in my head. but outwardly, i was like "cool, thanks, i'll check back in like 15 mins!" to the front desk peeps. i'm actually really surprised that i've been pretty even keel this whole week, which is when i'd normally be just slightly bat-shit crazy in my head all the while trying to keep it cool and seem like the same person on the outside. not some hormone-filled impostor clone who took over daria's body. but i guess i couldn't expect it all to go away. but generally speaking, it is remarkable how normal i've felt--better than normal, in fact--all week long considering what's coming next week.

also something good to report: allergies. not that allergies are good...but the fact that i haven't had to use my Afrin nasal spray to clear out my sinuses all week is great. i have been sneezing a bit in the mornings, but i think that's because LA is being hit with the famous, crazy, Santa Ana winds, and that always makes my allergies go haywire. so really, this cleanse has eliminated a lot of the congestion and other crap that i deal with on a weekly basis allergy wise, which is pretty awesome!

no weight lost today...but, to be fair, i weighed myself before you-know-what. sometimes things just don't work out-what can you do? but i'm fairly confident you-know-what was like 1 solid LB so i'm going to just keep that as a small victory in my head, though not official.

also, i did get my delivery as i was writing this post, and chef Kelly is so cute...she sent me some words of encouragement, and here's my menu of solid food for tonight/the weekend:

my favorite thing is the fact that it says "gingerly" sauce. even though i think it's a typo, i love it and it will forever now be called "gingerly" sauce in my heart and mind.

thank you for all of the support on this first week of my journey! you guys have really helped me out just by following along, and i promise i will not disappoint you! and if i do, i will admit it, and we can get through it together. deal? deal. :)

MORNING TALLY:

NUMBER OF LBS LOST: 5.5
NUMBER OF PMS RAGES HAPPENING IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW: at least 7. (fucking government is shutdown, miley cyrus is SO annoying and it's "YOU'RE" not "YOUR" if you mean "YOU ARE." and there are TWO forms of the word "TO," which mean completely different things. TOO and TO! SHEESH INTERNET!!!)