Post-Cleanse

When I hopped, no...stood, on the scale this morning, I got some semi-bad news. It seems that I had put on another 2.5 pounds since my last weigh-in. I'm not all that shocked, though, for reasons that I explained in Twisted Statistics. I'm just glad it's not worse. And big picture, so what? I still lost 9 total on the cleanse.

Today is a day of many firsts.
(1) Today, for the first time EVER, I walked into a CVS, looked up at their security feed from their monitor, and wasn't disappointed in what I saw. That says a lot, coming from me. I know I still have a long way to go, but I now feel a new sense of encouragement.

(2) Today is the first day I'm using the Jillian Michael's cleanse, hence the trip to CVS. I'll let you guys know how it works in fourteen days. My Facebook friend recommended it to me, saying that her sister lost five pounds in a week without dieting or exercise. I'm very skeptical of these magic pill fads, but I'll give it the old college try.

And now, for the main event...
(3) Today is the first time I've made it through an entire cleanse. Well...sorta. I did cheat A LOT! But that's beside the point. Baby steps, people.

Anyway, as promised, here is my assessment:

Overall, the cleanse was a positive experience. As with anything, it did have its strengths and weaknesses. One of its major strengths is that, if applied correctly, it forces the individual to realize his or her inner strength and willpower. In addition, it cleanses the body, and forces people to reexamine their former food choices, while possibly reintroducing individuals to healthy alternatives.

Regarding weaknesses, the cleanse may have the adverse effect of lowering metabolism, while causing side-effects such as lethargy and lightheadedness during strenuous exercise. Once solid food is reintroduced on the 15th day, the body will likely reject it. However, this is only temporary.

Wow, those two paragraphs were written like a term paper. Spring Break can't come soon enough :-D

Let me now turn my attention to the various phases. I need to keep this brief because I'm going to be late to work.

Day 1 and 2 were super-hard for me, because I wasn't used to eating healthy at all. So it was difficult for me to cut out all my junk food and soda, in favor of salad, fruit, and brown rice. However, Day 3-7 were mentally easier for me, although I did experience stronger cravings for junk food during this time. It helped me to write a list of the junk food that I could eat when I was finished with the cleanse. By the way, that list means nothing to me now...all I needed were my croissants and hash browns this morning. I'd be fine with doing it again if I needed to!

Anyway, back to my assessment. Day 8-10 were hard, because (1) I hate cranberry juice and (2) I felt like I was never going to eat again! I remember that every single day, I was thinking, dag, there's no way I'm going to last. Look how far I have to go! Sometimes your brain can be your own worst enemy. But my rational mind kept me on track, so I made it through unscathed. I was surprised how easy it was to survive on juice and water alone. I even made it through my workouts just fine.

That is, until Day 11. I made it through the day just fine, since mentally, I knew that after this point I'd be able to start adding in things instead of taking this way. I felt fine, and my spirits were high, so I worked out, hardcore. DO NOT DO THIS!!! I repeat, DO NOT WORK OUT ON DAY 11! When I got home, I was exhausted, so I went to bed. I woke up 2 hours later, feeling like I was gonna die! Lol. Of course I'm exaggerating, but it was not a pleasant experience. Trust me on this one.

If I had to pick the toughest week, it would definitely be the third one. Even the second one was a walk in the park, compared to this week. After having put my body through hell, I just wanted to eat something that tasted good. I don't think there was a single day that week, where I was entirely faithful to the cleanse. I started eating tofu off the break. I was supposed to save veggie proteins for the last day of the cleanse. Maybe that's what made me so sick!

If it wasn't tofu, it was garlic bread. If it wasn't garlic bread, it was a veggie patty. If it wasn't a veggie patty, it was 2 hot pockets, 4 toaster strudels, a nibble of quiche, and some pudding (all within 4 hours). It even got to the point where I drank a diet coke or two, while at a club with my friend. *GASP!!!!* So yeah, I was bad. I shouldn't be surprised that I gained this weight back. But now I'm going to cut that stuff right back out. Tomorrow.

It takes someone with a lot of determination to see the cleanse all the way through, without cheating. Like my mom told me, next time I'll know what to expect. It was definitely a learning experience. If I had to do it over again I'd (1) not cheat, (2) put day 15 on a weekend, so I could run to the bathroom as often as I'd like, and (3) not weigh myself the entire time, so I don't get disappointed when I inevitably start gaining weight back.

In terms of next steps, I'm going to continue to count my calories, I'm gonna do Jillian Michael's cleanse, and I'm gonna work out. Next month, I'm going to start doing Dr. Ian's Fat Smash Diet, through the end of June. I've tried it before, but I never lasted past Day 1. I think I now have the inner strength to stick with it.

Today, on the schedule, I have 2 miles, Powerflex, and Zumba to tackle. I'm excited to start running again after my week off. I get to test out my new shoes. Yay!

I'm weighing in on Saturday, because I want that day to pig out. My work twin is having a graduation party, and it's no fun to count calories at parties! I'm super-late. Gotta go. I'll see you all tomorrow, or later on.

Weight: 190.0
Total weight lost: 34
To 165: 25
To 139: 51
Days left on Jillian Michaels' cleanse: 14
Next scheduled weigh-in: Saturday