Ok! So,.. I lied. I didn't get my pictures and stats updated on my 21st day,.... and for that I am truly sorry. Actually, not really - my sister came in town and I had a blast and will not apologize for that. A simple little picture could wait! But (drum-roll please.......) Here it is:
So, I still do not know my final weight,.. I'll know in two days and will post it for you (as well as the results of why my hair may have been falling out/breaking) but I will post some before/after pictures for you now! 21 days ago I started this Crazy, Sexy cleanse and now 25 days later I feel GREAT! I still have a lot of work to do to get myself into a regular routine and healthy lifestyle, but I am finally on a great path to start!
I was able to buy the book and send it to my sister for Valentines day so I am very excited that she told me that she (along with one of her friends) are going to start this cleanse as well! I was able to show her a few quick meals and she said she thinks she can do it! I hope it helps her as much or more as it has helped me!
What about you? Have you changed anything? What about one of the most important things of all - have you started to love more on YOU? I still struggle with this when my hair isn't the way I want it, or I'm not instantly back at the weight I want to be... so many things we can find negative about ourselves, but it's NOT about that - it's about the GREAT things about you. You are beautiful! You are extraordinary! You are exquisite! You are one of a kind! You are strong! You are brilliant! You are loved!
Day 20! Wooooo! I cannot believe that day 21 is tomorrow! I'm excited and scared all at the same time! Well, I promised you a list of things I am going to keep from all of this so here it is! Things to Keep me Crazy, Sexy: - Water with lemon and cayenne upon waking
- Green juice/shakes
- No meat
- No Dairy
- Lots of greens!
- As little refined sugar as possible
- As little Gluten as possible
- As little processed foods as possible
- Dry Brushing
- Meditation/Prayer
- My little blue NettiPot
- Fasting 1 day week/bi-weekly
- Exercise a MINIMUM of 3-4 days a week for 35 minutes
There it is! As far as the sugar/processed food/gluten - I am going to start them back in a LITTLE at a time to see how my body reacts, but I am going to try my best to keep them out of my diet. Meats? Sayonara! I haven't struggled with giving them up and honestly do not miss it! Now dairy,... this one will be difficult! I LOVE milkshakes and almond joys! Fortunately there are tons of alternatives to this! I am still able to have 70% or higher dark chocolates and have tried several recipes in the last few weeks that have tamed my cravings so I know I can do it. I may allow myself one treat every other week or once a month because, come on, we have to be human too! But for the most part - buh-bye!
Exercise - something I think I have no motivation or energy for until I put on my work out clothes and shoes and get to work. T
hen I'm always SO glad I did! I have been follow theCool Running - Couch to 5K running Plan ( www.coolrunning.com ) which is fabulous! I run three days a week. On the opposite days I rotate between Zumba and Kettle Bell work outs for strength training. It has left me a little sore today, but sore in an amazing fashion - because I feel GREAT! Updated picture and weight will come this week. I will update a picture tomorrow for my 21 day mile-marker and I re-visit the doctors office on Tuesday to find out about my excessive shedding and breaking of hair (which has seemed to slow WAY down - YAY!) and achy joints (of which have lessened since I upped using my chia seeds, flax oil and MSM vitamins!) I will also discover my weight on Tuesday (since I don't have a scale at home) so you'll have to weight patiently!
For tonight - I'm going to enjoy a lovely evening watching some favorite movies and indulging in some homemade "Tapioca" pudding (it really is AMAZING!).
I hope that wherever you are the weather is as beautiful as it is here. Get off that couch, out on some running shoes and go enjoy!
OK! Well, where to start? irst, let me say HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! I hope you all had the chance to spread love to all of the ones around you but also remembered to take some time to Love yourself as well!Now let me do a little bit of Arithmetic - I wrote last Monday at 9 days in and now its Monday - so its 16 days in!! Wow - time really does fly! I cannot believe that I am less than a week away from finishing my 21 day cleanse. I am not sure I am going to stop at the 21 days. I think I may go to 25 days (just because I feel my body could use it just a little bit longer). The hard part for me is going to be deciding what I want to keep out of all of this. I know for sure I am keeping the no meats as well as keeping the green juices. I am definitely going to be doing 80/20 (80% alkaline to 20% acid). I will make a list hopefully in a day or so and let you know exactly what I'm going to shoot for. 
------- Yummy Homemade Strawberry Tarts I made! ------------>Changes - well - I've had LOTS of those. Let's start with the positive - As of 12 days in I had lost 9 pounds. I don't have a scale so I cannot check it regularly, but I had to make a visit to the Dr's and got to see my weight there. I was pretty happy with the weight but sad for having to visit the doctors. I had to make the appointment because my hair started falling out and breaking off to small pieces. My knees also started aching pretty badly. SO - they did some blood work and i'll know the results next week(of which of course I'll keep you posted!). I think (and the doctor agreed) that since my hormone levels as well as pH levels were SO out of whack that now that I'm "re-balancing" things might just be a bit off for a little while but they ran several blood panels just in case. Oh! Another positive change - I've had SO much more energy! I've slept better and just have stolen some of my spark back - I have definitely LOVED that part! Promises - I have promised myself to do this cleanse and thus far I have succeeded! I have promised myself love on Valentines Day - I bought myself a set of the Zumba DVD's (of which I worked out to today and realized how poorly of a dancer I really am). I am now promising myself to work out at LEAST 35 minutes every day for the next 30 days. I also want to promise myself to run a few 5k's this summer! Become active in the community - and learn to give more love! Struggles - So, I would most definitely be lying to you if I told you through the past 16 days I did not struggle at all. I went to the grocery store for a last minute grocery run and saw my favorite.... Almond Joys.... O how I heard the bells and trumpets and pretty sure the wrappers even started singing my name! I somehow mustered up the umph and just WALKED AWAY! Several times i'v
e picked items up wanting them thinking, it's only got a LITTLE bit of refined sugar or gluten - but NO - I've stayed completely clean and can honestly say (which doesn't happen often) that I'm proud of myself! Over the weekend I was able to visit my husband and of course traveling on this cleanse was a whole new challenge. I pre-made some green juices, and packed a cooler with lots of clean things! I did good and even those around me ate steak, chicken and yummy chocolate I stuck with it and beat the temptations!
<------ Amazing Hawaiian Vegan dish from Boba House (my valentines dinner) --Well, before I get too big of a head, I should sign out and get to playing with my insane four-legged monsters! I've been gone all night and they are WOUND UP! But don't forget - even if you forgot to spread some love over your beautiful body today it's not too late. This should be a daily thing, but I understand that some of us are extremely busy so at least try to make it once a week. Take a bubble bath, rub your feet, take a walk, put on your sweats and log on to the workout channel. Make yourself some new promises this week. Set small goals and get to attaining them! Loving yourself will only allow you to grow and love those around you so much more!
SO! It's been a few days since my last post, but do not fear my faithful followers I have definitely not forgotten you, or worse yet - fallen off the band wagon (what, exactly, is a band wagon anyhow?)! Tonight marks the end of day NINE for me! Hurray! Not quite half way through but almost and I can honestly say that I do not long for the ending of the cleanse. I am tho
roughly enjoying my green goddess self and new fabulous lifestyle! I do NOT miss meats and only miss dairy when I drive by Chik-Fil-A and see their amazing milkshake posters - but - I have done lots of research and found that I can make gluten free, refined-sugar free and dairy free desserts that can be made that taste amazing! When you cleanse your body and taste-buds of refined sugar everything sweet tastes SO much sweeter! I can now fully appreciate the sweetness of fruits and vegetables. Yes, you heard me right, sweet vegetables!As far as cravings, I have not struggled too badly with them. I watch other people eating their greasy burgers and remembering alone how badly those greasy things made me feel makes it easy to just take an extra large bite of my lettuce wrap or spinach salad and know that my insides are squeaky clean and loving my every bit of existence!This week I am going to start kicking up the workouts as well as the yoga. I have to admit that I have not done a whole lot of either. This past week had brought on a whole bundle of new challenges for me. They challenged my marriage, my stress levels, my safety and my inner peace warrior - I did not like this challenge - BUT - I kicked it back in it's ugly face and sent it back to where it came from and I humbly kneel and beg God to keep it away! So - with that out of my mind and soul this week it's time to get back to focusing on ME!Speaking of loving me, this weekend is Valentines Day - another lovely day some fool conned up to make some $$$. BUT we'll go along with it, why not? Teddy bears, roses, chocolates(gluten/suga
r/dairy free of course) and jewelry - we all know it would be offensive to not accept these things ;) But when is the last time you gave yourself a Valentine? Why don't you join me and make this Valentines Day the first time you take a little time to love and appreciate YOU. Our first and last love is ourselves and we all know (or at least those of us who have experienced enough life to learn this valuable lesson) that in order to ever give love we MUST LOVE OURSELVES FIRST. This is NOT an excuse for pride or snobbishness - because there is a special place for all those snooty people - but this IS a real reason to spend sometime to look inside and do some special self-loving.Indulge a little, feel special and have fun.
So Day 5 on this cleanse and i'm feeling great! I've had some strange "side-effects" (ie. burning smell in my nose and some slight fatigue) but other than that I really do feel good! No heartburn, brighter eyes, healthier skin and feeling lighter and tighter! If only five days in can make me feel good I cannot wait until day 21 and then month 3 and 4 and 6!---------------------------> Yummy Green Guru Smoothie! ---->
Meditation is something that I have not yet conquered. I know it's important, imperative and all around necessary but sometimes life just doesn't allot time for it! So many things to stay healthy: prayer, eating right, cooking sexy meals, exercising, cleansing, meditation... but somewhere in there life has to happen as well! But wait! All of those things ARE living! It is now just a matter of prioritizing. Will it kill the dogs to stay outside an extra 20 minutes so I can meditate every morning? Do I have to take a 25 minute shower or could I shave 5 minutes and squeeze it as an extra 5 into my workouts? It's the little things.For today, my affirmation is this: I am beautiful. I am worth it. I can and will maintain a healthy lifestyle. I will follow my dreams and fulfill my goals because I deserve it. At the end of the day, no matter what the day beheld, when I look in the mirror the gorgeous being staring back at me will assure me that everything is perfect and life is amazing!
