wait, what's the date today?
it's friday the 13th! anyway, it has been a few days since my last post and i thought i'd check in. since the cleanse, i've been feeling fine - thinner, lighter (in a general sense, not only with regards to weight) and more in tune with my body than i used to. my appetite was very light for days but is now increasing. i do want to keep it less than what it had been. in the food department, i'm eating a lot of salad, fruit and nuts. although it may change, i am not eating meat (including fish), bread or dairy. i am eating probably about 80% raw, also subject to change. i am still not getting enough sleep, which very clearly needs to change. i am working on it!
just the facts, maam
i've promised stats in past posts, and here are some. haven't you been waiting with baited breath? i thought so...
weight tracking
i wasn't paying any attention to my weight in the days leading up to the cleanse. (in fact, i don't think i've weighed myself in months!). well this is something i would do differently, if only for the sake of curiosity. my numbers follow, in pounds. the upper 190s might sound high if you don't already know my height, which is 6' 3".
day weight notes
1 198.8
2 195.2
3 195.2
4 200.4 2 hours later
5 192.6
6 194.5
7 194.0
8 192.0
p1 190.4 p = post cleanse
p2 186.2
p3 188.0
p4 187.2
p5 187.2
p6 185.4 wooo hooo!
p7 185.4
p8 185.4
variations
i paid careful attention to the conditions when i weighed-in, including whether i had: taken the salt water flush, showered, had wet hair, or consumed any liquids so far that day. these aren't included here because, in the end, i took the swf every day i was on the cleanse, and i shower every morning with rare exception. the differences between wet and dry hair and my liquid consumption were negligible, especially compared to variations in time, which i was not careful to track.
what do the numbers mean?
to me this serves to prove i lost some weight on the cleanse and not much else. was that one of my goals to do the cleanse? yes, but it certainly was not my main focus. also the real work happens now, to see how well i keep the weight off. in the meantime, i'm enjoying fitting into all my clothes without issue. some of them are falling off a bit, which is a nice problem to have! i know that once i get back into a regular workout schedule, my body is going to look pretty good.
more to come
my next post will detail the supplies and overall cost of my master cleanse. in the meantime check out revealed food in new rochelle if you happen to be in lower westchester. i've been there a few times since the end of the cleanse. as someone who has spent a lot of time cleansing, the lady who owns it is extremely helpful and offers salient advice. oh and the food is great!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
hello food - i'm back!
making the transition
i finished the cleanse successfully on thursday and started the recovery process on friday. it was a rough day, drinking only orange juice and water. i had headaches and remember that fabulous mood i previously had? it was long gone. luckily i was able to be productive at work.
i had to take public transportation to work so and couldn't find organic orange juice within walking distance. i was hoping the non-organic orange juice would do the trick, but i could honestly taste chemicals. i also wonder if that contributed to the headaches.... i resolved to finishing up at work, taking care of some necessary things, then getting home for some r&r. that mostly worked.
back to food! yes actual food!
while still consuming orange juice, i was also "allowed" to drink homemade vegetable soup broth. one of the aforementioned errands after work was to procure some from the health food place in new rochelle. my mouth watered at the smell of it and the kind woman who works there said she'd take a portion of it home if i wasn't going to eat it all. i felt a little bad about it, but i took it all. after all, this was to be my sustenance for the next few days. anyway, after driving all over manhattan and brooklyn saturday, i returned home and ate my first food since last tuesday!
while the rules are that you can have broth only, i had a recording to do in the evening and could not figure out a plausible way to bring the soup with me. besides, would i even have time to eat it? so i skipped a few hours from the master cleanse book's suggestion and ate the vegetables. i chewed everything until it was liquid, taking me the better part of 90 minutes to finish one bowl. i was doing several other things, including unloading & loading the car for the recording, but still, it takes an awful long time to eat when you chew food correctly. this is where my new appetite control kicks in. i did bring and drink plenty of oj to get me through the recording.
the recovery continues
i should mention while friday was pretty bad, saturday i felt very good. my body was very happy to have veggies in the system. today (sun.) has been about the same, food-wise. i had a little veggie soup earlier before i had to run out. while out, i was able to stop at trader joe's in union square and stocked up on piece fruit, lettuce, tomato, spinach, mushrooms, grapes, strawberries and a simple salad dressing - all organic. i made salad for the evening and some for work tomorrow. it's almost unbelievable to me how sated i could be eating just one bowl of salad. this is good. i'll likely snack on grapes and strawberries through the evening.
what's really happening here is i am building up my digestive system again. after cleansing, the ability of digestion within the small intestine has been all but disabled. between drinking oj, taking probiotics and eating raw foods, i'm slowly bringing my digestive system back into service. i am still not entirely sure what my new diet will be. my friend and colleague silas lent me a book today that i'm quite anxious to read: food and healing by annemarie colbin. i suppose i'll find out what my options are using this book. skimming through, i saw vegetarian, vegan, raw and macrobiotic. i'm curious to read the advantages and disadvantages of each. stay tuned - that weight chart is coming soon.
i finished the cleanse successfully on thursday and started the recovery process on friday. it was a rough day, drinking only orange juice and water. i had headaches and remember that fabulous mood i previously had? it was long gone. luckily i was able to be productive at work.
i had to take public transportation to work so and couldn't find organic orange juice within walking distance. i was hoping the non-organic orange juice would do the trick, but i could honestly taste chemicals. i also wonder if that contributed to the headaches.... i resolved to finishing up at work, taking care of some necessary things, then getting home for some r&r. that mostly worked.
back to food! yes actual food!
while still consuming orange juice, i was also "allowed" to drink homemade vegetable soup broth. one of the aforementioned errands after work was to procure some from the health food place in new rochelle. my mouth watered at the smell of it and the kind woman who works there said she'd take a portion of it home if i wasn't going to eat it all. i felt a little bad about it, but i took it all. after all, this was to be my sustenance for the next few days. anyway, after driving all over manhattan and brooklyn saturday, i returned home and ate my first food since last tuesday!
while the rules are that you can have broth only, i had a recording to do in the evening and could not figure out a plausible way to bring the soup with me. besides, would i even have time to eat it? so i skipped a few hours from the master cleanse book's suggestion and ate the vegetables. i chewed everything until it was liquid, taking me the better part of 90 minutes to finish one bowl. i was doing several other things, including unloading & loading the car for the recording, but still, it takes an awful long time to eat when you chew food correctly. this is where my new appetite control kicks in. i did bring and drink plenty of oj to get me through the recording.
the recovery continues
i should mention while friday was pretty bad, saturday i felt very good. my body was very happy to have veggies in the system. today (sun.) has been about the same, food-wise. i had a little veggie soup earlier before i had to run out. while out, i was able to stop at trader joe's in union square and stocked up on piece fruit, lettuce, tomato, spinach, mushrooms, grapes, strawberries and a simple salad dressing - all organic. i made salad for the evening and some for work tomorrow. it's almost unbelievable to me how sated i could be eating just one bowl of salad. this is good. i'll likely snack on grapes and strawberries through the evening.
what's really happening here is i am building up my digestive system again. after cleansing, the ability of digestion within the small intestine has been all but disabled. between drinking oj, taking probiotics and eating raw foods, i'm slowly bringing my digestive system back into service. i am still not entirely sure what my new diet will be. my friend and colleague silas lent me a book today that i'm quite anxious to read: food and healing by annemarie colbin. i suppose i'll find out what my options are using this book. skimming through, i saw vegetarian, vegan, raw and macrobiotic. i'm curious to read the advantages and disadvantages of each. stay tuned - that weight chart is coming soon.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
nearing the finish line
what's been going on
my last post was on day 6, although that was not mentioned anywhere. day 7 was kind of rough. as has been the recent trend, i was up way too late the night before. while my morning was slow, the afternoon was when i really felt it. i could barely stay awake and at one point, clocked myself out from work for 45 mins. to take a nap! granted, i do get rather tired every afternoon around 3:30pm, but still, this was a bit worse than normal tired. i can't help but think i was weakened from the cleanse.
the evening improved and probably the shave and shower i had were helpful in bringing me back to life! but then what did i do? stayed out too late again! when will i learn? will i learn? probably not...
what have i learned?
well this has all brought up an important point for me. i've now been on the cleanse when i've had time to relax and take things at my own pace, and when i'm working all day and busy in the evenings. unsurprisingly, there is a huge difference in the way one's body handles these conditions. these things are even more noticeable on the cleanse. whether i can try to not be a night person (i totally am) and get to bed at a reasonable hour isn't the issue. it's whether i can plan my next cleanse at a time when i can actually stay at home and rest when i want to or need to.
last day of the cleanse, the positives
as far as day 8 goes, it could be day 8 of 20 and it wouldn't make much of a difference. everything has become habit: the salt water flush first thing in the morning, rinsing, cutting & juicing lemons, carting everything to work with me and drinking this fine combination all day. (did i ever mention it tastes pretty good, pre-cayenne?) i actually feel pretty great and my mood has been so positive for most of the cleanse. that's encouragement enough to do it, i have to say. i don't think one can put a price on a guaranteed good mood!
another big positive is the compliments i've received. many people i've seen in the past week have commented on my weight loss (will report back with numbers after tomorrow), my skin tone and my glow. one really does experience a glow around when on the master cleanse. yet meanwhile some people say it's unhealthy? yes, well, makes me suspect there's a little jealousy or envy involved.
the negatives
while i do feel like i could march on forward to 10 or more days, it doesn't make sense this time. it's time to go out and see friends without restricting myself to water. socializing has actually been the hardest part for me. going out to bars, and food and drink abound, is tough. here i am with my lemonade, tons of water, and trips to the bathroom every 10 mins! it wasn't bothering me to see others eat or drink, but it was bothering me that i couldn't do it. i'm not sure if that makes any sense!
i'm not going to lie - smelling food and remembering what it feels like to eat it can make you miss it terribly. not drinking in social situations is also not great. personally, i'm a little "loosened up" after a drink or two, and i like myself much more in that state. i feel less self conscious and can enjoy myself more. the cleanse has the reverse effect, making you feel like the center of attention, whether you want to be or not! at least that's my perception....
outside help: forums
keeping up with the master cleanse forum has been a huge help to me. to anyone considering the cleanse, i highly encourage you to research it thoroughly before you start it. the Burroughs book is nearly a must, yet that in itself is not enough. take advantage of those around you who have done it (my thanks go out to Michael, Theasha and Y). they're advice is invaluable. there are also thousands of people at all stages of the cleanse on the forums. in fact, there are 8500 registered members just on the forum i've been using! think of the combined years of knowledge. these members share in their experiences and give wonderfully encouraging responses to all of the posted questions. you'll learn about how to listen to your body, how to handle unexpected situations, what to do after the cleanse, how to be more healthy in general and several other topics. it's incredibly beneficial and positive!
cleanse horror stories
while reading the forums, you'll also be privy to some horror stories. in the past weeks, i read about extreme body odors, acne breakouts, very bad things happening in the bathroom, weight gain, and many more (ill-but-temporary) effects of the cleanse. there are also myriad stories of non-encouraging spouses at home. it's not all fun and games.
i am pleased with the results of the cleanse so far. after reading these things, though, i feel incredibly lucky that nothing eventful has happened to me throughout the cleanse!
to be continued
as i previously mentioned, i will provide a list of what i obtained for my cleanse with prices. i'm quite sure the entire budget will work out to less than $10 a day. the last time i restocked on lemons, i was either planning on going for 10 days, or miscalculated quantities. i think the former is the case.
also as promised, i'll post a breakdown of my weight throughout the cleanse. stay tuned!
my last post was on day 6, although that was not mentioned anywhere. day 7 was kind of rough. as has been the recent trend, i was up way too late the night before. while my morning was slow, the afternoon was when i really felt it. i could barely stay awake and at one point, clocked myself out from work for 45 mins. to take a nap! granted, i do get rather tired every afternoon around 3:30pm, but still, this was a bit worse than normal tired. i can't help but think i was weakened from the cleanse.
the evening improved and probably the shave and shower i had were helpful in bringing me back to life! but then what did i do? stayed out too late again! when will i learn? will i learn? probably not...
what have i learned?
well this has all brought up an important point for me. i've now been on the cleanse when i've had time to relax and take things at my own pace, and when i'm working all day and busy in the evenings. unsurprisingly, there is a huge difference in the way one's body handles these conditions. these things are even more noticeable on the cleanse. whether i can try to not be a night person (i totally am) and get to bed at a reasonable hour isn't the issue. it's whether i can plan my next cleanse at a time when i can actually stay at home and rest when i want to or need to.
last day of the cleanse, the positives
as far as day 8 goes, it could be day 8 of 20 and it wouldn't make much of a difference. everything has become habit: the salt water flush first thing in the morning, rinsing, cutting & juicing lemons, carting everything to work with me and drinking this fine combination all day. (did i ever mention it tastes pretty good, pre-cayenne?) i actually feel pretty great and my mood has been so positive for most of the cleanse. that's encouragement enough to do it, i have to say. i don't think one can put a price on a guaranteed good mood!
another big positive is the compliments i've received. many people i've seen in the past week have commented on my weight loss (will report back with numbers after tomorrow), my skin tone and my glow. one really does experience a glow around when on the master cleanse. yet meanwhile some people say it's unhealthy? yes, well, makes me suspect there's a little jealousy or envy involved.
the negatives
while i do feel like i could march on forward to 10 or more days, it doesn't make sense this time. it's time to go out and see friends without restricting myself to water. socializing has actually been the hardest part for me. going out to bars, and food and drink abound, is tough. here i am with my lemonade, tons of water, and trips to the bathroom every 10 mins! it wasn't bothering me to see others eat or drink, but it was bothering me that i couldn't do it. i'm not sure if that makes any sense!
i'm not going to lie - smelling food and remembering what it feels like to eat it can make you miss it terribly. not drinking in social situations is also not great. personally, i'm a little "loosened up" after a drink or two, and i like myself much more in that state. i feel less self conscious and can enjoy myself more. the cleanse has the reverse effect, making you feel like the center of attention, whether you want to be or not! at least that's my perception....
outside help: forums
keeping up with the master cleanse forum has been a huge help to me. to anyone considering the cleanse, i highly encourage you to research it thoroughly before you start it. the Burroughs book is nearly a must, yet that in itself is not enough. take advantage of those around you who have done it (my thanks go out to Michael, Theasha and Y). they're advice is invaluable. there are also thousands of people at all stages of the cleanse on the forums. in fact, there are 8500 registered members just on the forum i've been using! think of the combined years of knowledge. these members share in their experiences and give wonderfully encouraging responses to all of the posted questions. you'll learn about how to listen to your body, how to handle unexpected situations, what to do after the cleanse, how to be more healthy in general and several other topics. it's incredibly beneficial and positive!
cleanse horror stories
while reading the forums, you'll also be privy to some horror stories. in the past weeks, i read about extreme body odors, acne breakouts, very bad things happening in the bathroom, weight gain, and many more (ill-but-temporary) effects of the cleanse. there are also myriad stories of non-encouraging spouses at home. it's not all fun and games.
i am pleased with the results of the cleanse so far. after reading these things, though, i feel incredibly lucky that nothing eventful has happened to me throughout the cleanse!
to be continued
as i previously mentioned, i will provide a list of what i obtained for my cleanse with prices. i'm quite sure the entire budget will work out to less than $10 a day. the last time i restocked on lemons, i was either planning on going for 10 days, or miscalculated quantities. i think the former is the case.
also as promised, i'll post a breakdown of my weight throughout the cleanse. stay tuned!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
still going!
hunger, shmunger!
the day's over and i felt great all day. didn't get quite enough sleep -again- and that gave me a minor headache this morning. otherwise i had energy, manageable hunger, and was in a fantastic mood most of the day.
i think 8 is the number. it was my original goal, and will get me back to solid foods by the start of next week. it's not a coincidence i'll be home for a bit on sat and sun either. i'll be able to control what and when i drink/eat more than i'd be able to at work.
now it's time for sleep!!
the day's over and i felt great all day. didn't get quite enough sleep -again- and that gave me a minor headache this morning. otherwise i had energy, manageable hunger, and was in a fantastic mood most of the day.
i think 8 is the number. it was my original goal, and will get me back to solid foods by the start of next week. it's not a coincidence i'll be home for a bit on sat and sun either. i'll be able to control what and when i drink/eat more than i'd be able to at work.
now it's time for sleep!!
Monday, June 2, 2008
day 5: the work week re-starts
timeline: how long to go?it's day five and i think i'm past the halfway point. i say this with slight uncertainty because i'm not sure if i should go 7-8 or 10. there's been some debate on the master cleanse forum i frequent as to whether the 10 day minimum must be strictly followed or not. there are plenty of people who cleanse for less time, and plenty who go 10 days, 20, or more.
this being my first cleanse, my initial intent was 7-8 days. i scheduled it for a time frame that seemed to work with my schedule, at least at the time. in reality no timing would be perfect. now looking at the end of the cleanse, i'm concerned i won't be able to see friends before i go out of town for the entire summer if i don't end it sooner than 10 days. if i do finish it sooner, i'll still do it again -to full term- in the future. i'll not feel any sense of failure if i get to 7 or 8 either.
my experience vs others'
i don't know what i've done differently, now or prior to the cleanse, that would differentiate me from the others i see posting on the forum. so
many people on there complain about feeling cold all the time, having major aches and pains (besides hunger pains), acne, intense body odors, and are fighting to stay on the cleanse because they can't take it anymore. i'm not bemoaning them at all - i would be having a hard time staying to course too if my body exhibited those effects! however, it is not. i feel fine. i almost wonder if i'm not doing something correctly or if the cleanse somehow isn't working. maybe i'm speaking too soon, and the rest of it will be hell. i don't know, but i'm not complaining!weight, weight, don't tell me
i couldn't resist a homage to my new favorite npr show in podcast form! anyway, the weight issue that concerned me yesterday was resolved by the scale this morning. i'm down eight pounds from yesterday, for a total loss of six pounds since starting the cleanse. i always drink more than the 6-10 recommended glasses daily so i'm not surprised i haven't lost more (the expected amount is two pounds per day). but six pounds gone? i'll take it!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
3 into 4
the big change
since making the change from busy-busy to relaxed, things have improved. i spent my morning (of day 3) weeding and planting wildflowers in the park. i had consumed about 6 glasses of my mix, but was still starving when we finished up in the early afternoon. upon returning home i canceled my plans for the rest of the day. then i did a little cleaning around the house, took a bath, and settled in for a nap. i woke up an hour and a half later thinking, "wow that was some nap!" then i woke up again another 30 minutes later, unknowingly falling back asleep earlier. clearly i needed the sleep.
i woke up feeling pretty well rested but now it was too late in the evening to catch up to my previous plans. so i drank my lemony dinner and resolved to do something constructive with my time. it had been a week since i last played saxophone and was being gently inspired by my ipod playing tunes on shuffle, so that was what i'd do: play along with everything on my ipod, whether it be rock, alternative, folk-rock, jazz, or whatever else pops up. i played alto for a while, then switched to tenor and really played. i have only a loose concept for how long i played (probably 2+ hours), yet when i stopped for a break it was well after 10pm. i realize this has nearly nothing to do with the cleanse, but the point of it is that relaxing enabled me to do something mentally cleansing.
weight loss?
as for the lemonade, i've been drinking a bit less: six glasses in the morning, three when i got home, and another three post-nap. i've been reducing the amount of syrup a little to promote a little weight loss. today (day 4), i thought and hoped i had lost some more weight, but the scale told me this is not the case. i had actually gained five pounds! on the other hand, i'm not quite sure what to think, as i drank a lot of water before weighing-in and did so two hours later than on previous days. i'm back to work tomorrow morning, so i'll get a better idea of what's happening then. it probably has a lot to do with all the water i'm drinking.
my day 4
this morning i had hoped to attend my friend daniel's excellent spin class. however, by all accounts, this was not a good idea. exercise is good, but not going all-out. instead i slept in a bit, spent some time chatting with amy and housemate michael this morning out on the front porch (or "veranda" as some friends insist) and have been generally taking it slowly. as for the rest of the day, again, i had canceled plans for this afternoon. instead i think i'll head to the park and get some rays, hopefully meet up with my neighborhood friends and see where the day goes. physically i'm feeling good - more energetic and not super hungry. mentally speaking, i feel as if the cleanse is going to help me in the end. i'm already feeling the effects on my mind, and that was a big reason to do it in the first place.
since making the change from busy-busy to relaxed, things have improved. i spent my morning (of day 3) weeding and planting wildflowers in the park. i had consumed about 6 glasses of my mix, but was still starving when we finished up in the early afternoon. upon returning home i canceled my plans for the rest of the day. then i did a little cleaning around the house, took a bath, and settled in for a nap. i woke up an hour and a half later thinking, "wow that was some nap!" then i woke up again another 30 minutes later, unknowingly falling back asleep earlier. clearly i needed the sleep.
i woke up feeling pretty well rested but now it was too late in the evening to catch up to my previous plans. so i drank my lemony dinner and resolved to do something constructive with my time. it had been a week since i last played saxophone and was being gently inspired by my ipod playing tunes on shuffle, so that was what i'd do: play along with everything on my ipod, whether it be rock, alternative, folk-rock, jazz, or whatever else pops up. i played alto for a while, then switched to tenor and really played. i have only a loose concept for how long i played (probably 2+ hours), yet when i stopped for a break it was well after 10pm. i realize this has nearly nothing to do with the cleanse, but the point of it is that relaxing enabled me to do something mentally cleansing.
weight loss?
as for the lemonade, i've been drinking a bit less: six glasses in the morning, three when i got home, and another three post-nap. i've been reducing the amount of syrup a little to promote a little weight loss. today (day 4), i thought and hoped i had lost some more weight, but the scale told me this is not the case. i had actually gained five pounds! on the other hand, i'm not quite sure what to think, as i drank a lot of water before weighing-in and did so two hours later than on previous days. i'm back to work tomorrow morning, so i'll get a better idea of what's happening then. it probably has a lot to do with all the water i'm drinking.
my day 4
this morning i had hoped to attend my friend daniel's excellent spin class. however, by all accounts, this was not a good idea. exercise is good, but not going all-out. instead i slept in a bit, spent some time chatting with amy and housemate michael this morning out on the front porch (or "veranda" as some friends insist) and have been generally taking it slowly. as for the rest of the day, again, i had canceled plans for this afternoon. instead i think i'll head to the park and get some rays, hopefully meet up with my neighborhood friends and see where the day goes. physically i'm feeling good - more energetic and not super hungry. mentally speaking, i feel as if the cleanse is going to help me in the end. i'm already feeling the effects on my mind, and that was a big reason to do it in the first place.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
day 2 report; day 3 underway
wow i don't feel awful!
it's true - i'm not gonna lie. into the second day of the diet and i felt pretty good. the hunger was on and off, but not as bad as the first day. i got an hour or two more sleep than in previous days, enough to prove that every little bit counts. i woke up a little easier. the saltwater flush went down in two large gulps. i felt a little lighter and the scale confirmed it: i'd lost 3.5lbs!
it wasn't all fun and games. into the mid afternoon, i started to crash. if i wasn't at work i certainly would have taken a short (or perhaps not short) nap. instead i fought it and stayed awake and alert, for the most part. last evening i went to a concert. the same thing happened - for the whole first set, i continually nodded off and jerked my head up. i was in need of dinner!
after the concert, i made my yellow-orange liquid "dinner" in the back seat of my car. it brought me back to life. getting back into the city, i met up with a few friends in noho. i had bottled water at the club, while drinks and tortilla chips (my favorite snack!) were all around me. temptation was certainly present! if it wasn't for one friend i may not see again for three months, i would have headed home and to bed since it was already after 11pm. after the club, i drove home, made the tea, cleaned up a bit (the maple syrup leaked a little in my soft briefcase) and headed to bed around 2:30. long day!
the morning after
today it took me a while of battling my alarm to arise. i'm feeling pretty tired. big shock, eh? i took my swf, chatted with my housemate michael on the topic of lemons and the lemons that our cars seem to be! nothing too exciting has happened yet, just the "time to make the donuts" routine of rinsing, cutting and juicing lemons.
incidentally, for those in nyc considering the cleanse, buy your lemons at fairway if you can. i picked some up at westerly the other evening, and, while i like that store for many reasons, their lemons are smaller and less healthy looking. fairway lemons even cost $1 less, go figure. at the end of my cleanse, i will be making a list of the actual ingredients i used for the cleanse and the associated costs. it's not cheap, but costs less than food for sure!
what's up this weekend
i had ambitious plans for today, starting with half a day of volunteering with new york cares at the park a block from my house. i'm headed there soon, but i'm probably canceling my plans in upper westchester for this afternoon and evening. last night, friends pointed out i should be at home taking it easy instead of being out late at night. makes sense, doesn't it? i can't eat or drink when i'm out anyway. since i'm going out of town soon i've been making concerted efforts to see friends. i think though i'll try to make plans at least later on in the cleanse. perhaps i'll have a party between the end of the cleanse, just before i go. as for this afternoon? i'll be taking it easy...
it's true - i'm not gonna lie. into the second day of the diet and i felt pretty good. the hunger was on and off, but not as bad as the first day. i got an hour or two more sleep than in previous days, enough to prove that every little bit counts. i woke up a little easier. the saltwater flush went down in two large gulps. i felt a little lighter and the scale confirmed it: i'd lost 3.5lbs!
it wasn't all fun and games. into the mid afternoon, i started to crash. if i wasn't at work i certainly would have taken a short (or perhaps not short) nap. instead i fought it and stayed awake and alert, for the most part. last evening i went to a concert. the same thing happened - for the whole first set, i continually nodded off and jerked my head up. i was in need of dinner!
after the concert, i made my yellow-orange liquid "dinner" in the back seat of my car. it brought me back to life. getting back into the city, i met up with a few friends in noho. i had bottled water at the club, while drinks and tortilla chips (my favorite snack!) were all around me. temptation was certainly present! if it wasn't for one friend i may not see again for three months, i would have headed home and to bed since it was already after 11pm. after the club, i drove home, made the tea, cleaned up a bit (the maple syrup leaked a little in my soft briefcase) and headed to bed around 2:30. long day!
the morning after
today it took me a while of battling my alarm to arise. i'm feeling pretty tired. big shock, eh? i took my swf, chatted with my housemate michael on the topic of lemons and the lemons that our cars seem to be! nothing too exciting has happened yet, just the "time to make the donuts" routine of rinsing, cutting and juicing lemons.
incidentally, for those in nyc considering the cleanse, buy your lemons at fairway if you can. i picked some up at westerly the other evening, and, while i like that store for many reasons, their lemons are smaller and less healthy looking. fairway lemons even cost $1 less, go figure. at the end of my cleanse, i will be making a list of the actual ingredients i used for the cleanse and the associated costs. it's not cheap, but costs less than food for sure!
what's up this weekend
i had ambitious plans for today, starting with half a day of volunteering with new york cares at the park a block from my house. i'm headed there soon, but i'm probably canceling my plans in upper westchester for this afternoon and evening. last night, friends pointed out i should be at home taking it easy instead of being out late at night. makes sense, doesn't it? i can't eat or drink when i'm out anyway. since i'm going out of town soon i've been making concerted efforts to see friends. i think though i'll try to make plans at least later on in the cleanse. perhaps i'll have a party between the end of the cleanse, just before i go. as for this afternoon? i'll be taking it easy...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
end of day 1
i was going to skip posting tonight in favor of sleep, but i couldn't resist! besides i have a few minutes to brew my detox tea. i'll head to bed shortly afterward.
day 1 results
at the end of the day, i had 16 glasses of lemonade and i'm still a little hungry. other than that, i feel nearly the same as yesterday. it's too soon for the actual detox to have started and i fully expect to feel awful tomorrow! no, really, day 2 is rumored to be a hard day by most accounts. i'm glad i got off the caffeine a few days ago!
as far as other effects, the only thing so far is a film on my teeth. again, it's an expected side effect of the cleanse. think about it- you're drinking maple syrup all day. incidentally, licking the tablespoon after adding the maple syrup to the mix has become the culinary highlight of my day! now on the culinary downside, my body's been programmed so that every time i walk into my kitchen it thinks it will be fed. my brain knows it's not, not for many days. now it may sound basic, but really this is the reprogramming of the mind that is part of the cleanse. i know i shouldn't overeat -even if it's healthy / all-natural / low fat / organic- overeating is overeating. i am learning to control my appetite.
closing time
i've fixed my little time problem, and now blogger shows the correct time of my posts. happy news, eh? i'm headed to bed soon but do you know what? i already packed the maple syrup for tomorrow. i can be taught, even if it is the hard way!
day 1 results
at the end of the day, i had 16 glasses of lemonade and i'm still a little hungry. other than that, i feel nearly the same as yesterday. it's too soon for the actual detox to have started and i fully expect to feel awful tomorrow! no, really, day 2 is rumored to be a hard day by most accounts. i'm glad i got off the caffeine a few days ago!
as far as other effects, the only thing so far is a film on my teeth. again, it's an expected side effect of the cleanse. think about it- you're drinking maple syrup all day. incidentally, licking the tablespoon after adding the maple syrup to the mix has become the culinary highlight of my day! now on the culinary downside, my body's been programmed so that every time i walk into my kitchen it thinks it will be fed. my brain knows it's not, not for many days. now it may sound basic, but really this is the reprogramming of the mind that is part of the cleanse. i know i shouldn't overeat -even if it's healthy / all-natural / low fat / organic- overeating is overeating. i am learning to control my appetite.
closing time
i've fixed my little time problem, and now blogger shows the correct time of my posts. happy news, eh? i'm headed to bed soon but do you know what? i already packed the maple syrup for tomorrow. i can be taught, even if it is the hard way!
day 1, in progress
the cleanse has officially started
...and man oh man am i hungry! first though, a little about my morning. i woke up 30 minutes later than intended (a regular occurrence) feeling, well, not good. i stayed up slightly past 2am posting last night. sure the last post shows up as 10pm, but consider blogger's time is set to pst. i haven't yet found a way to modify this behaviour.
back to the story, i woke up and begrudgingly drank my 32oz of warm salt water mix. i started with a straw but my housemate was in the kitchen advising me to chug it. it wasn't so bad, and drinking it brought back memories from college when i used to chug the same cupful of water (sans salt, thank you) after a night of drinking to combat dehydration.
the e
ffects of the salt water flush were inline with what i expected. none too pleasant, but wholly necessary for the cleanse. while waiting for the effects to kick in, i started squeezing lemons. this is apparently my new way of life! i squeezed 22 halves of organic lemon. they smell
fantastic. they'd better, though - after all, i'm giving up food to do this! i squeezed it into a plastic container (pic at right) and got the other items together. can you believe 11 lemons only yielded this much?
heading off to work
the weather today's too nice not to take the motorcycle to work. much to my surprise, the 128oz container of filtered water, my large lemonade container, the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and all of my stuff fit on the motorcycle with no problem. it wasn't until i arrived at work that i remembered the #2 ingredient: the maple syrup! doh!!!
a co-worker thankfully recommended a health food store here in new roc, so i left work and ventured over to pick up their last container of grade B dark amber pure maple syrup (this is what's specified in the diet). i was famished by the time i returned to work. i hadn't eaten much the day before and even went to bed with the grumbles. i made the concoction and it tasted good. i added a little too much cayenne and that, well, burned my mouth a bit. go figure.
it's now late afternoon and i've had about 8 glasses worth. my stomach's still starving, grumbling every few minutes. the cleanse calls for 6-10 glasses of the lemonade daily, with 10 being appropriate to someone of my size. to quell my hunger, i suspect that number will likely go up to 15 or more. if i understand this correctly, my appetite will subside as the cleanse continues. i sure hope that's true!
...and man oh man am i hungry! first though, a little about my morning. i woke up 30 minutes later than intended (a regular occurrence) feeling, well, not good. i stayed up slightly past 2am posting last night. sure the last post shows up as 10pm, but consider blogger's time is set to pst. i haven't yet found a way to modify this behaviour.
back to the story, i woke up and begrudgingly drank my 32oz of warm salt water mix. i started with a straw but my housemate was in the kitchen advising me to chug it. it wasn't so bad, and drinking it brought back memories from college when i used to chug the same cupful of water (sans salt, thank you) after a night of drinking to combat dehydration.
the e
ffects of the salt water flush were inline with what i expected. none too pleasant, but wholly necessary for the cleanse. while waiting for the effects to kick in, i started squeezing lemons. this is apparently my new way of life! i squeezed 22 halves of organic lemon. they smell
fantastic. they'd better, though - after all, i'm giving up food to do this! i squeezed it into a plastic container (pic at right) and got the other items together. can you believe 11 lemons only yielded this much?heading off to work
the weather today's too nice not to take the motorcycle to work. much to my surprise, the 128oz container of filtered water, my large lemonade container, the lemon juice, cayenne pepper and all of my stuff fit on the motorcycle with no problem. it wasn't until i arrived at work that i remembered the #2 ingredient: the maple syrup! doh!!!
a co-worker thankfully recommended a health food store here in new roc, so i left work and ventured over to pick up their last container of grade B dark amber pure maple syrup (this is what's specified in the diet). i was famished by the time i returned to work. i hadn't eaten much the day before and even went to bed with the grumbles. i made the concoction and it tasted good. i added a little too much cayenne and that, well, burned my mouth a bit. go figure.
it's now late afternoon and i've had about 8 glasses worth. my stomach's still starving, grumbling every few minutes. the cleanse calls for 6-10 glasses of the lemonade daily, with 10 being appropriate to someone of my size. to quell my hunger, i suspect that number will likely go up to 15 or more. if i understand this correctly, my appetite will subside as the cleanse continues. i sure hope that's true!
ready to go!
welcome back
first off, i neglected to mention my intended duration for the cleanse in my initial post. i was thinking 7 days would be good. upon further reading of Burroughs' book, however, i've upped it to 8. if all feels good then, i'll continue to the full 10 days. a few days after that i'll be heading out of town for a few months at which point the cleanse immediately becomes impractical. on the upside, if i can start a reduced diet, there'll be very little food to bring!
the latest
i said i'd follow up later and indeed it's later - much later! i should be sleeping, but, well, i'm not.
i'll share my meal info, 'cause the food stops today anyway! i read somewhere i should be on all liquids for the day before. after i got to work in new rochelle this morning, i had an opportunity for a lo
ng break and walked down the street to the health food place, revealedfood.com
i was trying to make serious headway on the piece i was working on so i put off lunch about as long as i could - 3pm. i went back to Revealed for some freshly made vegetable soup. it wasn't completely liquid, as i ate all of the veggies within. there was also a meatball, which certainly seemed to be actual meat. i was (and still am) disturbed about that, and will ask the next time i drop in. they do serve some dishes with meat, but i'm clinging to my hopes that they wouldn't have put a meatball in vegetable soup!!
later on...
after work, i headed up to Trader Joe's, getting quite lost in scarsdale (this happens weekly). there i got oj for the post-cleanse experience, organic soup to make for dinner tonight, and picked out assortments of raw nuts and fruits. i think i am going to go for the raw vegan diet coming out of the cleanse. as i mentioned previously, i'm not sure if it will work with my lifestyle. however, how else will i know unless i try it?
i was famished on the drive home, and invaded a package of Bear Naked granola i had in the car. good stuff, if extremely messy to eat while driving! i arrived home around 9, exhausted but without set plans so decided i should hit the gym while i have the chance. came home, heated & ate the soup, prepared containers of filtered water and paraphernalia for the cleanse, made and drank the tea. i suspect it gave me an energy boost, as i was talking a mile a minute on the phone with my friend amanda. either that or overtired-ness came into play. ya think?
stay tuned- there'll be more tomorrow during the official day 1.
random notes: big teas
*there's another excellent Twinings tea i recommend, which is their Pure Camomile. as intended, it's quite relaxing.
i hereby give props to my friend julian (his blog, becoming the baker) for introducing me to Rooibos tea - Madagascar Vanilla Red. as good as it sounds, it's actually better! Celestial Seasonings pleasantly surprised me with this one.
first off, i neglected to mention my intended duration for the cleanse in my initial post. i was thinking 7 days would be good. upon further reading of Burroughs' book, however, i've upped it to 8. if all feels good then, i'll continue to the full 10 days. a few days after that i'll be heading out of town for a few months at which point the cleanse immediately becomes impractical. on the upside, if i can start a reduced diet, there'll be very little food to bring!
the latesti said i'd follow up later and indeed it's later - much later! i should be sleeping, but, well, i'm not.
i'll share my meal info, 'cause the food stops today anyway! i read somewhere i should be on all liquids for the day before. after i got to work in new rochelle this morning, i had an opportunity for a lo
ng break and walked down the street to the health food place, revealedfood.comthe sweet lady there made me a juice mix of greens while we chatted about the master cleanse. the juice was surprisingly enough to hold me over for hours. instead of my usual mid-morning caffeine break- i call it caffeine o'clock- i had herbal tea as a placebo. it, Twinings Herbal Revive, tastes wonderful*.
i was trying to make serious headway on the piece i was working on so i put off lunch about as long as i could - 3pm. i went back to Revealed for some freshly made vegetable soup. it wasn't completely liquid, as i ate all of the veggies within. there was also a meatball, which certainly seemed to be actual meat. i was (and still am) disturbed about that, and will ask the next time i drop in. they do serve some dishes with meat, but i'm clinging to my hopes that they wouldn't have put a meatball in vegetable soup!!
later on...
after work, i headed up to Trader Joe's, getting quite lost in scarsdale (this happens weekly). there i got oj for the post-cleanse experience, organic soup to make for dinner tonight, and picked out assortments of raw nuts and fruits. i think i am going to go for the raw vegan diet coming out of the cleanse. as i mentioned previously, i'm not sure if it will work with my lifestyle. however, how else will i know unless i try it?
i was famished on the drive home, and invaded a package of Bear Naked granola i had in the car. good stuff, if extremely messy to eat while driving! i arrived home around 9, exhausted but without set plans so decided i should hit the gym while i have the chance. came home, heated & ate the soup, prepared containers of filtered water and paraphernalia for the cleanse, made and drank the tea. i suspect it gave me an energy boost, as i was talking a mile a minute on the phone with my friend amanda. either that or overtired-ness came into play. ya think?
stay tuned- there'll be more tomorrow during the official day 1.
random notes: big teas
*there's another excellent Twinings tea i recommend, which is their Pure Camomile. as intended, it's quite relaxing.
i hereby give props to my friend julian (his blog, becoming the baker) for introducing me to Rooibos tea - Madagascar Vanilla Red. as good as it sounds, it's actually better! Celestial Seasonings pleasantly surprised me with this one.
if ever you want to drink tea that tastes like a sweaty sock smells, try Twinings' Lapsang Souchong. i don't know why anyone would want to drink this stuff, but who knows! i bought a box based on the description of the flavor and promptly donated it to the office at work. it functions far better as a joke than something one might consider consuming!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
the day before the cleanse
hi and welcome to my first official blog. this is episode one, so to speak, and in it i will discuss how i'm thinking and feeling prior to my cleanse. if you're not already familiar with the master cleanse you can read more about it at mastercleanser.com. i'll be following the traditional Stanley Burroughs' cleanse, with organic lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. for detoxification, i will take a detox tea at night and drink salt water in the morning. wondering why i have choosen to cleanse my body? read on!
where i'm at now: health concerns
my biggest concern these days (and actually for many past months) is my sleeping habits. i do not get enough regular sleep. most of the time i don't get enough sleep at all, much less a few days in a row of it! i often wake up with headaches, and i rarely feel 100% awake until late morning. i'm not sure the headaches are purely sleep related as...
my allergies and general sinus problems need help. probably the headaches have something to do with the fact that i can barely breath in the morning. and yes, that 90s-era Duncan Sheik tune "Barely Breathing" pops into my head when i think about it. when my sinuses are clear and i can breathe uninhibited, it feels amazing. that's not something i feel often.
am i serious when i say i don't feel awake until late morning? yes, absolutely. caffeine does help, but is it necessary? i have serious doubts that i actually need it. it also works against me when i cannot drink my tea between 10:30 and 11:30am. i am nearly guaranteed a lasting mild headache if i go too long without it. do i want to be a slave to it? not so much.
another factor within the beverage realm is alcohol. i have definitely been drinking more often as of late. whether it's a few glasses of wine here, four or five beers there, a mojito or margarita every now and then, it all adds up. it brings up another point, too: i believe i'm slightly overweight. not a lot, but enough for me to notice and want to change. an interesting trade-off is that when i'm going out more socially, i'm spending less time at the gym. it's a double whammy to my physical health, even if it's great to get out and see friends.
post-cleanse lifestyle changes
to me, these are all excellent reasons to cleanse. in the end, my goal is to start eating more healthy - raise up the nutritional content and lower the quantity of food i'm ingesting. i stopped eating meat earlier this year for humanitarian reasons, but am now realizing the health benefits to that decision. i don't expect to start eating meat again. i do still eat fish, but am wondering ever more whether a raw vegan diet might be practical for my lifestyle. in any case, my consciousness of what i put into my body is raised and that can only be a good thing. i cannot wait for the cleanse!
that's it for now, but i may follow up later with how i've prepared for the cleanse so far.
cheers,
-c
where i'm at now: health concerns
my biggest concern these days (and actually for many past months) is my sleeping habits. i do not get enough regular sleep. most of the time i don't get enough sleep at all, much less a few days in a row of it! i often wake up with headaches, and i rarely feel 100% awake until late morning. i'm not sure the headaches are purely sleep related as...
my allergies and general sinus problems need help. probably the headaches have something to do with the fact that i can barely breath in the morning. and yes, that 90s-era Duncan Sheik tune "Barely Breathing" pops into my head when i think about it. when my sinuses are clear and i can breathe uninhibited, it feels amazing. that's not something i feel often.
am i serious when i say i don't feel awake until late morning? yes, absolutely. caffeine does help, but is it necessary? i have serious doubts that i actually need it. it also works against me when i cannot drink my tea between 10:30 and 11:30am. i am nearly guaranteed a lasting mild headache if i go too long without it. do i want to be a slave to it? not so much.
another factor within the beverage realm is alcohol. i have definitely been drinking more often as of late. whether it's a few glasses of wine here, four or five beers there, a mojito or margarita every now and then, it all adds up. it brings up another point, too: i believe i'm slightly overweight. not a lot, but enough for me to notice and want to change. an interesting trade-off is that when i'm going out more socially, i'm spending less time at the gym. it's a double whammy to my physical health, even if it's great to get out and see friends.
post-cleanse lifestyle changes
to me, these are all excellent reasons to cleanse. in the end, my goal is to start eating more healthy - raise up the nutritional content and lower the quantity of food i'm ingesting. i stopped eating meat earlier this year for humanitarian reasons, but am now realizing the health benefits to that decision. i don't expect to start eating meat again. i do still eat fish, but am wondering ever more whether a raw vegan diet might be practical for my lifestyle. in any case, my consciousness of what i put into my body is raised and that can only be a good thing. i cannot wait for the cleanse!
that's it for now, but i may follow up later with how i've prepared for the cleanse so far.
cheers,
-c
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