10 pm...Well, I'm officially past the 1/2 way mark for the entire cleanse and, more importantly, for the 3 days of lean. I didn't lose any more foods today - still on the 4 shakes (I have 1 more to go) and a diet consisting of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and apples. It really isn't so bad, though dinner last night was a bit grim. It's hard to sit down to a festive Shabbat meal and have a plate of sauteed broccoli seem appealing when your family is feasting on a full meal. My husband tried to make it easier by cooking a meal made up of something I detest (fish...blech), though this backfired a bit in that the smell of the fish made me nauseous. Not my favorite Shabbat supper to say the least.
Today was, as my Shabbat Saturdays tend to be, a very low-key, low-activity day. I was able to stay in pajamas for the bulk of the day, only leaving the house once. I was also able to sleep in - we didn't get out of bed until a luxurious 10:30 am! I think my late start is part of why I'm still due one more shake. :-)
I remembered to bring my fat monitor home from the studio, so here are my stats for today:
Weight: 180.8 (down 2.4 from the start)
% Fat: 36.5 (up 2.5 from the start...odd)
BMI: 29.2 (down 0.3 from the start)
I'm still not sure I'm ready to panic about the fat %, and am planning on just keeping an eye on it over the next couple of weeks. Beyond the stats, I'm still focusing on how I feel. I don't feel bad, but I don't feel wow-bang great either. I am surprised at how little food my body is asking for...I honestly feel like I could have gone the entire day on shakes alone (if it weren't for the aftertaste that I NEED to get out of my mouth). I know they're full of protein and vitamins and such, but shouldn't I *want* to eat?
I do miss nibbling on crackers and such but more for the act of nibbling than for a desire for the crackers. I'm impressed at how fine my body is without coffee (caffeinated or not). I will likely add it back in on the other side but perhaps in a more intermittent way rather than as a daily drink. So far, the food I miss the most is popcorn (popped in the microwave in a plain paper bag and topped with olive oil and Parmesan cheese). I can see choosing to eat less traditional bread/cracker/chip-type foods, and to eat more veggies. When I have felt any sort of food want today and yesterday it was the veggies that I craved rather than the apples. What this cleanse has done for me so far is really helped me listen to what my body wants (even though it doesn't speak up very often) and explore options beyond the easy go-to foods that live in my pantry.
I am also very pleased with my willpower. I haven't felt an urge to bail on the project, even though I am far from loving the shakes. I am able to sit next to my family at meals. I'm able to walk into a cafe with my husband and sip on my organic herbal tea while he orders my formerly beloved latte. I've successfully grocery shopped several times, walking past all sorts of foods I love. I've turned down free samples, even having to defend my reasons to one overzealous juice pusher.
Ugh. Last shake of the day...done. Ugh.
Back to willpower...I'm not sure why it's so surprising to me that I can do this. I set my mind to all sorts of things that are challenging and fight my way through to finishing them, so why should food be any different? Well, it is. I don't know why exactly, but I know it's a fact. I'm hopeful that these 10 days will give me the push I need to (again) take charge of my food and help me get back to a more healthful place with what I put into my body from day to day. I thought it would show me what foods in particular I need to avoid...we'll see if the days following these 3 lean ones shed some light on that subject...but even if that isn't what I get out of the process I'll still have learned some things.
Will I have learned enough to make up for the taste of these shakes? ...well...we'll see.
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