So Far, So Good.

I'm officially in the thick of the first week of the Kris Carr 21 Day Adventure Cleanse!

So what has been going on so far?

Green Juice.

I've been making two tall glasses of green juice every morning (saving one for an afternoon snack). To make two juices I throw in: 2 large cucumbers (washed, unpeeled), a shit-ton of spinach (probably around 4 or 5 cups), and a cup of fresh cranberries (mostly because I had a coupon). When it's all juiced up I pour into a glass and stir in some chia seeds. I actually started making this a habit a few weeks ago. I try to keep myself liquid until noon every day, know what helps with that? WATER.

Oh, water.

Before my wedding (you remember, when I lost 50 pounds only to gain it all back) I was drinking my weight in water every.single.day. In the last couple years I have definitely been lagging on my intake but I have been making a better effort to drink my weight in ounces of water every day. I have noticed a big difference in my energy levels all day. I'm not sure if that's the upped water intake talking or the other healthy habits I've adopted but I'll take it.

 Trying (healthy) new things.

Carr mentioned Maca powder and I was interested. After doing some research on the internets, I found that this stuff has a lot of benefits (you can see some here). It aids in mood, easing menstrual cramps, fertility, stomach issues, skin issues, and can (apparently) make you pretty randy. It's worth a shot because TMI ALERT my cramps every month are cuckoo bananas. I was taking Evening Primrose caplets because those have been said to help but they didn't do much for me. Real talk: this stuff does taste like dirt--it'd probably be best if you toss it in smoothies but I drink it straight up in a glass of water. Maca with breakfast and wheatgrass with lunch. Who am I becoming?

Not Being So Hard on Myself.

I've done tons of cleanses and diets in the past (Body for Life, Jillian Michaels, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, Hungry for Change, Kaeng Raeng) and I would beat the crap out of myself mentally when I didn't stick exactly to the plan. I think this is what makes me gravitate to Kris Carr. She tells you to be lenient, do what works for you. Don't force yourself to fast once a week if you don't feel like it's possible for you. Don't chug wheatgrass if it makes you vomit. Be good to yourself and silence your inner bully. I've tried to remember this whenever I catch myself engaging in negative self-talk.

 Scoot the Loot (Even if It's Cold).

I mentioned before that my awesome mom got m a gym membership at our local park district for Christmas. I made a goal to go at least three days a week at first and eventually build up to six. The first day of the Adventure Cleanse was a no-go for the gym because we were hit with ChiBeria and everything was closed! Unfortunately our basement--where I keep my rebounder, treadmill, and weights--is a disaster area since it is the only space I haven't cleaned and purged yet. The gym reopened on Tuesday and I have been there every morning between 6:15 and 7am doing a half hour on the stationary bike and then 10 laps around the indoor track. I know that my current workout is someone else's warm-up but who cares? Someday it'll be my warm-up too.

It's About More than Diet and Exercise.

It's about total health. After the gym and shower in the morning I drink hot lemon water with cayenne pepper, do an oil pull, dry brush, run an ice cube over my face, use my Neti Pot, and then drink my breakfast. It is a very finely-tuned machine already and I think I am mastering doing all that at once so it doesn't take nearly the time it seems it would. I know that my current work-from-home situation allows me a bit more time in the morning to get all these healthy rituals complete so I won't say that I know for sure that I will always do all of this every day. But for now I'm really enjoying it. Doing all these little things for myself before 8am every day helps start the morning on the right foot and encourages me to stay on track.

Make Attainable Goals.

 I am the queen of unattainable and somewhat ridiculous goals. I really am. I have said before that I am the person that will say, "My goal is to lose 50 pounds in two months." Maybe I saw someone on TV do it, maybe I heard of a friend of a friend who lost 80 in a month. It isn't attainable for me. I've always lost weight pretty slowly and my body takes time to adjust. In 2014 I am changing my weight goal-setting mindset. I would like to hit my goal weight (100 pounds down) by December 31, 2014. Knowing my past patterns and doing some research, this is attainable. In the meantime, I am making small goals every day that make me feel accomplished when I check them off my mental to-do list. 100 squats, 100 crunches, 100 wall push-ups, 10,000 steps. I've had similar daily goals in the past and it worked well. I do these throughout the day (so if I only have time for 10 squats before a conference call, that's what I do until I have more time). I love working from home for a TON of reasons. One problem though? My step count is ZILCH. Hitting 10,000 steps takes an active effort when I am sitting in my office working the whole day. Last night I had to walk laps around the house at 8pm to get to the number pictured above. Whatever it takes, right?

What Works Best for ME.

 I love that the Adventure Cleanse is a set of guidelines instead of a strict program. There isn't a menu plan per say, just some suggestions. You should be eating gluten-free, caffeine-free, vegan, unprocessed, whole foods with a 80/20 or 60/40 alkaline/acid ratio in mind. Though it is suggested to eat mostly raw foods I have been eating soups for lunches because that's what works for me right now. Again, in the midst of busy work days, it is a quick and easy meal that I don't have to put a ton of time (or money, frankly) into. I choose low-sodium varieties from Amy's Organic but plan to make a big vat of my soup for next week's lunches. Also, I had set out to make different dinners every night but I have been relying mostly on GIANT salads with lots of veggies, a bit of olive oil, and sliced avocado. As long as my chow falls within the gluten-free, caffeine-free, vegan, unprocessed guidelines, I'm not beating myself up over it.

Some other notes: Rhyno asked me if I was planning on doing any "cheat" or "free" meals on the plan (really he just wants to know if we can have tacos on Saturday). I'm still thinking about it. I know having that one meal is good because it helps you not fall off the wagon, I'd like to stay within the guidelines as to not undo any progress. I guess I'll see how tempted I feel. Carr also suggests doing one day of fasting per week (just juices, still getting nutrients). I'm going to try it on Sunday but if it turns me into a monster I'm fine chowing down a Larabar.

 I plan to do a weight loss update sometime next week to allow my body to adjust to my new routine a bit. 

Cheers to another day of living like I mean it! :)