Sushi

You're probably wondering why I'm titling this "Sushi," aren't you?? Allow me to explain:

So earlier this week was my mother's birthday. After work, my father and I decided to take her out to dinner to one of her favorite restaurants, Wasabi, which is a great little Japanese restaurant. They have sushi that is fantastic. And not only is is fantastic, but it's super fresh. So fresh, as a matter of fact, that it leapt straight off the table into my mouth.

Yes. My name is Christiane and I ate sushi.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly and had a few sushi rolls and some steamed edamame, which is one of my favorite things of all times. And although I did feel a slight twing of guilt, the pleasure of eating again was much greater.

But then it all took a turn downhill and I just couldn't bear to go back to the regimen again. So I didn't. I made it through 10 instead of the original 14 days. And I'm okay with that.

This year was a much different experience than last year. Last year, it was extremely tough to do it, but I noticed benefits almost immediately and that helped spur me on. This year, I didn't so much. I felt great as I was doing it, but there wasn't much weight loss to speak of, which made it tough to continue doing it.

So the Great Detox of 2008 is at a close, albeit a few days short of its intended completion date. Maybe next year....

Flying Through

So I made it through the weekend with flying colors. To be honest, I can remember that last year absolutely dragged but this year has completely flown by.

This weekend, I went to a very large street craft fair with some friends. I must admit, I was rather tempted by the french fries they always have at these sorts of events, and they are seriously some of the best french fries I've ever had - salty, hot, greasy, and tasty! But I resisted and made it through the day with flying colors.

My only problem this year is that I haven't lost quite as much weight as I intended to throughout the detox process. Last year, the weight practically fell away and it made it very easy to maintain the whole regimen. But this year, it's sluggishly falling off. Not sure what the difference is. I'm hoping it's not because i've entered in the "30" age bracket. I've heard rumors that once you hit that magical age your metabolism puts on some serious brakes.

Either way, I'm almost done. I am finished on Sunday, so I only have 5 more days left. Judging by how quickly the first days went, I'm sure it will be over before I know it.

Days 3 & 4

I'm almost amazed at how quickly this has passed this year. Last year, I can remember the week absolutely dragging by, and I felt like I may never eat real solid food again. But for some reason, this week has just gone by so quickly. I can't believe I'm almost at the end of my first week. And to be honest, it's much easier than I thought.

I did have a few moments where I almost wept, staring at a bag of Chex Mix, and then again after gazing longingly at a container of smoked almonds, but I survived.

I have been experimenting with my fresh juices and have been trying to throw different combinations of vegetables in my juicer. My favorite so far has been the carrot-apple-beet-cucumber, which was rather tasty. My coworkers have dutifully tried every single juice I've put in my body (and to be honest, are more obsessed making sure I stick to the rules about the entire thing than I am) but they declared this one to be the best, by far.

So now, on to the weekend, where I hope I win the battle against the evil world of Salty Snacks once again!

Day 2

So the 2nd day has passed and amazingly enough, I'm still standing. I would like to give a hearty shout-out to the coworker who walked into my office, eating a bag of chips and declaring them the best things she's ever eaten, only seconds after I was talking to her about how I would kill for something crunchy and salty. But I digress....

I did make it through the 2nd day with flying colors, although there were some almost-weak moments. For some reason, chips were calling my name all day. Seriously. ALL DAY. But thankfully, I made it through until dinner, which is usually the best time of the day.

For dinner, you eat a soup that's basically pureed greens and vegetables. And let me tell you how tasty it is. You can't use any salt, but you are allowed to use Bragg's liquid aminos, as well as any salt-free seasoning. I used a healthy squeeze of Bragg's and a very healthy portion of Mrs. Dash's Montreal Steak Seasoning, which is by far my favorite blend. I also used fresh spinach, fresh collards, and fresh greenbeans with a piece of ginger. To finish it, I added just a touch of asian chili garlic sauce, which I think I could literaly put on anything. All in all, the soup was amazing and very filling, and it definitely holds me over.

So day 2 down and a few more to go. (I'm not letting myself keep track of how many left until it's under a week)

Day One

So Day 1 wasn't hateful. I do remember that the first 2-3 days are wicked hard, so I was expecting to have all sorts of cravings, which I did. At work, I have a dish of chocolate that sits out for people and I can easily look at that and not be tempted. However, any sort of salty snack sings a sweet siren song and I almost can't refuse. But I was strong and held out and adhered to the regimen.

My new job is not extremely conducive to the routine. At my last place of employment, I had a water cooler, an ice machine, a refrigerator, and a bathroom all within paces of my desk. For lunch, I would just walk a block home and throw some fresh veggies in the juicer. Here, I'm a lot more limited. The water cooler is a flight of stairs away and I'm way too far to go home for lunch. I also am in and out of the office quite a bit, so I have to make sure I'm prepared with juices in my car. And going to the bathroom can be a bit of a hassle, especially if I'm out and about, and especially since I'm peeing every 30 minutes or so. (It could be more, but it feels like I'm getting up to go all the time)

So the first day was a success - onto to the next!

Detox 2008

Another year and another juice fast is here. I wanted to make sure I did this detox sometime this summer when fresh produce is so readily available and cheap. You can't drive more than a few minutes without hitting yet another fresh produce stand, which I absolutely love.

This year, my goals are really to get my eating back on track. With my new job, I find it extremely hard to come home from work and cook something. I usually end up eating out and it's not always easy to make the right choices. I could also stand to lose a few pounds, and that's always an added bonus of the detox. My main goal, however, is to just detoxify my body and give it a rest from all of the toxins and punishment I've put it through over the past year.

The first few days are always the hardest, so I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for doing the detox again. But after day 4, it's pretty smooth sailing. By the end of it, I remember feeling positively amazing and that's what I'm hoping to get back to again this time.

Wish me luck!