The Big Update...

I did it!  I made it through the 5 days (I never had any intentions of showing y'all up and going the whole 7 days).  I definitely lost weight and could tell by the end of day 1 that I was feeling less toxic in general.  By Day 6 I switched over to clean eating and I'm very very very excited to say that I've successfully stayed on track since then.  This cleanse had the exact results I was looking for-to reboot my system so I'd start craving good foods like nuts and avocado instead of Cheetos and bagels...IT WORKED!  It worked so well that I actually returned.  To the store.  An entire bag of Cheetos.  Never in my life did I see me doing something like that :)  In the spirit of "Who the Hell am I", this morning, I met up with someone (leah knows Kevin) to go running. We did 2 miles at 6am at a 10:57/mile pace.  I'm training for a 5k in May, my first ever running event of any kind (aside from mandatory miles in gym class in....1992!!)  So, I couldn't be happier about having done the cleanse and jumpstarting this new health and exercise craze I'm in.  Thanks girls!!  Oh, and...I've shared this with a few people who not only had successful results, but decided to continue on and they're in the 3rd week of doing the cleanse.

Those EFFING onions

Well, I've survived the first 3 days, but my apartment is the real victim here.  The onion smell will not go away.  I have tried all kinds of diy remedies, all the candles I've ever owned have been burning for hours every night, windows are open, everything's been wiped down and febreezed and yet I still get smacked in the face by the smell of onion every time I walk into my place.  I even dumped the soup b/c I was convinced there has to be a microscopic hole in the container letting the smell seep out.  How wrong was I to think bananas would be my biggest problem today :) 
I do feel better though.  My scrubs are a little baggy in the bum area and I feel like the tendons in my hands are more noticeable, which tells my I'm not as bloated as I was 3 days ago.  I'm amazed at how NOT hungry I am in the mornings, but my tricky time of the day starts promptly at 5pm...I literally hear a voice trying to sabotage my efforts tauntingly whispering  pizza, chips, ice cream, pizza, cheese, bread, chocolate and this is when my superhero powers are activated and I ignore what I'm hearing. 
I type this while eating freeze-dried bananas and they are GOOOD.  All that's been on my mind for the past couple of hours is MEAT!  I don't eat beef so I'll be eating ground turkey tomorrow...did anyone else substitute out the beef? 

I am on Day 2.  As I was telling Leah last night, I had conflicting emotions surrounding this day.  On one hand I was soo excited about the potato, which as it turns out is the best damn thing I've ever eaten. EVER, but on the other hand now officially have NOTHING to look forward to for the rest of this cleanse. I just keep reminding myself that I've eaten whatever I could fit in my pie hole for the last 34 years so I should be able to make it through the week (and by week I mean the work week kind of week :)
I just had a mouth full of potato and coffee and I swear to all the gods it tasted exactly like a grilled cheese sandwich.  The soup.  First of all, it's ruined my life slightly by making my entire apartment and all my clothes and furniture stink like onions.  I was actually woken up in the middle of the night several times by the smell.  I promptly got up this morning and lit 12 candles, opened up all the windows and had cinnamon/ginger/cloves simmering on the stove.  I may need to get professional cleaners in...all because of this disgusting soup! 
I have shared this cleanse with 3 other people and I'm waiting to hear how they all did with Day 1.  I was surprised to wake up not feeling hungry today.  Reading through all your posts have totally helped me get through this.  You all have made me laugh so hard and getting the heads up on what days absolutely suck have helped me.  This potato is my boyfriend right now...and I'm madly in love. 

Pesto yum

Pesto Shrimp with Snow Peas over Quinoa

Work Time: 20 Minutes / Total Time: 20 Minutes / Servings: 4

3/4 c uncooked quinoa

1 1/3 c water

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb lg peeled shrimp

3 c snow peas (about 8 oz)

1/4 c prepared basil pesto

2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Put quinoa in fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold water. Transfer to medium saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and cover until ready to serve.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat while quinoa cooks. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until just pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in snow peas and cook, stirring, 2 minutes longer. Add pesto and lemon juice and cook until warmed and shrimp is done, about 1 minute. Serve over quinoa.

Nutrition (per serving): 372 cal, 32 g pro, 28 g carb, 4 g fiber, 14.5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 293 mg sodium

Our favorite cookies

RepinEdit

When you have a sweet tooth and want to stay on track, here's a nice treat. No flour OR sugar! 3 mashed bananas (ripe), 1/3 cup apple sauce, 2 cups oats, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup raisins (optional), 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  I made about 34 cookies using a cookie scoop.

Calories: 34
Poly fat: .1g
Mono fat: .1g
Sodium: .4
Carbs: 7.5
Fiber: .8
Sugars: 2.7
Protein: .8

Make this!!!

13. Quinoa with Black Beans, Tomatoes, Corn, and Feta

PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

SERVINGS: 6

3/4 c quinoa, rinsed
2 tsp canola oil
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3/4 c frozen corn
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 c)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
Juice of 2 to 3 limes (about 4 to 6 Tbsp)
3 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 c)
1/3 c fresh cilantro leaves

BRING 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan on high heat. Stir in the quinoa and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is cooked through but still firm to the bite and the water is evaporated, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes.

HEAT the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the corn and cook 2 minutes, then add the beans and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the quinoa, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and lime juice to taste and stir gently to combine. Stir in the feta and cilantro and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

NUTRITION (per serving: 1 heaping cup) 222 cal, 11 g pro, 33 g carbs, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 501 mg sodium

28% (7 g) daily fiber

Next SlideCardamom Yogurt Cheesecake with Caramelized Plums

Who am I, seriously

I don't even know myself anymore when it comes to food. I went from being the biggest sugar and Diet Coke addict to living on vegetables and quiona and working out 7 days a week. I'm psyched.

Sarah and I made a trip to Ocean State today in search of cheap eats. We didn't find as much as we'd hope but did get some things. Eating healthy hurts my wallet but I know it's worth it.

I just made sweet potato and edamame hash for dinner and had it with quinoa. I burned it, oopsie, but it's still pretty good. It's on my healthy food board if you're interested. I bought some salmon for the week in hopes of bulking up my natural protein.

I lusted after some dark chocolate raspberry granola but decided to save buying it for pms week. Again, who the heck am I - granola for a sweet treat?