Monday, June 15, 2009

I’m sure my future self will thank me one day

{Sorry to be gone so long but I’ve been working on some technical issues with the ol’ blog. All is well now! However, I do want to make you aware of one teensy change. I have turned on comment moderating, so please don’t be alarmed if your comment doesn’t appear after you hit “Publish Your Comment”. It will shortly. Ok, moving on…}

Perhaps you recall that a while back I spoke of a dream, a goal, really. And perhaps you’ve noticed a couple of new images over in my sidebar. {No, really, go look. I’ll wait…All caught up? Ok, good.} You might have even noticed a while back when the image in my sidebar under the topic “What I Am Pursuing” was a picture of that she-devil, Jillian, and her latest phenomenon known as The Thirty Day Shred.

Around my house it is now known as The I Tried It For Two Days & My Body Staged A Mutiny.

Nope, it’s just been too long since the old girl was truly active. My muscles were screaming things at me like, “No, really, we’d like to help you sit down and travel down steps in the next two days! For the love of all that is holy and good in this world, please stop!” So I did. Mind you, I did some power walking in the days that followed but no consistent exercise has been seen in these parts since then.

What followed my flailing leap off of The Shred bandwagon were several weeks of preservative filled crap, general slothfulness and an overwhelming sense of lethargy. Something needed to change but I wasn’t sure what.

Oh, who am I kidding?! I knew exactly what needed to change, I was just too busy seeing how many consecutive meals could consist of generic boxes of Mac & Cheese.

The thing is I’m actually surrounded by people who eat healthy/organic/vegetarian. My sister, two of my cousins, several in-laws and my mom. What really got me thinking was a conversation I had with Mom two weeks ago. She has had chronic foot problems for almost two years now and has had two surgeries in an attempt to get things working again with not much progress. In January she made a commitment to eat better, specifically to eat more fruits and vegetables and less foods that consisted of mostly preservatives. In our conversation I noted that I hadn’t heard her complaining about her foot lately and asked how it was doing. She responded, “Well, you haven’t heard me say anything because since January the pain has gone from a 10 to a 2. I think between eating more cleanly and losing some weight, it’s really helped.”

I looked at the boxes of Mac & Cheese and yet another package of Nestle Tollhouse Ultimates -Chocolate Chip Lovers Cookie Dough lying on the checkout belt at Walmart, heaved a sigh and a switch flipped in my brain.

It can’t be a diet, it’s got to be a lifestyle.

First, I made a trip to Greenlife Grocery {a local natural food store, it’s awesome!} and scouted out an herbal cleanse. I wasn’t going to go too crazy with some sort of massive colon flush-out thing, but I knew from talking to some folks that a general cleanse could be beneficial to get rid of some toxins and such. I found one created by Renew Life called “First Cleanse”. Perfect.p01_FirstCleanse

Knowing that the cleanse was going to be ridding my body of junk built up from all the preservative laden food, I have actually been more motivated than usual to eat fresh foods and lots of protein. I loaded the fridge & freezer with all manner of veggies, fruits, fish, chicken and low-fat dairy. I also purchased a package or four of Crystal Light, some yummy teas and vowed to drink more water. The other ingredient to this life change is Benefiber.

benfiber

I know, it put me dangerously close to the Metamucil. I had visions of me prematurely being eighty-something and wondered if I should go back to the front of Walmart and grab one of those electric carts.

But seriously, when you do a cleanse, they recommend that you up your fiber intake because the fiber acts to trap the toxins and then helps as they are…um….naturally eliminated from your body. Bonus: fiber makes you feel fuller longer. I mix it in my hot tea, Crystal Light and even milk. I’ve definitely noticed that my in-between meal cravings are significantly less and I think that’s due to the added fiber I’m getting through the Benefiber powder.

I’m only through the first week, but I feel different. More alert, sleeping better, less lethargy. In short, I no longer feel like a giant slob. My taste buds are slowly waking up and I’m realizing just how good fresh food is without loads of butter or salt. Or powdered orange cheese. I’ve lost 3 1/2 pounds which is a pretty normal amount for when I first start watching what I eat. It’s unlikely that I’ll lose that amount each week from here on out, but I’ll take it.

Lest I mislead you, let it be known that I did make my first pound cake this past week and served it up with some strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

pound cake

And I drank some seriously sweet tea. I’ve done some freaky diets in my past and I’m bound and determined that this lifestyle change isn’t going to leave me deprived.

After all, what’s a Southern Drama Queen without her sweet tea?

12 comments:

  1. It sounds like you are off to a great start with your new diet. Keep up the good work!! You are doing great so far. Love & blessings from NC!

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  2. Wow! That pound cake looks amazing! Props!

    Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. I've been a lurker for quite some time, but decided a couple weeks ago that I was going to stop lurking and actually start commenting on the blogs that I read. Yours is such a blessing!

    I *think* I found you via MinistrySoFabulous (I was suite-mates with Amy Beth our freshmen year of college); though I'm not really positive that's how I ended up here.

    Anywho, sorry for taking up all your comment space with this uber-long post. Blessings!

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  3. Sarah Jo7:35 AM

    Yum to the pound cake--(food) life is about eating small portions, so enjoy!

    I'm proud of you for making the choice to take better care of yourself! Although I can't help but think of The Nutty Professor when anyone talks about "cleansing." And then I think of that orange juice diet I witnessed you do a few summers ago... :)

    I've been over-eating and justifying it with nursing. You've inspired me to give up some french fries. Too bad I'm going to CFA for lunch. I think I can, I think I can, ...

    Love you!

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  4. sometimes I really hate reading about how much better it makes people feel to eat well. Because then it makes me think that I should stop eating Mac & cheese multiple times a week . . . and stop drinking boatloads of diet coke. . . and chick-fil-a . . . and cheese . . .

    oh my life would be so empty without them. happier and healthier perhaps. but empty . .

    oh i kid. but seriously, way to go girl :-) have i mentioned that i like you a lot?

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  5. Um, seriously LRP, why you gotta go and make me feel guilty about my two week vacation that has kinda turned into an all-you-can-eat-dessertfest? Humph. Guess I better get back on the bandwagon :)

    Miss you friend! And keep me updated on the Benefiber and cleanse thing.. I'm intrigued and want to try it...

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  6. Hi there! I forget how I found your blog, but you're on my reader...anywho, thanks for this post!
    I've been struggling with a new counting-calories-diet for the past 5 weeks and only lost 3 pounds. (better than 0, or gaining, but still)
    I have been considering a cleanse, so thanks for that personal review and the fiber tips!

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  7. I haven't had a glass of good 'ole Southern sweet tea in longer than I can remember. You know what, I'm brewing up a pot of it this afternoon!

    Do you find that the Benefiber makes you feel bloated or gassy? I've used it in the past, and I felt that way from what I remember. Maybe I need to give it another try!

    Good for you for making a change!

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  8. Hi there! I saw your profile pic on Becca Stanley's blog and loved it. So I had to click over. And then I saw that you're a Shred drop out (as am I) and love pound cake and sweet tea (as do I). I will now be reading you every day. :)

    Seriously, I mean no disrespect about Shred. I think I might give it another try tomorrow...but I've said that for 2 weeks straight now...

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  9. You are such an inspiration!!!

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  10. So you won't join me in eating UnLocally???

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  11. Ok seriously? EVERYONE is doing The Shred. And oddly enough, your mention of dropping off its bandwagon put me over the edge. I ordered the DVD yesterday. :) HA!

    We'll see how THAT goes.

    Anyway, I am also interested to see what you think of the cleanse. I'm back and forth about how those work, but it seems many people I know are fans.

    On another note, when I moved to CO and was geographically forced to stop drinking sweet tea, I lost 5 pounds almost immediately. That, my friend, will make a girl think! :)

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  12. Anonymous10:37 PM

    hey! MAybe the First Cleanse is a great idea for me to do a preprep for my first ever colonoscopy! Maybe we can do it on the same week and then you can sympathize with me...and perhaps send flowers or come join me for a post peek party! No preservatives...and I am , by the way, ereading labels more carefully than ever before concerning preservatives...add that to salt, fiber, fat...best bet? Eat natural when possible, save the fries for celebrations!
    R

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