It's been a long time...

I shouldn't a left you
without a dope ass blog to read to
think of how many days that I sped thru
not writin'
times up
sorry I left you

The weightloss journey continues in earnest
Some days I fell off
but then I tried my durndest
to stay on top of what I put in my mouth
this month is better than last
Last month my waist went
SOUTH

Haha yeah
but that shit ain't funny
all the good work I put into myself
got a little blurry
my schedule got busy
and my rules became lax
I started eating whatever I felt like
Like "I got this'
relax

The fact is:
Yes, my clothes still fit
but I should have been losing weight
not in a holding pattern dammit!
but I'm back on track
once again in control
let's just see how long it is
before I fall off
and have to roll
my fat ass up the hill
one mo' gin

I guess that's enough for now
until next time
friends

Eating food...but am I?

So, I've come off the cleanse and I am proud of the fact that I am sticking to this 90% RAW FOOD diet. In many ways, it's great to eat again. Don't get me wrong - but I am not indulging in the things that one would assume I'd rush to after breaking the fast. I am trying to maintain the healthy lifestyle & momentum of the cleanse by choosing to ONLY eat:

• Raw veggies (aka lettuce, spinach, broccoli, avocados)
  
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Berries
• Seeds
• Vegetable Soup (This is the 10% part that's not raw)

I am still dropping pounds and reaping the rewards of clearer skin. I LOVE avocados. I don't like tomatoes. I miss mint chocolate chip ice cream. I still haven't had a Domino's sub. Since I'm eating I don't obsess over it anymore. LOL

I'm off to eat some trail mix...

Day 23 - My last day

I am proud of the journey I have taken with the Master Cleanse. Tomorrow I will break my fast by drinking fresh OJ and eating home made veggie soup. I am excited and scared to eat. Isn't that wierd? I have a few books on raw foodism like the one in the pic above, that's really helping me focus on what I'm about to do next. I'll give more info on going raw as I feel confident and start learning.

What have I gained after 3 weeks of cleansing?

- Energy
- 20 pound weightloss
- Some devoted readers of my blog ;o)
- Clarity of thought
- The realization that I DO have control over what I eat
- The understanding that I do have discipline
- The confidence of knowing I can decline a social invitation around food & survive
- Blogging skills
- Clearer skin
- The ability to wear my clothes again

Thank you for reading this 23 Day journal of my MC. If you have questions, would like support or just want to discuss it - hit me up. I hope you keep reading as I embark on my next phase of reinvention: raw food.

Day 22 - my cleanse anniversary

22 days. This is how long I did the cleanse my 1st time. I feel good, but I have to take a moment to gather all of my readers together to share some news: I am breaking the fast. Tomorrow.

No. Don't cray. Don't be sad. Don't call me a quitter (I'd like to see YOU go for 22 days). It's just that I know it;s time to end the cleanse. My body is telling me so. Usually, you can get over bored feelings with the eliminations you produce the next day. Those detox symptoms usually leave you, but not me. I've been feeling like I need to move back to eating and this morning I woke up and spent the larger part of the morning spitting up bile. Sorry if that's TMI - but I really feel like my body is trying to tell me something.

My plan: 90% raw 10% cooked soups. I will continue to blog about my healthy lifestyle and see if I can show folks how to do a healthy transition from the master cleanse to eating food again (albeit raw).

I don't feel bad about my decision. 40 days was a great goal, and who knows? I may achieve it on my next cleanse at the start of the summer (yes I will be doing it again). I plan to break my fast tomorrow on Day 23 with a nice glass of freshly squeezed OJ (no sugar and preservatives) and veggie soup (if I can keep it down).

So that's it. I know folks are reading this blog, and I hope you continue to read it as I take on my next challenge: going raw. My goal is to eventually transition from 90-10 to 100% raw. If I can do the MC I should be able to do this too ;o)

Day 21 - Bored

I felt very bored by the cleanse today. I guess my thoughts towards raw food are waaaay more interesting than focusing on if I have enough lemons or maple syrup to make it through the next couple of days. I think today is a major detox day. It's 3 weeks on the cleanse and I feel like I have very little to celebrate!! Blah.

Day 20 - Cruise Control

I can't believe I'm at Day 20. It's a really nice milestone to reach. I feel very good and I'm starting to think about how I will resume eating and what will change or be different. I an seriously considering a raw lifestyle. Basically raw is eating just that raw fruits, veggies, seed, nuts & sprouts. Sounds limiting but it's a helluva whole lot more to eat than just drinking lemonade. I am very interested in maintaining the wonderful health benefits that have come my way with the cleanse and I know I have alot of disciplining left to do when it comes to me & food. I think stepping into a mostly raw lifestyle will help keep me on the path as I continue to fall in love with myself and living a healthier lifestyle. I have been giving it a lot of thought because I know I can't very well go back to my old eating habits (nor do I want to). I say a mostly raw diet, because I'd like to include soup. I know you're thinking, you can;t include soup on a raw food diet? No. Anything cooked over 113 degrees is NOT considered raw. I could do a cold soup like cucumber soup - but I think that's disgusting!!

Day 19 - It's a beautiful day

BARACK OBAMA is MY president! I am so thrilled today! I don't have words to express how much. I have been following politics closely for the past 3 years. I am proud to say I started to 'wake up' before this promising leader stepped on the scene. I was growing tired of the Bush administration and very excited by the opportunity to vote 2 years ago for new representation. I was hella excited when the Democrats regained control of the House in 2006 and kicked out so many ineffective Republican incumbents. It was a major shift for the American people. Folks came out in overwhelming numbers to show their disapproval. I realized there WAS hope for a change and people were mad enough to use their vote to do something about it(myself included). Then Barack came on the scene and my interest in politics not only grew, I listened and watched like it was my job. NPR (national public radio), MSNBC, conversations with family and friends, it all helped ignite my passion for political action. Now that my president has called on me to help in whatever ways I can - I will take up that charge. Gladly. For one of the first times in my adult life, I am proud to be an American.*

Day 18

It was easy to cleanse today. I was too excited about Barack Obama to think about anything else. I am doing good with the LA Definitely in a rhythm now. I'm glad I didn't give into the Domino's sub craving that's been tormenting me. I am growing a little tired of the lemonade taste. I think I'll make a batch with limes instead of lemons tomorrow.

I'm down 3 more pounds & a couple of inches. My skinny jeans are now my semi-baggy jeans. I vow not to buy new clothes until the clothes I have are impossible to wear b/c they'll be too big.

I feel wonderful today for so many other reasons aside from cleansing. It's Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday and tomorrow, Barack Obama will be sworn in as our country's 44th president.  

MC websites & boards

On my 1st MC I found MC message boards incredibly helpful. I just lurked on them. It was really helpful to read the stories of hundreds of other folks with the similar questions, eye opening experiences and folks ready to quit. With the world wide web, we truly are not alone. Check them out:

http://www.therawfoodsite.com/forum/
I spent a lot of time on this site. It was started by Peter Glickman, the author of the book I read.

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/lemonade
Visited here too. More of the same like the 1st website.

http://www.youtube.com/user/genipha4life
This is a video journal of a woman named Genipha on youtube. I found her video journal incredibly helpful. You can really see the changes in her face, weight, personality, etc. It's very inspirational. If you're thinking about doing the MC you should definitely watch some of her video clips.