CLEAN: The Results

The CLEAN cleanse is DONE!!!  I have to say that overall I am very pleased with both the results of the cleanse and how well I stuck to it.  On the other hand this last week was by far the hardest week.  I had become totally bored with the food (recipes) I was eating for lunch each day.  Everything tasted exactly the same (like icky stuff covered in olive oil--GROSS).  I found myself forcing myself to even eat anything at lunch.  By the end of the week I had reached absolute exhaustion.  I was so tired and nauseated.  Absolutely nothing could satiate me.  But, by God, I was determined to complete my mission at any cost.

By Friday I was suffering from terrible nausea.  I felt as though I could up-chuck at any given moment.  I also (as I said before) was EXHAUSTED.  I began feeling like I hadn't slept in days, maybe months.  And I actually had been sleeping well every night.  I decided it had to be because I was not eating enough.  I ended up stopping the program 2 days shy of my goal of 21 days.  My body just could not take anymore of the stress of not eating properly.

Overall, I lost a total of 14lbs on the cleanse, but gained 2lbs back after being off of it for a week.  I knew it was bound to happen so I did not freak out about it.  Water weight always has to come back a little.  I went down 2% body fat at the nutritionist, making it now only a total of 15% excess or for you number gurus 37lbs to go!!!  I also feel like I finally am back to a "level playing field" as far as my metabolism and weight loss goes (at least I hope).  I hope the cleanse has helped to jump start my diet again.  I hope to complete the cleanse every 6 months to a year as Dr. Junger suggests.  Although, I have  had a rough last week, I would still recommend the cleanse to everyone!!!

Start

Week 1

Week 2

End

(notice the disappearance of acne/red, splotchy skin, double chin, and whiter teeth?  Yay!!!)

I was nervous about posting these pictures, but you know if it helps someone else become motivated to take care of their health then so be it.  Plus, I really want to help those struggling with becoming healthy to know that the reality is YOU CAN DO IT!!!  You don't have to resort to crazy fad diets or surgeries to do it.  All it takes is good, old-fashioned HARD WORK!!!  Although I have to say surgery may have to happen to get rid of all this unwanted hangy skin...YUCK!!!  If anyone has any questions or needs help please let me know!!! :)

Before

After 

(YAY!!!  I have a waist again and no bloatie belly)

CLEAN Update: Week 2

Week 2 is OVER!!!  Thank you God!!!  This week was tough at times to keep focused.  I really started craving certain foods and had to use all my will-power to overcome those temptations.  But I am very glad to say that I did it!

I lost another 4lbs this week; making my Clean Cleanse weight loss total as 12lbs.  I have to say the weight loss has been great, but honestly the other benefits are just as good.  I have not had any (and I do mean any) stomach or digestion issues since I began this (and that's a miracle in its self).  My face has begun to clear up (no acne or red, splotchy skin).  I sleep soundly at night and only now wake up once nightly to pee (before it was like 5 times a night and the slightest sound would wake me).  And overall, I just feel better.

I am starting to believe that I may have a slight lactose intolerance or gluten issue through all of this.  Since the Clean program does not allow you to have any milk products or gluten, I have been able to form some sort of "experiment" on myself.  Before beginning the cleanse I had issues with becoming congested and getting a (excuse the grossness) snot-filled throat after I ate.  Since starting the cleanse I haven't had this issue even once.  The only thing I think it can be is the fact that I no longer eat any milk products or gluten...which one is it?  I don't know.  This mere fact and many others has lead me to believe that I may change my entire diet to this.  I now LOVE organic products and Earthfare has become one of my favorite places to shop.

After I have completed the program I hope to feel good enough about myself to post some before and after pictures.  I have been taking pictures after the completion of each week as a reference and the difference is amazing.  I also hope to follow the same sort of plan (with a few alterations) for the completion of my weight loss...

here's hoping the last week goes smoothly and successfully!!!

CLEAN--Update Numero Uno

My first week of the CLEAN program is done and I have to say it has not been half as hard as I was expecting it to be. It may be because I was already used to only having one full meal a day (lunch) with two protein shakes for the other 2 meals. I have been very strict on myself and have tried to follow the program to a "T". No cheating or sabotaging the cleanse in any way. Wesley and I even had to travel to Nashville for the weekend for his Tennessee Physical Therapy Association annual meeting and I prepared every meal for the entire weekend for us to take with us. And believe me, I wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory so bad, but instead we went to the movies. ;)

I have to say that I honestly have felt good each day. He warns of headaches, but I honestly only had a slight one the first couple of days; usually in the afternoon around 3pm. I have always tended to bloat everyday a little in my tummy area and during this week my tummy looks so much flatter now and I have not experienced any bloating or upset tummy. I believe this program is actually working just like Dr. Junger says it should. I also am a chronic insomniac if I don't medicate myself and I have slept better than I have in years since starting the cleanse-I no longer wake up every couple of hours. Overall I feel really good and am excited to complete the full 21 days.

Just to give you a little laugh I must tell you that when I first began the cleanse I was determined to do EVERYTHING, and I do mean EVERYTHING, that Dr. Junger suggested. Now mind you these were only suggestions and not mandatory to complete the cleanse, but me being the obsessed control freak that I am thought "I will do it ALL". Looking back that was a stupid decision. On Monday night Wes and I decided to take the advice of eating a clove of garlic. BAD DECISION!!! It was so spicy!!! Not only was it spicy, but also since you cannot chew gum or anything during the cleanse you have to go the rest of the night with nasty garlic breath (needless to say no making out for us that night). After we ate the garlic clove, we decided to do the next "nasty" thing and drank 2 Tbsps of olive oil. Ahhhh...there is nothing like olive oil stuck on the roof of your mouth, tongue, teeth, and lips...everything for the rest of the night now tasted like garlic and olive oil...yuck!!! Anyways, needless to say we bought some garlic pills the next day to take and have quit the whole olive oil thing. :)

And finally the best part....I have lost a total of 8lbs so far since last Monday!!! Yay Me!!!

CLEAN

So...I started a whole new program today. My doctor and nutritionist suggested trying it after being on a weight-loss plateau for the past 2 months. I started a cleanse. (Now I guess I should mention that this "plateau" may also be caused by hypothyroidism, so my doctor also ordered bloodwork. I went today for the bloodwork and should know something in the next couple of days.)

And believe me I know what you are thinking...Why would anyone do a "fad" cleanse? Well, let me be the one to tell you that is one of the very first things I thought when my nutritionist suggested it. I am one of the biggest skeptics you will ever meet, so believe me when I say I wasn't completely sold on the idea.

After my nutritionist described the program to me; I decided, "What can it hurt to get the book and read about the program?" (I was and am at the point that I will try almost anything to get the weight to start coming off again) I went to Borders right after my appointment and picked up the book, CLEAN by Dr. Alejandro Junger.

I began reading it that afternoon and was pleasantly surprised! How Dr. Junger explains things makes sense...as humans we aren't suppose to eat all the processed foods and sugar that we do on a daily basis. He also brings to mind that our ancestors were hunters and gatherers, who more than likely went days between meals due to lack of food. And guess what they didn't die of hunger! He points out that all religious leaders fasted for religious reasons. And guess again they didn't die either. Here in America we truly don't know what hunger really is. We claim we are starving after only 4 hours of not having a meal when in reality our brain is just craving a change. So...I guess you can see that I became sold on the idea of a cleanse and decided why not?

I will tell you this is not one of the CRAZY cleanses that you hear celebrities doing. No crazy waters with cayenne pepper or raw foods. This cleanse is all about taking supplements and drinking juices/smoothies for breakfast and dinner and then having a small, approved meal for lunch each day. (Which was not a far off concept for me since with Cornerstone I had ate a shake for breakfast and dinner and a small lunch.) The key is to use all organic, fresh produce. I was scared how much it would cost for me to do this, but in actuality it is no more than what I normally spend each month with my Cornerstone program.

So Day One is completed and I have to say I don't feel any different than the way I did when I first started Cornerstone. Hopefully, it will stay this way. I am so excited to begin another chapter within my weight-loss journey. I have taken all my supplements and eaten a very yummy organic lunch! I do have to say that I will be buying some garlic pills to take each day instead of eating the garlic clove...it was spicy and now I have the worst breath!!! I took a before picture today and am hoping to post it and the "all new me" in an after picture once I complete the entire program.

I hope to update everyone on my progress every couple of days or so. Hopefully my cleanse can be a way for others who might be on the fence about a life change to finally make the decision whether yes or no.

Here's the key: I have to do this for 21 days!!! Wow, now this is going to take a lot of will-power. But after losing 62lbs in 8 months, I now know that I can do anything that I set my mind to.

Here goes....