Summer, Summer, Summertime

Whew, what a semester! I find it horrifying that I haven't had time to write and edit a post since spring break. After the last eight weeks of my life however, I shouldn't be surprised. With Louis going through an awful sleep regression, me being sick and then sick again and finally one last bout of sickness, a campus in chaos, and the every day that is our life, I haven't had much time for the extras lately. 


I spent the first weekend after classes wrapped up moving Jo into our spare bedroom and celebrating Dylan's graduation from UNI. Mom came down for a few days to help and it was fun having her here. Louis received some coveted alone time with Grandma and I had some help with meals and childcare for a much needed reprieve. I wish the rest of the family could have been here, but if we only got together when all eleven of us were free we'd never see each other. After playing too hard, I spent Sunday locked in my bedroom grading my last round of final exams. I had hopes of being done with my grading last Wednesday but a sore throat and loss of voice sidelined my plans. Being done on May 6th for the summer is still pretty amazing though, so I'm not complaining!


Today was my first "official" day of summer and Louis and I filled it pretty well. Last night I cornered Joanna and Nevin in front of Once Upon a Time and we created a meal plan for the week. One of the entries on my summer bucket list is good food! This plan is twofold. First, Louis is used to eating healthy, well-balanced meals at daycare and I don't want to get out of that habit. Second, I love experimenting with good meals with my family, the school year is just usually a hard time to do too much of that. I have been following a bunch of food blogs in my Google Reader and bookmarking ideas for months. This week I really focused in on the basis of a plan on Super Healthy Kids. I'm really excited about the plan and one day in, we're right on track!

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast	Oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon	Bran muffin with banana	Omelet and toast	Smoothies and toast	Egg sandwiches with strawberries
Lunch	Pizza Pitas and grapes	Leftover Lasagna	Leftover chicken, bacon, ranch wrap (FM 78)	Quesadilla	Strawberry Spinach Salad
Snack	Crackers and string cheese	Apples and Peanut Butter	Veggies With Hummus	Crackers with String Cheese	Bananas and Pretzels
Dinner	Vegetable Lasagna (CL)	Chicken Stir Fry (SIS 65)	Lemon Asparagus Pasta (SIS 57)	Sausage Asparagus Skillet (SIS 56)

I always struggle with finding a delicate balance in the summer between going with the flow and getting things accomplished. I am starting my summer with a cleaning task and a laundry task for each day of the week, but the rest of the time I can fill with whatever Louis and I see fit. 

	Clean	Laundry
Monday	groceries clean refrigerator	Lou’s
Tuesday	bathrooms	towels
Wednesday	store clean kitchen	darks
Thursday	dust	whites
Friday	vacuum	rugs
Saturday/Sunday	farmer’s market meal plan	sheets

I also will benefit from Aunt Jo doing about 10 hours of babysitting per week. I offered her room and board if I can get into the office and get some work done this summer. Lou will enjoy the fun times with Jo and I'll have some child free hours to regain my sanity.

With the first day under my belt, I can say I'm very excited for my summer ahead. Next up I want to finish that summer bucket list I mentioned above. I hate when the months get away from me and I didn't get to seventy-five percent of what I wanted to accomplish!

Spring break

Spring break is always a hard week for me. The weather is starting to get nice and I want to spend my time preparing for the impending summer. I want to clean out my flower beds, wash my windows, and organize my neglected closets and cupboards. I want to spend my time dreaming about the small vegetable garden I want to start this year and get out the patio furniture and grill. I usually spend my spring break grading midterms and lesson planning and reading for the remainder of the semester though. Sadly, this break been filled with neither of these. No spring cleaning but also no grading. Louis has had a 102 degree temperature for two days and he wants nothing but to be held and read to. He isn't eating much and getting him to hydrate is quite the circus act. Poor thing. While I hate that the sickness is commandeering our break, I'm glad I'm able to be home to snuggle him this week.

To make up for my lackluster break, tonight I decided to bust out a couple of the new recipes I've been excited about since my cleanse ended. I have been wanting to bring more home cooking back into our house and this is a good start. I broke out a couple of the homemade granola and Lara bar recipes (Girl-Scout Cookie Larabars, Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Larabars, Copycat Nature Valley Granola Bars) from Chocolate Covered Katie. I haven't tried them yet, but they're sitting in my fridge waiting for me to need a snack. I'll report back once they have all been tried.

Also, in a last minute decision, I decided to whip up Iowa Girl Eats' Shepard's Pie with Helathified Mashed Potatoes. It's not the leftover pizza we were supposed to eat for dinner, but I'm much more excited about it! The timer just beeped, bring it on!

Day Twenty-Six: END OF MY OFFICIAL CLEANSE

7:00:    Naked smoothie
9:00:    walnuts, dried cranberries, water
12:30:  red peppers, snap peas, carrots, walnuts, water
3:30:    walnuts, dates,water


7:30:    roast beef on wheat, orange, water
Now that I'm back in Storm Lake for a few days, I'm not going to stick to all of my rules. It will be too hard both for my willpower and annoying my family. I plan to be decent with portion control this weekend, but none of the other rules apply. Bring on a cup of coffee, some black jelly beans, and whatever great things come into my life this weekend!

Day Twenty-Five

7:00:    Naked smoothie
9:00:    walnuts, dried cranberries, water


12:30:  refried beans, chicken, rice, salsa, jalapeno, water
At a conference with a bunch of my students today, so I made do. I didn't want to set a precedent that I wasn't eating, but I also didn't want to be eating things that went against my plan. I'm sure the chicken was heavily processed and the beans were cooked with a fatty oil, but the meal was good. I skipped the brownies with no problems.


2:30:    red peppers, snap peas, carrots, walnuts, water


7:30:    honey-barbecue wings
My loving husband picked up some wings for me. While not completely cleanse friendly, I didn't get the french fries so I call it a win!

Day Twenty-Four

7:00:    Naked smoothie
8:00:    orange tea
9:00:    walnuts, water
12:30:  garden-vegetable soup, water
2:30:    avocado with tomato and walnuts, water
6:00:    scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, water
7:00:    dates, water


8:00:    popcorn with olive oil, water
Yep. Again!

Day Twenty-Three

7:00:    banana-berry smoothie
8:00:    orange tea
9:00:    walnuts, water
11:30:  chicken breast, brown rice, avocado, tomato, water
3:30:    roasted vegetables, sunflower seeds, water
5:30:    baked sweet potato with dates, water


7:30:    popcorn with olive oil, water
I am addicted!!! I cannot get enough of this right now. I'm lucky Nevin continues to make it for me every single night.

Day Twenty-Two

7:00:    banana-berry smoothie
8:00:    detox tea
10:30:  walnuts, water
12:30:  CHICKEN! breast, brown rice, water
2:30:    trail mix
5:30:    veggies (cucumber, yellow pepper, celery), water
9:00:    popcorn popped in olive oil courtesy of my husband

Day Twenty-One

I knew there was a reason I shouldn't cheat on this cleanse. This is the whole living god's way of punishing me, I think.


Continuous consumption of water from the hours of 7:30AM and 10:30AM made being awake bearable. After my two and a half hour nap I felt like a new person though.


2:00    quinoa, scrambled eggs, salsa, avocado, water
Not as satisfying as the cheese toast I really wanted to help with my hangover, but it did the trick. 


4:00    dried blueberries, almonds, water
Just a few in and I decided maybe I'd wait until later to eat anymore.


5:30:    tuna steak, quinoa, water
I got full about half way through and gave the rest to Nevin.


8:00:    popcorn popped in olive oil, water

Day Twenty

7:00 :   almond milk, frozen berries, banana smoothie

8:30:    cinnamon-cardamom tea
I love this herbal tea from Cup of Joe. I loved it even more this morning because I drank it while I looked at books at the Cedar Falls library ALONE! While I love that Louis loves books, he isn't very patient when I want to look at big people books.

10:30:  Rice Noodles with Broccoli-Almond Pesto, water
1:00:    roasted vegetables, water


4:00:     spicy tuna roll, cucumber-avocado roll, miso soup, water
DELICIOUS! Nevin and I went out for an afternoon date while Jo babysat. We drove down to Cedar Rapids to go to our favorite sushi place, Oyama. I know the spicy tuna roll contained a little mayonnaise but otherwise the date was cleanse friendly (I cannon say the same for my endeavors later in the night). It was a fun afternoon with the hubs. I love having the time with the three of us, but sometimes it's nice to get away for a bit. 


Between the hours of 7 and midnight I consumed more vodka than is healthy for ANYONE, yet alone someone who is supposed to not be drinking alcohol. We went for dinner with my friends at Zins, luckily I was still full from my sushi. From there we moved down the block to the Downtown Wrigley Bar and Grill and finally settled at The Vault for dueling pianos. I had a lot of fun, but am paying for it today. I'm lucky that Jo got up and did the early morning shift with her nephew this morning, perhaps we should pay her better!

Day Nineteen

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

8:30:    detox tea

10:30:  clementines, walnuts , water
12:30:  salad (yellow, pepper, cucumber, celery, tomato), water
3:30:    dates, water
6:00:     popcorn popped in olive oil, water

Day Eighteen

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

8:30:    detox tea

10:30:  salt and pepper tofu , water
12:30:  salad (yellow, pepper, cucumber, celery, tomato), water
1:00:    cup of Kale, White Bean, and Potato Stew, water


4:00:     a few bites of Rice Noodles with Broccoli-Almond Pesto while I cooked it for dinner
This tasted great, but I had a huge hankering for popcorn so I changed my mind at the last minute. I think it'll be good leftover, so maybe tomorrow.


7:30:     dried fruit, popcorn popped in olive oil, water

Day Seventeen

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

8:30:    peppermint tea

10:30:  walnuts, water
12:30:  salad (carrot, cucumber, tomato), hard boiled egg, water
2:30:    trail mix, water
6:30:    quinoa, avocado, tomato, onion, eggs, water
7:00:    dates

Day Sixteen

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

8:30:    detox tea

10:30:  clementines, walnuts, water
12:30:  salad (carrot, green pepper, cucumber, tomato), hard boiled egg, water
1:00:     dates, water
3:30:     walnuts, water


5:30:     Kale, White Bean, and Potato Stew, water
I loved this, as did Louis. My leftovers were sacrificed to my son! I can see making huge pots of this in the fall just as the weather starts to get cold. It seemed a little out of place as I've been wishing for spring, but it still tasted delicious! While this was cooking I also mixed up some Chickpea-Brown Rice Veggie Burgers. Sadly, one of the four ended up smooshed all over the kitchen floor. While I keep my kitchen clean, it is not clean enough to eat off of. I made some substitutions in order to keep some things in my fridge from going to waste. Black beans for chick peas and quinoa for brown rice. We'll see how they are tomorrow!


6:30:      dates, red chai tea with a splash of unsweetened almond milk
STILL NOT COFFEE :(

Day Fifteen

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

9:30:    peppermint tea

12:00   grapefruit, hard boiled egg, water
2:00     salad (carrot, green pepper, cucumber, tomato), water
3:00     trail mix, water


6:15     cod, quinoa, brussels sprouts, dates, water
I was starving for dinner and had quite the headache. It immediately went away when I ate though. I think my slight overeating this weekend caught up to me today. I feel like a new person after eating.


Frozen vegetables just aren't as good as fresh. I had fresh roasted brussels sprouts yesterday and frozen steamed ones today. No contest.


Things I'm thinking today:

• I'm down another two pounds this week and while logically I know that's much more typical and safe weight loss, it seems disappointing after last week. I'm now smaller than I was when I got pregnant and only 10 pounds from my wedding weight. I will most likely never get down that low again. Looking back at pictures from that time in my life I realize I was really thin. I don't remember even dieting or working out very much before my wedding. I think it was just the combined stress of graduating with my M.A., moving towns, getting ready for a wedding in a town no one lived in, preparing for Christmas, planning for our honeymoon, and getting ready to start my first full-time teaching job. No pressure there.
• As for how I'm feeling, I feel less tired during the day. I wake up refreshed and I don't feel the early afternoon drag I used to. Being naturally awake beats artificially awake any day. I have been going to bed early (even for me) though. I still need to be in bed by 9:30PM and last night it was 8:30PM. This means sacrificing alone time and time with just Nev and I once Louis is in bed. It means busting my butt when I'm at work so I can bring home as little reading, grading, and researching as possible. It's not a perfect system, but I don't know what the alternative answer is. Not sleeping doesn't work for me. My brain doesn't work as well and it puts me in a crap mood. I used to not sleep during the week, but then catch up on the weekend. That is no longer an option with Lou. This is my new normal.

Day Fourteen (HALFWAY if I go through 4 weeks)

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

9:30:    red chai tea

11:00   butternut squash and apple soup, water
2:00     dates, water

5:30     roasted winter vegetables, water
7:30     apple and almond butter


Things I'm thinking today:

• I'm bored. I found myself fantasizing about all of the "forbidden" foods I want to consume when this is over. I don't want this cleanse to become about what I can't have, but it's hard not to do that when you're bored. I have a couple of new recipes to try out this week so I hope that mixes it up a bit. The way today felt, there is NO WAY I'll make it four weeks. I will make it thorough three because I'm determined, but that additional seven days sounds horrible.
• To combat the boredom, I have a few new recipes to try this week.
• Toasted Coconut Museli
• Chickpea-Brown Rice Veggie Burger
• Rice Noodles with Broccoli-Almond Pesto
• Kale, White Bean, and Potato Stew
• Quinoa with Poached Egg, Spinach, and Cucumber
• I get eggs this week and I CANNOT wait!

Day Thirteen

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

9:30:    chocolate-peppermint tea

11:00   spinach salad with black beans, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, red onions and taco seasoning, water

11:45   dates, water
Still STARVING! I can't skip those morning snacks? When will I learn. I was out and about with Louis and while I remembered to pack him a plethora of snacks and drinks, I forgot about me.


3:00    roasted spiced chickpeas, dried apricots, red chai tea
I have been consistently snacking all afternoon


5:00    clementines, water

7:00     salmon, broccoli, water


8:00     dates, water


Things I am thinking today:

• I do not get enough water when I am hope on the weekends. When I'm teaching it's second nature to fill my glass up constantly, but I forget around the house. I don't feel as well when I'm not getting the hydration and I also am more hungry. Clearly by my afternoon of snacking, this is not a good thing!

Day Twelve

7:00 :   antioxidant smoothie

8:00:    detox tea
10:30:  apple, trail mix, water

12:30   salad (green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots), water

3:30:     roasted winter vegetables, sunflower seeds, water

6:00     salt and pepper tofu , water
I was craving this ALL day. It's ALL I could think about at work. It was good tonight but I didn't cut the pieces small enough. I was juggling Louis while I cooked and I cut some corners I shouldn't have cut. It was still good but it was too mushy for my liking. Ah well, it was still good


7:00     dates, water

Day Eleven--HALFWAY!

Today is the exact middle day of my cleanse. I'm not sure I could do the last ten days again, HOWEVER in the next ten days this should only get easier. I'm loving the tofu, beans, and fish this week and next week I get to put back gluten-free grains (buckwheat, corn, millet, oats--if specifically labeled gluten free, quinoa, rice) and eggs.

7:00 :    antioxidant smoothie

8:00:     red chai tea


9:00:     salt and pepper tofu, dates, water
I am still super hungry from last night.  I never thought that my eating from yesterday may affect my eating the next day. 


3:30:     any bean dip and carrots, water
It wasn't as flavorful as I had hoped. I think I would add more seasoning, garlic, and onion next time.


6:00:     salmon and roasted winter vegetables, water 
I substituted some of the veggies for things I had on hand. I ended up with leeks, carrots, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, garlic, and cauliflower. They were wonderful! I have a container in the fridge for lunch tomorrow and I am excited for a tasty lunch. 


7:00:      apple with almond butter


Things I'm thinking today

• Happier day today as I now understand that Louis' daycare will not be closed even if they decide to close Price Lab. I still hurt at the thought of the decision and think it is the wrong choice for our University. It's easier to resist temptation when I'm in a better mood. This takes the immediate stress off of me, but does not solve the larger inequity at hand. 

Day Ten

7:00 :    antioxidant smoothie

8:00:     red chai tea
DELICIOUS! Would be even better with milk but I'm dealing.

10:30:   trail mix, water

12:30   salad (green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, walnuts), water


2:30:    grapefruit, walnuts, water
While I really would have loved this covered in cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips, I really enjoyed it. 

8:45    Fish tacos--without the taco (cod, black beans with taco seasoning, avocado, tomato, red onions), water

SO HUNGRY!!!! We went to Ash Wednesday services after work and then to the meeting at Price Lab School to hear President Allen discuss his intentions to close down the school (and in conjunction our amazing daycare). My heart breaks for the students that will miss out on the amazing education the school offers, the university students who will not get the opportunity to work with teachers who are trained to help them become strong teachers, the great teachers who will be out of work, my child and his new friends who are comfortable in their current daycare situation and will need to start over someplace else, and the parents who want the best for their kids. I have not lost hope, but I feel to be a responsible parent I have to plan for the worst. Nevin and I will start researching other daycare centers this weekend.

Things I am thinking today:

• Most emotions makes me want to eat, but bummed out is the one that I find hardest to placate. Eating vegetables just don't make me feel better. I want cookies. Those probably won't make e feel better either, will they?

Day Nine

7:00 :    orange, berry, banana smoothie

8:00:     cardamom cinnamon herbal tea

10:30:   dates, sunflower seeds, water
I got too hungry for this snack. I had a hair appointment and then went to the grocery store. By the time I got home I was STARVING. I have a hard time when I get that hungry. I ate a much larger snack this morning than I typically would, I'll make up for it with my afternoon snack.

1:00:    spinach salad with black beans, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, red onions and taco seasoning, water
While I really would have loved this covered in cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips, I really enjoyed it. 

5:15:    salt and pepper tofu, water
HOLY CRAP! This stuff was amazing. I actually made it to eat for lunch tomorrow and then started snacking on it, offering some to Louis, and giving Nevin bites. Pretty soon I was full and it was half gone. I didn't put in the sugar because of the cleanse and I didn't miss it. I wish I could figure out how to get every single piece with that deliciously, perfect, crunchy outer layer. I might cook it an extra two minutes next time and serve it with rice and broccoli maybe. Delish! I'll keep that recipe for non-cleanse time too.

Things I am thinking today:

• I miss eating with my family. I have spent much of our meal time hiding in the other room for the last week because I don't exactly have strong will-power. The other times I try to eat before the guys do, then at least I'm not hungry as I watch them eat CHEESE. Man, I miss cheese. I may miss cheese more than eating with my family...
• I saw the Easter candy at HyVee today when I ran in for five spice powder (something I have never had but really enjoy) and I only had a twinge of sadness when I saw the black jelly beans. My cleanse will be over long before April 8th so maybe I can sneak in at least one handful of my favorite holiday treat. 
• Still missing coffee...will that desire ever go away? I don't miss the caffeine. I have been surprising more awake. I can't explain it but it's true. I still want to go to bed early, but my afternoon slump isn't as pronounced. 

Day Eight

WEEK 2! Yippie! I made it! I have had nothing but fruit, vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils and spices since February 12. I never stick to anything so this feels pretty great. I like that the diet changes each week as it gives me a new thing to focus on. I really don't think I could stick to week 1 at this point.

7:00 :    orange, berry, banana smoothie

Again, I mixed this up yesterday and drank it this morning. It could have been that Louis kept us up half the night but I just didn't love this today. I think the pulp of the orange juice did something weird over night. I don't like thick, fibrous smoothies apparently.

8:00:     detox tea

9:00:     chocolate peppermint tea

10:00:   grapefruit, water

12:30:   salad (orange peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, walnuts), water

2:30:     walnuts, water

6:15:     SALMON!!!!!!!, broccoli, dates (still hungry), water

8:00:     apple, almond butter

Things I am thinking today:

• As of this morning, I am down 8 pounds from one week ago. Now before you get too worried about me (or rush out and start your own cleanse), I ate and drank everything I wanted on the weekend prior to starting. This caused me to retain a BUNCH of water on Monday morning. Also I forgot to weigh before working out and downing a giant water bottle that first weigh in. I guarantee this upped my weight a bit and I lost four of these pounds in two days. I would estimate my true weight loss at just under four pounds for the week. This will slow down considerably as the next two weeks go on because I will be adding more caloric foods back into my diet. Like I said, I didn't do this for the weight loss but it's an okay side effect. 
• As I look ahead I wonder how this three week (21 day) cleanse will affect my eating in the long run. This entire cleanse is not sustainable, I feel deprived of too many things. On the other hand, if this has no long term effects, why did I do it? As the toxins leave my body and I feel the ache as they depart, I understand the need to cut the amount of processed foods as much out of my diet as possible. As I yearn for cheese and milk though, I know I will not/cannot cut that out. The vegan alternatives are processed to death and I cannot live a fulfilled life without pizza! The big change I hope to make is taking the time to bake/cook more. If I want a cookie--FINE--bake some cookies. A burger--FINE--make it! McDonalds and Oreos don't need to be in my life but cookies and burgers can be (in moderation). The biggest obstacle to this change though is what it always seems to be with me, time and energy. 
• The body aches are not as bad as they were, but I still am having them. The headaches have gotten a lot better though. Now I only get a hint of one when I'm getting hungry. I need to focus on the next couple of days on my energy level. I really think I'm less tired, but I'm not sure. I haven't been thinking too much about it.

Day Seven

7:00:    berry-banana smoothie

7:30:    chocolate peppermint tea

10:00:  walnuts, dates, water 

1:00:     roasted cauliflower, sweet potato, sunflower seeds, water 

6:00:     cinnamon poached apple, water
7:30:     chocolate peppermint tea, walnuts


Things I'm thinking today:

• Hot tea is not coffee. It just isn't very good. Maybe if I could add some milk in it or something...
• The reason people don't eat like this is because it's so much dang work. Seriously!
• I am SO PROUD to have reached the end of week one. Tomorrow I eat beans and fish. Probably not together, but we'll see!

Day Six

7:00:    berry-banana smoothie

7:30:    peppermint tea

10:00:  walnuts, dates, water 

1:00:     salad (yellow pepper, tomato), water 

5:30:     butternut squash soup, walnuts, water
8:00:     apple with almond butter

Things I'm thinking today:

• Being around people eating real food today wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it might be. I was jealous of the great smelling popcorn at the movie theatre, but I pushed through with grape tomatoes. 
• If I ever eat this many vegetables in a week again, I will do it in the summer. Finding great looking veggies 

Day Five

6:30:  berry-banana smoothie

7:00:   detox tea

10:00:  clementines, water 

12:00:  salad (cucumber, yellow pepper, tomato, sunflower seeds), water 

2:00:    cranberry-pumpkin seed trail mix, water 
3:00:    dates, water
5:30:     roasted veggies (mushrooms, spinach), baked sweet potato with cinnamon, water

Things I'm thinking today:

• Maybe instead of a massage I'll treat myself to some new jeans! I really don't buy that expensive of jeans because I really don't care. I like to be comfortable and some of those fancier jeans just don't fit me right. I refuse to pay upwards of $100 on something I don't feel good in. I actually like the AE original boot cut the best, although I do have a pair of skinny jeans that need upgraded. In the last two years I have worn four different sizes of these jeans. Granted I was wearing them up until the day I delivered Louis, but I could open a store with the variety of sizes I have in my closet. The smallest size though, I haven't purchased since 2009 and could use an overhaul. I think walking around in too big of pants looks just as bad as too small (only for different reasons). Since Nev won't have to take me out for a fancy dinner on Saturday night, I might suggest a trip to the mall instead.
• I like to drive Nevin crazy by reminding him that I am the best dieter ever! While it's taken me over a year, I have lost just under 60 pounds. Now while this highlights just how huge I got while pregnant, it also makes me feel good about where I'm at. When he gives birth to our second child, I'll let him brag about his weight loss as much as he wants. 
• My legs and hips have been really achy and sore. It got so bad last night that I couldn't fall asleep. I thought it was because I wore heals on Wednesday, but I Googled it tonight and apparently that's a side effect of a cleanse.

Day Four

6:30:  berry-banana smoothie, cucumbers
Louis wanted the cucumbers and peppers I was cutting up for my lunch so I gave him some.    He would only eat them if I was eating them too. What a goofball. 

7:00:   detox tea

No lemon water/tea this morning because I ran out of time. It's a busy week at work.

10:30:  clementines, water 

12:30:  salad (cucumber, yellow pepper, tomato, sunflower seeds), water 

I had to eat on the go this afternoon and didn't even have a plate and fork. Mixing this all together in a baggie seems to be close to a salad. Right?

1:00:    cranberry-pumpkin seed trail mix, water 

Still hungry after my half-ass salad lunch. 


3:30:     walnuts, dates

7:00:    roasted vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato) with olive oil, water

Things I'm thinking today:

• My weight is officially down lower than it has been in two years. While I'm not going on this cleanse specifically to lose weight, dropping an extra five pounds would be a welcome side effect. 
• I'm nervous for this weekend. I'm supposed to go to a movie with my girlfriends on Saturday and it is going to kill me not to eat that yummy smelling popcorn. Much of the fun we have together includes food and it's hard not to partake. Besides it's hard to be a friend to someone who isn't partaking. I don't like to think of us pressuring each other but I do know I don't feel as good about the cookie I'm eating when the person sitting next to me isn't enjoying one. These are some of the very feelings I would like to work on when dealing with my relationship to food.
• I have a gift card from Christmas for a massage. I'm thinking about scheduling it for next weekend to celebrate being half way done. If I cheat I could force myself to cancel it. Maybe that's motivation...