Reboot - Days 9-13

Today is Day 13 and all is well. It's been a crazy-busy week, juicing not excluded. I'm still getting used to spending an hour in the kitchen every evening. I shop for produce twice a week - or more when I mis-calculate what I'll need for the next 3-4 days.

I'm still preparing 4-5 different juices each day. I make Mean Green, Good Morning, and Sunrise Juice everyday and mix it up with one or two others. I make strawberry spinach whenever I can the berries at the .99 cent store. I have 3 pineapples ripening now that I picked up for $1 at Sprouts Market. I really like juices containing pineapple, strawberries, or mango.

My bowel movements are back to normal. Maybe it's the tablespoon of Chia seeds that I'm now adding to all my drinks. (Still can't believe I'm talking about this.) My mouth has been dry and stinging and I've had cotton-mouth the last two days. It might be from the allergy/sinus meds.

The weekends are, by far, the toughest. Last Sunday I was at a BBQ and the chips and grilled burgers looked & smelled more fabulous than they were, I'm sure. Then Sunday night we had dessert night at my Small Group adn someone made this thing with saltine crackers, caramel, & chocolate. The most tortuous moment thus far. I just cannot go back to eating sweets until I can get a grip on my addiction. In times past (I'm positively proclaiming it's in the past) I could've/would've eaten the entire bowl in an evening. Eat til it's gone. That's how I used to party, too, and I can tell you it's not a good thing.

I do get hungry but no hungrier than any other time. The juices are filling and satisfying - I've even grown to look forward to Mean Green. I get cravings for specific things every once in awhile - a Kobi burger from a Green-2-Go, a crispy salad with lots of veggies & chicken, roasted veggies, chips. I have lots of friends who eat Paleo and their food postings particularly make my mouth water.

I am happy to say my energy is up. My mind is clear, too. I felt like I was in a fog for weeks and weeks before beginning the fast. It's true that I feel better than a cup of coffee ever made me feel. I read a study once that claimed that folks who don't drink coffee feel as alert as a coffee drinker does after their cup 'o joe. It seems our body slows down in anticipation of the expected caffeine. Maybe. Maybe not but I feel better without than I did with.

I'll weigh myself again tomorrow but I don't feel like I've lost much this week. I've been doing squats, push-ups, and dips so I don't lose too much muscle. This weekend I'm going for my first bike ride in a couple months. I can't wait to get on the road and have 10+ less pounds to pull up those hills.