Body Measurements and Vegan Cleanse Aftermath

I just did my measurements. Since 2012, I have lost 47 pounds. My waist size went from 41 inches to 34 inches since February 2015. My hips went from 46 inches to 44 inches since 2015. My BMI went from 36 to 29 since 2012. I sometimes a hard time about not hitting my goals. I need to savor my success just a little. Then back to work.

Went a little crazy with the gluten and the sugar. Terribly headache and I need to drink a ton of water and probably take an allergy pill. Hope I don't have a gluten sensitivity. I am going to go easy the next few days. I will definitely be paying closer attention to my sugar intake too.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 19-21

Today is the last day. It has been a struggle these last few days. I have turned down every so many happy hours, meals, etc. I have gotten officially sick of making very complicated recipes. I have lost 2 pounds where as the last time I lost 10.

You would think that I would be frustrated. However, I have learned a lot. I have a caffeine addiction. I wasn't eating enough vegetables. I was eating too much sugar.

I am still eating too much sodium. I was thinking of going mostly vegan. I do not want to eat that much soy. I had a family history of kidney stones and soy is a no go. I still like tofu just not every day. I am not sleeping much.

My goal from after that is to follow the Mediterranean Diet. Lots of veggies, fish, olive oil, and some poultry. All doable for me. I am looking for something that is sustainable. A lifestyle change rather than a diet. I am tired of counting calories.

My goal is to now do 300 minutes of exercise. Drink rarely (although not really a huge deal.) Keep a real eye on my sodium and sweets.   Avoid eating dried fruit. Try to only drink caffeinated tea rarely.

As a treat to myself, I made this mac and cheese (with roasted broccoli) recipe. It was great.

Overall, this cleanse served my purpose. I will try to do it again next year. I was thinking for Lent but 40 days might be a little much.

Vegan Cleanse Day 18

I went shopping today. I am still between sizes although closer to the smaller size. I need to  do about 900 squats a day. Once I am completely healed, I am going back to yoga. I want to try and do 300 minutes of exercise a week. I will have to start counting my calories again.

I have a lunch planned next week out. It will be my first test. I have been too tired to make dinner some nights.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 17

For some reason, I am feeling very emotional today. I have been thinking about what is going to happen once I go off of this cleanse. The rigidity has given me tremendous structure.It is giving me some anxiety.

 I like the way I look but I know that I cannot maintain this. I am thinking that the Mediterranean diet may make the most logical sense for me except the feta of course.  

Vegan Cleanse - Days 15 - 16

I am starting to crave all things gluten today. I don't know if it's psychological or physical. I stared longingly at the artisan bread today in the Whole Foods. Still costs a bloody fortune for groceries although obviously not as bad as previous weeks since I have more basics now.

I need to experiment more with different fruits and vegetables. I didn't really have a list today. I am trying to figure out what I am going to keep from this cleanse. I am definitely not going to keep Swedish fish in my drawer as a snack. I am thinking of just doing one very small cup of caffeine a day. I really have a serious addiction.

Also, I am going to really read the sugar content labels. I cannot realistically be completely sugar free.

I tried this really yummy tofu recipe on Sunday. Spicy!

Vegan Cleanse - Days 12-14

Sweet David Bowie. Two weeks down! I was told today that my skin looked good. I don't know if that was because of the foundation I was wearing or from the diet. My body has been out of whack with my illness so my lady time has started again.

I thought I was totally healed today but I tried to walk quickly the 7 blocks to the subway but I became winded. I am sorry to have not done the exercise portion of the plan but alas circumstances have not permitted it.

I have really started to take note of sugar content. I am never looking at a breakfast/granola bar the same way again. I am still consuming way too much salt.

Tonight was quinoa with mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Needed a bolder flavor profile. Thinking of making green curry tomorrow.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 10 and 11

Doing this cleanse with bronchitis is surprisingly easy. I assume it is because I had bought all the food beforehand. Honestly, I don't want to eat anything nor can I smell.

Vegan cleanse - Day 8 and 9

I have been doing so well. Then I sliced open my finger and had to go to the ER. Earlier that day, I had been over 3.5 miles. Burned 452 calories. I am proud of myself  for going to a diner and ordering salad, french fries, and decaf tea. I know that decaf tea has 5mg in it but considering the kind of night I had, I thought I could get a pass.

Today I managed to make a cleanse approved breakfast but I have gotten into a habit of eating a giant snack of tortilla chips with usually a protein or guacamole. I was going to plan my meals tonight but I may be limited in what I can make.

I did go on a small hike today which was nice. Hopefully tomorrow will be less eventful.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 7

Headache was a dull constant ache. I cannot tell if it's my cycle, my sinuses, the diet or a combination of all three.

I have been trying to walk every day for at least a half an hour. I would like to incorporate more yoga and weight lifting but again the headaches etc. I am seeing that there is some crazy 8 week sugar withdrawal program. It tells you to wean off with fruit for a while which I find ridiculous.

I am trying to figure out which things I will permanently incorporate this time around. For instance, I went off of sugar or Splenda for my tea in the morning. I think that I will definitely caffeine. I have seriously cut down on my alcohol consumption. My sugar intake got insane. I need to be watch that.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 6

Today I was miserable. All day I had this splitting headache. I am trying to compensate for the lack of sugar with so much salty food. I literally cannot stop eating all the time.

I did not have enough breakfast and I was starving. It took me awhile for the nausea to pass. I must plan out my meals on Sunday. I have been trying to track my calories which goes well until dinner time. I have been eating garbage dinners, high in flavor and sodium.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 5

Headache returned with a vengeance. The cravings were really bad today. I ended up making Daiya Mac and Cheese because the thought of doing another recipe with 20 ingredients. Plus I am exhausted. It is nice to have leftovers but because it is just me, I cannot eat more than one day of leftovers.

I have become addicted to popcorn and nutritional yeast. My lady time was worse today. I think that I am suffering from allergies as well. I need to prioritize sleep. I was so excited to feel practically perky on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is another day.

Vegan Cleanse Day 4

I woke up a little early and managed to do a body weight challenge on my 30 Day Fit android app. I wasn't craving the caffeine in the morning like I have been. Third full day of sleep!

I was a lethargic and had some concentration issues in the morning. Felt better after a lunchtime walk. I need to eat more. Breakfast was good just apples and unsweetened butter. However, it was much more fulfilling than what I normally eat. I realized that I hate instant oatmeal.

I felt practically invigorated after lunch. Normally at 3 p.m., I am dragging so I would have candy or something. I know logically that it wasn't great but it became a habit.

Right now, I am a bit jazzed up and I am hoping that I will be able to fall asleep. Also, the plan continues to be very expensive. I want to maintain some of the recipes but today it was a little bland. I know that my taste buds are adjusting themselves. It feels like when I gave up smoking and I could actually tastes things in a better way.

Vegan Cleanse Day 3

I slept well last night. However, the headache returned with a vengeance. This was also in conjunction with my lady time which came early.

My mood swings felt worse than usual to the point where I cried. I felt very hungry today. I had an intense snack craving. I did walk a bit at lunch but got overheated. Again, this could be because of the lady time. I feel so weak right now.

By 4 p.m., I was cranky and whiny (sorry co-workers.) My concentration was for nil although I managed to focus on some things that needed to be done.

I did do even more food shopping. This plan is getting a little pricey. Again, I should have prepared recipes and made menus. Sunday, I will try and cook more for the week. Hopefully, the headaches, nausea, and irritability will pass.

In good news, I made this delicious vegan eggplant pasta recipe. It is nice to be using so many vegetables that I have missed. I get in a pattern of ordering or take out or just eating tortilla chips etc. for dinner.

Vegan Cleanse - Day 1 and Day 2

I have decided to blog for the next 20 days to about Kathy Freston's 21 Day Vegan Cleanse. This means :

• caffeine
• alcohol
• gluten
• animal products
• refined sugar.

This is the second time that I am doing this cleanse. I have been sick on and off since January so I hope this will reset my system. 

Day 1

I was a lot of buying of what felt like a million food items. Also, the headaches were intense. Also, I felt the serious heebee jeebees and was super cranky. I had to take pain killers which did help the headache subside somewhat. Managed to eat out at a restaurant, FARMiCiA, which has a gluten free menu with vegan options. 

Day 2

I like the breakfast choices since I normally just eat oatmeal (which I dislike as I dislike most breakfast foods. )

I still had more food to buy. The recipes are complicated in the back of Freston's book. I did manage to find this asparagus and mushroom stir fry recipe which was delicious. Note to self, buy low sodium version of the gluten free soy sauce. 

My headache was still there and very intense in the morning but it managed to subside after two tylenol (downgrading pain killers.) Made meal planning difficult. Remember to do meal planning BEFORE the cleanse begins 

Major sugar craving in the afternoon but the shakes are gone. I am doing non-stop snacking.