Day 7--Phase 1 is Done!

MORNING--6:45 am
I went to bed last night with a bad headache. I know the headache had nothing to do with the reset but rather the drive into work. During the school year, with the drive and the stress of work, I would get headaches everyday which could lead to a migraine. Since summer has started, the headaches have been minimal. I'm trying not to take anything for headaches during the reset. Sleep definitely helps them. I woke up this morning, and I still had a bit of a dull pain, but it in no way compares to yesterday.  It's the stress in my shoulders and neck from the drive. I told Brandon last night that he was welcome to massage my shoulders. He didn't bite.

Weighed myself this morning. I lost 1.5 pounds since yesterday morning. I've lost 6.4 pounds total.

BREAKFAST--8:16 am

Meal 19 of 63:

oatmeal with ground flaxseed

chopped apple

plain organic fat free yogurt flavored with Grade B maple syrup

Breakfast is totally my favorite meal of the day. It always has been. Breakfast this morning did not disappoint.

LUNCH--12:56 pm
Lunch was fine. The consistency of the soup really isn't good. I think we're gonna toss it...

Meal 20 of 63:

microgreen salad with avocado and creamy garlic dressing

zucchini-cashew soup

The salad was super yummy. The soup--like I said--was not. The flavor is good, but the consistency is completely wrong. I know several things that I could do to fix it (like cook the zucchini longer), and I would like to try it again post-reset.

MID-AFTERNOON--3:05 pm
Drank the Alkalinize. Gagged.

DINNER--7:45 pm
I was skeptical about dinner tonight...

Meal 21 of 63:

baked tempeh

steamed broccoli

brown rice

Okay, I don't mind the tempeh's consistency. Knowing that it's made of beans is totally fine. However, the flavor of the marinade was just off. For example: sesame oil, maple syrup, and soy sauce? There was more that went into it, but those were the main flavors. Just weird. Brandon liked it a lot. He can eat all my leftovers. You'll notice in the pictures that some are dark and some are light. I made two different marinades based on the flavors we have used this week. Neither were very good... So! Like I thought, I needed to fall back onto leftover root medley from last night. I doubled it (or really quadrupled it for me and mom since the recipe served 1) knowing that I would likely need to eat it tonight. That part of my dinner was lovely.

I started watching the Phase 2 video online tonight, but I haven't been able to finish. I'm looking forward to moving to the second phase of this process. I'm really excited for the food. So far, I don't miss eating meat. I'm currently watching Brandon eat a Wendy's burger and fries, and I don't care that he's eating it. I'm not tempted. I don't feel like I need to eat it. It's a nice change.

Goodbye, Phase 1!! Hello Phase 2!

Day 6--Keeps Getting Better!

MORNING--6:45 am
Waking up this morning was a little challenging. I had to wake up at 5:00 so I could shower and get out to work to tutor a student. I was really tired. Understandably, however, since I stayed up late last night watching True Blood and some of The Newsroom. Eek. I may have almost fallen over in my bedroom on the way to the bathroom...

BREAKFAST--6:45 am
Breakfast was supposed to be baked tempeh, but there was no way I could marinate the tempeh for an hour, cook it, and then eat it. Instead, I had a Vegan Chocolate Shakeology. I mixed it with ice and water like I normally do. I had a mixed reaction to it. I am so used to drinking the regular Shakeology which is thick, rich, and creamy. The vegan version is not as rich, and it's a bit grainy. Adding to it might reduce the graininess, but I can't do that right now given the program. There are no approved recipes for the chocolate. I will say, however, that it went down very easily. And quickly. I only thought about snapping a picture of it while I was getting gas, and it already was half-consumed. I'll be making another on Thursday, I think. If I do, I'll snap a picture then.


LUNCH--1:00 pm

Meal 17 of 63:

quinoa salad

microgreen salad

creamy garlic dressing

Super good. Both my mother and I think that we need to add more mint to the quinoa next time. Overall, satisfying and tasty meal.

MID-AFTERNOON--3:00 pm
The dreaded Alkalinize came around again. This time, however, I was determined to try it without drinking lemon juice just before and after taking the drink of death. I was successful! I noticed that the smell of the drink isn't as bad as it once was. It smells like a combination of grasses. Day 1, it made me sick. Day 6, I was able to successfully consume the entire thing without needing to even chase it with distilled water. I had to drink it twice, however, since a lot of the powder stuck in the corners of the cup. Both times, though, I was fine with it. I'm making some awesome progress!

DINNER--7:50 pm
I've been looking forward to this dinner since I started with both anticipation and hesitancy. It sounded so good, but I wasn't sure if I'd be satisfied.

Meal 18 of 63:

roasted root medley

millet

zucchini-cashew soup

Mmmmmm.... yummy. Problem #1: Mom and I made the soup yesterday. I believe we didn't let the zucchini steam long enough because the soup, which is supposed to be smooth and creamy, was a little chunky. The flavors themselves were really nice, but the chunkiness needs to be fixed. I would definitely make it again. Problem #2: Beets turn your hands red. Didn't know that. They're still slightly stained, but whatever. I was hoping it would stain well enough to look like blood so I could send another "kitchen mishap" picture to friends, but that was unsuccessful. Problem #3: I've never cooked millet before, so I didn't know what to expect. When I first made it, and the time went out, the millet was still hard and seemed like it hadn't cooked enough. We added more water and let it sit on heat to see if it would absorb more water and soften. It was successful. Its consistency is not something I'm used to. The flavor is bland as well, but it tasted much better when I added some Himalayan salt to it. 

As for the actually root medley....mmm mmm MMMM MMM mmm! So good!!!  The vegetables roasted perfectly. The yams were sweet with the hint of onion, and the beets were lovely. I would definitely make this again.

I do have to say that I am noticing some changes in myself. I've lost 5 pounds, and I can see clothes sitting on me differently. It isn't a noticeable change to others, but I certainly notice it. It's fun to know that this actually works, and I'm only 6 days in. 15 more day to go! I do like how even in the first week, the program has already begun introducing vegetarian and vegan dishes. I haven't had actual meat in days. I don't mind it whatsoever. I'm hardly tempted by other foods I see. Nice change.

Day 5--It's Getting a Bit Easier..

MORNING--7:15 am
The last few nights, I haven't been sleeping all the way through. I've been waking up and looking at the clock a lot. Amazingly enough, when I finally get out of bed, I'm very awake. Full of energy.

BREAKFAST--9:02 am
Not very hungry, but this is becoming standard practice...

Meal 13 of 63:

1 cup oatmeal

3 Tbsp. toasted walnuts

1 Tbsp. Grade B maple syrup

3/4 cup fresh fruit

This was so delicious! It was more maple syrup than I'm typically used to, but this was so good. The sweetness of the syrup tossed with the fruit simply sang. (Alliteration anyone?) I have to say that I am enjoying eating more variety in terms of breakfast. I always enjoyed eating a meal like this in the morning, but I do it so infrequently. I have to admit that I'm not used to eating so many carbs from grains. I've tried to eliminate them as often as possible simply because I know my body loves them. But when it's done like this....mmmmm. Hits the nail on the head.

I also have to admit that it's starting to get difficult to keep track of the meal number...

After mom and I finished eating breakfast, we both worked on prepping lunch because it's needs to sit and "chill" even though we cooked the quinoa last night. At least this way, the flavors will all meld together on their own. Looking forward to it.

LUNCH--12:54 pm

Meal 14 of 63:

quinoa salad (with cucumber and tomato)

raw veggie plate with roasted red pepper hummus

So good, but so full. I couldn't finish. I ate the quinoa salad, about half the veggies, and half the hummus. Oh boy. It really was delicious. I thought the quinoa salad was missing something. I would absolutely make it again, but I might change the flavor a little. I did add aminos to it for flavor when I made it, and I also added a little more when I sat down to eat. I then added some Himalayn salt to it. Definitely missing something, but very good.

DINNER--7:16 pm
The original menu for tonight called for miso soup, brown rice, and stir-fry veggies. Since I'm really not too keen on miso soup, I nixed that plan and instead had more of the black beans and rice. I swear, I made enough for another 3 servings of it. So dinner tonight consisted of black beans and brown rice, salsa, guacamole, and stir-fry vegetables. Thinking of it now, I probably should have had kale instead, but the stir-fry is so good. I know I overate a bit. Ughh. I had been to and from the store and by the time I came home, I was really getting hungry. I didn't want to wait a half hour to take my supplement (although in hindsight, I really should have). So instead, I ate more than I needed to. Now I have to wait to take my last supplement and get down the last 32 oz. for today.

I have noticed that I typically don't overeat anymore. Except when I eat the black beans and rice because it's SO GOOD. Maybe next time I should really try sticking with the miso. Blech. Maybe not. With the lack of overeating, I'm not feeling lethargic or have that gut feeling that I need to just lay down and let the pain of overeating subside in my belly. That has been pleasant. I really wasn't hungry this morning like I feared I would be. That's good news. I'm learning that my body can function on smaller portions especially when I drink a full gallon of water a day.

Tomorrow will be interesting. I have tutoring at 8:00 am. I have to get out there by 7:00 so I can go to my workroom, print out some materials, make a few copies, etc. I have already decided against making the assigned breakfast tomorrow because I just won't have the time. I'll be getting up at 5:00 and hoping to be out the door by 6:00, so tomorrow will be the perfect day for Shakeology. Mmmmmm...it's been a week since I've had it.

Looking forward to it ;)

Day 4--Hallelujah!

MORNING --7:10 am
Thankfully my headache faded away during the night. I still had 32 oz of water to drink of my gallon which were left unconsumed by the time I woke up. I fell asleep on the couch while trying to watch Mary Poppins overtake Lord Voldemort, but that was unsuccessful. Since I woke up a half hour ago, I've consumed 20 oz of the 32 oz. I don't want to start a new gallon until I finish the previous.

My body was aching when I woke up. THAT I know is from the cleanse as we have to limit our physical activity. My legs, calves, and arms all achy.

Okay 32 oz done. Now time for another 12 oz, supplements, and breakfast.

BREAKFAST -- 8:29 am
I drank my 12 oz of water and put the Mineralize and Oxygenize in it, but I forgot to take my Optimize. The videos said it's no big deal, but I do need to take them later. They recommend splitting them up and taking 3 Optimize with lunch and 3 with dinner. That will be my plan. So prior to eating, not so hungry, but I was really looking forward to it! It was definitely a big improvement over the meals yesterday.

Meal 10 of 63:

2 cups fresh fruit

1/2 cup plain FF yogurt sweetened with Grade B maple syrup

1 slice multi-grain toast

So good. I love fruit. I am a little nervous, however, because I've never just had fruit for breakfast. Well..I guess that's not entirely true. I've had fruit with yogurt and granola, so this isn't completely foreign. I am nervous about possible hunger in a short time, but we'll see. I can foresee that this will be a plenty of water kind of day!

I'll also be testing myself today. Brandon and I will be driving out to get his license plates for his new car. It gives me a bit of anxiety because since I've started this, I haven't been more than 10 minutes away from the house where I could easily access everything I needed. This will help me prepare for tutoring next week.

LUNCH--12:45 pm
I was actually getting hungry for lunch. By 11:15 this morning, my stomach started growling. Soon after (and 20 oz of water later), I had another serving of black beans and rice with salsa and some cucumber salad from last night. Very satisfying.

DINNER--8:00 pm
Dinner was lovely tonight! I am a little nervous about getting hungry again...

Meal 12 of 63:

quinoa

stir-fry vegetables

cucumber and tomato salad

As you see, there is no meat or soy protein here. That's the lovely thing about quinoa. It's a grain, but it's very high in protein. I finished eating over an hour ago (first time since we started that we ate at a "normal" hour for dinner), and I'm stating to feel a little hungry. I know this means I just need to drink more water, but it's so tough when my younger sister is in the kitchen making popcorn on the stove.

I feel good today. Body aches were limited to this morning. I haven't had a headache since I went to bed last night. Food prep didn't take too long (this may be due to the fact that there was no marinating involved...). I'm feeling happy today. I'm more energetic than I have been. It certainly is night and day when comparing yesterday and today. Many people on the facebook pages say that Days 1-3 were tough and foggy for them, but starting Day 4 they saw a difference. I can certainly say the same thing. I hope this stays...

Day 3--Don't bad things come in threes?

MORNING
[WARNING: Don't read this paragraph if you're not comfortable reading about bowel movements.] I woke up this morning a bit uncomfortable. Since I've started the program, I have noticed an increase in BMs. I believe this can be directly attributed to the water intake and fresh vegetables. However, I hadn't gone since yesterday afternoon, and I clearly felt uncomfortable. I weighed myself, and saw that I went up .6 lbs. I have had a lot of aches, too, but I can't tell if it's due to my period or the "internal workout" I'm getting. Many people note the aches during the process, so I know it's common. The aches in my legs and back I'm sure also come from standing in the kitchen for hours working on food. Anyhow, I drank the remainder of yesterday's gallon of water to see if it would help. I barely finished the water when I finally felt things moving! In the videos, Isabelle mentioned that the color, consistently, and smell might change. Oh boy, was she right! The Alkalinize is green, so as a result....oy! Good morning, Kim!


BREAKFAST
Meal 7 of 63 this morning was 2 scrambled eggs, kale, and 2 slices of whole grain toast. (There is no picture as you've seen it before on Day 1.)

LUNCH
Note: Not hungry.

Meal 8 of 63:

lentil lime salad

microgreen salad with cashews

I tried my very best to eat the lentil salad. I really did! I just couldn't get behind the flavor. The cilantro and the aminos (a low-sodium soy sauce) were just a little too overwhelming in combination with the flavor of the food. I did like the flavor of the dressing when I made it last night, but I couldn't get behind it today. I ate about half the lentils before I gave up. The microgreen salad, however, I finished in its entirety.

I started to get a headache. I don't know what exactly it's from. My gut instinct is that my eyes hurt and it's from staring down at my iPhone. That would also result in a stiffing of my neck, added stress, and would then result in a tension headache. However, it could also be from this cleanse. It is common from the various supplements we are taking. I haven't taken anything for my head because I'm really trying to be strong. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

DINNER
I was actually a bit hungry since I barely ate my lunch. While prepping dinner, I took a moment to check the facebook groups again. A friend from a couple groups offered to email me the reset newsletter because I set it up too late and wouldn't receive the newsletter on the correct dates. I read something that struck a chord with me: "By now your body is starting to release toxins, and it's common to be experiencing strong cravings or even aches and pains. For many people, these can be the most challenging days of the Ultimate Reset™." I have had bad cravings today! I hadn't had cravings the last few days, but today it was wicked!


Okay, so dinner...

I got a boo boo. I need to stay away from knives. That was simply from slicing cucumbers for the cucumber salad. It didn't bleed at first; it just looked a little red. Then all of a sudden it wouldn't stop. If you don't already know, I have had a bad history with knives (I accidentally stabbed myself in the leg--good story), so this just made my day. I quickly snapped a pic and sent it to some friends who would appreciate it.

But as for food!

Meal 9 of 63:

nori rolls with smokey tempeh strip

cucumber salad

miso soup

The cucumber salad and miso soup called for wakame (seaweed). I'm not a fish person and hate the taste and smell of all of it. I decided against using the seaweed for the soup and salad to at least give me the chance at liking it. The only seawood I had was in the nori strip. I tried. I tried really hard. I did like the tempeh, so I'll have to figure out a way to better incorporate that into a meal without the nori. Instead of eating this, I ate leftover beans and rice from yesterday. I did, however, eat the cucumber salad. There aren't any fishy flavors in the way I prepared it, so it's still good for me.

I'm overall very disappointed with today. I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day. Nori rolls are supposed to be lunch tomorrow with the lentil salad. Hah. Yeah, okay. I'll have to figure something out. Maybe more beans and rice tomorrow? I could see how people on the boards talk about wanting to give up. It's very frustrating. I've loaded and unloaded the dishwasher a dozen times already. Even when I prep the food in advance (like today, I made all the rice for the next few days), prep time in the kitchen still lasts hours. I don't know how I'll be able to pull it off over the next two weeks when I have to drive out to work to tutor a kid in To Kill a Mockingbird and Romeo and Juliet.

I look forward to breakfast. THAT will at least be a good meal..

Day 2--It's Only Day 2?

MORNING
I should start off by saying that I fell asleep on the couch last night possibly by 10:30. I'm not sure on the time. I woke up at 1:00, and made my way to my room. My head wasn't on my pillow for more than 10 seconds before I was back to sleep. I only woke up once since 1:00 because I had a nightmare. My head was racing, but I kept my eyes closed and did some deep breathing. Only seconds later, I was back to bed. I sleep until just before 7:00, and I definitely slept like a rock. I had another dream about my tomato plants. Although they are mostly still green right now (2 are red-ish), I dreamed that my tomato plants exploded overnight and held grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, and just regular large tomatoes. I remember shouting in my dream, "It's because I fed them MiracleGro!"

I weighed myself. Down 2.6 pounds. :) Mom is down 4 pounds this morning. I changed the way I took my supplements this morning by shaking it up more before drinking it which made it go down a lot easier. Yesterday I didn't shake them, and they were way too salty. Today not so bad.

BREAKFAST
Note: Not hungry at all. I'm more thirsty than hungry. But even still...

Meal 4 of 63:

1 cup oatmeal with 1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup plain 0% fat yogurt flavored with organic maple syrup

One thing I really like about this program already is it's goal to remove all processed sugars from your diet. If I had made oatmeal in the past, I would have sweetened it with some type of sugar...Splenda probably because it's "health friendly." It doesn't need it! The blueberries made the oatmeal sweet enough. It was lovely. The yogurt was delicious, too. Normally, flavored yogurt is very sweet. However, adding just a little maple syrup to it made the flavor pop! It was just enough to make the yogurt not so dull. I really appreciate it.

I'm getting used to not drinking water while eating. It makes me appreciate the flavors of the food more. I've been lucky enough to enjoy everything thus far that I haven't had the need to chase it down with something. Well...except for the Alkalinize.... *gag*

LUNCH
Note: Not hungry again.

Meal 5 of 63:

Greek salad with chicken

(romaine lettuce, English cucumber, roma tomato, pine nuts)

Greek dressing

I made extra chicken last night, so even though it was supposed to be grilled chicken, I think it's just fine the way it was. So much food... My younger sister ate pizza. This meal is the last meal I have with animal meat. I will have eggs and yogurt a couple more times, but any "meat" that I eat will be based in soy.

I'm still a bit confused about drinking the water. I am taking supplements 4 times a day--three have 2 pills (Optimize) and the fourth is the green drink of death (Alkalinize). Each time I take a supplement, I'm supposed to put Himalayan salt (Mineralize) into the distilled water along with liquid oxygen (Oxygenize). I just don't know if I'm supposed to put the Mineralize into the distilled water that I drink during the day. People are claiming a ton of different things on the Facebook support pages. My sister informed me that some people who have been drinking the water with Mineralize in it all day have expressed concerns over bloating. I don't want to bloat; I'm bloated enough! Until I find an answer, I'm just reducing the amount of Mineralize I put into the 32 oz of water so I don't overdo it, but I still benefit from the salt. Alison drank the water straight without adding the salt. Hmm... And I just found the answer: use the Mineralize. Starting tomorrow, I'll put the 1/2 tsp Mineralize in my gallon jug like some people have said on the support pages.

MID-AFTERNOON
I figured out how to master the gawd-awful Alkalinize. I put the mix in my shaker with 2 oz of water instead of 4 oz. In a small little bowl, I poured some lemon juice. Before drinking death, I took a sip of the lemon juice to sort of "numb" my mouth to the awful. I then CHUGGED liquid death and took a swig of the remaining lemon juice. The lemon was enough of a chaser to leave very little yuck in my mouth. I did continue to chase it with water, but it was in no way as terrible as it was yesterday. Below is a picture of ick:

DINNER
Note: Not hungry at all. Terrible, frustrating experience. Ughhhhhh!!!

Meal 6 of 63:
black beans and rice with fresh corn
salsa and guacamole
kale with pine nuts

Things that went wrong this evening:

• didn't have the correct brown rice--had to go get the right stuff
• didn't realize the rice needed 50 minutes to cook
• realize after the rice was almost done that the black beans needed an hour to cook (dehydrated beans, not canned)
• rice started to burn
• beans started to burn
• severe thunderstorm warning--possibility of losing power 
• mom forgot her cell phone when she went out to get canned black beans--couldn't communicate

It was just a lot of frustration. To make matters worse, I couldn't get my head around portioning. The recipe for the kale called for half a bunch which is a LOT of kale. Then, the portion of the beans and rice just seemed totally off. I doubled the recipe (thank God because we overcooked the lentils for tomorrow's lunch..ughhh). To make things even more challenging was that I was making 2 batches: one for me and mom (BUR friendly) and one for Steph and Bran. WAY TOO COMPLICATED!!! Math isn't my strong suit to begin with, so having the calculate the conversations to make 4x the amount written in the recipe. I need a break from cooking one night. Dinner has consistently been after 7:00 pm...usually closer to 8:00 pm.  And I thought I prepped well yesterday! 

Not looking forward to making nori rolls tomorrow....

The only thing that made me happy was this:

I never did that before... :)

Day 1 -- I Need to Do What?!

Last Night: I heard such horrible things about kale from friends and family after I bought 2 bunches of it. I decided to steam some kale as practice so I could taste it and not be shocked in the morning. I was pleasantly surprised! I liked it so much that I steamed both bunches to store and use for the next 4 days. Yummy!!!


MORNING
This morning I got out of bed without really wanting to get out of bed. My mind played with me a bit. It's garbage day, and the garbage bags were still sitting in the kitchen. I have such anxiety about getting the garbage out sometimes that I force myself awake, even though the garbage men won't be here today until about 10:30 or so.

I got up this morning, checked my weight as the official reset starting weight, took my measurements, and took before pictures. Cameras are always less friendly than the mirror. I spent a good 10 minutes walking my mom through taking her supplements and when she needs to take them throughout the day. 

BREAKFAST
Since mom has to get out of the house to get to work, I told her that I'd cook her breakfast. Breakfast gave me a bit of anxiety. For the last 2 years, I've only been eating egg whites, and when I ate eggs, I always had ketchup. On this program, I need to eat the whole egg without any ketchup. I was very worried about gagging if I thought about it too much.

Meal 1 of 63:

2 scrambled eggs (with herbal seasoning)

a generous portion of kale

2 dry slices of whole grain bread (1/2 tsp olive oil optional, but I refrained)

The eggs were actually very good! The herbal seasoning made it a lot more tolerable than I thought it would be. I wanted to put some pine nuts into the kale, but I couldn't find them! I didn't find its flavor to be too bitter, save for one piece here or there. The one thing that I know I'm going to struggle with is the inability to drink water while eating. The reason we are asked to refrain from drinking water during the meal is because drinking while eating will dilute the stomach acids that are present for the purpose of digesting food. If you drink water (or any other liquid while you eat), your stomach acid will dilute too much and will not be able to effectively digest the food. Makes sense. We are asked to take supplements and drink at least 12 oz of water 30 minutes before eating. After eating, we can't drink water for another 30 minutes. If you eat for roughly 30 minutes, you'll go an hour and a half without drinking water. Try eating 2 pieces of toast with super dry mouth!

The distilled water with Himalayan salt and oxygen is interesting. My mouth tastes salty which is an adjustment. It's not as bad as ocean water or gargling with warm salt water when you're sick. The saltiness is more subtle, and I only notice it when I haven't had water for a little while. We'll see how it goes! Roughly two hours in..

LUNCH
I was barely hungry when lunch time came around. I finished my initial 32 oz of water and also took my supplements with an additional 12 oz of water. Oy! I know this is meant to be a slow process to ease into the dietary changes, but I was barely hungry. I didn't want to skip the meal or sub it out because I know it's only a matter of time until I'm counting down the minutes until I get to eat a meal. I suppose I'm savoring this while I can.

Meal 2 of 63:

microgreen salad

(baby spinach, baby arugula, shredded carrot, tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, radish)

creamy garlic dressing

(extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, raw agave nectar, Himalayan salt)

This could easily be the first time I enjoyed a home-made salad. There was just enough radish that it didn't burn my tongue. The dressing is to DIE for! I think that next time, I need to change the portion size. I think I put in too many baby greens for the salad. The recipe didn't specify how many baby greens need to go into the salad while every other ingredient was measured. It also didn't specify how much 1 serving of dressing was, so I assumed it was a tablespoon as that seems to be generally how to works for dressing.  Overall, very satisfied. There's no way I'm going to need to eat my snack today. 

MID-AFTERNOON

Okay, we are supposed to drink this thing called "Alkalinize" and it is especially disgusting. I've read on the various boards all these different methods that people are using to help them get it down, but I don't know how successful it'll be. It tastes like awful terrible yuck. It's made of various grasses, so I guess if I were my cat who loves to eat grass, I'd be okay. Alison said it gets better. We both drank it together: she was successful I gagged 5 times. She told me not the puke it up, and I barely obeyed. Eww.

DINNER

Like lunch, I was barely hungry for dinner, but it was fabulous! The only problem was that I didn't read the recipe ahead of time, so I didn't realize that the meat needed to marinate for an hour. Ughh. I knew that I needed to plan ahead from reading posts on the boards, but I didn't. Lesson learned!

Meal 3 of 63:
baked chicken (in place of salmon)
(parsley, basil, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Himalayan salt, herbal seasoning)
steamed asparagus with lemon
boiled baby potatoes 

This has been the longest evening in recent history. Mon dieu! My mom and I prepped and worked in the kitchen from about 5:45 until 8:00. The chicken took longer to cook than the salmon did, so we ended up waiting for the chicken to finish while also prepping for tomorrow's meals. I made 3 times the chicken because for lunch tomorrow, we have a Greek salad with chicken. The salad will be so delicious with this chicken!! I remember Alison mentioning how during this process, I am going to identify many habits that I have. The program is a bit strict on not mixing eating and drinking. However, during my prep of each aspect of this evening's and tomorrow's meals, I found myself licking the spoon, licking my finger, or eating the stray piece of corn on the counter. Each time I did it, I thought about it and how that's a habit that very sorely needs to be broken. I would be eating to eat because the food is there. I wasn't hungry when I'd lick the spoon, but it's a habit that we develop from such a young age that we don't think about it.

It's 9:00, and I'm exhausted. I feel like it's back during the school year when I have a 9:30 bedtime. I will easily fall asleep tonight. I have one more minute, and then I can drink more water. I'm really trying to get a gallon in each day. I did really well with this the week before I started, but today it's been more challenging. I still have about 20 oz of water to drink to reach the full gallon.

Cheers!

Produce and Problems

I went shopping today at ShopRite for produce and some of the grains and spices.

This is a picture of just the produce section. This will be good for 4 days for feeding just me and mom. I forgot to double the recipes to include Brandon and Stephanie since they aren't doing the reset. This could be problematic.

My truck after finishing the entire shop. Looks like enough food for a week....but it's not.

The top shelf and the two larger drawers have the produce that I bought today. The one long bottom drawer has the tempeh that we will need. Some of the food in the middle is food we will need; others are not. We actually set up my fridge that I brought home with me from work in the kitchen. It will hold the "non-UR" food that we can't fit in the main fridge. We do have a larger fridge in the main garage that we could set up that will hold more food than the mini one I have. This could potentially be a big problem. Neither Brandon nor Stephanie are planning on doing this reset, but food still needs to be available for them.

I wish there was more shelf space.

Later today, I'm going to be prepping food for tomorrow's meals. Perhaps the fridge will look different after that.

Starting to feel some stress. At least I can call Alison whenever I need to. It's nice that my sister is also my coach in this. She's finishing her reset tomorrow, so she can really understand what I'm experiencing and can give me some great advice. Thank God.

Shopping and Prepping

Yesterday my mom and I went to Whole Foods to begin purchasing some of the specific items that we need for the reset.

We have (left to right): cashews, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, brown rice (jar), millet (jar), sunflower seeds (jar), maple syrup, coconut oil, salsa, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and nori strips. Not pictured are the refrigerated items (soy tempeh, smokey tempeh strips, and miso paste). While we were there I had some great conversations with a few people. One person I talked to is a raw vegetarian from England who was buying vegan food for his visiting sisters-in-law. He recommended a documentary for me to watch that explores American eating and the benefits of eliminating processed foods while increasing more clean eating. He also recommended a name of "the best juicer" which I have naturally forgotten. Note to self: find out the name of "the best juicer" and purchase it...or register for it.

Today, I ventured out to Shop Rite to buy some not-so-specialty items.

That would be 14 gallon jugs of distilled water. It made me a little uncomfortable knowing that they were right next to the bleach in the cleaning aisle. We also have some whole grain bread, my Vera Bradley satchel, and my Chocolate Shakeology breakfast that I drank while shopping since I had blood work done and needed to fast until 9:00 this morning. (Side note: it sparked a great conversation with my doctor when he saw the shake sitting on the counter behind his laptop. Who brings their liquid breakfast to the doctor's office to consume immediately after getting blood work done? I wonder how often they see that...) The cashier who rang me up asked about the distilled water (because who really buys THAT much distilled water). I told her what I was doing, and two other cashiers started listening in and discussing it with me. All I learned from them is that they would never drink distilled water even if given minerals to add to the water to make it consumable.

Later on this afternoon, I also sat down to do some studying.

I watched the DVDs the program supplies in the package to prep you for what is to come. Although there was some good information in the first DVD, I didn't find it too helpful for me. I have spent so must time discussing this with Alison and reading posts in the support groups in facebook that I just felt like it didn't offer me any new information. I put on the second DVD to watch a chef introduce some of the foods and prepare some of the meals. Again, I think this is really good for beginners--possibly people who do a lot of fast food and not a lot of cooking at home. I know the difference between steaming, stir-frying, and roasting, but I did appreciate the introduction of some vegetables that I am not so familiar with. When I go shopping tomorrow for my produce, I will likely buy some of those items discussed in the video because that woman sold it!

I have a feeling that I am slightly under-prepared. I've been consuming a gallon of water a day, sure, but I have a feeling I'll be shopping for hours and hours and hours tomorrow. Oh, and then I'll be prepping because cooking starts with breakfast on Wednesday. I'll time myself to see how long the shopping actually takes.

On a not-so-related side note, I stopped by Ali and Don's this afternoon (post-distilled water/pre-homework) who, by the way, both look fantastic as they are finishing up their reset. My nephew (20 months old) had just woke up from his nap prior to my arrival. I love spending time with him--especially now as he's becoming more animated. Super playful. Super adorable. When I was grabbing my stuff to leave, I told him "I'll see ya' later," and he turned to me, waved his hand up and down, said "Adoo," and walked over to me to give me a "kiss." BE STILL MY HEART!!!! He did it three more times before I actually left. He's the best.

BUR??

So what's a BUR anyway?

I don't exactly know how or where this started, but for me, it all started with my sister Alison. Alison had purchased several workout DVDs from Beachbody. She and her husband Don had most recently been working out at home with Les Mills PUMP. I was really excited about it because it was Body Pump (circa high school), but in the comfort of your own home. This was a class that Alison and I would regularly go to, so I thought it was great that she had it at home. Then it continued...

I saw a coupon on Groupon for a Shaun T. workout for $20. Sure! Sounds good. When I got it in the mail, I thought it was a mistake. I saw BEACHBODY written on the side, and I could have sworn it was Alison's. I decided to go to her house and show it to her, knowing that it was likely hers. I was expecting some kind of workout DVD in the mail, but the Groupon made no mention of it being a Beachbody product.

Alison had purchased more from Beachbody, but not those DVDs I received. Those were mine. So now, I unknowingly started my Beachbody experience. That day, she introduced me to the Shakeology protein drink that Beachbody produces. It was fantastic! On this same day, I saw a box sitting on her kitchen counter with BEACHBODY written on the side, so naturally, I was curious. She explained that she was doing this "cleanse." HOLD IT!! When I hear that word, I hear drinking lots of terrible liquids, taking awful supplements, eating no food, starving yourself, and spending hours and hours in the bathroom. Ughh.. Whose totally not interested? Me.

Fast forward another week or so, and Alison and Don both committed to doing this cleanse. I had heard from Alison that she was going shopping for this cleanse, and would be starting it soon. Several days later, I heard through my younger sister Stephanie that Alison really wasn't thrilled with the food options. Food options? Cleanse? I needed to learn more.

I went back to Alison's house, and she shared more about it. This cleanse isn't really a cleanse. It's called the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, and it is more like what it sounds like: a reset.

The whole purpose is to reset your body to it's original setting...the way you were born! At that point, Alison was a good 6-7 days in, and she had already lost 6-7 pounds. Naturally, my interest finally peaked. Alison had me try her lunch that day. It consisted of beans, rice, and a salad. It sounds boring, but it was delicious!!

So to make a long story a little shorter, I decided to buy it and try it. Mom is going to be my reset partner, and Alison is our coach. It isn't a 3 day cleanse, but a 3 week process to help your body readjust to quality, unprocessed foods. During this process, I will be eliminating the terrible foods Americans are so used to consuming. Week 1, I will be reclaiming my body's balance by introducing quality foods and removing the foods that are more taxing on my body. Week 2, I will be releasing all the toxins that have built up in my body. Week 3, I will be restoring my body's natural settings. It will be a reset that consists of limited animal proteins, vegetarian meals, and then ultimately moving toward vegan meals.

I received my BUR in the mail yesterday along with my new vegan Shakeology protein drink. I'm still replacing breakfast with the non-vegan chocolate Shakeology that Alison gave me, and I'm really enjoying it. I've eliminated almost all caffeine (save for the Exedrine Migraine I took yesterday), and I've increased my water intake. I've gone back to the gym the last two days to get a final go of it before my BUR restricts nearly all taxing physical activity. In a little while, I'll be making an appointment with my doctor to get blood work done so I have a pre-BUR idea of where my body is.

This blog is meant for me to write about my daily experience in my prep for the start of my BUR, my progress during the BUR, and my post-BUR experience. If no one reads it, that's fine by me. However, if I can inspire even one person the way that my sister, brother-in-law, and other resetters have in the Facebook groups, then even better!

Stay tuned...