So the cleanse is officially over, although I think everyone is still trying to maintain a some of the cleanse rules this week. I know I am.
This whole cleanse experience has been really great. Yes, at times it really sucked. But I really believe it forced me to take an honest look at my eating in a way that I never have before. A lot of the times when I'm craving things it's purely psychological or because I'm dehydrated. Additionally, the foods I choose were often the wrong things to be snacking on. I like to think that the cleanse taught me to use my brain to choose what and when to eat instead of relying on my stomach (or my emotions) to guide me. It also helps that I've seen a ton of positive changes in just three weeks.
The first big change is in my digestion, and how I used to have constant stomach aches after eating. When I was a kid it was a daily occurrence, but when I learned to avoid dairy it only happened maybe twice a week. Since I've been on this cleanse it hasn't happened at all. No stomach aches. It's freaking amazing.
The second big change is in my skin. I've struggled since I was 10 years old with acne. Over the past month I have had almost no new breakouts. And the breakouts I have had are the kind that disappear in a day and not a week. Amazing! That alone makes me want to keep eating 'clean'.
And the third change is that I have lost a few lbs (I never weighed myself at the start of the cleanse, but I assume I lost about 3-4 lbs). More noticeable though is that I lost a few inches. I just had a wellness screening where they took my measurements and I couldn't believe it. I've lost several inches around my waist and hips. I can wear my skinny clothes to work that I haven't been able to wear in a few years without feeling uncomfortable. WOOHOO!
So yes, I am plan to keep this up. In moderation though. I'm still figuring out exactly my 'plan', but I think it will follow these guidelines:
Every day eat two meals that are vegan. The third meal of the day can be pretty much whatever, but in general I will be avoiding gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and grease and trying to load up on the veggies. I am adding espresso back, but I'm only drinking it black from now on (because then I drink waaay less of it) and I'm going to try and do approximately 1 shot of espresso before 11 so it doesn't impact my sleep. The rest of the day I'll just rely on green tea. This is still a work in progress, but for now I feel like I can stick with these guidelines.
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