Day 21: The End of the Cleanse

This is will be my breakfast now that I'm through with the cleanse:

I plan on only living for another 25 years. That way I can stop contributing to my 403(b) and not worry if I'll be an active and healthy senior. I'm tired of spending all of my money on wicking exercise clothes, resistance bands, whole grains, tofu and bananas. Okay, not the bananas. I love bananas... deep-fried and drizzled with butterscotch and dark chocolate with a sprinkle of sliced almonds folded into a crisp, warm crepe with a side of fresh whipped cream for dipping. And if I change my mind later, then I can finally audition to be on the Biggest Loser Season 58!

Okay. I joke. But a girl sure can dream...

I actually made boiled potatoes [with lots o' garlic] for tomorrow to go with my leftover green beans and acorn squash.

Did I have spectacular breakthroughs about life whilst on this cleanse? No. 

Did I think this cleanse was a waste of time? No, that would be watching Giuliana Rancic living. 

I thought it would be helpful for you to know how this cleanse did [or didn't] affect me. 

Meh.

• No weight loss - not that I need it but those damn models are messing with my head
• No improvement in my skin - acne is still acting as if I'm 14
• Probably annoyed a lot of restaurant servers, bartenders, co-workers, friends and family
• No significant loss of cravings - went to Cafe du Monde and it was torture not to have a cafe au lait and beignets with lots of powdered sugar

Yay!

• I made it through 21 days and still feel good about it all
• Started a wonderful blog for 4-5 people to read
• No feelings of guilt related to what I ate or drank
• No ridiculous outcomes from eating or drinking too much
• Tried some new and delicious restaurants and recipes
• Learned that I enjoy unsweetened soymilk, Lara Bars, agave nectar
• More aware of issues related to food, health and the world
• Managed to have energy without coffee or added sugar
• Good and regular BMs 
• Substituted time spent drinking coffee with exercise
• Learned making a smoothie is not that difficult & I'm not that lazy
• Realized I can have self-control and discipline
• More conscious when it comes to grocery shopping. No wasted food or impulse purchases.

Of course, I made the Yay column more than the Meh column but all of the above are true. Yes there are down sides to the cleanse, but it was only three weeks and not a lifetime.

I've known people who give up buying new clothes or eating sweets for a whole year. One of my best friends gave up looking in the mirror during Lent. I'm pretty sure this was after I tried to cut bangs for her and ended up giving her a mullet that would make many Arkansas-ians jealous. [Note to self: find a photo of this.]  I also just read about this girl who gave up using beauty products, including soap and shampoo, for 30 days.  

Yeah... I won't be trying that one anytime soon.

For the rest of the year I can be smug about my cleanse. Or I can just be thankful that I gave my body this little break and not feel guilty about never giving myself a break [except with a Kit Kat bar].

Between the grocery shopping, the cooking, the spinning, oh yeah, and I still have a job and a few friends left, I'm a few days behind on my reading. So I'm not done with the blog yet because I think Kathy Freston has some insightful things to share. Stay tuned, friends, and thanks for your open ears, hearts and web browsers during the last 3 weeks!

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.

-voltaire [hair]