Rough Start to the Master Cleanse, but good 1st Day

Well, the cleanse started out a little rough this morning. I drank my salt water this morning and all seemed to be fine for a few minutes. Then, all of the sudden, I started gagging and next thing I knew I was running to the bathroom. Needless to say, what went down came back up. It was not fun, but I immediately felt better and was able to continue the regimen for the rest of the day.

Wish I could say as much for Wayne. He chickened out after a long meeting today. He bailed on me. I can't really blame him, to be honest. It is difficult to do this. I made dinner for the kids tonight and felt quite hungry. I also made the mistake of visiting Bliss Cafe's website (a local raw food restaurant) and checking out their new menu. I was having some pretty big cravings for Bliss! Perhaps I will go there to celebrate making it through the cleanse.

Have I been truly hungry? No, not really, but the habit of eating is what makes it hard! It is so natural to pick up a piece of fruit when I walk by the kitchen and chomp on an apple or enjoy a banana. I wonder how many times I have grabbed a piece of fruit or handful of trail mix and eaten it when I really wasn't hungry. Something to think about, isn't it.

Smoothie recipes

We were riding in the car today, in between the library and swimming lessons, when Jake announced that he had an idea for a new invention. I asked him what it was and this is what he said, "I want to invent a shelf in the shower that is protected by waterproof glass. Inside it is a bookstand and you can prop your book up on the stand and then shut the glass. There is a button or a remote control in the shower so you can push a button and turn the page whenever you want. The pages never get wet! You can read in the shower." Pretty clever. I had to smile to myself as I thought about how much I like that he loves to read.

On a completely separate note, I made a couple of excellent green smoothies today. The first I drank all by myself, but the second one everyone enjoyed. The first had half of a bunch of spinach, a mango, a frozen banana and the juice from 3 oranges. The second had the water of a young coconut. Half of a head of romaine lettuce, a mango, and two frozen bananas. Even Phillip drank it! We called it our super-green smoothie complete with flying around the den.

Happy Anniversary to me!

Yesterday was my 16th wedding anniversary. Wayne took off of work and we ran some errands, planned some remodeling of Jake's bathroom, and went to Phillip's "meet and greet" at Kindergarten. It was a busy day. We did manage to make some time to have dinner together alone last night. Then we did a little shopping because both of us have lost so much weight that our clothes are not fitting very well these days. I know it doesn't sound very romantic, but it was a lot of fun!

I tried on a size 6 pair of jeans which fit perfectly! I wore a size 6 on our wedding day. When I comfortably put my hands in the pockets, I had such a sense of confidence and accomplishment! Two years ago I thought I would never again wear a size 6 in my life! Despite eating and never cheating on "South Beach" or "The Zone" and hours of exercise, my body was stuck in an unhealthy state of being. I felt horrible and my body reflected on the outside how I was feeling on the inside. Yesterday, when I looked in the mirror, I liked what I saw. Not only did I fit into the jeans, but I FIT back into my life as a wife, a mother, a friend, and a woman. What I saw in the mirror was a reflection of what I was feeling inside -- a vibrant and healthy young woman who has the world by the tail. It has been a long time since I felt that way.

I was so inspired by our shopping excursion that when we got home I decided to try on the dress that I wore as we left our wedding reception 16 years ago. Yes, I have kept it in my closet all of these years for sentimental reasons and as "my skinny dress." Funny thing is, it was a little bit big. Fitting into that dress was wonderful, but not near as satisfying as I thought it would be -- I can't believe I wore shoulder pads that big! lol. I will try and post pictures later.

I cannot believe we have been married for 16 years! I feel so blessed to be with Wayne. Eating Raw has given me my life back and I can't wait to see what the next 16 years will bring! I have a feeling that the best is yet to come.