Cleanse, Day 1

For some time now, as far back as when we were in the old house, I've wanted to do a cleanse. I loved the idea of starting over with my approach to food and jumpstarting a new lifestyle.

The key word there is idea.

I love food. Not only do I love flavors and textures in my mouth, but I also enjoy creating dishes. The actual cooking and baking is great fun for me. Not to mention, food is part of how I experience the world, how I relate to others, and how I show love and hospitality. When I travel, I want to experience all the flavors of that culture; when I want to get to know people, I invite them for dinner; when I want to help a friend, I take her a meal. So, as much as I like the idea of being more healthy, I love food more.

The problem started in 2010. When I stopped breastfeeding, I found that my 31-year-old body was much different than the body I was used to. I could no longer eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight. I kept my weight in check by exercising regularly.

Then, that seemed to not be enough, and I'm now 6 pounds heavier than I want to be. No, not 20, not 100. Just 6. Maybe that sounds crazy to some people, but lately I've realized I've developed unhealthy attitudes toward eating and I'm not taking care of my body - God's temple. My pants are too tight, and I don't like the way I look.

Enter Youngevity, the company I joined last summer to buy essential oils, toxin-free makeup, and other components of a healthy lifestyle.

When I first learned about the 3-day cleanse with Beyond Organic, one of our product lines, I figured I could do anything for 3 days. But, again, I like food, so I didn't buy it right away. Even after my dear friend Amy did it (twice), I wasn't ready. I'm still not sure what made me finally put it in my online shopping cart, but here I am.

These are my goals for the cleanse:

Jumpstart a new attitude toward food.
See if this will help some GI issues I've been having off and on for a couple years.
Help me learn willpower.
Lose a few pounds… maybe?


Feelings at the end of Day 1:

These drinks are nasty.
I was pretty hungry until afternoon. After church I would have eaten an entire pizza by myself. Around 3:00 I realized I wasn't truly hungry anymore, but I definitely wanted to eat. Because I like food.
I like that I'm learning to distinguish hunger from wanting food.
I really don't want to drink this stuff again tomorrow.