Persistence with Patience...

It has been 3 weeks, which equals 21 days, which equals 504 hours, which equals 30,240 minutes, which equals 1,814,400 seconds... in addition, there were 5 days of splitting headaches, out-of-body experiences, a nasty bout of snappish irritability... along with attending 2 BBQ's, 1 awards show party, a birthday party and a trip to my apple farm ( Hacklebarney Farm ) with homemade cider doughnuts and pies... since I last had refined sugar, ate anything with a face, consumed alcohol or allowed anything processed to pass through my system.

  

But I have survived and come out of it a better person!!

What does this mean moving forward... I don't like saying, "I'll never do something..." because nothing in this world is definite; so I'm not going to sit here and commit to never eating meat again.  But I can say that I have discovered a new appreciation for healthier foods in a way that I didn't know about.  Quinoa actually appeals to me, eating beans as part of my diet has become routine (as has the resulting fartiferous gas), I'm thoroughly embracing fresh fruits as a snack alternative and quite frankly, I love me my rice cakes.

Now, that's not to say that my friend Rahil and I are not going to go out tonight and celebrate with Sushi & Sake in the City... but I have really learned a great deal about moderation and control.  The game plan moving forward is to share the same meal plan with David Monday through Thursday (which means Vegetarian eating) and then have the option to eat my own carnivorous fair Friday through Sunday.  Honestly though, I don't think I am going to go back to eating the way I was before... I have really learned a great deal from this.  Perhaps, instead of the "All You Can Eat Sushi" tonight for $25, I'll enjoy a couple pieces of sushi and a few rolls.



So as I sit here (on day 22) and drink my morning protein shake... I am amazed and grateful for this challenge I put myself through.  I went into it kicking and screaming, and it was not fun the first week and a half... but challenges never are.  It makes me think about what else I can do with my life if I fully invest my heart and head into something the way I have with this cleanse.  The world is out there and the rewards are bountiful... it just requires persistence with patience.

For those of you wondering, my starting weight for this cleanse was 257... I now weigh, 243... 43 more pounds to go!