Day 17

Wow - I have been so useless with this blog! It was so easy when I was on school holidays and not having to go to work every day, however I am so tired at night now that I am working again that I completely forget to do anything!

Well - what has been going on in the past week? Not a lot really, just working through the days and making sure that I am not accidentally eating the wrong foods! I am actually incredibly impressed with how I have been doing - no slip ups, although I have definitely wanted to!

My hardest day was Day 14 - my friend and I managed to score tickets to the Food Show, and that did make me realise how restrictive this detox is, and how happy I am that I am only doing this for 21 days. There were so many amazing pastries, gourmet breads and, the hardest of all for me, the most amazing looking cheeses. Luckily there were some lovely raw food companies there, so I was able to try some things from here. It also helped that the friend that I was there with was a vegan, so we both had a range of restrictions. I did manage to spend up well though - a litre of coconut oil, three bottles of the best tasting kombucha I have ever found, and some delicious avocado dip that was completely 21DSD friendy!

Here are some more examples of the food that has been pretty much staple over the past few weeks:

A particular favourite for morning tea at school - Coconut Savoury Muffins (from the 21DSD e-book)

A pretty good example of my lunch most days - I took this to a conference, and people were jealous of how nice my lunch looked compared to the food at the conference!

So - where to next? Four days to go, and I know that my last meal on Day 21 will be a cheat meal because it my anniversary, and I am expecting something pretty spectacular from the boyfriend!

I'm going to answer the questions that I have been asked quite a bit over the past two weeks.

Why are you doing this?
Because lately I have been eating horrifically, a lot of sweet treats at night time, and generally not paying attention to what I was eating. Because of this, I was feeling run down, bloated, and overall crap. I decided that I needed to do something to try and combat what was happening in my body.

What side effects have you had?
The worst side effect that I had was on Day 3, when I had horrific nausea all day. After reading through my 21 Day Sugar Detox book, I realised that this was a die off effect of Candida (http://www.thecandidadiet.com/how-to-avoid-candida-die-off/). I actually felt like I was going to be sick for a whole day, and was really worried that this was how I would feel for the rest of the detox. Luckily, it only lasted one day!
Other side effects have been headaches in the first week, feeling light headed, and fatigue. None of these were extreme, and only the fatigue has lasted the whole time.

What benefits have you found from this?
So many! I have lost weight (down from 58.5 to 55.1 in 16 days), which was not an initial reason for doing the detox but has definitely been a bonus, prolonged energy at the gym, deeper sleeps, overall, I just feel really great!
A main benefit is that I know now that I should be maintaining a diet that is similar to this anyway, at least through the majority of the week.
People have also been commenting about how good I look - my skin has cleared up, my clothes fit me better, I have a smile on my face all the time - it doesn't get any better than that!

What have you found hard?
I am still getting cravings for sugar, in particular chocolate. Originally, I hoped that this would be an end to the sweet craving, but they are still there, but now I know that I don't need to have sugar to curb this.
Wine has also been severely missed during this process. I can't think how long it has been since I have not had at least one glass of wine in the weekend (which is a bit scary!), and I do miss having one after particularly stressful days at work.
The backlash of some of my friends was pretty uncalled for as well. A lot of negativity was thrown my way, but I believe that it is a lack of understanding, and something that has come about because they don't think that they can do it.

How do you find the time?
When I cook, I cook for more than one meal. For example, if I am having grilled chicken for dinner, I grill enough so that I can have some for lunch the next day. Don't just boil two eggs - boil five or six! You don't have to eat them all at once! The recipes in the 21 Day Sugar Detox book are great, and are quick and easy.

Do you have to exercise?
I don't think there is any rule saying that you have to, but I would definitely suggest it! I have tried to work out five to six times a week, but that has varied from running, boot camps, spin classes, to netball, or a walk.

Hopefully this will answer a few questions that you have!