Day 3 Of Detox

Hi everyone!!! I'm on a roll...Day 3 is completed...YAY!!! I can't tell you how good I felt today. I haven't felt this good in a LONG time...LOL. I got through the day with no problems at all.

Observations:

~ Lots of energy
~ Skin starting to look nice and clear
~ Getting a good night's sleep (YAY...I need it!!!)
~ A sense of well-being (just plain feeling good...LOL)
~ No swollen ankles (AWESOME!!!)


When it comes to my problem with swollen ankles, it feels good to know I've discovered the cause...my diet. Today, I really had time to sit and meditate on the thought of having swollen ankles, off and on, for 6 months...NOT A GOOD FEELING!!! At times, it was scary not knowing what was causing the problem...could it be something serious?

This detox is revealing so much to me about myself, my health, my diet, my lifestyle...and how much I want to have a healthier lifestyle. I want to live healthier, not only by what I put IN my body, but also by what I put ON my body.

I never knew going natural in all aspects of your life could be this fun and exciting!!! Lord...I want to thank you for uncovering my eyes and revealing to me the path I should take with my health...thank you for guiding me along the way.


ON TO DAY 4....LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!!!

Day 2 Of Detox

Yes...Day 2 was a breeze to get through!!! Awesome!!! I had no hunger pains! I was able to be around people eating food without wanting food to eat. I consumed my 1.5 liters of lemon cayenne detox drink and sipped water for the rest of the day. If the remaining 8 days go like this, I will DEFINITELY get through this!

Today, I had a tremendous amount of energy...LOTS of it!!! I felt great!!! It has been awhile since I've felt so energetic. I had been feeling tired and sluggish.

A new observation was encountered today....a chemical metallic taste in my mouth. This is a sign of detoxification...YES!!! Toxins are being released from my body!!!

Something else was observed today...NO SWOLLEN ANKLES...YAY!!! Ok...mentioning this leads into briefly explaining another reason for this detox.

For the past 6 months, I have been experiencing swollen ankles quite frequently. First, I thought the swollen ankles were due to being on my feet most of the day at work and having to stand while servicing my Sisterlocks clients. But, I started noticing swollen ankles during times when I had not been on my feet for a long period of time. NOT GOOD!!! I started to worry about what may be causing my ankles to swell.

I thought to myself, "Lord, why is this happening? I'm in my mid 30's and experiencing issues like this!"

This was a wake-up call...enough was enough...stop mistreating my body!!! The swollen ankles are due to a number of factors...excess weight, poor diet, lack of water to flush out toxins, consuming food high in salt, etc.

That day, I again made a healthy promise to myself. But, this time, I will follow through with that promise!!!


WISH ME LUCK EVERYONE...ON TO DAY 3!!!

Day 1 Of Detox

Hi everyone! I just wanted to check in and let you know I survived Day 1 of the detox!!! Here's a recap of today:


I woke up at 7:00 a.m. to get ready for work. I'm usually off on Mondays, but a co-worker was on vacation so I had to go in to work. After getting dressed, I headed to the kitchen to prepare a day's supply (1.5 liters) of the lemon cayenne detox drink.

On the way to work, I drank 16 ounces of the detox drink. Throughout the day, I continued to sip on the detox drink.

Around 11:00 a.m., I started to feel hunger pains. I immediately took a sip of my detox drink and the problem was solved...no more hunger pains. By 2:00 p.m., I had consumed my entire day's supply of detox drink. I continued to sip on water and eat ice for the rest of the day.

I noticed, in the afternoon, that I seem to have more energy...I think the detox drink was starting to take effect.

After work, I had an appointment with a client, then returned home around 9:15 p.m. I prepared and drank my laxative herbal tea around 9:30 p.m. I relaxed for the rest of the evening.


I SURVIVED DAY 1...ON TO DAY 2!!! WISH ME LUCK!!!

Getting Ready...Let's Do This!!!

Hi everyone! Well...I've stocked up on what I need to start the Master Cleanse: Lemon Cayenne Detox!!! I'M READY!!! There has been much talk about this particular detox...if it does the body good or bad! I've done my research, over the years, and found more positive things about this detox approach than negative ones. So, with that said, this is MY method of choice...LOL.

Here's my plan:

~Master Cleanse/Lemon Cayenne Detox for 10days, starting 6/14/10
~ Ease Out Of Detox with Orange Juice, 6/24 through 6/26
~Introduction Of Soup/Fruits/Vegetables, starting 6/26

~Exercise (Start off with 1-mile walk at least 3 days a week, gradually increase distance over time)


Recipe for 8-ounce portions of Master Cleanse/Lemon Cayenne Detox:

~8 ounces of filtered water
~1/2 medium lemon (FRESH LEMONS, NOT CONDENSED LEMON JUICE!!!)
~2 Tablespoons 100% Pure Grade B Maple Syrup
~A PINCH of Cayenne (Red) Pepper

Here are some very, very important facts (in case anyone wants to do the master cleanse):

* Remember that the syrup and the lemon juice will displace the filtered water. If you fill the bottle up with too much filtered water, there will be no room for your lemon juice or your maple syrup.

* The Maple Syrup MUST be Organic Grade B Maple Syrup. It's important...There are no preservatives in it and no artificial sweeteners.

* DO NOT USE TOO MUCH CAYENNE PEPPER...YOU ONLY NEED A PINCH!!! If you use too much cayenne, you will render your drink undrinkable. The cayenne pepper is used to keep off any nausea you feel throughout the detox. Plus, the cayenne pepper will help in the cleansing.

* If you start feeling nausea during the detox then there are two reasons:

1. You haven't consumed enough calories. The maple syrup is your food! It is not just an organic sweetener thrown in there. You must include a total of at least ***1,200*** calories in your diet or your body WILL shut down from lack of caloric intake. It's not healthy. MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH MAPLE SYRUP IN YOUR DETOX DRINK.

2. You didn't put any Cayenne Pepper or NOT ENOUGH Cayenne Pepper in your detox drink. You need to put it in there. It isn't just to add spice to your drink, but it actually combats any nausea you feel naturally.


* Do not take any supplements, vitamins, or anything of the kind during the detox. You don't know how they will react to your detox. Never detox or start any exercise/diet program without first talking to your doctor. Especially if you are taking anything like this or medication for health reasons. You don't know how they will react. DON'T TAKE THE RISK!!!


WISH ME LUCK...MY JOURNEY BEGINS TOMORROW!!!

Picking Up The Pieces...Starting Over On This Journey

Hi everyone! I never thought I would be coming back here to say I'm starting over with this journey. Initially, my plans were to start this journey, succeed, and continue the success as a lifestyle and way of life for me.

Well...I WAS succeeding with it...lost 25 pounds and completed the Climb Chicago challenge. But, I couldn't keep the weight off as planned. I've gained all of the weight back I've lost...NOT GOOD!!!

Now...I'm back embarking upon this journey once again. Two days from now, I will begin to detox my body for 10 days...then gradually introduce HEALTHY solid foods back into my diet.


WISH ME LUCK!!!

Week 11 & 12 - Weigh-In And Results Of SparkPeople New YOU Boot Camp

Hi everyone!!! Well, I once again forgot to post a week's weigh-in. I weighed in, but I just forgot to come here and update everyone in a post. For Week 11, I weighed in and lost 0.6 pounds. That's not much, but it was a loss. I think I had been dealing with a temporary plateau for a couple of weeks.

Now...for the Week 12 weigh-in and results of the SparkPeople New YOU Boot Camp!!! I weighed in this morning and I'm happy to say that I lost another 1.2 pounds!!! Yippee!!! That's a total of 13.6 pounds lost, since starting my health and fitness journey. I'm 2.4 pounds away from my next weight loss goal of 16 pounds.

SO...HOW DID I DO WITH THE BOOT CAMP?

I DID GREAT!!! The end results of the SparkPeople New YOU Boot Camp were weight and inches lost!!! I lost a total of 5.2 pounds over the 4 weeks of the boot camp and 2 inches from my waist and hips. AWESOME!!! I am totally satisfied with the results!!! I AM SO GLAD I DECIDED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BOOT CAMP BECAUSE IT KEPT ME MOTIVATED AND BUILT UP MY ENDURANCE TREMENDOUSLY!!!

I AM NOW TRAINING FOR THE 2009 CLIMB CHICAGO...A CLIMB INVOLVING 45 FLOORS, 90 FLIGHTS, AND 585 STEPS TO THE TOP OF ONE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TOWERS IN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO ON MARCH 8, 2009...TO HELP FIGHT AND RAISE MONEY FOR LUNG DISEASE! WISH ME LUCK!!!

Week 10 - Weigh-In

Hello!!! Well, I'm back to give you a report on Week 10 and get started with Week 11 of my health and fitness journey. Week 2 of the SparkPeople New YOU boot camp was wonderful!!! I've been working up a sweat with cardio and the boot camp videos.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I only lost 0.2 lbs. this past week. But, I lost 1/2 inch from my waist and hips!!! So, I'm still making progress!!! As long as I'm seeing some results each week, I am happy!!! Well...Week 11 is here and I'm looking forward to more calories burned and more weight lost this week. Wish me luck!!!