by Mia Rommel, @MRommel
Ever have a week feel like it took a lot longer? Well, my first 5 days on the 4 Week Detox certainly felt like a lot longer than 5 days, or even a week. But, conversely, how I feel today (my day 7), is the way I usually feel about a month into serious dieting. I feel slimmer, leaner, and overall healthier. I can't imagine how I'll feel in another week, much less 3.
I've found that the hardest thing to do in a detox is to pre-prepare food and to think about what I'm eating. I think most of us probably eat what's available, what we *want* at that exact moment (cravings!), or what's served to us. I found myself constantly wondering when I'd last thought about food this much. It's sort of embarrassing, really. Shouldn't we be thinking about what it is that we put into our bodies? I spend more time thinking about fueling my car (well, really about how I'm going to afford to fuel my car) than I do about how to fuel my body.
The great thing about this detox is that it's forced me to focus on what I put into my body. I've been drinking a lot more water and eating a ton of fruit and vegetables. I've experimented with quinoa like you wouldn't believe (I'll post a recipe on my blog that will blow your mind), and stayed away from alcohol.
I have been battling my share of cravings: pizza (or anything with melted cheese, I would have done illegal things for a quesadilla this week), chocolate (which I normally never crave), and diet coke (sparkling water helped cut that one back a bit); but I feel a lot more in control of what I eat, instead of letting what I eat control me.
If you decide to do a detox, a few things I'd recommend:
- Set simple rules. I once tried to do a cleanse where I didn't eat processed food. I had no idea what counted as processed and what didn't, so I wound up eating fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. And while that's great, I was really lacking carbs, which I need as a runner. Our detox rules are easy to follow because they're simple.
- Have snack foods available that battle cravings. Always need chocolate after dinner? Make sure raspberries are washed and in the fridge. Afternoon salt craving? Hummus and wasa crackers. You get the picture.
- Eat breakfast. I was guilty of not doing this one, even after my nutritionist told me it was terrible for me. Now I just chop up the fruit the night before so I can make a smoothie in less than 2 minutes and drink it while I'm getting ready.
- Water water everywhere. Strategically place water bottles where you'll use them the most. I have one at my work desk and another at home that I just tote around with me. It's a lot easier to mindlessly drink water if it's already there.
More next week.