The Sour Details

Here's a little summary of how my diet has been going so far.
Today: Day 6 (at least 4 more to go)
Cheated?: Yes, on the third day, which was probably the hardest, with a granola bar. Funny thing was, it wasn't even tasty, even though it was Kashi (those are normally pretty good). My taste buds were dulled, except to the drink.
Pounds lost: +/- a total of 6, variation due to faulty electronic scales and inaccurate measurements. However, I don't feel significantly lighter and the book says that one will gain back some weight after getting off the diet. Fair enough.
Drink recipe: Note- HEB lemons suck with their thick skins, a whole one will go into a cup. Central Market's are much better, and I bought 20 of them at half a lemon per cup. I add about 1.5 tablespoons of syrup and approximately 30 specks of cayenne pepper. For the first cup I made, I pretty much dumped in the recommended amount of 1/10 a tablespoon and almost quit the diet right then and there- it burned bad!

The most difficult thing has been resisting food cravings, despite the fact that I am never hungry. The nutrients in the lemons and maple syrup take care of that, but my mind and will gravitates towards food, especially in social situations. That just goes to show what a diehard glutton I have become. Eating is also so habitual.
There was one point in time, Day Four, when the thought of a previously-craved Mother's Garden Burger, Hilbert's fries, or even the Healthy Choice mint chocolate chip ice cream in the freezer failed to stimulate my appetite. I wanted to throw it out and eat Mr. Natural's (voted "Most Healthy Mexican Food" in Austin) and unprocessed raw foods for the rest of my life. That was a pretty amazing and empowering feeling to have, to have cast off the desires for unhealthy and even regular, carnivorous-fare food for at least the time being. I tend to alternate daily between wanting to quit at the sight of food and wanting to stay on it longer at the thought of health. What worries me most is that after I get off the diet, one bad choice and I'll plummet back into the world of greasy foods, sweets, and overeating once again. As we all know, it's exceedingly difficult to climb out of that once it gets going. So along with the fact that I cheated three days into it, since I will be going on the RUF Fall Conference next weekend, which means camp food (BAD!!!!), I may elongate this diet to fifteen days to avoid that pitfall.
Supposedly, on this diet, you will have enough energy to go about your daily activities. I haven't been exercising as of late, especially running, and I nearly collapsed a few times from exhaustion during a late night game of Ultimate on Wednesday night. That probably had to do mostly with me being out of shape and a bit dehydrated as well. Rachel and I had also planned to go on our first mountain bike ride tomorrow- we'll see how that turns out.
As far as going to the bathroom, I have been taking the recommended cup of laxative tea each morning right before school (hm, not such a great idea), instead of the salt water bath, which I cannot bring myself to consume. I have been experiencing more stomachaches than usual, which more than likely has to do with the cheating, but they almost always lead to a trip to the bathroom. Sometimes, the pain can get pretty intense. There was one time when our toilet broke and I was in the middle of such an ache- not good! But in the words of other people, I haven't had any "master poops."
What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger: that was certainly true last night, where I spent a good three hours celebrating a friend's birthday at Shady Grove. True, it made for some pretty dark moments watching everyone else munch down on the fresh chips and salsa and then attacking their delectable sandwiches, but I'm alive and over it. Food is such a fleeting pleasure, yet without its enjoyment, life lacks luster. One thing I now consciously admit is that I use it to address my issues of discomfort and boredom so often. It is my hope that I can find a healthier way to deal after I get off the diet and commit to eating more responsibly.

And one last thing, lemons (and limes) are truly good for you! If you crave unhealthy foods or your health needs a big boost, do this diet!

Reducing Beyond

Neat alternatives:

10x10
Get your news through pictures. It's a pretty neat concept, although I prefer the more efficient organization of Yahoo! News or CNN. (I found out about that earthquake just minutes after it occurred last night. Silence. What should be our response to more than 20,000 people killed by such a natural disaster?

LäraBar
I went to the Daily Juice on Barton Springs twice yesterday, and the first time was the First time. The juice is great, store so Austin-y and I tried this health bar recommended to me by my friend. I got cherry. What amazed me about it was that it only had four ingredients, all healthy, all uncooked. It tastes pretty good too, it's just a bit expensive, selling for $2 a bar even on the Internet. But I will have to wait it out, because today I started the..

Master Cleanser
I realize that the site looks hokey due to the webmaster's lack of flashy html skills, but bear with me. Roommate Mary has been on this lemonade diet for nearly 10 days, the minimum time recommendation. She's doing fine. It's supposed to clean your system of disease-causing buildings, wean you off coffee or tobacco and even help you lose some weight in the meantime. (Not that I drink coffee or use tobacco.) If it succeeds, perhaps it is worth taking a look into other food ideas available at my local ultra-health foodstores.

Harold and Maude (1971)
This film is not so much alternative as it is .. one I watched last night. It's not your average old film though, it involves an unlikely romance between a 20-year old boy/man and a 79-year old woman. Whether or not you are turned off by that combination, the underlying message is univeresal. I recommend it. Oh, and it has a soundtrack by Cat Stevens.