What Doing a Detox Taught Me

Here I am. Day 8 of a 10 day detox.

And no, I haven't cheated.

Unlike Hubs, who is a dirty cheater.

Though, I guess I should be thankful that he is the type of dirty cheater who cheats with a beer and a basket of wings, and not some hoochie homewrecker.

SIGH.

For the past week, I have followed the plan created for me by Lisa at Whole Health Designs. I won this plan so I'm under no obligation to talk about it. But, since it has made such a huge difference this past week, I want to write about it and tell you what I've learned by going on this detox.

Oh, and for those of you who thought that being on a detox meant you just drank weird things like water with cayenne pepper, that isn't true. The type I was on involved actual food. I wouldn't last 10 minutes on a plan if I didn't still get to eat.  The food on my detox plan kept me full. It didn't stop the cravings for things that were bad for me, but if I was honest about how I was feeling, I was never hungry on this plan.

Being on this plan really showed me some of the incredibly bad habits I had fallen into. The ones that, combined with a lack of exercise over the last almost 4 months, made me want to cry when I stepped on a scale the day before this detox started.

These are not exactly earth-shattering revelations. But, I fell into bad habits and this detox was just the swift kick in the butt that I needed. Here's what I learned:

1. I was not drinking enough water. Not by a long shot. Unless I was at the beach or at zumba, I really wasn't drinking much at all.  But, with this detox, I made sure that I drank a big glass when I first woke up and kept my glass filled all day. This also helped in between meals when I usually would have grabbed a snack.

2.  I was using way too many convenience foods. With the boys in soccer 3 nights a week and Hubs often working late, it was easy to turn to the drive-thru or to grab some sort of meal from the freezer section of the grocery store. While those types of meals have their place, in the past week, I've been eating so much fresh produce and the meals did not take very long to make.

3.  I was adding way too many "extras" to my food. Y'all. I'm the type of person who thinks that the only reason you eat salad is so that you can eat the dressing. And when the dressing is done, you push the salad away. So, the idea of a salad without dressing?  BLECH. Whether it's dressing or cheese or butter, I was adding unnecessary calories to my foods before.

4. I was eating more than I thought I was.  When I'd go to get a snack for the boys or when I'd be making them a meal or when they didn't finish a meal or when I was simply passing through the kitchen, I was snacking.  I wasn't thinking about it because it wasn't a meal, right?

5.  I wasn't planning our meals. I used to be so good at menu planning. And then I failed in a big way. It was so much easier to eat healthy when the meals and snacks were all planned out for me.

6.  I was pretty much taking crap care of myself.  From not eating breakfast because I thought I was too busy getting the boys ready for school and then off to their respective schools to grabbing junk food and calling it a meal, I wasn't putting any effort into making sure that I ate well.

I actually do feel a lot better after being on this plan for a week. Aside from being cranky from the no wine rule.

Does this mean that come Thursday, I will only eat "healthy" and "clean?"

Um, no.

I've missed chocolate and wine and cheese and bread... SO VERY MUCH.

But, I am going to put more thought into my meals. I'm menu-planning and going to incorporate more fresh greens/veggies into our meals- and not add as much of the "extras."  I'm going to take the time to eat breakfast.  I'm going to continue drinking lots of water. And I'm realizing that I HAVE to take good care of myself so that I'm able to take care of my family. And so my jeans fit.

Btw, I also learned that there are waaaay too damn many commercials on tv for bad food. It's just cruel. 


Oh, and? After I get through these last 3 days of the detox, I'm headed out of town to visit a friend and attend Bloggy Bootcamp. I reserve the right to eat and drink whatever the hell I feel like during that time. I have healthy foods planned for when I get back. 


Have you ever tried a detox?

*UPDATE: I weighed myself the morning of day 9. 9 pounds lost, y'all!

The People Of Walmart...I mean, the Gym

Hubs has claimed that our gym is like "The People of Walmart." Okay, okay- it suits our purposes, but it's never going to be featured as one of the most fabulous gyms around.

I really thought about taking pics for this post but I couldn't figure out how to be discreet about it didn't want to gross you out thought that would be rude.


Still, he's so right- here are some things that I've witnessed that are big Gym Don'ts:


*Don't workout in your jeans.  Jeans don't breathe.  I try to be sensitive about things that cost money, but you can go to Walmart and buy yourself a pair of $5 sweatpants or shorts.


*Don't wear bootyshorts. This is particuarly true if you are a man. A man who likes to lean over the elliptical, pushing your booty even further up in the air. None of us wants to see that. And even if you are a woman who is in fabulous shape, well, bootyshorts might be okay, even if it will make other women hate you. Just make sure that no one can see anything that they shouldn't.


*Don't use the treadmill in your flip flops or dress shoes.


*Don't wear spandex. Just don't. And neon spandex is a double no.


*Don't forget that the girls need support.  Even if your girls aren't very big, they are still going to be bouncing around. And can be seen through your tank top. And if they are big? Well, they shouldn't be peaking out the bottom of your shirt. Say it with me: sports bra.

Gym Tips for Those Who Hate to Workout

I hate the gym. I hate working out.


Especially in the beginning. If I can get myself into a routine, I actually enjoy get used to going and want to be there.  But, until I get myself to that point, I moan and complain about going and find a million excuses not to go.


But, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to get to the gym on a regular basis. And the weather is warming up, so I feel a need to be bikini-ready sundress-ready. 


I'm now on week four of going to the gym on a regular basis(3-4x/week).


So, if you are like me and have a hard time getting into a gym-going groove, I'll share my tips with you.


*Pick a time of day to go to the gym and stick to it. For me, this works best if I'm already out of the house. I usually go right after I drop off my oldest two boys at their schools. Youngest and I go directly to the gym after this. If I head back home to try to get "a few things done" before going to the gym, time will fly by and I'll never get there.


*If you can find a workout partner, that helps A LOT. Even if you end up doing different things, knowing that you are supposed to meet someone at a certain time will help you get there.


*Start SLOW.  Do not try out the hardest class that the gym offers on your first visit in a while.  You will feel like you are dying both during the class and maybe for the next few days and have no desire to go back. If all you can do at first is 30 minutes on the treadmill, then just do that- it's still much better than not having exercised at all.


*Drink LOTS of water. It's important to drink lots before you start working out, too. Starting when you are already dehydrated is not going to help.  If you drink all the water in your water bottle, do something to lay claim to whatever machine you are on by leaving something on it or yes, walk out of class, and go get more water. My first week, I felt the need to fill up my 16oz water bottle 4 times in an hour. I needed it.


*Gradually add time on to your workout or try something new.  I'm a fan of the elliptical, but was shooting hateful glances at admiring this woman's legs and realized all she did was the stairmaster, so I decided to try that. For 10 minutes, which made me feel like collapsing.


*When you do try a class, don't feel bad if you need to take a break.  Even if no one else is.  Most people are too wrapped up in themselves and how they are doing to care what you are doing. Go drink some water.


You notice I'm just talking about working out at the gym and not at home- I really admire those of you who can do this.  It doesn't work for me because I can ALWAYS find a distraction at home.  I need to actually be somewhere where all there is to do is workout. Even though I'm sometimes tempted to use the gym as a place to shower without children walking in on me.


This is what works for me. Do you have any tips to add?