Day 11

Today was an average day on the detox so far, I’m eating leftovers for lunch and trying to make impromptu dinners from what’s in the fridge.  It’s a little bit more difficult to eat on a whim, especially when all the protein I have is frozen.  I decided just to make something that I would normally put meat in just without the meat!  I made a bell pepper and onion fajita mix with the Southwestern Spice Blend that I found in the 21 Day Sugar Detox Cookbook (I borrowed and browsed from a friend).  This spice blend smelled a lot spicier than it was; it was supa good. It had chili powder, coriander, paprika among a few other spices.  Although I loved the veggies it would’ve been even better with some chicken or ground beef.  I ate it along side a small avocado, eating them together was a great combo!

I finally had to face a social situation where I couldn’t participate in the festivities.  It’s always fun to talk and catch up with friends, laughter and conversation, but what would make it better?  Vodka. I had to forego a cocktail tonight and it was well worth it.  I can just tell that making good choices now is what is going to enhance my weight-loss and health benefits later.  I really love being half way done but I also really love having another half to go!

I will have more lengthy things to say tomorrow!

On to day 12.

– Megan

Day 10

Guess what?? Half way there, half way there!!

Today was a great day in the detox world for all! Jaime brought the wing-sauce beef  for me (such a nice laadyy) and I put some avocado on top, mm mmm good.  Then my in-home part-time chef named Mom, got ambitious and made a recipe from the 21DSD book!  She made the Asian- Style Meatballs.  They are ground pork, coconut aminos, green onions, and other staples like ginger and garlic.   I would eat these all the time, they were so moist and gloriously glazed with the on-the-verge-of-burnt crust on the outside. In the words of Kanye Zest, “Yo, curry, I’m really happy for you, I’ma let you finish, but these meatballs had one of the best detox recipes of all time.” (I had to and you’re welcome)

 

And now, I know what you’re really here for, to find out how the weigh-in went this morning. Drum roll please…I’m down EIGHT pounds in 10 days!! The success is what is keeping me focused.  I am so ecstatic to see the numbers on the scale move consistently.  I know that once I’m off the detox I will have to be a lot more conscious about the sugars in my foods.  I know this is only anecdotal, and who knows exactly how this will work for others, but I think deleting sugar for 21 days would help anyone.  I can’t wait to see what the next week holds or better yet, get’s rid of.  I can finally tell I’m losing weight in this really long process!  Today I am doing a very happy dance!!

On to day 11.

– Megan

Day 9

Happy hump day! I am very anxious for tomorrow’s weigh-in and to find out what the scale says after 10 days on the detox! As for today’s excitement, it was all about gadgets.  Shelley Myers from Simplee Wellness is running a program at my work for the detox and teaching us about all things sugarless and healthy!  She has definitely inspired this blog, if it weren’t for her enthusiasm about the pitching the detox I’m not sure I wold be as gung-ho about it!  Thanks Shelley!  Go look at her site and see what she’s all about.

Anywhoo, today she brought in both her juicer and her ninja blender. She told us all about the benefits of juicing versus blending.  In the juicing process you lose the fiber but keep the good stuff, blending is going to be naturally more chunky.  I think it’s all a preference!  We made two different interesting beverages as you’ll see in my neat photo collage below! The orange one is carrot, celery, cucumber, ginger, lemon, and cayenne pepper, eeek.  This one was made solely in the juicer.  It was very reminiscent of a bloody mary without the tomato.  It wasn’t as bad as I expected to be honest.  I liked the cayenne but a few people thought it was overwhelming.  I’d sip on that with some vodka on a Sunday morning!

Now the green one was quite the hodgepodge of detox friendly-ish ingredients. Chia and flax seeds, spinach, mint, banana, almond milk, nut butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, apple ginger juice from the juicer, and a splash of apple cider for *gasp* sweetness. A group of us all shared this so it was perfectly refreshing in a small dose, but I think it would be a questionable blend if you were to make and drink an entire glass by yourself.  Nonetheless, I liked this one a lot more than I like the first one! I actually like the chunks as long as you know what they are. I don’t know that I would spend the money on a juicer right now but when I’m old and rich and have lots of storage I think I would definitely invest in one! As for that blender she has, cool beans yo.  We have a ninja food processor thingamajig, but that blender was pretty sweet! I digress about gadgets.

Side note, I had a left over bacon burger for dinner and put a dippy egg right on top with avocado. It was delicious but I sure had wandering eyes for my parents alfredo chicken flatbread pizzas! And then subsequent dessert pizzas!! But if you ask me, cravings, no cravings, just intense wants, wishes, desires, and hankerings. I’m really working on killing those cravings, which would be a lot easier if they’d stop showing those floating Three Musketeers ads or take down the Taco Bell breakfast-coming-soon billboards.  I have come to the conclusion that I know I’m never going to stop wanting these types of foods, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the will power to make it 3 weeks without them.  It’s only when you can’t have things that you actually want them.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a Three Musketeer yet I’m having dreams about them. What is that about?? I will get past this, I like thinking about the celebratory sugary carby cheesy foods I will have after this is over, but know that I will go back to eating healthy the best I can.  It’s a long trek that I can’t do without the occasional gordita or chicken nugs. My favorite advice that Diane gave during her Skype session was not to bring the cravings into the house.  It’s easier to buy healthy at the grocery store than to order broccoli over french fries, at least for me.

I’m rambling.

On to day 10.

-Megan

Day 8

Today was detox pitch-in day! There weren’t too many cooking participants but plenty of eaters.  My curried beef and baby lettuce cups went off without a hitch or any left overs! I love when people eat my food.  I took a picture of mine again, even though you’ve already seen the curry, you have not seen the adorable lettuce!

There were a couple other dishes that I MUST mention.  Jaime made fried cabbage with chicken, bacon, and onions.  It was sooooo good, I can’t wait to make it at home.  The bacon flavor on the cooked cabbage was so yum and the addition of chicken made it even better.  Next, our coworker Pamela made what she called, “Philly Beef” if I remember correctly.  It was geniusly simple and on point for any wing cravings you may have.  It’s easier than wings and just as spicy. It was ground beef, mushrooms, and onion in a crock-pot with hot sauce. That’s it!  I think the fat from the beef mixing with the hot sauce made it taste like wing sauce, finger lickin’ good, but on lettuce wraps if you’d like! I could not get enough. Also something I can’t wait to make at home. It was a filling food day to say the least.  It’s nice trying new things when I don’t have to make the whole recipe!

Ooo, one more addition to my pantry that I bought yesterday, pistachios!  I think they are going to be the bottom line savior to curb my savory food cravings.  In the shell, out of the shell, your preference.  I love them in the shell because I like the saltiness on the outside and the time it takes to eat them feels more satisfying.  That’s all mental but as they say, “to eat their own” right?

I like puns.

On to day 9.

– Megan

Day 7

Hello! Today is a pretty average Monday.  I don’t really have anything to review or give my opinion on, detox wise.  Tomorrow at work we are having a 21 Day Sugar Detox pitch-in!  So I made the curried beef lettuce wraps again.  I had them for dinner too; I couldn’t help it!   The highlight of my detox day was I found Boston lettuce.  They are small leaves that get even smaller as you peel, they end up being little baby cups that are by far the cutest a vegetable could possibly look. Definitely my new go-to for any sort of lettuce wrap recipe!

I figured I’d take this very bland day to tell you a little about myself.  I’m a twenty-something recent college graduate in my second year of 40-hour-week work life and if I have to choose three foods to take with me on a deserted island I pick chocolate chip cookies, nachos, and french fries.  I’m in need of this detox for obvious reasons, my sugar/carb addiction, and less obvious reasons via the internet, my weight.  Don’t get me wrong, I look good, but my clothes could fit better, and I could go for some less plus sizey clothes as well! The success I’ve had so far has made me want to push even harder toward my goals.  I’ve never been so determined to lose weight, I have Jaime to thank for that.  We both lean on each other for support and accountability.  A Biggest Loser competition at our work is what got our butts in gear last October, and we’ve used competition to drive us ever since.  Our current competition, which I mentioned before, is between friends and family, and is what is keeping me more motivated than ever.  Competing against co-workers is one thing, competing against your parents is like the Hunger Games, all puns intended.

I can’t wait to tell you how I do at my first weigh-in while totally on the detox.  Thursday can’t come soon enough! I never thought that I would look forward to weighing myself, but the more comfortable I am with myself the more I don’t care what people think about my weight.  I know what you’re thinking, “Go  get ’em girrrl!”  And yes,  I’m going to get ’em.  Drop them pounds and be a better me.

DETOX POWER

On to day 8.

– Megan

Day 6

So today was a very uneventful day, as any decent Sunday should be.  I made the jalapeno bacon burgers from the 21DSD book sans jalapeno. We didn’t have any fresh jalapenos plus I knew my diners would not have liked them that spicy as the last thing I made was way too hot!  I used grass fed ground beef, no nitrate bacon, and the smoky spice blend; they were a bit overcooked for my taste but still scrumptious.  I put them next to a bed of mixed greens, from that health food store trip, with the balsamic vinaigrette and some left over avocado.  Who knew balsamic avocado would be so yummy?  Oh wait, I think Pinterest may have told me they were, but I’ll take it as a personal discovery!

Being about a week in to the 21 Day Sugar Detox I can say I am thoroughly excited.  So far it hasn’t been nearly as hard as I expected, I don’t have cravings to the point of breaking, I just think things sound good.  I think that’s a natural reaction to any Pizza Hut commercial. I don’t see this week being a problem as I am super stoked for Thursday, it’s weigh-in day.  I am in a friendly weight-loss competition and I am dying to know what 10 days in will look like on the scale!  I have very high hopes, but I don’t think it’s for nothing.  I can seriously tell it’s working, both based on how I feel, but also my current detox obsessiveness with checking the scale every couple days.  You can’t blame me!

This is going to be a great week, I can tell.

On to day 7. Woah.

– Megan

Day 5

Do you know what it’s like to be tortured?  Guantanamo’s got NOTHING on sitting with someone else’s McDonalds on your lap while on a detox. I can say with certainty that I have never NOT taken at least one fry; that’s torture. I resisted but had to document what my temptation looked like. Who wouldn’t want just one fresh fried potato stick??

But I didn’t touch it!!  Anyway, Jaime and I made the crunchy curried beef lettuce cups from the book with a few small changes, mainly replacing jicama with water chestnuts. Uh, make this now!  It’s by far my favorite thing that I have made so far, 5 stars!  We also tried to make a recipe on Pinterest for a homemade Wendy’s frosty.  NOPE.  The texture and taste and everything was off, it was cocoa, almond milk, vanilla, half a banana and ice, all acceptable. But don’t try it, it’s a trick!  All that matters is that I want everyone to try some curry powder in your life, it was better than this picture can justify!

I have so many more things to try! This diet has made me eager to keep going and I cannot wait to see the results!

On to day 6.

-Megan

Day 4

The weekend is here and for once I am glad not to have plans!  I need to get more into the groove of this diet before I go out and attempt to keep my eyes off the chicken fingers and french fries, my weakness.  Social outings that revolve around food are naturally one of my favorites: stories, munching, laughing, grubbing, you know how it goes.  It feels perfectly inclusive! Who wants to bug the server for an off-the-menu meal? It might break the streak of the no-pen-or-paper waiter that we all are positive is going to forget to put your dressing on the side. I’m going to take this first weekend of detox to get creative and cook a lot! No leftovers, all freshy fresh! Jaime and I are going to make a dish from the book tomorrow, I’ll be sure to take pictures!

As for tonight, I decided I wanted to make something I’d never made before, tomatillo salsa!  One of my other spontaneous purchases from the health food store was tomatillos.  I have always wanted to make it and homemade salsa fits within the confines of the yes foods list! As we were checking out the cashier suggested Rick Bayless’ Roasted Tomatillo Salsa and boy was he right.  My only mistake was using 2 serrano peppers instead of one, if you like really spicy then you’ll love it with 2, but my suggestion is ONLY 1.  My sinuses are cleared today!  Nonetheless it was spicy but so perfect on top of the ground chicken, onion, and peppers sauteed in a spice blend.  And of course, I have a picture of my creation, the lighting is not very good, but the salsa was!

I can tell the detox is working, based on the scale moving and I’m sleeping better!   I will definitely brag more specifically about my lowering poundage once it’s significant enough because I am so so so sooo excited to see where I’ll be in a week!!  I feel the same today as yesterday, a light headache, but that’s about it.  I am looking forward to a weekend of new recipes and diet adherence.  It’ll feel amazing come Monday when I can see the number on the scale go down instead of up!

On to day 5.

-Megan

Day 3

Tonights recipe was inspired by the buffalo shrimp lettuce cups that are in the 21DSD book!  Instead of buffalo sauce I used the smoky spice blend from the book, it was the perfect sweet and smoky flavor.  I also sauteed some onion and orange and yellow peppers, to mix in with the small pieces of savory shrimp.  The avocado slices we put on top of the shrimp were the perfect cooling effect along with the iceberg lettuce.  These are definitely on the top of the make-again list!

So I told you that I wanted to tell you about my other Earth Fare purchases. As promised, today’s rave review is hot dogs, yes, hot dogs, the processed of all processed foods.  I found The Great Organic Beef Hot Dog, it’s made by Applegate Organic and Natural Meats, the only ingredients are beef and various spices.  They were like naked-corndog delicious. I think they would make a great side to some over-medium eggs, most likely this Saturday’s breakfast!

I have to mention that today is the first day that I am possibly starting to feel some symptoms.  After dinner tonight I got a headache, but that could just be one of my normal occurrences. I will report about other ailments as they may or may not arise!

On to day 4.

-Megan

Day 2

So today I got to sit in a Skype Q&A with the queen of the 21 Day Sugar Detox herself, Diane Sanfilippo.  I wish I had prepared some more questions, but regardless I could listen to her expertise all day.  Oh, ps. she is like super pretty, like totally relatable and like I totally want to be bff’s with her. She’s awesome.  She had a ton of insight into how the body works with food and how we react to different changes.  Very intriguing!

As promised I have a review for the balsamic vinaigrette dressing from the 21DSD book.  I was very very underwhelmed with my inability to lick that bowl because dang that dressing was good!  Also I highly suggest it on any salad with bacon.  My dinner was hopefully a once in a 21day problem, it wasn’t good.  We had chicken that was crock-pot dry, and garlic roasted broccoli that was only on it’s way to good. BUT, tomorrow is another day and I have a yummy idea in mind from the book. I’ll surprise you!

Now my big feat of the day was an endeavor to the health food store with my confidant Jaime, she’s on this level 3 madness train with me!  We went to Earth Fare with our separate lists in hand, but some how each walked out with a few extra items, shocker.  My favorite spontaneous purchase was almond butter, the best part, they had a machine where you can actually fill the container yourself and see how it’s freshly made right there.  I can say it was definitely a hunger purchase, my hope for light brown gooey goodness was only partially satisfied, but will definitely do for that peanut butter craving! I want to go on and on about what all I got and trust me I will! Just another day another detox!

On to day 3.

-Megan