I am joining weight loss with Chasity-my 15lbs weight loss in 10 days.

This is all I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the last 2 days! Nothing else, well and some soup today (it shouldn't have been meat based, but I didn't have time to make mine veg based, so I just picked out the turkey from the carcasas and hoped I wouldn't die) finally and even a salad! No, I am not trying to make you feel sorry for me. In fact, I enjoyed every sip of the juice from the freshly squeezed oranges I brought from our trip Lousiana. My girls so thoughtfully brought in a huge glass and decorated with fresh wedges. Yes, I am on a diet, sort of! Actually, I am coming off a cleanse. Not as slowly as recommended but trying. Just read on if weight loss has a checkmark on your NY's resolution list.
Let me explain why I am blogging about it now, when it's all over. I didn't want to use my blog as a diary (besides being so busy with kids school before hubby arrived home and all school ceased for the holidays) and I really wanted to surprise my husband, who I thought was clueless about the cleanse. Oh well, he knew all along but never said a word of encouragement which I really needed!!!

My good friend Chasity has started WLW Weight loss Wednesday and I decided to let the cat out of the bag and add my experience for the last 2 weeks! Weight has always been a huge issue in my life as well. I have always been overweight, even if it was just 20lbs and to some of my friends that won't seem like a lot if they have 60 or more to lose, but it is for me, and for my 5.3 frame. The country I grew up is notoriosly infamous for numerous disease such as diabetes, HBP (stress mostly), arthritis, etc. I ate a lot of potatoes, cooked all sorts of way. Fried, boiled, baked, mashed, in soups and all over again. Tons of soup with tons of white bread. Black if it was available. Pasta, sausage. Whatever my parents could buy after standing in long lines in hope of getting some food they put on the table. I had also inherited my mother's body type and build and was storing it in places it wasn't flattering for a lady.

I have lost a ton of weight (by swimming 3 days a week and watching everything I ate) before I married but gained steadily with each pregnancy and kept 10lbs after each kid. I never got back to my pre-pregnacies weight. So, four kids later and 40 lbs heavier is keeping me ever more motivated to knock those ugly numbers down. With the holidays quickly approaching and 5lbs extra from a trip to see my husband in Panama (food galore all day, and not just any food-good fresh tropical fruit and all sorts of yummy food!). Anyway, upon my return and a step on the scale- I was desperate! I decided to help my weight loss goal for the NY with a drastic jumpstart-a cleanse. I have brought over 5lbs of fresh lemons from LA along the oranges and grapefruits that, if any left after 10 days, were supposed to help me ease me out of the lemonade cleanse. So, a few days later and mom's nite out beign my last day of yummy food I went cold turkey to the hot pepper lemonade! Actually, it involves a SWF (salt water flush, which I cannot stomach, so I drink laxative tea instead am and pm) first thing in the morning to top it all. I have done a Master Cleanse, aka The Lemonade Diet, this past spring. I loved it! I only lost 7lbs on my first cleanse but I was not disapointed because my main goal was to cleanse my body and I felt like for the first time it wasn't bad at all, not like some other people were suffering. No headaches, lots of energy, not much hunger. Didn't need to soak in the bathtub or call a friend or get on a forum for support. It was fine. Food taste different still but I haven't eaten much yet. Just the juice tasted different. I finally ate an orange today and after half I wasn't able to eat the other one. I was so full! I sure hope it shrunk my stomach!!! I needed it! I am a huge fan of FOOD! YOU?

This time I lost 15 lbs in the 10 days of drinking freshly squeezed lemonade sweetened with grade B maple syrup and cayenne pepper for a full 10 days. Now, I am sure half of it will creep back up as soon as solids start filling my bowels but I am amazed at how much stuff I was still getting rid on day 10!!! No food for 10 days and still BM? See, I told you I didn't want to gross you out! I didn't want to blog about BMs. But, hey, what's a cleanse without BM's? I really feel that a weight loss is paramount with a thorough cleanse of the GI tract. My probiotics should be making it in before we leave for a vacation with my dh. If not I'll buy whatever I can get at the HF store. I didn't read that till day 8 and ordered then asap. I haven't taken any probiotics in a long time. I really haven't taken any vitamins either, felt like I was wasting my money even on expensive stuff for I knew my GI tract is pretty clogged to absorb even the most expensive supplements. I am excited to get back on track and cocntinue with the weight loss.

So, for now, I am working out almost 5 days a week doing cardio and weights. I worked out less during this cleanse mainly because I was busy with the kids, not because I was tired and hungry. I love Body Pump (only one instructor though who changes her music and the boring routine and makes it so much more fun), Everything goes on the track (combo of 30 sec cardio segments with weight stations on the track) and Turbo Jam. I love my gym and hope to enter this year's Scale Back Alabama. 3 of my teammates lost 10lbs last year. One gained two. So, we didn't qualify for the $1000 drawing for each teammember. But, we will try again this year. I need 2 more members since hubby won't be in the US to weigh in or weigh out!!!

Stay fit and healthy and enjoy your holidays! Enjoy every bite of every unhealthy food you put in your mouth! You won't get it later! Work out if you can and don't feel guilty! Just get back on track! Be blessed, Natalie