Whoops!

I just realized I left out an important transgression.

A few days into the cleanse, a good friend reminded me that I would be at her house for an after-dinner get-together later on in my cleanse. I assured her that while I would snack responsibly, I fully intended to have a glass of wine.

Our fun night happened this past Friday. Upon arrival, we searched for the largest glass possible. (I suggested a fishbowl.)

Then she offered up a Tito's vodka soda instead and I held out my giant glass.

Twice.

I didn't know until the next day that Tito's is handmade from corn (rather than wheat or potatoes) and has no added sugar or gelatin.

Trenny, you are a genius.

Done! Now What?

My 21-day cleanse ended yesterday.

There is no way I'm stopping now. I intend to continue this wacky, wonderful plant-based diet. I like how it makes me feel inside and out. Eliminating the cycle of guilt (eating your emotions rather than facing them, then feeling like garbage about it) has been a godsend.

I feel happier knowing I was stronger than those countless wide-open sleeves of Girl Scout cookies within easy reach.

Some friends have started the cleanse and they've called to tell me how good they feel. It's a beautiful example of the butterfuly effect!

(Skip to the next paragraph if you don't want a short physics lesson.)

The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. While the butterfly does not "cause" the tornado in the sense of providing the energy for the tornado, it does "cause" it in the sense that the flap of its wings is an essential part of the initial conditions resulting in a tornado, and without that flap that particular tornado would not have existed.

Are you still with me?

Here's my plan. Beef, pork and chicken are out for me. I may eat fish for special occasions. Alcohol is in. I don't drink enough of it for it to make a big difference. I'm going to continue eating gluten and dairy free, because I feel so much better with them out of my diet. I will eat sugar in moderation -- not the refined stuff, though. Truvia and agave nectar will be my friends. No caffeine, except the small amounts in some of my favorite teas.

One more thing because I know you're all wondering. Yes, I lost weight ... close to 10 pounds and counting! My dear friend Missy pointed out that for each pound of lost fat, imagine a pound of Land o' Lakes butter.

9.25 pounds is a lot of butter. 37 sticks!

Days 14-21

Yes, I did.

The broken oven made me do it.

My daughter was bringing over a friend for the first time, so I did a little extra cleaning to make a good impression. House spic and span, I went the extra mile thinking how nice it would be if they walked in to the smell of baking cookies.

I threw on my apron and went to work making the best mint chocolate chip cookies ever. (This recipe involved browning butter for the dough -- you get the idea.)

I made it through the entire prep without a single snitch of dough. I turned the oven on to preheat and ... nothing. MY OVEN BROKE. That meant that the rest of the preparation involved trekking back and forth in the snow from a neighbor's kitchen. Just ridiculous! While I remained strong, the oven thing was really eating me.

My mom came for dinner and brought delicious vegan italian chili with Breadsmith bread for everyone else and brown rice for us. (She's also doing the cleanse.) I enjoyed dinner so much! Still, my oven was broken and those cookies looked so good.

Perhaps that's why the minute everyone left the table I scooted into my basement laundry room with a cleverly concealed cookie. These were not small cookies, either -- each was about 4" in diameter. I broke off a small piece at first. It was divine and the rest didn't stand a chance.

And you know what? The world did not end! The scale still was down in the morning. I was right back on track.

Breakfasts were typically:

Fruits and Steel Cut Oatmeal

or Almond Buttered Toast

It is essential to really give yourself a variety of scrumptious fruit choices. They taste especially sweet and delicious when you're cleansed of sugar. (I probably would have strayed to the cookie jar much sooner without them!)

Again, it is so important to make your plates look good! Try to enjoy each bite and avoid multi-tasking while eating. Sometimes I even light a candle to remind myself to slow down and savor my food.

If I am unavoidably distracted, I walk away and leave my food for later rather than shoveling it in to finish the meal. It is always a treat to come back for more!

Lunches and dinners included:

Rice Noodles with Broccoli and Peas
Side of Fresh Tomatoes with Dill

Baked Sweet Potato "Swimming" in 17-Bean Soup
Side of Fresh Cucumbers and Spicy Hummus

Green Peas and Rice Mixed with Collard Greens

I added some chili flakes for a little zip! For the rest of the fam, I added shrimp and soy-aki sauce. I have to admit I felt a little deprived because their plates looked and smelled better. So I ate a few forkfuls of Ava's noodles. Whoops!

I've eaten lots of Rice Pasta with Tomato Basil Marinara, Polenta, my Fabulosa Beans and Rice rolled in Corn Tortillas, and many variations of Soups.

While you're eating all this good food, don't forget the WATER!

This is my very own 2-quart container. (I purposely left the Ruby Red Grapefruit label on because it looks tantalizing.)

I don't drink it straight from the bottle; I keep a cup on my dining room table and every time I walk past I take a giant guzzle. It still surprises me when I finish the entire thing.

My mom gave me a great visual that drives home the importance of drinking water and avoiding dehydration. Think of a poinsettia plant around the holidays. How sad, withered and droopy it looks when neglected. But serve up a healthy dose of agua and watch it perk right up!

The leaves green up and unshrivel, and the blooms become stunning and vibrant. We need water to remain stunning and vibrant! And it's especially important during a cleanse when your body needs to eliminate all those accumulated toxins.

Exercise is now a daily event. There were some missed days, and psychologically it really affects me. I now wake up early so I can accomplish my workout before the craziness starts. Darrell has taken on the responsibility of getting the kids ready for school and I get home just in time to kiss their sweet little cheeks before they get on the bus.

One more thing. I have continued cleansing my environment. I eliminated a laundry basket-sized load of paperwork and set up a really efficient filing system, so a backup of this magnitude never happens again. (Man, that still feels so good!) I cleaned out two more closets. And I am rocking on the basement.

Days 9-13

I know, I know!

I haven't blogged in days. The GOOD NEWS is that I'm still on the cleanse and my house, husband and children have received some much-needed attention.

I am in a real groove with the foods I am eating and I find it pretty easy to avoid the many tempting foods that seem to be around me at all times.

The past few Friday evenings, our neighborhood has hosted impromptu parties at the nearby skating rink. Everyone brings food, pizza is ordered, wine is concealed in thermoses -- you get the idea. My thermos held hot peppermint tea. I didn't bring healthy snacks but it was really okay, because I spent most of the time taking skates on and off Ava. She brought two pair and neither fit well but she kept trying. I avoided the food table altogether.

Another huge victory was Sunday morning, when a friend took my family out to The Original Pancake House for breakfast. Everyone ordered chocolate chip pancakes (served with whipped cream, and small pitchers of maple syrup and chocolate sauce) and bacon. I ate a hefty bowl of oatmeal before we left and enjoyed some raspberry rose herbal tea. I loved the little teapot they left at the table for me and focused on that rather than the decadent and oh-so-reachable food. (Can't walk away from it when you're in a booth!)

As the days go by and I feel healthier and thinner, it all seems well worth the sacrifices. I love grapefruit, and I really look forward to my breakfasts in the morning. I usually have oatmeal with fruit and nuts, or I go for a "donut" -- brown rice bread toast with almond butter with a side of fruit. (Sometimes I eat two donuts!)

You're looking at a bowl of steel cut oatmeal with blueberries and pecans about two seconds before I ate it. The serving is generous, and because I always drink a full glass of water before any meal it really fills me up.

Water really is a key part of this cleanse. Fill a washed 2-quart juice container with water and set it on your kitchen counter. Make sure to drink it all by mid afternoon or if you're like me, you'll have many nightime trips to the bathroom.

Here is a typical lunch of soup -- split pea in this photo -- with some veggies. Again, after drinking the water I found it so filling Darrell had to finish my carrots. (This is surprising because I typically feel like a bottomless pit.) I put some rice vinegar and EVOO on the veggies to give them a little oomph.

I always try to make my meals look nice, adding a garnish if I can. It just makes it feel more special and adds to the "conscious eating" aspect of this cleanse. I care about what I'm eating, where it came from, and how I present it to myself. And I am grateful.

Here's a little polenta for dinner topped with tomato basil pasta sauce from TJ's. I sauteed the baby bella mushrooms in EVOO. Very tasty!

Obviously, I didn't repeat these meals every day. This is just a sampling of what I did eat.

Exercise: The gym is essential for several reasons. It allows me to get out of the house, watch cable on the elliptical, and savor the steam.

Some days I even try to meditate. Meditation is one of the eight pillars of wellness presented in Freston's book and it can be difficult. I have lots of chatter going on in my head and in that steam room I find enough peace to quiet the noise.

Days 7 and 8

Happy Not-So-Fat Tuesday!

Amy hosted her annual Fat Tuesday Party tonight at church with lots of friends and a decadent amount of cajun gumbo and shrimp etouffee, ladled over waiting bowls of fragrant rice. Side dishes and desserts were EVERYWHERE.

Not to worry, Darrell ate enough for both of us.

I brought a hefty serving of my 17-bean and barley soup and some collard greens, with grapefruit chunks and kiwi for dessert. I left with a full belly and a light conscience. Though I try to be discreet about not eating what everyone else is enjoying, many people pointed out how wrong it was for me not to indulge. Besides feeling quite full and really healthy, I have six good reasons for staying on track.

Pounds. Six of them.

I realize that it's a pretty significant loss for just one week on the cleanse, but I'm also aware that it will probably even out over the next week -- I'm estimating three pounds per week given the diet change and increased exercise. We'll see.

No big meal breakthroughs these past few days, except for the yummy soup made with Trader Joe's 17-bean mix, vegetable stock, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Will my friends tell me if I reek? (I know you will, Gina!) Otherwise, I've eaten various versions of what I've already posted the past few days. I will never tire of almond butter toast. I told Darrell it tastes like a donut!

One more thing. Part of "the cleanse" is to tackle other areas of your life that may be cluttered. In my case, it's my laundry room and I am on Day 2 of purging. So far I have three giant garbage bags stuffed with linens, towels and unwanted clothing. That feels really good. I've been hanging on to so many things for sentimental reasons, like the half-dozen scarves a dear relative made that my children will not wear. I hope those beautiful scarves warm some little boy or girl somewhere some day soon. They do no good lingering in my laundry room.

That's all for tonight. Good night!

Days 4, 5 and 6

I am a survivor!

I endured my first party Friday night with yummy and tempting food all around me. The saving grace was bringing some cleanse-friendly treats for myself. I enjoyed veggies and hummus, popcorn and later a Cocktail Grapefruit -- which is not actually a grapefruit but a sweet, juicy cross between a Frua Mandarin and a Pummelo.

I made another trip to Trader Joe's and stocked up with some new things. (Look at my beautiful fruit above!)

This blogging business takes more time than I have, so I will no longer include all the scrumptious details of my meals. You'll also notice a decrease in photos. I'm sorry, friends, though I think my mother is the only one who actually reads this!

Breakfasts have been mainly oatmeal and fruit or almond butter toast and fruit. I try to vary the fruit so it doesn't get boring. For lunches and dinners, I love sweet potatoes, pasta, rice or beans with veggies and fruit for dessert. Soups are great, too. You can make them yourself or buy soups labeled "Vegan." Trader Joe's has a great split pea variety.

Another challenge: Yesterday my inlaws brought over pizza and this cinnamon dessert that looked like a pizza with frosting dipping sauce. Part of me felt like eating it because they seemed disappointed that I wouldn't partake -- I didn't want to appear ungrateful or high maintenance, but I've worked myself to a point where I didn't even want it. (Okay, I wanted the dessert big time, but not the sausage-laden greasy pizza.)

I whipped out some corn tortillas and warmed them in a little olive oil, topping them with black beans, rice, onions and some delicious Trader Joe's chipotle salsa. The tortillas were on the smaller side so I had three of them, which seemed like an indulgent feast. For dessert? Fresh strawberries! Darrell was happy because he got to gorge himself on the chocolate chip raspberry meringue cookies his mother made the two of us for Valentine's Day.

It makes me stronger every time I overcome one of these temptations. (Hopefully slightly smaller in the hips, too.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Day 3

I live in a zoo.

In addition to four wonderful kids and a husband, I share my home with two dogs, one cat, two gerbils, one quaker parrot, a fish and two african dwarf frogs. I love these animals with all my heart. (Secretly, I think I always wanted to own a pet shop.) They are such pure, gentle spirits and they bring me joy every day.

That said, I have spent my entire life eating and loving meat. I made it an intentional act NOT to think about the poor creature who gave its life for that grilled flank steak on my plate. I'm not going to get all preachy vegan right now, but my eyes have been opened to the horrible treatment these animals face as well as the many health risks we take consuming them.

It's time to wake up and smell the problem. Millions of Americans now say no to meat. As they do so, their cholesterol levels plummet. Their coronary arteries open up again. Their waistlines shrink, and according to nutrition researcher Neal D. Barnard, M.D., their cancer rates drop 40 percent.

Have I gone vegan? I can't say for sure. The thought of eating meat grosses me out at the moment -- even chicken. Blech. (I shouldn't have watched some of those youtube videos!) Most likely I will significantly reduce the animal-based entrees that grace my dinner table.

Understanding that beans, nuts and vegetables offer more than enough protein eliminates the myth I always bought into that we need meat.

Anyway, I feel really good today. I am amazed that after an early dinner -- a light one, at that -- I feel full at 9 p.m. There is definitely something to this and I like it.

Here's what I ate today.


Breakfast:

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Blueberries
Toasted Rice Bread
Natural Chunky Peanut Butter








Lunch:

Polenta with Organic Pasta Sauce
Leftover Greens
Celery
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus






Dinner: I blew it! I don't have a photo because I remembered two bites before it was all gone. Dinner started out as a snack. I really liked my peanut butter toast I ate for breakfast, so I made myself a slice. And then another. At that point, I decided to make it dinner so I reached in and grabbed the celery and hummus. Dessert was a delicious red apple with cinnamon. But as I wrote earlier, it is 9 p.m. and I enjoyed my early supper at 5 p.m.

Exercise: 45 minutes on the recumbant bike today!