Post Clean Program...What's Next?

I was a little nervous to stop the Clean Program because I was feeling so great and liked my routine. I'm definitely comfortable with repetition, and after 21 days I had developed a lot of habits. I wanted to stay at a place where I didn't have wild hunger swings or sugar cravings and continued to ate food slowly and mindfully. I also liked avoiding some of the allergenic food because it has mad me feel so much better, though I do want to start introducing them in one at a time so I know what (if anything) I react to. Here's what happened my first week post-Clean.

(Note: all meat and produce was organic. I took fish oil, probiotics, MSM powder, Dr. Ben Kim's Greens, CoQ10, and Antronex, a natural anti-histamine, daily. Also, I apologize for the minimal photos! I accidentally deleted them from my camera, but there are 2 at the end...)

Day 1 Post Clean - August 30th

Workout - 45 minute walk

Breakfast - shake with protein powder, banana(!!), almond butter, almond milk, ice; Teeccino with stevia

Snack - pluot

Lunch - cabbage apple slaw (leftover from the Karve seminar in Mesa) with chicken; iced green tea

Snack - cucumbers with avocado; 2 bites of chicken

Dinner - salmon, red quinoa, and sauteed summer vegetables; herbal tea

So far, so great! I felt totally satisfied with my meals and didn't have sweet cravings after dinner. I don't notice a change with adding the banana, so I'm going to have them again. They're my favorite pre-workout snack!

Day 2 Post Clean - August 31st

Pre-workout snack - banana with almond butter

Workout #1 - 1 hour walk

Workout #2 - P90X Core Synergistics

Breakfast - shake with protein powder, chia seeds, nectarine, spinach, cinnamon, sunflower seed butter, almond milk, ice

Lunch - salmon and chicken, red quinoa, sauteed vegetables, salad with goat cheese(!!); green tea

Snack - peach, bite of dark chocolate (didn't taste very good), cucumber with avocado

Dinner - shake with protein powder, chia seeds, frozen raspberries and blueberries, almond butter, almond milk, cinnamon

I was very hungry today, most likely because I bumped up my workout to pre-Clean levels again (2 full hours). Still, I was craving a shake for dinner, which was really surprising. I'm really happy with the way my taste buds and preferences have changed. This would not be possible if I didn't really enjoy and feel satisfied by the foods I'm eating, since I believe in eating for satisfaction. It's amazing how our bodies respond when we give them a break.

Day 3 Post Clean - September 1st

Pre-workout snack - brown rice cake with peanut butter

Workout #1 - 1 hour walk

Workout #2 - P90X Kenpo (40 minutes of it)

Breakfast - shake with protein powder, chia seeds, nectarine, cinnamon, almond butter, almond milk, ice; Teeccino with stevia

Snack - plum

Lunch - salad with goat cheese and Bragg's Healthy Vinaigrette, sauteed vegetables, salmon, red quinoa; green tea

Snack - cucumber with avocado, 1 1/2 brown rice cakes

Dinner - cabbage, avocado, and onion slaw with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and pepper, tuna, and a few bites of grilled grass-fed beef; bite of raw fudge (almond butter, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla, shredded unsweetened coconut)

I felt great today until the evening, when I was really hungry and really tired. I've also been working a lot (outside of my full-time job, which is brain-consuming on its own). I honestly crashed at 8:30 pm! I think I need to rest a lot more!!

Day 4 Post Clean - September 2nd

Happy 90210 Day! (9/02/10!)

Pre-workout snack - brown rice cake with almond butter

Workout #1 - 1 hour walk

Workout #2 - P90X yoga (75 minutes)

Breakfast - shake with protein powder, chia seeds, banana, peanut butter, almond milk, ice (my favorite combo!); Teeccino with stevia

Snack - cucumber with sea salt

Lunch - cabbage, onion, avocado slaw with grass-fed beef patty; bite of Jess' Lush burger (just the meat); green tea

Snack - coconut Lara bar

Dinner - more cabbage onion, avocado slaw with microgreens, grass-fed beef patty

Snack - apple with cinnamon

Today was a little repetitive because I was trying to use up some food, but it was certainly delicious! My husband also really liked the cabbage, onion, avocado slaw (with olive oil, red wine vinegar, stevia, garlic, sea salt, and pepper dressing), and he commented on how filling it was. The apple with cinnamon "dessert" hit the spot for something when I got a bit hungry later in the evening but didn't want anything heavy.

Day 5 Post Clean - September 3rd

Workout - 1 hour walk/run

Breakfast - shake with protein powder, Thorne Medibulk fiber powder (8 g per scoop), nectarine, sunflower seed butter, almond milk, ice; Teeccino with almond milk and stevia

Snack - sliced cucumber with sea salt

Lunch - Chipotle Friday! Salad with chicken, beans, fajita veggies (nightshades for the first time!!), salsa, guacamole, lettuce; green tea

Snack - coconut Lara bar

Dinner - U of A game watching! 1 blue cheese chip (definitely not palatable!), salmon, steamed veggies, sauteed cabbage, marinara sauce(!!); 1 glass of red wine(!!)

Today was my first foray into alcohol, and I immediately noticed some nasal congestion after my one glass of wine! Otherwise, I can't tell if I'm really sensitive to any of the foods I have been adding. I definitely have no appetite for fried foods or anything really heavy. It has completely lost its appeal.

Day 6 Post Clean - August 4th

Workout #1 - 30 minute walk

Breakfast - smoothie with protein/fiber powders, frozen strawberries(!), sunflower seed butter, almond milk, ice; Teeccino

Workout #2 - Karve class

Lunch - steamed carrots/broccoli/cauliflower, tuna, and cabbage salad with goat cheese and avocado

Snack - brown rice cake with almond butter and a peach

Happy hour/Dinner - 1 glass of red wine, 1 glass of champagne, cherry tomatoes, 2 cubes of cheese; grilled elk, vegetable salad with feta, and a few bites of potatoes

Out at the bar - 1 vodka soda, bite of brownie sundae, solid dark chocolate

2 a.m. late-night snack - 1 apple

We got dessert for the table when we were out, and it definitely did not sit well with me! The chocolate tasted good, but it was really heavy and hurt my stomach. The brownie sundae was really not appealing after one bite. I'm a self-professed choco-holic, so this was a definite surprise. I was starving when we got home at 2 a.m. and had an apple, which satisfied me even though I was surrounded by Taco Bell!

Day 7 Post Clean - September 5th

Brunch - brown rice cake with peanut butter (absolutely starving upon awakening); buckwheat pancakes with banana and almond butter; cantaloupe and watermelon; Teeccino

This was our brunch set up. I cooked for some of our dearest friends :)

Snack - raw vegetables with olive oil and vinegar, goat cheese; cantaloupe and watermelon

Dinner - grilled chicken, coleslaw (made with cabbage, carrots, onions, avocado, goat cheese, olive oil, vinegars, lemon juice, garlic), local grilled corn with butter, sea salt, and pepper; green tea

Snack - cantaloupe and watermelon

Even though I had 3 drinks over the course of 9 hours last night, I felt as if I had 9 drinks over the course of 3 hours! (OK, I didn't feel THAT bad, but I certainly cannot handle much alcohol anymore!) The big difference, however, was that I did not crave greasy hangover foods today and felt normal pretty quickly. I was very hungry when I woke up because of alcohol's effects on blood sugar. Throughout the Clean Program my blood sugar has been kept pretty regulated, so it felt uncomfortable being so hungry.

Well, that's all folks...no more weekly food diaries! I hope you have enjoyed reading about my interesting, difficult journey with the Clean Program and the aftermath. I have learned so much about myself, and my body, preferences, and and feelings toward food have changed dramatically. If you ever have any questions about this experience, please let me know.

*M*