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Today was a much better day.  I slept really well, got plenty of sleep and woke up refreshed and in a better mood.  At this point, I have been sleeping very deeply and wake up refreshed and ready to start my day.  I also have noticed that I have tons of energy for my day and I don't experience the midday slump that I used to get, even after traffic.  However, I have noticed that I do get tired a little earlier at night.  In the past, I would stay up until 1 am or even 2 am and not feel sleepy, but now I start to get sleepy by 11pm and am ready for bed by midnight.  

The food was so filling today that I didn't experience any hunger in between meals.  As I've mentioned, ALL the food is very filling and perhaps my stomach has shrunk or is used to eating this way, so I'm not getting hungry anymore.  I also don't really experience cravings and I didn't have that craving for chocolate today that I did the other day, BUT I did really want to have a cocktail tonight.  The weekend started, so of course I wanted to go out with my friends and have a cocktail, but I refrained.  That has been one of the hardest things to get used to…turning your friends down for happy hour or going out to eat.  It's been eye-opening how much everything revolves around food and drinks though.  I've been spammed with emails from restaurants telling me to celebrate Mother's Day at their restaurant for a special price.  Of course they offer a special menu and it always includes dessert.  It's scary how much we are marketed to for food.  No wonder we struggle with our weight.

Speaking of weight, I did not experience a change in my weight from yesterday to today.  I'm still down 6 lbs. and today I had a great bowel movement, so I'm wondering if that might change tomorrow.  In any case, I'm just happy the scale isn't going in the opposite direction.  I'm wondering what will happen when I'm finished doing resetting and am back to working out.  Will the scale shift or will it stay the same?  We'll see.

The last thing I did want to note is that I experienced some headaches later in the evening.  It may be because I'm on my monthly cycle and I do get headaches every once in a while during that time or it may be because I didn't have as much water today as I would have liked.  I'm going to modify my water and see if that helps.  I have a very busy day tomorrow, so I'll keep you posted on how things go with day 20.  Almost finished.  Yippee!!!!

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate (fruit lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch:  Micrgreen salad and hearty miso soup
Dinner:  Moroccan roasted beats, spinach and baked tempeh

Current weight loss:  6 lbs.  (no change from yesterday)

Click below for a video recap of day 19. 

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Today was a challenging day.  Despite the fact that I got great sleep, I woke up a little grumpy and stayed that way for most of the day due to some not so favorable circumstances.  It wasn't challenging in terms of the reset…just my mood.  Physically, I felt fine.  I had plenty of energy and was alert and awake and didn't feel tired at all.  Also, I wasn't hungry in between meals and all of my meals were fantastic today.  By late afternoon, I started to feel a bit better, but not quite myself.  As I mentioned, I had some unfavorable circumstances happen today and that completely altered my mood, but I know it will be better tomorrow. 

In terms of weight loss, I'm still down 6 lbs.  My weight did not shift even 1 ounce from yesterday to today, so that was a pleasant surprise.  I'm still feeling very light and slim the entire day and even after I eat dinner.  Usually I bloat after dinner and feel heavy after meals, but I'm not experiencing that at all.  It's great to see that my clothes are fitting so much better.

I'm so close to finishing the reset and I'm so excited to be able to have more leeway with my meals after I finish.  It definitely has been difficult not being able to go out with my friends and enjoy eating a meal with them, but it's been worth it.  I know thatI'm ready to incorporate yogurt, eggs and some whole grain bread back into my diet, but I'm still not ready to start eating meat.  It's been a great experience to feed my body what it really needs and in turn it's craving those things, even after 18 days.  I'll definitely keep eating this way moving forward since the food has been so enjoyable.  

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate (fruit lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch: Moroccan carrot salad on top of greens
Dinner: Roasted fennel bulb with brown rice and broccoli 

Current weight loss:  6 lbs  (no weight change from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 18.

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I'm officially dedicating this post to all women.  Why?  Because we all have or have had one thing in common…our monthly cycle.  Without sharing too much information, for years I would get cramps, bloating, headaches, nausea, swelling, increased appetite, water retention, weight gain, mood swings, etc.  BUT today, I experienced none of that.  It was an amazing breakthrough.  I can't believe how light I felt and experienced no water weight, no cramping AND I actually lost weight.  Hallelujah.  I beat mother nature.  AHHHH….I'm just feeling so fantastic.  Seriously, my body has never responded so well to something like this before and I'm so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to reset my body to its natural state. 

Did you know that so many of our hormonal "issues" can actually be caused by the foods/chemicals you put in your body?  Well, let me attest to you that it's true.  Today, I did not experience any fatigue, sleepiness or mood swings and actually was more alert and ready to move on with my day than usual.  I also did not feel hungry in between meals and I know I can attribute that to the portions and natural foods that my body is now consuming.  The best part is that I'm not missing meat at all, which is something I thought I would miss.  The only thing that I will say that I experienced today was a craving for chocolate.  It's the one thing I couldn't beat mother nature at, but I did find a solution.  NO, I did not eat chocolate…remember, I haven't had caffeine, refined sugar or even dairy in 17 days and we all know that chocolate has all three of those ingredients.  Instead, I ate something that was on my meal plan and it completely curbed my craving for chocolate.  What was it?  It was 1 small green apple (sliced) sprinkled with cinnamon.  Voila!  No more chocolate cravings.  There are so many benefits to cinnamon and curving chocolate cravings happens to be one of them.  I definitely recommend this for you ladies reading this and I will incorporate this into my diet moving forward.  

Regarding other bodily functions, such as my bowel movements, everything is looking great.  I'm very regular and feel like the Release Phase is still having residual effects on my body.  I'm slimmer and my clothes are very loose.  It was a great day and never in a million years thought that I would feel like this during my cycle. 

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate (made with fruit lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch:  Spinach salad with tomatoes and jicama
Dinner:  Kabocha squash with green beans and a  side of toasted millet
Optional snack:  1 green apple dusted with cinnamon 

Current weight loss:  6 lbs (down 6 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 17
 

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Today was a great day.  In spite of the fact that I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted to get, I still felt like I had tons of energy.  I woke up a little sleepy, but I was not dragging and my body did not feel physically tired the whole day.  I just felt like I wanted to tackle the whole day and kept myself busy with work, cooking and even hosting my weekly fit club. 

The food today was also amazing today.  I love starting the day out with a big fruit plate and then having a salad with toasted cashews.  Adding the nuts to my salad not only gives me the protein that I need, but it also gives the salad a nice texture as well.  Both breakfast and lunch were great, but dinner was particularly spectacular.  It consisted of a whole head of cauliflower, brown rice and spinach.  Now, I've had cauliflower before, but this was roastedcurried cauliflower and it was simply amazing.  It was beyond filling and I almost got to a point where I couldn't finish it all.  The best part was that my stomach still stayed flat even after I ate it and I did not bloat or feel uncomfortable after eating it the way that meat tends to make you feel.  In the past 2 weeks of eating mostly veggies, I can honestly say that I do NOT miss chicken, fish, or beef at all and I am not even feeling hungry in between meals anymore because the meals are so filling.  I'm wondering when I will incorporate chicken, fish and beef back into my diet, but I'm not going to rush it.  Like I said, I'm definitely not craving it. 

Another added benefit of eating this many veggies is that I'm very regular and it is much more substantial than before.  It's definitely a more natural process as well and it feels great to be able to get rid of so much extra waste.  The average human carries about 10-15 lbs of extra waste in their body, so it's very relieving to be able to get rid of it and it is definitely showing up on the scale.  I'm still losing weight consistently even though I gained 4 ounces yesterday.  I'm not worried about the "weight gain" because I know that I fluctuate daily and will probably lose that and more tomorrow.  It's a steady loss.

It was definitely a great day and I'm please with my progress so far.  I am starting to crave working out again, but I'll hold out until my 21 days are done.  It's almost here.  Ahhhhh!!!!

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate (fruits lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch:  Microgreen salad with raw cashews
Dinner:  Curried cauliflower, spinach and brown rice

Current weight loss: 5.4 lbs (+4 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 16

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This last week is going to be a breeze.  I can't believe I'm down to the last phase, the Restore Phase.  This week, I will be removing the Detox packet and will be adding a new supplement called Revitalize.  Since my body was doing a colon cleanse last week, the Revitalize will help put the flora back into my digestive tract.  It's in pill form and is very easy to swallow, so I'm very grateful that I don't have to mix another powder in my water.  Such a breeze. 

Today, I actually had 2 great bowel movements.  I think it may be some of the residual waste from the detox packet I had been taking last week, but it's so great to see that it is still working even though I'm not taking the packet anymore.  Even now being off the colon cleanse week, I'm still not experiencing any cramping, stomach pains or discomfort before, during or after, I use the restroom.  

I'm also feeling much lighter and don't have any bloating, so of course, my clothes are much looser and my wedding ring is even loose.  Before I started the Ultimate Reset, I would bloat so much after dinner and my stomach would protrude so much that I would sometime have a "muffin top", but now that I'm resetting my body, I've found that after dinner, even though I eat tons of food, my stomach stays flat and I don't swell at all.  It's amazing to see what foods can do to our bodies and it's definitely been eye-opening.  

I did feel a little tired today late in the afternoon because I was stuck in traffic, but it wasn't anything nap-worthy and as soon as I got home, I was fine.  Overall, I've had tons more energy and don't get that midday slump anymore.  I also did not experience as much hunger today as in previous days, perhaps since I ate the optional snack.  The snack definitely does help, but in general I wasn't as hungry in between meals today.  It could have been because I was so busy, but it was great nonetheless. 

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate (made with fruit lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch:  Asian cabbage salad and 1 serving of miso soup
Optional snack:  1 green apple
Dinner: Baked sweet potato, garlic veggies and 1 serving quinoa

Current weight loss:  5.8 lbs  (down 2 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 15 and my foreword of the final Restore Phase. 

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Two weeks down.  HA!  I'm getting so close I can taste it.  Okay, so you're wondering if this Ultimate Reset is really that bad and in all honesty, it's not.  It does challenge you, but the effects it's had on my body have been amazing and I've learned so much about food as well as myself.

To give you a brief recap of the Release Phase (phase 2), it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.  It consisted of eating a strict vegan diet, meaning no animal bi-products, proteins, dairy, or lactose.  Mainly, I was eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, but all of the recipes were delicious, so I didn't miss meat at all.  To this day, I haven't missed meat.  I will say that I do miss yogurt, some mild cheeses and this whole grain bread that I recently discovered from Whole Foods, but I'm not dying here.  The menu has done a great job of incorporating very tasty meals into my day and they definitely fill and satisfy me.  

Actually, the most difficult part of the Release Phase, was drinking the detox packet 3 times a day for 7 days.  As I mentioned in my previous post, it tastes like a garlic seasoning that you season meat with.  It's not pleasant, but I was able to get it down. I'm just happy that part is over, but in terms of bowel movements, my bowel movements were more substantial the 2nd week and fortunately I did NOT suffer from any diarrhea, stomach aches, cramps, headaches, indigestion or any other ailments while taking the detox packet.  It was very gentle on my body, so while the taste was bad, the effects were great.  

With the 2nd phase, I also noticed that I had more energy than the 1st week and my moods were much more stable.  During the first phase (Reclaim Phase), I was very moody and irritable….a sign that my body was doing some major detoxing at that point.  During phase 2, I was much more like myself and generally in a great mood.  I did notice that I did take a couple of dips of energy during the day though.  I started sleeping very heavily and would wake up refreshed, but then midday, I felt exhausted a couple of days and felt like my legs were incredibly heavy.  It was nothing that I couldn't handle.  In fact, I found myself taking a nap one day, which was very unexpected, but very much needed.  

In 14 days, I have lost 5.6 lbs and I'm feeling much slimmer and the bloating that I usually find around my midsection is gone.  I tend to retain a lot of water and feel puffy in my hands, feet, midsection and face, especially eating salty foods, but I've noticed that my clothes are fitting better and my jeans are at the point of almost falling off.  In fact, my wedding ring is even fitting better since my fingers are not swollen.  Love it. 

In terms of today, I did find myself struggling with energy.  I woke up feeling refreshed, but after spending most of the day preparing, cooking and cleaning up for my meals, I felt exhausted and my legs felt heavy again.  The other downside of today is that I didn't have a very good bowel movement.  It was much smaller than in previous days and I felt a little blocked afterwards.  I know that I didn't keep up with my water yesterday or the day before and that is probably why my bowel movements have not been up to par, so I'm definitely going to bump up the water to see if that helps.   

My overall review of the Release Phase is that it was a pretty great week, filled with challenges, triumphs, energy, sleep and great digestion.  Week 1 does a great job of preparing you for the 2nd week, so you'll find that it's much easier than you think to go without eating meat.  I'm looking forward to the last phase, the Restore Phase, where I will be minimizing grains even more, but will start putting back minerals taken our during the Release Phase.  Only 7 more days…here we go.

MEALS
Breakfast: Fruit plate (fruit, lower on the glycemic index) 
Lunch: Microgreen salad and 1 serving of Kabocha squash soup
Dinner: Edamame and Roasted Corn Succotash and 1 serving of steamed spinach (substituted for kale)

Current weight loss:  5.6 lbs (down 4 ounces from the previous day)

Click below to watch a video recap of the Release Phase and day number 14. 

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Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!  Usually, I go out to some Mexican/Tex Mex restaurant and drink a margarita to celebrate the "holiday"; however, being on the Ultimate Reset right now, I didn't have the option to celebrate in the typical fashion, but that's okay.  There have been several sacrifices, struggles and triumphs along the way during this reset and this was a tiny bump in the road.  Instead of putting unhealthy options in my body this year, I stuck with my meal plan and had a shopping day with my mom.  All in all, it was fantastic.  Shopping was fruitful and walking around the mall was a mini workout that I have been craving.  Would you like to know the bonus?  I lost weight.   How many of you can say that you lost weight after a day of drinking for a holiday festivity?  

Fortunately, I planned my day ahead of time and pre-packed my lunch, snack and supplements with me so that I would be prepared and I was until it came to dinner.  Time got away from me and I spent more time than planned at the mall and didn't have enough time to prepare dinner before I headed to an evening movie.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to eat dinner until after my movie let out and then I still had to prepare and cook my meal.  It was about 11pm by the time I actually ate dinner and was starving by that time, but I made it.  It was challenging to have to wait without grabbing something and what made it more difficult was that my husband ate a pizza right next to me while we were watching the movie.  Not that I really craved pizza, but I was already hungry, so naturally it smelled amazing and made my stomach grumble.  Of course he offered me some of his pizza, but I held my ground and waited patiently until I got home to eat dinner.  A triumph!  There have been outings and temptations all along the way, but I am reminded that there is something bigger and more important than just the taste of something tempting.  I WILL succeed because in the grand scheme of things, 21 days is nothing.

Overall I felt great today.  I had an amazing amount of energy and not once did I feel tired.  I also didn't really feel a ton of hunger all day until dinner for obvious reasons, but by the time I did have dinner, I tried another new dish.  It was Kabocha squash with a tahini sauce and I was actually impressed with how delicious it was.  Another new addition to my healthy food options and another successful day is in the bag.  I'm getting closer to the finish line and I'm extremely happy that I'm almost finished with the Release Phase, mostly because of the detox packet that I've been having to drink, but also because it means I'm closer to the finish line.

MEALS
Breakfast:  Tropical Strawberry Shakeology (Mojito recipe)
Lunch:  Microgreen salad with a side of roasted beets
Optional Snack:  1 green apple and 1 cup of blueberries
Dinner:  Kabocha squash with tahini sauce and a side of steamed veggies

Current weight loss:  5.2 lbs  (down 2 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 13

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Wow, this week has been going by so fast.  I don't mind it because I'm ready to get past this detox week, but not for the reason you might think.  You may be thinking that I'm tethered to the bathroom, but that' actually not it.  The reason I'm ready for it to be over is because I'm ready to be finished taking the detox supplement.  As you may have read or seen in my vlog, the detox packet is not pleasant to swallow, BUT it's totally doing the job in a nice and mild way.  I'm actually down 5 lbs today and have felt very regular this entire week.  For some reason, the first week of the Ultimate Reset, I felt like my bowel movements were not as substantial.  I definitely was regular, but I felt a little bit blocked. In any case, it's great to see that the detox week is really doing its job. 

My energy was great today and I felt great.  The only thing I noticed was that my legs get heavy at times, especially when going up and down the stairs.  It's almost like I have no strength when I get up and move around.  It's very odd, but it's nothing major.  I kind of go in waves, but by the end of the night, I'm definitely tired and ready for bed.  I find that I fall asleep very quickly and I stay asleep as well.  It's a very deep level of sleep and most days I wake up feeling clear headed and ready to tackle the day.

Tonight's dinner consisted of eating something new for me…collard greens.  I wasn't sure how I was going to like them, but they weren't bad.  They were a little bitter, but the onion, salt and coconut milk gave them a nice flavor.  I was really surprised with how big the leaves are.  Check out the picture to the right…that's just one leaf.  WOW.  While I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's dinner, it didn't seem to satisfy my appetite.  I could have definitely eaten more since the beets were delicious, but I stayed the course.  On a side note, I never knew that  would like beets so much.  All of the food has really been amazing and I will definitely be incorporating these recipes into my daily diet even after I finish the reset.  

In any case, I'm still feeling a little hungry in between meals and especially at night after dinner.  Tonight, I actually went to the movies with my husband after dinner and I was so grateful that he didn't get popcorn, candy or ice cream.  I think that would have been tough for me to resist.  What a trooper he was.  Perhaps, if I would have eaten the optional snack today, I may not have felt as hungry.  It's definitely noteworthy. 

All in all, it was a great low-key Friday and I'm feeling amazing.  I'm glad I'm on the decline of the reset, but it's been such a wonderful experience and I can't wait to share all of the things I've learned along the way.  

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate (fruit that is lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch:  Microgreen salad and 1 serving of hearty miso soup
Dinner:  Roasted beets, 1 cup of collard greens and 1 serving of quinoa (optional)

Current weight loss:  5 lbs (down 6 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 12. 

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Halfway through.  YAY!!!!   
Today, I was surprisingly tired when I woke up.  Up to this point I have been having waves of energy mixed with exhaustion, but today, I just had no desire to do anything at all; therefore, I took a nap.  My body really needed it and I listened.  This was the first time I had ever taken a nap during the reset, but I'm so glad I took one because I felt great after I woke up.  

The food is still amazing.  The only downside is that I do get hungry during the day and especially at night after dinner.  Tonight I had less of a hard time since I ate the optional snack before dinner, but I still felt hunger late at night.  This week consists of less carbs and more veggies, so while I get full during the meal, I don't necessarily stay full hours later.   On the plus side, because of the food and the supplements, my bowel movements are great.  I'm very regular and still have not experienced any upset stomach, cramping, gas or diarrhea.  This detox is very gentle on your system, so it's a gradual colon cleanse.

The one thing I am really starting to miss is working out.  I'm used to working out daily, so to not be able to exercise as intensely as before has been a drastic change for me.  I do understand why I can't do P90X, Insanity or Turbo Fire right now and in all honesty, I'm not sure my body could do it at the moment, especially since I was so tired today, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my workouts and building muscle.  My plan is to start with day 1 of Les Mills Pump after I finish the detox.  It's an excellent resistance training program and I know that it will help me build muscle and regain my strength after being away from working out.  I'm pretty excited.  

Overall, I'm feeling great.  My mood is great and I'm enjoying the things that I'm learning along the way.  I thought I ate pretty clean before, but wow, this has been eye opening.  I'm very aware of some of the bad habits I had, like eating out of boredom or just because the food is there.  Also, who knew I would enjoy beets, tempeh and even swiss chard as much as I have?  What a great learning experience so far.  

MEALS
Breakfast: Fresh fruit plate (made with fruit that is lower on the glycemic index)
Lunch:  Quinoa/Lentil Pilaf, served with tomato and cucumber salad
Optional Snack:  1 green apple and 1 cup of blueberries
Dinner:  Hearty miso soup and 1 cup of steamed swiss chard

Current weight loss: 4.4 lbs (+2 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 11

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I can't stress enough how fabulous the food is during this Ultimate Reset. Honestly, there are so many recipes that I will continue to eat even after the reset and one of my favorites was from tonight's dinner.  It was a quinoa/lentil pilaf that had carrots, red bell peppers and celery mixed in.  Wow.  I'm truly surprised that I'm enjoying some of the ingredients as much as I am.  Never would I have thought that I would be such a fan of red bell peppers since I never liked them before, but it's a great addition to my food choices.  It's just a sign that my body has started to crave the things that my body needs.  

Regarding how I felt, today I had a gradual drop in energy.  I started out the day off fine and thought that I felt well rested, but then after lunch, my energy level dropped.  As I went up and down the stairs, my legs felt so heavy and even walking to and from my car when I went to the store felt like a task.  It's not a feeling of weakness, just a feeling of not having energy to do anything.  It's so important to listen to your body, so I ended up taking it easy and just watched a movie with my husband.  I'm hopeful that my energy will pick up, but I'm definitely glad that I haven't been working out during this time.

Speaking of my husband, today marked our 5 year anniversary and while many couples choose to celebrate by going out to a lavish dinner, we opted to stay in and just be together (not that I could've eaten anyway).  I, of course, ate my reset meal, but my hubby actually went to Chipotle for his dinner.  At first I had no interest in his meal, but after he opened his burrito, the tortilla was a little tempting.  No way was I going to give in and take a bite, but it sure did look good.  I can't imagine what that would have done to my insides if I had succumbed to its temptation.  I'm sure I would have felt horrible, not only physically, but emotionally as well.   

I'm definitely sleeping more deeply…to the point where I feel like nothing can really wake me up.  It's a great feeling.  I'm also getting used to preparing and cooking all of my meals.  It's definitely a lot of work, but I'm almost halfway there and I'm incredibly excited to move into the last week of the reset. 

MEALS
Breakfast:  Fresh fruit plate  (fruit lower in the glycemic index)
Lunch: Greek salad with pine nuts and 1 serving of Sweet Potato and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque
Dinner:  Quinoa/Lentil Pilaf with a side of broccoli 

Current weight loss:  4.8 lbs (down 2 ounces from yesterday)

Click below to see a video recap of day 10

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