A Little Less Stalk and A Lot More Action (Day 5)

Dear Diary,

I have a confession to make.  I used to feel a pretty strong urge to pat myself on the back when I'd pull out a Mojo bar at the coffee shop and nibble on that rather than the extra large muffin I'd really wanted.  Well, today, eating a bag of baby carrots with my cappuccino - at 10:00 a.m. mind you! - put that into perspective.  And the thing is, I think my taste buds might have already acclimated to this new way of eating because I didn't feel cheated.  I mean, I hardly even glanced at the bakery case (that second time).

When we started this endeavor, I admit it, I was a bit nervous about how difficult it might be to forego my cravings (especially after really giving my sweet tooth a good workout over the holidays) and to cut back on my calories when I'm still nursing (breastfeeding always gives me the appetite of a teenage boy).

As it turns out, the food - at least the what I eat part of it - hasn't been much of a problem at all.  It's the time.  My Gosh, it is consuming trying to shop (especially when I'm exploring new parts of the grocery store and getting lost:  you should have seen me the other day consulting with the produce guy about my "jicama" while holding a poblano pepper instead - oops!), chop and prepare food for my family of six without the help of the freezer, the microwave and Trader Joe's (my former best friends, apparently).  Even the juicer has become a bit of a problem.  I've been determined to use my Champion juicer since I invested a mint in the darn thing a few years back and hardly used it since, but I might (shhh....don't tell my husband) have to consider getting a Breville.  This thing takes 20 minutes to make Green Lemonade.  And when I'm trying to get myself and my four kids out the door by 7:45 a.m. every morning, those 20 minutes are too precious.

So, I've taken to making the juice the night before and having it ready-to-go in the fridge for the morning.  Also, I've decided to loosen up a bit.  Like Aunt Deborah, I'm an all-or-nothing gal by nature - and a rule follower to boot - so, when I found myself in tears, surrounded by a hungry, confused brood of children and a frustrated husband because I didn't have the correct ingredients for Detox Day Two,  and didn't know what to make for dinner, well...I winged it.  We had a veggie chopped salad and sweet potatoes for dinner.  And we were fine.  And the next day, while navigating Whole Foods, and watching the time on my iPhone tick by on fast-forward as I back-and-forthed the aisles in a confused tizzy, I allowed myself to go ahead and buy the (non-organic, GASP!) fajita mix (just chopped veggies and cilantro and peppers) and the pre-cubed butternut squash.  I don't want to make this "cheating" a habit.  I know it's a slippery slope.  But I need to have a safety net for those super busy days or else I may just get too overwhelmed and scrap the whole thing.

And come to think of it, if an extra slice of sprouted grain toast with raw honey or pre-chopped veggies is the worst I've done this week, I think I'll go ahead and pat myself on the back after all and keep charging ahead.

Thanks for listening,
Becky