21 Days of Cleanse: Day 18

185.2!

I've lost 18 lbs - meeting my original goal.  On Monday morning, I was 190.6, and in 3 days I've lost 5.4 lbs.  Now, I'm fully aware that I'm due for a lb gain or so--after all, I've never lost weight 3 days in a row.

But, it's still so durned EXCITING, that I've lost 18 lbs in 18 days.  My updated goal is 180, and just maybe I'll make it in 5 more days.

You may recall on Day 16 I mentioned how it wasn't even that difficult anymore.  Well, I lied.  The past couple days I've been tempted at every corner and desperately want pizza.  I think it's because my family is out, leaving me all alone with my hungry thoughts.  No distracting kids - no Hendrik begging to jump on the bed, no screaming Adelaide demanding food, no nagging wife to tell me to get off my butt and feed Adelaide and play with Hendrik.  Just kidding.  Melanie is not a nagger.  She just secretly seethes inside when I'm too lazy to take out the trash.  Serenity now!

I was supposed to make my lunch last night, but decided that I deserved to just get a salad at the local Cosi downstairs.  I'm not a salad guy (or at least I wasn't a salad guy), but I always loved their signature salad.  I thought all the ingredients in the salad were permitted by the cleanse except grapes, but I figured I could splurge and allow myself some naughty grapes.  However, after I took the salad back up to my office I noticed that there were bleu cheese crumbles in it...which are DEFINITELY NOT ALLOWED.  But I wasn't going to throw away a $7.99 salad, nor was I going to remove them one-by-one from a well-tossed salad.  So, I ate the entire thing - including every last crumble of cheese.  It was heavenly.

2 things I noted from this experience:  Salad fills me up more than it did before.  Maybe my stomach has shrunk a bit.  It also tasted 10 times better than the same exact salad before the cleanse.  Also, I didn't care that I was breaking the cleanse.  Maybe it's because I've reached my original goal.  Maybe it's because I'm sick of eating the same food every day.  Maybe I'm just not emotionally ready to give up my snacks and indulgences.  All in all, it's a bit ridiculous that I'm feeling this guilty over a SALAD just because it had grapes and bleu cheese crumbles.  In college, I would eat an entire row of Oreo's (with milk) for a meal and not feel one bit guilty about it.  Also, I could do 30 pull-ups (not chin-ups) without stopping.  Those were the days.

Anyway, I still fully intend on staying on the cleanse through the end of this week.  Sunday is supposed to be my last day.  If I'm down to 180, I'll stop.  If I'm at 182, I may continue.  But I miss having dinner.  It's nice to have food in my belly at night.  Also, I've noticed that I'm considerably colder all the time - less fat and calories to keep my body warm.  This is sometimes a benefit (in bed), and sometimes a disadvantage (walking to work when it's cold).  It will probably be a benefit most of the summer.  By the time it hits Thanksgiving, I'll be fat and warm again.