Day 2 and Day 3 – Energy Highs and Lows

DAY 2

I woke up on Day 2 feeling pretty normal.  I wasn’t super hungry or anything (even though I did go to bed hungry) and felt like I had plenty of energy.  However, as the day progressed, I started to feel like I would zone out pretty easily.  Could have been the lack of calories or the fact that I wasn’t drinking my favorite double espressos throughout the day.  So do I attribute the lack of focus to caffeine or just the fact that I wasn’t consuming as many calories as normal?  I would have to say the caffeine!

Later in the afternoon I started to get this crazy energy high.  I was super awake and hyper and felt like I was buzzing.  I enjoyed the feeling and really noticed how clear-headed I was.  I had to give a nutrition presentation that night to an elite cyclist club in Santa Barbara and I was slightly concerned that the lack of calories was going to cause me to forget everything I ever knew or have  low energy levels.  Surprisingly, I felt really great.  Again, super clear-headed.  I felt alive!

Now don’t get me wrong…I was starting to feel hungry again, which lead to dreaming about food (mostly pizza).  I kept thinking how badly I wanted to have pizza.  But then when I really checked in with myself, I didn’t actually NEED the pizza, I just wanted what I couldn’t have.  Hmmmmm….a test of self-will?

 

DAY 3 

My final day.  I think this is when the addiction to the juices sets in.  Now my body was craving the nutrients.  Again, no significant hunger pangs but just excited to keep drinking juice.  And I had already noticed significant changes in my body.  My skinny jeans fit MUCH better than they had last week.  I felt light.  I felt firm.  These are the great benefits and results of the cleanse.  The bloating disappears.  You wake up with a flat stomach we did in our early 20′s.  And since I haven’t been drinking alcohol, there was no grogginess or hang-over to have to deal with.

My day became increasingly difficult due to some unforeseen situations and I immediately wanted to feel comforted by food.  I kept thinking about all the different foods I wanted to eat that would increase my mood and make me happy.  But since I couldn’t revert to something I have done all my life, I just had to deal with how I was feeling and move on.  So instead of eating, I took a quick power nap.  Nothing better than a quick snooze to reinvigorate your body and emotions.

That night I went for a run on the beach to clear my mind and I felt energized.  I felt good.  I was energized by a lot of rest, an abundance of fresh, raw nutrients, and lots of hydration to my body.  It really is amazing how unhealthy food, alcohol, lack of sleep, and stress can negatively impact your body.  It may seem subtle at first but as time goes on and so do these bad habits, it can really wreak havoc on your appearance; inside and out.

At this point, I kind of felt that thinking about eating, thinking about food, thinking about what I couldn’t have, was just a lot of nonsense and wasted energy.  I had a bit of steamed kale and chickpeas when I got home from my run but I didnt CRAVE anything else.  I didn’t want the frozen pizza in my fridge or the crackers in my cupboard (which normally are very appealing).  I really didn’t WANT anything.  I was just fine being.  That revelation was quite surprising.  I also started contemplating whether I wanted to continue the following day with just juice…….

So there it is….my 3 days.  Pretty uneventful and not as hard as I expected it to be.  I do have to say though…life certainly gets in the way of just drinking juice.  Wine and dinner invites were hard to turn down for the three days but I figured it would all be there when I finished so why not stay true to the program.  And one other thing…not having to worry about what I was eating at my next meal was awesome.  That took away hours of wasted time and contemplation.

So cleanse it up.  To start over, to feel good, to feel light, to feel nourished and to really test your willpower.

Cheers!