Finish Line?

So it's Saturday evening and I'm nearing the end of Day 12 of Sugar Deprivation. The memories of that difficult 6th day are fading in the distance and I had 5 days of mental strength with little trouble getting through without yearning for something coated in chocolate.  My co-worker shoved s homemade chocolate chip cookie in my face yesterday and insisted I try because of how delicious it was. I declined...less than politely...and accused her of being a self absorbed jerk for even asking me.

 
Luckily she knows me well enough to not take me seriously.

So now here I am, contemplating these last 12 days and beginning the close in on the finish line.

Or am I?

Like with any goal you set for yourself, once you see the finish line ahead in the distance, you begin to wonder how far you can actually drag the whole experience out for. Do I really need to get back into my life filled with sugar, wheat and dairy? Is it so strange to embrace these eating habits beyond the days I set out for myself? Should I not extend this eating altering journey for as long as I can so that I can lead a healthier, more nutritious lifestyle?

I'll admit that I am torn. I know that I could easily do this for at least another week. Possibly even two. No, definitely another two. The thing that is making me want to be done with it once the 2 weeks are done is that there is such a huge social aspect behind eating. I want to go out and have a beer with friends and not be the awkward one sitting there sipping water meanwhile eying down every pint of Pale Ale that crosses my line of vision. I really hate being one of those annoying people who has to mentally tear apart every item on a menu in search of something that works for me. I am the last person to come out to someone and say, "Oh no thanks. I'm on a cleanse." The word "cleanse" has some baggage and I really don't like to say that word unless I absolutely have to. People totally judge you when you bust out "cleanse" and I have found that there are so many other ways to not eat the foods you are avoiding rather than saying the evil "C" word in public.

Like a simple, "No thanks," when someone offers you something can really go a long way. Every so often that person will insist and tell you how amazing it is. Mentally you may be ringing their necks and wishing they'd take that delectable morsel away from your nose, but verbally just a friendly, "No honestly, I'm good," can make them back off.

There are lots of reasons that people cleanse. Weight loss is the major reason and we all know how much those celebrities like to announce to the public how amazing they feel when doing them. Yes they lost 20 pounds in 15 days, but c'mon, not a realistic way to lose unwanted poundage. Another reason people do cleanses is to actually cleanse, meaning to detoxify the body of all of the junk that we pump into it every day. There are tons of different kinds of cleanses, such a ones for the liver, kidneys, skin, GI tract, etc, and their goals is to clean you out and make you function better. They all have their differences but one overall similarity: Don't eat garbage food anymore!

What I enjoy about doing these cleanses is that they (at least for me), make me feel powerful because I am thinking through my decisions of what I am putting into my body. They also get me to make recipes that I may overlook normally. Also, when you're doing a cleanse, you never feel bloated and gross. Your body is working more efficiently and you can see it reflected in your skin and feel it within your body. Plus if you're lucky you'll shed a few pounds and squeeze into your skinny jeans a bit better.

I'm definitely not doing this for weight loss (I actually weighed myself at the gym today and am down a grand total of a pound and a half). If you saw how much I have been eating you would likely wonder how I have not gained weight. But that is the miracle of eating good food people! You can stuff yourself silly with vegetables, fruits, proteins and healthy fats, even the saturated kinds (I've been eating an avocado every day) and still come out losing weight.

So back to the main point of this impromptu rant. Do I stay on it or go back to my regular scheduled eating habits? I feel that after writing this post that I have talked myself into staying on this eating course for at least another week. Plus I am going to make some cleanse friendly Coconut Curry tomorrow so that will be a good motivation to stay on this track I have beaten out before me.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed this long and drawn out conversation with myself :)