21 Day Sugar Detox {day 5 recap}

{day 5 recap}

We made it, yahoo! This has been much easier than my first attempt at the 21DSD.  I feel like Iw as a little more prepared mentally for this round.  It really isn't that hard.  What is great about this detox is that there are three different levels to choose from based on what your current diet is.  

Leah and Sarah's 5 day recap:

• We both struggled the first three days with the mid-afternoon slump!  Like many people, we would get the typical mid-afternoon slump and have a little sugar kick by eating fruit or dried fruit -essentially candy!  We both were feeling the effects of the this "slump" and not being able to satisfy our sugar craving with some, well, sugar.   

• We both found that you have to be more reflective and mindful on what you eat all day and how it effects your energy level.  What you eat for lunch is definitely going to affect how you feel later in the day.  You really start to be mindful of what you are craving, what your eating, why your eating it and how it will make you feel. (Sarah will be doing a guest post on mindful eating soon.)

• In regards to cravings, Sarah put it well: "It’s like reasoning with a two year old, except that two year old is your own body, and your brain is the stressed out, over-worked, sleep deprived parent." This is so true- you can feed that two year old what they are craving - sugar - and within 60 minutes the two year old will be having another craving or a mental breakdown. OR you can wait 10-20 minutes, if that two year old is still hungry then give them something that will really sustain them - a protein and/or fat-rich snack!

• Sustaining snacks- I quickly realized that I needed to have some convenient snacks around for me.  My go-to snack this week has been a bag of baby carrots, celery, bell peppers (all about planning ahead!).  I eat this with either a few pieces of meat or 1-2 tablespoons of walnut butter, which I have ready-to-go snack containers. Another obsession this week for me as been bell large slices of peppers spread with almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. OMG - it is like having cinnamon toast!! Sarah's snacks have typically been baby carrots and half of a chicken sausage, a green apple with walnut butter, or almonds and unsweetened flaked coconut, also trying to drink lots of water, or decaf green tea! Hydration helps ward off munchies!

• Less snacking!!!  I found that once I wasn't eating tons of sugary carbs throughout the day, I am not snacking as much because I was being more mindful of having protein and fat-rich meals, which again, sustain you for much lover. 

• I definitely noticed the effect of no caffeine. My goodness!  I didn't think I really needed it that much...boy was I wrong.  I persevered and pushed through the sluggishness, with a lot of tea and water, and now I can make it through the day without feeling like I am going to keel over from lack of energy AND I am sleeping so much better. It really feels good to not need that cup of joe - I do however miss it!

• Breaking habits! Both Sarah and I had a few slip-ups.  We weren't purposely cheating, but out of habit, we would grab a piece of dark chocolate, add honey to nut butter or grab a piece of dried mango. Again, it goes back to be mindful! 

• Lastly, we have an new member of our 21DSD, Meredith from WOD-MOD. It is so nice having another buddy to do this with, especially one in Seattle (Sarah lives in Santa Barbara).

All three of us feel much better on day 5 than we did on day 3.  It is breaking through those cravings and letting your body adjust- just like someone detoxing from a drug- because our body does crave carbs/sugars like a drug!!  Once you make it through the initial detox, it feels so good! 

Happy Friday!! I will leave you with a little WOD and now I am off to do a WOD in my living room! 

{a little WOD for the weekend}

Yesterday after I got off work I had a nice little mental dialogue with myself (I do this often) about why I should or shouldn't go to the gym. I was dog tired....but I dragged myself there and had a fantastic workout and helped boost my energy.

Here's what I did:

25 minutes of intervals on the eliptical

3 rounds AFAP (AsFastAsPossible)

250m row

25 sit-ups

25 walking lunges w/ 20# DBs in each hand

25 DB swings 35# 

Variations:

• You could substitute a 250 m run
• Modify weights to your level. Maybe10# weights would be fine for the lunges and 15-20# would be good for the swings.