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THE. CLEANSE. IS. OVER.

hallelujah.

in many ways it really wasn't as bad as i thought it would be, and most days it was relatively easy. it certainly required significantly more planning/prepwork, but i wasn't constantly craving things i couldn't have. i think what helped me stick it out was knowing things like sugar and bread were "off limits," but only for a short time. if i tried to do this long-term, i'm not sure i would've had the same resolve.

"you're tasteless, boring & i can't stop cheating you."

all in all, it was a good exercise in self-control and helped teach me things that i can easily cut out and substitute in my diet. for example, i've been drinking my coffee black and learned that i don't need to have artificial sweetener and cream in it to enjoy it. also, i can add extra veggies and avocado to bulk up salads instead of extras like cheese or croutons, and am just as happy with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a dressing instead of ranch from a bottle.

salad with turkey, strawberries, almonds, balsamic vinegar/olive oil/honey dressing

i think those are the things i can really take away from this cleanse. i felt satisfied eating this way, though it's not something i'll adopt as a lifestyle 100% of the time. i want to be able to go out to eat and order something interesting on the menu instead of always getting a salad. i want to be able to enjoy a meal prepared by friends and not worry about each ingredient involved.

oh, also, i lost 3 lbs in 10 days on the cleanse. while that might not be anything to shout from the rooftops, i certainly feel good about it and it helped me break through the plateau i seemed to be on for the last month or so. this was the primary goal of the cleanse, so i'd say mission accomplished. now i gotta keep that off and keep going!

i've lost 35 lbs since mid-august. i have about 25 more to go to get to my "goal weight." i would like to reach my goal by the end of the year (12/31/13), which means i need to lose less than 1 lb/week. i think that's a realistic goal, but will take me continuing to be diligent and committed.

"fed up with how her diet is going, charlene takes a more serious aim at her target weight."

 i celebrated the end of my cleanse with a bagel breakfast sandwich at bruegger's this morning. but i think i've been brainwashed- i got a whole wheat bagel instead of my normal plain. and it just wasn't as good.