halfway

Well, we are at it again. Last January, I posted briefly about what turned into a short-lived experiment in Alternative Medicine. Ever since my grand failure (ending in a satisfying buffalo chicken salad from the now tragically boarded up salad place at the mall .... um ... yeah ... don't think about that one too much) after only two and a half days, I have wanted to give the Master Cleanser another go. I have heard so many testimonies about how it has totally re-vamped countless people's health and general well being that despite the obvious difficulties involved, it seemed like something I should do. Needed to do, in fact, since my tendency to hunker down with a American Size serving of Mac n' Cheese, or a With Whip Mocha wasn't doing my body (or wallet) any favors. There didn't seem to be a good time before the Big Day, but now that that's done and the weather is decidedly warmer, I realized the time ha dcome to give it another go.

Or rather, I was getting desperate to start. Peter noticed that I seemed to be 'on a mission' about this one. I refused to wait for him (terrible! and we are newlyweds, to boot) and started by myself on Monday. I think it had something to do with the dread. Last time, my experience was pretty awful. I had cravings like I'd never experienced before, to the point of dreaming tasteable buffalo-chicken! Also, the most unpalatabale part of the whole affair, the morning intestinal flush, was particularly unpleasant. And the cold, the real excuse for the quit, really did get to me. But mostly, I love food, and I have known for years that it is a major crutch for me. As in : Hello. My Name Is Mary, and I Am A Foodaholic. When papers and exams pile up, I head to the kitchen and bust out some butter-filled yummyness with extra cheese. If I have a fight with someone I love, I head to the drive-through and mow down on a bagfull of saturated fat. If I'm having an energy dip, it's off to destroy the world one Starbucks Grande at a time. Feta Artichoke Dip - I'm not even going to go there. See, I love food, and I'm happy for that. But I also abuse food, and that needs to stop.

I also don't do well with anticipation. Before major hiking trips, where I know I'm going to give my lungs and thighs a good whipping, I can't sleep, I get grumpy, aches and pains develop into excuses. But once the pack is strapped on and we're headed up the mountain, burn there may be, but I'm happy to be in the woods - and getting the elevation change behind us. So you see, I had to start. The anticipation was killing me. But not any more. Peter joined me Wednesday. We are OFF!

I have to say, the going this time around has been rather astounding. The first day was brutal, I'll grant, but I was also on Day 3 of quitting caffeine (again *sigh*) and that landing is never gentle. I'm not going to chronicle the experience in detail here - I am looking into starting a separate blog for that. I have a feeling the gory details (can you say Intestinal Flush? All together now!!) may be too much for some gentle readers. Or at least, if they are posted somewhere else, you can't say I didn't warn you.

The point of this post? Today is Day 5, and I'm shooting for 10. I avoided posting at the start of this (as I did last time) for fear the hubris would trip me up again. But I'm more confidant now, because at half way there I'm feeling great - lots of energy, no hunger. And I haven't craved a mocha or a bowl of Mac in three days. Perhaps a record? Time will tell. I'll keep you posted as the countdown continues.