Detox Adventures: Part Deux

I did it!  I completed my 10 day detox about 2 weeks ago.  And the results....

Excellent!  I'm stronger.  I have more energy.  I look better and I feel better about myself.  (See before and after photos below.)  And I've been able to incorporate a lot of what I learned into my everyday life.  Here are a few things I'm turning into habits.

#1.  The 80/20 rule.  Every meal should contain 80% vegetables and 20% meat OR grain OR starch. I make sure to load my plate up with veggies first and add on the meat, grain or starch (depending on what I'm in the mood for) after the veg takes up 80% of my plate.   This gives me a visual reference for what I should be eating, which has been a HUGE help to me!

#2.  Water, water, water!!  I thought I was drinking enough.  Turns out I was not.  How much is enough you ask?  Take your weight, divide it by 2.  Thats how many ounces you should be drinking. The results... the more hydrated I am, the less bloated I feel and less hungry.  Start your day drinking water and just continue it throughout the day. ALL DAY.

#3.  Breakfast AND Lunch... the most important meals of the day.  I used to stress out a lot about dinner.  Because of my chosen profession, I'm usually teaching through normal dinner hours.  So, I would eat a small breakfast ... a little bigger lunch... and gorge myself when I finally got home at night (around 8:30 PM).  What do I do differently now?  I have a decent sized breakfast, a BIG lunch and a very light dinner. I think this practice alone has helped me keep the weight off.

#4.  Natural sugars.  I stopped drinking juice and sodas.  I drink whole fruit smoothies instead (with greens thrown in for added nutrients).  My green tea in the morning is sweetened with local honey or coconut sugar.  If I want chocolate, I go for 85% cocoa instead of milk chocolate.  And guess what?  It's satisfying.  After you get all the excess sugar out of your diet, everything other than natural sugars tastes too sweet.  YOU DON'T WANT IT ANYMORE.

#5.  Limit alcohol intact.  This one has been really hard for me.  I love a glass of wine with dinner or when I get home from a long day of teaching.  So I tried to limit myself to 1 glass a week.  This did not work last weekend.  I ended up having one glass a night Friday - Sunday.  With the holidays here, it is hard to stay true to this rule.  But I've decided that I can just limit myself to wine on the weekends ONLY.  That's doable.  And so important.  Alcohol turns to sugar in your system and dehydrates you.  BAD combo.

And here you go.... my before and afters:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

I highly recommend Joy Smith's detox programs.  Especially if you are looking for a program that allows for a lot of flexibility and supportive community.

I hope sharing my story (and my before and after photos ...eep!) has inspired you.

Remember....

Keep moving,

-Amy Redmond Waran
Owner/Artistic Director
Flying Colors Dance & Fitness

www.flyingcolorsdance.com