The Les Mills 21-Day Challenge Diet: Days 17-19

Day 17 (Wednesday) – My thoughts today were permeated with the chant 3 days left… 3 days left… 3 days left… 

I was really hoping that after detoxing for more than 2 weeks I would be feeling a lot stronger about my avoidance of sugar, sweeteners, and high glycemic carbs but it is still a daily struggle and I’m just waiting for it to be over with. 

I wanted to leave this diet with a new attitude:  Ha! Take that, sugar!!  See, I can live without you nooooo problem! 

Perhaps my expectations were way too high.  It would really be helpful if I ate sugar and it made my stomach hurt or gave me gas or bloated me to the high heavens.  But, it unfortunately makes me feel pretty great.  Except when I eat it in excess, then there is an energy crash to deal with afterwards.  So in that vein, let’s focus on what else I’ve learned. 

1. My cravings deal only with sugary carbs, not starchy carbs.  I can eat an entire meal, leaving the bread/pasta/potato/rice for the end and feel satisfied enough by the protein and vegetables to skip the carbs on the plate.  But, I want a big’O bowl of ice cream after dinner.   
2. On this diet, I have not had any indigestion, which I previously had pretty much on a daily basis.  Not terrible indigestion, but consistent, regardless of what I ate.  Now, I have had a few cheats, and those have not affected my GI.  So, I know that I have a food sensitivity to something, but not an intolerance.  I suspect dairy because I’ve gone gluten free before, and that didn’t change anything with me.  
3. My compulsion to eat something sugary after meals is not a result of a sugar “addiction”.  It is my way of getting the food taste out of my mouth after eating.  If I brushed my teeth after every meal, that would take care of wanting a piece of chocolate.  But honestly, who can be bothered to brush their teeth 5 times a day??
4. I don’t drink nearly enough water.
5. My energy is more appropriately distributed when I’m off sugar.  Sleep is deep and uninterrupted (if I eat enough and don’t wake up with hunger pains) and wake up without two hits on the snooze and no afternoon crash.
6. There are a lot of foods that I love that fit into this plan, and many recipes that I loved before that can be easily modified to fit into the plan.
7. I can see myself fitting into a semi-paleo diet from now on, with some exceptions (ahem… sometimes dessert)

Day 18 (Thursday) – BodyAttack day.  My class cheered as I finished Track 9 (Grenade) full force with my lungs on the floor—they knew it was my last BodyAttack class while on the diet, as many of the members are coming to housewarming on Saturday.  Lots of pats on the back and “Just one more day!” congratulatory remarks.  It was enough to keep me motivated for just one more day.  Two really, if you count today.

Day 19 (Friday)- I have arrived. 

I was good all day. 

So I treated myself to pizza at the newly opened Matchbox at the Mosaic.  The sun was out, the breeze was light, and I sat outside on the patio with my best girl and enjoyed half of a salad, and half of an individual sized pizza.  I appreciated the sweetness of the berries in the salad, and the tomatoes in the pizza.  I savored the texture of the crust and the richness of the goat cheese.  It was perfect.