JLooney.com

Weight:218.8
Body Fat:28%
BP: 142/102
Heart Rate: 97

A few hours ago I would have said that this whole “cleanse” thing was almost too difficult for me, too big a step all at once (even with the ease-in).

My head hurt, I was tired and could have fallen asleep just standing there in the middle of Whole Foods. And the most frustrating part was that I couldn’t think straight. What would have been a quick 15 minute stop for three simple items on any other day ended up taking the better part of an hour.

As I sit here in front of my computer with three pots of water and vegetables simmering in the kitchen in preparation for tomorrows “meals”, I am astounded by how much I’ve learned already. Before I get into all of that, I really want to put in perspective exactly how big of a challenge this is for me.

I like to eat, probably more than most people. But it’s not just about eating, I like good food – rich, savory, sweet, decadent, amazing and brilliantly prepared good food. And I tend to eat a lot. I know I’m a little chubby. I get it. The truth is, if my metabolism wasn’t as high as it is, I’d probably have eaten myself into a “Jabba the Hutt”-like state of existence. Just so you get what I’m talking about, let me walk you through a typical day of what I eat and how often.

Morning Snack – around 8:00
Whatever I can find to munch on real quick – handful of chips, a piece of bread… whatever.

Breakfast – around 9:00 (when I get to work)
usually something leftover from the previous evening (In-N-Out, DiGiorno) or something that I can cook in the toaster oven while I shower (French Bread Pizza, Stouffer’s Mac-n-Cheese).

Second Breakfast – around 10:00
A Whopper from Burger King (did you know they start serving them at 9:00? Epic…), some crackers and cheese, maybe some soup I brought from home.

Elevensies – yeah, you get it
A quick run to the gas station for a Rock Star and some nachos or a couple taquitos, or a can of Pringles… pure junk food

Lunch – 12:30 or so
Since I live, like, 5 minutes from work I go home for lunch. Sometimes I make a sammich (Hillshire Farms Brown Sugar Ham, a few slices of aged swiss, on Grandma Sycamore’s bread, Mmmmmm), or have a can of soup or chili. Sometimes Megan or Stefahn has brought me lunch.

Tea – 3:30
Now, I don’t know what in the hell the English do for Tea, but for me it’s  something light, like another sammich and some chips

Supper – 6:00
Usually whatever Megan’s cooked up or leftovers. Really it’s just something to get me through to dinner…

Dinner – 8:00
This is the real meal. Sometimes I cook it, sometimes Megan does. This is an entree, a side dish, a bread or starch of some sort, and a drink

Bedtime Snack – 10:00 or so
I’m usually hungry right before bedtime, so this can be a couple handfuls of cheez-its, some seven-layer dip, or even carrots and celery in dill or ranch dip

So that’s it. I eat pretty much all day long. I like food.

Today? Yeah, started with an effing grapefruit. I dunno who thought a grapefruit would make a good breakfast, but they were sorely mistaken. I munched on celery and carrots most of the morning, but it’s just not the same without the ranch. I also had my can of Planter’s nuts and berries. I was bored halfway into the can. Dinner? Yeah, that’s a picture of it up there – spinach leaves and mushrooms with some salt and pepper. Oh, and plenty of water. I peed, like, every hour on the damn hour today. Made me feel like I was 87 years old or some shit.

So yeah, this is a pretty drastic change for me, and I don’t know that I was really prepared for it, but I’m in it now.

Several of you have expressed that you don’t understand why I’m even doing this whole cleanse thing. As I was standing outside Whole Foods talking to a friend I’d met there, I realized that I’m cleansing many different parts of my life. Example: Last year I had one of my hard drives crash and I lost 90% of everything I’d ever done. After paying a data recovery firm $400, I was told there was no information recoverable – it was all gone. My portfolio, photos of me with my grandfather, everything I’d ever written, 4 years of school papers and research – gone.

Just after the first of the year I dropped my external hard drive, causing a crash that result in me losing the remaining 5% that I had stored in other places. I could have just cried.

But you know, 6 weeks later and I don’t miss it that much. Sure it’d be nice to have those things and all of that info (not to mention my portfolio and all of my client files), but I’m getting by just fine without it.

I’ve cleansed my digital life, whether intentionally or through fate.

So I guess it’s time to move on to my culinary life. We’ll see what changes this brings to my world, and what I can live without and don’t even realize it.

15 days to go…

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