Wednesday, March 8, 2017

21 Day Sugar Detox - Day 9

Here's my quick day 9 update on our 21 Day Sugar Detox journey.

It's going so much better than I had expected. I think I had built it up in my mind as completely unattainable for me and that's really not the case at all. I mean, I am only doing the least restrictive level, so maybe that's why.

Here are a few answers to questions that I'm sure you are all wondering about:

How easy is it? It does take prep time, I'm not going to lie. The first week took a LOT of prep, but this week I'm more comfortable with it, so I can wing it a little more. However, lunches still need to be planned out because there are no "convenience" stops for food unless you just pick up veggies at a 7-Eleven. Dinners are home cooked, if we eat out, its based on what we can eat. Ruby Tuesday and their "garden bar" has been fantastic so far.

What do I miss the most? In short... coffee creamer... That has been the hardest to give up, but I'm starting to get used to the taste of coffee with half and half. I mean, sure, a donut would be nice, but really, there's nothing I'm dying to have. Believe it or not, I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. I'll let you know if that changes.

Do I notice any changes? Yes, first off, I have so much more energy. It's crazy. I can actually work a full day and still come home an get stuff done around the house, cook dinner and play with the kids without feeling like I need a nap. There have been days lately that I can't function without a nap of some sort, but now I don't feel like it. I actually feel like getting off the couch and doing something. That reason alone makes it worth it for me.

I haven't weighed myself, so not sure about that. I'm going to wait until the end.

I will say, the end of day 2 until about day 6 or so, I didn't feel well, but it came in waves.

What's the cost? It's slightly more expensive than normal groceries if you buy the food to make their recipes, however, you could totally make your own food (basic proteins and veggies and approved grains) and probably not spend anything additional to your grocery budget. I like it because the whole family eats it. I'm not making a bunch of different meals for everyone. Or purchasing premade food for my self and then still buying normal groceries for everyone else. Or buying shakes and supplements and then still purchasing food.

What did you eat today?

  • Breakfast-Ham Egg & Cheese Sandwich (on the drop biscuits), coffee with half and half
  • Snacks-green apple, trail mix (homemade), hard boiled eggs, babybel cheese
  • Lunch-Ham & cheese roll ups, avocado with lime & sunflower seeds, mixed raw veggies
  • Dinner-Pork & pinto bean tacos with lettuce shells (onions, tomatoes, sour cream, avocado)

Have a question that I didn't answer here? Ask it in the comments and I'll answer it next time!

to the moon and back,

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

A Goldfish's Hero

Save me!!
The other day I was cleaning a rental move-out with Ms G. When we got there, the renter walked us through the house and pointed out the things she wanted cleaned. We all chit chatted for a little bit making small talk and then the renter said she needed to get going. However, as she was walking out, she said, "Oh, there's a fish tank in the back room with a goldfish in it. Don't worry about it, we've just resigned to the fact that he's going to die."

Oh, uh, ok, you know, just ignore the fish on death row in the back room.

We went about our morning, cleaning when I finally made my way into the back room and saw the fish tank. The water was a murky green that was no longer transparent. I yelled to Ms G, "I feel bad for this fish. It's either going to suffocate or starve to death."

She continued to clean whatever she was working on, but a few minutes later, being the animal lover she is, she walked in to check out the fish. She peaked around the corner and said, "This poor fish! I don't want to see it die!"

Me "Well, what are we supposed to do? It's not our fish."

Her "I don't know, do you think I could catch it?"

Me "And do what with it?"

Her "Take it home? Maybe? I don't know, I don't want a fish, but I can't let it die. Do you think the pet store will take it?"

Me ".... I don't know"

Her "What could I put it in? A garbage bag? Do you have a bowl or something? I could go to the pet store when we are done and get a fish bowl."

Me (thinking about the random items floating around my car) "I don't have a bowl, but maybe a bag would work, like they do at the fair?"

Her "I don't know, don't they pump special air into those bags before they seal them?"

Ok, this sounded like a ridiculous question to me, initially, but she said it with such sincerity, that I began to question everything. I mean, what do I know, maybe they do have special fish air...

Me "Um, I don't think that's a thing. I think they just don't squeeze out all the air."

We bantered back and forth for far too long about this doomed goldfish. Finally, Ms G proclaimed "I'm gonna save it." She grabbed a cup and armed with her gloved hand, she approached the tank. he immediately became grossed out by the water, but as any good hero would do, she didn't let it deter her from saving the fair goldfish in distress. After about 15 minutes of "fishing" with a cup in green water while her glove filled up multiple times, she actually caught the thing!

She found a bowl in her own can and dumped the fish in. We continued cleaning, but then I had a thought, what if the owner was joking and comes home and her fish is missing? Is kidnapping a fish illegal? Would I be an accessory? I decided to text the owner. I asked her if she minded if Ms. G took the fish. Her response? "Not at all! She'd be doing me a favor! In fact, tell her she can take the whole tank, the other fish that is in it and every thing that comes with it. There's even a 55 gallon tank of the side of the house she can have (a bit of an overkill for one tiny goldfish, but hey, whatever)."

I told Ms G and we nearly died laughing, here she "fished" in nasty water for 15 minutes and braved the chunk of slime that landed on her arm, only to find out that she could have just taken the tank. She said "What am I going to do with a tank? I don't even want the stupid fish, I just don't want it to die!" I explained to her, that with the big tank, she was less likely to spill that water all over her car.

So we dumped most of the water out of the tank. I dumped goldie back in and we loaded the tank in her truck. Both fish then needed to survive for 3 more hours hanging out in a trunk, in the heat of the day, in Florida.

I checked in with Ms G the next day to see if they survived. She said they did and she gave them to her mom. She then said "Goldie keeps trying to eat all of my moms fish so I don't think he appreciated our heroic efforts." You're still a hero in my eyes, Ms. G!

to the moon and back,