Day 25

I suck at the whole blogging everyday thing. This has been a fairly crazy month. Right off we lost my dear uncle (that was devastating). Then I got the flu. Now I have the trifecta of urinary infections - bladder, kidney, and uti. I have also been so very tired, just run down, and experiencing some "female issues." Come to find out I am severely anemic despite iron supplements so I have had to increase the intake of red meat this week. Every other dinner will be a rare lean steak and every other dinner will be salmon or shrimp or chicken.

I did cheat a little last week during restaurant week with the refined sugar and had 1/2 a piece of flour-less chocolate cake and 1/2 a small creme brule. Today I did a mystery shop at OCharley's and there is nothing on that entree menu that is on my diet that I am not allergic to. I gave in to temptation and ordered the chicken fingers and chips. After 2 chicken fingers and just a few chips I felt full and lethargic. They were delicious, but all afternoon I just felt sluggish and my mouth felt like I had gargled with canola oil. When you haven't eaten fried food for 25 days and give in it is not nearly as good as you remember. To date I have lost 6lbs.

The purge has come to a standstill because of the illnesses. We will finish the closet project this weekend and hope to get the house finished by next weekend. Better late than never. Best laid plans...Next month: Shape work-out with Wii and Jenny McCarthy

Day 17

I have been MIA from blogging for a few days. Things have been going really well! Despite eating out a little more we are doing really well sticking to the diet. I have not cheated once! I have had some fresh whole grain pita - but again, no white bread, no pasta, no refined carbs, no refined sugars. Today Ken and I had tomato soup and sushi for brunch from Trader Joes. I took my parents to Bob Evans for a late lunch and I had steak and eggs (gave my bread to mom and dad - they ate it for their dessert). For dinner salad and shrimp cocktail (Ken also get's 1/2 of my steak from lunch).

The purge continues. This week we cut and hung a door into our bedroom to make our house a true three bedroom. Our odd bonus room off the bathroom between the entry way and two bedrooms I am building into a custom closet. We will have it finished this weekend. Next week will be upstairs (living room and kitchen) purge and laundry catch-up! So excited to get my house in order!

Day10

I got nothing accomplished on the purge last night. Every time I look at the closet I want to scream. The clothes/storage situation in our house is ridiculous! We have to build closets in the two north bedrooms.

The carb cleanse diet continues. As we try to retrain our bodies not to be dependent on refined sugar and carbs we have had cravings and frustrations. Eating out is a challenge. Today we split a bananna filled with peanut butter for breakfast. since we had to pick Ken's car up from the shop we stopped at Frische's for lunch and had the soup and salad bar. Tonight we are having grilled mahi mahi, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and either baked sweet potato or roasted red potatoes. We'll snack on fresh fruit and veggies and maybe some cheese.

Day7/8/9

I have been purging the house slowly - the weather has made trash and organization more difficult - my schedule is completely shot. Hopefully I can finish the closet tonight. As long as the house is done by Jan 30 I am okay with it.

As for our diet we have been doing very well. Yesterday Ken cheated a bit with Chinese - but he got chicken w/ vegetables and went light on the rice (really he shouldn't have had white rice - we are trying to stick to whole grains like brown rice or wild rice). Today we had lunch at the Indian Oven on East Main. Best tomato soup ever - it was absolutely delicious. We shared a lunch portion of chicken tika masala so our rice portion was minimal and it was a whole grain rice. We did cheat a little and each had a piece of naan. My second portion of refined carbohydrates for 2010 - not too bad! Tonight is fish again, salmon and asparagus.

As I tried to explain to Ken PCOS makes the carb cravings almost unbearable. I am doing everything you are told to - drinking lots of water, eating whole grain starches, filling up on fruits and vegetables. I am not going to allow myself white bread, rolls, or pasta no matter what! The one piece of naan today - even though it is not a heavy bread, did take the edge off the carb craving.

Honestly I can't wait until February when I can reintroduce whole wheat pasta into my diet. It is all about portion control and trying to retrain my body to not be dependent on refined carbs.

Day 7/8

We are still working on the purge today. We went skiing yesterday so there was no headway made. Tonight we hope to finish purging the closet and getting our new dryer hooked up.

For the Cleanse yesterday we cheated a little because we were out and about. Fiber fruit smoothies started the day. For lunch on the slopes we were challenged. Ken really cheated and with his totally acceptable salad he had a brat. I had a veggie tray and a broiled chicken sandwich but I ditched the bun after one bite because when the bread hit my stomach my tummy said "pasta!!!!!!" The carb withdrawal has been my biggest issue, followed closely by the caffeine withdrawal. For dinner Ken's mom made us gluten free taco salad and then we had an evening snack of sushi.

For the Cleanse today we had fiber fruit smoothies to start our day. We had a giant chopped salad with grilled chicken for lunch and for dinner we had naked turkey burgers, small baked potatoes, and steamed asparagus. Ken had a yogurt for a snack. Later we'll probably have some fruit and cheese or peanut butter.

Today was the last day of our cleanse supplements but our diet continues until the 30th. The theory is if you can do something for 30 days then it is a habit. We are trying to create the habit of being clean, organized, and eating healthy!

Day5/6

Yesterday we attended a funeral out of town, so nothing was accomplished on the purge. We managed to stick to our Cleanse though. We had fiber fruit smoothies for breakfast - then snacked on some plain turkey and ham and fruit bites after the service, muffins and cookies have never looked so good. When we got home at 8pm we were starving! So we made a huge chopped salad with yogurt dressing, lamb chops, baked potatoes with a little butter and natural sour cream, and roasted asparagus.

Today we started with our fiber fruit smoothies and I made seasoned brown eggs (2 for Ken, 1 for me). For Lunch I had a huge chopped salad and a pear. Ken took two yogurts, a pear, and an orange. For dinner I am making grilled chicken tenders, baked potatoes, fruit salad.

For the purge today we cleaned out the upper storage in our media room - I have been slowly sorting - my heart isn't in it. By Sunday to catch up with the schedule we need to have our media room and dressing room cleaned and our closet purged. We are going Skiing tomorrow so I am thinking Sunday is going to be a long day.

Day 4

Today has not been a good day. I have had a horrible headache since I woke up and have had horrible cramps. Last night things finally starting "working out" for me. Then I was ravenously hungry - ridiculously hungry. So I ate some apples and PB and then some roast beef and cheese. I still went to bed hungry.

We slept so late today we got nothing accomplished on the purge before Ken went to work. I am hoping to finish the floor of the media room before Ken gets home tonight - then we can catch up by doing the upper storage, the dressing room, and dryer hook-up this weekend. We need storage containers and trash bags.

For Breakfast we had fiber fruit smoothies. For lunch we had spicy grilled salmon, roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. For dinner I had a chopped salad with hard boiled egg and a pear. Later I am sure I will have an apple with some peanut butter. Ken had an orange and a yogurt for snack and cheated a little for dinner. At the hospital they always get Chipotle on Wednesday so he got a skinny burrito bowl sans rice, sour cream, and guacamole. It is still 2/3 of his allowable calories and not organic.

I have decided TV is evil as commercials for Olive Garden or any other Italian restaurant taunt me with my carb addiction. I really don't care about bread but I hope I can make it to the end of the month without pasta, it is already really hard.

Day 3

The Cleanse continues but the purge is being stalled by errands and family drama. We hope that we will be able to catch up this weekend with the household purge - after a family funeral and we get the new dryer hooked up. I did make some progress on the media room today.

For the Cleanse today we started with a fiber fruit smoothie. For Lunch we had 3oz grilled herb chicken with tomato and cucumber salad with yogurt dressing. Ken had a bag of carrots, orange, and yogurt for snacks, I had a pear. For dinner we each had 4 oz grilled Tuscan herb Sea Bass , 1/2 a baked sweet potato, and roasted asparagus. I managed about 30 oz of water fluid - need to double that amount. Ken got 48 oz.

We both feel a little tired and achy and woke up with headaches. I still have one. might might be more from stress. I think we are having caffine, sugar, and carb withdrawal. Tomorrow hopefully the purge moves forward.

Day2

Today was the first day of the Cleanse. We began our day with a glass of OJ laced with fiber powder and some supplements. Then we went to Whole foods to buy organic veggies, fruits, and protein. Ken was upset we spent $116 on one week's groceries and our fridge still looks empty.

We ate lunch at Whole Foods. We split brown rice sushi with tuna and avocado and a large veggie salad with organic vinaigrette with a side of tobouli grilled chicken salad. Ken managed to get 48oz of water today - I only got down 32oz. For dinner we had 4 oz of grilled Atlantic salmon with spicy rub and a spinach, tomato, cucumber, broccoli salad with organic yogurt dressing. Ken had an individual yogurt for snack.

Now I shall consume my evening cleanse supplements and head to bed. I am a day behind on my purge schedule because of some errands I had to run for a family funeral. Hopefully I can catch up on that schedule tomorrow.

Day 1

Today was the first day of my January purge. Ken and I celebrate our 6th anniversary on Sunday and will be in Hershey, PA to celebrate for the next two days - so we are starting the cleanse diet on Monday - that information will be detailed on the 4th.

I decided to start our environmental purge in the bedroom. The bedroom is to be the Sanctuary, where you go to rest and make love. Our bedroom was this dysfunctional cave with everything piled on one side, filled with extraneous junk. Today we took all of the furniture out of the room, swept and mopped, hung new blinds and curtains, moved the bed to be centered on our wall of windows, moved in a cedar chest, a full length mirror, and two dressers and set up a 37in flat screen TV (a dying reject from our living room). We received beautiful matching bedside tables and lamps for Christmas and installed those as well.

I took Ken to work and went to Marshall's and bought a new set of sunny yellow 400 thread count sheets and extra shams and a new fluffy blue micro-fleece throw and 4 new allergen free pillows. With a little air freshener and the new linens our bedroom smells better and is comfy and cozy. I am heading there as soon as I post this.

I will be MIA the next two days for my anniversary trip, but will return on Monday. We tackle the media room and start the cleanse diet on the 4th; much excitement! HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!