Update Three
I’m not getting on the scale anymore until the end of the Challenge. I know I’m losing weight because of the clothes I’m fitting into; my arms, my face are getting smaller. But, I know me -- if I see I’ve lost 20 lbs I’ll go and get a pizza.

I haven’t gone back strictly on the detox, but I’ve found a couple of recipes that I’ve made up myself. I tried ground turkey because the lady at the butcher counter told me it’s leaner than hamburger. I had never had it before – it is so good. So I fried it, used some spices and cooked wild rice w/ Portobello mushrooms. I mixed them together and whoo-hoo! It’s delicious. A lot of people haven’t had ground turkey – I didn’t even know they processed it that way!

In another one I use wheat pasta, imitation crab and shrimp. Sautee the fish in olive oil, lemon pepper and Old Bay, then cook pasta and use light zesty Italian dressing, then chill. It’s really, really good.

As for the amount of money I’m spending at the grocery store, I’ve seen about a $20-30 weekly increase. I asked Dr. Ian when was the last time he went shopping for food! I wanted him to know that it’s kind of expensive to eat the way he recommends in his books. For instance juices, it’s really expensive to drink organic juice. A bottle of cranberry juice costs almost five bucks! I admit I’m a little bit on the sadiddy side so I don’t really go for the generic store brands. The fresh stuff does taste better, no denying that, but Dr. Ian said he is not adverse at all to canned vegetables – at least it’s better than fast food.

My eating habits were horrible before the Challenge, but I was spending less money. You can get a double cheeseburger and a small fry for $2.12 – all day!

Ladies, I just want to say it helps so much if you buy kitchen utensils that will get you excited about using them. Friends at work bought me a bamboo cutting board and I love using it! Go out and buy cute things that will get you into the kitchen. Go out and buy that tri-color can opener.

Update Two
For a while I was eating the same things. I think I hit a wall. Maybe I’m maintaining. I promised Dr. Ian I’d work on cardio 4 times a week. At first I was doing twice a day, but I’ve kinda slowed down on that.

Think I’m going back to the detox. It’s like the more you add the heavier stuff, the meat, etc. back into your diet, the more you slow down.

You eat more of what you like. I like fruits and veggies anyway.

At work, things are still going well. I’ve definitely had my bad days, but, for the most part, I still get my veggies from the hot bar at work.

I eat either 2 fried eggs for breakfast or Oatmeal w/ honey. Before I was doing brown sugar, the raisins, the flavored creamers. Lunch is veggies from the hot bar. I bring in grilled chicken or whatever I made for lunch. I make a really good salad w/ cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, green onions. And I just grab a hand of wasabi peas.

So far the biggest change is the size of my arms and my face is smaller. A coworker looking at the magazine said: Wow! You lost that double chin! My big jiggly belly is gone. I was wearing a size 16. Now I am back into my size 12s. I wore one of my skinnier outfits and everyone is like “Oh my god, you look so good! Did you buy new clothes?”

Last time I got on the scale I weighed 187. I have a plan for once I go back on the detox.
I’m excited about it because I made it through detox the first time going cold turkey.

Everyone is super excited about my being in the book! I come from a small town, so everyone was really excited. When I go to the track, I talk to a lot of people about it. I’m really excited – sometimes it’s hard to be motivated for yourself.

Update One
It's funny that this is my first update. I've been doing great -- until today. Today I woke up with a cold, so I wasn't feeling very good and didn't feel any better by the time I got to work. There was a party for one of my co-workers, so today, I fed my cold. I fed it biscuits and fried chicken and cake. But, seriously, before that I was doing really well!!

I made it through Memorial Day without much trouble -- stuck to my salads and chicken and fresh fruits and vegetables. My family, of course, had lots of stuff to eat -- potato salad!! - but I stayed on track. Nobody has really been trying to tempt me. In fact, they've been calling me to see how I'm doing -- asking me what I'm having for dinner, what kind of exercises I'm doing -- stuff like that. So they not only want me to succeed, they're trying to sneak up on a little benefit, too.

My co-workers have been pretty good, too, though sometimes they do ask me if I want to go out to lunch, or if I want them to bring me something from McDonalds. But they also ask me a lot about my program. There's a group of us there -- that's all we talk about is food -- what we're eating, giving each other tips, exercises. I mostly take my lunch now, and we'll bring in fresh fruits and stuff for each other. It's very supportive.

I work in a big facility and there are people coming up to me I hardly knew before, asking me for tips and suggestions! It's funny, the women will come right up to my desk, ask me about the program, talk about what they're doing, how much weight they're trying to lose. But the guys -- they wait until I'm alone -- like catch me in the elevator, to talk about a goal they're trying to reach, or ask me about my diet and workout routine. But, everybody's been really great. My brother calls me a few times a week to check up on me, make sure I'm exercising and eating right.

I make sure I do something physical every day -- even if it's only to walk around my apartment complex. I can tell the difference in my energy level now, and even my son -- he's two --  is benefiting from it! Before, when I got home with him in the evening, I'd pop in a video for him while I cooked dinner, I'd feed him, we'd read a little bit, and then it was time for bed. Now, as soon as we get home, I just toss our stuff in the front door, and we go for a walk around the complex, around the neighborhood. He loves it! I was always big on doing stuff like going to Bush Gardens and everything, but even something as simple as a walk is great for us both.

Now he tries to copy me when I'm doing my exercises, so he'll be on the right track from the start.

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