21DSD: Day 10

My energy is still a little bit low as I near the halfway point. I was riding a high after making it through week one, and while I wouldn't say I'm feeling 'low' (my sleep quality is still good and my mood is still better overall), I guess I've been feeling reflective. I absolutely love to eat, and am an emotional eater to a tee.  As excited as I am about my progress, the thought of having to significantly restrict some of my favorite foods (pasta! pizza! cream cheese wantons! sammys!  ice cream! chocolate chip cookies! nachos! cheddar and sour cream potato chips! booze! so many oms and noms!)...it's kind of depressing.  Even if I can kill the physical addiction and cravings I experience, my emotional addiction to these comforting foods is separate issue I need to face.  

Yes, I realize it's all of those carby/sugary foods that have been making me feel awful and wreaking havoc on my body and mind for so long.  But...they've also made me feel good, they've been a part of happy memories, and they've been a crutch to help me get through hard times.  It's hard to say goodbye to these good friends, even if they are "toxic" friends. Still, I know that I can enjoy treats on occasion, but I also know I can easily turn an everyday thing into an "occasion",  and I will need to be very mindful of this. This detox is just one of many steps I need to improve my relationship with the foods I eat.

Here's the day 10 rundown--

Time Went to Bed Last night: 11:00 pm
Time I Got Up This Morning: 6:30 am 
How I felt when I woke up (excellent, good, fair, poor):  Good
General Mood/Energy throughout the day (excellent, good, fair, poor):  Good/good-fair.  Mood has been much  more on the "up" side than the "down" side.  My energy has been a little bit down though.  All I wanted to do today was eat Cookies & Cream Ice cream (my favorite flavor) -- I have not caved into that craving
Exercise (type/duration):  None.
Breakfast:  Coffee with cream, and 3 egg white muffins with spinach, sausage, and feta
Lunch:  I went to Chipotle today and got a salad - lettuce, steak, onions, peppers, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese.  Seriously, being able to have as much full fat dairy as I want on my detox, acceptable for level one, has been a life saver.  I'm thankful that I don't have a dairy intolerance.  I wonder if I could feel *even better* if I limited dairy....but that's for a different day.  Cutting out sugar/gluten/soy is a big step, and author Diane Sanfilippo advocates starting where you are - no need to be a daredevil or a hero!
Dinner:   Leftover Chicken with artichokes and olives, a recipe I found in the detox book.  Photo below.  I'm pleased with this dish.  B is more of the cook in our household, though I dabble a bit.  While sometimes I enjoy cooking and baking, it's not my favorite thing to do.  This detox is forcing me to spend a lot more time in the kitchen prepping food and actually cooking.  If my food choices seem a little bland, it's because I want to make sure I always have something to eat and don't starve as a result of getting over my head and failing to make something more complicated or time consuming than I realized.  Over time, I'm sure I will get better at this.  Again, it's important to "start where you are" - and I'm at a more basic level.  I'm motivated to keep experimenting as much as I can, so that I don't get bored and take a misstep as a result.  It's been tough, but I'll get there!
Snacks:  Apple, pumpkin seeds
Water Intake: 6 glasses

Chicken with artichokes and olives