Follow up from BPC

I've been asked a few times how the BPC ended and how I've been feeling, eating and doing since - so here's the update.   Following the cleanse my goal was to eat "clean" which in my mind means the famous mantra:

dont' eat it IF IT DOESN'T COME FROM THE GROUND OR HAVE A MOTHER

Well that was quickly out the window as our Friday sushi at work became a spur-of-the-moment (i.e. intentional way to vandalize my BPC success) trip to hibachi!   I LOVE hibachi!   I was pretty cautious of the volume I ate though - more out of fear that I would be severely punished for eating "real" solid food so quickly after being only on a juice cleanse.   I am happy to report there were no negative side effects to my hibachi lunch and I was still well within my calorie goal for the day.

The weekend continued with lots of fruits and veggies.  I even managed to obstain from drinking at a family birthday party (full disclosure: I did have cake though - who can resist chocolate cake with peanut butter icing?  Not this girl!)  As we were leaving the party Cooper came down with a stomach virus that left us housebound and him couch ridden all day Sunday and most of Monday.

I had to run to the office on Monday even though I had taken the day off to stay home with Coop for President's Day.  After our errands all around town we went to the diner for dinner.  I opted for a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.  YUM!   Coop wasn't feeling well again so he barely ate.  And then....it happened.  I came down with the stomach virus at 2am Tuesday morning.

It. was. awful!

I'm pretty sure what we both had was some version of the ever popular NOROVIRUS!   I do not wish this stomach bug on my worst enemy.  I was supposed to fly to California on Tuesday but moving from the bathroom was physically impossible (let alone being in a window seat on a six hour plane ride).  So California was cancelled.

The virus lasted a good 48 hours and I swear to you I think I am still feeling the affects today.  My stomach has been one big pit of acid reflux ever since.  And other (unmentionable) side effects.  Some say it was the cleanse, but I am going to blame the virus.  I don't think even a juice cleanse could cause this much havoc on my insides!

So whether the cleanse was to fault or not, I'll never know!  But I doubt it.  Irregardless, a combination of the BPC and the virus kept me down 5 of the 7lbs I had lost during the cleanse.  

This week was a bit of a challenge in regards to my food intake.  Let's just say there was a very unpretty binge after realizing a size 4 dress fit well with room to spare.  Yes, I know this is backwards logic (the dress fits - yay - I'll go binge eat ?!?  huh?)  but that is why I have a problem with dieting and food and weight!   My brain is backwards!

But ....two weeks out of the BPC and I am still 5lbs lighter than I started.  For that I say THANK YOU BPC!!!!!

Would I do it again?  Probably - but only if I had a wedding or function that I needed to quickly get a flat belly for.  Oh wait - I do have a wedding this weekend.  If only I could afford to do it again - I definitely would!  Green juice and all!

Days of December

Can you believe December is almost upon us?  This year has literally flown by!  With the holidays right around the corner, I was starting to get a little anxiety about our plans for Christmas.  We have been in New Jersey for a year now.  Last year we spent Christmas Eve with my sister and brother-in-law and his family.  On Christmas day we spent the whole day just having fun with Cooper's new toys and each other. I made a nice dinner and we both had a very relaxing, nice day.  But something was missing.

It was the first year in my thirty years that I had not spent with my parents on Christmas day.  We called and spoke to everyone over the phone, but it wasn't the same.  When we lived in Florida, my parents and grandparents would all brave the early hour and come to our house (coffee in hand) to see Cooper open his presents.  We would have breakfast there and then all gather at my parents for dinner later in the day. Even the presence of their crazy neighbor Kate became a Christmas tradition.

So spending the day alone - or just the two of us I should say - was somewhat sobering to me.  And after speaking to my mom and hearing the tears in her voice, I knew she didn't particularly like it either!  When I thought about the impending holidays this year, I became a little depressed.  I did not want a repeat of last season's air of sadness on a day that, in my childhood, was always one of the best days of the year!   (Insert "mom guilt" here!)

After speaking to my mom and grandma this week it was unanimously decided that we would fly "home" for Christmas this year.  The irony of that sentence is amazing.  I moved back to the Northeast to be closer to home, only to discover that home really is where your heart (family) is!

December is going to be a busy but fun month for us this year!   The first weekend we will be venturing back to Coudersport for our annual family Christmas celebration that just happens to revolve around the opening days of hunting season!  The second weekend we will be traveling to the Boston area to meet and cuddle the newest, cutest and most miraculous little Lucas!  And finally, from the 22nd through the 29th will be back in Sebastian, FL for a wonderful Christmas with our family!

Like I said, we will be busy, but it will be fun!  Did I mention I will be in Seattle November 29 - 31st?  Lots of traveling in my near future!


*In other news: Cooper is reading the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book and can get through most of it without even asking me what the words mean.  He just showed me a page of his self-assigned homework where he wrote out a summary of what he had read so far.  He then asked me if he could do his "homework" in YzKidz instead of playing on Monday.  I'm still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor.  He continues to impress and amaze me on a daily basis!