The Lemonade Diet

I wanted to keep a journal about this little master cleanse and i figured why not publish it. My sister recently got married and tried this little deal called "The master cleanser" diet--also known as the lemonade diet. Many television shows have poked fun at it (the office--Kelly Kapur) and its been around for a long time. It must be said that this diet is not really meant to help you lose weight, it is primarily a cleansing diet to flush out your system. I have been looking around for a cleansing type diet for a while and this seems the safest way. So heres the diet:

How Long: 10 days on, with 3 days afterward to get back on solid food slowly.

The daily regime:

1) Morning Salt Wash--1 Quart of water with 2 teaspoonfuls of Uniodized sea salt on an emty stomach

2) The daily supply of Lemonade--60 ounces of Distilled or spring water + 12 tablespoons of fresh squeezed organic lemon juice + 12 tablespoons of Grade B organic Maple syrup + 1/2 teaspoonful of Cayenne Pepper.

3) "Smooth Move" natural Senna herbal tea at night before bed

Additional notes:

• Plain water may be used at any time in addition to the lemonade
• A Mint herbal tea may be used at any time to break up the taste boredom
• Less maple syrup may be used, but always the full amount of lemon juice must be used
• Exercise is fine during the diet

With that all Said Lets get up to speed on how my trip has been so far:
Warning: The following will be complete and graphic with much detail into more poop than any normal reader may usually venture. Reader has been warned

1) The night before: The laxative tea really tastes pretty bland with only a slight hint of something fruity. Its decent though and i dont think it will cause a problem. The biggest issue will be the fact that i have to wake up so early to get the salt wash in before i have to leave for school.

2) Day 1: With all that i had read about the natural senna tea i was assuming that there would be some rediculous bowel movement in the middle of the night or something but it was relatively normal. I drank the entire quart of salt wash and it was pretty sick. I truly feel that this will be the hardest part of the whole plan. I gagged a couple times trying to drink it all down. I then made my concoction of lemonade which actually took a while with all the squeezing and measuring.

I was warned to not go anywhere for at least an hour after drinking the salt mixture down so as not to explode somewhere where i shouldn't, but after an hour and 20 minutes i decided that perhaps it didnt work and i headed off to school. I drank my first bottle of the lemonade and realized that the cayenne pepper makes the stuff pretty spicy. Lets just say that this aint no country time lemonade.

When i got to school it hit me hard and i freaking ran to the bathroom to have perhaps the most explosive bowel evacuation of my life. It was actually kinda funny and it made me laugh out loud in the mens room. The rest of the day went pretty well and i drank the entire amount of lemonade having a little bit of headache from the massive change of eating habits. I am about to go make my senna tea but wanted to post and get this started before i go do my homework. Cheers!

Update time!

Well unfortunately its been a really long time since I've written anything in my blog. Reasons? Umm maybe its summer and theres no classes to be taken and the stress level is severely decreased so i think about things of blogging nature less. Either way i think its time to take a look at those goals that i set down. What were they again? oh i remember.

1. Be more on time.
2. Drop to a healthy weight.
3. Improve my study habits.
4. Stop biting my nails.
5. Read my scriptures, pray, and be involved more in church activities.

1. For my first and most important goal of being more on time I can honestly say that i have improved tremendously. That first week i started this i remember being 100% on time for everything i said i was going to be at. As the weeks progressed I tried my hardest to stick to this, with an occasional slip-up, but with nothing more than 5 minutes or so. Sara has noticed a difference and she is the person that i think this weakness affected the most. Result: Success!

2. So how is weight watchers going? Well as of last week I'm down a total of 14 pounds! Not too shabby. Also in the last few weeks I have been been getting into running for the first time in my life. I have always had a goal of running a 5k (3.1 miles) and i think I have finally found the solution. At www.coolrunning.com they have an article entitled "couch to 5k" in which it lays out a program that if followed will have you running a 5k in 9 weeks. It includes running 3 days a week with ever increasing requirements finishing in a final goal of running for 30 minutes straight. Anyone who has ever been interested in running but gets super frustrated when they start this is the coolest article i have ever found. (Kent Hambly just ran his first 10k after 5 months of doing it and has dropped over 60 pounds) Oh also I'm lifting weights three times a week too which feels good. Result: Getting there!

3. This one is a little tricky mainly because i made a big mistake at the beginning of the semester that was way before i stopped playing Wow. Long story short, i tried to withdraw from a class about 6 weeks in but my professor wouldn't let me and the CSU system said it was too late. So after talking to the counselor she said my only options were to try to spring back and aim for a C or B (cause i had missed a test completely thinking i could withdraw) or cut my losses and get an F, then repeating the class next semester and delete the old grade. So in the end i opted for door number 2 and took my first FAIL. Man that word is harsh. On a bright note I severely improved my study habits over the last month and a half of the semester and i got straight A's in all my other classes. How cool is that? 4 A's and an F. How does that happen? Either way I'm proud of my success despite the one minor setback. Result: Success!

4. This is perhaps my favorite goal success story. I purchased this stuff called "Thum" which is essentially clear nail polish with cayenne pepper in it. I painted it on my nails for the first week or so which is always the worst. Surprisingly enough i was only surprised by the sick nasty taste of the stuff a couple times during the week but i think the fact that i had the stuff on kept me from wanting to bite. A couple tactics that i used to curb this habit were to put a pair of nail clippers on my keyring so that i would have a pair with me at all times. If there was something to bite i would stop myself and immediately cut it off. As it turns out my cuticles are healthy again and my nails look like a normal person's nails for about the first time that i can remember. Hows that for nipping a sick nasty habit thats always been with me? Result: Total Success!

5. Epic failure in this department. I asked myself the question when i reviewed my previous goals: why were spiritual goals last on my list? I think we get caught up in all the things we have to do when these important spiritual steps take back seat cause they are things we should do. I have been more involved in church activities, but nothing like i should. Prayer is a tough thing for me, especially at night when i I'm dog tired. Reading the scriptures are also hit and miss. I have 4 months before i get married and i want to be closer to the lord before i see my bride across the alter in the temple. Holy crap I'm excited. Result: Setback!

So in the end 4/5 of the goals are pretty solid. There were some minor setbacks with each but that is to be expected. I am so proud of myself and my chance to overcome so many of my weaknesses. The real trick is to keep going and continue these good habits into the next semester and hopefully the rest of my life.

whats 0.2 ounces anyways!

Well Ive decided to take a little break from studying to write some of my feelings down. Its been a few days or so since i last posted anything--due mainly to my final tests looming over my head. Luckily they have been going t smoothly so far. I have taken both of my lab finals and am happy to say that i got A's on both. I was also happy to hear from my political science teacher that we have a take home final in his class. At first i was skeptical because of all the "charitable" take home finals ive had in other classes that turned out to be 10x more work than just studying for a normal test. Not only are they much more extensive, but the professors usually grade them much harder. My professor promised that there would be no tricks and that it would be just like previous tests. So yeah thats good.

The only thing left after that is all the work and studying for Organic Chemistry. All in all this and last semester have been a blast. Professor Hampton has been absolutely incredible and i can honestly say hes the best professor all around that Ive had in college. He is a fabulous lecturer and always knows what hes talking about and how to say it in a way that anyone can understand. He has extended office hours and is always helping someone with something. Several times this semester and last i have had special office hours to catch up on some lectures that i missed or whatever. I wish all my professors could be like that. Stay tuned for a future post on a professor that is not in the same category.

Today was weigh in and i was 0.2 ounces shy of 10 pounds! The last 2 weeks Ive lost 2 pounds which is a nice steady pace. I'm going to try and work extra hard this week and track my points and stuff because i would really really like to have a week where i lose 3. As you remember i set a goal for myself to be down to a certain weight before the wedding. Unfortunately its more around 3 pounds per week to do that. I'm not going to quit or anything because i don't reach that goal exactly, but its something nice to reach for. Our meeting today was on eating out and it was interesting to hear everyone's favorite places to eat out and how "countable" everything is. Like my personal favorite: The Carl's Jr. barbeque chicken sandwich (only 6 points). Another favorite is one of the cold Subway sandwiches with cheese and sweet onion sauce (7 points). There is nothing that you cannot eat on this program as long as you count your points and don't go overboard. Well maybe you should just stay away from this kinda burger----->

Well i gotta get back to studying. Later ya'll.

Stress Incoming!

Well Finals are drawing close and i can already feel my blood pressure rising. All of a sudden i tend to have more and more times when i just sit and think about all the things i need to accomplish in the next 2 weeks. The list is pretty annoying. For O-chem i need to finish 4 problem sets and also 5 or so online problem sets. In addition i need to get caught up on organic newspaper articles and write a 1000 word essay on the structure and function of a molecule in one of those articles. I need to study for both my lab finals which are written with zero practical. Then i need to just start from the beginning and see what i can cram into my knowledge of O-chem from the entire semester. This all while trying to maintain the habits that i started 2 weeks ago. Its gonna be a rough next 2 weeks.

About my habits--I think i am doing very well indeed. I have only been truly late to something one time in the last 2 weeks. I have all but stopped biting my nails. Tonight was tough however when watching Iron Man i was extremely tempted to bite. I have been studying more (academically) but that is mainly due to the fact that it is drawing near the end of the semester. I have been sticking to my points flawlessly and we will see what happens tomorrow when i step on the scale. Should be a fun time.

Anyways I am really tired so i think I'm going to hit the sack. If I don't find some sanity in the next few weeks i think .... I....Might....Hit....Someone. Here's an example of what might happen:

Spinning kicked my...!

Well today was a pretty good day. I had a really good office hour with my chemistry professor. I had missed a lecture due to my Great Uncle Geoff's funeral and he was kind enough to give me a mini lecture of what i missed. His knowledge is remarkable. I think what i like most about the guy is that he is able to convey what would be a rather complicated idea in a way that i can understand. I hope that someday I am as committed to my profession as Professor Hampton is.

Today after work i rushed over to the gym to make the 6:15 "Interval Spinning class". I did not know very much about how spinning works. I knew that it was on a stationary bicycle but that was about all i knew. Well i learned a lot about it tonight. For one the bicycle is specially designed for the spinning class and is extremely adjustable. The regular bikes in the gym are not very adjustable at all and i was a little intimidated with the bike at first. One of the ladies that teaches the class helped me adjust my seat (saddle she called it) and handle bars. There were special pedals that wrapped around your shoe, as well as a manual intensity knob. The knob was the key to the whole thing. As we started going i was doing fine, but about 20 minutes in i was really feeling the burn in my legs as well as the seat ripping my butt apart. The class is supposed to last 45 minutes but i stopped and withdrew at about the 30 minute mark when my toes started falling asleep. I did not feel too bad cause the lady said i could work at my own pace to begin. I think i will try again when I've worked up on some of the regular machines and can do strenuous cardio for that long.

Tonight Sara helped me register for classes next semester. She is such an Angel to me when it comes to figuring out my schedule. I always get all worried thinking about how hard the semester is going to be and how I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. Then right when we think we have the schedule down there is a conflict and i start freaking out thinking that won't have any time to work. In the end we figure it out and i feel bad cause i was such a punk. She is truly wonderful to deal with me.

Speaking of Sara, we are getting married on October 11th. I still have a hard time believing that its really going to happen. It seems like we have been looking forward to it for a long time and the pieces are finally falling into place. Luckily Sara had a big part in planning her Sister's wedding so she has some stuff already down in her mind. I really don't think i can think of a more amazing thing than spending the rest of my time in this life and the next with the woman I love. She is truly special to me and keeps me grounded when i start freaking out about life and all that it entails. To be truly honest if i could pick one focal reason why I am doing all the stuff that I am to improve myself and free myself from Games and the like--it would be for her. She deserves the best Matthew that i can give her. It is the least i can do for having someone so amazing in my life.

Pumping Iron

Well its been a really good week so far. I am pretty dang tired today due to the fact that i was up walking around at Magic Mountain until midnight yesterday. Every year Sara's Dad gets the chance to buy $20 tickets to the park and from 7pm to midnight or so several companies get full access to all the rides and also a picnic is included. This year Sara and I took 3 of her younger siblings--Jason, 16--Brianna, 12--and Andrew 10. The part that we look forward to the most is the company picnic where in a back patio area in MM they have a buffet and a bunch of games and raffles for everyone to enjoy. It was a serious temptation to grab a bunch of fried chicken and a couple hot dogs and stuff myself. But i stayed true to my weight watchers points (the system turns all food items into a points value that can be tracked) and by the end of the night i felt weak, but happy.

Well the work all week payed off. Today at my weight watchers meeting i weighed in 6 pound lighter than last week. Several factors attribute to the first week's loss being higher than most weeks--including loss of water weight and shocking your body with a total change in caloric intake and calories. But i drank tons of water yesterday so the water weight couldn't have caused that much. Either way I am very happy and motivated to keep going. While I am on the subject of weighing in, its funny to look at some of the strategies i have used in the past to fool myself into thinking i was losing more. Back when i did the program before, if i would have a bad week i would try everything in my power to make that scale say less than it did before. I would pee before i went and pee right before weighing. I would sometimes drink like no water the day before or the day of to make sure that as much water from my liver and organs had been expelled. I would wear the lightest clothes that i could possibly find--i remember not wearing underwear one time! How ridiculous is that? Ironically it would put me just below where i was the week before, so that when i came in next time actually following the plan and wearing normal clothes (and underwear) i would actually be up again. So i told myself this time that i would play no games--that i would do the same thing every week and take what i get. Admitting to this kinda stuff actually makes me feel a lot better.

Yesterday I watched the docudrama "Pumping Iron", with Arnold Schwarzenegger on Youtube. I had always wanted to watch it but never got around to it. Something always fascinated me about bodybuilding--especially when i was working out more. To see these people so obsessed with their bodies. I guess I'm pretty obsessed too. In the end i just wanna be healthy and right now i don't feel healthy. I thought i would end with my favorite clip from the movie, its called "the pump".

Stability.

A key component in understanding how molecules interact with each other is to understand how stable they are. In order for a reaction to take place it is important to have 1 or more unstable reactants in order to propagate a reaction. Lets take the Benzene molecule for instance. It is a well known fact that benzene has a hard time reacting with anything because it is extremely stable. Some of the reasons why it is so stable revolve around its aromaticity. It is a Cyclic molecule for one--leaving it less open to nucleophilic attack. It is also completely conjugated showing a sharing of electrons across the entire face of the ring. The key is that over broad range of its parts it is balanced and complete.

Now you may ask why would i bring up Benzene like this? Well first off i would call my self a little bit of a science nerd with it being my major and everything (Molecular and Cell Biology). Secondly, i think its important to realize that stability in one's life is important. Prior to this last week i would say that my life was so imbalanced that i was much more on the side of volatile than stable. I would spend the majority of my free time playing video games or reading something online about video games. I would severely procrastinate anything of importance and the last of my priorities was schoolwork. I would stay up all hours of the night, which would shift my whole day forward several hours and leave me even less waking hours to accomplish those things that i needed to. In general if i were to be compared to a molecule it would look more like Trinitrotoluene (TNT). (for non science peeps--it goes boom.)

Today i feel like I'm heading in the right direction for who i want to be. Now its still pretty early to tell exactly how my life will finally end up to be. Either way i try to think of the man i want to become and the goals and dreams i want to accomplish. I have always wanted to go to dental school. In order to go there i need above a 3.5 GPA and good scores on the DAT. In order to get above a 3.5 GPA i need to change how i think about homework and keeping up with my studies. I need to have the same desire to hit the books as i did when i would enter the World of Warcraft. To put it in perspective--i remember several months ago i was studying for a test the next day in one of my classes. I had put it off for a while and this was my last chance to study. Well about an hour into studying i looked over at my computer and realized that there was something that i forgot to do on the game that would only take a half hour or so. Well 4 hours later and well after 1 in the morning i finally got back to studying. I started falling asleep 20 minutes after that and decided to wake up early to study the next day. Well, guess what? I didn't wake up early and i got the worst grade i had gotten on a test in a long time.

So I idolize my friend Benzene. He's got it figured out. That kind of stability is what i want in my life. Hopefully if i keep going on this path i will be able to look back and be glad that i didn't blow up back when i was a fizzling stick of explosive. Time will tell..