juice cleanse - day 3.

6:55AM - My stomach is growling and despite sleeping 8 hours I feel exhausted.  I am not a happy camper.
7:49AM - Walking up stairs required a lot more effort then they should.  My body is pissed at me.
10:34AM  - There are bagels on the other side of the floor and I wondering how bad it would be to eat a piece.  A small piece. A single bite?  I for once exhibit restraint.  Who am I?
12:06PM - I am counting down the minutes until this torture is over.
1:47PM - Feeling a lot better after the last drink and my handful of almonds.  I still miss food.  A lot.
4:31PM - I've been told by multiple people that I look skinny (people that don't know I am doing a cleanse), while this was not the point of doing one (actually I still don't see the point in doing one), I am at least happy that something positive came out of this. That statement sounds vain but I think I am allowed to be vain if I am hungry.
4:56PM - I am salivating at the thought of tomorrow's breakfast.  Eggs and avocado.  Oh my.
5:38PM - I almost give the middle finger to the wall of juices at Whole Foods.  
6:30PM - Despite being exhausted, my body is craving exercise and movement.  I am taking myself for a walk on the treadmill.  I feel like some weird new version of myself.  
7:52PM - Juice cleanse.  We are done.  

So now that I've completed something I never thought I could or would complete the big question is how do I feel? I feel at this moment better then I ever thought I would.  I'm also surprised that the foods my body is craving is not cookies or cake or even cheese (I'm as shocked as you are) but rather salmon, avocado, and beans.  It feels as if I've been reset and I like the fact that I am looking forward to wholesome, healthy foods. I also think I may be so hungry that I am having delusional thoughts.  10 bucks says I cave in to my weekly chocolate almond croissant because who doesn't deserve a reward for cleansing?

But the thing that bothered me during this whole process is the fact that you really can't exercise or move or do anything beyond sitting in a chair thinking about food (which I did a lot of) and because of that, I really can't see this as being all too healthy.  Being on a juice cleanse is similar to having the flu when the only things you can consume is liquids.  Who wants to feel as if they have the flu?!  I don't. Would I do this again? Maybe? Right now the answer is hell's no but in 6 months I could feel differently (but let's be honest I doubt it).  

So that's it.  Tomorrow I return to cooking (black bean burgers and salmon tacos!) and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am.  I also kind of feel a little accomplished.  

Also! This article from the NYTimes basically summarizes how I felt during the whole process.  

Day 1 - I need food. Day 2 - Hey, this isn't bad!  Day 3 - Kill me now.  

Image via the NYTimes.