Juice Fast Days 19-20: I cheated with a salad

I'll keep this short because I really struggled this week with my hunger. I'm embarrassed to say that I cheated on Day 20, after realizing I'd lost two lbs in three days. I got over my plateau, then blew it.

That being said, let me clarify that if you have an ideal weight and you get close to it, your body will freak out and make you self destructive beyond belief. If it wasn't so late when I started to cheat, I'd have gone to multiple restaurants and eaten every calorie I've missed out on in the last 20 days. Luckily, my cheat only consisted of a raw salad at a Mexican restaurant called Cilantro, where you walk down a salad bar and tell the worker what you want on your salad or quesadilla or burrito. I skipped the bread, wraps, rice, meat, cheese, and dressing, and just ordered a raw greens salad with beans, guacamole, mango salsa, tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and cilantro. I asked for extra limes and the guy squeezed like ten thick lime wedges at once into my salad so I didn't need the balsamic vinaigrette I was given on the side, but I poured two spoonfuls of vinaigrette over my salad for that extra flavor and oil kick, but mostly the guacamole and lime juice made the salad wet enough to enjoy immensely.

Then I went home and ate a couple handfuls of spirulina (algea) chips and went to bed. During the day I'd consumed three fat short plastic cups of sugary fruit juices and one cup of the glowing green smoothie. So I didn't need the evening calories and won't be weighing myself again until the end of the 30 days.

I justified eating the salad and spirulina chips by recalling what Bob Harper and Jillian had said on The Biggest Loser, which is that on ANY diet, you should have one cheat meal each week, to keep your body from going into starvation mode where it begins to eat away at its own muscle tissue. I noticed that my face lost its color this week, even with all the extra carrots I've been juicing. I look like I'm dying. But anyways, I've had a cheat meal each weekend of this juice fast. (On Day 7 I had an entire cheat DAY and felt like dying. Never again).

My weight loss won't be sustainable - it's just temporary, so I shouldn't be too married to a number on the scale, but I want to enjoy it while it lasts.

On Day 19 I was very good and just drank three cups of fruit juice. No veggies or glowing green smoothie or anything at night.

As I begin Day 21, I technically have ten days left: today - Day 30. And I vow to myself and my readers to be strong and disciplined. Also, I need Yoga! The YMCA was closed most of last week due to Hurricane Sandy, but I'll get back into my Mon/Weds night Yoga routine this week and also Saturday morning Yoga (which I missed because I had to work this Saturday). Yoga definitely keeps my mind at rest. Panic and anxiety are my first hunger triggers (with boredom being a close second).