Blog #3: GM Cleanse Experience

The last blog focused on what the GM Cleanse was. Now, I want to share the experience with followers of how it felt to go through this diet. Being a student athlete, I found the daily calorie intake was no where near what I needed to get through a practice, so I made adjustments by adding more lean protein and good fats such as hummus or olive oil. I understand this diet was made for an older generation looking to stay fit while having a desk job so the modifications I made were more suitable for a college aged audience. 

Day 1: Only fruits

• I started the morning hungry. I ate a grapefruit and some pineapple for breakfast at 9:00 AM. I went to my first class feeling fine, around the end of the second class I was hungry again. This was about noon, I had an apple, a banana and some almonds at noon for energy. By my third class of the day I had trouble remembering my homework, where I parked my car and I kept dropping things in my hand. My motor skills were delayed due to how hungry I was. I went home and made a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with grilled vegetables and felt much better. I ended up still losing three pounds this day. 

There aren't any more days to report because I stopped following the GM diet immediately after I had trouble with holding a clear thought and motor skills. I knew this diet was not for me, and that is okay when it comes to eating clean!! Every body reacts differently and needs different levels of fuel. 

However, just because I stopped following the cleanse down to the last detail does not mean it didn’t have key take away points. I continued to eat healthy for the next seven days following these rules. If you are looking to cleanse your body of toxins from food and drink, get in better shape and feel overall better about your day follow these simple guidelines:

• Stay away from anything in a box or bag
• Stop snacking, have meals only
• Eat lots of lean protein and veggies (veggies such as zucchini and squash are almost calorie free, I like to steam them with a bit of olive oil and pepper)
• EXERCISE! If you are able bodied, get up and get active! Whether it’s a nice, long walk on a trail or running stadiums, get that heart pumping almost every day
• Get plenty of sleep... "There is no doubt that insufficient sleep promotes hunger and appetite, which can cause excessive food intake resulting in weight gain," says Eve Van Cauter, director of the Sleep, Metabolism and Health Center at the University of Chicago who has spent 15 years studying the topic.
• Allow yourself a cheat meal or dessert, without balance you might go crazy with trying to consume the froyo you so desperately managed to avoid for weeks
• If a diet isn’t working for you, SWITCH IT UP! Mix in a variety of fruits and veggies or meats you can throw on the grill

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/20/sleep-loss-weight-gain/7507503/