Will deconstruct in 5, 4, 3, 2 . . .

Mmmmm, fiber. At least it's citrus flavored. :/

The 10-day cleanse portion of the 24-Day Challenge is over today, and I've consumed my last fiber drink. Eeee gawds that stuff must be chugged as quickly as possible. Then it is necessary to drink an entire glass of water to wash the fibrous particles out of your teeth and gums, as well as off of the glass too! I have a new respect for the elderly who are drinking Metamucil everyday. Grandma, get on with your bad self - that is a challenge!

OK, seriously though, I feel pretty good after 10 days. I have been eating the prescribed foods in a series of six small meals per day, and I'm probably 90% on track or more. Foods I have avoided are breads/pastas, dairy, alcohol, caffeine  and sweets. Yes, just fruits, veggies, and lean meats for this cookie. Oooh, cookie sounds good. Only yesterday did I start to have some major cravings: Craving #1: We had chocolate birthday cake for someone at work after lunch, and I almost took one bite. I don't usually crave chocolate at all (atypical female), but it looked so damned good! Craving #2: In the evening I really wanted a bottle of wine. Not a glass of wine. But, an entire bottle.

I abstained from these cravings. It's only 24 days of the rest of my life. No big deal. *gritting teeth*

Eating clean isn't as hard when you make all of the food yourself. But, when you go out for meals, or someone makes a meal for you, it's essential to learn the Art of Deconstruction. This is the most important skill I have learned in the past 10 days. Here are some of the foods I have recently deconstructed:

1.) The stuffed artichoke: just eat the outside, and make boyfriend eat the inside filled with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
2.) Seafood linguine: ask for gluten-free pasta (made from brown rice), eat all of the fish first so you are not as hungry for the pasta. Plus the pasta is gluten-free which helps to make it less appealing.
3.) Salads: ask for no cheese, no bacon, and all dressing on the side.
4.) Chicken sandwich: just remove the bun and you have a delicious chicken breast.
5.) Breakfast burrito: ask for no cheese, and ditch the tortilla.

A deconstructed cob salad - no bacon, no cheese, dressing on the side.

Yes, I am now that annoying person at a restaurant who changes the ingredients that the chef has so elegantly prepared to burst in your mouth perfectly. It's a good thing I live in California with other finicky, diet-y eaters, so restaurants are used to these high-maintenance requests.