D.Tox Summary

Throw the mic down and leave the stage!  I survived D.Tox!!!!

It is over.  I lost 8.6 pounds in 14 days.  I guess you could say I lost all the weight in Week 1, but Week 2 was where I saw the change in my body.  I yo-yo'd weight-wise, but my clothes fit looser, I looked less bloated, my muscles looked more defined even in my low abs.  My low abs had never made an appearance until D.Tox and I'll take that over a loss on the scale any day.

This was my second time doing D.Tox and the differences were night and day.  My first D.Tox in June 2013 was amazing.  I felt like a million bucks and I didn't want D.Tox to end.  I actually did a 15th day of D.Tox because I had enough ingredients left over from my D.Tox kit.  This time around it was tough.  I had heard of people reacting negatively during the first few days of D.Tox and this was my turn to feel the torture.  

My first few days of D.Tox 2014 were full of headaches, nausea, gassiness, and exhaustion.  I didn't give up though because I knew it would go away and I was making good progress on the scale.  The diet was blah.  I tried cooking recipes, but my taste buds were off and nothing was remotely delicious.  I also found that the D.tox shakes kept me surprisingly filled.  That helped quite a bit.  I hardly ever felt hungry.  That is always a fear with trying something new, but that is one common sensation I had during both of my D.Tox experiences.

I maintained a four to five day exercising schedule.  I never felt my blood sugar drop, which was something I feared.  I sweat significantly more during my workouts during D.Tox.  I found myself waking up more sore in the mornings than I did during my non-D.Tox time.

I struggled with D.Tox during the second week.  I think a lot of that had to do with a significant change in my work schedule.  I was involved in a jury trial that left me physically and mentally exhausted.  I would come home, go to the gym, and go to sleep.  There wasn't much time to cook.  I would definitely suggest trying to check your schedule before you begin D.Tox.  That being said, I love my job and I think I did well with the time and resources I had.  I made the proper adjustments to my D.Tox diet that worked best with my situation.

Do I regret doing D.tox?  No.  Is it all fun and easy?  Not every day.  Will I do it again?  Probably/Yes, but not anytime soon.

Tips:

If you are going to eat out, I suggest opting for a Middle Eastern restaurant.  Most if not all of the menu is healthy.  On the days I did eat out, I ate Middle Eastern and ordered Fatoosh salad with grilled chicken, stuffed grape leaves, mujadra, or hummus.  I didn't go too crazy with the hummus because I could eat my weight in hummus.  I just ate a spoonful when dining with friends.

Surround yourself with positive influences.  I had dinner at my friend Jackie's house who is a clean eater, health nut, nutrition coach.  I talked to her about my general weight struggles.  I can talk to her about anything.  My work family was supportive and inquisitive about my D.Tox and that was helpful.

Stay active.  You may be too tired to exercise the second or third day, but keep plugging along.  Take it down a notch at least for the first week.

Don't give up even if you slip a little bit.  I had a cheat meal on Day 13.  I didn't regret it.  It was just a meal.

Adios, D.Tox 2014.  See you later this year or next year.