So I’m still sick and I realize that I need to do a bunch of different things to help my body heal itself. I tried specialty teas that didn’t work. One of  the things I thought to try is giving myself a New Year’s cleanse. So I went to 118 Degrees, a raw food restaurant in Tarzana. Cooked food looses nutrition and enzymes  over 118°. I tried their 1 week/21 meal cleanse. I have eaten at their raw food restaurant and liked most of what I tried- it’s beautifully done. They are not paying me to say anything about this – in fact I paid for the cleanse. I don’t love every dish, but I like most of it and love a few things. I really like the partnership of a naturopath and a chef in a restaurant and I was drawn to it. In two days I have lost 2 pounds and my friend has lost 4 pounds in 4 days. A few of my meals included things in my “please don’t add” list, but they were accommodating and offered to give me meals in the restaurant to make up for it.

I had great results with an accidental raw food cleanse that was imposed on me when I had to travel for work. I don’t know how many of you travel for work, but sometimes I have to. I was on site for three weeks at a company near me, but it was far enough away that I was on an expense account and had to eat out every day, for every meal. Luckily I found a completely healthy raw food restaurant right by my client. I ate there every day for three weeks; lost 4 pounds and that really put me back on the path of eating well and not succumbing to  my sugar cravings as much. I realize it’s hard to do in my regular life, but I made it a new rule for work travel. The other tip I got out of that experience is that if you have to travel for work, and find that work travel really gets you down, eating badly and making poor choices, make it the time that you choose healthy eating. Do what you might not do normally. Eating clean gave me the energy to be on site for this client from 5:30 in the morning to 6:30 in the evening every day. I really didn’t feel it as much as I would have if I were eating heavy meals. I know you have to go out with clients and to dinners and things like that, depending on your profession, but salads are a great option if you can put a protein on it. I really tried to make sure that there was a protein in every single meal that I had.

So now I am doing this cleanse I have lost two pounds (less than 2 kilos) in two days. My cleanse buddy has lost 4 pounds in 4 days. Just to let you know I am 5’1.5″ or a little over 1.5 m meters  meters. I’m starting this cleanse off at 115.4 pounds and that’s about 52.3 kg, which might not sound like a lot to you. And personally, the numbers don’t really matter to me as long as my clothes fit. About two years ago I was 104 pounds (47 kilos) and crept all the way up to 122, because I love sugar so much. For my body, cutting out soy, eggs, peanuts, wheat, gluten corn, sugar (more than 5 g per serving) worked really well for me. I learned this from the “Virgin Diet” and haven’t looked back Another thing that I learned from the “Diet Cure” book was to help curb my addiction to sugar it’s probably a lack of an amino acid and in my case it was L-glutamine. In the book, Julia Ross lists other cravings and what might be your specific amino acid that is lacking.  I never lost weight easier or faster than the “Virgin Diet” combined with taking L-glutamine.

Unfortunately, the second I added some of those foods back in, the weight and health issues came right back. Having that three-week raw food really help me focus and retrain my body. The other thing that I learned was that 104 pounds is probably not my ideal weight. Once I gained some weight back, my friends told me that at 104, it look like I had cancer. My husband told me that he really didn’t like me that small. I like being curvy for my size, but once I get past a certain weight it’s really uncomfortable for me and I don’t fit in clothes well. I have no judgment on anyone’s size, shape or decision about their weight. I know I feel better and I know I’m not suffering from internal inflammation when my weight is closer to 110 (50 kilos). I’m still trying to figure it out.

I’m going to work with a physical trainer for my birthday because I think it my age that’s what I need to keep my skin tight. I found that at 104 pounds, my skin got “crepey” and I was a little saggier up top; and I don’t like that either.

Everyone’s body is so different and has an ideal weight range. I don’t think there’s a formula.  I’d love to hear what helps you find your ideal body weight. Please let me know and subscribe if you would like to and let me know what you’d like to see me try next.