Pièce de résistance

I’ve resisted temptation for 16 days – 5 more to go! Here are the highlights:

I said “no” to:
- spaghetti at a family dinner
- homemade pumpkin cream cheese bars
- 10 takeout pizzas vying for the “best in town”
- Cookies from the Cookie Company in my department
- drinks and snacks at the bar
- Homemade cookies at Game Night
- jalapeno poppers fresh out of my oven
- A box of chocolates/cookies at a lunch meeting
- A giant jar of frosted cookies sitting 2 desks away
- the Cheese Nips and cinnamon ice cream that keep staring at me whenever I open my cupboard or freezer

…Plus countless images like this one on Pinterest. *drool*

I talked to:
Martha Stewart! The segment they did about the cleanse aired live on Tuesday, and they’ve posted it online: http://bit.ly/wISBTq One of the other “cleansers”, Erin, had already lost 14 pounds as of Tuesday! There is a chance (albeit tiny) that we’ll be asked to make a return appearance for an update on the cleanse. I doubt it will happen, but I’ll be sure to post if Martha calls!

I got picked for:
a random drug test at work. I’m pretty sure that’s the cleanest urine that facility’s ever seen. EVER.

I scheduled a:
massage at a local spa! I’ve been stressed and I still haven’t cheated on the cleanse. I’ve earned a non-food reward!

I lost my:
mp3 player! It’s been missing since a gym visit last week, and I’ve searched high & low. I really miss my workout playlists!

In the crockpot: Kale, white bean, & potato stew
In the fridge: Toasted coconut muesli

The Best & the Worst of the Challenge Recipes

This is the most often I’ve blogged about a “week without”, but that’s because it’s proven to be my hardest challenge yet. Feeling pretty good, albeit deprived. I’ve gone through almost an entire shopping cart full of vegetables, including 4 raw beets and 2 giant bunches of kale. I am getting a little tired of those two…

Favorite challenge recipes/foods:

- PRUNES! I bought some a couple days ago & they have been my dessert. So good.

- Guacamole ala Nikki (Made it up last night from all legal ingredients)

- Cranberry-Pumpkin Seed Trail Mix

- Kale-Cabbage Slaw (I’ve made this one twice)

- Roasted Caulifower & Peppers

- Fresh fruit as a snack (apples, pears)

Least favorites:

- Green Machine smoothie (AKA cow cud)

- Roasted garlic & beet soup

Also, I went to a bar last night for a friend’s art show and helped her set out the snacks. Then I went to the store, bought & prepared snacks for a couple friends that I could NOT eat (pop, wine, jalapeno poppers). I can’t believe I didn’t cheat.

I’m about to kill someone for some cheese & crackers.