10-Day Cleanse and Exchange Diet

I'm a little behind on my posting...so first, the 10-day cleanse.  I lost just over 5 lbs those first 10 days and broke my plateau!  I've adapted to the Exchange Diet.  This is a form of eating that eliminates the need for calorie counting as soon as you're used to what a serving is for food items you eat and how much carb, protein and/or fat you should have for each meal. 

The DMX booklet provides:

1. An exchange list for different calorie amounts you want to consume (# of carb/protein/fat per meal) 
2. A list of what is considered a carb, protein and good fat
3. A Glycemic Index chart of foods that are best to eat (under 65 on the chart)
4. Serving sizes for foods (like a cup of blueberries or half a banana are both 1 carb each)

Based on my 1,000 calorie per day goal...here is my Exchange Diet plan from the DMX booklet:

• Breakfast: 1 carb, 1 protein
• Snack: 1 carb, 1 protein
• Lunch: 1 carb, 2 proteins, 1 fat
• Snack: 1 carb, 1 protein
• Dinner: 1 carb, 2 proteins, 1 fat

So here's a typical day:

• Breakfast: 1 hard boiled or scrambled egg and a fruit (1 pear/apple or cup of blueberries, etc)
• Snack: a fruit and 1/2 oz of almonds
• Lunch: cup of lettuce, 2 oz of chicken or salmon, 1 oz of avocado (or a light dressing as a fat)
• Snack: half a bell pepper, a wedge of laughing cow cream cheese
• Dinner: a cup of steamed veggies, 2 oz of chicken or salmon, and either 1 oz of avocado or cheese.

I am not hungry at all either! I think because the only carbs I'm eating are fruits and veggies and I'm having protein with every meal.  And my calorie intake ranges from 800-1000 following the above plan.  Amazing what the right foods can do!

And of course, since I was in the cleanse phase, I gulped a bottle each night before bed of the Aloe Cleanse stuff, which helps release and clear previous toxins I consumed in a gentle way (no bathroom sprints!).  Depending on how well or unwell your diet was before starting the cleanse phase depends on how much you notice the cleanse happening.  I hardly noticed at all.





Fav new snack: bell pepper and either Vegetable Garden or Onion Laughing Cow cheese to dip in!





Lunch with lettuce, avocado and turkey (I typically used grilled chicken, which is best, but I had some leftover turkey deli meat the first few days and I didn't want to throw it out)

My tip for seasoning chicken, fish and stir fry veggies: use salt-free Mrs. Dash!  They have several flavors!

I hope this is somewhat educational for someone so far!