Transitioning to a maintenance diet

So I know it says that its supposed to take 11 days to "break" the diet, but I'm effectively transitioning back onto a maintenance diet today.

I have to say, I'm not a serial dieter, so I'm not going to be calorie counting - I didn't do that before and I'm not going to do it now. Instead, I want to make sure that I'm eating right, and getting as much exercise as I can fit into my daily schedule.

As I get back onto my regular diet, I've made a few changes. I've added Hodgson Mill Multi Grain with milled flaxseed (made with spring/filtered water) for my breakfast. For lunch, I've been sticking to a raw salad meal - made with whatever salad I have in the fridge, but basically including lettuce, sweet peppers, sprouts, cucumber, celery and tomatoes. I have been mixing up a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with some flaxseed oil as a dressing. I've also been adding some fresh fruit, and have still been having some herbal teas, green teas, peppermint teas, and lots of water. And for dinner, I've been having the same meal as the family, but in a much smaller serving size.

I'm also trying to transition into a regular exercise routine, either getting up early and working out at home, or heading to the pool before going to work.

To make it easier, I've started juicing every 2 days. While I know that its not as good as fresh juice, I figure that its a more sustainable way to keep juice in my every day diet.

And the great news is that my weight seems to be staying around the 121 - 122 lbs mark, and I have TONS of energy. I'm getting up at 5:40am to get a workout in, or make juice or whatever, and getting to bed around 10:30 or 11am (staying up late to do this blog). Just a few weeks ago, I had to DRAG myself out of bed around 7am, still feeling exhausted, and I was "brain-dead" at 9pm after putting the kids to bed, getting lunches etc ready for the next day. I have an amazing amount of energy now. And even on the days that I feel tired (well I do have 3 young kids who want to talk to me in the middle of the night...), I still manage to keep it together and its not the same "level" of exhaustion that I would have had back in January.

If you are reading all of this and any of it is resonating with you, my advice is to figure out how you could do the detox diet and make it work. It has been a real eye-opener for me and has given me back my zest for life. I'm a much better person for myself, my husband and my kids - and that itself is worth the time investment...