True Confession - Yes, I Cheated!

During a previous cleanse I met some friends for brunch at a spot that serves all sorts of vegan dishes. I was thoroughly enjoying my tofu scramble, vegan sausage and hashbrowns when it dawned on me that the vegan sausage probably contained gluten and the hashbrowns may very well have been cooked in butter. But, as Kathy Freston suggests in "The Quantum Wellness Cleanse," I decided to let it go. And I allowed myself to be happy that I'd found a terrific alternative to a traditional egg breakfast - a great discovery that I can enjoy during my non-cleansing life.

But then, Mark, my husband who NEVER orders dessert, got three huge cookies for the table to share. At that point I figured that since I'd already eaten some gluten I might as well let it all go. So I had a bite of the oatmeal raisin cookie with icing.

YES! I DID IT! I DELIBERATELY CHEATED!

Maybe it was because I was eating emotionally – I’d been feeling a little down earlier that morning. Maybe it was because I’ve never cheated before and I wanted to know what it felt like. Maybe I just wanted a bite of the damned cookie.

Well, I stopped at only one bite. Nevertheless, I'd stepped out on that ledge and taken the dive. But I popped back up on the surface. I felt guilty about that bite of cookie - for about a minute. It was a minute-long detour in a 21-day program! I'd never call anyone a failure for that! And I certainly wouldn't give up because of it. So I went right back to cleansing from that moment on.

Yeah, maybe you've lost some respect for me. And maybe you think my cleanse cheerleader pep talks are B.S. That's fine. I guess I might, too. But I learned a great lesson by doing what I did: Food doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition; a teeny bit of something can be satisfying enough - there's no need to eat the whole thing; and one or two bites of a taboo food doesn't spell the end of the world. You just have to dust yourself off and start over again.

Our cleanse buddy Jenny in Wisconsin says that every day and every moment is an opportunity to turn back in the right direction – for both the small and the large detours. So that's what I'm did – I turned back and started over.

And I learned that no cookie (or any other food) is going to make me feel better about anything. That day, spending time with my friends and hearing from my cleanse pals later that day was more satisfying than anything I could have put in my mouth.

Each time I cleanse I learn something new. I guess that's why I'm still so enthused about the process. I hope you feel the same way!