Day 2 - cleansing and detox

Much better - no more headaches. If the headaches only lasted the one day, then I'll be alright! 

I plan on having my first 'cleanse' day this coming Wednesday. I learned from my cleanse coach that the very first day on this system (the 'shake' day two days ago) is actually more difficult for people than the first 'cleanse' day, which will be (very nearly) all liquids. Luckily there will be only four of those during this 30-Day cleanse and detox because I love to eat. If I ever went to Las Vegas, I wouldn't be excited about hitting the casinos - I'd anticipate hitting the buffets! ... even though I'm willing now to cut eating regular food down to only once per day (on 'shake' days). I think the benefits will be well worth it.

After this month, I may cheat a little more during my regular meals - gotta enjoy life to the fullest, right? This new nutrition lifestyle is not meant to be a test of willpower or deprivation. I just want to be smart and more careful about what I consume. The better I am, the better I'll look and feel.

I don't know how long or consistently it will last, but last night I slept 6 straight hours without waking up once (I usually wake up 2 or 3 times). I think I was sound asleep all the way from around 12:15 to 6:15. I hadn't done anything like that for as long as I can remember.

Because of my difficulty sleeping throughout my life, I've always needed naps whenever I could get them. My roommate in college said that he'd never seen anyone sleep so much. It would make such a difference if I find myself getting all the sleep I need during the night, and not so dependent on napping. Although I've always been in favor of a good siesta. 

Day 1 - starting cleansing and detox

I thought I might as well start a little journal of what I go through while on the 30-Day nutritional cleansing I started yesterday (September 20, 2012). 

The idea of doing a cleansing sounded really necessary for me since over the years I've been feeling more and more lethargic. Plus, I could really stand to lose my absolutely unfit looking pot-belly. I'd never seen myself before as being overweight or obese, but looking at my body profile in the mirror is pretty disturbing. 

Besides having several pictures taken of myself to represent my 'Before' appearance, I also went ahead and took measurements of my main concerns: the abdomen and waist (some others as well). I'd never done that before and it was a real eye-opener. 

For several years now, I've been purchasing my jeans with a 33-inch waist and figured that's what it actually measured. Not so bad I thought. Well, my tape showed 37"! And then I measured an even worse 41" around my stomach (abdomen, belly, etc.). Does the phrase 'muffin-top' apply to men too? Or is 'spare tire' more appropriate for guys?

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Now this is a nutritional cleansing so I won't be starving my body of the healthful nutrients it needs. Those I'll get with shakes and supplements. I've read about other cleansings that look far too extreme, diets of little more than fruit juices for weeks at a time. Nope, wouldn't care for that at all. This one allows some actual food once a day on 'shake' days (six days a week), and then primarily liquids on 'cleanse' days (one day a week).

What was yesterday (Day 1) like? An adjustment for sure. My body was used to consuming solid food for all three meals, whereas yesterday I had two nutritional shakes and a small meal instead, plus some minimal snacking on healthful snacks in between. And plenty of water. 

One way I knew something was working was a negative side-effect I was told to expect: a pretty bad headache that got worse throughout the day. There is an explanation for that though - it's the result of my body removing toxins. This morning I felt better, and it's supposed to continue getting better as the days go by. Still, I am feeling a little trepidation about today, but if I get another headache I am confident that it's all part of the process of detoxifying my body. I should start feeling really good before long! 

Game 2 - Lions vs. 49ers

Victory!

And not as nerve-wracking this week. I was afraid after last week that my heart would be pounding and my mind filled with anxiety during every game, but I guess it was just first game-of-the-season jitters. 

It's human nature to complain and criticize, and this year's 49ers squad has been so good, I can't think of much to write about. I could go on and on about the great play of a lot of players, but really, how fun is that? I'll simply mention one name: Michael Crabtree. He certainly was dialed in last night.

One thing I've been wondering about is whether or not Coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens also alternates his players' lockers, defensive player next to offensive player next to defensive player and so on. As I understand, that is what Coach Jim Harbaugh has done in the 49ers locker room. It has done wonders in generating a sense of unity throughout the entire squad. They're all in this together and it is fantastic to see. 

Which has made me look back to when John and Jim were growing up and sharing a bedroom; did they dream together of each eventually coaching an NFL team? Did they begin formulating their plans and bounce ideas off of each other as to the best ways to get the most out of their players? Or game-planning and strategizing? The Ravens and 49ers sure seem to be constructed the same way - and very well I might add! 

name that band

What do Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Dave Clark Five, and the J. Geils Band all have in common? 

All were named after someone other than the lead singer. Or at least not the member most known as being the lead singer. Santana and Manfred Mann ('s Earth Band) are two others. 

I wonder for how long the band that became U2 was known as the Larry Mullen Band? 

Game 1 - 49ers vs. Packers

Wow - what a heart pounding game! And that's just wondering what crazy calls the "replacement" officials might come up with next.

I was internalizing what Coach Jim Harbaugh was expressing with his face, so if you saw what he looked like (hint: cartoonishly large mouth and spittle), then you know what I was experiencing.

Anyway, BIG, BIG WIN. To break such a barrier and come up victorious on the road against the Packers, something that the 49ers hadn't done since 1990 when Joe Montana was quarterback, is a huge achievement indeed. The superb coaching, the improving roster, there's kudos to be handed out all around. 

There are so many names to go through, I'd feel remiss if I didn't name everybody, but I'd like to call out one player in particular: David Akers, the kicker. He tied the NFL record for longest field goal ever made - 63 yards! That's only ever been achieved 3 times before, and two of those were in mile-high Denver. Yes, Akers got a very fortuitous bounce off of the crossbar, so that could be his asterisk (not that asterisks are called for). Still, it was something else and somewhat easy to overlook with the incredible victory the Niners had. 

I'm actually going into this season hoping that Akers kicks a career low number of field goals. Instead, I hope he sets a new NFL record for PATs (point after touchdowns). It would greatly behoove the team to score touchdowns this season instead of settling for field goals. But it's awfully nice knowing that the field goals will be there. 

Next game: the home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night.

John Clayton of ESPN

Funniest thing I've seen in awhile: 

John Clayton behind the scenes.

the genius of Steven Wright

I wonder how many of you know of the comedian Steven Wright. He is of my generation, and is known for his very dry and droll humor, delivered in a particularly deadpan manner. No, really.

Not too long ago, I looked online to see if I could find any sites that listed some of his best lines. There are many such sites, and I read through one of them trying to find my favorite observations of his. Two really stood out and became my favorites. Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark the particular site, and I haven't found these two favorite lines anywhere else. So I'm paraphrasing what I remember of them here: 

If humans evolved from monkeys and apes, then why are there still monkeys and apes? 

Bullets bounce off of Superman's chest... so why does he duck when somebody throws a gun at him?