Feel Good Diaries: Detoxes, Orange Theory & Flavorless Vegetable Wraps

7 a.m. — I woke up and prepped for my first day of the Tone It Up five day detox, which involves making a morning mocktail of apple cider vinegar, water, and cayenne pepper. I also have to drink a spinach, cayenne, protein powder, mango, coconut water, and flax seed smoothie.

I'm one of the few people who actually enjoys the taste of ACV diluted with water. The smoothie is DELICIOUS, and costs about $7 to make.

10:30 a.m. — It’s time for my TIU snack, which I prepped all day on Sunday. Because I’m so busy during the week with my commute, job, and workout schedule, I like to meal prep. I made the TIU coconut macaroons and followed the recipe and directions precisely. They're a little bland and I'm not a big fan. Probably won't ever make them again, although they did manage to keep me full until lunch. All of the ingredients cost me about $12, and I ate them throughout the week.

Noon — It’s lunch time, and it’s another TIU meal on the menu. I also prepped this on Sunday to save myself time during the week; it’s a collard greens wrap filled with lean protein and veggies. I also have a shredded carrot, beet, and apple salad. The wrap is pretty flavorless, since you’re only allowed to use a limited amount of ingredients. But the side salad is really delicious. All of the ingredients for this meal cost me about $40, and lasted for most of the week.

6:30 p.m. — I take a hot yoga class CorePower Yoga. Since your first week is free, I decided to take a break from my usual Orangetheory routine, and try this instead. I absolutely loved it —hot yoga just makes me sweat so much! Getting all of that sweat out really helps calm my anxiety and keep my chakras aligned.

8:30 p.m. — I'm following the five day detox calendar exactly, and this evening I’m supposed to eat a simple sauté, which is basically just a lean protein and veggies mix on the stove top. This is way more tasteful than the wrap from the other day, but since you’re still only allowed to eat so many ingredients, it’s still not that great. This meal too cost me about $10.

9 p.m. — I pass out hard. All of this cooking and meal prepping is very tiring, so I go to bed way earlier than normal.

Noon — Well, this is depressing. I’m watching everyone at my job eat a yummy, catered and free meal for an event. At least I had some nice conversation.

3 p.m. — It’s time for my midday TIU snack. It’s another pre-prepped meal, and today it’s a soup with red lentils, carrots, and some spices. It’s super tasty. A coworker asks if I’m eating a bowl of peanut butter, however, since it’s so thick and creamy. It’s not, obviously, but now I wish I was eating a peanut butter sandwich instead. All of the ingredients for this soup cost me $12, and it’ll last me about four meals.

6:30 p.m. — It’s time for my Orangetheory class. My monthly membership costs about $189, and I go try to go at least three times per week. That works out to about $15 per class or less, which isn’t too bad considering how much boutique fitness classes cost nowadays.

Right now, I am involved in their 8-week transformation challenge, which requires me to go a minimum of three times a week anyway, so it kind of works out. At the beginning of the challenge, they weighed us and took our "before" photos. This is also why I was inspired to do the five day detox. At the end of the challenge, the people who lose the most weight get a prize, so I'm using that as motivation.

3 p.m. — It’s midday snack time, and I’m finally eating something new! This detox has been rough to get through, because I’m not used to eating the same thing over and over again. The directions called for a can of tuna, but I'm allergic to fish, so went with canned chicken instead. You can add celery, but I opted out of that. And you can add some herbs, so I added leftover diced red onions and a little no-salt seasoning. It all cost about $3.

6:30 p.m. — I’m back at Orangetheory, and it’s my third and final class of the week in order to meet the requirements of the challenge. At this point, I'm exhausted. I'm sore from my fourth day in a row of working out, and I really just want pizza and donuts, so anything I can do to keep me occupied is a plus. $15

7:30 p.m. — I drive home after Orangetheory. Traffic is a struggle in Los Angeles, and you really have to build your schedule around it. For me, I work about 20 minutes from my home with no traffic, but during the evening rush hour the commute can take up to 90 minutes. This is why I choose to work out after work: to cut down on my commute. But even when I leave the area around 7:30 p.m., it can still take up to 50 minutes to get home. No fun. Sitting at a desk all day and then sitting in traffic for a long time is another reason why I try to work out often and eat healthy. I’m just not moving enough. My FitBit is mad at me because I never hit anywhere close to 10,000 steps a day. My FitBit Versa was a gift, but it costs $169.95 on Amazon.

7:30 a.m. — I am so excited for today’s TIU menu: EGGS! I never knew I could be this excited for scrambled eggs before this moment. I’m learning that having a variety of meals is important for me. This meal cost about $3.

10:30 a.m. — It’s snack time, and today I’m opting to drink the smoothie. Even though I’m sick of all the meal repeats, this spinach, cayenne, protein powder, mango, coconut water, and flax seed concoction isn’t getting old for me. Again, it’s so tasty. $7

6:30 p.m. — I’m back at CorePower for another hot yoga class during my free trial week. I’m loving how yoga balances out the intensity of Orangetheory. I really feel that I’m giving my body all of the attention it deserves from sitting at a desk all day. $15

9 a.m. — Finally off of the detox and ready for some normal food. Although I have to say, the detox did inspire me to be more mindful of what I'm putting into my body. I went for a protein YQ yogurt with some healthy granola. The meal cost me about $3.

10 a.m. — My boyfriend and I meet with a contractor. This meeting was free, yes, but the work they're about to do on our new home will not be, sadly. We bought a house last year and are looking to fix up the facade, so we met with some people who are potentially going to take on the job for us.

We’re in the VERY early stages, but the thought of how much it will all cost has brought on some anxiety. The idea of how hard the renos will hit my bank account frightens me, even though I know in the end that we’re going to love it and it’s a great investment. Focusing on eating healthy and exercising is definitely a good distraction.

1 p.m. — I’m at a bridal shower, and this is the first real test of how successful the detox was. Did it help me break some bad habits, or am I going to be tempted by all the treats and alcohol here? I’m able to resist, especially since we’re having our own party tomorrow.

10 a.m. — I sleep in. After a whole week of detoxing and working out, I think I deserve a day off from the gym and some extra sleep. Plus, we’re having a Super Bowl party at my house later, so I have a lot of prep work to do for that. Free

2 p.m. — It’s party time, and after the last week it’s nice to kick back and hang out with friends and indulge a bit. Being with friends and being able to enjoy the moment makes me realize how important it is to strike a balance, and to be realistic about my eating habits. I know I need to be mindful about what I eat, but foregoing all the goodies today wouldn’t have been joyful. I had some buffalo chicken bites and pulled pork sliders, and I still look great. It’s all about moderation. I spent about $100 on all of the party supplies and food — and the experience made me feel good. Like, real good!

4 p.m. — The party is still going and I have a beer. For the detox, I had to give up alcohol. Even though that part wasn’t hard for me, sipping a cold one feels pretty great.

Self-Reflection: The best part of my week was challenging myself in a way I never had before and succeeding. I lost a few pounds on the detox, but it was about so much more than that. It really helped me refocus and tune in to the fact that I need balance in my life when it comes to my wellness — that’s what I’m striving for. I also learned I hate meal prepping (it was stressful), but I like eating healthy, so I need to find a way to regularly eat healthy in a way that works for my schedule.