It's Day 5 of my detox diet and I caved and had a chai this morning. There. I said it. My name is Meghan, and I'm a cheater.

But I was tired! And there was a parking spot right in front of my favorite coffee shop that makes the most delicious chai in the entire city! And I felt as if I would die if I didn't get that damn chai!

I know I sound like a melodramatic child, but consider yourself warned: If you try a detox diet, cravings will come. And they will be hard to fight.

But before you think this is a big 'ol cop-out, hear me out: With detox plans I've strictly followed in the past, I've gone hog-wild the minute I was finished detoxing. And I mean hog-wild -- bacon and eggs with a triple-shot latte for breakfast; bacon cheeseburger for lunch; pizza and beer for dinner. But experts say this is one of the worst things you can do after detoxing. That blast of unhealthy eats taxes the liver (which has already been taxed during the detox) and can actually cause you to get really sick.

So I may actually be onto something in my justification for caving and grabbing that chai latte. I'm hoping that if I let myself cheat every so often, I may actually succeed in sticking to the tenants of this detox plan well after this 21-day adventure is over, which is really the goal, says Carr.

I'm officially halfway through and I can't believe I'm about to say this, but here goes: I actually woke up this morning craving a green juice. Honestly. It was all I could do to not run to the kitchen, whip open the fridge, and start shoving that organic romaine, spinach, kale, and celery into my juicer. It's like I couldn't get it in my body fast enough.

Bring it, "Bagel Fridays." You've got nothing on me anymore.

Warning for the faint of stomach: I'm about to talk about the grosser part of detoxing, so feel free to skip ahead if you're not so into talking about poop. But for the rest of you (c'mon, you know you're intrigued), here's what's turning out to be one of my favorite parts about following this crazy diet: I am loving pooping three (or more!) times a day.

I realize I'm sounding like an 80-year-old woman in a nursing home with the bowel movement rundown right now, so I'll keep it brief. But truly, if you've never had the experience of eliminating this much in the course of a day, I urge you to try even just one week of this diet for the sole purpose of experiencing what I'm talking about here. I feel lighter. I feel clearer. I feel...cleaner on the inside. It's amazing.

Exercising is a crucial component of any good, sane detox plan. Think about it: During a time when you're trying to eliminate as many toxins as possible, sweating is one of the smartest things you can do. Your skin is your largest detox organ, after all.

Luckily, I've got this part of the plan in the bag thanks to the fact that I'm a workout fiend. I do Pilates three mornings a week before work, try to sneak in at least one yoga class a week (two if I can), and I'm also a spin class addict. For me, sweating is an essential part of my day -- a completely enjoyable way to burn off stress and angst (not to mention calories).

In an ideal world, I'd also be making time to sit in a sauna (more sweating), dry brush my body before showering (which stimulates lymphatic drainage), and meditate (to help detox negative thoughts) while following this detox diet. But so far, I've only had time for my Monday-Wednesday-Friday Pilates sessions and a few spin classes each week. And I'm OK with that.

An exciting thing happened at Pilates this morning: Priscilla, a fellow student whom I've been taking classes with for about two months now, says to me, "You are looking really good, Meghan." I blush, thank her, and then promptly sneak a glance at myself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. I am looking good. Leaner. Less puffy. More toned. I'm at Day 19 and I'm amazed at how quickly this diet seems to be working.