Day 20--Time to chew again!

5/23, Thursday, -11 pounds total

Day 20 and I'm R-E-A-D-Y for some solid food.  Been craving a big green salad with grilled chicken from 730 South (a favorite neighborhood restaurant) or some juicy watermelon and plums....and I wouldn't turn down salty tortilla chips either.  I'm feeling good, thinner and less out of breath when I carry a load of laundry up the stairs--yes!  But I'm also feeling the NEED for some other dietary elements like protein and healthy carbs.  So I've done it...I've broken the fast!  I started with a cup of fresh raspberries and some almond butter--my taste buds were dancing with joy. 

When I started this, I didn't really have a set "done" date...I just wanted to see how far I could go on this and how healthy I could feel.  Overall, I've felt great, especially during days 5-17.  Unfortunately, I've had three migraines in the past four days (seasonal allergies, maybe?) and I think that's triggered some major food cravings in my body.  I've been dreaming about...rotisserie chicken.  And I'm definitely over beet juice, probably for life.

I'm planning to keep doing at least one-two juices or smoothies per day, plus eating "clean, whole foods" (very little/no sugar or processed foods).  I'm also committed to exercising regularly, whether that's walking in the neighborhood or going to the gym.  I feel so much better in my clothes with just 11 pounds gone...I want to lose at least 10-15 more pounds so I must continue to make good choices! 

For anyone who is considering a juice fast or "reboot", I say--DO IT!!  Grab your blender and/or juicer, stock up on veggies and fruit, visit some websites (runningwithjuice.com or rebootwithjoe.com) for inspiration/recipes and go for it.  Even if it's only for one meal, one day, one week or one month, your body WILL thank you for putting some premium fuel in your tank!

Day 16--Still Going Strong!

5/19, Sunday, -9.5 pounds total

I'm back, after a SUPER busy week at work...  No time to blog, hardly any time to sleep, but I'm still here and going strong. The longer I do this, the easier it gets...although I do miss salty, crunchy treats.  I'd love to go see "The Great Gatsby" this week but movie theaters trigger a Pavlovian popcorn reaction in my mouth and I don't know if I can torture myself like that.  Still debating if I should test my character that way.

I've fallen into a rhythm of eating--two smoothies and two juices per day, only herbal tea after 7 p.m.  I've also added 30-60 minutes of power walking and free weights to my routine--as soon as I started doing this, the weight started coming off.  Definitely feeling motivated to continue with lots of veggies and fruits, to see how good I can feel. 

Tip for the day--occasionally, I am just too tired or pressed for time to make a juice for work.  So, if that happens, I found Columbia Gorge Organic juices in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods--they are 100% juice, no additives, and a good option if you're caught without your homemade juice/smoothie.  

Day 11--New Reboot Habits

5/14, Tuesday, -5.0 pounds total

"It is notorious how powerful is the force of habit."  Charles Darwin

 

Good energy today, but I am feeling a little discouraged about the lack of movement on the scale.  I keep reading about other people who have lost one or more pounds a day and that’s definitely not happening for me.  So it’s time for a new habit--I decided to add… drumroll, please… exercise.  Yes, I need to start moving, more than just walking back and forth to the break room at work.  Today after work, I bit the bullet and forced myself to power-walk for 45 minutes in my neighborhood.  And…it felt good!  I’m adding 30- 45 minutes a day of exercise to my reboot and watching for healthy results.  

In addition to watching “The Voice” and checking Facebook, I’ve been spending a lot of time surfing the web about juicing and other healthy stuff.  And, I’m finding things I wish I’d found sooner… like THIS!  If you’re thinking about doing a “reboot” (juice/smoothie fast with or without eating fruits and veggies), be sure to check out this link.  http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/rebooting/plans/  It has tons of information that I wish I’d had 11 days ago.  But I won’t whine…well, not too much…  I’m pretty proud of myself for making it this far, only on juices and smoothies.

Day 10--Snickerdoodle Juice

5/13, Monday, -5.5 pounds total

 First day-off from work in 16 straight days—hooray!  Stocked up on lots of juicing fruits and veggies, then cleaned-out and purged my refrigerator so I could find stuff.  I’m embarrassed to admit how much expired stuff I had in those side-door shelves… maraschino cherries (2011), soy sauce (2009) and some old 400 speed Kodak film from 2003 (I’m keeping that since I think they actually stopped making film a few years ago).  And, before you judge me and think that I’m an utter frig-slob, I HAVE cleaned those shelves in the last ten years…  I just haven’t checked expiration dates!   So now, we have a beautiful, pristine frig with lots of room for our healthy greens and fruits. 

I felt a lot better today—making sure I get a juice into my gut every 2-3 hours (3 hours seems to be the tipping point for me, when I’m suddenly “out of gas”).  My allergies are going crazy with the budding trees and warm temps here, so I think that’s also sapping me a bit.  But no excuses—I love what this juicing is doing for me!  Mike (my unbelievably supportive hubby) says I look ten years younger and that my face is “WAY thinner.”  Guess I looked worse than I thought…  But I do appreciate him and he’s even doing juices and smoothies too when he’s able. 

Tip of the day:  To reduce some of the bitterness that you might taste in juices with lots of greens (especially kale), add a sprinkle of CINNAMON into your completed juice. Cinnamon neutralizes the bitter taste, without adding a super cinnamon-y taste.  A co-worker told me about this—tried it this morning and it works!  I was afraid I’d ruin a perfectly good juice this way—who wants a snickerdoodle and kale juice—but it really works.  I admit, there have been a few times when I’ve really had to force myself to finish a dark green juice, but this made my mid-morning “Mean Green Juice” delicious!   

Also, I use a straw for all my drinks, and love to pour the juice over ice—just makes them easier for me to drink.  Guess that makes me a sucker.   

Day 9--Weak Sauce and Watermelon

5/12, Sunday, -6.0 pounds total

"Everything is hard before it is easy."  Goethe

Celebrated Mother’s Day with an amazing, all-you-can-eat brunch and bottomless mimosas…  NOT!  Stuck to the juicing and smoothies for day 10 but I didn’t feel well for the first time in a long time.  I had a juice at 8:30 a.m., then a smoothie at noon, but by 3:45 p.m., I was feeling like a weak, wet noodle.  I was having trouble thinking—not a good thing when you have to know about 100 produce codes during the store rush at work. I actually had to take a quick break to down another juice before I keeled over.  It was probably the closest I’ve been to grabbing some chips and guacamole and eating something solid, just so I’d feel normal.  I fell into bed at 10 p.m., weak and exhausted.   

But, as I was falling asleep and thinking about my day, I realized that FOUR of my juices had been mainly fruit and only ONE had been mainly vegetables. I’m not sure how this happened…  Every other day, I’ve stuck with a 70/30 veggies/fruit ratio. I think the utter lack of energy I felt was due to the sugar crash I was experiencing.  Yes, even healthy, whole fruit contains sugar.  I’m back on the 70/30 formula tomorrow and I’ll see if that helps.  Otherwise, this journey may end sooner than I thought. 

 

In any case, I did try an amazing watermelon smoothie recipe--delicious for those times when you have a sweet tooth!  Just make sure you balance it out with 4-5 other juices that are mainly veggies.   Here's the link:

 

http://www.youngandraw.com/watermelon-detox-smoothie/

 

 

 

 

DAY 8--To Weigh or Not to Weigh...

5/11, Saturday, Weight -5.0 pounds total

My delicious "Sunset Juice" lunch-- had 4 cups!

 

I truly cannot believe that I’m already into my second week of this juicing thing.  Time flies when you’re drinking… juices!  I didn't really have a set deadline in mind when I started, but I guess I was thinking 7 days minimum.  Now I'm definitely going at least 15 days and maybe 30... Depends on how I'm feeling, I suppose.  After that, I know I'll be drinking 1-2 juices per day for life.  Can't imagine giving up this feeling and going back to my "blah/meh/dizzy life."

It’s been five days since my last migraine and that is pretty unusual since I usually get 2-3 per week.  Had a long, busy day at work (lots of last-minute Mother's Day shoppers at the grocery store)

 and I definitely hit a “wall” of exhaustion at about 3 hours between juices, but I certainly feel better than I would have two weeks ago. 

I’ve been cruising websites for more info on this stuff—lots of great tips and tricks, but it’s all over the place.  So, I’m posting some words of wisdom from Joe Cross’ reboot website here about weighing yourself and weight loss.  (And yes, I wish I’d read this sooner...see Day Five on my blog.)

“If you’re on a Reboot, I don’t recommend weighing yourself everyday either. Of course it’s up to you, but understand that our bodies are miraculous things and no matter how strictly we are following a Reboot plan, our bodies tend to fluctuate at some point throughout a Reboot. It’s not worth the stress of getting on the scale every day only to see the scale might have increased two pounds (see below, stress can cause weight gain!)

However, if you’re on an extended Reboot (more than 3 days) and have committed to only weighing yourself one or two times a week and are still not seeing any weight loss, follow these tips:

1.)    Drink MORE juice. That’s right. I’ve had a few Rebooters reach out to me saying “Joe, I’m only consuming two juices a day and tons of water so how am I not shedding weight?” Well you have to drink more than two juices! Drinking too little juice can set the body into starvation mode, slowing your metabolism. It might sound crazy but that’s the beauty of a Reboot…more is better. Aim for 4 – 6 juices per day at about 16 – 20 oz. each.

2.)    Make sure your juices average about 80% vegetables and 20% fruit (that’s before they are juiced). We have plenty of good recipes with this ratio in our Reboot plans on www.rebootwithjoe.com so make sure you are utilizing those.

3.)    Learn to relax. Stress can have a negative impact on your weight loss as cortisol, a stress hormone, can slow weight loss down.

4.)    Think healthy rather than thin. (This is my personal favorite!)  Remind yourself of all the wonderful good you are doing for your body and your long-term health. The weight will follow.

5.)    Try new juice recipes and ingredients.  Give yourself a broader spectrum of nutrients if you are drinking the same thing too often. Always keep the vegetable to fruit split 80% to 20%.

6.)    Drink water. Remember to consume at least 64 oz. of filtered water every day.

Day 7--Energy and Recipes

5/10--Friday, weight minus 5.5 pounds total

Woke up with a headache (just a normal headache, not a migraine...big difference) but it went away after I had my breakfast juice and some Tylenol!  I did go to bed hungry (ravenous) last night, so maybe that did it.  Guess I learned my lesson. 

Feeling great--in fact, my energy level is making me feel a little frantic at times, like I've had two double-espresso, extra-sweet lattes.  I think I need to exercise, something I haven't done with any regularity in A-G-E-S.  Time to dust off the old walking shoes and find my dumbbells under the bed.

Don't know if anyone is reading or following this blog, but if you are, feel free to share your favorite juice or smoothie recipes.  I'd love to get some new ideas and I'm sure others would too.  Here's a great green smoothie that's yummy and filling:

"Greena Colada"

1 cup pineapple (if I use canned, I include the juice)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 lime, no peel
1 cucumber, peeled
1-2 cups kale
4 celery stalks
1/2 green apple

Blend well, YUM!  Note:  If you're using a regular blender, cut the celery and apple into pretty small pieces; add the ingredients in order to make blending easier.

Day Six--On the Road Again

5/9, Thursday, weight -5.0 pounds total

Damn, I have some energy and it feels good!  I’m feeling awesome, no headaches, with more energy than I’ve felt in a long time.  I’m down to one cup of half-reg/half-decaf coffee upon waking--OK, I was at work at 7:15 a.m. and had another cup of half/half at about 9:30 a.m.  If decaf coffee ends up being my biggest vice, oh well... 

So glad to see I’m back on the path to weight LOSS again.  Losing weight isn’t my primary goal in doing this, but I know my body won’t be as achy when I’m not hauling 20-30 pounds of extra weight up the stairs.  Does anyone else ever feel the need to sit down after walking upstairs with a load of laundry?  I’m determined never to feel like that again.

It’s been much easier to resist solid food and goodies today—there were quite a few vendors at work today, giving out free samples of chocolate, soda, nut butters and other yummies.  (I work as a cashier at Whole Foods and looking/smelling all that delicious food everyday can be H-A-R-D.)  Today, I was able to just pass those samples by, no longing, no grieving, no feeling sorry for myself… Three juices, Two smoothies today and I feel satisfied. 

Speaking of juices and smoothies, I’ve been compiling some recipes from websites and thought I’d share a few of my faves:  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-3-day-detox-cleanse-one-sheet (this is the one that really got me started drinking green smoothies); http://www.runningonjuice.com/juice-recipes/; http://www.youngandraw.com/; and http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/recipes/. I’ve found that my nose and eyes can be deceiving when tasting smoothies and juices—they can smell and look a lot worse than they taste, so drink up!

Day Five--WTF?!

DAY FIVE, Wednesday, 5/8, -3.0 pounds total

Woke up at 6:15 a.m. (thanks, dogs...), stepped on the scale as usual and WTF?!!  Damn… how could I have GAINED a pound yesterday?  By drinking smoothies instead of juices?  Feels discouraging but I am going to STICK WITH IT today and keep on juicing.  However, if I gain MORE weight tomorrow, I'll be pissed.  Here comes the challenging day… going to stay busy before the work get-together, then be prepared for resisting the picnic goodies…  Lord, help me.

7:30 p.m.--HOORAY—I survived the work team-build!  Thankfully, I think Mother Nature intervened on my behalf—we were supposed to have a picnic at Chatfield, full of sandwiches, chips, sodas, and assorted yummies.  We got there and it was pouring rain and windy—we stayed for about 45 minutes, FREEZING, then drove to Einstein Bros (where we could not bring in food) and finished an abbreviated team-build.  I did treat myself to a hot cup of coffee—I should have just taken decaf since I’m now wired at 7:30 p.m., but I needed to thaw out badly.

Feeling good, no headaches, plenty of energy today.  In fact, I started doing squats and lifting free weights for my arms since I was feeling energetic and it was raining.  50 squats today, 3x 10 reps for arms. I had 3 juices and 1 smoothie today.  I just wish it was easier to make these juices—time consuming and tough on the hands since I’m constantly washing fruits/veggies, along with the juicer and Vitamix.  My hands look like hell--but I'm feeling healthier, so that's a good trade.

Day Four--Temptation on my Mind

Day Four, Tuesday, 5/7  -4.0 pounds

Busy, long work day ahead… Bringing my juices with me, hoping to fend off the headache today.  Feeling good, had half decaf coffee, 1 cup for breakfast and 1 cup about 9:30 a.m.  Do NOT want to deal caffeine withdrawal headaches anymore so I’ll keep sneaking the caffeine for a couple more days.

5 p.m.--I’ve had 3 juices and 1 smoothie so far today.  Really anxious about tomorrow—we're having a picnic-style team-build at a park, with lots of food and goodies.  I’m supposed to make brownies and bring them for everyone…  I’m already dreading making them and smelling them.  SOOOOO tempting and I don’t want to lose momentum.  Need to be strong—this is my biggest challenge yet.  Just THINKING about solid food, and especially baked goods, is impossible right now. 

Under the category of "things your mother never told you"—when you make a juice with red beets, it’s a gorgeous crimson color.  But it also comes out the other end that same color and it’s a little scary at first—REALLY red!  Guess that's where the expression "beet red" comes from.  I know…too much information.

10 p.m.--Hardest night so far—went to Ikea and Target and SAW solid food—yummmmm.  So tempted to have a gluten-free waffle smothered in peanut butter and syrup or gluten free brownies! I made a yummy blueberry smoothie instead and watched my favorite show, "The Voice." Major headache came on at 9:30 p.m  so I'm just going to sleep it off. Hang in there… four days down!!  "Good on ya", as Joe Cross would say.

Day Three--Bang My Head

5/6, MONDAY, Day Two, -3.0 pounds

6:30 a.m.--Woke up with a baby migraine after 9 hours of sleep.  Feeling pretty “empty” and hungry…wish I could just take today off work and sleep!  Today may be tough—craving solid food about now, but I need to press on!  Had one cup of coffee, going to cut back to ½ decaf tomorrow. 

4 p.m.--Headache too much to bear at 8 a.m.—took migraine meds, tried to get through work but left at 11:15 a.m.  Nothing worse than 2500 screaming school kids, a rainy weather-front moving in, and a migraine.  Came home, slept for 2 hours, feeling a little better now, although my eyeballs still ache. Feeling hungry and sorry for myself. 

Had a blueberry smoothie for dinner (kale, blueberries, mango, coconut water, banana, lime and flax seed) to get a little fiber in my gut—amazing.  Felt better about 9 p.m. and stayed up until 10:30 p.m. making drinks for tomorrow.  Thinking it’s a good idea to throw in one smoothie a day, along with the juices.  I checked...Joe says it's ok, as long as I'm continuing with a 100% fruits and veggie diet.  Every time I read Joe's blog, I hear an Australian accent in my head.

Day Two--Not S'Bad...

5/5/13, Sunday, DAY TWO, -1.5 pounds

8 a.m. One cup of coffee down…aah.  If it prevents another day of headaches, I’ll be happy.  Feeling good, not too ravenous, no headache upon waking.  Going to try all the juices in the Dr. Oz 3 day juice cleanse sheet (www.doctoroz.com/videos/joe-cross-3-day-weekend-juice-cleanse) --there are five of them total and I only drank 3 juices yesterday!  Mike went to the store last night to get all the ingredients and spent $43…who said that getting healthy would be cheap?  It's so much cheaper to eat crap, especially crap that arrives through a drive-through window.

10 p.m.  Good day at work—Zero headaches today, drank all five juices and feel more energetic already.  Mike and I took a 45 minute walk through the park after I got home from work—I kind of crashed after I got home, but I made it.  Still no major bowel or gas issues…I’m wondering if I was fully "cleaned out" before I even started this since I had been drinking 1-2 smoothies daily?  I’m definitely hoping it doesn’t “hit the fan” all at once—THAT would be a difficult day if it happens when I’m at work…

Note on the Dr. Oz juice recipes--I REALLY didn’t like the tomato/bell pepper juice for lunch but I choked most of it down.  It was kinda like V-8 juice and I am NOT a fan. The others were pretty good, especially the morning shake.  And the last juice had red beets and sweet potato—and it was yummy! I don’t think I’ve EVER eaten a red beet in my life…pretty color, that’s for sure. 

Call me crazy, but this just seems to make so much sense...putting amazing phytonutrients into your body and burning the fat that already exists for fuel.  Feeling happy with myself for sticking with it for two days.

Day One--Let the Juicing Begin!

Welcome to my blog--Get ready for the honest, down-and-dirty truth about my quest to get healthy at 51 years old.  I will hold nothing back, so if you are easily offended or "delicate", just skip that part.  I've decided to blog this journey, mainly to keep myself accountable to something. So here goes...

5/4/13, Saturday, DAY ONE

My husband, Mike, and I watched "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" last night and I am PUMPED!  Ready to take on this juicing thing and get healthy after about 8 years of feeling like crap.  Here are the reasons I'm doing this juice fast-- I want to lose my chronic migraines, fuzzy thinking, dizziness, vertigo, fatigue, knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, bad mood, lack of energy, shortness of breath just going up stairs, dependence on caffeine, and 20-30 pounds.  I want to achieve a clear mind, energy, a feeling of health, the ability to jog/walk/exercise vigorously, feeling sexy (?) and looking great in clothes.

8:30 a.m. No coffee needed this morning, feeling motivated and pumped! Had a juice drink at 7 a.m., ready for work 30 minutes early.  I can do this! 

9:30 a.m.—headache creeping in…uh oh.  Don’t know if I should take anything for it since I’m supposed to stay off medication and caffeine.  I’ll just power through it, right?  Thank God it’s a super quiet day at work! 

1  p.m.—full-blown throbbing headache, super hungry, can I do this?!  Taking Excedrin migraine and drinking a cup of green tea, along with my lunch juice.  Checked the Joe website (www.fatsickandnearlydead.com) and turns out that he recommends slowly easing off caffeine…WTF?  Why didn’t someone tell me??  I’ll muddle through the rest of the day and sleep it off. 

5:30 p.m. – Home after work and veggie shopping with Mike, massive migraine, juice some dinner and watch tv for 4 hours.  I know I can do this, just need to get through the first four days!  Drank a glass of grapefruit juice before bed, dabbed some peppermint oil on and crashed at 10:30 p.m.  It’s weird—I’m peeing all the time but the color is almost clear.  Must mean that my body is sucking up those micronutrients.  No explosive diarrhea yet, either and I was kinda expecting that… I need to remind myself that my body will be living off of the extra 30 lbs of FAT on my body, not necessarily losing weight through my colon.