Day 8 - 8 Down, 12 more to go!

Weight status:
2/22 -3lbs
2/23 -3.8lbs
2/24 -1 lb
2/25 -3.8lbs
2/26 -1 lb
2/27 - no lose
2/28 -1.2 lbs (13.8 lbs lost total)

Inches lost: 10

All in all yesterday was a pretty good day.  I had periods of dizziness and disorientation  but they were intermitnent.  I still have jaw pain which sometimes gives me an ear ache.  If this problem is still there next week I will go visit the doctor on Monday.  I cannot beleive its already been 8 days and I can also not beleive that I still have 12 more days of this to go!  I am told around day 10 I should feel pretty awesome and all the random wierd feeling I have been getting should be gone.

I think today I am going to share my blog with more people.  Those that are reading are a few select people.  Now that I am feeling better I am going to spread the word!

I finally got my Kale yesterday!  So happy!  I bought 5 bunches.  Yum yum.

A few folks have asked me where I get protein from.  Calorie for calorie, green veggies — such as romaine lettuce, broccoli, and kale — have twice as much protein as steak. As vegans and vegetarians have known all along, a whole foods, plant-based diet provides more than adequate amounts of protein. A combination of vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains can and do easily provide for our protein requirements, there is no ‘need’ for animal proteins at all.

I am slightly nervous about the "after" fast.  I feel like I will be prepared to start my plant based diet, but am still wary I will slip back into my old ways.

Everyone have a great day!

Day 7 - I can't believe I haven't eaten in 7 days!

Weight status:
2/22 -3lbs
2/23 -3.8lbs
2/24 -1 lb
2/25 -3.8lbs
2/26 -1 lb
2/27 - no lose (12.6 lbs lost total)

Yesterday started great but didn't end great.  I really didn't love any of juices I made and one was downright awful (collard green juice is evil!).  I will never juice collard greens again!  I still have not gotten any kale. Thank you to Chrissy and my mom for searching and offering suggestions.  I called a Giant near my work today and they have some in!  So I will be making a trip at lunchtime.

I had a really bad day at work yesterday, that's where my shit day started.  From there all I wanted to do was eat.  Stress eat.  My mom had scheduled a spaghetti and meatball dinner at the house with family.  This did not help.  All I wanted to do was shove meatballs in my mouth and everything smelled so good.  On top of that, I don't feel I have been getting enough sleep.  I have been awake until 11 or 12 since I started this fast, not normal for me.  I like to be sleeping by 10.  I drank 2 bags of sleepytime extra in the hopes of a good night's sleep.  I feel good when I wake however just wish I was falling asleep earlier.  A big thanks to Jenea for talking me off a ledge last night!  I was seconds away from a McDonalds drive thru.

This morning I am feeling great!  The only thing green in juice's today is celery.  I made carrot, apple, celery and mango/orange for the day.

Many of you have asked why they should juice when they could eat the veg­eta­bles or fruits. When you extract the juice from the veg­etable all you are left with are ben­e­fi­cial micronu­tri­ents. Since your body doesn’t have to break down any com­po­nents like insol­u­ble fiber, your body is quick­ly absorb­ing micronu­tri­ents, antiox­i­dants, vit­a­mins, min­er­als and much more from the juice. That’s why I often you get instant ener­gy after hav­ing a juice!  Juic­ing also allows you to con­sume the need­ed veg­eta­bles and fruits that your body craves and needs for opti­mal health. If you find it dif­fi­cult eat­ing raw veg­eta­bles and fruit, then juic­ing is per­fect for you.

I've wanted to write about something that has been bother me for a few days.  Over the weekend I noticed that on of my facebook friends has been posting about weight loss and getting to the gym.  I decided to send a private message and congratulate them on their weight loss and send them the link to my blog to check out what I am doing to get healthy.  The response I got was "Please be careful with those fads."  At first I was really  annoyed at this, I responded and asked if they read my blog because I wasn't aware this was a fad (still don't think it is).  I got a long response about how a friend tried it got really sick and overdosed on the vitamins in the fruits and veggies.  Also how when you introduce solids you regain and wreck you metabolism.  I decided  not to have an argument with person as I didn't feel the need to justify my choice.
To be clear about this:
Juicing is not for everyone.  The more crap you have put inside your body, the harder your detox will be.  This is absolutely the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.  I am not doing this so that after my fast I can stuff my face with foods I used to eat.  I am doing this to change the way I eat and lead a healthy lifestyle.

I AM NOT ON A DIET, THIS IS MY DIET NOW (or so I hope!) 

That's it for this morning.

Sad there was no weight loss today but I know:

Day 6 - Feeling Great!

Weight status:
2/22 -3lbs
2/23 -3.8lbs
2/24 -1 lb
2/25 -3.8lbs
2/26 -1 lb (12.6 lbs lost total)

Yesterday was an aweseome day!  I was barely hungry and had energy.  I was a machine at work.  I felt like I accomplished alot, which is something I can not say happens often.

I did not have time to hit up produce junction last night so I got all my fruits and veggies from Giant.  Sadly they were all out of Kale!  So this morning I am on a hunt to find some organic Kale, I have called 3 stores so far and no luck.  I'll be calling every grocery store in the area to find my kale!

Why am I so upset about not finding kale?

Kale is packed with beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antiox­i­dant which helps to build the body’s immune sys­tem. Anantiox­i­dant helps neu­tral­ize free rad­i­cals and helps pre­vent mol­e­cules from oxi­diz­ing. One cup of cooked kale has about 5.8 mg of beta-carotene (Barone et. al, 2002). Beat-carotene is also impor­tant because it’s a pre­cur­sor for the pro­duc­tion of vit­a­min A. When we get ade­quate amounts of vit­a­min A, we have health­i­er skin, a stronger immune sys­tem, and it helps with vision as well.

Accord­ing to Organicauthority.com, kale con­tains more cal­ci­um per calo­rie than milk (90 grams per serv­ing) and is also eas­i­er to absorb. Cal­ci­um is impor­tant in pre­vent­ing osteo­poro­sis, pre­vent­ing bone loss, and helps main­tain a healthy metab­o­lism. Remem­ber to get enough vit­a­min D, since it helps with the absorp­tion of cal­ci­um.

Kale is dark green so that is a clue that it has high amounts of chloro­phyll. Chloro­phyll is a type of pig­ment that pro­vides kale it’s deep green color. There are many ben­e­fits of chloro­phyll. Chloro­phyll aids in gas­troin­testi­nal prob­lems, pro­motes the for­ma­tion of hemo­glo­bin and red blood cells, has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and it also helps with bad breath.

 

I MUST FIND KALE!

 

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Day 5 - The Last Few Days Were Rough!

Weight status:
2/22 -3lbs
2/23 -3.8lbs
2/24 -1 lb
2/25 -3.8lbs (11.6 lbs lost total)

Yesterday was a day of ups but mostly downs.  I felt okay in the morning but by lunchtime it was all going down hill.  Spent more time in the bathroom, my jaw was killing me and overall I just felt fat and tired.  Last night was the worst.  My glands were swollen which wasn't helping my jaw pain.  I was really hungry yesterday.  For lunch my mom made cheese tortellini.  Now I do hate pasta but this is my favorite, tortellini alfredo! It smelled wonderful.

To keep my mind off of the fact that I hadn't eaten in 4 days I have been a pinterest whore!  I am looking up vegan raw recipes for after my fast.  I already mentally feel better.  I am actually longing to stating eating healthy plant based foods.

I literally juiced almost everything I had left yesterday.  I need to hit up produce junction and Giant tonight.

On my Organic List:
Kale
Celery
Carrots
Apple
Spinach

On my Produce Juction (non-organic) List:
Cucumbers
Mangos
Broccoli
Lemons

After watching the many documentaries before starting my fast, I never gave much thought to organic anything.  It is pretty gross after the fact learning about all of the pesticides and chemicals that are used to treat vegetables and fruits.  If you can afford to buy the dirty dozen organic, then you should absolutely do that!  But remember that eating fruits and vegetables is far more important to your health than avoiding them based on a fear of pesticides, so don’t get so hung up on organic and eat less because of that.  See links below to view foods you should and shouldn't buy Organic.

14 Foods You Should Buy Organic
Foods You Don't Need to Buy Organic

As of this morning I am feeling pretty well.  My jaw pain is better and my glands are less swollen.  I am hoping that my detox symptoms are almost non existant because there is no way I can go through yesterday here at work!

For Breakfast: Mean Green
Lunch: Carrot, celery, strawberries, lemon

I don't reemember what I put in my dinner juice, it was the scraps I had left!

Until tomorrow....

Day 4 - Feeling good but....

Weight status:
2/22 -3lbs
2/23 -3.8lbs
2/24 -1lb (7.8lbs lost total)

Last night was not as bad as I had expected.  I didn't actually feel hungry, I just wanted to eat all the foods layed out on the table!  Taco Dip, Onion Dip, Spinach Dip, cheese balls, cheese and crackers, even apples and grapes.  I really miss chewing.  I finally caved and chewed some sugar free gum, my breath is still rank so I am sure the my friends appreciated that!  I started to get cranky about half way through Bingo, I have pain in my jaw that was really bothering me, I was sitting in an unconfortable chair and just felt tired.  I did make some yummy juice that I drank while I was there, oranges, kiwi, carrot and apple, very yum!  I made it through the night without a cigarette!

I realized while looking in the mirror last night that my skin looked awful, I was red and blotchy and breaking out, all part of the detox.  Minor ailments such as colds, fevers, skin spots, headaches, pimples/boils, fatigue, dizziness, sinus pressure, runny nose, loose or hard stools, low energy and body odor are extremely common.  I have had a few of these symptoms during my detox. 

The cleanse is like a time machine…it takes you back through old problems and you re-experience old conditions as you stir up old toxins in your body.  This is called a healing crisis. It’s a good thing. These detox symptoms are a sign that the body is cleansing. A little discomfort now will do a world of difference later.  My body is going through a withdrawal of sugar, processed foods, pollution, etc, at the same time stirring up toxins in the body. Keep in mind these are not because of the juice detox diet, it’s based off of what I've done to my body in the past.  This happens because one or more of your organs is forced to cleanse at an accelerated pace in order to deal with a large amount of wastes from tissues in the body. Some people experience discomfort for just a few minutes, some have symptoms that last hours. The longer and harder you have discomfort, the more you needed the juice detox.

If you haven't already check out Jenea's facebook page about her juicing journey and click "like"! Jenea's Juicing Journey  She's been really supportive of my own journey.  The first two days I read her entire page from begining to end twice to motivate me through this!

I woke this morning feeling like I had gone drinking the night before, all part of detox I hope!  I also still have bad jaw pain on my left.  I am laying with a heating pad now hoping it goes away.  Its very distracting and if it wasn't for that I'd say I was feeling awesome.

I started my day with a mean green (sub Kale for Broccoli).  For lunch I will be having 1 mango, 3 celery stalks, 4 carrots and an apple (see below).



I hope to experiment with my dinner juice, I have strawberries, blueberries and raspberries I need to juice.  Plus its Oscar night!  I should make a fancy juice just for that reason!

I know some of you have been having issues posting comments.  I think this becomes a problem when you do it on your phone which is a pain because some people don't even use real computers anymore.  I am not sure why this is an issue.  You could try to download the blogger app and see if that helps?  I really appreciate the comments I have gotten do far, keep me motivated.

PS: I am disappointed by my weight loss so far.  I know, ridiculous.  I guess I was expecting more.  I know I shouldn't feel this way but I do.  On the flip side, I am doing this to get healthy and I know the weight won't fall off like I put it on.

Today I think I will watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, here is the trailer.  If you haven't watched take the time to do it!  Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead Movie Trailer.

Hope everyone has a great day :-)

Day 3 - exhausted!

Weight status:
2/22 -3lbs
2/23 -3.8lbs (6.8lbs lost total)

I woke up this morning feeling great! Woke up, made my juice, took a shower and off to the hair salon I went with my juice. Beside feeling a little disoriented, i couldn't believe i felt so great on the morning of day 3. About halfway through my visit, I felt like I got sprinkled with sleepy dust. I could and almost did fall asleep in the chair.

After the salon I made my way to Giant to check out what organic berries they had. Not a very successful visit. I really wanted cherries and strawberries and they did not have this. I settled for oranges, blueberries and raspberries. I also checked out their natures promise aisle and I couldn't believe how much organic food exists! I have never payed attention to aisles such as these. I did notice how poorly lit it was compared to the other aisles. That aisle made me very excited to eat food again! I really really miss chewing!

It all went downhill after my trip to Giant. I started to get a massive headache and also had a few trips to the bathroom (sorry everyone!). I felt like shit. I went to bed and took a much needed long nap. I am typing this post in bed right now. My jaw hurts, I have been grinding the hell out of my teeth. My whole body is achy. I wish I had made my dinner juice earlier because I do not want to get out of bed. Even more so, at 6:30 I have to leave to go to a coach Bingo with friends. Everyone will be eating and drinking and I will probably want to kill all of them. I hope I don't cave and smoke a cigarette tonight!

I had hoped to do some fun things with today's post but I'm just so exhausted right now. This morning I was so excited about the fact that I have already lost almost 7lbs! Right now not so much.

Maybe I'll do another post later. Pray I have a good time tonight and that all that food and drink doesn't make me crazy! Haha.

Day 2 - Good Evening

Today was sooooo much better than day 1. I felt good for most of the day. The afternoon was tough as I started to feel really hungry. I went into the cafe at work to clean out my mug and there sitting on the table were cookies and pizza. The pizza smelled amazing. I lifted up the box and took a peak. If this were the me 3 days ago, I'd have grabbed a slice (or 2). I went back to my desk to sip my hot water. Yes, these herbal teas barely have any taste, it's just hot water!!

My mom was eating leftover spaghetti tonight. It smelled amazing and I wanted to rip it out of her hands. And for those of you that know me, I hate pasta!

I'm surprised at how good I feel today went. Tomorrow I am facing a bunch of challenges, should be interesting!

Thank you to everyone who is reading and leaving comments, it really is good to hear positive reinforcements :)

Day 2 - Good Morning

MORNING
Weight status: -3

I had a rough night last night. I got in bed and hunger pains consumed me. I tried reading, texting people... I felt so hungry. Then my heart starts to race and I'm feeling very anxious... Was awake for about 2 hours feeling like this and finally fell asleep. I almost resorted to anti anxiety meds so I would just fall asleep!
I woke up this morning feeling decent so far. I have the worst morning breath. Apparently this is a side effect of juicing. I need to go pick up some minty gum today! I also have been grinding my teeth cuz my jaw is sore.
Did I also mention I am also quitting smoking during all of this?!? Yeah. I'm not looking forward to the drive to and from work as I would usually have a cigarette each way. I used cigarettes as an appetite suppressant.
I'm about to get into the shower and start my day. I hope today is better than yesterday but I'm thinking it won't be.

Day 1 - Feeling Hungry

MORNING

I woke up this morning not feeling awesome, my own fault I know.  I got weighed, measured and photographed.  I am working from home today so I was able to sleep in a little bit.  I just finished up making my breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast and Dinner

Mean Green Juice (see photo on my page)

Lunch

Carrot, Celery, Apple, Mango and Lemon

11:20 – I am feeling very hungry.  I am drinking a TON of water.  I also had some chamomile tea.  I am holding out until at least 12 to have my next juice.  I am going to try to make it until 1.  I feel slightly sick, but I think the hot tea is helping.  Can’t believe I am only a few hours into this and I just want to eat something!

AFTERNOON

4pm – I feel so hungry and nauseous.   I just keep drinking water and tea.  I have a headache and feel foggy.  I really just want to get into a Jacuzzi and sleep.  I’m freezing!  I watched some TV at lunch time and the food commercials were making me crazy.  I am anxiously awaiting 5pm so I can go lay down for an hour, then I will drink my dinner, prepare my juice for tomorrow and drink some sleepytime tea and then in bed for the night.  I cannot wait for bed.

'twas the night before juicing

I went to Famous Dave's this evening, one of my favorite places. They have good BBQ AND the most amazing Long Island Iced Teas (I had 4!!!). My last horray! I know in the morning I am going to regret having fun tonight. I've been eating mostly healthy for the past week and half so no doubt I will wake up tomorrow and want a greasy breakfast... Well none of that shit! Juice it is!

Being at Famous Dave's tonight reminded me of my dad. My friend and I sat at the bar which we never do. I would meet my dad there after work and we would have some BBQ and beers... I miss this terribly.

In the morning mama D will be taking photos and measurements. Until tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the Day!

I've decided to blog about my 20 day juice fast. I feel this is huge for me. I will be really putting myself out there. I will tell you my thoughts, my struggles, my pains, side effects, triumphs, successes!

And here’s how it began….

Shortly after the New Year a friend of mine had liked a post on FB about someone who started a juice fast and had lost weight. (Check out Jenea's Juicing Journey, http://www.facebook.com/JeneasJuicingJourney?ref=ts&fref=ts)..... I liked her page and started to take notice of all her successes. 

I had to watch the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  I kept putting it off, thinking to myself, am I ready to make this change in my life?  I finally sat down and watched the movie.  If you have not seen it, I highly recommend watching it.  It made me think about the food I was putting into my body and how terrible I have been treating it.  My body works its ass off to process all the shit I have been eating.  I only get one body (in this life anyways!) and its time I start taking care of myself!

My juicer arrived last week and I’ve been testing some recipes.  I decided to jump right into things and try Joe Cross’s Mean Green Juice… It was interesting.  I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.  I started drinking a green juice for breakfast every day.  I felt awesome afterwards and they started to taste delicious to me.

What happens after the 20 days you ask?  My whole diet will consist of only raw food for awhile.  I aim to eventually have a diet based on 50% plant, 25% lean protein and 25% grains.

So here I am the day before I start my 20 day fast.  I made a delicious juice this morning made of carrot, apple, celery, mango and lemon, yummy!  My fear of failure is consuming me, but I really think I CAN DO THIS!  The first 4 days of detoxing is really rough (especially days 3 and 4).  I suppose if I can make it through that the rest of this should be a breeze!