Today was possibly the longest day. I woke up at 4:50 am to go to boot camp. Actually let me back up. I went to bed Sunday night at 10 pm so that I could get up early. Around midnight I woke up feeling like I had overslept. I woke up again at 4 am again thinking that I had overslept. At 4:50 I finally dragged my butt out of bed.
I got ready and left the house around 5:11. I was worried that I would be late but I forgot that there's no traffic that early. Who else is crazy enough to be out at that time. I made it there with 8 minutes to spare.
We started out with weights, jogged around the block (I did more walking than jogging), lots and lots of push ups (which I'm also terrible at), more weights, more push ups. By the end of the hour I was wiped out and really sweaty. I rushed home and got around and made it to work by 7:30.
This began the longest part of my day. It was just one of those days at work. Ugh. I finally left around 5:30. I got home and started dinner; Turkey Cheddar brats (no bun) and baked asparagus with oil olive. I had a blueberry banana Greek yogurt smoothie for dessert. Delicious!
I'm winding down now and about to go to bed though I wish I could stay up later because going to bed means I'm closer to boot camp in the morning. I probably shouldn't be dreading it already but I'm really sore and it's just the first day. Well tomorrow is another day.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
I'm still here
Sorry that I've been such a slacker the last week. I know it's been over a week since I blogged last. I did fairly well this week being back on regular foods. I went out to eat twice this week and both times I got a salad (no croutons). I've been making some delicious fruit smoothies with either Greek yogurt or almond milk. Pretty tasty! I bought some spinach chicken burgers from Whole Foods so I had those for dinner this week (no bun). Overall I would say that I've done pretty good. I did have some pizza on Friday night and Saturday afternoon but I limited the amount I ate and we always use Turkey pepperoni and veggies on it so I didn't feel too bad.
I went to my boot camp registration this week. I figured it would be a one on one registration but instead there were 4 other ladies there and 1 guy. Nothing like getting weighed and measured in front of strangers for the old self esteem. They are a little stricter than I thought they would be about class times. They really want you to sign up for a specific time with little deviation so I signed up for the 5:30 am class. Yikes! I really hope I'm going to be able to get my butt out of bed that early 5 days a week for the next 6 weeks. It's really the best time for me because I can get it out of the way and then get ready and hopefully be to work by 8 am. If I find that it's not working out as well maybe they will let me switch to 5:30 pm although then I will have to fight traffic to get over there.
I read the Paleo Diet book by Loren Cordain today. It's rare for me to sit down and read an entire book in one day but it was a quick read and I think I'm going to give it a try. After attempting juicing it shouldn't be quite as rigid. They offer 3 levels. Level 1 allows 3 open meals a week. Level 2 allows 2 open meals a week and Level 3 allows 1 open meal a week. They suggest level 2 or 3 if you are looking to lose weight. I think I'm going to start with level 2 so that I can still have some dairy now and then. If you're interested in finding out more about Paleo I stumbled across this blog which also links to several others on the subject.
They weighed me at the boot camp registration and I'm only 2 pounds down from where I started on August 1. I guess it's better than nothing. I have been walking on my treadmill for at least a half an hour everyday for the last two weeks (though I've gotten a little lacks this weekend). I have noticed that my clothes are fitting looser so I'm trying not to feel too discouraged. In fact yesterday I put on a pair of jeans that had been a little tight and they were loose so I felt pretty good about that. I still have a ways to go but I've already made significant improvements in what I'm putting in my body so I try not to let the numbers get me down.
I will try to write tomorrow evening to share my first morning of boot camp experience. It should be interesting.
I went to my boot camp registration this week. I figured it would be a one on one registration but instead there were 4 other ladies there and 1 guy. Nothing like getting weighed and measured in front of strangers for the old self esteem. They are a little stricter than I thought they would be about class times. They really want you to sign up for a specific time with little deviation so I signed up for the 5:30 am class. Yikes! I really hope I'm going to be able to get my butt out of bed that early 5 days a week for the next 6 weeks. It's really the best time for me because I can get it out of the way and then get ready and hopefully be to work by 8 am. If I find that it's not working out as well maybe they will let me switch to 5:30 pm although then I will have to fight traffic to get over there.
I read the Paleo Diet book by Loren Cordain today. It's rare for me to sit down and read an entire book in one day but it was a quick read and I think I'm going to give it a try. After attempting juicing it shouldn't be quite as rigid. They offer 3 levels. Level 1 allows 3 open meals a week. Level 2 allows 2 open meals a week and Level 3 allows 1 open meal a week. They suggest level 2 or 3 if you are looking to lose weight. I think I'm going to start with level 2 so that I can still have some dairy now and then. If you're interested in finding out more about Paleo I stumbled across this blog which also links to several others on the subject.
They weighed me at the boot camp registration and I'm only 2 pounds down from where I started on August 1. I guess it's better than nothing. I have been walking on my treadmill for at least a half an hour everyday for the last two weeks (though I've gotten a little lacks this weekend). I have noticed that my clothes are fitting looser so I'm trying not to feel too discouraged. In fact yesterday I put on a pair of jeans that had been a little tight and they were loose so I felt pretty good about that. I still have a ways to go but I've already made significant improvements in what I'm putting in my body so I try not to let the numbers get me down.
I will try to write tomorrow evening to share my first morning of boot camp experience. It should be interesting.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Sorry, I took a few days off of blogging. I've done fairly well the last few days. I've begun incorporating more food groups back into my diet, I think with some success.
I had an extremely busy day today. So much so that I barely had time to eat. I woke up early (for me on a Saturday) at 8:50 am. I got up and right around. I had to take my kitty Merlin to the vet today. He has scabs all over his ears, neck, and chest and I was getting concerned about him. He really hates getting into the cat carrier and he hates the vet even more. He hissed and growled and bit and scratch but the vet determined he had some type of dermatitis. It took him and a nurse to hold him down and give him two shots (1 steroid and 1 antibiotic). Poor buddy. He was not happy.
I came home and dropped Merlin off and headed back out to run some errands. I went to Smoothie King today today with my coupon (I've included the link to the coupon below) and got a Lean1 smoothie. It was really tasty and healthy. Surprising that something good for you can be health huh?
http://www.smoothieking.com/leanonus/
After that I headed over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get a blender. I've been wanting to get one so I can make my own smoothies since the smallest smoothie at Smoothie King is $4.99. Yikes! That could add up. I had a coupon for BBB for 20% off a single item so I got $20 off of my Ninja Professional Blender.
While I was over at Bed, Bath, and Beyond I decided to go to Whole Foods which is basically right across the street. I had never been to a Whole Foods before, or Mecca as I am now referring to it. It was amazing. They had rhubarb which I can never find anywhere. Ken has mentioned in the past his love of rhubarb and rhubarb pie so I googled a rhubarb pie recipe right there in the aisle (thank you iPhone) and grabbed a bunch.
I really liked the healthy pick-and-mix section of the store. I got granola, low fat cereal, whole wheat pancake fix, 7 bean soup mix, yogurt pretzels (for Ken), etc. I also bought some wheatgrass. I hear it's gross tasting but really good for you. They come in little shot form. My favorite part was the pizza counter. They had all sorts of healthy and delicious looking pizzas you could buy by the slice. I got 2 slices of artichoke and mushroom pizza (1 for me, 1 for Ken). It was amazing. It had a pesto sauce instead of red sauce and either goat cheese or feta. It was to die for. I could barely wait to get home to eat it.
After my visit to Whole Foods I headed home to drop off my purchases. Ken and I unloaded the groceries and dove into the pizza. We watched a couple episodes of "Party Down" on Netflix and I napped on the couch for about an hour.
I woke up remembering that I forgot to go by Aldi to get cat litter so back out I went. I went there and then to Kroger for the last few items on my grocery list.
After unloading I decided to get started on Ken's rhubarb pie. Since I am lazy I just bought a Pillsbury pie crust in a box. Then I started chopping the rhubarb. I had never made a pie before and I didn't know how much work it was going to be. I actually got a blister from chopping (woe is me, right). I was relieved to finally get it in the oven. It looks like it turned out good though I'm going exert some will power and refrain from eating any.
All in all it was a very productive day and I was happy to stay busy as it kept me from wanting to shovel food in my face. I am really proud of my grocery shopping today. I didn't buy anything too bad and I feel like I have enough variety to keep me from falling off the healthy eating wagon. I'm actually excited to try some of the things I bought from Whole Foods. I'm also dying to make a smoothie with my new blender. Maybe eating healthy won't be such a daunting task after all.
Thursday:
Breakfast: 1 apple
Lunch: 1/2 can Campbell's chunky chicken and vegetable soup
Dinner: Salad with tuna and Italian vinaigrette
Friday:
Breakfast: 1 banana, 16 oz orange juice
Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad (no croutons)
Snack: Strawberry Orange juice (made with my juicer) 16 - 20 oz
Dinner: 1 chicken finger
Saturday:
Breakfast: 20 oz Strawberry Lean1 from Smoothie King (delicious!)
Lunch: 1 slice Artichoke and Mushroom thin crust pizza from Whole Foods
Dinner: nothing yet (either soup or salad, haven't decided)
I had an extremely busy day today. So much so that I barely had time to eat. I woke up early (for me on a Saturday) at 8:50 am. I got up and right around. I had to take my kitty Merlin to the vet today. He has scabs all over his ears, neck, and chest and I was getting concerned about him. He really hates getting into the cat carrier and he hates the vet even more. He hissed and growled and bit and scratch but the vet determined he had some type of dermatitis. It took him and a nurse to hold him down and give him two shots (1 steroid and 1 antibiotic). Poor buddy. He was not happy.
I came home and dropped Merlin off and headed back out to run some errands. I went to Smoothie King today today with my coupon (I've included the link to the coupon below) and got a Lean1 smoothie. It was really tasty and healthy. Surprising that something good for you can be health huh?
http://www.smoothieking.com/leanonus/
After that I headed over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get a blender. I've been wanting to get one so I can make my own smoothies since the smallest smoothie at Smoothie King is $4.99. Yikes! That could add up. I had a coupon for BBB for 20% off a single item so I got $20 off of my Ninja Professional Blender.
While I was over at Bed, Bath, and Beyond I decided to go to Whole Foods which is basically right across the street. I had never been to a Whole Foods before, or Mecca as I am now referring to it. It was amazing. They had rhubarb which I can never find anywhere. Ken has mentioned in the past his love of rhubarb and rhubarb pie so I googled a rhubarb pie recipe right there in the aisle (thank you iPhone) and grabbed a bunch.
I really liked the healthy pick-and-mix section of the store. I got granola, low fat cereal, whole wheat pancake fix, 7 bean soup mix, yogurt pretzels (for Ken), etc. I also bought some wheatgrass. I hear it's gross tasting but really good for you. They come in little shot form. My favorite part was the pizza counter. They had all sorts of healthy and delicious looking pizzas you could buy by the slice. I got 2 slices of artichoke and mushroom pizza (1 for me, 1 for Ken). It was amazing. It had a pesto sauce instead of red sauce and either goat cheese or feta. It was to die for. I could barely wait to get home to eat it.
After my visit to Whole Foods I headed home to drop off my purchases. Ken and I unloaded the groceries and dove into the pizza. We watched a couple episodes of "Party Down" on Netflix and I napped on the couch for about an hour.
I woke up remembering that I forgot to go by Aldi to get cat litter so back out I went. I went there and then to Kroger for the last few items on my grocery list.
All in all it was a very productive day and I was happy to stay busy as it kept me from wanting to shovel food in my face. I am really proud of my grocery shopping today. I didn't buy anything too bad and I feel like I have enough variety to keep me from falling off the healthy eating wagon. I'm actually excited to try some of the things I bought from Whole Foods. I'm also dying to make a smoothie with my new blender. Maybe eating healthy won't be such a daunting task after all.
Thursday:
Breakfast: 1 apple
Lunch: 1/2 can Campbell's chunky chicken and vegetable soup
Dinner: Salad with tuna and Italian vinaigrette
Friday:
Breakfast: 1 banana, 16 oz orange juice
Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad (no croutons)
Snack: Strawberry Orange juice (made with my juicer) 16 - 20 oz
Dinner: 1 chicken finger
Saturday:
Breakfast: 20 oz Strawberry Lean1 from Smoothie King (delicious!)
Lunch: 1 slice Artichoke and Mushroom thin crust pizza from Whole Foods
Dinner: nothing yet (either soup or salad, haven't decided)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day 10
Well, I'm sad to admit that I fell off the fruit and veggie wagon today. Now don't get me wrong I didn't go crazy and crack open a bag of potato chips. I had some tuna (no mayo) on my salad tonight.
I went back to juicing this morning. I had the following two juices for breakfast and lunch.
Breakfast juice:
2 oranges
2 grapefruit
Lunch juice:
1/4 pineapple
4 carrots
2 lemons
2 handfuls kale
I felt relatively okay after lunch but around 3 pm my stomach started making crazy sounds and by 4 pm I had a horrible headache. I had been drinking plenty of water all day so I knew it wasn't due to dehydration. By the time I left work at 5 pm I was really feeling terrible and my craving for tuna had come back with a vengeance. I finally decided that something was obviously really lacking and decided to indulge a little. I had a salad of romaine lettuce with 1/2 can of tuna and some light Italian dressing. I also had a banana after dinner.
I don't feel completely defeated. I feel like trying the reboot diet was just too extreme for me. I am not done eating health though. I am excited to start the boot camp soon and I am looking into the Paleo diet based on my brother's recommendation. It looks like something that will be much more manageable. I feel like I'm still on track toward healthier eating and a healthier life so things are still looking up. I will continue blogging about my dieting adventures because they are far from over.
I went back to juicing this morning. I had the following two juices for breakfast and lunch.
Breakfast juice:
2 oranges
2 grapefruit
Lunch juice:
1/4 pineapple
4 carrots
2 lemons
2 handfuls kale
I felt relatively okay after lunch but around 3 pm my stomach started making crazy sounds and by 4 pm I had a horrible headache. I had been drinking plenty of water all day so I knew it wasn't due to dehydration. By the time I left work at 5 pm I was really feeling terrible and my craving for tuna had come back with a vengeance. I finally decided that something was obviously really lacking and decided to indulge a little. I had a salad of romaine lettuce with 1/2 can of tuna and some light Italian dressing. I also had a banana after dinner.
I don't feel completely defeated. I feel like trying the reboot diet was just too extreme for me. I am not done eating health though. I am excited to start the boot camp soon and I am looking into the Paleo diet based on my brother's recommendation. It looks like something that will be much more manageable. I feel like I'm still on track toward healthier eating and a healthier life so things are still looking up. I will continue blogging about my dieting adventures because they are far from over.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day 9
Man, I really shouldn't have bought a scale. I'm keeping the scale next to my treadmill because there isn't enough room in the bathroom for it. After I finished my 34 minute walk (1.5 miles) I decided to weigh myself. I gained back 2.5 pounds. ARRRGGGGHHHH! All I've eaten in the last two days is fruit, veggie soup, and salad with light Italian dressing. I know I shouldn't have weighed myself again yet but again with the curiosity. I can't seem to learn my lesson.
I scheduled my registration appointment for the 6 week boot camp today. I need to make an appointment with my doctor before I start just to make sure everything is okay before I begin some hardcore workouts. I didn't consult her before I started the diet and I probably should have. I think I'm going to start the bootcamp on the 22nd so I'm going to cut the fruit and veggie diet a few days short. I've heard it takes 21 days to form a habit so I'll be right at that mark. I will be interested in the meal plan and advice they give me at the boot camp.
In the meantime I think may alternate days between juicing days and whole fruits and veggies days to mix things up. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good and inexpensive blender, one that chops ice well? I have a smoothie plan in mind for once I'm done. I'll take any good (and healthy) smoothie recipes too if you got 'em.
I scheduled my registration appointment for the 6 week boot camp today. I need to make an appointment with my doctor before I start just to make sure everything is okay before I begin some hardcore workouts. I didn't consult her before I started the diet and I probably should have. I think I'm going to start the bootcamp on the 22nd so I'm going to cut the fruit and veggie diet a few days short. I've heard it takes 21 days to form a habit so I'll be right at that mark. I will be interested in the meal plan and advice they give me at the boot camp.
In the meantime I think may alternate days between juicing days and whole fruits and veggies days to mix things up. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good and inexpensive blender, one that chops ice well? I have a smoothie plan in mind for once I'm done. I'll take any good (and healthy) smoothie recipes too if you got 'em.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day 8
I decided to take Sunday off from blogging (though I could have used the distraction). Sunday was my hardest day so far. All day I was craving a tuna fish sandwich. I don't know why but I was. Anyway, I made it through the day without cracking and I was glad I did. I weighed myself this morning and I've lost 7 pounds total in the last week. I feel really good about that and that my struggle hasn't been in vain.
Going back to work today actually made things easier. I was busy all day and had little time to think about food. I had a ton of things to do after work so I didn't even get home until 6:30 pm. This week I've begun incorporating exercise. Yesterday I did 100 crunches and today I walked on my treadmill for 35 minutes (1.5 miles).
Breakfast:
1 Fuji apple
Lunch:
1 1/2 cups homemade veggie soup
Dinner:
Salad with cucumber and a little Italian dressing
I've been thinking about how things are going to go after I'm done with this diet of fruits and veggies is over. Obviously I don't want to slip back into old eating habits and I don't want to instantly gain back all of the weight that I've lost. I bought a 6 week membership to the Memphis Adventure Boot Camp. It is a 5 day a week, one hour a day boot camp for women. They also include diet counseling and meal plans so hopefully this will help me keep the weight off.
I didn't think I had the will power to make it through my first week but I did (and not to gloat) but I'm proud of myself.
One week down.
Going back to work today actually made things easier. I was busy all day and had little time to think about food. I had a ton of things to do after work so I didn't even get home until 6:30 pm. This week I've begun incorporating exercise. Yesterday I did 100 crunches and today I walked on my treadmill for 35 minutes (1.5 miles).
Breakfast:
1 Fuji apple
Lunch:
1 1/2 cups homemade veggie soup
Dinner:
Salad with cucumber and a little Italian dressing
I've been thinking about how things are going to go after I'm done with this diet of fruits and veggies is over. Obviously I don't want to slip back into old eating habits and I don't want to instantly gain back all of the weight that I've lost. I bought a 6 week membership to the Memphis Adventure Boot Camp. It is a 5 day a week, one hour a day boot camp for women. They also include diet counseling and meal plans so hopefully this will help me keep the weight off.
I didn't think I had the will power to make it through my first week but I did (and not to gloat) but I'm proud of myself.
One week down.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Day 6
Today had to be my hardest day so far. Being home all day with regular food around me was tough but I persevered. I distracted myself with work (I'm on call this weekend for work) and movies.
Breakfast:
1 banana
Mid-Morning Juice:
2 oranges
2 grapefruits
5 strawberries
Lunch:
1 1/2 cups leftover veggie soup
Dinner:
1/2 bag salad with 1 tbsp caesar dressing
Dessert:
4 medium size pieces of pineapple
3 strawberries
10 grapes
I let my curiosity get the better of me and I weighed myself tonight. I lost 4 pounds. I was really hoping that after a week of having nothing but fruits, vegetables, (in either whole or juice form) and water that I would have lost more than 4 pounds. I've heard most people's weigh fluctuates 5 pounds most of the time anyway. I am feeling discouraged but I vowed that I would give this at least 15 days so I will continue. I haven't really exercised this week as I've been really lethargic most days but I am going to start incorporating the treadmill over the next week and hopefully this will boost my weight loss.
As much as I want to give up today I've come this far and I'm determined to go a little farther.
Breakfast:
1 banana
Mid-Morning Juice:
2 oranges
2 grapefruits
5 strawberries
Lunch:
1 1/2 cups leftover veggie soup
Dinner:
1/2 bag salad with 1 tbsp caesar dressing
Dessert:
4 medium size pieces of pineapple
3 strawberries
10 grapes
I let my curiosity get the better of me and I weighed myself tonight. I lost 4 pounds. I was really hoping that after a week of having nothing but fruits, vegetables, (in either whole or juice form) and water that I would have lost more than 4 pounds. I've heard most people's weigh fluctuates 5 pounds most of the time anyway. I am feeling discouraged but I vowed that I would give this at least 15 days so I will continue. I haven't really exercised this week as I've been really lethargic most days but I am going to start incorporating the treadmill over the next week and hopefully this will boost my weight loss.
As much as I want to give up today I've come this far and I'm determined to go a little farther.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Day 5
I took a picture of my juices yesterday to post but I totally forgot to post them in my hunger stupor last night. I found that I tend to like the orange and red juices (with exception of the beets, YUCK!) more than the green or even the purple. I did finally break down last night and make some homemade vegetable soup. It was really good and lifted my spirits. I had it for dinner last night and lunch today.
Morning Juice:
A lot of red grapes (like most of a package)
1 pear
2 cherries (cherries are not ideal due to the pit)
yield: 16 oz
Soup Recipe:
6 cups water
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet potato cut into small pieces
3 carrots
2-3 celery stalks
1 can cut green beans
1 tomato
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp oregano
Saute potato, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
yield: lots
Dinner:
1 banana
1/2 bag of salad with a tiny bit of caesar dressing
I woke up this morning (after hitting snooze quite a few times) with several painful ulcers in my mouth. I think they are from the acids in the juice. I've been making sure to brush my teeth well in the morning and evening but I probably should be brushing even more right now. I think that for the next few days I am going to do veggie soups, salads, and solid fruits. I think transitioning between a few days of just juice and a few days of solid vegetables will be okay. I know this probably seems like cheating a little bit since I initially set out to do just a juice fast like Joe Cross did but I feel like as long as I stick to just fruits and vegetables for 30 days, no matter what their form, that I'm doing okay. It's still better than eating tons of bread, dairy, and processed junk like I was.
On a positive note I easily buttoned a pair of jeans today that I normally have to inhale to button. The muffin top effect is lessening too so I still feel really good about my progress. Yay me!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Day 4
Wow today was a long day. I woke up feeling really blah so I decided to have the fruit juice for breakfast today. I really needed it this morning.
Breakfast juice:
2 oranges
2 red grapefruit
3 kiwi
yield: 20 oz
Lunch juice:
3-4 carrots
2 apples
1 pear
2 handfuls spinach
22 oz
I held off until 12:30 today to have the lunch juice. It was really unsatisfying. I could smell the aroma of real food coming from other people's cubes and it just bummed me out. I was reading an email from someone with the last name Friedman today and it made me think of fried rice. Mmmmmmm fried rice. I was much crankier in the afternoon and really tired. I had this feeling like I had nothing to look forward to but an evening of more juice.
When I got home I laid on the couch and drifted in and out of sleep for an hour until I made myself get up. I drank 8 oz of lunch juice that I had left over and drank a bunch of water. I watched the movie The Town which was pretty good. I've had a headache for the last hour but it's starting to go away now. I've been thinking of going back to veggie soup in the evenings again. I've been having a hard time getting enough veggies in my juice and I feel like the soup is something to look forward to in the evenings.
Sorry that tonight's post is so short but I just don't have it in me tonight. I do want to say thank you to everyone that's been reading and for everyone's words of encouragement. It is helpful to know people are rooting for me. By the way sorry that the blog is a little plain looking. I haven't had much time to customize it. Writing the posts every night has taken me a lot long than I thought it would. I guess my writing muscle is a little flabby (along with most of my actual muscles).
Breakfast juice:
2 oranges
2 red grapefruit
3 kiwi
yield: 20 oz
Lunch juice:
3-4 carrots
2 apples
1 pear
2 handfuls spinach
22 oz
I held off until 12:30 today to have the lunch juice. It was really unsatisfying. I could smell the aroma of real food coming from other people's cubes and it just bummed me out. I was reading an email from someone with the last name Friedman today and it made me think of fried rice. Mmmmmmm fried rice. I was much crankier in the afternoon and really tired. I had this feeling like I had nothing to look forward to but an evening of more juice.
When I got home I laid on the couch and drifted in and out of sleep for an hour until I made myself get up. I drank 8 oz of lunch juice that I had left over and drank a bunch of water. I watched the movie The Town which was pretty good. I've had a headache for the last hour but it's starting to go away now. I've been thinking of going back to veggie soup in the evenings again. I've been having a hard time getting enough veggies in my juice and I feel like the soup is something to look forward to in the evenings.
Sorry that tonight's post is so short but I just don't have it in me tonight. I do want to say thank you to everyone that's been reading and for everyone's words of encouragement. It is helpful to know people are rooting for me. By the way sorry that the blog is a little plain looking. I haven't had much time to customize it. Writing the posts every night has taken me a lot long than I thought it would. I guess my writing muscle is a little flabby (along with most of my actual muscles).
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Day 3
I probably should have titled this post Day 1 because today is my first all juice day. And what a day it's been.
I did not have as easy of a time getting up this morning. I don't know if it was due to the fact that I stayed up until 11:15 pm last night or that I woke up in the middle of the night with a charlie horse or that I dreamed all night of eating candy (yes, I literally dreamed about candy, sad I know). Anyway, I had to hit the snooze button this morning but only once. After I got up I was pretty sluggish and a little sick feeling until after my shower.
I decided today to go off recipe and just improvise since the last two days my lunch juice was so gross. I also decided to take a suggestion from my co-worker and have the veggie juice for breakfast and the fruit juice for lunch. It actually worked out well
Breakfast Juice
1 cup spinach
2-3 celery stalks
3-4 carrots
2 apples
2 strawberries
yield: 26 oz
Lunch Juice
20 strawberries
1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 honeydew
1 cucumber
yield: 26 oz
I arrived at work and drank most of the breakfast juice. It was much better than the previous veggie juices though the celery did give the juice a bite. I held off until 12:15 today before breaking out the lunch juice. It was really good and a bit of a pick me up after my two previous days of disgusting lunch juice. I had a busy afternoon and worked later than usual. By the end of the day I could feel myself getting lethargic and a little cranky. I had about 6 oz of fruit juice left so I drank that on the way home.
***Don't read this section if you are easily grossed out by bathroom talk***
I had a rather terrifying experience in the bathroom today. Let me preface this by saying that for about the last month I've had diarrhea, accompanied by stomach pain, at least once a day usually right after I eat. Since I've started the juicing I've actually had more normal poo, until today. I went to the bathroom today and it was red. I started freaking out. For a minute I thought the juice might be killing me until I remember the beets from yesterday. Damn beets! They even stain your poo.
***Okay, resume reading... potty talk free***
I arrived home and Ken was working in the yard. So far this week he's been making his own dinners (so in other words Ramen) since I am not eating. I thought I would be a nice wife and make him something tonight. We buy these refrigerated cheese pizzas from Aldi that are really good and we usually have one a week on Wednesday or Thursday. We add our own toppings like turkey pepperoni, banana peppers, and on Ken's half green olives (yuck!). The pizza smelled so good but I ensured that I wouldn't eat this time any by putting green olives on the whole thing. Then I began preparing my juice for dinner. I can assure you it tastes nothing like pizza.
Dinner Juice:
8 oz of leftover breakfast juice
1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 honeydew
yield: 24 oz
I really feel like I've let food take such a hold over my life. I eat when I'm happy. I eat when I'm sad. Sometimes I eat because I'm happy and then that makes me sad so I eat more. I need to be able to have an emotion without tying food to it. I also don't exert any will power or make good choices. Do I have self-destructive tendencies or am I just too weak to change? Okay, sorry to get all philosophical for a moment but this experience is making me examine my life choices a little more.
I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to give my starting weight. I didn't forget to weigh myself on Monday, I just hadn't posted it yet because it's not a number I'm happy with. After thinking about it for a few days I've decided that even though it's embarrassing for me I'm going to post it because hopefully knowing that this number is out there for others to see, it will keep me motivated to change that number and maybe inspire others. So here it goes.
Starting weight August 1, 2011: 244.
Today's Lesson
1. Beets stain everything. And I do mean everything.
I did not have as easy of a time getting up this morning. I don't know if it was due to the fact that I stayed up until 11:15 pm last night or that I woke up in the middle of the night with a charlie horse or that I dreamed all night of eating candy (yes, I literally dreamed about candy, sad I know). Anyway, I had to hit the snooze button this morning but only once. After I got up I was pretty sluggish and a little sick feeling until after my shower.
I decided today to go off recipe and just improvise since the last two days my lunch juice was so gross. I also decided to take a suggestion from my co-worker and have the veggie juice for breakfast and the fruit juice for lunch. It actually worked out well
Breakfast Juice
1 cup spinach
2-3 celery stalks
3-4 carrots
2 apples
2 strawberries
yield: 26 oz
Lunch Juice
20 strawberries
1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 honeydew
1 cucumber
yield: 26 oz
I arrived at work and drank most of the breakfast juice. It was much better than the previous veggie juices though the celery did give the juice a bite. I held off until 12:15 today before breaking out the lunch juice. It was really good and a bit of a pick me up after my two previous days of disgusting lunch juice. I had a busy afternoon and worked later than usual. By the end of the day I could feel myself getting lethargic and a little cranky. I had about 6 oz of fruit juice left so I drank that on the way home.
***Don't read this section if you are easily grossed out by bathroom talk***
I had a rather terrifying experience in the bathroom today. Let me preface this by saying that for about the last month I've had diarrhea, accompanied by stomach pain, at least once a day usually right after I eat. Since I've started the juicing I've actually had more normal poo, until today. I went to the bathroom today and it was red. I started freaking out. For a minute I thought the juice might be killing me until I remember the beets from yesterday. Damn beets! They even stain your poo.
***Okay, resume reading... potty talk free***
I arrived home and Ken was working in the yard. So far this week he's been making his own dinners (so in other words Ramen) since I am not eating. I thought I would be a nice wife and make him something tonight. We buy these refrigerated cheese pizzas from Aldi that are really good and we usually have one a week on Wednesday or Thursday. We add our own toppings like turkey pepperoni, banana peppers, and on Ken's half green olives (yuck!). The pizza smelled so good but I ensured that I wouldn't eat this time any by putting green olives on the whole thing. Then I began preparing my juice for dinner. I can assure you it tastes nothing like pizza.
Dinner Juice:
8 oz of leftover breakfast juice
1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 honeydew
yield: 24 oz
I really feel like I've let food take such a hold over my life. I eat when I'm happy. I eat when I'm sad. Sometimes I eat because I'm happy and then that makes me sad so I eat more. I need to be able to have an emotion without tying food to it. I also don't exert any will power or make good choices. Do I have self-destructive tendencies or am I just too weak to change? Okay, sorry to get all philosophical for a moment but this experience is making me examine my life choices a little more.
I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to give my starting weight. I didn't forget to weigh myself on Monday, I just hadn't posted it yet because it's not a number I'm happy with. After thinking about it for a few days I've decided that even though it's embarrassing for me I'm going to post it because hopefully knowing that this number is out there for others to see, it will keep me motivated to change that number and maybe inspire others. So here it goes.
Starting weight August 1, 2011: 244.
Today's Lesson
1. Beets stain everything. And I do mean everything.
Juicing supplies
Here are some of the items I bought for my juice fast/diet. I thought I would link to the exact products in case you are interested in knowing what I'm using. I really like my juicer so far. I got mine from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I had a 20% coupon so I got a good deal.
My other reference has been the Reboot website http://jointhereboot.com/ which goes along with the documentary Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. You can watch it on Netflix Instant Watch. I'm not saying that you need these specific items but I just thought I would let you know what I'm using.
My other reference has been the Reboot website http://jointhereboot.com/ which goes along with the documentary Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. You can watch it on Netflix Instant Watch. I'm not saying that you need these specific items but I just thought I would let you know what I'm using.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Day 2
I woke this morning feeling surprising okay. I totally expected to feel like I was starving at this point but that was not the case. Probably the most surprising thing for me was that I had no trouble getting up this morning. Most mornings the alarm rings and I hit snooze a couple of time but this morning I got right up. No snoozing! I'm not saying I woke up singing and dancing while tiny cartoon birds helped me get ready but I didn't feel as sluggish as usual.
After getting ready I started preparing my juice for the day. It took me a little longer to make my juice today as yesterday Ken helped me but today I was flying solo. I made sure to strain the lunch juice today after my mistake yesterday.
Breakfast juice:
16 strawberries
1 pint blueberries
2 kale leaves
1 mango
3 kiwi
1/4 cup coconut water
yield: barely 16 oz
Lunch juice:
2 apples (one red, one green)
4 carrots
2 beets
2 cups cabbage
yield: 26 oz
I arrived at work and started drinking my breakfast juice. It was delicious. Unfortunately I can not say the same for the lunch juice. The beets totally overpowered the juice. In other words, the lunch juice tasted like dirt. I had never had a beet before and now I know why...they're disgusting. I did manage to choke down about 10 oz.
By the end of the work day I was really tired and hungry so I decided to have some more vegetable soup for dinner. I also had a small green apple.
After dinner, I flipped through Facebook, as I do most nights and I saw that one of my favorite bands was playing a free reunion show in town tonight so Ken and I quickly got ready and rushed out. It was really nice to have something to do tonight. It really took my mind off of food, not to mention that I had to have sweated off a pound in what I'm now referring to as a Hipster Sauna (the small, air-conditionerless record store where I saw the show packed with 60 sweaty hipsters).
So all in all not a bad day though I did feel like I learned a few more lessons today.
1. Beets are messy. REALLY messy.
2. Beets should be scrubbed well before juicing.
3. Beets provide a lot of juice.
4. Beets should be used sparingly...because they are gross.
5. Mangos are tasty (I had never had one before today) but the pit smelled peppery for some reason. Weird, right?
Yeah, I know a lot of these lessons were beet related but I learned a lot about beets today. I just thought I would impart this new found knowledge in hopes that I can save just one person from ever eating a beet. Your welcome.
After getting ready I started preparing my juice for the day. It took me a little longer to make my juice today as yesterday Ken helped me but today I was flying solo. I made sure to strain the lunch juice today after my mistake yesterday.
Breakfast juice:
16 strawberries
1 pint blueberries
2 kale leaves
1 mango
3 kiwi
1/4 cup coconut water
yield: barely 16 oz
Lunch juice:
2 apples (one red, one green)
4 carrots
2 beets
2 cups cabbage
yield: 26 oz
I arrived at work and started drinking my breakfast juice. It was delicious. Unfortunately I can not say the same for the lunch juice. The beets totally overpowered the juice. In other words, the lunch juice tasted like dirt. I had never had a beet before and now I know why...they're disgusting. I did manage to choke down about 10 oz.
By the end of the work day I was really tired and hungry so I decided to have some more vegetable soup for dinner. I also had a small green apple.
After dinner, I flipped through Facebook, as I do most nights and I saw that one of my favorite bands was playing a free reunion show in town tonight so Ken and I quickly got ready and rushed out. It was really nice to have something to do tonight. It really took my mind off of food, not to mention that I had to have sweated off a pound in what I'm now referring to as a Hipster Sauna (the small, air-conditionerless record store where I saw the show packed with 60 sweaty hipsters).
So all in all not a bad day though I did feel like I learned a few more lessons today.
1. Beets are messy. REALLY messy.
2. Beets should be scrubbed well before juicing.
3. Beets provide a lot of juice.
4. Beets should be used sparingly...because they are gross.
5. Mangos are tasty (I had never had one before today) but the pit smelled peppery for some reason. Weird, right?
Yeah, I know a lot of these lessons were beet related but I learned a lot about beets today. I just thought I would impart this new found knowledge in hopes that I can save just one person from ever eating a beet. Your welcome.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Day 1
Well today was my first day of juicing and what a day it was!
I got ready in my usual manner as I would any other Monday morning. That was my first mistake. I didn't take into account that it would take me some time to prepare my juice for the day. I had to pull all the ingredients out and it was my first time using the juicer so I wasn't totally sure how big of pieces I could put in it. It didn't take me long to get the hang of it and it was kinda fun. My morning juice contained the following:
1 golden delicious apple
1 pear
10 strawberries (with green tops cut off)
2 cups kale
1 cup coconut water
Yield = 16 oz
Lunch juice:
1 green apple
3 handfuls of cabbage
6 kale leaves
5 carrots
1/4 cup coconut water
Yield = 16 oz
I didn't remember to put a bag in the pulp section of the juicer which equals a huge mess. Luckily my husband was nice enough to help me clean it. The container that the juice pours into had a strainer and I thought, "What is this for?" My rational was that you wouldn't want to strain out all of that nutrional goodness.
I got to work and began downing my breakfast juice. It was sweet and delicious. I actually enjoyed it and thought, "this might not be so bad." It did take me awhile to drink all of it. I started drinking it at 7:30 and didn't finish until 9 am. It wasn't really thick like a smoothie but it had something to it.
I really didn't even feel hungry until lunch time rolled around. I tried to hold out as long as I could but at noon I pulled out my lunch juice. It was at this point that I realized what the strainer was for. My lunch juice was full of little leaf pieces. It was really hard to force down. It was kind of like when you throw up in your mouth and then swallow it but in a much larger quantity. It took me 2 hours to drink 12 ounces and then I dumped the rest.
For dinner I decided to have vegetable soup. Yes, I know that isn't juice but I feel like it was okay because it was all veggies and veggie broth. It was great to actually chew something, even if it was just soft vegetables. It actually satisfied me. I'm not saying I feel full but I don't feel like I'm starving either.
Overall, I feel pretty good today. It was a struggle and there were moments when I wanted to drink a big glass of milk or have a piece of toast but I abstained and I am proud of myself.
I learned some lessons today.
1. Plastic bags to collect pulp are absolutely necessary.
2. Use the strainer. It has a purpose!
3. Be prepared to be easily distracted (even more so than usual)
4. Be prepared to drink lots of water and then spend a lot of time in the bathroom (sorry!)
Well, that's all I have for today.
One day down.
I got ready in my usual manner as I would any other Monday morning. That was my first mistake. I didn't take into account that it would take me some time to prepare my juice for the day. I had to pull all the ingredients out and it was my first time using the juicer so I wasn't totally sure how big of pieces I could put in it. It didn't take me long to get the hang of it and it was kinda fun. My morning juice contained the following:
1 golden delicious apple
1 pear
10 strawberries (with green tops cut off)
2 cups kale
1 cup coconut water
Yield = 16 oz
Lunch juice:
1 green apple
3 handfuls of cabbage
6 kale leaves
5 carrots
1/4 cup coconut water
Yield = 16 oz
I didn't remember to put a bag in the pulp section of the juicer which equals a huge mess. Luckily my husband was nice enough to help me clean it. The container that the juice pours into had a strainer and I thought, "What is this for?" My rational was that you wouldn't want to strain out all of that nutrional goodness.
I got to work and began downing my breakfast juice. It was sweet and delicious. I actually enjoyed it and thought, "this might not be so bad." It did take me awhile to drink all of it. I started drinking it at 7:30 and didn't finish until 9 am. It wasn't really thick like a smoothie but it had something to it.
I really didn't even feel hungry until lunch time rolled around. I tried to hold out as long as I could but at noon I pulled out my lunch juice. It was at this point that I realized what the strainer was for. My lunch juice was full of little leaf pieces. It was really hard to force down. It was kind of like when you throw up in your mouth and then swallow it but in a much larger quantity. It took me 2 hours to drink 12 ounces and then I dumped the rest.
For dinner I decided to have vegetable soup. Yes, I know that isn't juice but I feel like it was okay because it was all veggies and veggie broth. It was great to actually chew something, even if it was just soft vegetables. It actually satisfied me. I'm not saying I feel full but I don't feel like I'm starving either.
Overall, I feel pretty good today. It was a struggle and there were moments when I wanted to drink a big glass of milk or have a piece of toast but I abstained and I am proud of myself.
I learned some lessons today.
1. Plastic bags to collect pulp are absolutely necessary.
2. Use the strainer. It has a purpose!
3. Be prepared to be easily distracted (even more so than usual)
4. Be prepared to drink lots of water and then spend a lot of time in the bathroom (sorry!)
Well, that's all I have for today.
One day down.
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