This might be the most boring post, but I was thinking, how does juicing fit into my days now? How has it changed me and what I do? So here is my day, and thoughts about it.
Normally, I set my alarm for 6:30. I hate getting up in the mornings, no matter how much sleep I have had. I don't feel ready to go for a couple of hours after I get up. I don't want to talk to anyone either, which isn't that great since I work as a Level II Helpdesk support tech, and talk to people all day long! Juicing changed this in 3 major ways. After about 5-6 days, the energy kicked in and I started waking up before my alarm sometimes. I started sleeping better. I was full of energy and awake before I ever got to work. I even wake up early on the weekends now, so I can get more done.
Before work, I make both juices, and drink the breakfast one on the way. I have described how I keep my Mean Green fresh until lunch and it's always good. It's nice not to have to think about what I will have for lunch. No more fast food for breakfast. How has juicing effected my workday? Well, I don't get so sleepy in the afternoons that I can barely think. My mind seems clearer somehow. I don't get sleepy at all during the day which helps with driving home, too.
After work, I either do 30 minutes at the gym there, or come home. I let my dogs out and then do 30 minutes of something. At the gym, I have been doing however far I can go in 30 minutes on the treadmill, usually over 2 miles now, and sometimes I go a bit longer if I have time. At home, I have some yoga I do to warm up, just a little bit, because I don't know much about it. Then I do some aerobic activity, Hula Hooping is good, or dancing. I finish up by running in place on my little trampoline. Pre-juice...never would be doing this.
Next it's kitchen time. I have to feed the pups at 6:30. If I don't, they stare at me from the hall by the kitchen. I make their food every two weeks and freeze it. I started this months ago when I learned what harmful ingredients are in what I considered to be "good" dogfood. I must say that their coats are softer and they are playful like they were when they were much younger. Just goes to show you what proper nutrition can do. It's kind of like drinking juice.............. healthy for me.
Still in the kitchen, I either get my produce ready for the next day, or make my evening juice. What I really like to do, is make 2-3 days ahead of time. Not juice, just get the produce ready. That kind of gives me a little break during the week. Once that is all done, I take my dinner and sit down. I have to, because the pups think it's time to play. So I do that for a little while and drink my juice.
I spend about an hour or so writing this blog. Yes, I write it the night before, for the next day. I kind of wish I had done that a little differently, but can't change it now. I find that it's relaxing, and kind of winds me down from the day. Then, maybe a little TV or reading, and it's time for bed. It's very important to get plenty of rest. I tend to stay up too late, and have to watch the clock.
So that is my boring weekday. I planned it that way so I would have time to do what I need to do to be successful. No weekend trips to get ready for, no guests, (except g-kids), no events to speak of (except the Turkey Trot), one holiday that I didn't cook for, just taking care of me. What about the house, shopping, laundry? I do that on the weekends and it doesn't make me tired anymore. My days are very different now, and it's a good thing.
Peace out.............
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Day 50..............Looking good.....
Last night I had the best homemade macaroni and cheese I have ever had. It had bacon in it and 5 kinds of cheese. I like macaroni and cheese, but it's not one of my all time faves. However, this was so very yummy!!
And then, I woke up! Yep, my first food dream. I am surprised it took so long to have one. Why mac and cheese? Because that it what I saw last I guess. I probably need to lay off the food shows for awhile. I can think of other things I would rather have had, but juicers can't be choosers.
Still losing weight. Not fast and not very standard, usually no more than a half a pound, if that. I finally figured out why I couldn't tell any difference in my image for so long. I was losing all over. My shape was staying the same, but shrinking. I had thought that I would lose the weight where the most of it seems to be, in my big fat belly. Not so. I have the same shape, but I can tell that I am smaller. Not exactly what I was hoping for really. What that means is that I must keep up the exercising. And I have been, even though I don't have a race to train for anymore.
June of '91, I got the crazy notion to run a marathon and started training for it with a program printed in the paper every week. I had never done any running before. The first time I went out to do what the program said, I thought I was going to pass out or throw up or both. After 6 weeks, I began to notice some changes. My stomach got much firmer. I got lean. By the time of the race, six months later, I didn't have a 6-pack like guys get, but I did have those nice grooves defining my tummy muscles at the sides. I think it's because you are bouncing up and down as you run and the muscles have to get stronger to hold your poor guts in place. Walking is great exercise. I like it. But unless you are a bouncy walker, I am not sure if it will have the same effect on the muscles. So, since I really, really need to fix my shape, I will continue as best I can. Oh, I did run the whole way. Toward the end, it hurt more to walk than run. Four hours and twenty minutes, hard to imagine now.
At work yesterday, some guys were coming toward me and a hallway. I broke into a little run to beat them to the corner and down the hall. One of them said, "Hey....lookin good! What are you doing?" Naturally, I told them that I am..................
Juicing on!!!!
And then, I woke up! Yep, my first food dream. I am surprised it took so long to have one. Why mac and cheese? Because that it what I saw last I guess. I probably need to lay off the food shows for awhile. I can think of other things I would rather have had, but juicers can't be choosers.
Still losing weight. Not fast and not very standard, usually no more than a half a pound, if that. I finally figured out why I couldn't tell any difference in my image for so long. I was losing all over. My shape was staying the same, but shrinking. I had thought that I would lose the weight where the most of it seems to be, in my big fat belly. Not so. I have the same shape, but I can tell that I am smaller. Not exactly what I was hoping for really. What that means is that I must keep up the exercising. And I have been, even though I don't have a race to train for anymore.
June of '91, I got the crazy notion to run a marathon and started training for it with a program printed in the paper every week. I had never done any running before. The first time I went out to do what the program said, I thought I was going to pass out or throw up or both. After 6 weeks, I began to notice some changes. My stomach got much firmer. I got lean. By the time of the race, six months later, I didn't have a 6-pack like guys get, but I did have those nice grooves defining my tummy muscles at the sides. I think it's because you are bouncing up and down as you run and the muscles have to get stronger to hold your poor guts in place. Walking is great exercise. I like it. But unless you are a bouncy walker, I am not sure if it will have the same effect on the muscles. So, since I really, really need to fix my shape, I will continue as best I can. Oh, I did run the whole way. Toward the end, it hurt more to walk than run. Four hours and twenty minutes, hard to imagine now.
At work yesterday, some guys were coming toward me and a hallway. I broke into a little run to beat them to the corner and down the hall. One of them said, "Hey....lookin good! What are you doing?" Naturally, I told them that I am..................
Juicing on!!!!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Day 49..............or Week one of Two
Technically I have less than two weeks to go. Twelve days, counting today. As much as I have enjoyed doing this, I am looking forward to being finished. That feeling has grown as the days dwindle. I have been thinking about why. It's not because I want to eat food again, so much. I believe it's because I am growing tired of the routine. It is an easy enough one, to be sure. No dishes to wash, no meal planning because I have the same things all the time, shopping for the same things, is all just part of my life.......what I do. I could add some different juices, but I still like the ones I am having. I do love seeing my refrigerator stuffed full of produce. It must be how a squirrel feels about a stash of nuts. I love seeing it by the end of the week, growing empty because of what I have done. You get a feeling of accomplishment.
Being on a juice fast forces you to take better care of yourself. By eliminating the bad foods and taking in all the wonderful nutrients, you are going to get healthier. You have to plan it out and make your juice, or you won't have any nourishment. This takes some work, even though it is easy to do. My fear is that I am growing tired of taking care of myself. It's lazier not to. That is why convenience foods and fast food places exist. As easy as making the juice is, it's still easier to throw something in the microwave. Of course, I know what is good for me and what is not, and I have learned much along the way. My hope is that I will not fall into bad habits again. My hope is that 60 days is long enough to break those bad habits. I have no idea.
After I am finished, I have decided to keep writing this blog for awhile, as long as I can come up with things to write about. I am very curious as to what it will be like for the first few weeks of eating again. I think others might be too. Writing about my experiences will help keep me on track. Honesty is very important to me. There is no way that I would want to write about going to a fast food joint or eating a box of Mac and Cheese. Not now and hopefully, not ever. I do know that I will keep juicing. I don't want to lose the energy that it gives me. I also will keep hitting the treadmill, as I want to get into better shape. That is the fastest way to do it, at least for me. And, I am not really "Skinny Vic" yet. I'm getting there..................
Juice on!!!!
Being on a juice fast forces you to take better care of yourself. By eliminating the bad foods and taking in all the wonderful nutrients, you are going to get healthier. You have to plan it out and make your juice, or you won't have any nourishment. This takes some work, even though it is easy to do. My fear is that I am growing tired of taking care of myself. It's lazier not to. That is why convenience foods and fast food places exist. As easy as making the juice is, it's still easier to throw something in the microwave. Of course, I know what is good for me and what is not, and I have learned much along the way. My hope is that I will not fall into bad habits again. My hope is that 60 days is long enough to break those bad habits. I have no idea.
After I am finished, I have decided to keep writing this blog for awhile, as long as I can come up with things to write about. I am very curious as to what it will be like for the first few weeks of eating again. I think others might be too. Writing about my experiences will help keep me on track. Honesty is very important to me. There is no way that I would want to write about going to a fast food joint or eating a box of Mac and Cheese. Not now and hopefully, not ever. I do know that I will keep juicing. I don't want to lose the energy that it gives me. I also will keep hitting the treadmill, as I want to get into better shape. That is the fastest way to do it, at least for me. And, I am not really "Skinny Vic" yet. I'm getting there..................
Juice on!!!!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Day 48................Family
Anyone trying to do a juice fast has it two or three times as hard as I do, if they have family that they have to cook for everyday. I have a great respect for anyone able to do it. Not only do you have to make something that your family will eat, but then you have to make your own juice too. What an effort! The food you make is probably what your family likes, and you do too, or you would have never made it for them in the first place. Then there's the temptation to finish up that last bite they left or the last spoonful of something in the pan, instead of throwing it away. It ain't easy!
I love breakfast. Not at breakfast time so much, but love the bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits and gravy...........I better stop right there. I love the way it smells, too. It's easier to just enjoy the way food smells when you aren't making it yourself, I found out. I made breakfast for dinner last night. Not for me. I did not cave. Again, I'm not being strong at this point, it's fear. But, I was strong in the beginning, so that counts for something.
Having family around these past couple of days, that I had to cook for, opened my eyes to how hard it can be for some people and how lucky I have been. I am sure that it helps a great deal to have the support of your family. These little ones did not try to entice me to eat as they have in the past. They understand what I am trying to do and that is important. The youngest even mimicked the ooo's and ahh's I make when I drink my juice sometimes, while drinking his Porange juice. He said, "Ah, I needed that.' So, we are getting there.
Hang in there and believe that it is worth the effort in the end, not only for you, but for those lives you touch along the way.
I love breakfast. Not at breakfast time so much, but love the bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, grits, biscuits and gravy...........I better stop right there. I love the way it smells, too. It's easier to just enjoy the way food smells when you aren't making it yourself, I found out. I made breakfast for dinner last night. Not for me. I did not cave. Again, I'm not being strong at this point, it's fear. But, I was strong in the beginning, so that counts for something.
Having family around these past couple of days, that I had to cook for, opened my eyes to how hard it can be for some people and how lucky I have been. I am sure that it helps a great deal to have the support of your family. These little ones did not try to entice me to eat as they have in the past. They understand what I am trying to do and that is important. The youngest even mimicked the ooo's and ahh's I make when I drink my juice sometimes, while drinking his Porange juice. He said, "Ah, I needed that.' So, we are getting there.
Hang in there and believe that it is worth the effort in the end, not only for you, but for those lives you touch along the way.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Day 47....time for a change
Yesterday morning, I skipped my morning juice. I did drink some water, but I was in too much of a hurry to take the time to make the juice. No, I wasn't out shopping the Black Friday deals. I shop online mostly. But, I never used to eat breakfast until recently. I just wasn't hungry until a while after getting up. Anyway, I did not miss it. I felt fine, had great energy and wasn't dying of starvation by lunch. Soooooo, I think that for the next 2 weeks, I am going to cut back on the morning juice or skip it altogether.
It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I know you should have something to jumpstart your metabolism. I would like to take in less calories down the home stretch. In the past, I only ate when hungry and that seemed to work well for me. Now, I am really never hungry. I am not sure if this is a good idea or not. I do want to make sure I get enough nutrition. Will do a little test for a few days and let you know what happens.
Today will not be a good day to start. I have the two little meat and potato eaters staying with me for the weekend. Both are looking forward to "Wapple" and "Porange" juice. It's a small victory. Wapple is watermelon and apple. Porange is pineapple and oranges. Both delicious. The older one even recognized my kale and they both like going shopping for all the produce. They ask lots of questions, too.
I just have to share this one g-ma story. The six year old made a Thanksgiving placemat in school. She listed a few things she was thankful for. Naturally, "Nana" was on the list! Also, on the list was Joe Cross, spelled Joy, but we knew who she meant. Looks like Joe's movie meant something to her, even though she only watched part of it. I know that she is happy that I am thinner and feeling so much better. I think that is pretty cool. I wonder what Joe would think about that?
I have juice to make! Later juicers.........................
It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I know you should have something to jumpstart your metabolism. I would like to take in less calories down the home stretch. In the past, I only ate when hungry and that seemed to work well for me. Now, I am really never hungry. I am not sure if this is a good idea or not. I do want to make sure I get enough nutrition. Will do a little test for a few days and let you know what happens.
Today will not be a good day to start. I have the two little meat and potato eaters staying with me for the weekend. Both are looking forward to "Wapple" and "Porange" juice. It's a small victory. Wapple is watermelon and apple. Porange is pineapple and oranges. Both delicious. The older one even recognized my kale and they both like going shopping for all the produce. They ask lots of questions, too.
I just have to share this one g-ma story. The six year old made a Thanksgiving placemat in school. She listed a few things she was thankful for. Naturally, "Nana" was on the list! Also, on the list was Joe Cross, spelled Joy, but we knew who she meant. Looks like Joe's movie meant something to her, even though she only watched part of it. I know that she is happy that I am thinner and feeling so much better. I think that is pretty cool. I wonder what Joe would think about that?
I have juice to make! Later juicers.........................
Friday, November 25, 2011
Day 46..........about yesterday
One of the cool things about wearing a costume is that people will talk to you. I guess that's cool. It gave me a chance to tell some more people about juicing and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I was on the Dart rail, riding home after the race, pretty frozen too. When the talk turned to T-day dinner, I naturally had to explain why I would be having juice, right?
Due to the cold weather, I changed my plans and went over to my daughter's house, juicer and produce in tow. I took my own advice and enjoyed their dinner from the wonderful smells. It was great, and so was my juice. I'm so glad I went. I certainly hope you all enjoyed your day too.
Now then, do you want to see some pictures?.............................Sure you do!!!
That's all I have for now....busy day ahead again! Juice on and juice well!!!
Due to the cold weather, I changed my plans and went over to my daughter's house, juicer and produce in tow. I took my own advice and enjoyed their dinner from the wonderful smells. It was great, and so was my juice. I'm so glad I went. I certainly hope you all enjoyed your day too.
Now then, do you want to see some pictures?.............................Sure you do!!!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Day 45.........Race day and Happy Thanksgiving!!
It certainly is going to be a big day today for lots of people. There will be many challenges, lots of good food, lots of good juice, I hope, too. I don't see any reason not to enjoy the food, even if you aren't eating it. When I first started, I made people let me smell their food. Sometimes, if the wind was blowing right, the smells from one of my favorite restaurants would blow through my backyard. Instead of trying to get away from it, I embraced it and just filled up with those delicious smells. They say that without a sense of smell, taste goes way down. I don't know about that, but I do know that smells have no calories and are Free! I don't have to eat it to enjoy it.
There is plenty of advice out there for social gatherings. Maybe it's too late today, but being prepared is important. Have your juice or juicer with you. Drink plenty of juice and water so you are full. If you do decide to eat, try to be smart about it. If you have been juicing for a while, also, be careful what you eat. You don't want to make yourself sick. If it were me, I think I would be scared to eat much of anything except for some steamed broccoli or a bit of sweet potato. Being scared to eat is sure different from being a brave strong individual. Today, though, I am not a chicken, I will do my run dressed as a Turkey!
Later, I want to find a pretty place to have my Mean Green and think about things. I am thankful for the sames things most people are. I am also thankful for the odd happenstances that fall into my life sometimes. Like how I found out about all this in the first place. Want me to tell the story?.......................Sure you do!!!
It's not a long one. I record and listen to a radio show on my phone. One evening, back in early Sept. I think it was, I was listening but not paying much attention. I did catch a part where the guys were talking about some documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I did not hear everything that they said, so backed up the recording and wrote down the name. I have never heard them mention it again. Even though I record the show, I don't listen to all of it all the time. Plus, they didn't go on and on about it. I could have easily missed it. I don't think I would have heard about it, even now. I was not looking for a way to lose weight, not thinking about going on a diet. I was happy in my miserable ways. After about a week, I remembered it and decided to watch it. As many, many people have said, it changed my life. I saw it and thought that this is what I need to do, something radical. But I wasn't ready right away. I researched and let the idea roll around in my head. Finally, it was time to take action, and here I am, fixin to run in a crazy Turkey Trot! I never would have imagined that, for sure. Maybe I will live happily ever after, but regardless I will be healthier.
Be thankful for the small chances we get if we pay attention. It's so easy to miss an opportunity. I'm thankful for the stray comment that can help me, the fleeting idea I might get and grab on to making my life better. I'm thankful to be able to pass something I've learned along to help someone else. I'm thankful for people who take the time to pass along their wisdom to me, free for the taking. Shoot, the fact that we live in a day and age that allows us to get fresh produce that we couldn't grow is a big thing to be thankful for these days. There is plenty more and I will be thinking about it and wishing everyone the best day today!
Juice on and thanks for reading.....it means a lot to me!
There is plenty of advice out there for social gatherings. Maybe it's too late today, but being prepared is important. Have your juice or juicer with you. Drink plenty of juice and water so you are full. If you do decide to eat, try to be smart about it. If you have been juicing for a while, also, be careful what you eat. You don't want to make yourself sick. If it were me, I think I would be scared to eat much of anything except for some steamed broccoli or a bit of sweet potato. Being scared to eat is sure different from being a brave strong individual. Today, though, I am not a chicken, I will do my run dressed as a Turkey!
Later, I want to find a pretty place to have my Mean Green and think about things. I am thankful for the sames things most people are. I am also thankful for the odd happenstances that fall into my life sometimes. Like how I found out about all this in the first place. Want me to tell the story?.......................Sure you do!!!
It's not a long one. I record and listen to a radio show on my phone. One evening, back in early Sept. I think it was, I was listening but not paying much attention. I did catch a part where the guys were talking about some documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I did not hear everything that they said, so backed up the recording and wrote down the name. I have never heard them mention it again. Even though I record the show, I don't listen to all of it all the time. Plus, they didn't go on and on about it. I could have easily missed it. I don't think I would have heard about it, even now. I was not looking for a way to lose weight, not thinking about going on a diet. I was happy in my miserable ways. After about a week, I remembered it and decided to watch it. As many, many people have said, it changed my life. I saw it and thought that this is what I need to do, something radical. But I wasn't ready right away. I researched and let the idea roll around in my head. Finally, it was time to take action, and here I am, fixin to run in a crazy Turkey Trot! I never would have imagined that, for sure. Maybe I will live happily ever after, but regardless I will be healthier.
Be thankful for the small chances we get if we pay attention. It's so easy to miss an opportunity. I'm thankful for the stray comment that can help me, the fleeting idea I might get and grab on to making my life better. I'm thankful to be able to pass something I've learned along to help someone else. I'm thankful for people who take the time to pass along their wisdom to me, free for the taking. Shoot, the fact that we live in a day and age that allows us to get fresh produce that we couldn't grow is a big thing to be thankful for these days. There is plenty more and I will be thinking about it and wishing everyone the best day today!
Juice on and thanks for reading.....it means a lot to me!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Day 44............Pleased with myself
Yesterday was a new record for page views...162!! That is so exciting to me. I never dreamed anyone would be interested in my ramblings. Not only that, I just found out where you are, sort of. Most of the views are in the US, but look at the other places. People from Russia,United Kingdom, South Africa, Germany, Australia, Costa Rica, Canada, India, and the United Arab Emirates have checked me out. I just love the internet. It truly makes my world larger while bringing people closer together.
I don't think I've said this yet, but a Big Texas Thank-you to everyone who reads my blog!!! It means a lot to me. It helps me tremendously as I go along. When I might be thinking, this quest is a bit too much, I know I will continue and part of it is that I couldn't bear to have to say that I failed. I would admit it, but I don't want to. Plus, I would really miss writing my blog. It's become part of what I do everyday.
Sometimes people are not very kind. They probably don't realize the effect of their words. 99% of the people that I have mentioned my juice adventure to, have been very supportive. But a couple of days ago, I told a guy a little bit about it. He just rolled his eyes, and said, "Ah, another one of those fad diets where you lose a lot of weight and then gain it all back." I considered telling him that he was wrong and this is a lifestyle change, but I didn't. You have to pick your battles and I knew I would not change his mind. I saved my breath and my time. But I've thought about that comment since then. If it had been early on, I could have just agreed and given up. I doubt I would have, but negativity is a bad seed and it could cause someone on the brink of caving, to give in. I decided that the best way to prove he is wrong is to show him, by continuing with a healthy lifestyle, working on getting fit, and getting to my target weight.
Point of the story.........support is a wonderful thing and helps us when we struggle. But all too often, all it takes is one little straw during a difficult time to bring us down. Don't let that happen. Don't elevate someone's opinion beyond their knowledge. Consider your source and pick your battles. The main battle right now should be taking care of your own self. Your opinion is the only important one in this scenario. Also, be positive toward others. You know how it goes.....if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all. That's why I am a very quiet person!!
Juice on and be strong!!!
I don't think I've said this yet, but a Big Texas Thank-you to everyone who reads my blog!!! It means a lot to me. It helps me tremendously as I go along. When I might be thinking, this quest is a bit too much, I know I will continue and part of it is that I couldn't bear to have to say that I failed. I would admit it, but I don't want to. Plus, I would really miss writing my blog. It's become part of what I do everyday.
Sometimes people are not very kind. They probably don't realize the effect of their words. 99% of the people that I have mentioned my juice adventure to, have been very supportive. But a couple of days ago, I told a guy a little bit about it. He just rolled his eyes, and said, "Ah, another one of those fad diets where you lose a lot of weight and then gain it all back." I considered telling him that he was wrong and this is a lifestyle change, but I didn't. You have to pick your battles and I knew I would not change his mind. I saved my breath and my time. But I've thought about that comment since then. If it had been early on, I could have just agreed and given up. I doubt I would have, but negativity is a bad seed and it could cause someone on the brink of caving, to give in. I decided that the best way to prove he is wrong is to show him, by continuing with a healthy lifestyle, working on getting fit, and getting to my target weight.
Point of the story.........support is a wonderful thing and helps us when we struggle. But all too often, all it takes is one little straw during a difficult time to bring us down. Don't let that happen. Don't elevate someone's opinion beyond their knowledge. Consider your source and pick your battles. The main battle right now should be taking care of your own self. Your opinion is the only important one in this scenario. Also, be positive toward others. You know how it goes.....if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all. That's why I am a very quiet person!!
Juice on and be strong!!!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Day 43........Exercise..........do I have to?
First a short update. The scale moved down 2 whole pounds!! I was happy about that, even though I knew it had something to do with bathroom city that I wrote about yesterday,. It just proves that what I was saying about waste management is true. One more pound to go and I will have lost 30, counting my practice week when I lost 2 without trying. Did 2.5 miles on the treadmill at a better pace than I have been. I could have gone longer but I didn't have enough time. Will run once more today and then take a rest day before the Turkey Trot. Normally, I would carb up the night before a race. I haven't decided what to drink. It probably won't really matter. It's a short one and I am not in decent shape for it.
Now about exercise. I don't much care for it. I don't mind running, if I have something to listen to while I am doing it and I like the way I feel afterward. I always liked getting my exercise by doing things, like riding my bike, sailing, swimming or windsurfing. Fun things, like hiking around exploring places while camping out. I even used to ride horses quite a bit, a long time ago and loved that. When you gain weight, you don't feel like doing those things anymore. A downward spiral takes place into a sedentary lifestyle.
Juicing or going on a juice fast has done 2 things that are making it easier for me to exercise. The weight loss is one and increased energy is another. But why exercise at all? What else are you supposed to do with all that energy? That is not a good answer. I think that it's important to start building some muscles that have gone unused. I think it's important to do it as soon as you can. Start out by walking or swimming. These activities are easier on the body in general and not so hard to do. I started walking at first. I also have some exercise videos for the computer, but you can find all kinds of things on You Tube for free. Do a 7 minute version of the Cha Cha Slide. That'll get your heart pumping. It doesn't matter how long you go, as long as you do Something!
Why worry about building muscle especially since it is heavier than fat? Because muscle burns calories, more muscle, more calories burned-even if you aren't doing anything. Once done with the fast, wouldn't it be nice to have some built in calorie burners encrusting your slender torso? Sure it would!!!! Take advantage of extra energy and............
Juice on!!!
Now about exercise. I don't much care for it. I don't mind running, if I have something to listen to while I am doing it and I like the way I feel afterward. I always liked getting my exercise by doing things, like riding my bike, sailing, swimming or windsurfing. Fun things, like hiking around exploring places while camping out. I even used to ride horses quite a bit, a long time ago and loved that. When you gain weight, you don't feel like doing those things anymore. A downward spiral takes place into a sedentary lifestyle.
Juicing or going on a juice fast has done 2 things that are making it easier for me to exercise. The weight loss is one and increased energy is another. But why exercise at all? What else are you supposed to do with all that energy? That is not a good answer. I think that it's important to start building some muscles that have gone unused. I think it's important to do it as soon as you can. Start out by walking or swimming. These activities are easier on the body in general and not so hard to do. I started walking at first. I also have some exercise videos for the computer, but you can find all kinds of things on You Tube for free. Do a 7 minute version of the Cha Cha Slide. That'll get your heart pumping. It doesn't matter how long you go, as long as you do Something!
Why worry about building muscle especially since it is heavier than fat? Because muscle burns calories, more muscle, more calories burned-even if you aren't doing anything. Once done with the fast, wouldn't it be nice to have some built in calorie burners encrusting your slender torso? Sure it would!!!! Take advantage of extra energy and............
Juice on!!!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Day 42....Waste Management...revisited
People starting out on a juice fast, or thinking about it, have many concerns. One of them is about what I like to refer to as "waste management." I have touched on this a few times in the past. It's a valid concern and people need to know what to expect and how to handle things.
If you are used to having waste disposal once or twice a day, that's great. It helps before you start, if you are having fruit smoothies, steamed veggies and other high fiber foods to kind of clean out the tubes. If you don't, you will lose 5-10 pounds pretty quickly, as that stuff just has to go, and is not getting replaced very fast by the juice being consumed. After that, the weight loss will continue, but it will slow down. Additionally, you won't be making any deposits, shall we say, for several days at a time. This can be worrisome, but it is only normal if you think about it. There are some things you can do to help your body, but timing is important. I'll get to that....
Yesterday, I figured out why something happened to me way back on Day 5. I wrote about it briefly on Day 6. Short story is, that after I went to bed, I thought I had gas. It wasn't. Thus, I say "beware the toots."
I have figured out that some juices have certain "properties". Well, only 2 so far, but it's important to know, especially when you first begin. Pineapple juice was the first one I discovered. The juice is thicker. I think that the fiber is finer, so more of it gets in the juice. More fiber equals more waste. More waste means it's time for waste management to take over and clean things up. This is good news, if you want to move things along. A half a pineapple and a couple of peeled oranges will do the trick.
The second one surprised me and I didn't put 2 and 2 together immediately. It's watermelon juice. Yesterday morning, I made a chunk of watermelon and 2 apples into juice for my g-kid and me. She drank a couple of small glasses. 5-10 minutes later, she ran to the bathroom, twice. I didn't think anything of it, until about an hour later, while out shopping, all of a sudden, bathroom city for me too. Much later in the day, somehow my weakening neurons made a connection and I asked her what happened when she went earlier. "Number 2!" she said. When I first started, I was having watermelon juice fairly often because it tasted so good and was easy to fix. I flashed back to my "accident" on Day 5 and it all made sense.
My point of all this is...........not such a great idea to drink pineapple or watermelon juices until your body has kind of gotten used to the juicing. Even then, it might be a good idea to do that on the weekends, with bathrooms handy. Also, if you use RED beets, don't be scared when things turn interesting shades of pink and red. That's some strong pigment in those.
Want to see the size of the chunk of watermelon I use to make Wapple Juice, as it has been named?
Sure you do!!!
It's good, but potent stuff!
Juice on!!!!
If you are used to having waste disposal once or twice a day, that's great. It helps before you start, if you are having fruit smoothies, steamed veggies and other high fiber foods to kind of clean out the tubes. If you don't, you will lose 5-10 pounds pretty quickly, as that stuff just has to go, and is not getting replaced very fast by the juice being consumed. After that, the weight loss will continue, but it will slow down. Additionally, you won't be making any deposits, shall we say, for several days at a time. This can be worrisome, but it is only normal if you think about it. There are some things you can do to help your body, but timing is important. I'll get to that....
Yesterday, I figured out why something happened to me way back on Day 5. I wrote about it briefly on Day 6. Short story is, that after I went to bed, I thought I had gas. It wasn't. Thus, I say "beware the toots."
I have figured out that some juices have certain "properties". Well, only 2 so far, but it's important to know, especially when you first begin. Pineapple juice was the first one I discovered. The juice is thicker. I think that the fiber is finer, so more of it gets in the juice. More fiber equals more waste. More waste means it's time for waste management to take over and clean things up. This is good news, if you want to move things along. A half a pineapple and a couple of peeled oranges will do the trick.
The second one surprised me and I didn't put 2 and 2 together immediately. It's watermelon juice. Yesterday morning, I made a chunk of watermelon and 2 apples into juice for my g-kid and me. She drank a couple of small glasses. 5-10 minutes later, she ran to the bathroom, twice. I didn't think anything of it, until about an hour later, while out shopping, all of a sudden, bathroom city for me too. Much later in the day, somehow my weakening neurons made a connection and I asked her what happened when she went earlier. "Number 2!" she said. When I first started, I was having watermelon juice fairly often because it tasted so good and was easy to fix. I flashed back to my "accident" on Day 5 and it all made sense.
My point of all this is...........not such a great idea to drink pineapple or watermelon juices until your body has kind of gotten used to the juicing. Even then, it might be a good idea to do that on the weekends, with bathrooms handy. Also, if you use RED beets, don't be scared when things turn interesting shades of pink and red. That's some strong pigment in those.
Want to see the size of the chunk of watermelon I use to make Wapple Juice, as it has been named?
Sure you do!!!
Juice on!!!!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Day 41.........on the backstretch now.....
Day 41, a very busy Sunday ahead. The lovely thing is that I have the energy to do everything I need to do. There will be shopping, playing in the park, fixing things up for next week, running, and I hope a little bit of football.
Watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead again for the 4th time yesterday. It is so motivating. I think everyone trying to do a fast should watch it from time to time . The reason I decided to do it was because I was getting my teeth cleaned and a root canal. The dentist office has TVs on the ceiling with Netflix.........so why not? I almost forgot I was there. Thanks again, Joe Cross.
Root canals can be tough. Everyone said I probably wouldn't feel too well after. My dentist likes to use lots of deadening agent. Some kind of 'caine. After that wore off, I felt just fine. I have to believe it's because of the juice. I think that my body is in a state of healing and constantly giving it the nutrients it needs, has made recovery much faster. What else could it possibly be? Even before that stuff wore off, I was busy doing things. Normally, I think I would have taken a nap. In the movie, Siong says that she feels 21 again, after just a short fast. I won't go that far, but I do feel very rejuvenated. And I love it!
After this is over, less than 3 weeks now, one of the things I want to do is find some way to get some kids I know to eat more vegetables. It won't be an easy task. They are very strong minded. I keep expecting them to sprout feathers from all the chicken they have eaten over the years. I made a start last night. I had them watch FSND. They were interested for about 30 minutes of it and did learn something. They tasted my juice too, only a taste, and that is progress. They are curious about the process. Only 5 and 6, so I do not expect too much, but will keep trying. They are very smart and can see the difference in me. We will have to see how that goes.......future blog fodder maybe.
Out of time...............Juice on!!
Watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead again for the 4th time yesterday. It is so motivating. I think everyone trying to do a fast should watch it from time to time . The reason I decided to do it was because I was getting my teeth cleaned and a root canal. The dentist office has TVs on the ceiling with Netflix.........so why not? I almost forgot I was there. Thanks again, Joe Cross.
Root canals can be tough. Everyone said I probably wouldn't feel too well after. My dentist likes to use lots of deadening agent. Some kind of 'caine. After that wore off, I felt just fine. I have to believe it's because of the juice. I think that my body is in a state of healing and constantly giving it the nutrients it needs, has made recovery much faster. What else could it possibly be? Even before that stuff wore off, I was busy doing things. Normally, I think I would have taken a nap. In the movie, Siong says that she feels 21 again, after just a short fast. I won't go that far, but I do feel very rejuvenated. And I love it!
After this is over, less than 3 weeks now, one of the things I want to do is find some way to get some kids I know to eat more vegetables. It won't be an easy task. They are very strong minded. I keep expecting them to sprout feathers from all the chicken they have eaten over the years. I made a start last night. I had them watch FSND. They were interested for about 30 minutes of it and did learn something. They tasted my juice too, only a taste, and that is progress. They are curious about the process. Only 5 and 6, so I do not expect too much, but will keep trying. They are very smart and can see the difference in me. We will have to see how that goes.......future blog fodder maybe.
Out of time...............Juice on!!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Day 40........Random thoughts
This day was originally going to be my last day. It still is hard for me to believe that I have made it this far and am better than fine, without eating any food at all. I had planned to go 40 days because of the window of time that I had before Thanksgiving. It's my favorite feast to prepare and eat. However, a couple of things made me decide to go the whole 60 days.
I have been steadily losing weight, but not as fast as I thought I might. Right now, I am about halfway to where I would like to be. Going a little bit longer will get me closer to that goal. It has become so easy to do and I feel so good, I don't see why I shouldn't keep going. Sure, I will not be eating the traditional Thanksgiving feast. I keep seeing a picture in my mind from the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Joe Cross is sitting under a tree on Thanksgiving Day, drinking his Mean Green juice and thankful for it. I kind of want to do that too.
There are some things I don't like about juice fasting. One is getting cold after I drink my juice, especially at lunch time when I am at work. I have a blanket and a sweater that I use, but it's so silly. Another, is having to Pee All the freakin time! I always drank a fair amount of water, but with the juicing, I guess I am drinking much more. I drink it to keep from getting hungry. I am not bladder challenged either.
I get tired of peeling stuff. My left hand is getting stronger from peeling the citrus, but my right hand isn't, from peeling the cucumbers. I don't know why I use both hands for peeling. The first few days, I didn't like how my stomach gurgled loudly. That stopped after a few more days, well pretty much. I don't miss eating, but I do miss hot food. I don't bother to heat up the juice. I don't think it would be the same anyway.
I miss cooking. I miss that quite a bit.
It is nice not to have any dishes to wash. I rinse out my cups and use the same ones all the time. It's nice to be able to get up out of bed (waterbed) more easily. It's nice to sleep better. It's nice to not be tired during the day or get so sleepy driving home that I have to do all kinds of crazy things to keep focused. It's nice to be able to run again. It's nice to have clothes falling off. Well, not all the time.
I like writing this blog. I really do. I wonder what I will do when it's over? I never knew how much I enjoy writing, although I always did want to write a book. About what, I have no good idea. Maybe that is why I haven't. But if I get an idea, who knows? My daughter says my writing is corny, and it just sounds like "me". Duh. My ex ex boss, whose opinion is important to me, because he's "genius," says that it is good. I like him a whole lot.
I found a couple of pictures I want to use for my "before" pictures. It's hard to find pics of me, because I didn't like to be in them. Want to see? .............................Sure you do!
Not the best, but that's all I could really find. The top one is from the weekend right before I started this. I will have to try that dress on again, once I am finished. It fit me just right. Too bad I will never get to wear it again........... What am I saying?!?
Geez, what a puff face! I still have a long way to go on this quest if I want to be Skinny Vic.
I have been steadily losing weight, but not as fast as I thought I might. Right now, I am about halfway to where I would like to be. Going a little bit longer will get me closer to that goal. It has become so easy to do and I feel so good, I don't see why I shouldn't keep going. Sure, I will not be eating the traditional Thanksgiving feast. I keep seeing a picture in my mind from the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Joe Cross is sitting under a tree on Thanksgiving Day, drinking his Mean Green juice and thankful for it. I kind of want to do that too.
There are some things I don't like about juice fasting. One is getting cold after I drink my juice, especially at lunch time when I am at work. I have a blanket and a sweater that I use, but it's so silly. Another, is having to Pee All the freakin time! I always drank a fair amount of water, but with the juicing, I guess I am drinking much more. I drink it to keep from getting hungry. I am not bladder challenged either.
I get tired of peeling stuff. My left hand is getting stronger from peeling the citrus, but my right hand isn't, from peeling the cucumbers. I don't know why I use both hands for peeling. The first few days, I didn't like how my stomach gurgled loudly. That stopped after a few more days, well pretty much. I don't miss eating, but I do miss hot food. I don't bother to heat up the juice. I don't think it would be the same anyway.
I miss cooking. I miss that quite a bit.
It is nice not to have any dishes to wash. I rinse out my cups and use the same ones all the time. It's nice to be able to get up out of bed (waterbed) more easily. It's nice to sleep better. It's nice to not be tired during the day or get so sleepy driving home that I have to do all kinds of crazy things to keep focused. It's nice to be able to run again. It's nice to have clothes falling off. Well, not all the time.
I like writing this blog. I really do. I wonder what I will do when it's over? I never knew how much I enjoy writing, although I always did want to write a book. About what, I have no good idea. Maybe that is why I haven't. But if I get an idea, who knows? My daughter says my writing is corny, and it just sounds like "me". Duh. My ex ex boss, whose opinion is important to me, because he's "genius," says that it is good. I like him a whole lot.
I found a couple of pictures I want to use for my "before" pictures. It's hard to find pics of me, because I didn't like to be in them. Want to see? .............................Sure you do!
Not the best, but that's all I could really find. The top one is from the weekend right before I started this. I will have to try that dress on again, once I am finished. It fit me just right. Too bad I will never get to wear it again........... What am I saying?!?
Geez, what a puff face! I still have a long way to go on this quest if I want to be Skinny Vic.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Day 39........My Top Five Fave Recipes
As promised, I want to post my top five favorite recipes. I must admit that I haven't tried that many different ones, but definitely more than five. I found all of these recipes online and sadly, can not give credit because I don't recall where I got them. I have changed all of them a little bit anyway, so maybe it doesn't matter. Tastes really very from person to person, so my faves certainly might not be so yummy to another. But here they are.....
Number Five......My Mean Green Juice
I use Gala apples, but some may prefer the more tart Granny Smith. Remember to cut the ends off the Kale, after washing, and soak in water, like flowers, for a few hours in the fridge. Peel the cuke, the lime and the ginger. I have this everyday for lunch.
Number Four....Pineapple Orange
This is pretty sweet and I am sure, high in calories, so only a couple of times a week for this one. No need to peel the pineapple, just scrub well and cut the ends off. I don't core it either. I peel the oranges with a carrot peeler.
Number Three.......VGr8
Sometimes I add an extra tomato. Recently, I have been adding a jalapeno, seeded, of course. I used to add a little Cajun seasoning, but don't like it anymore. Peel the beet or turnip and I use golden beets. I have this 3-4 times a week for dinner.
Number Two.....Apple Pie
On this one, the sweet potato is about 8 inches long and I try to get one evenly shaped and cut it in half. Wrap the other half and put back in the fridge. No peeling, but cut it into strips so it is easier on the juicer. Peel the lime and ginger. In all these, the ginger is about an inch across and 1/2 to 3/4 inch long. I have this about 3 times a week for breakfast.
And finally, My Number ONE Favorite Recipe is...........You really want to know?
Sure you do!!!!!
It's called Miss Scarlett..........oh Rhett, ah do luv it so.......
You can use a beet or a turnip. I use the golden beets and the biggest peppers I can get. They do make lots of juice. Sometimes I add an extra tomato too, if they all aren't too big. Aside from the taste, I like the fact that it doesn't have that many ingredients and still makes plenty of juice. I have this 3-4 times a week for dinner.
Ok, there you have it. I have a spreadsheet I use, that I will send to anyone who wants it. It helps me when I am shopping, and also, I look at it for my ingredients when I make something.
Now you have some good recipes to try out. You can experiment too. Add this, cut back on that. You will know what you like pretty quickly. So...........
Juice on!!
Number Five......My Mean Green Juice
| Kale leaves | 6 | |||
| Cucumber | 1 | |||
| Celery Stalks | 4 | |||
| Apples | 2 | |||
| Lime | 1 | |||
| Ginger/pc. | 1 |
Number Four....Pineapple Orange
| Pineapple | 0.5 |
| Orange | 2 |
Number Three.......VGr8
| Celery Stalks | 2 |
| Spinach/handful | 3 |
| Carrots | 2 |
| Tomato | 2 |
| Beet or Turnip | 1 |
| Italian Parsley/handful | 1 |
| Green Onion | 2 |
| Daikon radish, 1/4 | 1 |
Number Two.....Apple Pie
| Pears | 1 |
| Sweet Potato | 0.5 |
| Apples | 1 |
| Carrots | 2 |
| Lime | 0.5 |
| Ginger/pc | 1 |
And finally, My Number ONE Favorite Recipe is...........You really want to know?
Sure you do!!!!!
It's called Miss Scarlett..........oh Rhett, ah do luv it so.......
| Tomato | 2 |
| Beet | 1 |
| Bell Pepper-Gr | 1 |
| Bell Pepper-red/yellow | 2 |
Ok, there you have it. I have a spreadsheet I use, that I will send to anyone who wants it. It helps me when I am shopping, and also, I look at it for my ingredients when I make something.
Now you have some good recipes to try out. You can experiment too. Add this, cut back on that. You will know what you like pretty quickly. So...........
Juice on!!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Day 38.......share the link
First an update on me. My waist is smaller by 4-5 inches. I didn't measure anything else and I didn't measure that well, because the tape measure was cold. Seriously. I am wearing 3 sizes smaller in pants, and shirts that I haven't worn in a really long time. It's nice to have things to wear without going shopping. I have started going to the gym at work, because it's too dark by the time I get home. I do the treadmill, the elliptical and the stationary bike. I have some yoga and aerobics I can do at home. I try to do at least 30 minutes everyday. If I miss one day, I don't worry too much about it. I picked up my Turkey Trot race packet today. I got a "large" shirt. Normally, I would have gotten extra or extra extra large. The shirt may be too small right now, but it won't be for long. Still losing weight, slowly, and feeling oh so good everyday. People are starting to notice more too, which gives me a chance to spread the word.
I decided to share some links on this blog. The first one is for a juicer from eBay that a friend of mine got recently. It isn't quite as powerful as my Breville, but so far, that doesn't seem to matter. It looks very similar, too. My friend and his family are enjoying it very much. Here's the Kicker!!! It costs less than third of what I paid! Man alive. Oh well, I am very happy to pass along good deals. Plus, if one can afford a juicer, one might juice. I may buy a couple for Christmas presents.
Click Right Here............no longer available, I missed out too!
This next site has lots of the things I have written about, as far as tips and tricks, and good info, all in one place. Of course, I only just found it. I didn't see anything on this page that I would not agree with, so have a look.
Click Right Here
Here's a fun little calculator tool for your BMI. Mine was 30.5 when I started. Now it's 26.5, almost in the acceptable range! Woohoo!!
Click Right Here
There are lots of apps to help keep track of your exercise. Runkeeper is one I like and use on my iPhone. I like that it talks to you so you don't have to look at it. I also like that you can plot routes online and then use them on the phone. That way, you can get an idea of how far things are. It isn't just for running either. Check it out.
Click Right Here
Last, but not least, this one is to Joe Cross' reboot site. They keep saying a new site is coming and I hope it does. The site is clumsy and glitchy. Still, there is plenty of good information on it.
Click Right Here
That wraps it up for today. Tomorrow, I believe I will put my top 5 recipes on here. Stay tuned and.........
you know!!!
I decided to share some links on this blog. The first one is for a juicer from eBay that a friend of mine got recently. It isn't quite as powerful as my Breville, but so far, that doesn't seem to matter. It looks very similar, too. My friend and his family are enjoying it very much. Here's the Kicker!!! It costs less than third of what I paid! Man alive. Oh well, I am very happy to pass along good deals. Plus, if one can afford a juicer, one might juice. I may buy a couple for Christmas presents.
Click Right Here............no longer available, I missed out too!
This next site has lots of the things I have written about, as far as tips and tricks, and good info, all in one place. Of course, I only just found it. I didn't see anything on this page that I would not agree with, so have a look.
Click Right Here
Here's a fun little calculator tool for your BMI. Mine was 30.5 when I started. Now it's 26.5, almost in the acceptable range! Woohoo!!
Click Right Here
There are lots of apps to help keep track of your exercise. Runkeeper is one I like and use on my iPhone. I like that it talks to you so you don't have to look at it. I also like that you can plot routes online and then use them on the phone. That way, you can get an idea of how far things are. It isn't just for running either. Check it out.
Click Right Here
Last, but not least, this one is to Joe Cross' reboot site. They keep saying a new site is coming and I hope it does. The site is clumsy and glitchy. Still, there is plenty of good information on it.
Click Right Here
That wraps it up for today. Tomorrow, I believe I will put my top 5 recipes on here. Stay tuned and.........
you know!!!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Day 37....the high cost of eating well
Why is it that so much cheap food is so bad for you? If I am trying to save or on a budget, I can get filled up for 2 bucks at a fast food joint with a dollar menu. If someone has tuna on sale, I can get that and a box of Mac and Cheese and have myself a feast for less than a buck fifty. Hey, I'm eating fish, that's healthy. If I am really pinching the pennies, I can go with good ole Ramen noodles, what are they, about a quarter these days? Serves two, yeah right. There must be enough sodium in there to last a person a week. Plus, at least to me, it all tastes good. Even the Ramen. There's cheap frozen pizza, ravioli in a can and entire frozen dinners, enough to feed a hungry man, that they put on sale. Might even have a coupon. Oh, must buy, must be thrifty.
I never spent that much on groceries for just me. I would buy some convenience from the frozen aisle. I also would buy fresh veggies on sale and usually steam them. I'd make a big batch of spaghetti and eat that for a week. Sometimes a steak or chicken would look good, or some premixed salad. But, overall, I just didn't buy much. So, the thought of spending all the money I would need to for a juice fast seemed like a big deal to me. I read that someone was spending about $50.00 a week. If I did it for 60 days, that's over 8 weeks so it would cost me $400.00 to lose some weight. Hmmmmm. Ok, programs on TV cost that much a month I think. So I decided that it was worth a shot. I was worth a shot.
I keep all my receipts. Sure enough, I have been spending around $50 a week, even with things on sale. Sometimes I might buy something a little fancy, for a treat, like the coconut water. We need treats. Anyway, I got to thinking about this again last night and did a little figuring. Three meals a day in a week equals 21 meals. Here's the deal.........21 meals for $50.00 is $2.38 per meal!!! You spend more than that on a crummy breakfast burrito. You have lunch out a couple of times, order delivery, (oooo Chinese!) and grab a couple of Starbucks, there goes your fifty and then some, most likely. What to you get for that? For my money, I get a fridge full of good things. My point is, it doesn't cost as much as you think to do a juice fast. After you do it, it doesn't cost so much to keep on buying more veggies and fruit.
The high cost of eating well might just be offset by the high cost of the alternative, doctor visits, medications, funerals, time lost from work, $2 extra for a plus size shirt................you get my drift.
Juice on!!!
I never spent that much on groceries for just me. I would buy some convenience from the frozen aisle. I also would buy fresh veggies on sale and usually steam them. I'd make a big batch of spaghetti and eat that for a week. Sometimes a steak or chicken would look good, or some premixed salad. But, overall, I just didn't buy much. So, the thought of spending all the money I would need to for a juice fast seemed like a big deal to me. I read that someone was spending about $50.00 a week. If I did it for 60 days, that's over 8 weeks so it would cost me $400.00 to lose some weight. Hmmmmm. Ok, programs on TV cost that much a month I think. So I decided that it was worth a shot. I was worth a shot.
I keep all my receipts. Sure enough, I have been spending around $50 a week, even with things on sale. Sometimes I might buy something a little fancy, for a treat, like the coconut water. We need treats. Anyway, I got to thinking about this again last night and did a little figuring. Three meals a day in a week equals 21 meals. Here's the deal.........21 meals for $50.00 is $2.38 per meal!!! You spend more than that on a crummy breakfast burrito. You have lunch out a couple of times, order delivery, (oooo Chinese!) and grab a couple of Starbucks, there goes your fifty and then some, most likely. What to you get for that? For my money, I get a fridge full of good things. My point is, it doesn't cost as much as you think to do a juice fast. After you do it, it doesn't cost so much to keep on buying more veggies and fruit.
The high cost of eating well might just be offset by the high cost of the alternative, doctor visits, medications, funerals, time lost from work, $2 extra for a plus size shirt................you get my drift.
Juice on!!!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Day 36.......when you least expect it.....
The scale stayed the same. That's fine, it does that some days. I am ok with that as long as it doesn't go up. That is to be expected.
Wanted to share a good tip that I friend of mine told me. He is just starting out and bought all his produce this weekend. He is going to follow recipes, after trying to just throw stuff together at first, like we all do. Some people can do that and end up with something good. We did not. Anyway, what he did was, using the bags that the produce came in, he divided all of it up into the bags, according to the recipes. He then used a Sharpie to mark which recipe it was for. I am sure that soon, he will not need to even mark them. This way, he can just grab the one bag at a time and he will use that bag to catch the pulp, too. Genius!!!
Story time........
Yesterday was stressful at work. I know this whole week is going to be that way too, because we are short-handed. Late in the day, I started wishing I could go home and handle the stress in my favorite way, with a drink or 4. How nice it would be to just go home, drink and relax. I thought about this enough to wonder what would happen to me if I did it, physically. I found out that when you are on a fast, alcohol will give you a buzz faster, you will crash off it harder, it will disrupt your sleep patterns, and in general, be a shock to your system. Still, I thought, I'm a pretty seasoned drinker. What if I just had a little bit to see if I could feel it? I still have about 4 oz. in the fridge, not enough for a normal evening, but enough for a taste or two. Nobody but me would know.
It was after 5 and one more email came in. It was from my friend in Houston, so I opened it. It wasn't long. She just wanted to let me know how much she enjoys reading this blog. And so, when I least expected it, I found my motivation again. I stopped thinking about drinking. I started thinking about what I needed to do once home. I exercised, did some chores and made my delicious juice.
This story has 2 points. One is obvious... you never know when help is just around the corner, even if you don't ask for it. The second, may not be so clear. It is...... do not hesitate to give someone an "atta boy-way to go," when they do something you like. You never know what that might mean to that person. You never know if they were feeling weak and about to give in. Your few words could make such a difference. People like praise. We don't get or give it enough. It's human nature to want to make a difference, or to know that your very existence matters in some small way. A simple email can do that.
The vodka is still where I left it 36 days ago. Want to know how long it will stay there? .........Sure you do!
So do I..............but right now, I will drink my juice to my health!
Wanted to share a good tip that I friend of mine told me. He is just starting out and bought all his produce this weekend. He is going to follow recipes, after trying to just throw stuff together at first, like we all do. Some people can do that and end up with something good. We did not. Anyway, what he did was, using the bags that the produce came in, he divided all of it up into the bags, according to the recipes. He then used a Sharpie to mark which recipe it was for. I am sure that soon, he will not need to even mark them. This way, he can just grab the one bag at a time and he will use that bag to catch the pulp, too. Genius!!!
Story time........
Yesterday was stressful at work. I know this whole week is going to be that way too, because we are short-handed. Late in the day, I started wishing I could go home and handle the stress in my favorite way, with a drink or 4. How nice it would be to just go home, drink and relax. I thought about this enough to wonder what would happen to me if I did it, physically. I found out that when you are on a fast, alcohol will give you a buzz faster, you will crash off it harder, it will disrupt your sleep patterns, and in general, be a shock to your system. Still, I thought, I'm a pretty seasoned drinker. What if I just had a little bit to see if I could feel it? I still have about 4 oz. in the fridge, not enough for a normal evening, but enough for a taste or two. Nobody but me would know.
It was after 5 and one more email came in. It was from my friend in Houston, so I opened it. It wasn't long. She just wanted to let me know how much she enjoys reading this blog. And so, when I least expected it, I found my motivation again. I stopped thinking about drinking. I started thinking about what I needed to do once home. I exercised, did some chores and made my delicious juice.
This story has 2 points. One is obvious... you never know when help is just around the corner, even if you don't ask for it. The second, may not be so clear. It is...... do not hesitate to give someone an "atta boy-way to go," when they do something you like. You never know what that might mean to that person. You never know if they were feeling weak and about to give in. Your few words could make such a difference. People like praise. We don't get or give it enough. It's human nature to want to make a difference, or to know that your very existence matters in some small way. A simple email can do that.
The vodka is still where I left it 36 days ago. Want to know how long it will stay there? .........Sure you do!
So do I..............but right now, I will drink my juice to my health!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Day 35.............what's that awful taste
Sometimes when I wake up in the night, my mouth tastes like ass. I brush my teeth and floss before bed, so what is this nastiness? I actually know what it is. It's from ketosis. It used to happen to me 7-8 years ago when I did the Atkins thing for awhile. Here is what happens.....from the Wiki....
"When glycogen stores are not available in the cells, fat (triacylglycerol) is cleaved to give 3 fatty acid chains and 1 glycerol molecule in a process called lipolysis. Most of the body is able to use fatty acids as an alternative source of energy in a process called beta-oxidation. One of the products of beta-oxidation is acetyl-CoA, which can be further used in the Krebs cycle. During prolonged fasting or starvation, acetyl-CoA in the liver is used to produce ketone bodies instead, leading to a state of ketosis."
In between all the chemical-babble, there are 3 really important words, "fat is cleaved." What does that mean? It means that the chemical being tasted in the mouth, is there because fat cells are being broken down. Now that's what I'm talkin about! It helps to know what is going on. If the taste really bothers you, keep a glass of water by the bed.
Good news, I was able to do 3.2 miles yesterday without stopping or walking. It wasn't easy and I am so slow, but now I know that I can go the distance. I will need to work on building up now, so I am a bit faster. I am sure I could have walked just as fast.
Is there a way to change the time this blog site thinks I am in? I believe it's on CMT, 2 hours earlier than my actual time. (nothing to do with juicing) I know others have blogs, so was wondering if anyone else has noticed the issue.
That's all for today...........juice on!
"When glycogen stores are not available in the cells, fat (triacylglycerol) is cleaved to give 3 fatty acid chains and 1 glycerol molecule in a process called lipolysis. Most of the body is able to use fatty acids as an alternative source of energy in a process called beta-oxidation. One of the products of beta-oxidation is acetyl-CoA, which can be further used in the Krebs cycle. During prolonged fasting or starvation, acetyl-CoA in the liver is used to produce ketone bodies instead, leading to a state of ketosis."
In between all the chemical-babble, there are 3 really important words, "fat is cleaved." What does that mean? It means that the chemical being tasted in the mouth, is there because fat cells are being broken down. Now that's what I'm talkin about! It helps to know what is going on. If the taste really bothers you, keep a glass of water by the bed.
Good news, I was able to do 3.2 miles yesterday without stopping or walking. It wasn't easy and I am so slow, but now I know that I can go the distance. I will need to work on building up now, so I am a bit faster. I am sure I could have walked just as fast.
Is there a way to change the time this blog site thinks I am in? I believe it's on CMT, 2 hours earlier than my actual time. (nothing to do with juicing) I know others have blogs, so was wondering if anyone else has noticed the issue.
That's all for today...........juice on!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Day 34...........Just so busy is good
Day 34, I think some germs are trying to get me, but I will get them. I slept for 12 hours last night...not straight through, but solid. I am down 23 lbs., also solid. It doesn't seem like that much. Go pick up a 15 pound turkey and see what that feels like.
Did not run yesterday either, but did walk around a lot. I know it's not the same, but it is exercise. My body needed the break from running to heal. I did not get as sore as I thought I would and I attribute that directly to the juice. I will be going out today, and I must say that it will be nice to have clothes that are not falling off for a change.
Only 3 weeks left. I find it easier to think of it in weeks. It's hard to believe I only have that much time left. It really has gotten to be so easy. Foods I used to eat, just don't seem to appeal to me anymore. It doesn't even smell good.
Ok, I am not inspired to write today. So that is it. Stay strong.
Did not run yesterday either, but did walk around a lot. I know it's not the same, but it is exercise. My body needed the break from running to heal. I did not get as sore as I thought I would and I attribute that directly to the juice. I will be going out today, and I must say that it will be nice to have clothes that are not falling off for a change.
Only 3 weeks left. I find it easier to think of it in weeks. It's hard to believe I only have that much time left. It really has gotten to be so easy. Foods I used to eat, just don't seem to appeal to me anymore. It doesn't even smell good.
Ok, I am not inspired to write today. So that is it. Stay strong.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Day 33......Relationships and Juicing
As I was running my 2.5 miles last night, trying to keep my undies from falling down, and my sweatpants too, I was thinking about what to write. All I could come up with was that I really better buy some new...well...things.
Later, making my juice, it came to me. Starting a juice fast is like starting a new relationship. It is!
At first, it's all you think about. You plan ahead. You wonder when will it ever be time to have your juice again. Will it be even better this time? Will the juice let you down eventually? What will you do if you don't have time for the juice? You don't really want to share your juice. You need it so much!! You want to find out as much about it as you can and make sure that you are doing it the best way. Will you have enough to satisfy you? Sometimes, you might even get tired of thinking about it, want a little break, maybe read a book to take your mind off it. It's the last thing you think about at night and the first thing in the morning. You might even become slightly obsessive about it. It's only natural. It's new and exciting!
All right, all right already!! I do have a point. My point is, that by understanding this new relationship, you can make sure that you have the time to put into it. You can also, possibly, take a step back and remember that even though this is all about you, there might be other people that need your attention, too. Try not to let the "new thing" take over. Balance in life makes it easier. Your people will be more supportive when they are not feeling left out in the pulp.
Busy weekend ahead......stay strong and juice on!!!!
Later, making my juice, it came to me. Starting a juice fast is like starting a new relationship. It is!
At first, it's all you think about. You plan ahead. You wonder when will it ever be time to have your juice again. Will it be even better this time? Will the juice let you down eventually? What will you do if you don't have time for the juice? You don't really want to share your juice. You need it so much!! You want to find out as much about it as you can and make sure that you are doing it the best way. Will you have enough to satisfy you? Sometimes, you might even get tired of thinking about it, want a little break, maybe read a book to take your mind off it. It's the last thing you think about at night and the first thing in the morning. You might even become slightly obsessive about it. It's only natural. It's new and exciting!
All right, all right already!! I do have a point. My point is, that by understanding this new relationship, you can make sure that you have the time to put into it. You can also, possibly, take a step back and remember that even though this is all about you, there might be other people that need your attention, too. Try not to let the "new thing" take over. Balance in life makes it easier. Your people will be more supportive when they are not feeling left out in the pulp.
Busy weekend ahead......stay strong and juice on!!!!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Day 32..........a quandry
Yesterday I got to work from home, as I sometimes do. At lunch, I went out for a run. It was great! Hardly anyone was around, it was cool, bright and sunny. Better than a treadmill. I have a nice free app that lets you plot your routes online, so you can approximate how far you are going. I like to have a goal for that, instead of just going out for a run. I will go farther. The app plays any music that is on your phone and also gives you progress reports as you go. It talks to you. It's called Runkeeper. I have an iPhone, but I'll bet you can get it for other phone OS's. I really like it.
I've been wanting to write about something that's been worrying me for some time. I know someone who, several years ago, lost over a hundred pounds fairly quickly. At first I thought she had become ill or had surgery. Later, I heard that she just went on a diet, but I never found out what it was. I don't pry. Her hair got thinner and I swear she looked 20 years older after losing all the weight. She doesn't look anorexic, but just drawn and kind of tired.
I always looked younger than I am. I have good elastic skin and not very many wrinkles. However, I am afraid that the weight I gained over the past few years is hiding some signs of aging. What if I get hog jowls and a chicken neck? What if I actually look my age or older? How vain am I? Very. Not enough to have any cutting done and, I hope not enough to risk my health over my looks. How much is enough? I suppose the guidelines that you can find all over the place for height to weight ratios will have to do. Still, am I trading one bad image for another? I just wonder.
Still......Juice on!!!
I've been wanting to write about something that's been worrying me for some time. I know someone who, several years ago, lost over a hundred pounds fairly quickly. At first I thought she had become ill or had surgery. Later, I heard that she just went on a diet, but I never found out what it was. I don't pry. Her hair got thinner and I swear she looked 20 years older after losing all the weight. She doesn't look anorexic, but just drawn and kind of tired.
I always looked younger than I am. I have good elastic skin and not very many wrinkles. However, I am afraid that the weight I gained over the past few years is hiding some signs of aging. What if I get hog jowls and a chicken neck? What if I actually look my age or older? How vain am I? Very. Not enough to have any cutting done and, I hope not enough to risk my health over my looks. How much is enough? I suppose the guidelines that you can find all over the place for height to weight ratios will have to do. Still, am I trading one bad image for another? I just wonder.
Still......Juice on!!!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Day 31....or is it Day 1 of the next 30?
Still shrinking, and starting to finally think I look different. The jeans I started wearing 2 weeks ago, are getting loose enough to require hitching up from time to time. I wore another pair I found, that had a receipt in the pocket from almost 3 years ago. A friend of mine thinks my attitude is becoming more positive. I never thought I was negative, but he did. It makes sense though, because I was hiding. Hiding because my image of myself was disgusting to me. Now, it's getting better, so maybe that shows. Next subject~~~~~~~~~~~
Ask someone what their goals in life are? Most likely, they will say things like, "taking care of my family, losing weight, finding a good job, or getting a new car." These aren't really goals. They are wishes, hopes, desires, dreams of things that could be. Life without a real goal is like riding a bicycle without a destination, and eventually, you will just come to a stop. Goals can be long or short term, but to be a true goal, there are some things that have to be in place or the chances of success are minimal.
I was a very successful salesperson at one point in time. I was so good, that people thought I had some sort of magic secret about me. They wanted to talk to me and be near me. I did. The secret behind my success was not what they wanted to know about, though. That is because the secret was no secret at all. It was hard work, and I mean committed hard work, and goal setting.
A true goal has to be concrete. It needs to be written down. There has to be a beginning and an end. Sometimes, it needs to be broken down into achievable mini-goals to make it to the end. Saying "I want to lose weight by Christmas" means hardly anything. That is still just a desire. Instead, figure out how many days you have before Christmas. Figure out how much weight you want to lose. Then, divide the weight by the days or weeks. Write it down. "Lose 2.5 pounds a week for X number of weeks." If you want to lose 100 lbs. in 4 weeks, well, you best rearrange that goal into something more realistic. Once you have a good goal that you can do, make a plan and write that down too. Writing it down makes you more accountable. It also makes you feel really good when you can cross that goal off and make another.
Floating through life keeps us from getting anywhere. I have wanted to move closer to my work for several years. I know the main reason that I have not, is because I never have taken the time to set a concrete goal, a time line and a plan to achieve my wish. What the heck has this to do with juicing? I'm getting to it!!!!!
Going on a juice fast will be more successful if you have a good goal in mind before you start. You can change it, add to it, change the way you think about it. I see so many of these...."Well this is day 1, giving this a try". Doomed to fail. If 15 or 30 or 60 days is too much to think about, try thinking, "this is Day 1 of 7." Then the next week, you have Day 1 of 7, again. Depending on your ultimate goal, breaking it down makes it more manageable. The mind is much more powerful than people realize and you can use it to help you, by tricking it. Think and imagine yourself achieving your goals. Your mind will believe that you can, and you will. Just take the time to write down your goals and make a plan. That's the best way to keep from falling off your bike.
Well, I hope this all makes sense (and it wasn't too long.) It does to me because I have used these ideas many times in the past and done what ever it was that I set out to do. I just need to remember.... and stop floating through my own life.
Ride on and Juice on!!
Ask someone what their goals in life are? Most likely, they will say things like, "taking care of my family, losing weight, finding a good job, or getting a new car." These aren't really goals. They are wishes, hopes, desires, dreams of things that could be. Life without a real goal is like riding a bicycle without a destination, and eventually, you will just come to a stop. Goals can be long or short term, but to be a true goal, there are some things that have to be in place or the chances of success are minimal.
I was a very successful salesperson at one point in time. I was so good, that people thought I had some sort of magic secret about me. They wanted to talk to me and be near me. I did. The secret behind my success was not what they wanted to know about, though. That is because the secret was no secret at all. It was hard work, and I mean committed hard work, and goal setting.
A true goal has to be concrete. It needs to be written down. There has to be a beginning and an end. Sometimes, it needs to be broken down into achievable mini-goals to make it to the end. Saying "I want to lose weight by Christmas" means hardly anything. That is still just a desire. Instead, figure out how many days you have before Christmas. Figure out how much weight you want to lose. Then, divide the weight by the days or weeks. Write it down. "Lose 2.5 pounds a week for X number of weeks." If you want to lose 100 lbs. in 4 weeks, well, you best rearrange that goal into something more realistic. Once you have a good goal that you can do, make a plan and write that down too. Writing it down makes you more accountable. It also makes you feel really good when you can cross that goal off and make another.
Floating through life keeps us from getting anywhere. I have wanted to move closer to my work for several years. I know the main reason that I have not, is because I never have taken the time to set a concrete goal, a time line and a plan to achieve my wish. What the heck has this to do with juicing? I'm getting to it!!!!!
Going on a juice fast will be more successful if you have a good goal in mind before you start. You can change it, add to it, change the way you think about it. I see so many of these...."Well this is day 1, giving this a try". Doomed to fail. If 15 or 30 or 60 days is too much to think about, try thinking, "this is Day 1 of 7." Then the next week, you have Day 1 of 7, again. Depending on your ultimate goal, breaking it down makes it more manageable. The mind is much more powerful than people realize and you can use it to help you, by tricking it. Think and imagine yourself achieving your goals. Your mind will believe that you can, and you will. Just take the time to write down your goals and make a plan. That's the best way to keep from falling off your bike.
Well, I hope this all makes sense (and it wasn't too long.) It does to me because I have used these ideas many times in the past and done what ever it was that I set out to do. I just need to remember.... and stop floating through my own life.
Ride on and Juice on!!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Day 30....The halfway mark.....wow
Thirty days. I can hardly believe it. The time has flown by and now I only have 4 more weeks and a couple of days left. That means I have to get really busy. I sure would like to lose more than 20 pounds in the next 30 days, but the weight loss has slowed down for me. The energy level, on the other hand, is terrific! I'm happy, but not quite where I thought I might be at this point. I do plan to adjust my ingredients to see if that will make a difference, like 1 apple instead of 2. That, and ramp up the exercise, now that I feel like it.
It takes a long time to get fat, sick, and nearly dead. Getting that way will make you lazy, mainly because you just don't have the energy. It's important when making a lifestyle change, to keep things as simple and easy as possible. It's too easy to think that something is just too much trouble, especially if it is. I have been thinking about that and here are my ideas for keeping a juice fast simple.
1. Make lists of things that you will need for a week or a few days. I am lucky in that I don't have to have anything in my refrigerator but my own food. I also have a second one out in the garage that I use too. I can buy for a week at a time. I suggest making as much room for your produce as possible and buy enough for at least 3 days at a time. This will save time, and the food is right there waiting for you. No excuses.
2. About the fridge....over time, I found that I figured out the best way for me to store everything. I put the same things in the same places every week. This way, I don't have to pull out every bag at once just to get only what I need for dinner. Do whatever is logical in your own mind and keep it that way. It will help. Trust me, little things are important.
3. This has been mentioned before, but it bears repeating. Plan ahead for events that you may have to attend and be tempted. Take your juicer with you if you have to. Think about the possibilities and come up with the best plan of action for yourself. Being prepared, in reality, and in your mind, will save you from doing something you might regret later.
4. Try to use recipes with no more than 6-7 ingredients at the most. If you have to pull too many things out, peel this and that, scrub down more, cut up and down, and take a half an hour or more, just to get ready to juice, well, too much trouble. Forget about it.
5. If you don't like tap water, and I don't, splurge just a little bit, for the length of the fast, and buy some water that you like. You will drink more of it. It will also taste better to you as you rely on it and juice only. Not only that, good grief, it's water and we all deserve to have something we like. I think it might be cheaper than cokes. I don't know how much cokes cost these days.
6. Buying a juicer is quite an investment. Read the reviews. Aside from the watts and size of the chute, among other features, pay attention to the ease of cleanup. No one wants to spend more time cleaning up than is necessary. Too much clean up is too much trouble. Again, forget about it. Not going to happen.
7. Have a good knife and a good peeler. You just have to. Not needed, but nice to have, a salad spinner.
8. Get a bigger brush than what comes with the juicer. I discovered this not that long ago. Dumb dumb dumb. The one I use is pretty soft, and since it is larger, takes less time to clean the basket. Want to see my brushes? Sure you do.
What? You did not think I would pass up the chance to show off my Joe Cross-autographed Breville when I get the opportunity? It gives me cred. Sure it does too!!
Well, that's all I can think of right now, to keep things simple and organised. Please add a comment with more ideas. I believe my neurons are getting stronger, but I can't think of everything.
As Joe says, Juice on!!!!!
It takes a long time to get fat, sick, and nearly dead. Getting that way will make you lazy, mainly because you just don't have the energy. It's important when making a lifestyle change, to keep things as simple and easy as possible. It's too easy to think that something is just too much trouble, especially if it is. I have been thinking about that and here are my ideas for keeping a juice fast simple.
1. Make lists of things that you will need for a week or a few days. I am lucky in that I don't have to have anything in my refrigerator but my own food. I also have a second one out in the garage that I use too. I can buy for a week at a time. I suggest making as much room for your produce as possible and buy enough for at least 3 days at a time. This will save time, and the food is right there waiting for you. No excuses.
2. About the fridge....over time, I found that I figured out the best way for me to store everything. I put the same things in the same places every week. This way, I don't have to pull out every bag at once just to get only what I need for dinner. Do whatever is logical in your own mind and keep it that way. It will help. Trust me, little things are important.
3. This has been mentioned before, but it bears repeating. Plan ahead for events that you may have to attend and be tempted. Take your juicer with you if you have to. Think about the possibilities and come up with the best plan of action for yourself. Being prepared, in reality, and in your mind, will save you from doing something you might regret later.
4. Try to use recipes with no more than 6-7 ingredients at the most. If you have to pull too many things out, peel this and that, scrub down more, cut up and down, and take a half an hour or more, just to get ready to juice, well, too much trouble. Forget about it.
5. If you don't like tap water, and I don't, splurge just a little bit, for the length of the fast, and buy some water that you like. You will drink more of it. It will also taste better to you as you rely on it and juice only. Not only that, good grief, it's water and we all deserve to have something we like. I think it might be cheaper than cokes. I don't know how much cokes cost these days.
6. Buying a juicer is quite an investment. Read the reviews. Aside from the watts and size of the chute, among other features, pay attention to the ease of cleanup. No one wants to spend more time cleaning up than is necessary. Too much clean up is too much trouble. Again, forget about it. Not going to happen.
7. Have a good knife and a good peeler. You just have to. Not needed, but nice to have, a salad spinner.
8. Get a bigger brush than what comes with the juicer. I discovered this not that long ago. Dumb dumb dumb. The one I use is pretty soft, and since it is larger, takes less time to clean the basket. Want to see my brushes? Sure you do.
Well, that's all I can think of right now, to keep things simple and organised. Please add a comment with more ideas. I believe my neurons are getting stronger, but I can't think of everything.
As Joe says, Juice on!!!!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Day 29.......found some more good info!
Do you know who Jay Kordich is? I didn't. Turns out that he's known as the father of juicing. He's 88 years old. Check out the eyebrows. You can read about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Kordich
I wanted to share something I found on the Reboot Your Life site, and was told it came from him. It's about the ingredients for the Mean Green juice I drink everyday. Here it is.
–Ginger: causes blood vessels to dilate improving circulation and releasing heat (good for fever); may aid in healing strained vocal chords; acts as an expectorant, helping rid the sinus cavity of mucus and the lungs of phlegm.
–Lemon: provides a wealth of vitamin C and bioflavonoids (strengthens capillaries and blood vessels, fight colds, and increases antiviral, anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory activity). (I use limes)
–Kale: provides many vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, relieves constipation, arthritis pain and bladder problems.
–Apple: great source of pectin, which forms a gel to remove toxins from the intestines and stimulate peristaltic and bowel activity. Potassium and phosphorus helps flush kidneys and control digestive upsets. The natural sugar produces acids that stimulate saliva flow and digestion.
–Celery: a ”powerhouse of living nutrition,” celery provides organic sodium which helps the body maintain proper hydration. One rib of celery combines with two apples gives the body the perfect ratio of sodium: potassium that it needs. This ratio helps alleviate muscle cramping and fatigue. relieves anxiety, stress, insomnia. Drink a glass of celery juice to relieve a headache. Celery-apple cleanses body of excessive carbon dioxide. Celery curbs desire for sweets.
–Cucumber: did you know that a cucumber is 20 degrees cooler internally than the external temperature on a warm day? It’s a natural coolant for the body. Cucumbers hydrate the body. High in potassium, sulfur and manganese, chlorine and silicon. Helps with tendinitis. Rejuvenates muscles and gives youthful elasticity to skin cells.
Also, since I can't say it any better, here is a quote from him that was on the Wiki:
"The plant is the factory of life. The roots of plants come from Mother earth. Through sunshine and solar energy, they take whatever is in the soil that is. You cannot take mud, like a mud pie and swallow it, and absorb the calcium, and the phosphorus, and the zinc, and the potassium and magnesium. We can't. We're not capable to transfer those things into organic life. Only the roots of plants through solar energy with the roots down to the ground can take those nutrients out of the soil and create them into the life force, and the life line. That's where juicing comes in."
What an awesome quote. I just had to share it. How did I miss this guy?
Juice on!!!
–Ginger: causes blood vessels to dilate improving circulation and releasing heat (good for fever); may aid in healing strained vocal chords; acts as an expectorant, helping rid the sinus cavity of mucus and the lungs of phlegm.
–Lemon: provides a wealth of vitamin C and bioflavonoids (strengthens capillaries and blood vessels, fight colds, and increases antiviral, anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory activity). (I use limes)
–Kale: provides many vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, relieves constipation, arthritis pain and bladder problems.
–Apple: great source of pectin, which forms a gel to remove toxins from the intestines and stimulate peristaltic and bowel activity. Potassium and phosphorus helps flush kidneys and control digestive upsets. The natural sugar produces acids that stimulate saliva flow and digestion.
–Celery: a ”powerhouse of living nutrition,” celery provides organic sodium which helps the body maintain proper hydration. One rib of celery combines with two apples gives the body the perfect ratio of sodium: potassium that it needs. This ratio helps alleviate muscle cramping and fatigue. relieves anxiety, stress, insomnia. Drink a glass of celery juice to relieve a headache. Celery-apple cleanses body of excessive carbon dioxide. Celery curbs desire for sweets.
–Cucumber: did you know that a cucumber is 20 degrees cooler internally than the external temperature on a warm day? It’s a natural coolant for the body. Cucumbers hydrate the body. High in potassium, sulfur and manganese, chlorine and silicon. Helps with tendinitis. Rejuvenates muscles and gives youthful elasticity to skin cells.
Also, since I can't say it any better, here is a quote from him that was on the Wiki:
"The plant is the factory of life. The roots of plants come from Mother earth. Through sunshine and solar energy, they take whatever is in the soil that is. You cannot take mud, like a mud pie and swallow it, and absorb the calcium, and the phosphorus, and the zinc, and the potassium and magnesium. We can't. We're not capable to transfer those things into organic life. Only the roots of plants through solar energy with the roots down to the ground can take those nutrients out of the soil and create them into the life force, and the life line. That's where juicing comes in."
What an awesome quote. I just had to share it. How did I miss this guy?
Juice on!!!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Day 28.....Quick one, more juice tips
The more you do things, often the more you figure things out. I have some more info about Kale and how to get the most juice from it. I think this would apply to any leafy greens.
The first one, is, to conserve water, soak the leaves in a big bowl of water for 10-15 minutes or so. I think that this does a better job of cleaning anyway, judging from what I see in the water after I take the kale out. This is 2 days worth, so I used a Big bowl. Swish it around a bit a few times while it soaks.
Next, cut the ends off and put them in a cup, like you would flowers. Do this overnight, or for several hours, at least. Here are the 2 bunches, crammed into the Big cups.
When you juice the leaves, do it on High speed, if you have a high speed. I always used low, until recently. I discovered that the high speed will spin more juice out. If you have a fancy dancy juicer that grinds things instead of the centrifugal kind, then .....nevermind.
Had a great time yesterday. Went to the park with the kids so they could take their training wheels off and try to ride. They did! I took my scooter and rode all around the park, twice and then some. My 6 year old granddaughter had called me earlier to ask if I finished my report. I said, "Report?" She said, "You know, about your juice." She had overheard us talking about my blog, must have asked what a blog is. She told me that she thinks it's a good idea for me to write my reports every day. She wrote one too, about us going shopping for fruits and veggies, and making them into juice. It's amazing the influences we can have. Want to see a picture of me and my scooter? Sure you do!
You didn't think it had a motor, did you???
Juice on!!
The first one, is, to conserve water, soak the leaves in a big bowl of water for 10-15 minutes or so. I think that this does a better job of cleaning anyway, judging from what I see in the water after I take the kale out. This is 2 days worth, so I used a Big bowl. Swish it around a bit a few times while it soaks.
When you juice the leaves, do it on High speed, if you have a high speed. I always used low, until recently. I discovered that the high speed will spin more juice out. If you have a fancy dancy juicer that grinds things instead of the centrifugal kind, then .....nevermind.
Had a great time yesterday. Went to the park with the kids so they could take their training wheels off and try to ride. They did! I took my scooter and rode all around the park, twice and then some. My 6 year old granddaughter had called me earlier to ask if I finished my report. I said, "Report?" She said, "You know, about your juice." She had overheard us talking about my blog, must have asked what a blog is. She told me that she thinks it's a good idea for me to write my reports every day. She wrote one too, about us going shopping for fruits and veggies, and making them into juice. It's amazing the influences we can have. Want to see a picture of me and my scooter? Sure you do!
Juice on!!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Day 27...........Keeping busy
As the days go by my energy increases. I never, ever would have believed it. How can you have more energy and not eat anything? Yes, I know, it's from the micro nutrients in the juice and the fact that I am getting so much more of them by juicing them. But still, I want this to last. Will it go away after I go off this fast? I hope that if I keep drinking juice along with eating, I will be able to maintain.
Here's the thing. With the increased energy, what to do? Weekdays are pretty easy since I work all day. But the weekends are a different story. Yesterday, I did all my shopping in the morning. Usually, doing that and putting it all away makes me very tired. Sure, I would do a few other things but nothing strenuous. Yesterday, after lunch juice, I got an email from Blockbuster for a free movie. "That might be nice" I thought. Instead of hopping in the car, I aired up the tires on my old Schwinn. (It is old, 40 years) I decided to ride down to the Race Trac to rent the movie. It's probably a good mile and a half away. My thighs were burning a bit, but it wasn't too bad. When I got back, my dogs were looking at me, like "why didn't we get to go anywhere?' So I took them for a nice walk. A few weeks ago, there is absolutely no way that I would have done all that and not been totally wiped. I even did some stuff on my Wii after all that.
Point is, the longer you stay on this fast or feast, the better it gets. You read that over and over, but it's hard to believe unless it actually happens to you. I think about food. I think about juice. My favorite TV shows to watch are Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, and Good Eats. Tell me if that makes any sense? But, because of all the benefits that I have experienced so far, it makes it easier to keep going. Down another half pound today, too. It's working for the weight loss, but so, so much more.
Juice on!!!!
Here's the thing. With the increased energy, what to do? Weekdays are pretty easy since I work all day. But the weekends are a different story. Yesterday, I did all my shopping in the morning. Usually, doing that and putting it all away makes me very tired. Sure, I would do a few other things but nothing strenuous. Yesterday, after lunch juice, I got an email from Blockbuster for a free movie. "That might be nice" I thought. Instead of hopping in the car, I aired up the tires on my old Schwinn. (It is old, 40 years) I decided to ride down to the Race Trac to rent the movie. It's probably a good mile and a half away. My thighs were burning a bit, but it wasn't too bad. When I got back, my dogs were looking at me, like "why didn't we get to go anywhere?' So I took them for a nice walk. A few weeks ago, there is absolutely no way that I would have done all that and not been totally wiped. I even did some stuff on my Wii after all that.
Point is, the longer you stay on this fast or feast, the better it gets. You read that over and over, but it's hard to believe unless it actually happens to you. I think about food. I think about juice. My favorite TV shows to watch are Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives, and Good Eats. Tell me if that makes any sense? But, because of all the benefits that I have experienced so far, it makes it easier to keep going. Down another half pound today, too. It's working for the weight loss, but so, so much more.
Juice on!!!!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Day 26.....a little late
Late, late late. So sorry, had to get to the store early so the kale wouldn't be all picked over. Seems like this juice discovery is spreading. Maybe I need to keep my mouth shut to protect my supplies.
Today, I woke up while it was still dark. I mean a w a k e. It's Saturday. I never wake up early on Saturday. I look forward to sleeping late on Saturday and Sunday, all week. I just stayed in bed till it began to get light and thought about things. Finally, I decided it was time to get going and I did. I was at the store by 9 a.m. Unheard of! Turns out, there are plenty of people running around at that hour.
A lady at the store asked me what I was going to do with all the kale I was loading into my basket. I wasn't creative at all, and just told the truth, juicing it. I know that more and more people are doing it because the checkout girl said, "you must be juicing." That's pretty cool. Way to go Joe Cross.
One of my co-workers ordered a juicer yesterday, because of me. Well, he needs it too, but I don't think that he would have even thought about it. It will be fun to swap recipes and tips with each other. Another co-worker asked me for recipes. She has a juicer already. but new to the process. And there's another that went to a screening of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, when I told her about it, and she is going to start juicing soon. I am trying to spread the word, and hope that it creates a snowball effect. Doing that means that I have to be really good and lead by example. I think we can all do that. I started out with this quite selfishly. That has changed. One person can make a difference, and it doesn't matter how big or small.
One last thing for today and then I think I am going to go for a bike ride. I used to rarely talk to anyone when I went out shopping. no one talked to me either. I talk to people all day at work, so am anti-social when away. The past couple of weeks or so, I have talked to people everywhere I go. Sometimes, they even talk to me first, like the lady this morning, asking me about the kale. In another store, a worker asked me if I was finding what I needed and I told him that they didn't have it, but I would come back. He went off, came back and gave me 2 special coupons for next week. I didn't see him do that for anyone else in the store while I was there. Is this some other odd side effect of juicing? Is it giving me the "happy" aura?
Down another half pound. Juice on!!!
Today, I woke up while it was still dark. I mean a w a k e. It's Saturday. I never wake up early on Saturday. I look forward to sleeping late on Saturday and Sunday, all week. I just stayed in bed till it began to get light and thought about things. Finally, I decided it was time to get going and I did. I was at the store by 9 a.m. Unheard of! Turns out, there are plenty of people running around at that hour.
A lady at the store asked me what I was going to do with all the kale I was loading into my basket. I wasn't creative at all, and just told the truth, juicing it. I know that more and more people are doing it because the checkout girl said, "you must be juicing." That's pretty cool. Way to go Joe Cross.
One of my co-workers ordered a juicer yesterday, because of me. Well, he needs it too, but I don't think that he would have even thought about it. It will be fun to swap recipes and tips with each other. Another co-worker asked me for recipes. She has a juicer already. but new to the process. And there's another that went to a screening of Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, when I told her about it, and she is going to start juicing soon. I am trying to spread the word, and hope that it creates a snowball effect. Doing that means that I have to be really good and lead by example. I think we can all do that. I started out with this quite selfishly. That has changed. One person can make a difference, and it doesn't matter how big or small.
One last thing for today and then I think I am going to go for a bike ride. I used to rarely talk to anyone when I went out shopping. no one talked to me either. I talk to people all day at work, so am anti-social when away. The past couple of weeks or so, I have talked to people everywhere I go. Sometimes, they even talk to me first, like the lady this morning, asking me about the kale. In another store, a worker asked me if I was finding what I needed and I told him that they didn't have it, but I would come back. He went off, came back and gave me 2 special coupons for next week. I didn't see him do that for anyone else in the store while I was there. Is this some other odd side effect of juicing? Is it giving me the "happy" aura?
Down another half pound. Juice on!!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Day 25....Validation
I haven't really said anything lately about my own progress, so I thought I might, especially after something that happened to me late yesterday afternoon.
So far, I have lost 18 lbs. Along with the 2 I lost the week before I went on the juice only fast, that is 20 lbs. Pretty impressive I suppose. I do not look any different to me. I still can not see my feet when I look down, or my collarbones. I know they are in there. I sort of measured my waist when I started and did so again early this morning. Looks like I am smaller by 3-4 inches. I do feel a little bit lighter, and I think I mentioned that it is easier for me to get into my car now. I am wearing some smaller clothes, but I wear loose shirts and so not much to notice there. However............
Late yesterday, a co-worker I had not seen in a couple of weeks, stopped by to say "Hi." She turned the corner and saw me and her eyes got really big. She said, "Oh my gosh, you look so different, you are glowing! You look radient." Me? I don't think I ever have "glowed" in my life. Maybe it's from all the carotene in the carrots. She went on to say that my face looked thinner and I looked thinner and even younger. I have this one good wrinkle between my eyebrows, from frowning, and I had noticed that it didn't seem as pronounced lately, but thought it was just my imagination. Maybe it isn't. Maybe all the nutrients, being so good for the skin, as we all have heard, can reverse the effects of aging to some extent. I'm down for that!
Well, her kind words made me feel very good. The look of surprise on her face when she first saw me, made me feel even better. Stepping on the scale is good, but getting validation from a person is very motivational.
Sometimes, when the only change you notice is from the scale, it's easy to get discouraged, especially if the scale doesn't change like we hoped or even at all. My point for today is to KEEP going. You may not notice anything and the people who see you constantly, may not notice the gradual changes. There will come a day, when someone will ask that cool question....."Have you lost weight?" And you can just smile with your glowing, radiant face, and tell them all about juicing.
Juice on............and thanks Sarah.
So far, I have lost 18 lbs. Along with the 2 I lost the week before I went on the juice only fast, that is 20 lbs. Pretty impressive I suppose. I do not look any different to me. I still can not see my feet when I look down, or my collarbones. I know they are in there. I sort of measured my waist when I started and did so again early this morning. Looks like I am smaller by 3-4 inches. I do feel a little bit lighter, and I think I mentioned that it is easier for me to get into my car now. I am wearing some smaller clothes, but I wear loose shirts and so not much to notice there. However............
Late yesterday, a co-worker I had not seen in a couple of weeks, stopped by to say "Hi." She turned the corner and saw me and her eyes got really big. She said, "Oh my gosh, you look so different, you are glowing! You look radient." Me? I don't think I ever have "glowed" in my life. Maybe it's from all the carotene in the carrots. She went on to say that my face looked thinner and I looked thinner and even younger. I have this one good wrinkle between my eyebrows, from frowning, and I had noticed that it didn't seem as pronounced lately, but thought it was just my imagination. Maybe it isn't. Maybe all the nutrients, being so good for the skin, as we all have heard, can reverse the effects of aging to some extent. I'm down for that!
Well, her kind words made me feel very good. The look of surprise on her face when she first saw me, made me feel even better. Stepping on the scale is good, but getting validation from a person is very motivational.
Sometimes, when the only change you notice is from the scale, it's easy to get discouraged, especially if the scale doesn't change like we hoped or even at all. My point for today is to KEEP going. You may not notice anything and the people who see you constantly, may not notice the gradual changes. There will come a day, when someone will ask that cool question....."Have you lost weight?" And you can just smile with your glowing, radiant face, and tell them all about juicing.
Juice on............and thanks Sarah.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Day 24........Craving anything?
Food cravings, what the heck? I used to think that craving a particular food, was my body's way of telling me I needed some kind of nutrient. I thought this, because I would get a craving for steak or a tomato sandwich. Sometimes, it would be for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I would get cravings for milk and even, rarely, chocolate milk. They did not happen often for me, even when I was pregnant, so I usually gave in to them if I could. Now I find out that that belief is just not true.
Food cravings come from the stomach and the mind. The ones from the stomach are initiated when the stomach is empty and pretty much anything will do. The mind, however, is much more complicated. They know many of the chemicals involved, once the craving kicks in, and even some that cause it. But, I could not really find a good answer for that one trigger, when, from out of nowhere, you just have to have “it” and the sooner the better.
One interesting fact I read, is that there is an appetite suppressing chemical, actually made in the fat cells called leptin. You would think, since people with more energy stores upon their frames, have more leptin, they would have less cravings. The opposite is true. This makes no sense to me. Also, they found that women who tried to quit thinking about what they were craving, ate more of it, in their study, it was chocolate. So, I guess that means it's okay to fall asleep at night, thinking of a big fat juicy hamburger, stuffed with bacon and cheese, grilled out, with cheese and coleslaw on top...a soft toasted bun and~~~~~~~~~~~Wait a minute, I digress.
Women have cravings more than men, but men do have them too. That makes sense for lots of reasons. (Not because we are weak, ladies!) Also, of interest, was the fact that anxiety or boredom, in relation to a diet, caused more food cravings. The way to get around this one is easy. Mix it up!! Have lots of different flavors. After awhile, you will begin to even know what might mix well together, so, fun city, you can experiment a bit. Not too much....don't want to waste anything. Want an example?
Sure you do!!
Ok, I decided I wanted some broccoli in my juice repertoire. I found a recipe and got what I needed. I made it a couple of nights ago. It was So not what I had in mind, but I planned on having it twice this week. Tonight, I improvised:
Broccoli Bunch, about maybe 2 cups, if you cut it all up, I didn't, except to fit in the juicer (on high)
Carrots, 2 large
Italian parsley, nice handful
Spring onion, 1
Cabbage, half a small head, (also on high speed)
Tomato, 1 good sized
¼ of that crazy Daikon radish
Sprinkle of Cajun Seasoning and a bit of fresh ground black pepper
This wasn't the best, but it was certainly much better. Not having to peel anything was nice too. I do get tired of peeling stuff.
To read more in depth, and see all the nutsy chemicals, this is a great source I found:
http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/behavior/food-craving4.htm
Now, juice differently, but definitely juice on!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)