Day 5- Slept the Day Away

Now the date on this really doesn't reflect the actual day BUT it's my blog and I'm late so that's all there is to it.

Where is the energy that everyone talks about receiving from juicing? On Day 5, I had every intention of preparing for Day 6 which begins the ALL juice fast. There is absolutely no eating on Days 6-10 only drinking of fruits and vegetables. I wanted to cook a really nice meal and prepare my juices for the next day.

For some reason at 6pm, I decided to take a 30 minute nap. When I finally awoke from my nap it was after 12:00am. At that point I certainly wasn't preparing a meal and decided to roll over and head back to sleep. Besides I need to get up at 5:00am so that I could get to Stone Mountain for my Saturday morning hike. I was a bit disappointed in myself because again I failed to prepare.

After a week on this journey, what I have realized is that to avoid temptation I have kept myself away from tempting situations. Usually, I will go to book stores and cafes to work but I have decided against it so that I can stay in an environment that encourages me to eat only what I have and to drink the juices that I have made. I may be creating a false sense of security for myself that will be eliminated once I step outside of this box...but today it worked.

Day 4 - A Blur

Day 4 wasn't bad at all. These juices are turning out great; however, unlike other testimonials that I read I dont feel more energetic or totally different. As a matter of fact I feel the same. I still like afternoon naps and sometimes I want a piece of meat but I haven't found that new energy that everyone else raves about. I am hoping that will kick in on Day 6 when I move to straight juicing. 

Admittedly, I am almost afraid to leave home because this is my safe space. I wanted to go an outing earlier this week and thought...but what if I am forced to buy food. I have tried to avoid all temptation but i think that it is going to meet me head on this weekend as I attend a birthday party and a bridal shower. What shall I do? 

I live to fight another day. 

Day 3- I Can Eat A Lot!

Today was one of those days where I felt a little ill prepared. I started out making a smoothie out of fruit that was supposed to be juiced because I wasn't paying attention to instructions. Oh well! Then at some point I decided to make a soup that was kind of good. Having that soup wasn't enough, I wanted some soup from the previous day and then began to eat sweet potato and carrot fries (Yum!)

The preparation is essential and I am failing miserably. If I had cut the carrots and potatoes the prior day it probably wouldn't have seemed so stressful to prepare them and then to cook them. It's ultra-time consuming. Another issue that I am having is my flexibility. Because I mostly work from home, I underestimate the length of time that it will take me to do something with the belief that I can multi-task. That's not really true. Once I end up in the kitchen I'm usually stuck there until I finish doing whatever it is that needs to be done :)

I did have an Aha Moment though...I am following these recipes but in reality if I would have thought this out better I am really just eating fruits and vegetables (a fast I've done before) and juicing a lot of vegetables. I could have developed my own meal plan that was a lot less expensive...here's to Aha Moments. The next phase will definitely be different.

Day Two- Go Away Please!

I have a headache and it's nagging! At first I thought it was a hunger headache but I'm eating so that can't be it. It isn't in the frontal lobe, it's more like the side of my head. It isn't throbbing but it's that nagging headache that WON'T go away. These may be caused by sugar withdrawals but not from sweets. I think it's the sugars that come from bread. Im also still falling asleep mid-day and thought I would have more energy. At this point, I am self-diagnosing but it makes me feel better so who cares.

The juicing is going well but I am finding that all juices are not created equal. Today's was edible and not bad but not as tasty as the one yesterday. It contained a mix of radishes, beets, jalapenos and some other veggies. Please understand that I can't  tell you when I have ever actually ate a radish or a beet. I certainly have never cooked those items. Although the juice wasn't delectable, I made the most awesome Carrot- Ginger soup with sliced avocado to top it. mmm-mmmm...good!

I have decided that I just need to take juicing one day at a time. Today I daydreamed of fried chicken and steak. These meats aren't staples in my regular diet but are in my cravings because I can't have them. Oh well...I do have some determination so here's to 28 more days.

Day One - Let's Get It Started!

Today is Day 1 of Juicing for me. I was inspired to start juicing after I saw a documentary called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead." In this documentary the benefits of juicing are explained and two of the main characters in the film visibly lose weight and gain significant health benefits before your eyes. Although they juiced for 60 Days, I am only doing 30 which is 15 more than they recommend on the jointhereboot.com website. I woke up early to do a favor for a family member and I can already tell that this journey is going to require significant preparation. I baked my breakfast and made my juice to come with me...but being in a rush I didn't get a chance to prepare my lunch. I'm thinking that I may have to start preparing the night before.

Many people wonder why I am juicing?
1. I am very health conscious and usually do a yearly detox to clean out all of the gunk processed food that I know I have ingested in my body.
2. Although I work out, my eating habits aren't terrific and I need a kick start to continue meeting my weight reduction goals.
3. According to my doctor, my body isn't doing a great job absorbing nutrients so eating more nutrients can only help to decrease my current deficiency. The amount of fruits and vegetables I get in one juice are way more than I would eat on any given day.
4. I am looking for a lifestyle change...here goes.

Instead of asking, what can't I eat it may be better to ask what can I eat during the program. I can eat fruits and vegetables only meaning, no dairy, no eggs, no meat, no seafood, no beans, no nuts or seeds, no wheat or flour products etc. Since I have a gluten allergy this should certainly help me wean myself off of gluten...and my addiction to SWEETS!!

I'm exhausted from not enough sleep and ready to start the day. Here's to my health! I'll post an update later so I can tell you how the day goes.

Starting Weight 221-lbs (Yep I weigh that much :) )

- Update --> I felt good throughout the day with the exception of a slight headache. Interestingly enough I was never hungry. After drinking the first juice I had an unexpected appointment with the restroom about 20 minutes later and for a few more times after that. The biggest challenge is that I spent a LOT of time and energy focused on the next meal or juice and making sure it was prepared...almost to the detriment of my work. I am trying to set aside time in the morning or late night to prepare. It's pretty laborious work; but, what isn't when you are taking time for you.