Today I will break my fast. I'm attending a retreat this weekend and will join my table-mates at dinner tonight. I've prepped juices to last me through today. I've packed veggies and hummus, fruit, nuts, and almond butter. There will be enough food choices at meals to allow me to make good choices. The fruits and veggies I'm taking will help me ease back into solid food. I wonder how I'm going to feel not having any juice at all on Saturday? I'm already anticipating juicing as soon as I'm home on Sunday - or finding the nearest Whole Foods or Nekter once I leave the campground. Sunday I'll be in downtown LA with my daughter and I don't think I'll pass up on a bacon-wrapped hotdog from a street vendor...it's a tradition I'm unwilling to break. :)
Now that it's coming to a close it seems like it went quickly. Of course I remember being at 20 days and feeling like it was never going to end. Facing the end of the fast fills me with a bit of trepidation.
Has it been long enough to build new habits? Will my discipline to juice transfer over to discipline with my day-to-day diet? What will it be like to eat food again? I'm sure it will be shockingly easy to scarf down anything I choose to put in my mouth (Sunday's hotdog will test and prove my wonderings.)
I'm so glad that I did this fast. I feel so much better and encouraged that I can take control of the out-of-control areas of my life. I confessed to friends last night that the focus required on this one thing for the last 30 days makes me feel like I've missed out on other things - and I have. My mind isn't (yet) trained to welcome that exchange. Giving up things that are unhealthy or are bad for me isn't the difficult choice; it's giving up on things that aren't necessarily bad for me. It's admitting what's not bad for me but might also not be good for me. That gray area is just so...gray. My success in completing this fast is shining some light on it and, with God's loving-kindness and long-suffering grace, I will be able to see the difference between what's good and what's best.
I'll give an update next week about my transition back onto solid food.
Showing posts with label hypothyroiditis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hypothyroiditis. Show all posts
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Reboot - Days 25-28
Today is four weeks. I could complete the fast today and not feel cheated in the least but it's not today. I'll talk more about breaking the fast when I post tomorrow.
Thursday is weigh-day. I've lost 1/2 lb this week. Isn't that crazy? I'm certainly not too thin to continue loosing weight. Have you noticed the pattern? Week 1 I lost 4 lbs; week 2 I lost 1.5 lbs; week 3 I lost 7 lbs; and week 4 I lost 1.5 lbs. I'm still at least 5 lbs more than my goal weight. And who knows, I might lose more weight next week since it's the every-other-week on which I seem to lose.
I have felt great the last three days- for the last 20 days. My energy is good, no sinus issues, my head is clear, and my clothes are comfortable. I've been sleeping soundly for 7-8 hours ever night with no night sweats. The only sleep issues I've had occurred two times when I drank juice too closely to bed time. I slept hard for about 4 hours, got up to use the bathroom, and then couldn't get back to sleep because I'd had such a hard sleep already. Not so good. I was a little sleepy during the day and hit the bed hard the next night.
I look forward to not spending an hour prepping juices every night. I may have said it before but sharing a kitchen means that it's inconvenient for me to monopolize the kitchen. My roommate has been absolutely supportive and accomodating. I so appreciate her moral and practical support.
Even so, I'm ready to be done. And I'm ready to continue juicing as part of my daily diet. I love some of the juices so much I've been trying to work it out in my head how I can have them all everyday. That's not very realistic but I can alternate them from one day to the next.
Thursday is weigh-day. I've lost 1/2 lb this week. Isn't that crazy? I'm certainly not too thin to continue loosing weight. Have you noticed the pattern? Week 1 I lost 4 lbs; week 2 I lost 1.5 lbs; week 3 I lost 7 lbs; and week 4 I lost 1.5 lbs. I'm still at least 5 lbs more than my goal weight. And who knows, I might lose more weight next week since it's the every-other-week on which I seem to lose.
I have felt great the last three days- for the last 20 days. My energy is good, no sinus issues, my head is clear, and my clothes are comfortable. I've been sleeping soundly for 7-8 hours ever night with no night sweats. The only sleep issues I've had occurred two times when I drank juice too closely to bed time. I slept hard for about 4 hours, got up to use the bathroom, and then couldn't get back to sleep because I'd had such a hard sleep already. Not so good. I was a little sleepy during the day and hit the bed hard the next night.
I look forward to not spending an hour prepping juices every night. I may have said it before but sharing a kitchen means that it's inconvenient for me to monopolize the kitchen. My roommate has been absolutely supportive and accomodating. I so appreciate her moral and practical support.
Even so, I'm ready to be done. And I'm ready to continue juicing as part of my daily diet. I love some of the juices so much I've been trying to work it out in my head how I can have them all everyday. That's not very realistic but I can alternate them from one day to the next.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Reboot - Days 22-24
It's Sunday evening and I'm so pleased to say I've made it through another weekend. The last weekend, really. I was running around yesterday and had two Orange Carrot Karma juices from Jamba before the day was out. I finally made some juices last night so that I wouldn't be without today.
My mother's day lunch consisted of a Tropical Cooler from Nekter Juice Bar. It has coconut butter in it and was quite a treat. I don't know exactly what coconut butter is but I intend to find out and get me some. It was delicious. As much as I enjoyed my smoothie, the (authentic) Greek food my daughter had for my mother's day lunch was almost too much to resist. However, once I was full from my drink, the food no longer tempted me. Full is full.
My mother's day lunch consisted of a Tropical Cooler from Nekter Juice Bar. It has coconut butter in it and was quite a treat. I don't know exactly what coconut butter is but I intend to find out and get me some. It was delicious. As much as I enjoyed my smoothie, the (authentic) Greek food my daughter had for my mother's day lunch was almost too much to resist. However, once I was full from my drink, the food no longer tempted me. Full is full.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Reboot - Day 21
Today is Thursday and Thursday is weigh-in day. I weigh myself on two different scales (for no particular reason) and last week they were exactly the same: 161.5 lbs. Today they had a 3 lb. difference. The standard step-on style weighed me at 156 lbs. The other scale, the kind with the slider weight that doctors used to use, weighed me at 153 lbs. Ok. I'm happy with either number.
I imagine 3-8 lbs of the weight loss can be attributed to cleaned out intestines. I've dropped a pant size (remember that I'm 5 feet 9 inches and 10 lbs is worth a pants size to me. I'm much more comfortable in my clothes and have a couple blouses that I'll have to take in so I can keep them in my wardrobe. I also have a couple pairs of pants that are still a bit snug, one of which I just bought last weekend. Not sure if that's positive thinking or wishful thinking.
I imagine 3-8 lbs of the weight loss can be attributed to cleaned out intestines. I've dropped a pant size (remember that I'm 5 feet 9 inches and 10 lbs is worth a pants size to me. I'm much more comfortable in my clothes and have a couple blouses that I'll have to take in so I can keep them in my wardrobe. I also have a couple pairs of pants that are still a bit snug, one of which I just bought last weekend. Not sure if that's positive thinking or wishful thinking.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Reboot - Days 19 & 20
It's Day 20. If I were to tell you it's gone by quickly I'd be lying. Like a rug. If I were to say I think the next 8-10 days will go in a flash, I'd be lying some more. Like a big, fat rug. I'm not at risk of not completing the fast, I'm just kind of bored with the whole process. I'm hoping that the next 8-10 days will be where the magic happens. New habits, more resolve, less thinking about homemade chocolate chip cookies and cake frosting.
When I'm feeling good, as I am now, I tend to forget how lowsy I felt when I was feeling unwell. I don't want to forget it and eek back into old habits, mostly the habit of being too lazy to take care of myself. Hmm. Maybe I need another goal once I've completed this one. (Yes, I know that's goal setting 101.) My first thought is that I'd stay off sugar for another 30 days but I have a vacation coming the week after the Reboot and, while I don't plan to go hog-wild, it's likely I'll have at least a taste here or there of something sweet. Maybe not. Like I've said, I find that if I don't have the first bite I'm not tempted to have the second - or eat it til it's gone.
Did you notice I mentioned the next 8-10 days of the fast? I'm not sure right now if I'll continue for 28 or 30 days. On Friday, the 29th day, I leave for a 2-night retreat, all food included. I won't have a fridge in my room to keep juices so I've not decided when I'll break the fast, at 30 days or 4 weeks. I could take my juicer along and juice throughout the day but I don't like tepid juices so that doesn't sound appealing. Or, I could make up 10 juices on Thursday evening to last thru Saturday night, keeping them in a cooler (how long does ice last in a cooler?). Or, I could juice thru Friday and break the fast on Saturday morning at the retreat. Or, I could make up some juices to take along and take fruit and veggies to fill in the gaps. I'll figure it out next Wednesday. Whether I fast 28 or 30 days, I'll feel like I accomplished my goal.
I'm not planning a special meal when I break the fast. I'll be at the retreat and won't be in control of what I'm served. I'd like to start mostly with fruits and vegetables so I don't shock my system. I'm craving guacamole with carrot chips. Or red bell pepper 'hummus' with veggies. I don't know. I can't think about it too much right now; it makes me too hungry for food.
Oh, and by the way, not having juices prepared for Monday was a bad idea. I had two fresh-squeezed juices from Jamba Juice to make it through the day but psychologically I felt very vulnerable. And hungry. I spent as much on those two juices as I do for a days worth of homemade juices. No bueno.
When I'm feeling good, as I am now, I tend to forget how lowsy I felt when I was feeling unwell. I don't want to forget it and eek back into old habits, mostly the habit of being too lazy to take care of myself. Hmm. Maybe I need another goal once I've completed this one. (Yes, I know that's goal setting 101.) My first thought is that I'd stay off sugar for another 30 days but I have a vacation coming the week after the Reboot and, while I don't plan to go hog-wild, it's likely I'll have at least a taste here or there of something sweet. Maybe not. Like I've said, I find that if I don't have the first bite I'm not tempted to have the second - or eat it til it's gone.
Did you notice I mentioned the next 8-10 days of the fast? I'm not sure right now if I'll continue for 28 or 30 days. On Friday, the 29th day, I leave for a 2-night retreat, all food included. I won't have a fridge in my room to keep juices so I've not decided when I'll break the fast, at 30 days or 4 weeks. I could take my juicer along and juice throughout the day but I don't like tepid juices so that doesn't sound appealing. Or, I could make up 10 juices on Thursday evening to last thru Saturday night, keeping them in a cooler (how long does ice last in a cooler?). Or, I could juice thru Friday and break the fast on Saturday morning at the retreat. Or, I could make up some juices to take along and take fruit and veggies to fill in the gaps. I'll figure it out next Wednesday. Whether I fast 28 or 30 days, I'll feel like I accomplished my goal.
I'm not planning a special meal when I break the fast. I'll be at the retreat and won't be in control of what I'm served. I'd like to start mostly with fruits and vegetables so I don't shock my system. I'm craving guacamole with carrot chips. Or red bell pepper 'hummus' with veggies. I don't know. I can't think about it too much right now; it makes me too hungry for food.
Oh, and by the way, not having juices prepared for Monday was a bad idea. I had two fresh-squeezed juices from Jamba Juice to make it through the day but psychologically I felt very vulnerable. And hungry. I spent as much on those two juices as I do for a days worth of homemade juices. No bueno.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Reboot - Days 16-18
Weekends are definately a challenge. Friday night(Day 16) I got together with a couple of friends and I had my first cheat; sangria. I don't even like red wine but it looked tasty and I had 4-6 ounces with fruit. It tasted so strongly of alcohol that I liked it even less than usual. I wonder what else might taste differently and less appealing than pre-fast.
Saturday (Day 17) I helped clean up after a women's tea at my church. I knew the tables would be set with lots of 'goodies' and didn't want to sit there seeing and smelling it all so I didn't attend the tea. I volunteered for clean up thinking I'd breeze through with no temptatioins. Once the florentine cookies and meatballs and coffee were packed away I was good. Can't there be a world-wide ban on florentine cookies?! After an hour+ of washing dishes I was stoked to walk out with 3 gallon bags of leftover strawberries for juicing. Delicious. I stuck to my guns by not having even one bite and I can do it again...and again and again and again. And again.
Today (Day 18) has also been busy and I've been hungry and craving food. I want savory food. I want meat. I've got to stop looking at recipes. It's wierd but whenever I fast I love to read recipes and cookbooks. It's never been tortuous before but I've also never fasted for this long. I think the length of time before I can eat is the difference. Maybe I'll change my reading material until the last week of the fast.
Today is the first time that I didn't prep juices for the next day. I share a house with a friend and today the kitchen was otherwise occupied in the short time that I was home. I have 2 small juices in the fridge but I'll have to either run home and juice at lunch or go to Jamba Juice for a carrot/banana/mango combo (can't remember the name). I could also go to Nekktar but it's across the busy part of town so I'll likely land at Jamba. I don't like that I'm not better prepared for tomorrow. I won't do that again.
Saturday (Day 17) I helped clean up after a women's tea at my church. I knew the tables would be set with lots of 'goodies' and didn't want to sit there seeing and smelling it all so I didn't attend the tea. I volunteered for clean up thinking I'd breeze through with no temptatioins. Once the florentine cookies and meatballs and coffee were packed away I was good. Can't there be a world-wide ban on florentine cookies?! After an hour+ of washing dishes I was stoked to walk out with 3 gallon bags of leftover strawberries for juicing. Delicious. I stuck to my guns by not having even one bite and I can do it again...and again and again and again. And again.
Today (Day 18) has also been busy and I've been hungry and craving food. I want savory food. I want meat. I've got to stop looking at recipes. It's wierd but whenever I fast I love to read recipes and cookbooks. It's never been tortuous before but I've also never fasted for this long. I think the length of time before I can eat is the difference. Maybe I'll change my reading material until the last week of the fast.
Today is the first time that I didn't prep juices for the next day. I share a house with a friend and today the kitchen was otherwise occupied in the short time that I was home. I have 2 small juices in the fridge but I'll have to either run home and juice at lunch or go to Jamba Juice for a carrot/banana/mango combo (can't remember the name). I could also go to Nekktar but it's across the busy part of town so I'll likely land at Jamba. I don't like that I'm not better prepared for tomorrow. I won't do that again.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Reboot - Day 15 The Choice is Mine
Woohoo! I love things that make me say 'wohoo'. It's one of my favorite words. Today, it's definately a woohoo day. For two reasons: I've juice fasted for 15 days. I think that's quite an accomplishment for me and I could easily forget to celebrate it in light of reason #2...I only have 15 days to go! I'm hungry right now so the idea of filling my tummy is quelshing my feelings of accomplishment. Give me a second while I go drink a bit of juice...
Ok, all better. And that's the thing; my empty stomach is just as filled by juice as it would be by any other late night snack. The problem is I've been craving bad foods (candy, cake - I'm a cake-aholic, chips) more in the last couple days than in the first 10. Let's face it, chocolate chip cookies and chips and ice cream are delicious but I'm craving them mentally more than for taste. I get stressed at work and I want candy. I'm 'too tired' to cook so I stop for a pint of ice cream. There's a bowl of chips in front of me so why not eat them all? Stress, fatigue, boredom, habit. They're triggers and they're all still here, lurking just below my resolve to feel better.
And that's what I hope to get out of the next 15 days. I hope that my resolve grows, my bad cravings are replaced with good, my laziness about cooking is replaced with the new habit of being in the kitchen everyday, my taste preferences are reset, and that I feel better and better. And better. Good enough that I see poor food choices for what they are; my choices to live good or to live poorly.
Ok, all better. And that's the thing; my empty stomach is just as filled by juice as it would be by any other late night snack. The problem is I've been craving bad foods (candy, cake - I'm a cake-aholic, chips) more in the last couple days than in the first 10. Let's face it, chocolate chip cookies and chips and ice cream are delicious but I'm craving them mentally more than for taste. I get stressed at work and I want candy. I'm 'too tired' to cook so I stop for a pint of ice cream. There's a bowl of chips in front of me so why not eat them all? Stress, fatigue, boredom, habit. They're triggers and they're all still here, lurking just below my resolve to feel better.
And that's what I hope to get out of the next 15 days. I hope that my resolve grows, my bad cravings are replaced with good, my laziness about cooking is replaced with the new habit of being in the kitchen everyday, my taste preferences are reset, and that I feel better and better. And better. Good enough that I see poor food choices for what they are; my choices to live good or to live poorly.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Reboot - Days 9-13
Today is Day 13 and all is well. It's been a crazy-busy week, juicing not excluded. I'm still getting used to spending an hour in the kitchen every evening. I shop for produce twice a week - or more when I mis-calculate what I'll need for the next 3-4 days.
I'm still preparing 4-5 different juices each day. I make Mean Green, Good Morning, and Sunrise Juice everyday and mix it up with one or two others. I make strawberry spinach whenever I can the berries at the .99 cent store. I have 3 pineapples ripening now that I picked up for $1 at Sprouts Market. I really like juices containing pineapple, strawberries, or mango.
My bowel movements are back to normal. Maybe it's the tablespoon of Chia seeds that I'm now adding to all my drinks. (Still can't believe I'm talking about this.) My mouth has been dry and stinging and I've had cotton-mouth the last two days. It might be from the allergy/sinus meds.
The weekends are, by far, the toughest. Last Sunday I was at a BBQ and the chips and grilled burgers looked & smelled more fabulous than they were, I'm sure. Then Sunday night we had dessert night at my Small Group adn someone made this thing with saltine crackers, caramel, & chocolate. The most tortuous moment thus far. I just cannot go back to eating sweets until I can get a grip on my addiction. In times past (I'm positively proclaiming it's in the past) I could've/would've eaten the entire bowl in an evening. Eat til it's gone. That's how I used to party, too, and I can tell you it's not a good thing.
I do get hungry but no hungrier than any other time. The juices are filling and satisfying - I've even grown to look forward to Mean Green. I get cravings for specific things every once in awhile - a Kobi burger from a Green-2-Go, a crispy salad with lots of veggies & chicken, roasted veggies, chips. I have lots of friends who eat Paleo and their food postings particularly make my mouth water.
I am happy to say my energy is up. My mind is clear, too. I felt like I was in a fog for weeks and weeks before beginning the fast. It's true that I feel better than a cup of coffee ever made me feel. I read a study once that claimed that folks who don't drink coffee feel as alert as a coffee drinker does after their cup 'o joe. It seems our body slows down in anticipation of the expected caffeine. Maybe. Maybe not but I feel better without than I did with.
I'll weigh myself again tomorrow but I don't feel like I've lost much this week. I've been doing squats, push-ups, and dips so I don't lose too much muscle. This weekend I'm going for my first bike ride in a couple months. I can't wait to get on the road and have 10+ less pounds to pull up those hills.
I'm still preparing 4-5 different juices each day. I make Mean Green, Good Morning, and Sunrise Juice everyday and mix it up with one or two others. I make strawberry spinach whenever I can the berries at the .99 cent store. I have 3 pineapples ripening now that I picked up for $1 at Sprouts Market. I really like juices containing pineapple, strawberries, or mango.
My bowel movements are back to normal. Maybe it's the tablespoon of Chia seeds that I'm now adding to all my drinks. (Still can't believe I'm talking about this.) My mouth has been dry and stinging and I've had cotton-mouth the last two days. It might be from the allergy/sinus meds.
The weekends are, by far, the toughest. Last Sunday I was at a BBQ and the chips and grilled burgers looked & smelled more fabulous than they were, I'm sure. Then Sunday night we had dessert night at my Small Group adn someone made this thing with saltine crackers, caramel, & chocolate. The most tortuous moment thus far. I just cannot go back to eating sweets until I can get a grip on my addiction. In times past (I'm positively proclaiming it's in the past) I could've/would've eaten the entire bowl in an evening. Eat til it's gone. That's how I used to party, too, and I can tell you it's not a good thing.
I do get hungry but no hungrier than any other time. The juices are filling and satisfying - I've even grown to look forward to Mean Green. I get cravings for specific things every once in awhile - a Kobi burger from a Green-2-Go, a crispy salad with lots of veggies & chicken, roasted veggies, chips. I have lots of friends who eat Paleo and their food postings particularly make my mouth water.
I am happy to say my energy is up. My mind is clear, too. I felt like I was in a fog for weeks and weeks before beginning the fast. It's true that I feel better than a cup of coffee ever made me feel. I read a study once that claimed that folks who don't drink coffee feel as alert as a coffee drinker does after their cup 'o joe. It seems our body slows down in anticipation of the expected caffeine. Maybe. Maybe not but I feel better without than I did with.
I'll weigh myself again tomorrow but I don't feel like I've lost much this week. I've been doing squats, push-ups, and dips so I don't lose too much muscle. This weekend I'm going for my first bike ride in a couple months. I can't wait to get on the road and have 10+ less pounds to pull up those hills.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Reboot - Days 7 & 8
I've been hungrier on days 7 & 8. Both mornings I've had juices that were all fruits and I wonder if that might be it. Today (day 8) I forgot to add chia seeds to the juices. I've also had lunch meetings both days. I made it through without too much suffering. Yesterday's lunch was at a delicious meditarranean restaurant and I found myself wanting to run my finger through anyone's hummus. I had a nice Mean Green juice with me so I was full and content enough to keep my fingers off everyone's plates.
When I know I'm going to be around food I either drink a juice just before or while I'm there. If I'm full I can't want to eat. That's part of retraining my mind during this time. I can and have had long-term success with eating only when hungry and not over-eating to keep my weight down. It was a habit I had to build after years of over-eating for social or emotional reasons. Crazy that I had to train myself to only eat what I needed. Anyway, it took about 6 months to get there. Then 2 weeks on vacation eating out all over Los Angeles/Orange County ruined my good habit and I never recovered. Until now.
I weighed myself this morning after 7 full days on juice. I'm down about 4 lbs. this week. I'm not exactly sure where I started; I was already down 3-4 lbs. in the 2 weeks before starting the Reboot. As I said earlier, I'm not doing this primarily for weight-loss but it's a wonderful 'side-effect'.
I've not had the rush of energy lots of people experience. It's early in the fast so I'm not worrying about it. None of the Sjogren's symptoms have subsided and my tongue is actually stinging worse than ever. I had a regular-ish bowel movement yesterday and the massive air movements have subsided. I'm still sorting out which juices to make and how much to buy and, and, and... As of today I'm more than 1/4 of the way through the fast and I'm good. I'm not in rush for it to be over. I want to keep going until I feel great.
When I know I'm going to be around food I either drink a juice just before or while I'm there. If I'm full I can't want to eat. That's part of retraining my mind during this time. I can and have had long-term success with eating only when hungry and not over-eating to keep my weight down. It was a habit I had to build after years of over-eating for social or emotional reasons. Crazy that I had to train myself to only eat what I needed. Anyway, it took about 6 months to get there. Then 2 weeks on vacation eating out all over Los Angeles/Orange County ruined my good habit and I never recovered. Until now.
I weighed myself this morning after 7 full days on juice. I'm down about 4 lbs. this week. I'm not exactly sure where I started; I was already down 3-4 lbs. in the 2 weeks before starting the Reboot. As I said earlier, I'm not doing this primarily for weight-loss but it's a wonderful 'side-effect'.
I've not had the rush of energy lots of people experience. It's early in the fast so I'm not worrying about it. None of the Sjogren's symptoms have subsided and my tongue is actually stinging worse than ever. I had a regular-ish bowel movement yesterday and the massive air movements have subsided. I'm still sorting out which juices to make and how much to buy and, and, and... As of today I'm more than 1/4 of the way through the fast and I'm good. I'm not in rush for it to be over. I want to keep going until I feel great.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Reboot - Day 6
I felt great this morning, lot's of energy, clear-headed for what seems the first day in weeks. I drank Good Morning juice about 7:00 and then Mean Green about 10:00. I met someone for 'coffee' at 12:30 and had an all-fruit Jamba Juice (a tropical something-or-other). I wasn't hungry again til about 3:00 but I was busy working and didn't stop for another juice. I downed the last 4 oz. of the Mean Green about 4:00 and then had about 20 oz. of watermelon-kale juice when I got home.
I started to feel sluggish about 3:00, physically more than mentally. I've only had a couple trips to the bathroom today and the air movement has minimized although I'm passing a bit of clear fluid. I can't believe I'm talking about this on a blog. I'd be happy to read someone else's experience at this point and am including it on the off-chance that someone reads this and is helped by it.
For now, I'm off to make tomorrow's juices - a Mean Green-ish (kale, cucumber, zucchini, yellow bell pepper, 1 red & 1 green apple), a carrot-apple-zucchini combo, and an apple-pineapple combo. I'm super excited about the orange-pineapple combo. I still have a carrot apple that I didn't drink today so that gives me 4 juices for tomorrow. Then it's lights out by 10:00.
I started to feel sluggish about 3:00, physically more than mentally. I've only had a couple trips to the bathroom today and the air movement has minimized although I'm passing a bit of clear fluid. I can't believe I'm talking about this on a blog. I'd be happy to read someone else's experience at this point and am including it on the off-chance that someone reads this and is helped by it.
For now, I'm off to make tomorrow's juices - a Mean Green-ish (kale, cucumber, zucchini, yellow bell pepper, 1 red & 1 green apple), a carrot-apple-zucchini combo, and an apple-pineapple combo. I'm super excited about the orange-pineapple combo. I still have a carrot apple that I didn't drink today so that gives me 4 juices for tomorrow. Then it's lights out by 10:00.
Reboot - Days 5
The morning started out with me feeling light headed and a mental foginess. My blood pressure runs low so I figured that might be the culprit. I read that blood pressure can drop during a fast because the body isn't working so hard to digest food (my paraphrase). I'm also cold, another result of lowered blood pressure. Anyway, I checked it out online and concluded that I didn't drink enough water over the weekend. I'm not one to carry around a water bottle and I'm not eating meals, at which I typically drink water. I keep a pitcher of water at my desk at work and have upped even my normal water intake. It seems I'll have to start carrying water with me on the weekends.
As the day progressed (and I got more hydrated) I felt better for the most part with good energy and not hungry. I'm sleeping like a champ, too. I'm an 8-hour per night sleeper who usually operates on 6-7 hours. I'm ready for bed by 9 pm these days but not getting into bed til about 10:30 and sleeping soundly til 6 am. Sleeping through the night is not a given for me and I would love if it's a long-lasting benefit of the fast.
Another 'new' thing today has been volumes of air passing through me. It's not gas, just air. I feel like I have to get to a bathroom toot suite and then it's billows of air. I'm not sure what to expect with my digestion during this. I'll have to check it out on rebootwithjoe.com tonight. Hopefully this will pass in the next day or so (no pun intended).
And I loved the strawberry-kale-apple juice and will definitely make it again.
As the day progressed (and I got more hydrated) I felt better for the most part with good energy and not hungry. I'm sleeping like a champ, too. I'm an 8-hour per night sleeper who usually operates on 6-7 hours. I'm ready for bed by 9 pm these days but not getting into bed til about 10:30 and sleeping soundly til 6 am. Sleeping through the night is not a given for me and I would love if it's a long-lasting benefit of the fast.
Another 'new' thing today has been volumes of air passing through me. It's not gas, just air. I feel like I have to get to a bathroom toot suite and then it's billows of air. I'm not sure what to expect with my digestion during this. I'll have to check it out on rebootwithjoe.com tonight. Hopefully this will pass in the next day or so (no pun intended).
And I loved the strawberry-kale-apple juice and will definitely make it again.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Reboot - Day 4
I left early this morning for the Long Beach Antiques Swap Meet armed with 3 of the 4 juices I prepped last night. One of the juices made about 6 oz. more than my containers hold so I drank that before we left the house. I drank one full juice on the car ride and drank water and the another juice while we bought gobs of fabulous treasures. On the car ride home I drank my 3rd juice, the Red Hot. It wasn't too hot since I left out the chili pepper but I did add two large garlic cloves and it was spicy enough for me. Next time I will add a touch of salt and maybe a splash of olive oil. It was good but not a juice that I would crave.
Of course my juice-less friends were also hungry and on the way home stopped at Five Guys for burgers and fries. I wasn't tempted because I was full from my juice. I've not been tempted by much yet except the smell of coffee. I'm a bit concerned about getting bored with the juices; actually, I am already a little bored with them. I can eat the same thing for breakfast everyday for 2 years and be o.k. with it so it's funny to me that I'm bored with juicing after four days. I'm gonna keep experimenting with new combos and tweaking the juices I've tried and almost like.
For tomorrow's juice I prepped Good Morning juice, Mean Green, Apple-Carrot with an orange, and a kale-strawberry-apple combo. I didn't taste it yet but it sure looks cool in the bottle. It separate into green, red, dark green, and green. So pretty. I hope it's as delicious as it is pretty.
I don't understand why (I've not sat down and figured it out on paper) I'm using much more fruits and vegetables than I expected. I need to make another juice plan and shopping list and see if I can make it work as planned this time. I think I've used as much, or more, in 4 days that I figured for a whole week. I'm going through carrots like a herd of rabbits...acolony of rabbits? A hecka bunch of rabbits. Otherwise, it's going well and I feel good.
Of course my juice-less friends were also hungry and on the way home stopped at Five Guys for burgers and fries. I wasn't tempted because I was full from my juice. I've not been tempted by much yet except the smell of coffee. I'm a bit concerned about getting bored with the juices; actually, I am already a little bored with them. I can eat the same thing for breakfast everyday for 2 years and be o.k. with it so it's funny to me that I'm bored with juicing after four days. I'm gonna keep experimenting with new combos and tweaking the juices I've tried and almost like.
For tomorrow's juice I prepped Good Morning juice, Mean Green, Apple-Carrot with an orange, and a kale-strawberry-apple combo. I didn't taste it yet but it sure looks cool in the bottle. It separate into green, red, dark green, and green. So pretty. I hope it's as delicious as it is pretty.
I don't understand why (I've not sat down and figured it out on paper) I'm using much more fruits and vegetables than I expected. I need to make another juice plan and shopping list and see if I can make it work as planned this time. I think I've used as much, or more, in 4 days that I figured for a whole week. I'm going through carrots like a herd of rabbits...acolony of rabbits? A hecka bunch of rabbits. Otherwise, it's going well and I feel good.
Reboot - Day 3
My alarm was set for 7:00 a.m. but I awoke at 5:00 a.m. with aching legs and hips and needing to use the bathroom. If I had ibuprofen I'd take a couple. Drank my cantaloupe drink for breakfast. DElicious. And filling. My energy level is better this morning. Possibly from the juicing but also because my sinus infection is clearing up. I slept lying flat for the first time this week; it seems luxury.
Thought I'd share a little about how I've shopped and prepared my juices thus far. I made a list of the juices I thought I'd prepare this week, listed out what I'd need for each one, then tallied a shopping list of xxx carrots, xx kale leaves, etc. I did most of my shopping at the .99 cents store. No, it's not organic but I couldn't afford to do the 30-day fast if I were doing entirely organic. The few items not found at .99 store I purchased at a grocery store - organic kale (on sale), fennel bulb, celariac root, and some red apples.
I've prepared 3-4 juices at a time. I first stack the ingredients for each juice together, then wash, prep, and re-sort, like this:
You can see my juicer in the background. It's the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor, to be exact. So far I LOVE it. Easy to use, easy to clean. The little orange stickers on the wall are my juice labels. I want to know what I'm about to put in my mouth and I can't tell one green juice from another or, at this point, remember what's in each juice.
And here are yesterday's juices, bottled, labelled, and ready for work
I feel better at the end of day 3 than I have for weeks. Still a bit of congestion but I have energy even though I don't feel back to my full strength. The achiness in my hips and legs got intense enough that I bought and took two ibuprofen and that solved the soreness. I'm feeling good.
Thought I'd share a little about how I've shopped and prepared my juices thus far. I made a list of the juices I thought I'd prepare this week, listed out what I'd need for each one, then tallied a shopping list of xxx carrots, xx kale leaves, etc. I did most of my shopping at the .99 cents store. No, it's not organic but I couldn't afford to do the 30-day fast if I were doing entirely organic. The few items not found at .99 store I purchased at a grocery store - organic kale (on sale), fennel bulb, celariac root, and some red apples.
I've prepared 3-4 juices at a time. I first stack the ingredients for each juice together, then wash, prep, and re-sort, like this:
You can see my juicer in the background. It's the Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor, to be exact. So far I LOVE it. Easy to use, easy to clean. The little orange stickers on the wall are my juice labels. I want to know what I'm about to put in my mouth and I can't tell one green juice from another or, at this point, remember what's in each juice.
And here are yesterday's juices, bottled, labelled, and ready for work
I feel better at the end of day 3 than I have for weeks. Still a bit of congestion but I have energy even though I don't feel back to my full strength. The achiness in my hips and legs got intense enough that I bought and took two ibuprofen and that solved the soreness. I'm feeling good.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Not Really Fat but Definitely Sick
Yes, that is a play on words for the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Today is Day 1 of what I intend to be a 30-day juice fast.
As the title of the blog post says, I'm not fat although I have an extra 10-15 lbs. (5'9, 169 lbs) I wouldn't mind losing but that's not the purpose of this fast. I am sick; I've had a continuous/recurring sinus infection since mid-December. Doctors suspect it's due to allergies (never-before diagnosed) but I'm unable to get skin tests because of the lingering sinus infection.
I first considered doing a juice fast after watching the documentary last year. I have Hashimoto's Thyroidits, an auto-immune form of hypo-thyroidism, and Sjogren's Syndrome as a secondary to the Hashimoto's. It means a lot of the time I just don't feel good and I have odd and irritating health stuff come up on a fairly regular basis.
So I'm not dying but have issues that are life inhibiting if not threatening. I want to feel better. One of my biggest fears about doing the fast is not feeling better when I'm finished. Then what? No matter how good I feel at the end I know the Reboot is doing me better. So I begin...
So, Day 1. I prepared 4 juices the night before to take to work. I got juice recipes from the Reboot with Joe Website. Today I drank Good Morning Juice about 7:30 (delicious!), Orange Fennel Juice (love the licorice flavor) about 11:30, Green Ginger Ale 1/2 at 1:30 and 1/2 at 3:00 (not a fan of the stingy ginger), and Mean Green about 6:00. I've already prepped my juices for tomorrow and will have a bit of the leftovers before dinner (juiced more than fit into my containers.
I've been eating fairly clean for the last two weeks because I've been so sick. I cut my coffee intake down to 1/2 cup per day this week so I've not had that helacious headache today. I felt so bad today from the sinus infection I don't know that the juicing made much difference in how I felt. I came home from work and slept for 2.5 hours after a being awake most of last night with congestion and I feel pretty good right now.
I'll explain more about how I shop and prep for juicing in another post. The main reason I'm blogging about my 30-day juice is so I can look back and see how I feel throughout. I originally started this blog to record projects during the year. I've been unwell for so much of 2013 that I've not felt like doing any projects, hence the lack of project posts.
I feel compelled to point out some things I am not. I am not a physician, a nutritionist, an expert - at juicing, health & fitness, shopping, chopping, blogging, or much else that I'll talk about in the next 30 days.
As the title of the blog post says, I'm not fat although I have an extra 10-15 lbs. (5'9, 169 lbs) I wouldn't mind losing but that's not the purpose of this fast. I am sick; I've had a continuous/recurring sinus infection since mid-December. Doctors suspect it's due to allergies (never-before diagnosed) but I'm unable to get skin tests because of the lingering sinus infection.
I first considered doing a juice fast after watching the documentary last year. I have Hashimoto's Thyroidits, an auto-immune form of hypo-thyroidism, and Sjogren's Syndrome as a secondary to the Hashimoto's. It means a lot of the time I just don't feel good and I have odd and irritating health stuff come up on a fairly regular basis.
So I'm not dying but have issues that are life inhibiting if not threatening. I want to feel better. One of my biggest fears about doing the fast is not feeling better when I'm finished. Then what? No matter how good I feel at the end I know the Reboot is doing me better. So I begin...
So, Day 1. I prepared 4 juices the night before to take to work. I got juice recipes from the Reboot with Joe Website. Today I drank Good Morning Juice about 7:30 (delicious!), Orange Fennel Juice (love the licorice flavor) about 11:30, Green Ginger Ale 1/2 at 1:30 and 1/2 at 3:00 (not a fan of the stingy ginger), and Mean Green about 6:00. I've already prepped my juices for tomorrow and will have a bit of the leftovers before dinner (juiced more than fit into my containers.
I've been eating fairly clean for the last two weeks because I've been so sick. I cut my coffee intake down to 1/2 cup per day this week so I've not had that helacious headache today. I felt so bad today from the sinus infection I don't know that the juicing made much difference in how I felt. I came home from work and slept for 2.5 hours after a being awake most of last night with congestion and I feel pretty good right now.
I'll explain more about how I shop and prep for juicing in another post. The main reason I'm blogging about my 30-day juice is so I can look back and see how I feel throughout. I originally started this blog to record projects during the year. I've been unwell for so much of 2013 that I've not felt like doing any projects, hence the lack of project posts.
I feel compelled to point out some things I am not. I am not a physician, a nutritionist, an expert - at juicing, health & fitness, shopping, chopping, blogging, or much else that I'll talk about in the next 30 days.
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