Day 14, Fifteen, 16, and Seventeen!!!!!!!!!

Hello Everyone! Hope everything is going well with you! I am doing absolutely great! :-) I am currently sitting in Rifle, CO waiting for Chase to get back from the rig, so I thought what a better time than now to write! I know, I'm way behind... but I have been busy getting ready for Chase to come home and spending time with him. He was called last minute up to Rifle to handle some paperwork and such, so I thought instead of sitting at home waiting for him to come back I would drive up here with him and spend whatever time I could with him. :-) The drive was as beautiful as the weather! :-) I am so happy with a temperature of 70 today and 72 tomorrow, all sunny and warm!

Well, day 14 was spent cleaning and spending time with my niece. I wasn't hungry in the morning or all through the afternoon, being a busy bee and all. :-) So it wasn't until around 5pm that I decided I was hungry and needed to eat something. I again let her make the juice while I made the salads.

2 Oranges

2 Apples

2 Peaches

2 Pears

1/8 Watermelon

1/4 Lemon

Handful of Strawberries

Since my niece had looked at me quizzically and confused when I referred to a scene from one of the all time greatest musical movies, Grease, I broke the rules a little bit and made her sit through it. :-) She liked it, but looked completely bored the whole time... oh youth... Anyways, we got the house all in order and slept like babies the whole night. We woke up early Sunday (Day 15) morning (earlier than it would normally be due to the time change) and I shuttled her back to her house and then jetted back to mine to get ready for my hunny to come home. :-) I primped and pampered and then tidied the house up a little bit more, before I realized it it was 4 in the afternoon and I was ravenous! I ate a stick of celery to tide myself over before Chase got home. He arrived around 5pm and then we were called to watch the boys due to a family emergency 30 minutes after he got home. We hustled over there and sat with the boys for about an hour or so, just long enough for me to figure out that Chase had caught and cold and was nice enough to bring it home to share with me. :-)

We decided to go back home to get Chase better and to keep from getting everyone else sick. We stopped at the store and picked up some soup and a bread roll for Chase, since there was nothing but veggies and fruit for him at home. Once we had gotten home, I set to making Chase's dinner (New England Clam Chowder in a bread bowl) and I was super proud of myself because I did not touch the food I made him, no matter how fluffy, warm or gooey the bread was. :-) While he was eating, I set to making us a Vitamin C packed juice to keep both of us from getting the worst of the cold, if any of it at all.

2 Oranges

1 Grapefruit

1 Kiwi

1/2 Squash

1/2 Sweet Potato

1/4 Lemon

4 Carrots

1/4 Cup of Coconut Water

I also made me a salad to accompany my juice. We watched a couple of shows and then I put him in a hot bath to relax him and help him sweat out his cold. He finished his juice before his bath and when he had finished, I gave him the rest of mine since I was full due to the salad and the veggies in the juice. He finished the juice off and then we went to bed. 

We woke up the next morning feeling much better and I was proud of my juice for doing its' job. :-) Since we were under such a time constraint to get to the dentist for Chase, I grabbed a banana and ran out the door. The dentist went well, all of is reconstructive procedures are done and the dentist was happy with everything. We decided next to go get pedicures and invited his sister to join. We all sat and enjoyed our "grown up" relaxing time. Afterwards, Chase and his sister were starving so we decided to go next door to the Mexican restaurant. I was extremely proud of myself because no matter how starving I was, I only had a water and chatted with them while they ate. Chase's sister felt guilty for eating in front of me, but I told her not to feel that way because it was my life choice and she shouldn't feel guilty for doing what is normal. They finished and I asked Chase to drop by the house so I could make a juice before we headed over to his sister's house. I decided to make a some what heavy vegetable juice since I was so hungry and knew I would be at their house for a while. 

1/2 Squash

1/2 Sweet Potato

2 Small Bunches of Green Seedless Grapes

1/8 Watermelon

1/8 Honeydew Melon

4 1/2 Carrots

I slammed it into a to-go cup and we headed over to his sister's house. My night kind of went down from there... I hang out and chatted with everyone while reading my book "White Oleander". They started making dinner and then sat down to eat and watch "Cake Boss". I decided that it would be best for myself to sit out on the front porch and read while they ate and watched that show. I knew my limitations and I did not want to make anyone else feel guilty by eating in front of me or look like a starved puppy watching everyone around me eating while watching a delicious food show. After dinner, Chase and I ran to Wag N' Wash to pick up some dog food. He asked me where I was during dinner and I told him. His reply was that I need to get used to being around food and people eating it, I said nothing in reply. Later on in the drive, I mentioned something about not wanting to sit in front of people eating while I was not eating and making them feel guilty. He replied with it was my job to make them feel at ease, again I said nothing. Once back at his sisters' house, I felt immediately overwhelmed and alone. I went upstairs and called Chase's father for support and guidance. He explained a lot to me, gave me options on how to handle the situation as well as getting used to being around food and people eating it without going through crazy cravings and weak moments. His advice was that I turn on some food channel or show while I was doing menial house chores and soon the allure of food would lose it's shine to me. It made complete sense! I also realized that I was close to starting my period and my emotions were extremely high this particular night. I dried my eyes and joined the family again and watched Cake Boss without one longing feeling. We stayed there until almost 11pm and then went home. Once home, I decided that I needed to have one big cry and get it all out so I could move on and have a good day with my babe. I took a nice hot bath and cried my eyes out until I was no longer feeling the need. Then I went to bed and slept very hard. :-)

I woke up today in a fabulous mood and the wonderful weather just promoted it. After putting the puppies out and taking my morning pee, I went in to weigh myself like I do every morning now. I nearly fell backwards off of the scale when I saw the verdict!!!! 187.6lbs!!!!!!!!! OMG! Have I really dropped down that much below 190lbs already?!?!? That added up to 14.6lbs lost in 17 days! I was so overly excited about the weight loss and the weather that I immediately raced downstairs to pull out the clothes I had packed away for summer time. I knew that I had packed up and pair of pants that I bought almost a year ago that were 2 sizes smaller than I was able to wear. I had decided to keep them as a vow of skinny jeans that I would wear again. I was right!!!! They fit perfectly now!!! I was beside myself with the joy of knowing that I had fulfilled that goal I set for myself. I felt sexy, flirty, skinny, fit, and proud all in one moment! I paraded myself around the house telling Chase "Look babe, I'm a skinny minny! I don't have a "saggy" butt anymore! I look hot babe!!!!". :-) We decided to take Buddha to a local dog park and enjoy the beautiful day.

At the dog park, Buddha made friends (and so did his Momma and Dad). :-) We played with throwing the ball, and surprisingly at 15 weeks old he is already bringing the ball back to us! While playing fetch and getting to know new puppies and people, Chase got a call from work. After about 15 minutes, he came back from his truck and told me that we needed to leave now, he had to drive back to Grand Junction. We raced home and while packing him an over-night bag I asked him if Buddha and I could come. Instead of letting this trip take nearly 2 days away from our time together, why not make it a family trip and spend the time together. He agreed which explains why I am now sitting in a hotel with Buddha (who is such a good car and hotel puppy) waiting for him to come back. I really enjoyed the drive and the change from the norm. Hopefully, we will be able to go back home tomorrow and enjoy another wonderful weather day!

So, I guess I will end this one here with the hopes of becoming wiser and have less cravings. Supposedly, anyone can break a habit in 21 days, I am getting closer and closer. I even lost count of what day I was on! That is a major achievement for me! I look forward to the next 43 days with anticipation and a smile! Once the picture up-loader stops messing up, I will post pictures of me in my skinny jeans which have now become my everyday jeans! :-) (I will just edit this post and let everyone know that I added them) Have a great night and a wonderful day! Goodnight readers!

Day 12 & Thirteen!!!!

Hello All! Sorry about not writing last night, I was having a rough evening and needed some "me" time. I am back today, having a great day! :-) I will post pictures from what I had yesterday, just so everyone can know what I ate. I did go and get my blood drawn yesterday, and am waiting for the results to get back. So, for lunch/dinner I made this:

2 Apples

1/2 Sweet Potato

1/2 Squash

1/4 Tomato

1 Kiwi

3 Leaves of Spearmint

1/2 Mango

3/4 Orange

4 Carrots

I was really good, made enough for 2 glasses that lasted me the whole night. The Spearmint gave it a little minty cool blast as an after taste. :-) 

Moving on! So, today I woke up in a much better mood and feeling better than I had in days. I got up and took care of puppy morning business and then went to go weigh myself.... I lost 2 pounds!!! I am now sitting at 190.8 pounds and very very happy with it! That is 12lbs in 12 days! :-) Eating my greens as an evening meal are definitely helping and showing improvement in my weight loss! So, happy as a clam, I decided to make my juice simple this morning but hopefully enough Vitamin C kick to eliminate this sinus cold once and for all! :-)

4 Oranges

2 Kiwi

1 Apple

It was good and gave me a bump in energy as well. I drank the 2 glasses I made straight through lunch time. Cleaned and picked up around the house, played with the dogs, and then decided to invite my niece over for the night to help me out with moving some furniture, putting together some furniture, and a little bit of cleaning duties. (she was grounded due to grades, so I had to take all the fun stuff out :-( ) So I went over there and visited for a while and then drove back home to make dinner. 

I decided to let her choose what kind of a juice we had with our little salad. She is a vegetarian by choice and has been for almost over a year now, an accomplishment in itself for a 14 year old teenage girl! So, she was happy with dinner choice, I had bought her some vegetarian chicken nuggets to put on top of her salad, and she was super excited to be the creator of our juice for the night. 

2 Bananas (Added in with the Smoothie Part)

1 Mango

2 Peaches

1 Apple

1/4 Lemon

1/4 Watermelon

We blended it into a smoothie with the bananas and a splash of coconut water. It was amazing! It also was a great pair up with the home-made Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette topped salad that I made. I had used some strawberry juice that I juiced and the pulp from that, mixed it with balsamic vinegar and Viola! Home-made salad dressing! :-) I then made a salad of spinach, romaine, and iceberg lettuce with chopped tomato, cucumber, sliced strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar, and topped hers with vegetarian chicken nuggets. It was amazing! Best dinner I have had so far!

  

Well I am off to spend time with my niece and get this house into the shape I want it to be! Hope everyone has a great night! See you tomorrow night!

Day Eleven!!!

Good evening everyone! Sorry this is getting out so late. I was at my sister-in-law's house getting schooled on Excel and finances. :-) So now I am mentally and physically tired... today started off well enough. I finally got a full night's rest, but woke up feeling the symptoms of this sinus cold I have been fighting for over a week now. Took some medication, made my breakfast, and soon I felt better. Due to my lack of functioning, I was not adventurous with this meal.

4 Carrots

2 Oranges

1 Apple

1 Bunch of Green Seedless Grapes

5 Large Strawberries

1/4 Cup of Coconut Water

This was the boost I needed to get started for the day. I piddled around the house and added some books to my list on www.GoodReads.com until about 1:30p. Then I left to go pick up my niece from school and then sat at my sister-in-law's for an hour or so visiting and reading. Then I left to pick up my nephew and take him to his dad's house. I had made enough of breakfast to fill 2 glasses, so I was good on juice. After dropping him off, I returned to my sister-in-law's and started learning how to do our finances with her, while my brother-in-law made their dinner. It smelt amazing and was healthy. Grilled chicken over noodles with a cheese sauce and broccoli spread over top. I was proud of myself though, I did not allow myself to cheat. After 2+ hours doing this, I headed home to take care of the puppies and hurry some food into my system before 10:30 pm. I am on doctor's orders of a food and liquid food fast for 12 hours before I get my blood taken tomorrow morning at 10:30 am. So now I am allowed only water for the next 12 hours. :-(

Speaking of eating, last night was my first night of only eating raw green vegetables. It was filling enough, even though I would've enjoyed a nice dipping sauce to accompany them. I did find a down side though, flatulence. I will definitely have to get some Beano tomorrow, or at least before Chase comes back home. It's embarrassing and I assume highly unattractive. :-) It worked though! I lost another pound!

Well, I think that I will end this here tonight... my warm bed is calling me. I do not look forward to the snow "forecasted" for tomorrow, but then again it was said that it was going to snow today but never did. I would love to have a Colorado Meteorologists job... you give a round about guess and go with it! :-) Wish me luck on my blood work! Goodnight all! 

Day 10!!!

Hello everyone! Hope you have had as good of day as I have had! Today has definitely been a re-motivating day for me. I had my doctors appointment this morning and it went very well. The last time I had seen them was back in October, so a visit was due especially with me doing this fast. Well, good news! Since October I have lost 24 pounds!!!! YAY! Also, my blood pressure has regulated! I was at 190/98 last time in October, this visit I was 124/70!!! I was so happy to hear that my blood pressure came down out of the stroke range and that I didn't have to be put on blood pressure medication at 25. Dr. Clothier is probably one of the best doctors I could ever ask for. He hates prescribing medications to fix symptoms. He would much rather me try everything else and leave medication as a last resort. He was very encouraged and impressed with my results from the last time he saw me, and agreed that I should continue the fast. We made one simple change to it though. Since I was unable to get a decent intake of green vegetables through juicing, he recommended that I eat them raw. I agreed that that sounded like a valid option for me. He said that he would like to see me again in 6-8 weeks barring that nothing came up on my blood work (which I will be getting done Thursday morning). I was so encouraged and motivated leaving that office this morning!

After leaving the office, I decided to come back home because I was starving and extremely tired. I had maybe gotten 2 hours of decent sleep last night. I have no idea what was keeping me up, but I was irritated to say the least. So, I got home and made breakfast.

2 Peaches

2 Apples

4 Carrots

1/8 Cantaloupe

1 Pear

1/2 Cucumber

Handful of Strawberries

I was so impressed with this mixture and hungry that I drank 2 glassfuls! I then decided to try to take a little nap since I felt horrible, but full. I was lucky enough to get a very quick cat nap, and I felt so much better afterwards. I was still full, so I skipped lunch and decided to go run the errands that I had planned for today. First, I stopped by a brand new Plato's Closet location off of Academy on the north side of town, only to be told that they have to build up their inventory for a month or so before they can actually sell anything... bummer. I was happy at the notion that there was finally going to be a location A LOT closer to me! :-) Then I drove down to Sunflower Farmer's Market off of Dublin and Academy to pick up some of the key ingredients I was getting low on or was completely out of. I have to say, I LOVE THIS STORE!!!! It has everything that a regular grocery store sells but it is all organic or natural!!! On top of that, their prices are amazing!!! I walked out of their store with enough fruit and vegetables to last me a week and a half for under $50! The staff is courteous, knowledgeable, and eager to help. Last time Chase and I went there it was a really busy Saturday afternoon and I think we were a bit overwhelmed at all the people, so we just grabbed what we needed and left. This time however, I was able to browse and see everything they had to offer. I was so impressed that I have now made it my new store. :-) Yes, it is quite a drive to get groceries. My argument to that is, I get good gas mileage in my car and what I may be spending in gas I am saving in health costs. So, that ended my errands for the day and I headed home.

Once I got home, I unloaded my bounty and tried to do some research on more recipes. I found that most of them did not sound appeasing to me or were almost common sense. I laughed at most of the funky or fruity names they were given. :-) I realized that I am the best recipe for me! I know what my tastes are at the time of making the juice, and if I make a mistake I know how to correct it. So I have given up on using recipes for the time being... I am just going to feel my way through this and have fun.

I also realized something this afternoon. I am terrified that I am going to fail or if I trip and cheat, what are all of you going to think of me. I no longer feel like this is my journey, I feel like I am carrying all of you with me. That's no necessarily a negative thing, it does keep me motivated and keeps me from giving in to temptation. On the other hand, I am more concerned about disappointing than achieving. I would hate to disappoint anyone who believes in me and trusts that I can do it. I am not going to give myself a free pass, but I will make one statement. "If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down". ~Mary Pickford. I may make a mistake a few times, but I refuse to give up on this. I will stay the course. :-)

Anyways, I started to feel hungry again around 5 pm so I gave up on recipe hunting and stood in my kitchen. I picked enough vegetables to satisfy and enough fruits to cover the taste. I wanted to be adventurous with this one though. 

 4 1/2 Carrots

2 Apples

2 Pears

1/2 Squash

1/2 Sweet Potato

1/4 Cup of Coconut Water

To Eat: 4 Broccoli heads and a Celery stick

I felt good about this one, so I dove right in. The Coconut water was heavenly! It covered all of the nasty but none of the good! I am very pleased with myself and this juice tonight. I had 2 glasses again and am feeling very full and happy due to the green veggies I ate along with it. Maybe one day I will be able to juice them and like the taste, but for now I am not going to miss out on their benefits so I will force myself to eat them raw and with not additional flavors. :-)

Over all, day 10 was a great one! Only have to do this 5 more times! :-) Well, I am going to sit back and read a little bit, maybe even watch a show or two. Hopefully I will sleep tonight and finally get rid of this cold! Have a great night everyone! 

Day Nine

Hello everyone! I am writing you today from the comforts of my couch and PJs... I woke up many times throughout the night to the horrid smell of a recent mess Buddha had made in his cage (without alerting me he needed to go, which he is VERY capable of rousing me from my slumber). I would wake, smell, try not to vomit, place him outside, clean the cage, bring him back inside, bathe him, re-comfy the cage and place him back in it... only to be woken up in another 3 hours to do it all over again. By late this morning I felt as used as our washer and dryer... :-) Not to mention I woke up with an extremely sore throat and deep chested cough, which I have been battling all day. When I decided I was finally hungry and willing to make something, it was closer to lunch time. So I made my first brunch!

2 Leaves of Romaine Lettuce

8 Stalks of Spinach

1 Orange

1 Apple

1/4 Lemon

4 Carrots

1 Pineapple Spear

1/8 Cantaloupe

1/4 Watermelon

1 Small Ginger Root

Handful of Strawberries

Blended well in ice and cinnamon

I decided to add more veggies than I usually do to my morning drinks since this was later in the day and I was feeling so lousy. The drink was okay... I simply cannot handle that "grass" taste you get from lettuce or celery. Yes, add an apple or orange... then you just get sweet grass flavor. Add 1/4-1/2 lemon... then you get grass with a brisk twang at the end. No matter the advice or ingredients I try to add, I still can't surpass the "grass" taste! I love lettuce by itself as well as celery, but juicing them is just not appeasing to my taste buds. I really am trying to push myself and drink the whole of these juices that I make because I know that I am trying to retrain my taste buds to crave that flavor... but then I start thinking. My taste buds like and crave the flavor of lettuce and celery raw... they hate it juiced. Maybe I should just eat lettuce and celery raw to get my intake, and juice all the rest. Then I argue with myself about the point of me doing the fast then.... today has not been a good day in juice fasting in my world. Constantly questioning is it better to eat them, better to straight juice, or even better to have my 3 juice per day and ALSO eat raw veggies when I am still feeling a little hungry after juicing. Along with, what can be juiced, what can't be, and why aren't those included in my diet just because they can't be juiced? I love bananas, but they can not be fed into a juicer. Yes, you can blend them into a juice that you made, maybe along with some ice, but aren't you technically eating it? I've also heard recipes of people blending the banana until it is nice and smooth and then freezing it long enough for it to solidify and then eating it like it is ice cream! All the benefits of tricking your mind and cravings without the bad side effects of actual ice cream... but you eat it!!! I guess I am just bummed because I can't handle the juice of the "green" veggies, but they are the ones that melt the fat away! I have been able to handle or love every other juice I have concocted, but I simply cannot drink the green vegetables! I either have to be patient and keep trying or figure out some other way to get that intake.

I must be rambling on in my crazy cabin fever sickness. :-) Anyways, since I wasn't up to snuff today I decided to take an off day and lounge around the house. Housework was kept up, juice made, chores done, dogs taken care of... I was going to take a me day. :-) I also reasoned that it may help with the healing process before my doctors appointment tomorrow. I would really like to go and not get sent home with antibiotics or other medications I have to take with food. :-( I guess we will see...

I decided to watch a couple episodes of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files on Netflix. I got to episode 8 in season 1 and realized that they chose to research the Haunted Rail Road Tracks in San Antonio, TX! My grandmother had taken me and my mother there when I was really young. I only remember a few details here and there. The story goes that there was a bus full of children that had stalled on the railroad tracks and did not have enough time to evacuate before being hit by and train and everyone perished. Now you can pull up to the tracks, put your car in neutral and turn it off, and the children and buss driver will push your vehicle safely over the train tracks. Also, if you put powder on the back of your vehicle, if you looked after being pushed you will see little hand prints in the powder. Well, I remember putting the Mary Kay foundation all over the back of Grandma Chris's dark blue Suburban and I remember the ride across the tracks and all the little hand prints all over the back of the Suburban doors. I even remember my mom and grandmother using a basketball and various other round objects to prove that you were actually rolling down hill instead of being supernaturally pushed up hill and they had no proof at the end of it. So naturally I was glue to this episode! :-) I watched how they tried to disprove everything, but you will have to watch it to know what the outcome was. ;-) On a side note, I decided to get Buddha back and gave him his first dose of peanut butter... in a Kong! I laughed silently for a good 30 minutes watching my 2 dogs lick, lap, and fight over this impossibly sticky treat!!! Simple things.... :-)

Anyways, my brunch juice lasted me all through the afternoon and evening... it's still sitting here staring at me. I'm not hungry and find it hard to drink anything with this sore throat. :-) I still have another glass frozen in the freezer in case I decide that I am hungry or I need one ready to go for my doctor's appointment in the morning. For now, I am going to say goodnight to all of you, jump in a nice hot bath, and then to bed for (hopefully) some much needed rest and recuperation. Until tomorrow night, goodnight all! 

Day 8!

Hello everyone! Hope this finds you happy and safe tonight. I am both as well. :-) Today was full of surprises! I woke up in an excellent mood ready to make my breakfast... well my juicer had other plans. As I went to reassemble it from the dishwasher, the blade would not twist back on to the screw so I examined it. I found that the screw part was fully plastic and had snapped in to 2 pieces. I was so glad that we had chosen to buy the protection plan that came with it! So I quickly changed, packed up the juicer, and headed to Wal-mart to exchange it. I realized on the way there I was going to seriously tempt myself... walking into Wal-mart on an empty stomach and starving! Luckily, the service counter was quick and courteous! I was in and out in less than 15 minutes! I was back home in no time ready to make breakfast (which had now become lunch).

5 Carrots

1/4 Guava

1/2 Lemon

1/8 Watermelon

2 Apples

1 Orange

Handful of Spinach

I decided to give an idea a try that I had heard about on www.jointhereboot.com. I blended the juice mixture with ice to make it in to a smoothie of sorts and also added ~1tsp of organic cinnamon. It tasted fabulous!!! The cinnamon completely overtook any "grass" taste I might have gotten from the spinach! After the first few sips, I realized that it wasn't really food itself that I missed and craved, it was the flavor of the spices that I wanted. I also realized that my drink reminded me of Quaker Oats Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal!!! I was extremely pleased and relieved. I had made enough for this glass and then a to-go bottle as well. So I placed the to-go bottle in the fridge for my walk with Buddha later this afternoon. 

I piddled around the house cleaning, dancing, playing with my puppies... I even spent some time looking at bathing suits. :-) I think I have decided that I will let my readers choose from the bikinis I post at the end of my 60 days. Please be gentle! ;-) Anyways, I finally decided that it was time to walk around 2:50 pm. Buddha and I walked down to the park, then around Palmer Lake and back home. The whole trip took over an hour and it was such a beautiful day that I really didn't mind or notice that I was sweating like crazy. It was nice to get Buddha used to socializing and what I expected of him when he was. The walk was a little bit easier... I just need to reign in some of that excited puppy energy (almost wish I could juice that LOL). He was doing very well by the time we got back on our street. When we got home I noticed that it felt sweltering inside the upstairs of my house. I thought it may have been because I just finished exercising and that I needed to cool down and it would feel fine. After 30 minutes passed I was still having sweat accumulate on my brow so I walked over to the thermostat.... it read 76!!! The sun coming in from the side and front windows upstairs had generated so much heat that it raised the temperature 8 degrees from what I had it set on! So opened some windows and let the wonderful breeze flow through my house as I caught up on some reading. 

I had barely drank on my walk, so I still had nearly a whole bottle left. I still had 1/2 of it left around 5 pm so I thought I would just re-smoothie it and have that for dinner since I so enjoyed it. Well... second surprise.... My blender decided to explode while running... :-) I had juice ALL OVER my kitchen.!!!! The bottom of the pitcher part came undone in the middle of blending which sent the bottomless pitcher flying across the counter! I quickly grabbed the pitcher upside down to hold the remaining contents inside and proceeded to pour that into a glass. I had just enough left for a decent sized dinner. I then proceeded to clean up the kitchen, which at this point smelt of carrots and cinnamon. Didn't take long for me to have it all set to rights again. I am just hoping and praying that all over my other electrical kitchen devices continue to work! :-)

So I have aptly named today Surprise Sunday and have decided to spend the rest of my night writing to you and then watching one if not two movies. :-) Too bad popcorn isn't a fruit or veggie.... I wonder if I can juice corn into tasting like it.... thoughts for another time. :-) Thanks for stopping in and reading!!! I'm going to keep an eye on this cough that seems to be coming from deeper in my chest. Stay healthy and happy!!! Goodnight all!

Day Seven!!!

Good Evening! I am glad to be writing you on my one week anniversary!!! I am so happy to be celebrating this and know that I am a strong enough person to go without solid foods for a week! :-) I woke up in a wonderful mood this morning (after cleaning up after puppy and spraying some air freshener) and was glad to see that the weather mimicked my mood. I lounged around a little bit, watch a show or two, then decided that I felt hungry. I was positive that my mood would only accept something as sweet and sunny as it was. So I set to making my breakfast.

1/8 Watermelon

1/4 Cantaloupe

1 Peach

1 Pear

2 Pineapple Spears

Handful of Strawberries

2 Small Bunches of Grapes

This concoction was absolutely heavenly and I lovingly named it my "Pink Lady" juice. :-) Soon after I finished the juice and took care of some things around the house that needed attention, I felt like walking. This time I intended on taking Buddha for his first ever walk out in the world.... Needless to say, the whole 1.2 mile walk to the post office and then back home turned out to be more of a workout for me than I bargained for. :-) Since he is only 14 weeks old, he was so excited to be out in the big world with his Momma! He was like a ferret that kept seeing something shiny on the other side of the street, so the entire time my right arm is pulling or pushing him back on to the shoulder and in the grass since there are no sidewalks. Not to mention, he loved to run ahead of me and then stop dead to smell or look at something... right in front of me. So between the tripping over him and constant struggle to keep him from getting run over, I think I gave myself a pretty decent workout! We were definitely pooped when we got home. He's a puppy and he will learn. :-)

After the walk, I found myself starving and decided to make lunch. Since I had eaten only fruits for breakfast, I wanted to make sure that I had more than enough vegetables for lunch. So, I decided to be a little adventurous and push my boundaries and taste buds.

 4 Carrots

1/8 Honeydew Melon

3 Celery Stalks

3 Leaves of Roman Lettuce

2 Apples

1 Small Ginger Root

1/4 Lemon

I definitely have to work on my taste buds more! I could stand the first half of this REALLY tall glass... but I had trouble getting through the second half. Keith was definitely right! Celery and lettuce taste like grass when juiced!!!! Not much masked it either. Not my favorite, but certainly not the worst... I'm still scared to even look at the beets! :-)

The rest of my afternoon went smoothly as a "lazy" Saturday afternoon should. I cleaned, arranged, called and talked to grandparents just to catch up, watch a couple shows, read a little bit, took care of the puppies... and before I knew it, it was past 6 pm! I still hadn't finished lunch by this time and was feeling rather full, so again I skipped dinner. 

Well, I am going to cozy up with an episode of Destination Truth and settle in for the night (no party nights for this girl for a while!). Thanks for following! Talk at you tomorrow!

Day 6!

            

Good evening everyone! I hope that this blog finds you safe and happy tonight. The snow is still falling here, making me want to grab a book and snuggle to my hearts content. I actually can't seem to get warm enough tonight... I am writing to you in a fur lined jacket and mittens. :-) I woke early this morning to go meet with my Palmer Lake Book Club at the library and discuss the book that we had read, as well as various other topics. I am by far the youngest woman in the group, but I don't mind that much. I find that I have a thirst for tales of "how life used to be" and my fellow group members have plenty to share! One woman has even started her own book of memories of sorts. She takes time to sit down and catalog her memories and events in her life so she may pass it on to other generations in her line. She has even broken it down into chapters she said, the funniest one being about all the bumps, bruises, scrapes, and general clumsiness that has happened in her family. I thought of how wonderful that would be, to be able to sit down and read the trials and tribulations of my great or great great grandparents. To learn of the way life was back then and realize exactly how much the world has changed from then. I would love to do the same for my great grandchildren, who knows, I may turn out to be a great writer! ;-)

After the book club meeting, I checked out the next book for us to read and received my prize for reading in the adult reading program the library had going on. Only to find out that I need 4 more books to qualify for the grand prize drawing of the Kindle and only 3 days to read them in! I have just finished one book, 3 more to go! :-) I came home with a pulsing headache and ready to make my breakfast.

Left Over Dinner Refrigerated

1/4 Lemon

1/8 Watermelon

Bunch of Red Seedless Grapes

1 Orange

1 Apple

My attempt was failed by the fact that I put the leftovers in the fridge uncovered and it seemed to have spoiled, so every sip I took was laced with bitter taste of rotting vegetables. So, I quickly decided that it was late enough in the day to make my lunch instead. Since I was starving, it would be better anyways due to the increased amount of vegetables.

 1 Apple

1/2 Tomato

1/2 Lime

1/8 Watermelon

1 Peach

1/4 Orange

1/2 Cucumber

6 Carrots

This mixture was definitely more appeasing to the mouth and the lime gave it a great unique kick! I had made enough for that small glass as well as a to-go bottle. I downed that glass with some sinus medication in hopes of kicking my increasingly pounding headache. It eventually dissipated enough for me to go run the few errands that I needed to do today. Despite the snow, I got done what I needed and headed directly home. Once home, I still had a full to-go bottle left of lunch so I have been sipping on that all afternoon and evening. So, now dinner again tonight. I am full so I will not be wasteful. 

Last night I realized that it may be entirely plausible that I would willingly walk away from cigarettes. I assume that a bonus of doing this juicing is an increase of the senses. My smell has increased to rival those of a pregnant woman and my taste has definitely gone through some changes. I can no longer find the taste of cigarettes enjoyable as I have before. They taste like nothing but chemicals filling my lungs, and I dislike the taste so much that I am rarely making it past the first one or two drags. To further the point and play devil's advocate with myself, I argued with myself (yes, I talk to myself a lot) that if a am so strong-willed and minded to be able to give up something that has been a center of my life since I was able to nub my first solid food to death, why not something that has only been part of my life for 8 years? The addiction factors are similar if not identical. Needless to say, my healthy self argued with my addicted self and came to the conclusion that I will continue smoking until I can stand it no more and throw them away. If I was to quit cold turkey, the addicted to food and smokes side of me would surely win over my healthy side. I have accepted and relished the possibility that I may be smoke-free at the end of these 60 days. :-)

I have lost another pound!!! YAY!!! I can now take off my "fat" jeans without unbuttoning or zipping them!!! I am so excited!!! On that note, I was kind of brought down by a general lack of belief in me and the fact that I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe in it. I have done millions of diets, and every new fad that has been thrown to me. Nothing has worked or has hurt my body so bad that I was forced to stop it. On top of that, why do I want to continue to cram my body full of unnatural chemicals that my body has to figure out how to break down? Again, I have done my research and found that this has scientific proof that it will not kill me and that it is healthy! For all of those who believe that this is just another "diet"... what ever you chose to eat right now is also a "diet" choice. I am just altering my diet, I am completely changing the way I live my life, how I view food, and how my brain tells me what it wants to eat. As for the ones of you that hold the opinion that I will just gain all this weight back as soon as the 60 days are over, I will not allow it! I will never again be ashamed of how I look, hate shopping because nothing fits, or constantly feel guilty about eating or what I choose to eat! I am exercising religiously at the local YMCA on top of walking my dog for 30 minutes a day, all in an effort to retain my skin's elasticity so I won't need plastic surgery to fix the folds of skin hanging off my body. 

Let me be clear-- I am extremely proud of myself for doing this for my health and future. I AM MAKING A LIFE CHANGE!!!! That entails guts, motivation, and dedication! All of which I have been lacking the past 3 years of my life, which led to excessive weight gain and dangerous blood pressure. Never again! I absolutely refuse to die from anything relating to an unhealthy weight and lifestyle! If you have a negative opinion of what I am choosing to do, please do me the favor of keeping it to yourself. I am not making any one else go through this, it is a personal life choice. I need only motivating and encouraging people and comments around me at this point in my life. I am now taking all the negativity that I have heard in the past 6 days and adding it as kerosene to my fire to push me and motivate me further through this journey. 

I thank every single person that has been there and supportive throughout this endeavor!!! You mean the world to me! Thank you for continuing to read and experience with me!!! See you tommorrow!!!!!!! <3  

Day Five!!!

Hello everyone! I have made it clearly through the "hardest" days of the fast! :-) My morning started off normally enough until it came time to weigh myself... I dropped 2 more pounds!!! Whoo Hoo!!! I am already envisioning myself in an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini on the beaches in Greece sunbathing unabashedly! :-) I was so encouraged that I couldn't wait to start brewing my next batch of juice. I found that my taste buds tend to crave sweet first thing in the morning (which I am hoping to retrain). So I made what I am now titling as the "Vitamin C Kick".

 4 Carrots

3 Oranges

3 Kiwis

2 Apples

1/2 Lemon

Handful of Strawberries

I found out some informative tid bits from www.jointhereboot.com about the health and nutrient benefits of certain types of fruit and vegetables. For instance, kiwi and lemon has twice the amount of vitamin C than that of an orange and grapefruits pack 3 times as much!This was an excellent choice for a morning juice while trying to get over a cold without stocking up on medications. I actually ending up with a glass and a half of juice. So I made my breakfast glass and then pour the rest of it into a to-go cup as a basis for lunch. I then made sure to add mostly veggies to the lunch portion to up my veggie intake for the day.

 1 1/2 Tomato

Root of a Fennel

1/8 Watermelon

I was pleased with the outcome of the seriously sweet and the mostly salty. It ended up tasting like a fresher version of V8 juice. While sipping my juice as one would do with coffee in the morning and dancing around the house to Pandora's Summer Hits of the Millenium (Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Spice Girls, and all of the other loved artists of the early '90's and so on) I realized that I had completely forgotten to take my Adderol (which is usually more sacred to me than coffee in the morning)!!!! I realized that I was naturally energized, focused, and awake!! This just added to my excitement over all the benefits I am getting out of putting myself through this. :-)

So I went and did my pickups of niece and nephews and then hung around the house long enough to hear the mention of what they were having for dinner... TACOS AND MEXICAN RICE!!!! I was raised on Tex-Mex food in Texas and my stomach immediately lurched at the memory of the spices, smells, and tastes... I knew I had to dismiss myself or I would not hold steady to my fast, even with half a glass of fruit left. I quickly and politely said my goodbyes and came home to clean and read a little bit. As soon as I was home, I was no longer envisioning spicy flavored hamburger meat, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, sprinkled with the finest Mexican blend of cheeses, all wrapped up in a hand-made tortilla lined with re-fried beans filling the crevasses of my longing mouth. I was completely content to sip my juice idly and dream of the cute outfits I will be able to wear, which told me that I made the right choice. 

Well the vegetables did exactly as I was told and filled me up, to the point of me not wanting or needing to make a dinner juice. I am completely full and happy as I sit here and type with my nightly glass of water. :-) I feel like I am a child standing on tippy tippy toes in exasperated anxiousness waiting for the greatest piece of candy to be given. In the sense of, I really can't wait to see what tomorrow brings me much less the next 55 days! Stay tuned! Goodnight all!   

Day 4!

Good Evening Everyone! Today was the last of my "hardest" days (1-4) and I passed through it like it was no problem. I did find a website that I think anyone thinking about doing this or suggesting this to someone. The website is:

www.jointhereboot.com

This website is full of information that I found extremely helpful! Now it does not recommend the 60 day juice fast to everyone, only the seriously in need. For most people it offers 4 programs: The Long Weekend, Express, Quick Start, Classic, and Plus Dinner. Each one is adaptable to your needs and schedule, and how severe you would like the reboot to be. I chose the 60 day because I was in the severely obese BMI category, my blood pressure was way to high for someone my age, and I believed that my body needed a severe cleansing and reset. I am doing this under doctor supervision and allowance. When my blood test results come in I will be sure to share it with you. I just want to make sure that since I am informing and urging this "diet" that I keep you properly informed with all the information that I can get my hands on. I hope you find the website as agreeable if not exciting as I did. There is a great community of thousands of other individuals that are partaking in this as well and I intend on making friends and building a support system. :-)

So, for breakfast I had the left over from dinner last night. it was filling and pleasing for a morning drink. When it came time for lunch I hadn't finished my breakfast it was so filling and I was busy doing tasks and chores. So I decided to add one orange, 4 wedges of watermelon, and an apple to the mixture to leave me with a whole to-go glass for lunch and running around picking up my niece and nephews. It completely lasted me until dinner time. :-) Dinner had a couple new ingredients for me. 

2 Apples

2 Oranges

4 Carrots

1/2 Tomato

1/2 Cucumber

1/4 Lemon

1 Ginger Root

I really enjoyed this one and felt more full than I had. I was pleasantly surprised by the kick that the ginger root added to the flavor and then the lemon gave it that zesty finish! I may have to add this one to my "try again" list for another day. :-)

Well I will end this here due to my lack of energy and headache this wonderful cold is providing. Thank you for all staying tuned! I look forward to writing again tomorrow! Goodnight All!

Day Three!

Good evening everyone! I am writing later tonight than I have before. I was spending time and watching my nephews this afternoon which lead to getting home late. :-) Today was a better day than the past 2... I woke up with no food cravings and felt rested. :-) I then weighed myself and was excited to see that I had lost another 1.8 pounds!!!! Yay! I started immediately thinking about pulling out my skinny jeans to try them on, but postponed it as to not get discouraged if they didn't quite fit yet.

I started my morning off with another original mixture:

6 Carrots 

5 Apples

1/2 Mango

2 Peaches

1/4 Cantaloupe

1/2 Lemon

I was pleased with this to start off my day. I made sure to add extra carrots since my father-in-law advised me that veggies fill you up and give you that "full" feeling more than fruits do. I have also noticed that I love my apples! They seem to be in every one of my juices! I guess like the saying... an apple a day keeps the doctor away! :-) I also made this my lunch since I made enough for 2 glasses.

I spent my morning caring for my puppies and cleaning the house till I noticed that I had comments on my blog!! My very first comments! :-) So I sat down and read the two comments my dear friends had left me. They had great questions and I was more than happy and eager to address them! They inspired me to put a little bit of personality into my blog instead of just making it an account of my daily intake. So here are some facts to answer some questions and concerns that y'all may have. (He He my Texas is showing ;-) )

How I found out about this and became inspired to do this is through 2 movies: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Forks Over Knives. Both movies can be found on Netflix and are very informative and thought provoking. Please watch them for not only your benefit, but for you to better understand what I am doing and why.

This is completely healthy! I AM NOT STARVING MYSELF!!! I feel full all day, but mainly have to overcome routine eating and cravings (just like when you stop smoking). I have seen my doctor before I started this and had a full blood panel done and I have some unhealthy elevations for someone my age. He has heard of this and fully supports me and can't wait to see my results. My doctor is also a doctor that likes to trying anything before resorting to medication. For that record, I am currently taking 25mg Adderol to help with my lack of focus and energy. My goal is to be as healthy as a horse, happy, energetic, and off any and all my medications. Which, is all possible by doing this fast. I do not mess with my body or diet without seriously researching it beforehand. 

Now on to my late dinner... I was starving by the time I got home. I had inadequately prepared for the long stay at my sister-in-law's and ran out of juice just as they were sitting down to fabulous smelling and looking pasta and sausage with tomato sauce and mozzarella... my mouth instantly watered. I had watched him prepare it and saw that he used one of my favorite types of sausages... the ones with bits a cheddar throughout it. I was immediately tempted and longed for the salty gooiness to ooze through my mouth. That's when I figured out my weakness when it came to food. I was going to have a hard time battling the cravings with anything that was centered on food. When Chase and I go over to his sister's house it was always around and meal and from living with them for quite some time I had grown accustomed to relating their house and them to food. So now the second I walk through the door of their home my mouth starts watering and my mind starts flashing all the amazing (and amazingly unhealthy) foods that I have enjoyed sitting at the table or smelled in that kitchen. Going to a bar is easy for me because it has never become routine to me. Thinking about it I realized that as a society we have all centered the events of our lives around food. When there is a birthday party, holiday celebration, funeral, reunion, and so on it is all centered around FOOD! So with the conclusion of I will have to skip all the food obsessed events within the next 60-90 days, I filled my juice bottle with water and watched my adopted family eat happily. I will always make sure to have juice from now on. :-)

1/4 Watermelon

2 Oranges

3 Apples

1/2 Cucumber

4 Carrots

1/4 Lemon

Dinner was filling and relieved all of my cravings from my evening with my nephews. I made enough to where I had breakfast ready and waiting for me in the fridge. I made sure to add oranges into this juice because I was feeling like I was coming down with a cold (thanks to my loving nephews). 

I thought I would put my beginning stats in this post so everyone would know where I was starting from (which is very hard for me as a women to publicly admit).

Left and Right Biceps: 13.5"

Neck: 13.5"

Chest: 43"

Waist: 34.5"

Hips: 46.8"

Left Thigh: 27"

Right Thigh: 26.5"

Left and Right Calf: 17.5"

28% Body Fat

BMI: 34.0

Weight: 202.2 lbs

It is kind of unsettling to think that my arms are as wide around as my neck and my bust had increased exponentially from 5 years ago (no wonder my normal size bras were always digging in and hurting me). I had the "Baby Got Back" song running through my head as I read 43, 34.5, 46.8... I definitely had some back going on! :-) I know that it is depressing and mostly embarrassing to be putting this out for all of my family and friends, and some strangers, to read, but I have faith that it will become a triumph story I will look at those numbers with pride when this is all said and done. 

So I end my day feeling wiser and more accomplished... and definitely tired. :-) Please feel free to leave me some comments or questions! I am always happy and excited to answer/reply to them! Thanks for staying tuned and supportive. Even the littlest notes of encouragement make all the difference to me sometimes. Goodnight all!  

Day 2!

Hello All! Today was my second day of my Juice Reboot and I have to say it was a pretty hard one. I was craving solids all day long and would've killed someone for the caffeine in the bottom of their cup. :-) I made it through though. I bought some sugar-free gum to help lessen the need to chomp something and kept picturing myself in a little bitty bikini on an exotic beach somewhere to keep me motivated. :-)


My father-in-law is doing this as well but he is 2 1/2 weeks ahead of me, so he is giving me a little advice here and there to help me through (which I am eternally grateful for). He warned me that the first day you will have to pee more than a 9 months along pregnant women (which happened). Also, that the first 4-5 days are the hardest since you are breaking your mind and body of the need of solid food. Days 2-3 there is a possibility of cramps and then a sudden urge for your body to vacate whatever is in your body (restroom wise- tried to make it sound prettier than it is). Days 1-5 you may feel weak, tired, irritable and achy, but after the first couple of days everything improves and you feel much better.He also told me that when Miss America did this, she lost 90 pounds and kept motivated by keeping a picture of her overweight and out of shape self on her phone and would look at it any time she was tempted. I may not go to that extreme because I would have to pull out that photo in public places, but I have thought about buying an outfit or swimsuit in my goal weight size and hanging that in my room so I can see it and get motivated every day. On a side note, Chase asked me if I wanted to quit smoking at the same time that I did this Reboot... my reply to him was No. You wouldn't want to come home for over a month. :-)


A little advice for people, friends, or family that are willing to try this: Apples will sweeten anything, when using Beets LESS IS MORE, any green veggie may make it taste a little like grass, and to overcome and mellow out any bad taste add 1/2-1/4 lemon. Hope these little tid-bits help! I am sure I will have more to come as I trial and error my way through this. :-)


Now on to my meals... Breakfast was an extra from the juice I made last night since I had to make a new one because the beet one was absolutely horrible. This one included:

3 Pineapple Spears

2 Oranges

1/4 Cantaloupe

Handful of Strawberries

Handful of Green Seedless Grapes

I really liked this one. I have to add that those amounts made 2 large glassfuls. It was an excellent replacement for the nasty juice last night as well as a great pick me up for the next morning and carried me through lunch. I was pleased with this mixture. (Sorry no picture, it was late when I made it and I had it in a portable cup during the day)

Since my juice for breakfast lasted until about 4:30 p, I skipped lunch and waited till dinner. I should also add that I made it through Wal-mart again today without breaking my diet (even though the fried chicken from the deli smelled AMAZING!!!!). :-) So, for dinner I decided to break with the recipes and make a juice out of whatever called to me in the fridge. 

 * Made for 2 glasses

9 Carrots

1 Cucumber

6 Apples

1/4 Honeydew Melon

1/2 Lemon

2 Kiwi

Handful of Raspberries

This one was pretty good. I could taste the "grass" taste from the cucumber but the apples and lemon masked it well. I even took a to-go bottle with me to the local bar to meet up with some friends. I was tempted when someone offered me their hot wings, but I just closed my eyes, smelt the wing smell and drank my juice. :-) Worked very well for myself along with the gum. I am very proud of myself for tempting myself on the 2nd day and not giving in. I had fun with my friends and they all gave me notes of encouragement. :-)

Now I am heading off to bed. Thanks for keeping up with me and my progress! OH! I almost forgot!!! I LOST 2.6 POUNDS IN ONE DAY!!!!! I'm really excited to see the rest of my progress now. :-) Goodnight all!