Weekend Challenges and Success

So week one is down!  I think there is a major mental hurdle you surpass at the one week mark. I feel much more at ease coming out of the weekend.  I planned a few too many social encounters this weekend, WAY too early-on for my willpower to catch up.  This weekend my sister and I took my Mom to a concert for her birthday.  Because this was an evening event, I could skip the dinner plans and meet up with the fam to just go out.  Juice was my cutest accessory! This juice fast supplied a built-in designated driver...me!  Which was perfectly fine and pretty funny in fact.  I drank pints of water with lemon all night at the show and felt very included in the fun.

On Saturday night my boyfriend and I went over to my sister's house to play with my nephew and hang out with the family.  My sister made a delicious dinner of stuffed sweet potatoes and braised brussels sprouts with kale.  My boyfriend had a steak with some veggies...and I had juice.  It is way to hard to sit at the dinner table while others eat. I should have taken my nephew for a walk. Even if my stomach wasn't grumbling; it is hard to sit there and not eat.  I felt grumpy and left out. (Not anyone's fault, I realize. I am the one who decided to juice fast.) I also have to stop and recognize that the weight loss, increased energy, and great rest are all worth passing up a few weeks of meals.  As my sister says, "Nothing is going extinct while you're dieting."  And she's right.  Stuffed sweet potatoes will always be there. I even bet my sister will make them for me while I play with my nephew in a few short weeks. 

Starting my second week back at work on the fast feels much more natural.  I feel less carnivorous and more calm.  My hunger isn't intense; in fact I feel no more hungry than when I was eating.  I have extra stressful events scheduled at work this week.  And even though I will be traveling all day tomorrow with lots of stops and a business lunch; I am grateful that I am portable with my juice packed along with me. When I get hungry I don't have to stop for food.  I just need to reach into my cooler bag for some juice and keep going. 

With my head clearer and the scale down 7.4 pounds now; I look forward to the coming days on my Reboot.

Keep calm and Juice on!

Day 6: New Juice Recipes

It's Day 6 and I am within striking distance of completing my first week of my Reboot juice cleanse. I am down 5.1 pounds and I am still feeling fantastic.  I have an almost annoying amount of energy, I am sleeping like a baby, and I am not incredibly hungry.  I do experience hunger when it is meal time or snack time; but the hunger pains pale in comparison to when I am eating.  Yesterday I experienced a little bit of listlessness in the afternoon that faded once I drank a juice snack.

I have been swimming four out of the six days I have been on the cleanse.  I know not to push a hard workout until I become more used to my new intake. I swim a few laps and do some moves I learned in water aerobics class; roughly a 30-45 minute workout.

I have 2 new delicious juice recipes for you!

Count Lawrence Carrol's Bruschetta Juice
(To keep the vampires away!)
Tomatoes
Basil
Garlic (2-3 cloves for 2 32 oz. servings)

This juice is thick and filling.  My best friend's dad, Lawrence, raved about this delicious juice so I had to try it.  It satisfies the savory cravings and is quite a bit different than fruit juice.

Orange Delight
Orange
Mango
Afghan Melon

This has been my most delicious juice blend to date.  It is sweet and filling. I started my day with it yesterday and had energy straight til lunch.  Enjoy both of these tasty new juices and Juice On!

Day 4 Down 4!

It's Day 4 and I woke up and weighed my self and I lost another 2.2 lbs!  Down 4 pounds since Sunday.  I feel so encouraged and motivated.  It also helps that I woke up feeling like a million bucks!  It's almost silly, I feel hyperactive, tons of energy! 

Since yesterday morning was a bit rough for me; I started my day today with my fruit juice to start my day with more calories.  I normally enjoy my green juice as meals and use my fruit juices for snack between.  I'll let you know how the switch affects me today.

I made a fresh batch of green juice last night. I made it a little less sweet with fewer apples.  I have been craving a bit of salty foods.  So maybe a less sweet juice will satisfy my craving.

Thought I would give a quick update to let you know that the first few days are hard and the detox symptoms can be tough.  But hang in there; it gets better.  I feel better today then when I was eating regular food!

Keep it going!

Day 2 and 3

Yesterday, day 2, was my first day at work on the cleanse.  It went shockingly well.  Work was a welcomed distraction from focusing on juicing. I had felt a little bored on Sunday night with all the food thought removed from my day.  I moved through the my day at work with relative ease.

In reading others' Reboot stories, in day two and three they seem to start to feel the effects of their bodies releasing toxins. Since I coasted through yesterday feeling great; the symptoms I am experiencing today feel like they are due.  I woke up a little headachey and nauseous.  I really felt like staying in bed this morning...not to say that is juicing related...I would rather stay in bed most days.  Once I got up and drank my hot lemon water and started getting ready I felt less nauseous and refreshed.  I am having an extra pressure-filled day at work and that coupled with my nausea isn't an awesome combo.  My symptoms are not severe and start to evade with every sip of juice I take. 

I like how co-workers throw in their unsolicited 2 cents.  This morning I was told to just drink a little caffeine and that would relieve my headache. Or maybe have a snack.  I thought, "You're right! I DO need a snack!"  I missed my mid morning juice snack! 


Now after heading to the park at lunch to enjoy my Green Juice I am back in business.  I am three quarters the way through day three and I am feeling like this Reboot is doing it's job.  No results worth having should come to us easily.  Then I would be robbed of learning the lessons the process has to teach me.  As my motto thus far in life dictates, "I am stronger than I think I am!"  And I am.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to include: I've lost 1.8 lbs since Sunday!  How ya like them apples...or melons?!

Reboot Kickoff!

My Reboot has begun!

In preperation on Saturday I hit the vegetable market with my mom and may have gone a little nuts on my purchasing.  I filled an entire cart to nearly overflowing including stacking five melons underneath it. My mom and I were heaving it around the store hoping a small child wouldn't pop out of nowhere because slowing to a top was very difficult. Once I got home, it took me and my boyfriend Arrol about 10 trips to get it all upstairs.  For my last chewed meal before the Reboot I ordered Thai tofu curry and brown rice.  I had to savor my last meal and really enjoy it so that I didn't feel jipped as I enter cleanse.

Sunday morning my mom had planned to come over and help me kick off my Reboot and start juicing.  Little did I know my sister was on her way with my nephew in toe for support and encouragement! It was an impromptu kickoff party with family and boyfriend in attendance. 

Thank God I started washing and categorizing my fruits and veggies Saturday night. You can see the bounty of goods I had and it nearly took all evening to unload!

We juiced three varieties of juice enough to last a little over three days.  We started with Green Juice so I could drink breakfast and have good energy to continue juicing.  My mom is a machine and kept me laughing the entire time!

I loved the taste of my "Green Juice". It tastes green! It's sweet and a little tart and sends chills down my spine.  I felt like a plant that was fed Miracle Grow.  I perked right up!  Later I drank what I nicknamed "Berry Heaven".  It was an amazing combination I could not even imagine. My first sip I thought, "Wow, that would be great with a little vodka in it!"  Then I relished in it's pure deliciousness.  I ended my day with a swim and my "Pumpkin Pie Juice". I went through my entire day with no real hunger.  Infact, I was hard pressed to finish the last few ounces at night.




Green Juice:                                   Pumpkin Pie Juice:                        Berry Heaven:
Kale                                                 Carrot                                              Black Grape
Celery                                              Sweet Potato                                   Red Grape                      
Spinach                                           Butternut Squash                           Black Plum
Granny Smith Apple                     Orange                                             Peach
Lemon                                             Lemon                                             Watermelon
                                                         Cinnamon                                       Raspberries
                                                                                                                  Black Berries
                                                                                                                  Blue Berries

As the sun went down I sat on my balcony, drank a cup of herbal tea, and thought about the first day of my journey.  In the quietness I realized how much I dedicated to my eating.  All the thought that went into what I would make next.  The entertainment these thoughts provided me. I may have a ton of extra time on my hands over the next 59 days.

Overall, after day one I feel excited. Encouraged by the love and support of my family and friends; I hope this high lasts for a few more days.  I will blog how I am feeling as my journey progresses. 


Day One: Success!