Day 25 - The New York Compromise

I've never held myself as a person of great discipline. For whatever reason, the juicing comes easy to me, so I don't see it as something requiring a lot of discipline. That being said, it comes as no surprise to me that it has been tough to stick to juice alone during my trip to NY.

I have decided to make a couple of alterations to the original plan. I'm not going to freak out over every little thing I eat, but I am going to try to keep a lid on it. But to compensate for the inevitable backslide caused in my deviation, I will add another week to the juice fast, for a total of 67 days. Don't get me wrong, I'm not abandoning the juice while I'm here. I'm still trying to keep the food to a minimum.

Having dined out twice yesterday, my weight went back up three pounds, as was to be expected. It did motivate me to take Buckley for a 2.5 mile walk at 6:00 this morning. We were both frightened of the unfamiliar surroundings that accompany this unknown hour. But we stuck together and survived. I haven't been taking it too easy during my stay here. Between laying down a laminate floor in the upstairs of my parents' house and installing a new mailbox, I'm sure I've sweat out a baby back rib or two.

While this feels like a disappointment, I feel better knowing that I will be making up for it in the end with the extension. Thanks for your support and encouragement. It means a great deal to me. Seacrest out.

Day 21 - I Love NY / Life in the Sixties

I Love NY

Hey everybody. I know it's been a little while, but I can finally sit down and write. I made the drive up to New York, and it was a breeze with my pal Buckley riding shotgun.

Sense memory is an amazing thing. As soon as I walked in the door at my parents' house, the overwhelming feeling I had was "time to eat!" My mom wasn't even cooking anything. There was just something about walking in that sent the sensation rushing in. You'll all be greatly relieved to know that I dismissed the feeling and held firm. Before I left, I made some homemade V-8 juice that didn't taste anything like V-8, but was good in its own right. So that's what I had.

I've been here over a full day now, and it's business as usual for me and my juicing. My mom is even getting in on the act, which will definitely help. I've been to a couple of farmer's markets and a roadside stand. They didn't have a lot of variety, but what they did have was excellent in quality. I think I have most of what I need for the week, except for apples and oranges. You'd think those would be the easiest to find. Well, you'd be a dummy. It's okay though, I'm a dummy, too.

Life in the Sixties

I hit a little milestone today. I weighed in at 269.2 pounds today. That's down 29.8 from the start of this endeavor. I was relieved to see the number, because I checked in at 272.6 yesterday. The road trip didn't knock me off course, so I was surprised to see the number go up. But there it was. I won't say I did a dance when I saw the 269.2 this morning, but I did let out a "Woohoo!"

I've got my eyes on a much bigger prize, but 30 pounds in 21 days feels pretty good. It just dawned on me while writing this post that I've gone almost as long as long as my last juice fast. And I'm not even feeling close to quitting. There are a few reasons I can see contributing to that. First, this blog and the support I have been getting from people have made a huge difference. Secondly, I'm not watching cooking shows and thinking about the things I want to make when I'm done juicing. Even though they were healthy foods, they were still a distraction from what I was trying to accomplish. My desire to succeed is much stronger this time, and I know I can go much further this time.

Day 16 - Crisis Averted and Plenty o' Rust

Crisis Averted

Who would have thought limes were evil? Certainly not me before yesterday. That was before one of them set out to destroy my juicer. In battle there is a saying, kill the head and the body will die. In juicing, the juicer is the head, and this dastardly lime went for a kill shot.

I was making a citrus-y, fruity drink for myself and decided to add a lime to the mix for a little twist. First off, you can't peel the damn things, because the skin is so thin and leathery that it pulls the whole fruit apart if you try. So it had to go in whole, and that's where the trouble came in. I dropped it in the chute and started to press with the plunger and the juicer just stopped.

Panic didn't set in just yet, because this has happened before. The last time it happened, I just unplugged the juicer and let it rest for about five minutes before it fired back up again. No such luck this time. The feeling of dread was outside, looking in through the windows. I went online to find the operator's manual and saw that there was a reset button on the bottom of the juicer. Problem solved! I turned the juicer on its side and found the button. I gave it a press and... nothing. Dread was inside the house now and looking over my shoulder at the carcass of my juicer. The thoughts that went through my head were nothing less than nightmarish. I instantly saw myself binging on junk food because what the hell was the point now? I picture myself gaining the weight I've lost in spectacular fashion. It was a pretty grim scenario.

I decided to let the juicer rest for 10 more minutes and give it one last shot. And like the old Chevy in the horror movie, it fired right up at the last second. The obvious moral here isn't that it helps to read the manual, or cut the peel off of limes before juicing them. It's that limes are evil and out to destroy lives. Maybe it was the ordeal getting to me, but the juice wasn't even good. Too much lime.

Plenty o' Rust

I got a great surprise gift this week. My sister, Lisa, put me on her LA Fitness membership, so I now have gym access. The Tucker location of LA Fitness has to be one of the nicest gyms in the area, so I was excited to check it out. The first workout I had was great. I did about 40 minutes combined of cardio. I also did some back and bicep work. I was careful not to overextend myself for two reasons, I don't know what kind of energy stores I have when tested and I don't want sore muscles to deter me from keeping to a schedule. Day 2 was a success as well. I just did cardio and that was closer to an hour total.

On my third day there, the basketball court was calling me and I went in to shoot around. The half-court game that was going on ended and they asked if we who were shooting wanted to play a game. We started playing, and after about 5 possessions, my lungs were on fire. I called a time out and asked a guy who was watching if he could sub for me. He did, and I went to the water fountain post haste. After I drank a quart or two, I went into the locker room and ran the cold shower over my head. I didn't think I was in shape to play basketball, and now I had confirmation. I am proud of myself that I didn't pack it up though. I went upstairs and did 45 minutes of cardio.

Less Depressing Stuff

I have an exciting weekend coming up. I have two job interviews tomorrow, and I'm babysitting my nephew on Saturday. Then on Sunday, I'm hitting the road for a week-long trip to my hometown of Youngstown, NY. Like I said in an earlier post, I'm bringing my juicer and scale and will keep updating from the road. And limes are evil.

Day 13

Today is going to be a video blog. The fast has been going very well, and this morning I weighed in at 273.4, which is a loss of 25.6 lbs. I'm really happy with the way things are going, and the falling numbers make it easier to stick to the program.

So, without further ado, here is today's entry:


One additional note: I'm planning a trip to WNY for my dad's 60th and my cousin's wedding. I will be eating solid foods while I'm there, but as rarely as possible. I'm bringing my juicer and my scale, and I'll keep up with the program and blog while I'm there. But I can't pass up some of Ronnie's ribs!

Maybe a little too easy?

The first thing people usually say when I tell them I'm doing a juice fast is, "That sounds so hard. I could never do that." I will then reassure them that they could, and it's really not so hard. I'm not out preaching about it, but I feel compelled to inform people that I'm not in possession of any super abilities.

The truth is, it's not really that hard once you get past the first few days. In fact, in the past couple of days I have only been having one juice per day. It's not something I've been trying to do, but the reality is that I'm not thinking about it that much, and I don't really feel that hungry. I'm going to make an effort to juice at least twice a day, because I know I'm only cheating myself of nutrients I need. Plus, when you're on a fast of any kind, your body's metabolism slows down. I don't need to slow it down any more that it has already, lest the whole exercise be rendered moot.

The bummer of the week is that the passcodes I tried for the office fitness center didn't work, so I'm stuck working out outside like some kind of animal. I haven't started that yet. I don't know what it is, but when I've had a long layoff from working out, there is a reluctance verging on fear about starting to work out again. I guess it's the almost-instant reminder I get of how out of condition I really am. A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. I guess it's time to stop looking at the other 999.99 miles and take the first step.

Day 8

Breakfast is served!

Day 7

Let's Go Shopping!

In order to stave off boredom, I'm trying to have a little fun with my day-to-day juicing related activities. Here's a video I made of my trip to the farmer's market.

Day 6

I’m cruising right along with my juicing, and the pounds are falling off. It gets tough at times, but I’m coming to realize that the times when I’m most tempted to deviate are when I’m hungry or bored. I’m also a bit of an emotional eater, so if something is upsetting me, I tend to reach for comfort foods. I know I’m far from alone in that respect, but there’s something cathartic about getting it out there in black and white.
I’m feeling pretty good right now and I’ve been getting support from friends and family, which is awesome and very much appreciated. I’ve always been a smartass/cynic, so it feels good to be doing something positive and getting encouragement for it. While I’m on the subject of encouragement, now is as good a time as any to mention my friends Katie and Whitney have started a weight loss blog of their own. They’re both going to lose 40 pounds and document it at http://mysistersaloser.blogspot.com. Be sure to check it out and show them your support.
The energy levels are getting back to normal, on the way to increased, so I’m going to start exercising. I have been walking with the dogs pretty regularly, but I need to step it up a bit. I canceled my gym membership last month, so I’m hoping the passcode I have for the fitness center at my old office still works. I think I’ll start off with the elliptical and gradually integrate some treadmill work. I really want to get back into running again. It’s probably the activity I miss the most from my fitter days.
Well, I’m gonna sign off. If you’re reading this, do me a favor and leave a brief comment below, even if it’s just “Hi.” It would be great to know who’s seeing this.

Day 4

I'm not going to be writing entries every day, or taking pictures for that matter. I will upload pictures and videos I think will be of interest. That being said, I am going strong with my juicing and I feel like I'm getting into the groove, and the adjustment period is nearing its end.

I went to the movies last night. It's amazing how much a food craving can hit you. I walked into the lobby and the smell of popcorn just smacked me in the face. It was pretty rough for a minute, but the craving subsided. If you want to test yourself, walk into a movie theater 3 days into a fast. If you're feeling like you could break, I would advise staying away. The fact that the smallest popcorn is $6.00 should also help dissuade you. I think movie popcorn has a higher percentage markup than diamonds.

The movie I went to see was Horrible Bosses. I was a little skeptical going in because the reviews weren't fantastic, but they weren't bad either. So I didn't have high expectations for the movie, but I think it would have surpassed them even if I did. I'd put it behind Bridesmaids and the first Hangover movie as the best comedies of recent years, and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, adult comedy. There is a lot of swearing and a little bit of nudity, but it doesn't rely on gross-out gags, which was good by me.
I'm not going to be writing entries every day, or taking pictures for that matter. I will upload pictures and videos I think will be of interest. That being said, I am going strong with my juicing and I feel like I'm getting into the groove, and the adjustment period is nearing its end.

I went to the movies last night. It's amazing how much a food craving can hit you. I walked into the lobby and the smell of popcorn just smacked me in the face. It was pretty rough for a minute, but the craving subsided. If you want to test yourself, walk into a movie theater 3 days into a fast. If you're feeling like you could break, I would advise staying away. The fact that the smallest popcorn is $6.00 should also help dissuade you. I think movie popcorn has a higher percentage markup than diamonds.


Oh, and one of the trailers was for this movie, which looks pretty entertaining:

Day 2

Apple, Orange, pineapple and grape juice.


Dinner: Spinach, kale, carrot, ginger, celery and green pepper.


 

I'm not going to be posting my weigh-in results on the individual pages anymore. I made a page named "Weight Tracker" that will have results on it. Check it out!

Day 1

Dinner was carrot, tomato, lettuce, ginger, celery, bok choy and green pepper.



Weight: 292.8 lb
Change: -6.2 lb
Mood: Tired and a little hungry, but feeling good about my choice.

Notes: I feel alright today. I felt hungry for most of the day, but that's exactly what happened last time. I just have to focus my attention elsewhere, or remind myself that the feeling goes away after a few minutes. The tiredness that accompanies the first few days of a juice fast hit me like a truck today. I just slept for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. It's sort of like a grand carb crash. My body was expecting to be recharged with a bunch of calories, but when they weren't there, the whole operation just shut down and it was nap time. A few more days of this and it's smooth sailing. Which reminds me, if you're thinking of doing a juice fast, start on or just before the weekend. You'll be wiped out over the weekend, but ready to go for Monday.

 

A Farewell to Solid Foods

My night tonight consisted of dinner at Zucca in Decatur (there is a 50% discount on ScoutMob) and shopping for produce at Super H-mart. The pizza was as good as it looks, and it was definitely a grand sendoff. But like most meals of that nature, the momentary enjoyment gives way to unpleasantness. I feel stuffed and lethargic. It actually makes me look forward to the feeling I get during a fast, which is lighter and cleaner.

My official night time pre-fast weigh-in goes as follows:

Weight: 298.4 lb
Change: -.6 lb
Mood: Stuffed and looking forward to starting
Notes: Feeling pretty good about the juice fast. I just need to keep my eyes on the prize and avoid trouble. Should be too difficult, for a while anyway.

Preparation

I need to mentally prepare for this juice fast on which I am about to embark. I should also get some produce.

Weight: 299.0 lb
Mood: Tired and a little depressed
Notes: Wow, one pound short of three bills. That is nothing short of pathetic.