So, February is over and I'm glad to see it go. The weather is gradually getting better and better although there are still way too few sunny days for my taste. We are supposed to get ice and frigid temps for Sunday and Monday but then it is supposed to warm up to normal temps for this area and time of year. So with the majority of the really cold stuff behind us, I am confident enough to go ahead and start another juice fast. I'm juicing at least through March and maybe part or all of April. I'm calling this my March Juicing Madness!
I reached my second 10% goal in February so that was a huge victory that put me at 275.5 and I actually got down to 273. But overall February weight loss was quite slow. I believe that it is probably normal for our bodies to hold onto the weight tighter when we are exposed to frequent subzero temps as a safety mechanism and I was definitely exposed. Not as in, "Baby It's Cold Outside" so I'll stay in my house where it's nice and warm. Oh no! I'm talking cold as in my house is a pile of crap and you can't keep it warm. Cannot. I have been freezing my assets off this winter. But I just feel in my bones that my body is ready to start letting it go again so as a kick start, I'm back on Da Juice! I have my brain in juicing gear so that I'm not even looking at or thinking about the chewed stuff. That is the hard-to-describe difference between wanting to do a juice fast and having it just not take off like I did earlier this winter and a juice fast that is working for me. I'm in the zone baby.
I'm really pumped because the 10% goal I'm working on right now is to go from 275.5 to 248. Making 248 will put me just 8 pounds away from having lost 100lbs. So I've been hoping that I could hit 248 by the end of March but now I'm thinking that I will go on into April however far it takes to actually hit 100lbs gone. I'm really going to hit 100lbs gone! Like within the next few weeks! How exciting is that?!
I made a youtube vid about my March plans that I've also posted here on my blog and I am getting ready to upload one about willpower. I said I didn't believe in willpower and a friend said she was curious about that and I should make a vid so I did:) It'll be up shortly. I don't usually feel like I really articulate what I'm trying to say in these videos which is frustrating for me as public speaking is another one of those things that I used to be good at:/ But it is a personal challenge I've set for myself. It's almost therapeutic.
So that's where I'm at for March. I'm planning to weigh in on Fridays so I'll at least post progress blogs on Friday or Saturday of each week.
JUICE ON! WE GOT THIS!!!
Showing posts with label detox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label detox. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Sunday, February 2, 2014
If You Are Juice FASTING, Then, for Heaven's Sake FAST!
Okay, I'm gonna rant a bit so prepare yourself. And remember that this rant applies to the old Natshell as much as to anyone else.
I have heard SO many people say, "I don't like vegatables." And I've even heard quite a few say, "I don't like water." Let's be clear here. What you are saying is that you have become so addicted to artificial crap posing as food and drink that your body has forgotten what it really needs. That, in my humble opinion, is the best and most important function of a juice fast. It gives your body the chance to get out from under that addiction and remember what it really, biologically, needs so that it will start telling you that this is what it wants again.
Those of us who have been through some juice fasting tell newcomers not to worry because their taste buds will change. It's truth. The same is true of the water. There are some people who try to baby people along and tell them to do whatever is easiest for them. "Just drink tea or flavored water." "Don't worry about giving up your coffee if that is too hard for you." "I'm sure a diet soda once in a while won't be the end of the world, at least you'll be getting some healthy juice too...." I tell people similar things sometimes when I sense that they are really not mentally prepared to deal with their addictions. But here is my honest to goodness bottom line. Here is where what Natalie really believes departs from what kind Natalie isn't going to push on others. When I'm in a public forum, I am pretty good at feeling out where someone is mentally and emotionally and I don't generally push. I'm not God and I'm not the world's leading juicing expert so I encourage people to find their own path and make their chosen path work for them. Here's the not-so-kind truth why I say and act that way. Everyone out there has the same resources I had to find the truth. Everyone has the same responsibility to themselves to find it. And everyone out there has to live with their choices. Meanwhile, here on MY blog, I can be blunt about what I've learned and about what I believe without worrying about hurting anyone's tender feelers. So, are you prepared now? This isn't the Natshell you are used to....
SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP. JUST DRINK THE JUICE AND THE WATER. Your body was not designed to crave coffee or that poison crap called soda. It was designed to NEED and CRAVE pure water to survive! Your body wasn't designed to crave a cheeseburger. It was designed to crave plants. Give it a chance. Give it a tiny little chance to get out from under all the addictive S.H.I.T. that our illustrious scientists have created to cause it to crave those things and you will be ASTOUNDED by how fast it will switch to doing what it was designed to do.
In case there is anyone out there who hasn't yet come to accept that the food industry intentionally hooks us on unhealthy crap, don't take my word for it:
You haven't been able to "eat in moderation" or use "portion control" any more than a crack addict can "control" himself with crack. It's addictive. And if you don't believe the higher ups at the food giants know this and use it to sell more more more, then you are too naive to waste my time on. So with you, I'll be gentle and kind in another place and time. For now, those of you who can handle the truth, suck it up, recognize you are being used and abused and do what you would tell any alcohol or drug addict to do. Step away from the crap that is hurting you. Replace it with what can make you healthy and strong. If you don't "enjoy" it in the beginning, just "take your medicine" and have faith. You will come to enjoy it. You will come to crave it as the life-giving substance that it is. Your body knows. Once you clear out the crap, you can trust your body to tell you what it needs.
Let's not forget that sometimes old, sick tapes can still play in our heads and tell us that we "deserve" to "enjoy" the junk that Barbie and Ken are having at the family picnic. After all, look how sexy they look! Just remind yourself that what you really deserve is health, freedom from disease, depression and obesity. What you really deserve is to live into your 90s with vigor and purpose. And it doesn't hurt to remind yourself that you can "enjoy" things that don't hurt you! Do I feel deprived when I'm having a vegan, raw chocolate brownie at the party while others are having TollHouse cookies? Hell no! I'm getting the great hormonal boost of the raw chocolate without the heaping dose of poison on the side! Thanks anyway;o) And it doesn't hurt to remind yourself that in 40 or 50 years, Barbie and Ken will probably either be pushing up daisies or toodling around a nursing home with their walkers while you are doing 5ks or (if you are me) trail riding with your grandkids.
One more little bitty rant and I'll return you to your regularly scheduled easy-going Natshell. Promise. When you are on a juice fast. FAST on JUICE. "Is it okay to add a bit of meat so I'll get enough protein?" No. "Is it okay to take a bunch of chemical pain relievers because I have a headache?" No. "Is it okay to have my coffee in the morning since it's liquid?" NO! Go ahead and do those things if you want. But DON'T call it a JUICE.... FAST! Caffeine, meat and chemicals are some of the precise things your body is having to try to recover from in detox!!!! If you are still using those things, or having a super healthy weight watchers frozen dessert to keep from feeling "deprived" or having "just a bite" of the kids mac and cheese, you aren't juice fasting. You are giving your body some great nutrition. You are giving your body a chance to battle the effects of those toxins. Giving your body a fighting chance is a good thing. But it isn't a juice fast.
(Big sigh.) I feel better now.
Oh and, for those who care to know, I'm juicing February starting the minute the Superbowl ends. I have my healthy snacks and my salad and I am READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!! Go Broncos!!!!
Oh and my birthday is Feb 11 so I will be having a super yummy, satisfying and indulgent vegan healthy meal on that day. Is that a "planned cheat?" NO! It's a planned healthy meal. I DON'T CHEAT!
Okay, NOW I feel better. Let's just say that some Dysfunctional Eating Societies posing as juicing support groups are making me a bit cray cray. But I'm aaaaallll better now;o)
JUICE ON!!
I have heard SO many people say, "I don't like vegatables." And I've even heard quite a few say, "I don't like water." Let's be clear here. What you are saying is that you have become so addicted to artificial crap posing as food and drink that your body has forgotten what it really needs. That, in my humble opinion, is the best and most important function of a juice fast. It gives your body the chance to get out from under that addiction and remember what it really, biologically, needs so that it will start telling you that this is what it wants again.
Those of us who have been through some juice fasting tell newcomers not to worry because their taste buds will change. It's truth. The same is true of the water. There are some people who try to baby people along and tell them to do whatever is easiest for them. "Just drink tea or flavored water." "Don't worry about giving up your coffee if that is too hard for you." "I'm sure a diet soda once in a while won't be the end of the world, at least you'll be getting some healthy juice too...." I tell people similar things sometimes when I sense that they are really not mentally prepared to deal with their addictions. But here is my honest to goodness bottom line. Here is where what Natalie really believes departs from what kind Natalie isn't going to push on others. When I'm in a public forum, I am pretty good at feeling out where someone is mentally and emotionally and I don't generally push. I'm not God and I'm not the world's leading juicing expert so I encourage people to find their own path and make their chosen path work for them. Here's the not-so-kind truth why I say and act that way. Everyone out there has the same resources I had to find the truth. Everyone has the same responsibility to themselves to find it. And everyone out there has to live with their choices. Meanwhile, here on MY blog, I can be blunt about what I've learned and about what I believe without worrying about hurting anyone's tender feelers. So, are you prepared now? This isn't the Natshell you are used to....
SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP. JUST DRINK THE JUICE AND THE WATER. Your body was not designed to crave coffee or that poison crap called soda. It was designed to NEED and CRAVE pure water to survive! Your body wasn't designed to crave a cheeseburger. It was designed to crave plants. Give it a chance. Give it a tiny little chance to get out from under all the addictive S.H.I.T. that our illustrious scientists have created to cause it to crave those things and you will be ASTOUNDED by how fast it will switch to doing what it was designed to do.
In case there is anyone out there who hasn't yet come to accept that the food industry intentionally hooks us on unhealthy crap, don't take my word for it:
Let's not forget that sometimes old, sick tapes can still play in our heads and tell us that we "deserve" to "enjoy" the junk that Barbie and Ken are having at the family picnic. After all, look how sexy they look! Just remind yourself that what you really deserve is health, freedom from disease, depression and obesity. What you really deserve is to live into your 90s with vigor and purpose. And it doesn't hurt to remind yourself that you can "enjoy" things that don't hurt you! Do I feel deprived when I'm having a vegan, raw chocolate brownie at the party while others are having TollHouse cookies? Hell no! I'm getting the great hormonal boost of the raw chocolate without the heaping dose of poison on the side! Thanks anyway;o) And it doesn't hurt to remind yourself that in 40 or 50 years, Barbie and Ken will probably either be pushing up daisies or toodling around a nursing home with their walkers while you are doing 5ks or (if you are me) trail riding with your grandkids.
One more little bitty rant and I'll return you to your regularly scheduled easy-going Natshell. Promise. When you are on a juice fast. FAST on JUICE. "Is it okay to add a bit of meat so I'll get enough protein?" No. "Is it okay to take a bunch of chemical pain relievers because I have a headache?" No. "Is it okay to have my coffee in the morning since it's liquid?" NO! Go ahead and do those things if you want. But DON'T call it a JUICE.... FAST! Caffeine, meat and chemicals are some of the precise things your body is having to try to recover from in detox!!!! If you are still using those things, or having a super healthy weight watchers frozen dessert to keep from feeling "deprived" or having "just a bite" of the kids mac and cheese, you aren't juice fasting. You are giving your body some great nutrition. You are giving your body a chance to battle the effects of those toxins. Giving your body a fighting chance is a good thing. But it isn't a juice fast.
(Big sigh.) I feel better now.
Oh and, for those who care to know, I'm juicing February starting the minute the Superbowl ends. I have my healthy snacks and my salad and I am READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!! Go Broncos!!!!
Oh and my birthday is Feb 11 so I will be having a super yummy, satisfying and indulgent vegan healthy meal on that day. Is that a "planned cheat?" NO! It's a planned healthy meal. I DON'T CHEAT!
Okay, NOW I feel better. Let's just say that some Dysfunctional Eating Societies posing as juicing support groups are making me a bit cray cray. But I'm aaaaallll better now;o)
JUICE ON!!
Friday, January 10, 2014
JANUARY JUICE AND CHEW DAY 10
So with the van broke down, it was late evening before we got any groceries. We usually get our groceries on Thursday afternoon so we were out of just about everything! No greens! No carrots! No oranges or lemons! It was pretty crazy so I didn't have any juice today:'( I did take my water way up. I was a bit constipated for the first time since I started this whole thing and I realized that with the cold weather I was literally, even with herbal tea, only getting about 20oz of water each day. No bueno. I ended up just doing a lot of snacking and water drinking today. We'll see how that plays out on the scale tomorrow and the next day (I don't believe results of what we eat today always show up immediately.) So without further ado...
Weigh-in this morning 280.6
76oz water
Large salad
Grapefruit
3 tangerines
1 banana
Quinoa with red peppers and spinach - 1.5 cups
Small apple
1 oz raisins
1 cup popcorn
I suspect my calories were low today. That definitely might slow me down a bit but maybe with the increased water I'll be okay. Anyway, I feel like my body felt sufficiently nourished. As I said, it was just a lot of snacking. I prefer when I divide my eating into some semblance of meals but I'm not really concerned. I have a lot on my non-food "plate" right now and I'm keeping it healthy, which is the bottom line. But I have to say I really can't wait to get up in the morning and get my juice on:) Speaking of which, JUICE ON!!
Weigh-in this morning 280.6
76oz water
Large salad
Grapefruit
3 tangerines
1 banana
Quinoa with red peppers and spinach - 1.5 cups
Small apple
1 oz raisins
1 cup popcorn
I suspect my calories were low today. That definitely might slow me down a bit but maybe with the increased water I'll be okay. Anyway, I feel like my body felt sufficiently nourished. As I said, it was just a lot of snacking. I prefer when I divide my eating into some semblance of meals but I'm not really concerned. I have a lot on my non-food "plate" right now and I'm keeping it healthy, which is the bottom line. But I have to say I really can't wait to get up in the morning and get my juice on:) Speaking of which, JUICE ON!!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Winter 2014 Juice Fast Day 1
First off, I have to start by saying my heart goes out to those affected by this insane cold front that has blanketed the nation. Many areas are getting down in the 30 below area!! Here in Oklahoma it was in the single digits most of the time for the last two days. Windchill last time I checked yesterday during the day was around negative 12 degrees. My main source of heat is out so we have portable electric radiator style heaters. They do all right when it is in the 20s or 30s but single digits are too much for them. It was 35deg in my house when I went to bed last night. It is supposed to get up in the 40s and 50s for the rest of the foreseeable forecast so we're fine here. But so much of the country is just frozen. My husband is snowed in at a truck stop in Gary, Indiana. And this cold is apparently hard on heating systems because my daughter and several friends have reported their heat going out. However, my main thoughts and prayers at a time like this are for the homeless. The shelters are just woefully inadequate, at least around here. I feel bad because I didn't take any hats and scarves to the shelters this year at all. The last couple of winters have been so mild it sort of fell off my radar. So my knitting challenge for the duration of my juice fast is going to switch to just making as many hats as I can, both adult and infant, as well as scarves and glittens. If they report another cold front headed for us, I'll take them to John 3:16 shelter. If not, I'll send them to the reservation. (To make the time pass faster during my juice fast, I'm knitting for charity. When I set myself a knitting deadline, the time always flies by.)
Now, my report for Monday. I have to report on the previous day, obviously, since I can't know for certain what all I will do today! So, weight will be current mornings weight. Food will be from the previous day. Got that? So tomorrow will read "Day 1 - Again"
MONDAY, 6 Jan 2014
Weigh in: 282.3
Juice: 3 pints
Liquids: 16oz water, 16oz broth from cabbage soup with pepper
Food: 1 banana, 3 tangerines, 1 baked potato with salsa
Detox symptoms: Yes! My eyes are all gummy and I have a headache and some nausea. Someone just asked me yesterday if I experienced nausea last time and I said, "No, not really." And then in the wee hours of this morning, bam. Nothing too unbearable, but not all that pleasant either. I also feel pretty upbeat and cheerful from some fool reason. But I do feel like the glitches on the reboot website are maybe more than I can handle right now without ripping someone's head off so I'll wait a while to log in.
And, by the way, it is up to 40 degrees inside my house! Whoopee! I am planning to also include any workouts I get in on these posts but I didn't do any yesterday. Maybe today or tomorrow at the latest it will be warm enough for me to take off some layers (ha! I typed lawyers at first - I'll take off some lawyers) and work out with my resistance band:)
Stay warm everyone. And pray for those who can't.
Now, my report for Monday. I have to report on the previous day, obviously, since I can't know for certain what all I will do today! So, weight will be current mornings weight. Food will be from the previous day. Got that? So tomorrow will read "Day 1 - Again"
MONDAY, 6 Jan 2014
Weigh in: 282.3
Juice: 3 pints
Liquids: 16oz water, 16oz broth from cabbage soup with pepper
Food: 1 banana, 3 tangerines, 1 baked potato with salsa
Detox symptoms: Yes! My eyes are all gummy and I have a headache and some nausea. Someone just asked me yesterday if I experienced nausea last time and I said, "No, not really." And then in the wee hours of this morning, bam. Nothing too unbearable, but not all that pleasant either. I also feel pretty upbeat and cheerful from some fool reason. But I do feel like the glitches on the reboot website are maybe more than I can handle right now without ripping someone's head off so I'll wait a while to log in.
And, by the way, it is up to 40 degrees inside my house! Whoopee! I am planning to also include any workouts I get in on these posts but I didn't do any yesterday. Maybe today or tomorrow at the latest it will be warm enough for me to take off some layers (ha! I typed lawyers at first - I'll take off some lawyers) and work out with my resistance band:)
Stay warm everyone. And pray for those who can't.
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