Day 16

Day 16...and if you are looking for those days that I didn't post, well they happened I just didn't write about them. I am still juicing and eating a vegan diet...I did cheat on the no gluten part. I have occasionally indulged in a real flour tortilla -- I wanted a bean burrito and I found the gluten free alternative unpleasant (just nasty). Yes I could eat beans and corn chips but I thought a flour tortilla or two, on occasion, was healthier.

This is my diet change and I get to do whatever I want.

This morning's juice is...

Two Navel Oranges
Three Kiwi
Cube of Fresh Ginger

it made a large glass of juice and I am enjoying it over ice. Delicious!

When this journey began I weighed 193 lbs (with all my clothes on and really, really heavy boots) this morning I weighed in at 176.2. The weight is falling off, I occasionally feel hungry and I eat something. Something that didn't have parents -- something that started as a plant.

Day Seven

I had a cookie a gluten free, vegan cookie...the sort of thing you'd never find me eating one month ago. How was it? - it was like crack. It was go good I had the other half and then later that day I had another one (these are big cookies and NOT low calorie).

Mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmm! What I learned is that Liz Lovely Gluten Free, Vegan Ginger Molasses cookie is the bomb and perhaps that I can't have a case of them in the house.

What else did I learn this week? Gluten free tortillas are the work of the devil. In fact a gluten free tortilla would be an excellent diet plan...I'd lose a lot of weight, I'd be dead in a week. Let's just say nasty!

I also drank a beer...what kind of cleanse/diet includes a beer? Well mine does I enjoyed a Bell's Winter Ale (I bet that did have some gluten, oops. I was so excited when I realized beer is vegan I forgot).

What else...I have dropped TEN POUNDS! That's TEN pounds since last Saturday. I feel great.

Day Five

The Juice Journey began with the documentary "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". Angela looked at me and said she was ready to juice -- that night I ordered a juicer. She has lost 7 lbs so far and is off of her insulin injections. I'm really proud of her, she is juicing exclusively with the blessing and supervision of her doctor.

I am not juicing exclusively I am juicing and maintaining a vegan diet for the next 60 days. I've lost five pounds and am finding that my arthritis/joint pain in nearly all gone and I don't literally go "snap, crackle and pop" when I walk...I was audibly cracking.
Now I'm just "cracked". (the image is one of the books I am reading)

Breakfast
Green Tea
Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal, raisins, apples, cinnamon, almond milk and agave nectar.

Lunch
Pro Bar Art's Original Blend

Dinner
Pacific Foods Butternut Squash Soup
Rice/Seaweed chips
Avocado, drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, pepper

Snack
Grapefruit plus juice
Air Popped Popcorn with nutritional yeast

Weight today 181.2

Day Four

Day four has been the best day so far ...felt great all day. Healthy and plenty of energy, not hungry.

Breakfast
Green Tea
Orange Smoothie
Granny Smith Apple

Lunch
Butternut Squash Soup
Sliced Avocado drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper
Rice Crackers

Dinner
Another Stir Fry Carrots, Onion, Celery, Peppers - brown rice all cooked in Coconut Oil
Green Juice

Pm
Tea

Weight 182.2 (good bye lost pounds and stay lost)

Day Three

Definitely the hardest day -- I woke up in the middle of the night with either chest pains or indigestion/stomach cramping. Went back to sleep...a migraine kicked in so when I got up I took an Imitrex and had some green tea. My mid-day I was feeling better and by the end of the day I was great! Weight was 183.6. I am finding it interesting that my joint pain is almost non existent, in just a few days after changing my diet.

Breakfast
Green Tea
Smoothie of fresh squeezed orange juice, almond milk, raw 5 protein powder

Mid-morning
Beet juice + kale, celery, carrot and apple. (delicious one of my favorites so far)

Lunch
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Flax seed cracker
Fuji apple with a tablespoon of almond butter

Mid - Afternoon
Green Tea and raw cashews

Dinner
Stir fry of bok choy, carrots, peppers, summer squash, garlic and brown rice. Tablespoon coconut oil.

Snack
Green juice and a handful of green grapes.

Day Two

Last week when I was at my Doctor's office my blood pressure was 100 over 70 and I weighed (fully clothed in a Michigan Winter...it's important to qualify, thinks layers people) 193 lbs. I'm 5 ft. 10 inches tall so I'm heavy but I'm not really heavy. Not yet. I would like to lose some weight and weigh 165 lbs or less - O.K. I really want to be ripped.

At home on day two I weighed 185 lbs.



Day Two Menu

Breakfast
Green Tea (goodbye French Roast - oh how I'll miss you)
Happy Mood Morning Juice (green apple, carrots, fennel, cucumber, spinach, gingerroot)

Lunch
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Two Raw Kamut Crackers
Green Tea

Dinner
Carrots, Peppers and Summer Squash stir fried in one tablespoon coconut oil, 1/2 cup brown rice...splash of soy sauce
Mysterious and delicious Green Juice a la Angela

Snack
Pinapple Juice plus a la Angela
Air popped organic popcorn, Smart Balance, Nutritional yeast

I felt pretty good on day two, the stir fry was delicious. I've never been a big fan of brown rice perhaps it was my eagerness to chew something or the coconut oil used in the stir fry but it was really tasty. I had three classes to teach and felt great - maybe a little light headed at times but don't think anyone noticed. They just thought I was funny (at least I hope that's what they thought)

My body feels really good, my brain is telling me I want a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts...so far I am doing what my body needs.

Day One

Day One - I am 49 years old, I weigh 193 lbs, the goal is to eat and drink only plants. The goal is to be healthier, to have less joint pain and fewer migraines. I'd also like to lose at least 30 pounds (and not find it again).

I'm eliminating animal protein, dairy, caffeine and added sugar.

This is the new roommate.



Today I missed chewing.

Today's Menu

A.M. Last morning of coffee...goodbye French Roast I'll miss you!
Juice - Apples, Carrots, Celery

Mid-Day Juice - Apples, Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Lemon
One raw Flax Seed Cracker from the Red Pepper Deli

Mid-Afternoon Juice - Strawberries, Kiwi, added Almond Milk and Raw 5 Protein Powder

Dinner Roasted Red Pepper Soup Pacific Foods
Two raw Kamut Crackers from Red Pepper Deli
Juice - Kale, Spinach, Oranges, Carrots, Cucumber

Snack Air Popped Popcorn with some Smart Balance and nutritional yeast.

The first day went well my stomach really started to growl in the afternoon and I felt a bit light headed. By dinner time I missed chewing, I sat and wondered how I'd keep this up for the next two months. It's important that I do this, I also want to be supportive of my partner who is on a juice fast (with her physicians supervision and blessing). I do plan to eat foods and am not restricting calories, I'm just restricting certain food groups.

Day One - I went to bed feeling good, not at all hungry.