back to the juicer

yea, i haven't posted in a while. i just wanted to put it out there.. i haven't given up. i do however have to take a break from checking the scale. again. it's certainly not as productive right now as keeping up with the numbers on my fitbit. after a few weeks of keeping tabs on my sleep and activity levels, it's given me some perspective on how to better sort my time.

for instance, i can track my sleep patterns. on overage, i'm 'restless' around 4am. it's pretty well pointless for me to try and go back to sleep once i've woken up, so i'm beginning to accept that is just simply my wake up time. so instead of staying up til eleven and setting an alarm for five, i've shifted my sleep schedule back an hour to get the most out of my energy. now instead of preparing all of my juice for the next day before bed, i can do so in the morning before i go to work. thankfully i work a steady shift which has really helped me to begin to get my health on track. and juice is better the day it's made anyway.

speaking of juice.. juicing is something that's really easy to be lazy about. the preparations, the clean up, not to mention the walk every second day to the grocery to get another load of produce.. but i've been managing to keep up with it. i have noticed that my tastes are beginning to change; celery isn't as bitter as it once was, and parsley isn't as weird in a juice as the first time i tried it. i'm finally adjusting to the sudden influx of raw veggie juice.

to make the whole process easier, i've kind of turned it into a ritual. one that is adaptable whenever i discover an easier or faster way to do something. it's taken me a couple months to figure out what works for me and what are the best things to include in my juice, so here's a basic outline.

first of all, i invested in a slow juicer. i had an 'express' juicer at first, but i find i get way more juice out of the cold press, and there's more options as to what i can put through it. that being said, my finished product makes about 4-4.5 pints [8 or 9 cups] which lasts me a whole day. i'm currently not juice fasting, but i'm still consuming mostly plant based whole foods in only necessary amounts to get enough fat and other nutrients that i can't get from the juice. otherwise, that amount of juice keeps me feeling full most of the day.

i have an hour and a half to get ready for work in the morning, and i have to leave my house around 6am to get there on time. by quarter to five, i'm gathering my juicer. the whole process- setup, prep, juicing and cleanup takes about 45 minutes.

first i juice the green 'base' veggies, celery and cucumber. one bunch and two whole ones respectively. this alone makes up almost a third of the juice. then i juice the lemon and ginger into that, and collect in a juice pitcher. i then juice a whole pineapple and add that to the pitcher. next a couple of apples/or asian pears, oranges, a lime, carrots, depending on what i have on hand and what is freshest at the market. i give it one good stir and then pour it out into four pint sized mason jars, leaving a little space in a couple of them for the 'boosts'. for these i use beet root as one, and dark leafy greens such as spinach or parsley as another. these and other sorts of things that have many health benefits but a strong/bitter taste i spare the rest of the batch from and keep them as a 'meal' of their own.

cleanup gets easier every time, once a 'ritual' is formed and refined it doesn't seem so daunting of a task. some may say that it's a lot of effort for some juice, but really i think quite the opposite. it's minimal 'effort' to absorb lots of nutrients and enzymes from raw, 'living' plant based foods that i'd certainly not be able to eat all in one day. in fact, my entire day would be steady munching to pack all of that goodness in! i didn't start out with this amount, maybe half and worked my way up.

some things that i have noticed: i started with roughly two quarts of juice a day at the beginning of the year, and i am telling you i haven't had so much as a sniffle since. i have seen my entire team at work, most of my friends, and my boyfriend [who i live with] through some nasty cold and flu viruses and i remain completely unaffected. this may be due to the outrageous amounts of actual, real true vitamin C [and everything else!] that i'm juicing from fresh produce. i would at least have one quart if i had to spread my supply, as a day without juice is a day without energy. i have recently upped my intake to double [so 4 quarts total per day], and in turn my insatiable appetite for all things horrible for me is easing off. food cravings aren't nearly as bad, and in fact processed foods taste different [not as good] to me now that i have had such an elevated intake of raw, real food.

so here's hoping that the next leg of this journey i'm on involves some real weight loss. i think my body is starting to realize that no, i'm not starving her.. and yeah, it's okay to let go of those extra pounds that were protecting my precious organs from all the 'dead food' i've been bombarding my body with over the years. you take what you can get, right? well now that i'm not living out of a backpack and have a steady income i have no excuses not to take better care of myself. here's to my health..

Insanity [fit test]

i finally decided to try it.. Insanity! i had heard so much about it from a few devoted friends, friends who have seen results. i have a few days off, and today being a holiday ['Family Day',] there's not much else to do but focus on myself.

i found out that the gym that i signed up for right down the street has postponed it's opening again.. for another 6 weeks! i was looking so forward to getting on the machines that i was neglecting to do much about exercise in the meantime. beyond my walks and a few reps here and there on my Lebert bars, i had gotten pretty sedentary this winter sulking about the cold. i felt i was depending on the gym to open in order for me to have the means to focus on my fitness.. it's so cold in our apartment most of the time it's hard to find the motivation to come out from under the blankets.

no more waiting. i started to do some research into different at-home workouts to find if there may be some i can do in my tiny bachelor apartment. there are so many good ones out there, the three that caught my attention are P90X, Insanity, and T25. i even started looking up different exercises for the Equalizers so that i can chart out a routine. up until this point i was more or less freestyling with the bars, but i'm now trying to keep track of what i am doing so i can challenge myself later, and see that i am getting stronger.

anyhoo... the Insanity Fit Test! i figure, even if i don't start the Insanity workouts right away, it'd be nice to know where i'm at. i made my own tracking sheet to record my results and well... i was actually pleasantly surprised. i didn't think i would be able to do all of the moves for the test, but i could actually do most even if it was just a few times. the jumps i could do only slowly and few, i'm still working on that ankle sprain and i don't want to push it. the push-up jacks and 'suicide jumps' i substituted for pull-ups on my Equalizers, and push-ups from my knees using one of the bars as a grip. i am also doing my best to remain conscious of my old wrist injury, and until i get some more weight off i don't want to attempt to hold my body weight with my wrists in that position.

that being said.. NO EXCUSES! if there is something that i can't fully 'do' in a workout, i'll modify it slightly so that i can work the same muscles until i can do the moves. after my fit test and trying bits of other workouts i had a burst of energy, and decided to go on a 7.8km walk around the city. it was the first sunny day in a while that i wasn't stuck inside at work and [though still frigid!] it was nice to get out.

now i'm looking into other routines, and creating one of my own. more on that later!

fitbit first impressions..

i've been eyeing this little gadget since a friend of mine got one for christmas, and i finally gave in and grabbed one. now that i have, i kind wish i would have sooner. i have tried many other 'apps' to attempt to keep track of my diet and activities, but the very act of inputting all of the data is enough to be discouraging. fitbit keeps track of my steps, 'calories burned', time asleep, and the accompanying mobile app and online profile [that synchs via wireless dongle] that makes it easy to see what i've been up to, and when i need to push myself harder to reach my goals. that and i can see when i have surpassed them, which keeps me 'competative' and motivated to beat my old records.

the online account lets you input everything you eat and drink so that you can keep track of calories [plus fat/protein/carb ratio] going in and compare it to your daily activity and calories being burned. of course, one must be 'honest' with the software about servings and whatnot, and when i do so it really puts into perspective the 'value' of everything i put into my body. that and generally keeping track of everything i put in makes me more aware of what i'm consuming- another motivation to make better choices, especially to get a balanced ratio of everything i need to support workouts and recovery.

speaking of.. i've had to get creative and find another means of working out. it seems very possible that i may have been roped into a gym 'scam'... i pre-registered for a facility that keeps postponing it's opening. it was supposed to open [for the second time] this weekend, but it was pushed another six weeks. at first i was pretty upset about it, but now i realise that i should start small before i get on the machines as i have the tendency to push myself too hard. anyhoo, i'm using this obstacle to further drive my motivation. getting a grip on my fitness level before i step into a gym is a blessing in disguise. between this new little gadget and the numerous resources available to work out at home, i may not need the gym membership after all. although, a little more space to move around will be nice. trail running weather is still a long way off.

that's all i have for this episode, next i'll write more about my Insanity Fit test.. and building an at-home routine that will [hopefully] help me get super-fit inside this tiny little apartment. no excuses.. get fit or die!

the difference..

since i did the three day juice fast, i have continued to drink fresh cold pressed vegetable and fruit juice daily, in addition to watching my calorie intake. i have noticed a couple things in this past week. first of all, i'd like to blame the juice for this.. i haven't been sick yet in 2014. there have been some horrible bugs going around, people on my team at work have been sick twice over so far, and i haven't gotten so much as a cough. i feel pretty confident that the constant influx of delicious vitamin and mineral rich juices is helping to support my immune system and keep me virus free.

juicing in the snow for my '24 hour challenge'

secondly, i've heard a few people say this.. don't watch the scale every single day it will freak you out and/or make you crazy. i totally agree. last month i was literally weighing myself daily, sometimes even twice a day. i was curious to see if there would be any changes, and at first the pounds came off quickly until i got down under two hundred. i may not be losing it as fast now, but the good news is, it's still coming off. this month on average so far i have lost a pound a week. that really isn't so bad.. if i were to continue at this rate i could lose 40 more pounds this year, and i wouldn't complain. the real difference here is that my trend of gaining roughly six pounds a year has finally changed due to a complete [and continual] overhaul of my lifestyle.

it has been a challenge to this point to get in more physical activity. it's been a long, cold, brutal winter.. even this time last year i had no problem running the trails, but this year the frigid temperatures have been a burden. i still see some people running, good on them. this temperature just isn't for me. on top of that, when it's that bloody cold i usually opt for a bus pass to get to work, but i didn't renew this month. i've started walking again [it's only average ten below instead of thirty], to work and back which adds 7 kilometers to my daily regime. i feel a lot better when i get to work, not as tired.. and i sleep better at night.

speaking of which, it's about time to get a move on. my gym finally opens this weekend, i have been literally counting the days. i can't wait to get in there and learn how to use the machines.time for work... bye for now!

cheat day

me again.. yea i'm still at it. since i'm kind of freestyling here [with some extensive self education] as far as my 'diet' goes, i've decided to make payday my 'cheat' day. i only get paid biweekly, so that's two days a month i can eat whatever i want. within reason of course.. the likelihood of me scarfing down a McDonalds cheeseburger on my cheat day isn't very good.

yesterday i had a banana berry smoothie with chia and coconut oil for breakfast, broccoli salad and a few pieces of brown rice vegetarian sushi at lunch, and for dinner Matt and i attended a Geocaching event which involved chicken wings. i only had a few as i could barely get anymore in my stomach, and had lemon water to drink and a few of his fries, i couldn't resist. i wasn't going to go chicken wings, but i rarely ever get the chance to eat them and was really craving some meat.

after a week of primarily plant based whole foods, it was a little bit of a shock to my digestive system. i didn't feel it till later in the evening, it was probably the wings that did me in. that being said, the gut ache still wasn't nearly as bad as i used to get them, just a little uncomfortable trying to get to sleep.

it's the weekend again, so i'm juice fasting again for my days off. i'm pleased with the success so far in regards to how i'm feeling overall, and the fact that i only 'gained back' half a pound from the six that i lost over last weekend. keeping up with a mostly plant based whole food diet i believe is helping me to maintain my weight.

i'm super excited to go to my new gym that finally opens in two weeks! i'm glad i bought in pre-opening and that i'm locked in for a year because that will encourage me to take full advantage. the price was right for my budget and it's just too awkward to get a good workout in our tiny little apartment. there's just not enough room to move around for the impact that i'm going for.

in the meantime, i'll keep up with the juicing and primarily plant based diet along with some stretches and light exercise. eventually i'd like to ease back into running, but not until i get enough weight off to have a lesser impact on my joints.

i'm feeling sort of hungry and grumbly today, which isn't all that surprising considering i ate whatever i wanted yesterday. and because of very recent previous experience, i know tomorrow will be easier. i've been considering stretching it out into a longer term juice fast, i've been reading up a lot about thirty day and sixty day juice 'cleanses' and i'm wondering if i might be able to handle it with my schedule and physical job. i may have to modify slightly to get a greater intake of calories, i know i don't feel right if i'm not getting enough.

that's about all that i have to say for today.. i am noticing that my yoga pants are loose in places they never used to be. i'm excited every time i notice a subtle change in my shape or my appearance or the way that i feel. keeps me motivated and makes me smile.

juice fast day 3 and after..

day three of the juice fast was for sure the easiest day. i felt so good about  what i was doing i wrote about it extensively, and i'm not done yet! i broke fast with simple whole foods. a banana, an apple, a couple dates and a small handful of nuts. i had a hard time finishing and i was satisfied.

my energy levels are up, which is amazing. i thought it would have slowed me down a lot more.. mind you i had the last two days of my fast off from work. when i returned, though, i brought my lunch of juice, nuts and raisins, and a small jar of homemade vegetable soup, and i was satisfied for the whole day. this surprised me as i am usually starving even by first break, my job is very physically active and i never sit down.

something else incredible happened that i forgot to note; i slept. like a baby. all. three. days. which points to what my lifelong issue may have been with sleep.. a direct link to my diet. oh and i slept lastnight too, a solid 6 hours which is unheard of for me. i usually get 3-4 hours max if any solid sleep at all. i have been this way since as early as i remember. and i remember my days of kindergarten quite well.

i lost 6 pounds over the 3 day fast and the day leading up to it. i started eating again at noon on tuesday [that tiny meal i mentioned] and ate a little more yesterday, and not a pound of that six has come back. that to me is mindblowing. i have tried a lot of different fasts and shakes and regimes and products and in all of my previous experience i have always started to gain the weight back immediately after the product/regime/fast ends. now i suppose it's not 'ended', as what i'm doing now is a complete lifestyle change. a whole new outlook on how i see food and how i treat my own body. this is not only necessary for my health and survival, but my likelihood to thrive as an individual and a member of a greater community depends on it.

juice fast day 2

alright well i had sort of a rough night yesterday. later in the evening i was starting to feel very uneasy, and contemplated cutting up a salad and breaking fast. i did break fast, but with a banana. that was specifically what i was craving, and i chewed it very thoroughly. man did it ever taste good.. and it did ease the strange feelings i was having. i decided not to let that get me down, and that i would wake up the next day and keep going. i stepped on the scale this morning and shrieked a little.. 197 pounds! i've been struggling all month to get under two hundred, hovering around 202. i hadn't seen a lower number than 199.8 in a while. i was shocked, and this was an instant motivator to keep going. [and maybe to paint my toenails haha!]

my size 14 pants are a little looser around the waist. even if most of that five pounds was water weight or waste i hadn't rid myself of yet, that's five pounds i'm no longer carrying around. i've never bothered with numbers as far as my weight is concerned, but i felt that in order to see if i was making any real progress i'd have to invest in a scale. i'm in my body all day every day and subtle change is hard to detect without some sort of measure, so there you have it. i've always been told that i 'carry it well' which i do agree [that i don't look like i weigh over 200] but the fact of the matter is, i still have to carry it around regardless of what i look like. and it's damn heavy on my smallish frame.

i do feel better than i did 24 hours ago, and as i type this i've been 48 hours without solid food. i pretty well have to visit my grocer daily to pick up the produce that i need as we only have a small bar fridge in our bachelor apartment to keep things fresh. luckily things like apples and carrots and various other roots can be kept out over the winter, and there's a freshco right across from my house so i don't have to go far. i can't wait to get at the farmer's market! and at the garden... it's gonna be a good year.

i'm particularly glad that i have today and tomorrow off work, i feel that rest is important during a fast to let my body heal. when i get more used to fasting i may try a longer one [7-10 days] but for now three [and a half] days seems like enough to 'reboot' my digestive system before reintroducing solid foods. since i work every third weekend i may make this a part of my 'ritual' to have a three day juice fast every three weeks. and perhaps even have a weekly juice fast on sunday to keep it rolling, i'll see how i feel. so far, actually not that bad.

one thing i have noticed is that i have a lot of time to think about what i'm putting into my body. as i cut and prepare veggies and fruit to go into the juicer i think about all of the good things that each piece will do for me. when the time comes to start eating regular meals again, i feel more confident that i can make better food choices and including more raw foods than before. it's like a whole new appreciation for even having access to such a variety of foods. we also have access to some pretty spiffy technology that can help to extract nutrients from foods and consume more of these nutrients than we would just simply eating them, such as juicers and high power blenders. the produce department and i have been becoming better friends than ever before. and i've always loved veggies!

another thing i've noticed is the lesser impact on the trash can and recycle bin since i started juicing. and the dish rack.. i'm saving water not having to wash so many dishes, and there's virtually zero trash from the produce i'm buying, i don't bother with the rolls of bags at the grocery store, i just wash everything well when i'm ready to use it. i bring my own bags always. if i need to weigh something 'loose' i'll grab a brown paper bag intended for the mushrooms, at least it will break down faster and it's not plastic. all of the pulp and most of the 'waste' from the produce goes into the compost pile out back. that being said, as long as i'm eating better, so is my garden.. which in turn produces better food for me to eat.. and the cycle continues. oh man am i ever excited for the garden this year... fresh kale!