DAY NINE

Still doing great! Sticking to the MC recipe. Having green tea w/ peppermint in the morning and hibiscus tea w/ ginger every evening. Went to Jamba Juice a couple of times and got fresh carrot juice and a 2 oz wheatgrass shot.

Over the weekend I had a body wrap at Suddenly Slimmer. I am going to do one per week to help with the detox process and prevent loose skin.

I have also been pretty religious about doing the Salt Water Flush every day. Sometimes in the morning sometimes in the evening. I have only missed one day so far and will try my very best not to miss another. It is so important to get all the toxins that have been released *out* of the body.

I am really fired up that I am well on my way to reaching the 180-190 range by the time the 4 weeks are finished.

Today's Weight: 221.0

Total of 15 lbs lost so far!!!

YAY ME!!

DAY THREE

WOW... I haven't written in such a long time. So much has happened. The good: I have completely weaned myself off of Diet Soda - which was no small feat considering I have had at least one a day for the last 25+ years. I got about a migraine a week for 6 weeks but then nothing after that. Aspartame is REALLY scary stuff. For those who haven't sworn off it yet do a simple search for "aspartame side effects" - the result is frightening.

The bad: I went back to my junk food, meat and cheese eating ways and was drinking regular soda and/or sugared tea for the last several months. As a result my weight ballooned up to 236 - the highest it's EVER been.

So I finally decided enough is enough. I need to do something drastic but I also need a real, permanent solution. I decided to do The Master Cleanser for the next 4 weeks until I visit my family over Thanksgiving. I haven't been back to San Diego in 2 1/2 years and I could not bear to face those I haven't seen in so long. I want to use this fast as a time of contemplation and also as a clean sweep, if you will. I hope that this will be a springboard into better health and vegetarianism FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!

I started on Sunday 10/26/08 and will end Saturday 11/22/08. I hope to lose a minimum of 40 and possibly up to 56 pounds in that time period.

Today is day three and I am down 6 pounds so far. That and I have just gone through the first 3 days of my period along with brutal cramps. So the next 25 days should be smooth sailing - knock on wood. ;))

How did I let this happen? I've been wracking my brain for the answer. Food has become my comfort and my coping mechanism. It is truly an addiction and that's why the drastic measures are necessary. I feel like I literally need to stop cold turkey. Again, I need to approach this like trigger foods are a drug that I must avoid at all costs because I am *truly* only a couple bites away from a relapse. It isn't a diet this time. It is a new way of life. I WILL NOT FAIL - PERIOD.

And so I am going to do this pretty much by the book. No modifications to the recipe. I will let myself have one 16 oz fresh squeezed juice if I *really* need something different. I will let myself have Green Tea and herbal teas ans I will continue taking my Yoga Body supplements. But I will use the traditional MC this time around - just lemon juice, Grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. No more trying to reinvent the wheel.

Day One Weight: 236.0

Day Two Weight: 232.0

Day Three Weight: 230.0

Total of 6 lbs lost so far!!!

Crankiness and really jonesing to eat the first day. Crampy and headachy the second day. But today I feel pretty good. Kind of like I hit my stride. I did take medication for the cramps because it would of been completely hellacious otherwise. No workouts yet but I have been taking my dog, Buddha for a walk every day.

I am not going to put up before pictures because I am absolutely horrified at the size I have become. But I do have faith that THIS TIME I will stay the course and finish the full 28 days.

Anyway I am off to do the Salt Water Flush, since I didn't have time in the morning.

Aloha, Goodnight, and God Bless,

Ellen

You know, I don't want to jinx myself but this has been surprisingly easy so far. I didn't give up coffee so no caffeine headaches. I am still allowing myself little cheats here and there. Like a cookie or some peanut butter chocolate popcorn. But the kicker is that I haven't gone crazy on any of these. I have definitely eliminated the "obvious" animal products. And I think that's a good start - sort of a PHASE ONE - if you will.

Today's Weight: 213.0
Today's BMI: 31.5

FOR A TOTAL OF 2.5 POUNDS LOST SO FAR!!!!!

I am extremely pleased with that number. That was my AM weight this morning, so only two and a half days into my vegan journey. Just goes to show you how awful I was eating before.


TODAY'S FOOD CHOICES:

16 oz coffee w/ 4 oz soy milk & 2 squirt2 hazelnut syrup
1 cup Kashi GoLean dry cereal
1 ziploc baggie baby carrots
12 inch Subway veggie sandwich w/ honey & dijon mustard
1 sugar cookie
1 semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie
1 oatmeal raisin cookie
2 medium mangoes
1 cup rice w/ 2 cups steamed veggies & shoyu sauce
Mixture Green & Peppermint Tea


YESTERDAY'S FOOD CHOICES:

16 oz coffee w/ 4 oz soy milk & 2 squirts hazelnut syrup
1 cup Kashi GoLean dry cereal
1 vegetable samosa w/ sauce
Vegan yellow curry w/ brown rice
Salad w/ roasted sunflower dressing, raisins & sunflower seeds
20 oz ginger mint lemonade
1/4 package of peanut butter chocolate popcorn
3 big slices of watermelon
2 Yukon Gold potatoes mashed w/ garlic salt & water
2 cups steamed string beans
Mixture Green & Peppermint Tea


TUESDAY'S FOOD CHOICES:

16 oz coffe w/ 4oz soy milk & 2 squirts hazelnut syrup
3 - 8 inch celery stalks w/ peanut butter
Huge salad w/ garbanzo beans, lots of raw veggies & vinaigrette dressing
1 medium mango
4 slices watermelon
2 homemade chocolate chip cookies
Big bowl of popcorn popped in coconut oil w/ a pinch of sea salt

I am trying to make lunch my biggest meal and I have completely eliminated sodas. Even with the not so great "cheat" foods, I still feel pretty clean. And all this through the first couple of days of my period when cravings are usually pretty bad. Monday I had to take medication for cramps a couple of times throughout the day and I had a glass of red wine with ice cubes after I wrote in my blog so it didn't get listed.

Still haven't started yoga but I have been taking my dogs for a short walk every morning. I will add in more strenuous exercize. Right now I am still sort of letting myself ease into my new lifestyle. All in all I am pretty damn proud of myself and can imagine sustaining this way of eating over the long term.

Aloha and Goodnight to all!

Ellen

OK. I didn't start the Master Cleanse as planned. But I did read a book that I think will change my life. I ordered "Skinny Bitch" and "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch" from Amazon last week and they arrived today. I read "Skinny Bitch" cover to cover without putting it down. It's a pretty easy read and it completely drew me in. From the foul-mouthed, sarcastic style to the extremely well researched information - it presents a very compelling case for eating Vegan.

None of the content was new information for me. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I was a vegetarian for 10 years or so until a boyfriend I was living with turned me back to the dark side about 7 years ago. But even when I wasn't eating meat or chicken I was never able to take the final step and become VEGAN. Eliminating ALL animal products just seemed a bit extreme. I mean, I *really* like my cheese and lattes. ;)) But after reading this book I think I've finally reformed. I am going to try my best to live 90%+ vegan.

I hesitate to put 100% because I know that situations will arise when I'll eat items that might contain animal products from time to time like a piece of bread or a cookie someone else has made. But my goal is to avoid these instances as much as humanly possible with a goal of eating about 50% raw/living foods to boot.

I am ready to embrace a cruelty-free lifestyle. I just cannot imagine the horrendous suffering billions of farm animals endure every year to satisfy human taste for flesh. That and the enormous environmental impact agribusiness has on our poor planet. I read that the average American eats the equivalent of about 35 animals per year - so that's 35 lives I am sparing with my food choices. Not to mention the gallons and gallons of water needed to raise those animals that can be diverted to other purposes. Pretty substantial.

I am also hoping that my improved health and appearance will cause the people in my life to take notice. This will give me the opportunity to prostheletize for a karmic-free diet. I can be a powerful example to everyone I come in contact with.

At some point I probably still want to do a juice feast but I think that I need to lay a better foundation rather than use it as a quick fix. I need to instill better eating habits and lose most of my weight slowly. This is really difficult for me because I always want to take shortcuts. But there are none when we're talking about health. And so I will get better day by day, bite by bite from the inside out. That's my quest.

Today's Weight: 215.5 lbs
Today's BMI: 31.9


Breakfast:
1 large vanilla iced coffee from McDonalds
Sausage & Egg McGriddle Sandwich
2 hash browns
(this was before my epiphany)


Lunch:
Vegan Lasagna
Brown Rice
Lentil soup
Tofu Curry
Salad w/ sunflower dressing
(from Govindaji's)

Dinner:
1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch dry cereal
2 medium mangoes
mixture of Green & Peppermint Tea

Snack:
2 fresh-baked chocolate chip & walnut cookies
(these were not vegan but homemade
from scratch by my roommate)

I have not had a single soda today and I have a bit of a headache, which could be caffeine withdrawal or just from ingesting less sugar than I'm used to. But all in all I feel good. No yoga tonight but I plan to practice 5-6 days a week. I'm just not up to it tonight cause of the headache.

I am pretty proud of myself. Not a bad day aside from the Mickey-D's at the start. And that was my last meal of that sort at McDonalds EVER. With god as my witness I will make it so.

Aloha and goodnight,

Ellen

GETTING BACK IN THE SADDLE

Well I totally jinxed myself with all the talk about not usually being able to make it past day 20. Because on Day Twenty I fell off the wagon. Super Big Time. And I stayed off for a couple of months. But now I am ready to get back in the saddle again.

This time I've decided to do 2 weeks using a modified Master Cleanser. I will also have Green Tea, Hibiscus Tea, etc... because I've found that the teas really help me to add variety.

I am going to do the Salt Water Flush every day because I think that really helps as well. I will be sure to add probiotics back in when I'm finished because I realize that this can disrupt the balance of intestinal flora at the same time as it clears everything out. I will try to post measurements within the next day or so.

So.. tomorrow it begins again in earnest. I hope to wipe the slate clean and start fresh with new eating habits after the initial 2 weeks. Maybe I'll even complete a 92 day fast in the future, but for now this is my plan. Wish me luck.

Aloha & Namaste,

Ellen

Day Nineteen

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. I've got so much going on at work right now I feel like my head is going to explode. That's the reason I haven't written for several days. Not to worry, though. I am staying the course. I have moments when I'm kind of tired of juicing, but for the most part I am on auto pilot. Still not too much exercise to report and I know that needs to change. I am going for a walk with my dogs every morning, so at least that's something. I've been having basically the same thing every day:

24 oz Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
32 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
32 oz Pineapple/Celery/Greens/Mint juice
TOTAL: 112 oz
plus: 24 oz of some sort of tea - Green, Hibiscus, Una del Gato, etc.

I know that this isn't a full gallon, but this quantity seems to work for me. So until I begin a more strenuous exercise regimen I feel like this quantity is OK for right now.

Today's Weight: 193.0
Today's BMI: 28.5

Total Weight Lost: 17 pounds

It's weird, when I've done regular Master Cleanser I had a hard time going past Day Twenty psychologically. Probably because I was so gosh-darned sick and tired of the stinkin' lemonade. ;)) But this time I am really confident that I will do the whole 92 days. And the reason I've kept with the same juices every day is because I LIKE THEM. When I've deviated early on and tried something else I was always slightly disappointed. Now I really look forward to my juices.

Anywho, once I get through this week things should settle down a bit and I will do my best to write - at least a little bit - every day.

Aloha, Namaste, and thanks for reading,

Ellen

Day Thirteen

PICTURES!!! Really embarrassing pictures. I've already lost 14 pounds and I still look so fat. I guess in everyday life I don't realize how big I actually have become. At one point not too many years ago I was a size 6! These photos are a rude awakening. Just shows how far I still have to go. I am posting them - even though I cringe to look at them - because I want to document the amazing changes that are possible through juice-feasting. I want everyone to marvel at the tremendous difference once I complete this juice program and reveal a super-trim, smoking-hot bod.


And no, in case you're wondering, I did not fall off the face of the earth over the last few days. I just got a little lazy. Actually busy is more like it. I have an event coming up with my job and I've been scrambling to get everything ready. But after tomorrow night it will be finished and things will be calmer until next week when I have to travel to 2 islands in 3 days. Fun stuff. I work for a non-profit that does teacher trainings on economics and financial literacy. Spring is our busy time so I have events coming up every couple of weeks all the way through the beginning of May.

Monday I had:
32 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz Carrot/Orange juice
32 oz modifies Master Cleanser recipe
TOTAL: 88 oz
plus: 16 oz Green Tea

Tuesday I had:
24 oz Carrot/Apple Beet/Ginger juice
64 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz Pineapple/Celery/Spinach/Mint juice
TOTAL: 112 oz
plus: 16 oz Hibiscus Tea

Today I had:
32 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz Carrot/Orange juice
32 oz modifies Master Cleanser recipe
TOTAL: 88 oz
plus: 16 oz Green Tea

So, not nearly enough juice lately. And I haven't done an enema for the last 2 days either. But I am going to do one before I go to bed. So I am sure that I will see the difference tomorrow. My weight has sort of plateaued and this may be because I had a couple really low juice days so my body could be holding onto the calories I'm intaking. In addition to no enema to flush the garbage out. Still I am very happy with my progress so far. I just need to be careful not to let my metabolism slow down too much.

Today's Weigh: 196.0
Today's BMI: 29.0

Total Weight Lost: 14 pounds

Well, that 's going to be all for now. Tomorrow will be a better day I can feel it.

Aloha and good night,

Ellen

Day Ten

YOWZA! 10 days down 82 days to go. I can hardly believe it. Things have been going smoothly and I am still totally committed to doing this. It's kind of like something I heard in a Wayne Dyer lecture years ago. He talks about making a change in your life and compares it to going through a self-closing gate that slams and locks behind you. Once you've gone through it there's no turning back. Which is very much how I feel right now - that there's no turning back. Baby, I am going through that gate! Part of my reason for blogging about the experience is to keep me real and accountable. And so far it's definitely working. But I also want to share this journey with others and to show them how accessible a raw food lifestyle is for everyone. I feel like I am taking the abundance of knowledge I've collected over the years about health and finally, actually living it.

Yesterday I had:
24oz Apple/Celery/Romaine/Ginger juice
64 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz Strawberry/Cucumber/Spinach/Mint juice
TOTAL: 112 oz

Yesterday's Weight: 197.5
Yesterday BMI: 29.1

Total Weight Lost: 12.5 pounds

I know that I've lost a lot of weight pretty rapidly, but now it's slowing down a bit. I did have a good amount to lose - 75 lbs - so I guess this just proves the amount of excess baggage I needed to get rid of. I feel quite good physically and I trust in the wisdom of my body. At this point, I even have a couple of pairs of jeans that were too tight that I can wear now. And a whole closet of clothes in descending sizes that I'll fit into at different stages along the way. ;))

Today I had:
24 oz Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
64 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz Pineapple/Celery/Spinach/Mint juice
TOTAL: 112 oz
plus: 16 oz Peppermint Tea


Anyway. I am very happy with my progress so far. No major crises, no major emotional breakdowns, no terrible cravings. I'm just kind of cruising along. Hopefully it will stay this way throughout the rest of my 82 days. Wouldn't that be nice?

Aloha to all and to all a good night,

Ellen

Day Eight

This new Buddha batik tapestry arrived today. I won it on E-Bay a couple weeks ago. It adds gorgeous color and beautiful energy to our orange sitting room. I am so completely happy with it! YAY! Our house is turning into a haven of good vibes.

Today I had:
24 oz Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
64 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz Strawberry/Celery/Cucumber/Mint juice
TOTAL: 112 oz
plus: 24 oz of Green Tea

Still having a hard time making the gallon mark. I just can't seem to find the time to make juice or go but it even.

The caffeine in the green tea spaced me out a bit today. I really felt a rush within minutes of drinking it and it made me a little hyper. But I had a lot to do at work so it was actually quite helpful to get a nice power boost in the middle of the afternoon.

I've been on the computer all day and my back is kind of stiff so I think I need to sign off. I wish you all lots of juicy goodness.

Aloha and Namaste,

Ellen

Day Seven

Again, I didn't write yesterday. Blogger had frozen my account because they thought it might be a spammer blog????? I have no idea what that's about. But tonight it's back up and running so here I go. ;))

Yesterday I had:
24 oz Celery/Apple juice
24oz Carrot/Orange juice blended w/ ice from Jamba Juice
64 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
TOTAL: 112 oz

Yesterday's Weight: 200.5
Yesterday's BMI: 29.9

Then today I got up early and took the dogs far a walk. I don't know if I've mentioned that I have TWO dogs. The old one that I spoke of in my first post is a 14 year old Australian Cattle Dog named Marley. The young one is a 2 year old Brindle Bull Terrier mix named Buddha. I love my girls! Today Buddha was extra fiesty so I stopped at the big park near my house and let them run around. It was so good to see them play. Marley would chase Buddha a little bit and then go off and do her own thing. Buddha would run balls out as fast as she could for about 1000 yards or so and then turn and run back. She'd stop every now and then to sniff at the ground and sometimes roll in it. Then she would take off after a bird in the other direction. So much fun. It made me start thinking about how little it takes to make a dog truly happy. We should be so easy to please. When's the last time any of you felt that kind of pure unbridled joy to be alive and out in nature? Think about it. As for me, I feel so fortunate that I have them to remind me to take in these little moments that are so precious.

Today I had:
32 oz Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
64 oz modified Master Cleanser recipe
32 oz Pineapple/Celery/Spinach/Mint juice
TOTAL: 128 oz
plus: 16 oz of Hibiscus Tea

YAHOO! I finally made it to the gallon mark. It's true what Angela says in her blog - that you're much better off if you get in as much juice as early as possible. At least I think it was in her blog that I read that. No matter. Whoever said it, it's very true. Planning is key.

I've also incorporated Bee Pollen over the last couple of days. I don't really care for the granules too much but I found chew able wafers at the health food store. I have one n the morning before I take the dogs for a walk and one in the evening when I get home from work. I let it dissolve on my tongue like a lozenge. Yum! I highly reccommend those wanting to do a juice feast to add Bee pollen. It gives me a nice little energy boost at the beginning and end of my day.

Today's Weight: 199.0
Today's BMI: 29.6

Total Weight Lost: 11 pounds

Aloha and thanks for reading,

Ellen

Day Five

Actually, it's only 10:30 p.m. on the 12th Hawaii Time even though the blog post says it's 12:30 a.m. on the 13th. So it is really the end of Day Five for me. Nothing major to report. I'm feeling better today. Of course I still have moments when I just want this to be over but they are fewer and I am able to work through them more quickly. I'm starting to hit my stride. Haven't lost enough weight to fit into the next size, but my current clothes fit a whole lot better. And I know that it will happen. I've haven't really been doing the skin brushing like I should be. But I did start doing enemas a couple of days ago. Maybe that's why my energy is better. I hate the whole process of the enema but I feel so much clearer afterwards and that feeling lasts through the next day. I have been doing them at night because that's when I have the time. Mornings are a little too hectic for me. But tonight I will add skin-brushing to my nightly ritual. I am also still walking my dogs every morning and it's been getting easier to wake up when the alarm goes off at 6 a.m. I still hit snooze but now I'm doing it for 15 minutes rather than a whole hour. ;)) I haven't started doing yoga yet because I decided to give myself a week to get into the swing of juicing before I added one more thing to my routine.

Today I had:
24 oz of Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
64 oz of my modified Master Cleanser recipe
24 oz of Pineapple/Celery/Spinach/Mint juice
TOTAL: 112 oz
plus: 24 oz of Hibiscus Tea & 16 oz of Peppermint Tea


I am *really* trying to get all the juice in but I leave for work at 8 in the morning and don't get home until 6 at night; so it's hard unless I bring it all with me. And even the days I do bring enough I have a difficult time getting it all down.

Today's Weight: 202.0
Today's BMI: 29.9

Total Weight Lost: 8 pounds

Good night for now and sweet dreams to you all,

Ellen

Day Four

Well... I am still pretty low energy. I think it has to do with detoxing mostly. And sorry for not writing yesterday. I was was out and about all day and then feeling pretty wiped out once I returned home.

Yesterday I had:
24oz Orange/Carrot juice blended with ice from Jamba Juice
24 oz water with Green Vibrance powder
48 oz Blackberry/Spinach/Cuccumber/Mint juice
TOTAL: 94 oz
plus: 24 oz Peppermint Tea

I also took my measurements yesterday (2/10/08):
Bust: 41 inches
Waist: 37 inches
Hips: 47 inches


Today my coworker went out to get garlic chicken for lunch and then she and my boss proceeded to eat it DURING our staff meeting. That was tough. She did offer to pick up some for me, too; but I declined of course. Even though I realize that it is nowhere near the best quality food - it smelled sooo good. I get a little bit of a hunger pang just thinking about it. But I'm well into juice-mode now. And I am sure that it smelled a lot better than it tasted - at least that's what I'm telling myself. ;)) There is no turning back for me. Every little act of discipline makes my resolve stronger. Besides, knowing that I am going to blog about it helps to hold me accountable somehow.


Today I had:
24oz Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
64 oz water w/Lemon Juice/Honey/Aloe/Cayenne Pepper/EmergenC/MSM/Green Vibrance
32 oz Strawberry/Celery/Romaine juice
TOTAL: 120 oz
plus: 24 oz Hibiscus Tea

Today's Weight: 203.0
Today's BMI: 30.0

Total Weight Lost: 7 pounds

Sometimes during the day I feel like this is such slow going. But I realize that Rome was not built in a day and neither were my unhealthy habits. It's going to take time to undo the harmful effects of the diet I've eaten for the last several years. Time well spent, if you ask me.

Aloha and good night to you all,

Ellen

Day Two

It's actually 10 p.m. on the 9th here, so still day two for me. I did pretty well today despite some minor obstacles. I don't know if it's the detoxing or what; but I woke up at 2 AM to go to the bathroom and I had started my period. I took some medicine I have for cramps - which was less than ideal during feasting. But I didn't want anything to derail my efforts. I took my dogs for a 45 minute walk as soon as I got up despite feeling crampy and bloated - so I am pretty proud of myself for that. I did like 3 loads of laundry and I also hung some Tibetan prayer flags up on our roof. They are so festive blowing in the wind. The wind is supposed to activate the prayers and release their intentions into the universe. I'm very glad that I finally got them up. Hopefully they will bring beautiful blessings to everyone who sees them. ;))

Then this evening my roommate spent 2 1/2 hours in the kitchen making seafood paella from scratch. At first it smelled simply awful. I had to take a little walk down the block. Then I proceeded to burn cinnamon incense in my room all night to try to counteract the foulness. Once he got everything together and into the oven it actually smelled pretty good, but I was still a little grossed out by the original fishy smell. Then my other roommate made cookies. JEEZ! I normally have a very acute sense of smell but when I'm juicing it is ridiculous. I know they both meant well. And they were individually disappointed when I told them that I wasn't going to eat any of it. Oh well. If there's anything that you really get when juicing, it is to honor yourself and not be influenced by other peoples agendas, no matter how well-meaning.

Today I had:
48 oz of Strawberry/Pineapple/Celery/Romaine juice
16 oz water w/ Green Vibrance powder
48 oz of Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
TOTAL: 112 oz
plus: 24 oz of Una de Gato Tea

I'm still not getting in a full gallon of juice so I really need to work on that.

Today's weight: 207.0
Today's BMI: 30.6

Total Weight Lost: 3 pounds

I have a little bit of a headache again tonight, so I'm going to sign off for now. I will try to make a point to take measurements and post a picture tomorrow.

Sweet dreams and well wishes,

Ellen

Day One

Well, that pretty much sums up today. So many habits that involve food. So many little moments when I would normally use food as a coping mechanism. So many social invitations throughout the day to grab a bite or have a coffee, etc. The first few days without eating it always becomes painfully clear how acceptable, and even normal, it is in modern society to self-medicate with food.

Out with the old, in with the new.

I actually feel good physically and wasn't truly hungry all day. It was just the patterns that have become almost second nature coming up over and over as a potent reminder that I have decided to change. And there's no going back for me. After this feast I will not be the same person. I am embarking on an epic journey towards my real true self. All that is unnecessary will and must fall away.

Today I had:
24 oz Carrot/Apple/Beet/Ginger juice
16 oz plain old orange juice
48 oz Pineapple/Spinach/Celery/Mint juice
For a total of 88 oz
plus: 16 oz Green Tea

So I didn't quite make the gallon mark, but I will try to get all of it in tomorrow.

Today's Weight: 210.0 lbs
Today's Body Mass Index: 31.1

On that note I am going to start getting ready for bed. I'm tired and my back hurts a little and I just want to rest. I will take measurements and hopefully post a "before" picture over the weekend.

Aloha and Namaste,

Ellen

Day Zero

So... Tomorrow begins my quest. I'm jumping into this a little bit earlier than the rest of the Global Juice Feasters because I've got a couple of events coming up in March and I want to be well into my journey by then.

I guess, the question is: Why a 92 Day Juice Feast? I've done several fasting regimens in the past but ultimately returned every time to the dairy rich, processed vegetarian diet that led to my weight gain in the first place. Not this time. I want to give my body plenty of time to detox and I want to give my mind plenty of time to process the physical & emotional changes.

I first stumbled upon the concept of "juice feasting" when I was researching a raw food diet for my 14 year old dog. She was diagnosed with heart disease and a little over a year ago began to deteriorate very quickly. It seems that the valves to her heart had been leaking fluid into her lungs for years until it finally got to the point where she could hardly breathe. Almost overnight she went from being a little bit stiff and tired to barely able to get up to go outside. And I had never given her grocery-store variety dog food either. I was buying the good stuff. I had read about the benefits of raw food for humans here and there over the years but always thought it a little extreme. Now I had to do something extreme because my old girl was fading fast. I switched her to Natural Balance frozen raw canine diet immediately after reading about it. And I am happy to report that after about a year on raw I can really see the difference. She still has a chronic cough and she's a little tired & stiff. But she's not debilitated anymore and she's still with me. I expect she'll have a good quality of life into her senior years. There was even a month when I went back to her previous food due to the Natural Balance raw food being discontinued and her symptoms got worse again. I found a new manufacturer of raw pet food, Primal Pet, that is stocked here in Hawaii and got her back on schedule quickly.

Sorry for the long-winded intro. But if this sort of thing can work for an old dog going through a pretty severe health crisis, then why not for someone who is healthy to prevent those problems from ever developing? And it was in these online searches for resources on raw food that I came across Angela Stokes Raw Reform website. I was amazed by her before and after pictures and could totally relate to her personal story. Many of the emotions around food that she describes are ones I know far too well. But I guess I wasn't ready yet. Then one day at Borders Bookstore I picked up Natalia Rose's book, "The Raw Food Detox Diet" and read it cover to cover the same night. I went on to read Carol Alt's "Eating in the Raw" and Alissa Cohen's "Living on Live Foods". I went back and read through Angela Stokes' old blogs documenting her own 92 day juice feast and all three of her e-books. But, apparently, I still wasn't ready.

About the same time that I first started really studying the raw food lifestyle I also tried Bikram Yoga for the first time. This specific style of yoga was popularized by Bikram Choudhury in the sixties and seventies. It's a 90 minute series of 26 postures done in a hot and humid room. Pretty hardcore, but I absolutely love it. It feels like a shower from the inside out. My practice has not been consistent over the past year, but that is something I plan to change during this 92 day experiment. I will probably not be going to Bikram studio classes because I think that experience may be a little too intense for me during the feast. However, I am committed to do the series at home at least 3 x per week for the next 14 weeks. ;))

Anyway. That's my lead in. It all begins tomorrow. Friday, February 8, 2008. That day will go down in my personal history as THE day I stopped reading about it and thinking about it, and began to actually LIVE it for myself.

Aloha and thanks for reading.

Ellen