RFR: Day Nine

So the past week was a little bumpy. I had a couple of social functions that of me off track. I am finding that when I drink alcohol - be it a glass of wine or a couple of beers - then I crave unhealthy foods and don't have the motivation to exercise.

I have decided to do a modified Master Cleanse for the next week or so. If I am feeling good I may extend to 2 weeks. I call this a "modified" MC because 1) I am using primarily grapefruit juice instead of lemon since we have a tree in our yard; 2) I am adding a scoop of Green Vibrance to the morning 32 oz MC batch; and 3) I am having 20 - 24 ounces of carrot based juice in the evenings. I will also continue taking MSM and Apple Cidar Vinegar. In addition, I will be allowing Green Tea or a Yerba Mate/Pau d' Arco blend. So my daily intake will look something like this:

6 AM - Salt Water Flush
7 AM - 1 TBSP MSM powder & 1 TBSP AC vinegar
7 AM - 32 oz MC w/ Green Vibrance
10 AM - 16 oz Green Tea or Yerba/Pau blend
1 PM - 32 oz MC straight up
4 PM - 16 oz Green Tea or Yerba/Pau blend
7 PM - 20 oz carrot-based juice
7 PM - 1 TBSP MSM powder & 1 TBSP AC vinegar

MC Day Eight

The cleanse is still going well. I didn't have lemons to make my lemonade yesterday morning so I bought the MC Lemonade premade from Umeke Market. They clearly used bottled and not fresh lemon juice. As a result I felt kind of tired and cranky and wanting to eat all day. Weird. Today I made my own lemonade and I feel fine. Proof positive that it DOES matter that you use the correct ingredients and not cut corners.

I didn't do yoga last night because I was feeling so low energy. My skin kind of smells funny today. Probably detox or build up of dead cells. I plan to do yoga tonight - so the sweat will help flush it out. I am also going to begin dry brushing every morning so that my skin can better release all the toxins that have built up.

I did some research on the internet and I found a tattoo similar to what I want to get when I go to SF. I will be sure to post it once it's finished. I hope to lose12 more pounds so that when I gain back a few from having food in my system again, I'll still be at or very close to 40 pounds down from my highest weight. ;))

My recent progress:

Day Seven (5/7/09) - 204.0

Day Eight (5/8/09) - 202.5

That makes 15 pounds lost in the last 8 days!!!

TOTAL OF 33.5 POUNDS RELEASED!!!!!!

MC Day Six

Still doing great. SWF every morning. Green/peppermint tea mixture when I get to work. MC lemonade throughout the day. Monday I went to Jamba Juice during lunch and got a 2 oz wheat grass shot and a 16 oz carrot juice. I won't do that every day, just when I feel like I need a pick-me-up. Yesterday I had 4 oz of Kombucha, Gingerade flavor. YUM. I am actually really liking the taste now. Or maybe I am just glad to have something different from the lemonade.

I did Bikram's beginner series at home the last 2 nights. It's a totally different experience from going to the studio. It's a lot less intense without the heat. But I am also able to focus better without the distraction of the mirror or the other students. No dizziness or fatigue. Overall I feel really, really good.

My progress over the last few days:

Day Four (5/4/09) - 207.0

Day Five (5/5/09) - 206.5

Day Six (5/6/09) - 204.5

That makes 13 pounds lost in the last 6 days!!!

TOTAL OF 31.5 POUNDS RELEASED!!!!!!

MC Day Three

OK. I totally backslid on both my eating habits and my yoga program over the past couple of weeks. It started because my blender gradually stopped working and I could no longer make green smoothies that were palatable to drink. (I've got my eye on a couple used Vita Mix machines on ebay to replace it, though.) Then I had friend and family visitors back to back so what little free time I have was spent going out to eat, going out drinking, and doing fun tourist stuff. Unfortunately, most of my good intentions went out the friggin window.

Not to worry, I am back on track. In fact I am on Day Three of a 15 day Master Cleanse. I want to wipe the slate clean. I also want to get down below the 200 lb mark before my trip. I know that it's doable I just need to focus. I am doing the Salt Water Flush every single morning. I will do yoga at home w/ Bikram's audio cd in the evening at least 10 out of the 13 days left before my trip.

I didn't begin with the yoga right away because I thought it would be better to give myself a few days to get into the swing of the fast before adding exercise. The first couple of days are the hardest and I wanted to make it a little bit easier to stick with.

I'd also like to incorporate a couple swim sessions next weekend and I'm scheduled to get body wraps on Day 7 & Day 14 as well.

Here's my progress so far:

Day Zero (4/30/09) - 217.5

Day One (5/1/09) - 214.5

Day Two (5/2/09) - 212.0

Day Three (5/3/09) - 209.0

That's 8.5 pounds lost so far on this cleanse!!!


I am drinking plenty of the MC lemonade and pure water. I am also having green tea once a day and herbal teas as needed. I feel good physically but have a very short fuse emotionally. Things just seem to annoy me a lot more than usual. But I think that's because I am used to stuffing my emotions with food and can no longer do that.

When I am finished I plan to get back to my green smoothie routine and will most likely eat a high raw diet. The month of May is my new beginning into Raw Foods. I've built the foundation of yoga and now it's high time to quit slacking and commit to eating well once and for all.

DAY 4: Green Smoothie Challenge

I can't believe how well the combination of green smoothies, fresh juice and Bikram is working on my body. I started this challenge at 217 cause I gained about 6 pounds back from eating badly and not going to yoga for almost a whole week. So I knew that the weight would come off quick because it went on pretty quick.

Today 1st thing in the morning I was 208 and then a few hours later after yoga I was 206.5(!!!) Holy freekin cow - that is 10.5 pounds in 4 days(!!!!!) Faster than the Master Cleanse, faster than juice fasting. This is "Biggest Loser" weight loss and those guys work out a minimum of 4-6 hours a day. It's the kind of weight loss you'd expect from a weekend of doing a bunch of speed, dancing like a maniac every night, and not sleeping for 3 days straight. Not that I'd know anything about that. LOL.

The thing that gets me the most is that I am not at all depriving myself. I even had a big veggie burrito for lunch yesterday w/ black beans, rice, guacamole, lettuce, salsa - fried on the grill and then covered in enchilada sauce. I'm only having one actual "meal" during the weekdays, but I feel like I am still eating plenty of calories.

I read somewhere that a 90 minute Bikram class burns 1400-1500 calories at my weight. So I am definitely burning off a lot. But still, this is pretty dramatic. Really, I am completely blown away. Hope I can keep this up. Just another 10.5 pounds before I go to SF and I will schedule to get my tattoo. I am certain that I will achieve that and probably even more in the next 4 weeks. ;))

Thanks for listening to my rant. I am pretty gosh darned fired up right now. In case you couldn't tell.

Today's Weight: 208 lbs - before yoga

Today's Weight: 206.5 lbs - after yoga

THAT'S 10.5 LBS LOST IN JUST 4 DAYS!!


Yesterday's Food Choices:
32 oz green smoothie w/ pineapple, banana,
red leaf lettuce, romaine, mint & orange juice
(9am - home)
20 oz green/peppermint tea
(11 am - work)
veggie burrito w/ black beans, rice,
lettuce, salsa, guacamole & enchilada sauce
(1 pm - Taqueria Ramirez)
Dove milk chocolate w/ almond bar
(3 pm - work)
carrot, apple, beet, ginger juice
(5 pm - Jewel or Juice)
16 oz green smoothie leftover
(9 pm - home)

Today's Food Choices:
1 apple
1 banana
(10am - home)
32 oz green/peppermint tea
(11 am/12:30 pm - during yoga)
Naked Juice "SuperFood" green smoothie
(1 pm - home)
4 clementines
(3 pm - home)
1/2 a dynamite roll
1/2 a veggie tempura roll
1/2 a spicy veggie roll
1/2 a regular veggie roll
(5:30 pm - Sushi Man)

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

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 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