Day 6: Green Smoothie Challenge

The challenge is still going really well. I was running very late this morning and didn't have time to make a green smoothie. So I brought fruit with me as a substitute. But I did have a big salad for lunch and veggie juice later in the day.

Today's Weight: 208 lbs

My weight is up a bit but I am still happy with my progress. I know that fluctuating a few pounds day to day is completely normal. In this case it could be in part that I didn't eat enough calories yesterday throughout the day before going to yoga. And I also didn't have nearly enough fruits and vegetables. But the biggest culprit is most likely that I had sushi pretty late in the evening, with wasabe and soy sauce - so a lot of sodium. I find that I lose better when I do yoga in the evening and then just have juice or fruit after instead of a full meal.


Yesterday's Food Choices:
32 oz green smoothie w/ pineapple, banana,
strawberries, kale, spinach, mint & apple juice
(11am - home)
Kona chocolate chip pancakes
(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
(9 pm - home)

Today's Food Choices:
2 apples
3 clementines
(10am - work)
32 oz green/peppermint tea
(throughout the day - work)
wild Alaskan salmon salad
w/ spinach, onions, carrots, tomatoes,
sunflower seeds & vinaigrette dressing
(12 pm - Salad Creations)
8 oz Kombucha
(4pm - work)
carrot, apple, beet , ginger juice
(7pm - Jewel or Juice)

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 2: Green Smoothie Challenge

So I haven't really been doing the Green Smoothie Girl Challenge verbatim. At least not to start. She is my inspiration and I do take her recommendations to heart. I want to incorporate all ten of her points eventually, but for the next several weeks these are my personal goals:

1 green smoothie per day
1 green salad per day
1 green tea per day
1 fresh vegetable-based juice per day
1 gallon of water per day
workout - yoga, swim or The Firm - every day

Today's Weight: 211.5 lbs

THAT'S 5.5 LBS LOST IN JUST 2 DAYS!!

I kinda knew that this would happen, though. It seems that pounds that come on fast are also fast to leave once I eliminate the junk food that caused them to creep back.

Yesterday's Food Choices:
32 oz green smoothie w/ pineapple, banana,
red leaf lettuce, romaine, mint & orange juice
(9am - home)
Kona chocolate chip pancakes
(1 pm - home)
2 apples w/ chyawanprash
(3 pm - home)
carrot, apple, beet, ginger juice
(5 pm - Jewel or Juice)
carrot spice muffin
(7 pm - Coffee Talk)

Today's Food Choices:
32 oz green smoothie w/ pineapple, banana,
red leaf lettuce, romaine, mint & orange juice
(8am - home)
wild salmon fillet
salad w/ spinach, onions, carrots, tomatoes,
artichoke hearts, sunflower seeds & vinaigrette dressing
(1 pm - Salad Creations)
peanut M&M's
(3 pm - work)
carrot, apple, celery, beet, ginger juice
(8:30 pm - home)

Green Smoothie Challenge

After much deliberation, I have decided to start the Green Smoothie Challenge tomorrow. I've got about 4 1/2 weeks until my trip to California and I'd like to make some big changes in my diet before then. I've been reading/watching a lot of raw food blogs/videos and think that Green Smoothie Girl's approach is one that I can live with long term.

These are the 10 Points she advocates for weight loss:

1. Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily (between meals, not during) starting with two glasses of water when you first wake up.

2. Drink 1 quart of green smoothie daily—this is the minimum, you can drink as much as you want!

3. Eat 8-10 raw vegetables and fruits daily (with most of those being vegetables including plenty of greens).

4. Eat freely of whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds—soak them whenever possible for maximum nutrition.

5. Eat 1 oz. or more of coconut oil daily.

6. Add kelp, dulse, nori, or seaweed to a green smoothie, soup, or salad every day.

7. Take a good probiotic daily, and digestive enzymes with any meal that isn’t mostly raw.

8. Avoid processed sugar, white flour, animal flesh, and coffee/soft drinks (including diet drinks) or other stimulants using NutraSweet (aspartame) and caffeine.

9. Eat three meals daily that are 60% raw or more. Try to avoid snacking but if you must snack as you’re transitioning to three meals a day, have a green smoothie.

10. Break a sweat once a day, 5-6 days a week—do both aerobic and weight bearing exercise, and push yourself.

To read more about it check out her website: http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/weightloss.html

I will be doing Bikram Yoga 5-6 days per week. I also want to try to do The Firm Vol 4 (45 min weight workout video) 2 mornings during the week and swim at least 1000 yards on one of the weekend days. And, of course, I usually take my dog Buddha for a 30 min walk weekdays and to the park on weekends.

I will record my weight and food choices here. I will discuss my yoga progress and insights to my practice on my "Ellen's Yoga Journey" blog.

I am very excited to see how much weight I can lose and how my body responds inside and out to this regimen. Wish me luck!

Starting Weight: 217 lbs

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