Well, I am sad to admit that I caved in and ate. I made it 12 days and then got some emotionally intense news and I did what I usually do in these circumstances. I ate. One of the things I really wanted to learn from this fast is how to not be such an emotional eater. I wish so much I was one of those people that went for a run when they were upset or went outside and mended the fence or something equally calorie burning and useful. But oh no, that's not my modus operandi. I eat. It's so frustrating because I can eat so healthfully for so long but then let an emotional crisis hit and I head for the pizza, soda and chocolate ice cream with almonds. UGH! I decided to give myself 24 hours to eat those things that I had really been craving and then I would get right back on the Juice Fast.
I am starting again tomorrow morning so I already have my refrigerator stocked with massive amounts of greens and have made 3 quarts of juice for tomorrow. I have to admit that I feel so sluggish and awful now that I've eaten. It tasted so good but it sure hasn't made me feel good. I'm actually anxious to get back on the juices and start over again.
Here's to new beginnings, health and weight loss!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Battle is in the Mind! Day 11.
5:00 am:
I woke up exhausted this morning. Literally bone tired and moaning at the thought of getting out of bed. This is highly unusual for me as I'm a morning person. I love waking up and watching the sunrise while having that quiet time before the children wake up and my day starts with a vengeance. This morning I resembled something more akin to zombie woman. I stumbled downstairs and literally could hardly keep my eyelids open. I'm sure I was hysterical to watch. I kept waiting and waiting for the "good morning sunshine" energy to kick in.
10:00am:
I have really come to realize how much fasting affects you mentally. This is such a wonderful lesson in what the mind thinks the body becomes. I am struggling to be happy and positive about this fast and it's really manifesting in my body. Today I am going to focus on the wonderful benefits of juicing and finding the excitement about the healing my body is doing. Really, it is amazing how self-healing our bodies can be if we would just get out of the way. I keep repeating to myself that as soon as this is finished I can eat literally anything that I want to. I have the power to control this. This is just a temporary time-out for healing and lessons in practicing self-control.
5:00 pm:
I did something today that I have never done before in my whole life. I took a 2.5 hour nap. See, I told you I was tired! Wow! The most amazing thing was what happened when I awoke. I was really craving a green drink. Yep, you read that correctly. I really couldn't wait to come downstairs and make myself a cool and refreshing juice. I downed 1.5 liters of kale, cucumber, parsley, celery, carrot and apple juice. My cells are now singing the "Hallelujah Chorus". Things are starting to look up today. I feel tired, but healthier and more excited about continuing this fast than I have in quite a few days. Life is good and God is great!
Oh, and I have fabulous news to report. My daughter, Faith, has decided to start her own fast. She's going to be drinking Green Smoothies and Green juices. She made it the whole day and didn't even complain. I am so incredibly proud of her. She's such a trooper!
Remember moms just how powerful our actions are in influencing these precious children that God has placed in our care!
I got this link in my email yesterday. It's a great article on some of the benefits of fasting that I thought some of you would enjoy.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-weight-loss/#axzz1qMCT
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Time to Refocus
I am now in the double digits! Day 10 has arrived and I haven't stolen any little children's ice cream cones or threatened to hold up a chocolate factory. I think that alone spells success! I had decided before I started this fast that I was not going to ever quit at night. That is always my weakest time emotionally. If I decided to come off it I would have to make the decision one day and execute it the next. I'm so glad I did that. I was completely ready to quit last night! I had gone 4 days without any weight loss and was nauseous and couldn't fathom putting another green drink into my mouth. I was and still am EXTREMELY HUNGRY! I wanted to join my family in eating dinner so badly. Today, however, I lost a couple of pounds and feel a little stronger emotionally. My nausea is still here but at a manageable level. So, here goes Day 10.
Well, it's now the night of Day 10 and everything went really well until about 4:30. I once again I hit that dark and overwhelming place of really, really wanting to quit and inhale everything in sight. I'm not talking about having a meal, I truly mean inhaling every single thing in sight! If I don't come up with a hugely brilliant plan immediately, I can tell I am soon going to be sitting down to an enormous dinner buffet. I've got to find a way to 1) get in more green juices to help control this hunger and 2) have an action plan for when that emotional and physical tiredness kicks in. I guess maybe it's time to start going for a walk every night while the family eats or something else that will help to get me out of the house and refocus on something besides it being dinnertime in the Elliott household. I mean really, I'm only human! The smells of sprouted bread warming gently in the toaster as farm fresh eggs, drenched in butter and coconut oil, sizzle hotly in the frypan and the smell of vegetables sauteing with onions and garlic completely permeate every inch of the downstairs is well, more than this woman can handle!
I'm really grateful for all the encouragement I've gotten. I think, quite honestly, that if it wasn't for that I would have quit last night or tonight. That's one of the reasons I've been so out there about doing this fast. I wanted and need the accountability of friends. I just keep reminding myself that people are watching this process and I can't let them or myself down. The other thing that has helped me tremendously is the movie, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". I can't recommend this movie enough. It truly is very inspiring and powerful!
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
Take care and stay healthy!
Well, it's now the night of Day 10 and everything went really well until about 4:30. I once again I hit that dark and overwhelming place of really, really wanting to quit and inhale everything in sight. I'm not talking about having a meal, I truly mean inhaling every single thing in sight! If I don't come up with a hugely brilliant plan immediately, I can tell I am soon going to be sitting down to an enormous dinner buffet. I've got to find a way to 1) get in more green juices to help control this hunger and 2) have an action plan for when that emotional and physical tiredness kicks in. I guess maybe it's time to start going for a walk every night while the family eats or something else that will help to get me out of the house and refocus on something besides it being dinnertime in the Elliott household. I mean really, I'm only human! The smells of sprouted bread warming gently in the toaster as farm fresh eggs, drenched in butter and coconut oil, sizzle hotly in the frypan and the smell of vegetables sauteing with onions and garlic completely permeate every inch of the downstairs is well, more than this woman can handle!
I'm really grateful for all the encouragement I've gotten. I think, quite honestly, that if it wasn't for that I would have quit last night or tonight. That's one of the reasons I've been so out there about doing this fast. I wanted and need the accountability of friends. I just keep reminding myself that people are watching this process and I can't let them or myself down. The other thing that has helped me tremendously is the movie, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". I can't recommend this movie enough. It truly is very inspiring and powerful!
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
Take care and stay healthy!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
How many ways can I say Hungry? Day 9
I am STARVING! I know, I know I sound like a broken record. I truly am the hungriest that I have ever been in my entire life. My stomach is continually growling, my head hurts from hunger and my brain is all obsessed with...you guessed it, hunger and food. I'm wanting to be positive and uplifting and tell you all how wonderful of an experience this is, but so far it has not been all I had heard it would be. I do feel a little better physically but overall I'm weak, tired and not seeing too many benefits. I haven't lost any weight the last 4 days which isn't helping me any. It's always so much easier to do the hard things when you can see positive results.
I'm going to have to try to focus on the facts in order to keep going with this. The facts are that I am giving my digestive system a much needed rest while I am simultaneously flooding my body with nutrients. I'm also getting to know the grocery store produce team much better. They actually smile and wave when they see me now. I have proven to myself that I can do more than I thought I could. The longest fast up to this one was 7 days so I've already beaten my record. My children are eating more produce since there is so much in the house now.
Well, I'm off to pray that tomorrow is a much better day and that I can sleep away quite a few hours of this fast. Take care until later.
I'm going to have to try to focus on the facts in order to keep going with this. The facts are that I am giving my digestive system a much needed rest while I am simultaneously flooding my body with nutrients. I'm also getting to know the grocery store produce team much better. They actually smile and wave when they see me now. I have proven to myself that I can do more than I thought I could. The longest fast up to this one was 7 days so I've already beaten my record. My children are eating more produce since there is so much in the house now.
Well, I'm off to pray that tomorrow is a much better day and that I can sleep away quite a few hours of this fast. Take care until later.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Detox has Entered the Arena
Well, today is Day 8 and I can officially say that detox has entered the arena! I woke up this morning with a massive headache, a very white coated tongue and nausea to match. I feel like I've been hit by a moving truck from the stomach up. My brain is foggy and I just want to crawl back into bed and refuse to move. Not exactly an option since I'm a mom, but it was wonderful just imagining doing it for a mere minute. Ahhhh...oh yes, back to the blog post...
I have upped my green juices as I have realized the last few days that I am not drinking nearly enough. I really enjoy nice warm things to eat and drink and am not a real fan of cold and raw. You know those people that will go in and grab cold leftover pizza from the day before and thoroughly enjoy it? I'm not one of those! It must be heated in the oven to crisp and bubbly perfection before it will enter my mouth. Alas, I must be a glutton for punishment to chose a raw, cold juice fast then! Seriously, I do believe it is the best way to give my digestive system a much deserved rest and time to heal while providing my body with a cornucopia of easily assimilated nutrients. I don't have any tried and true recipes yet as I'm pretty much just looking into the refrigerator to see what veggies have been there the longest and need to be used first. I have realized that I definitely do not want fruit juices at this point. I am having a hard time drinking anything that is remotely sweet. I'm really yearning for savory juices that have garlic, ginger and/or cayenne pepper in them. That is really satisfying me the most. I even juiced some tomatoes, cilantro and garlic last night and then topped it with a smattering of cayenne. It really hit the spot. Huge surprise on my part. I am definitely NOT a V-8 or tomato juice lover. It just tastes so different when it's organic and fresh. YUM!
My hunger is still through the roof! I am very anxiously awaiting that glorious moment that I've heard of, from the oh so many YouTube videos aficionados that I've watched, when you really don't even want to eat real food. Really? That happens? Hmmmm....I'm still waiting to be convinced! I must admit though that I had a real victory yesterday at the church potluck. I took my bottle of green juice and very much expected that I would have to continually run the dialogue through my brain over and over again as to why I am doing this. What I am hoping to achieve from this. How humiliating it would be to stop after I've publicly announced my intentions. But nothing nearly as dramatic ensued. Lunch was...well, pleasant. I wasn't tempted in the least to stop. I had great conversations and I got to talk to a man that has been newly diagnosed with cancer about natural healing modalities. Overall, it was a wonderful afternoon filled with God and friends.
Weight loss to date: 12 lbs.
Well, until next time, keep looking up and eating and drinking to the glory of God.
I have upped my green juices as I have realized the last few days that I am not drinking nearly enough. I really enjoy nice warm things to eat and drink and am not a real fan of cold and raw. You know those people that will go in and grab cold leftover pizza from the day before and thoroughly enjoy it? I'm not one of those! It must be heated in the oven to crisp and bubbly perfection before it will enter my mouth. Alas, I must be a glutton for punishment to chose a raw, cold juice fast then! Seriously, I do believe it is the best way to give my digestive system a much deserved rest and time to heal while providing my body with a cornucopia of easily assimilated nutrients. I don't have any tried and true recipes yet as I'm pretty much just looking into the refrigerator to see what veggies have been there the longest and need to be used first. I have realized that I definitely do not want fruit juices at this point. I am having a hard time drinking anything that is remotely sweet. I'm really yearning for savory juices that have garlic, ginger and/or cayenne pepper in them. That is really satisfying me the most. I even juiced some tomatoes, cilantro and garlic last night and then topped it with a smattering of cayenne. It really hit the spot. Huge surprise on my part. I am definitely NOT a V-8 or tomato juice lover. It just tastes so different when it's organic and fresh. YUM!
My hunger is still through the roof! I am very anxiously awaiting that glorious moment that I've heard of, from the oh so many YouTube videos aficionados that I've watched, when you really don't even want to eat real food. Really? That happens? Hmmmm....I'm still waiting to be convinced! I must admit though that I had a real victory yesterday at the church potluck. I took my bottle of green juice and very much expected that I would have to continually run the dialogue through my brain over and over again as to why I am doing this. What I am hoping to achieve from this. How humiliating it would be to stop after I've publicly announced my intentions. But nothing nearly as dramatic ensued. Lunch was...well, pleasant. I wasn't tempted in the least to stop. I had great conversations and I got to talk to a man that has been newly diagnosed with cancer about natural healing modalities. Overall, it was a wonderful afternoon filled with God and friends.
Weight loss to date: 12 lbs.
Well, until next time, keep looking up and eating and drinking to the glory of God.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Juicing Affects the Whole Family
I pulled out the juicer from the back cabinet and have decided to do an extended Juice Feast/Fast. I forgot how much fun it can be to get the children in the kitchen with me washing veggies and pushing them through the juicer. There's so much laughing and taste testing going on. The children are learning to develop their palates to know what veggies are missing and in what proportions to make the juice "just perfect". The best thing I forgot all about? That the mother very often sets the tone of the diet of the family. My juicing has inspired my husband to start drinking a quart of juice a day and my children are so excited to make up their own concoctions that they are drinking 1-2 pints of raw, organic juice daily. How simple this change was and yet I can already envision the effect it is going to have on all of us.
Fasting
Today is day 4 of my liquid juice fast. I am going to be blogging here about my thoughts and experiences with an extended fast. This fast has been a long time in the making. I've been doing a lot of searching and reflecting this last year and have come to the point where I'm ready to make some positive changes and shifts in my life. This fast is the first step towards recovering the "old Kay". The woman I remember being before I allowed the battles of life to deflate my enthusiasm and energy. I'm anxious to renew this relationship with her and allow her to once again enjoy the world and all it's precious gifts.
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