Day Thirty-One

Ok, guys, today was great. Awesome, actually. Food is good. Good food is even better. I've been eating mostly raw, healthy and little dairy. and by little I mean a little cheese on my salad. Had a bocca burger with some pickles and mustard. That rocked.

I learned some things today, but before that: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'm Buddhist, but I still celebrate. Because Christmas for me isn't about God or Jesus; it's about family (whoever that is for you), love, faith, and spreading goodness in the world. So, just want to get that out first.

I think a lot of people think when I say I'm going 'mostly' vegan that I mean I'm in it for animals. Let me be the first to say that I abhor the way animals are treated in the food industry (in general), but that's not my primary reason. I am doing it for me and Gary's health. My family's health if they're in for it. That's why I say 'mostly vegan'. What does that mean?

It means I can't afford completely organic or wholly vegan stuff. So, I'm still going to eat regular bread. Vegan bread is expensive, and so long as milk is the last listed thing? I'm good. My main concern is casein and animal protein in large doses. My goal is to avoid clogged arteries and cancer growth. and so far, I think I'm doing a fairly good job of that.

I really hope this helps someone like me. Someone who doesn't want to go really go veganish for just the animals, but for them. I know some people who are completely vegan are like, you're awful. Well, I don't care what you think. At least I'm not eating straight eggs, milk, and meat anymore, right? That's my point of view.

Anyway, I wanted to give you guys a post of some kind. Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy your family. Because--really--that's what this whole thing is about.

Day Thirty

I'm done with the fast! a full 30 days with no solids! And I celebrated the end of that fast with my wrap!

The Wrap!

I use romaine lettuce, mushrooms, fried tofu (firm and organic), tomatoes (sliced small), broccoli, and a little mozzarella cheese. It all went into a sun dried tomato and basil wrap. Super yummy. I loved it. I could taste everything; the newman's ceasar dressing I used was awesome too. No high fructose corn syrup and all natural flavors.

I also weighed myself today. I usually weigh anywhere from 150 to 160 depending if I'm on my period or not. I'm 145! And that's on my period. So, I'm kinda wondering what it'll be once I'm off. I'm so happy. At the very least I've lost 15 pounds (I usually weigh 160 on my period).

It's been about... 20 minutes since I ate the wrap. No stomach pains. So, good.

Oh! I went grocery shopping and bought an Amy's vegan pizza with soy cheese. I'll let you guys know how it is once I try it.

Overall? Awesome! I'm super happy.

Oh, Gary plans on breaking his fast tomorrow morning. I made him a wrap for work. ^^ I did forget the black olives though.... gonna have to pack those up on the side.

He had some back pain, but that's nothing new. Hopefully all will get better with the food we'll be eating now.

Thanks for reading and supporting, guy! Night!

Day Twenty-Nine

My day was boring. Boring as hell, peeps. Well, for the most part. I did go to the store, avoided the Public scale--again--and got a bunch of veggies and some tofu for Sunday night after midnight. I know most people who make videos of the their fast breaks will wait till the morning and eat an apple or something. Screw that, I'm eating at 12:01 in the morning. Yum.

I bought broccoli, cauliflower, celery (for mom--I hate it), romaine, mushrooms, cucumber ( I love that stuff), newman's ceaser dressing (it's all natural with no HF corn syrup), wraps, and a bunch of other stuff. It smells so good, especially the tomatoes. I bought four of those. I wish I could buy organic, honestly. But, organic is expensive most of the time. I really wish it wasn't. But, eating this way is still better than eating a bunch of greasy burgers on the dollar menu.

I'm really excited about checking my weight tomorrow. I'm not sure if I told you guys, but I fit back into my size 5 jeans that I love! When I bought these, I couldn't even get my thighs in them; now, they're a little loose on me. It rocks. I do have some muffin top coming over, but I'm ok with that because I know as I keep eating healthy and start working out I'll lose more gradually, slowly, and healthily.

I'm really proud of myself. I feel good, I'm eating better, and I feel more positive about my life.

Thanks for being apart of this with me. I probably won't post until after I eat my salad wrap tomorrow night. So, plan on a 1 AM post.

Day Twenty-Eight

Today... was a bit on the.... painful side. It sucked for a good many hours, trust me on that.

I get up today, go about my day a little bit, make my juice. For some reason I had to have a fruit juice, felt like I needed it. And then the cramps hit... hard. All over my lower back, abdomen, and the tops of my thighs. I've had my share of periods, but never have I had anything like this one. And there was no real cause for it to be this way. I'm honestly not sure if it's because of the fast, or something else. But, I'm gonna get it checked out if it happens again. Just in case it's not the fast.

But, I'm also telling you about this in case anyone else has the same problem and wants to know more about it. It could be an iron deficiency, sugar, ect. But... I'd see your medical professional. Do what you want, but that's just me. You don't want to find out much too late it's because of a bigger problem.

On another note, I have two days left. Pretty awesome. I think a harder part of this is still going to be Christmas Eve and Day. Even though I'm coming off the fast I still can't eat like a mammoth  Not that I do, honestly. But, I need to keep off the rich foods. I need to keep it light and ease back into other foods. I suppose I keep writing that here to remind myself how important it is.

Not sure.

Anyway, small post today. Thanks for reading and supporting me. Night!

Day Twenty-Seven

I sped through today, honestly. And not that this has anything to do with my juice fast, but I got some Christmas shopping done. All of it's done. Completely. We didn't spend a whole lot of money this year. I'm ok with that. While I love buying people things for the holidays, I enjoy knowing what it's really about. And everyone I bought for will appreciate the small things they got and love them.

My mother sent me a camera. A camera with a 26x optical zoom. I open the box, expecting like... something cute or small. Nope, it's probably a 300 dollar camera that retails at 1k. I look at this thing and I'm like... omg, wow. If you know me, and you know why this is such a wow.... Then you'll know. To make a long story short, my mom and I have had a little... not a falling out... we've just been on two sides of the fence for about a month because of incident I feel she completely neglected my feelings over. I'm not going to go into details here; and you know that's because I don't air my dirty laundry. I'm just explaining why I was wowed. Now, I don't feel guilty... but I know this is her way of apologizing. And it's an awesome gift. While I'm not as into photography as my mom... I love a good camera for cons and costuming pics. And damnit... now I have to call her. I wanted to wait till I saw her in person. But... with this gift... it just... UGH.

Anyway, enough about my personal life.

I've got a bag of healthy super awesome rosemary and garlic potato ships waiting for me in a bag by my bed. I can't wait to crack them open and eat a few after midnight Sunday. Kind of like my reward for doing so well on this fast thing. I'll be careful not to eat too many. I really can't stress how much I don't want to get sick.

Speaking of sick...

I honestly didn't realize I'd ever go to the store, look at junk food, and say, 'Ew.' But, I have been. I have zero desire to eat it. I've been craving nothing but healthy food for weeks. Apparently Gary has too. And I read about this a lot from other juice fasting blogs and forums. It's.... kinda awesome. I really don't want to go back to that kind of food. Especially when I go vegan completely.

I must sound like such a fanatic. Gary says I'm obsessed. I guess I am a little. I'm just happy, and I want to share that happiness with others (if they're interested).

Anyway, it was another great day. Love you guys, thanks for all your support, readership, ect.

Three days left!

Day Twenty-Six

Four days left. Man, it's going by faster than I imagined. I slept way too long today. I don't feel bad physically because of it, but I personally don't feel right about it. I need to make sure I get up earlier tomorrow. Which, is kinda hard when I stay up late. (Long term goal: Get to bed earlier; get up earlier.)

I have some new announcements today; ya know, besides being four days away from breaking my fast and moving into my (mostly) raw diet. (I should just say: essentially vegan diet.) Much of it stems from my night with Gary last night (he's feeling much better, by the way) and watching Forks Over Knives again. It really got me thinking... should I eat animal food products for the rest of my life? I know I can, but I also know that they can cause cancer, heart disease, and a whole slew of other problems in the long run.... should I?

My response, and Gary's, was a resounding no.

I've decided that my New Years Resolution will be to be completely vegan by the end of 2014 (and to exercise more, but we all try that--right?). This will be a major accomplishment for me (if I manage it). All my life I thought vegans and vegetarians were unhealthy. I was exposed to supposed ones and balked at their unhealthy skin, low energy, and (let's face it) dis-likable disposition because they were so against anyone eating meat---mostly because of animal treatment (I hate PETA, by the way). However, when I watched Forks Over Knives, I was exposed to an amazing MMA fighter who was a hard core vegan. His body was solid, his energy was high, and he looked happy. His recovery time was amazing, according to him. It was then I realized, like with most things, there is a wrong way to do something... and a right way.

I'm going to do this the right way.

Gary doesn't do soy products because it lowers testosterone. I'm a woman however; soy would be fine for me and very healthy. I could do it. I might end up missing cheese, but I won't miss meat. 'Cause, folks, let me tell you... Black beans look super yummy as a burger patty.

We talked about a lot last night. We made major decision about our future. Let me be clear though, this isn't about saving animals. It's about saving ourselves. It's about being healthy and mindful. Helping animals is just a bonus byproduct we're both happy to contribute to on another level.

Please don't be sad for me, those of you who think I'm crazy. Root for me, cheer me on, and wish me well. This is something I do for me and a better life. And I'm happy about it.

I hope that you keep reading, rooting, and wishing me well. And please don't miss out on my new blog for a sustained healthy life at Hooked On Healthy because this blog will eventually end in January when this diet goes to another level completely.

Day Twenty-Five

I'm writing my blog post early today for two reasons: A, I feel really awesome today, and, B, I'm going to watch Forks Over Knives with Gary. I've seen it, but he hasn't. On that note, let me tell you how my day went from shit to freakin' awesome.

As we all know, lately Gary has been grumpy and irritable as hell. Or, at the very least, some of you can tell it from the few blog posts I have with what little info I have about that part of me and him. I'm not the type to put my dirty laundry out about my relationship to everyone. I don't even post about it on Facebook. I personally think--and you can feel about this however you want, this is just me--that it's in really bad, bad, bad taste. But, anyway, I will say that today we had a pretty rough start. Actually, horrific.

The truth is, our house kinda fell apart around us. The ceiling in the kitchen collapsed, the hot water heater went to shit over a year ago almost, and then a slap leak happened. Awesome, right? You're wondering what this has to do with my juice/raw food diet. Well, I'm getting to that, my few patient readers.

So, house is a mess. (We're at my mom's while we're fixing it, just so you know.) Gary feels a bit like a failure for that, even if it doesn't make him any less awesome than we all know he is. (You'd think he was if you met him. He oozes awesome--for real.[ Yes, I'm a 90s kid.]) Then, being on this fast brought this infection to the front line of pain. So, yeah, he's been bitchy. Fast forward to this morning. We need to get a call made before we move back in (mortgage stuff). He's missing some paperwork and I get frustrated. So... it escalated fairly quickly and went down hill from there until about 4-5pm. But then, we dropped the kids off at their mom's, took our buddy who was helping us out at the house home, and went to have some coffee (a nice little treat for us since we haven't been drinking any for this fast).

We talked and sorted it out. We both realized we were being buttheads. (Ya know, what I call someone being a jerk... or a douche... it sound funnier! Don't judge me...!) And then.... something freakin' amazing happened.

He told me about how this diet has helped him feel better, outside of the infection, how he wants to eat healthier. He told me he wants to start a garden with me, and produce our own canned veggies, fruits, and jams. We both--individually--tried to start a garden of veggies and failed. So, we've decided it we do it together, and stick with it as a team, we can do it. And that makes me feel really good. Really good.

I'm excited, energized, and happy about our communication.

On that note, I got him some garlic pills to help with the infection. They're also amazing for lowering cholesterol  for those of you interested. I figure by stacking that with the OoO he'll do much better. He also told me about all the healthy recipes he wants to make and all the healthy veggies and fruits he's been craving. And it's finally so nice to hear him voicing the same things I've been feeling. That's what I've been missing out on.

I'm really happy. (Sorry this post is so long....)

On a final note, I'm late on my period/menstrual. But, I've read it's because of the fast. Just some info for you other gals on the fast, or looking to find out of that's normal. It is. But, I'm going back to eating on Monday, so I'm not worried. However, if you go more than 30 days without a mensie, fast or not, see your doctor. It mgiht be more than the fast, and I would hate for that. Please keep in mind, this blog is not a substitue for real medical advice either. (I really don't want to sued.... please don't. I'm a broke writer... and college student. Plus... you do like me, don't you...?)

Anyway, thanks for reading and wishing me luck. Have a good night, a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday works for you!

Five days left!

Wooohoo!

Day Twenty-Four

I have some good news today. My friend Sabs came over and hung out. She told me she hadn't been able to keep food down for days and lost 5 pounds. (She's pregnant; this isn't a good thing.) So, took her to Publix and had her buy some fruits. Came home, made her a juice, gave it to her. She was very happy it didn't want to come up. Then I made a platter of veggies for her with ranch dressing. She and mom ate almost the whole thing and she kept that down! I'm so happy for her. I told her to leave the heavy foods alone, stay away from a lot of meat and dairy. It's just as cheap to do that and she'll feel much healthier because of it. So, we'll see how that goes. I hope she feels better because of it. And I hope she makes healthier eating choices too. She'll thank herself for it.

Had a mean green today; had a little too much celery in it. I'm not a fan of celery at all, so it was a little hard to drink. But, I managed it. I haven't been drinking any fruit juice accept what little I put in my mean green. I just think I need to keep too much sugar out of my diet. It's not bad, I just wanna keep it down.

I have been drinking a lot of water. My favorite is the big bottle of Smart Water; I think one or two of those a day. I end up peeing a lot, but I feel better because of it.

Oh, when we were at Publix I priced out some veggie wraps. They have spinach, and basil and tomato. Granted, they're high in salt, but with all the potassium I consume and green tea (and water), it shouldn't be a big deal for me and Gary. In fact, I think we'll need the salt, honestly.

Six days. Man this is getting harder. Or easier. I'm not really sure.

Oh! Gary said he was feeling a lot better today. It wasn't actually until shit shift was over that he started to hurt. And his breathing was much better! So happy!

Anyway, thanks for reading and well wishes. Have a good night!

Day Twenty-Three

So... today was ok. Didn't get any mean green, but I drink it everyday, so I'm alright, I think. Gary had a bad day today, but not really because of the job. He did show some improvements. The pain takes about eight hours instead of six hours to kick in. So, I know things are getting better. It's just going to take time, love, and a belief that it will work.

We've got a week left. It feels good. I honestly can't wait to sink my teeth into some whole fruits and veggies. I'm dying for a salad wrap with raw tomatoes, romaine, mushrooms, pan fried tofu, broccoli, and maybe some black olives. Can't have enough black olives! Oh! And cucumbers. Noms. Yeah... can't wait. Next Monday, here I come.

Last few days have been pretty boring though. When you're on a juice fast, one of the hardest things to realize if that you can't get rid of the boredom by going out to eat a bite with a friend your significant other. I don't know about you guys, but that's pretty much cheap fun for us. It's how we get out of the house. And now we can't, and it blows. It's been blowing. Which is why I promised Gary that (not this Thursday, but) next Thursday we'll get up, go to the beach, and then eat lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. I love that place. By then we should be pretty well back into our body's way of eating solids. So, no tummy aches. Woot!

Anyway, I love you guys. Thanks for reading.

Day Twenty-Two

We had good and bad points today. Bad points should come first, because I like leaving on a good note.

Well... one of Gary's coworkers, who's actually a manager--I think--told him that during his evaluation tomorrow... his reliability might be in question. Now, let me explain this first... Gary is very dependable. He always shows up to work on time, and he busts his ass most days (within reason). In the last month, he's been fighting this infection, dealing with us trying get the house fixed, and moving out into my mom's temporarily. It's been a sucky month for him--for us. But, mostly for him. This is the first time in the history of Gary working at Publix that he's ever had a hard time. Part of it's his health and part of it is his emotional health because of the move and house being messed up. It's not easy for a guy. So, it's been fucked. His store manager--we'll call him Joe--doesn't like him anyway. Now he's found the perfect opportunity to basically move him to another store. Gary is all upset about it. I'm really hoping this doesn't happen. The guy is decently happy where he's at and would hate to go to a whole new store where he has to build his way back up again. :( In short, Joe is a dick for taking advantage of a guy in a time of need. None of this is his fault and someone should cut him a little slack. We all need that now and again.

Onto the good news!

Gary's pain is almost completely gone. He upped his protein intake to help take care of the tenderness, but we're fairly certain the infection is pretty much gone. I'm still going to keep him on this regiment for the next...  23 days? Yeah, sounds right. Just to make it's gone. Actually, might be more like 20 days. Nope, sorry, until the 10th of January. I had my math wrong. :)

I, however, we (as in Gary and I) have eight days left in our fast. After Sunday is over, we'll have a week. I'm so happy about that. I can't wait to eat. I'll make sure to take pics of my nommy foods when I do.

Thanks for reading and your well wishes!

Day Twenty-One

Today was alright... as far as the fasting went anyway. Hearing about the shooting first thing when I got up kinda of threw me a little. It's hard to imagine someone doing that to anyone, much less kids. But, it happens. Not to be devil's advocate, and not to cheapen the fact that 27 lives were taken today for no reason, but how many people starve and die in this country on a daily basis? Those numbers are sad. I just wish people would get as worked up on a regular basis about that as much as they do about 27 people dying in a shooting.

Not to confuse anyone; my heart does go out for these people, their families, and their loss. I really hope something is done to stop this kind of thing from happening in 'safe places'. It's becoming too frequent.

Now back to your regularly scheduled juice fast update.

I have no idea whether Gary is doing better or not. Mostly because he just won't give me details. It feels like I'm trying to pull the tusks off a damned elephant. It's a annoying! It doesn't even really piss me off, it's just frustrating. How do doctors deal with patients who won't tell them what's wrong? WTF?! UGH.

-cough-

Anyway, fast was alright tonight. I thought it would have been bad this evening because we went to the movies. But, I did good. Got myself a bottled water and enjoyed The Hobbit. Which, by the by, was awesome. I dooooooo feel like it was a huge set up for the next two, but it was packed with action--that made it double awesome. (Italics are fun, by the way.)

So, it was actually and easy day for me for the fast. No cravings. I've also been drinking green tea with a little sugar. And not to be all Mickey Dee's, but, I'm loving it! Green tea is so good for your kidneys and flushing crap out of your body. And there have been some thoughts and studies that link it with being a cancer killer. I figure, holistic aside, it's good and what have I got to lose--right?

Anyway, thanks for reading my rambling. Nine days left! >D Wish me luck!

Day Twenty

Today marks the end of of twenty days for me. That means, I have ten more days to go before I'm off juice and on some solid good veggies, fruits, whole grains, and a wittle bitta diary. I'm really proud of myself. I can't believe I made it this far. And I just want to thank you guys for sticking with it with me. So, if for some crazy reason, this girl quits early. That's ok. Because I made it this far. And I'm proud of that. A lot of people don't even make it to three days without chowing on something solid. I haven't eaten anything solid for twenty days. So, yea me! ^___^

The next ten are going to be super hard though. Because I've just got  make to the end before I can sink my teeth into some salad. And I know a lot of people are worried I'll gorge myself. I won't; I promise. I've looked into this carefully; and while it make take some severe effort on my part (and Gary's) we'll be careful not to get sick eating too much, and the wrong stuff.

Speaking of Gary, he's been on a regiment of oil or oregano (five drops a day, twice a day), EVOO (two tablespoons a day (twice a day and some salt [a little because of the high potassium content of the diet]), three 8 oz glasses of green tea (or more [he had 45 oz today--woot!]) for two days. He's been feeling better, but we now know it's probably going to take at least a week to see some changes. And we're going to keep him on the OoO (oil of oregano) for at least a month. Yup. I want to make sure the whole infection is gone. We've been giving him the EVOO because we think he needs the fatty acids for his back--the pain. PLUS, EVOO is a natural anti-inflammatory. So, if you ever have chronic pain, take some. Much better than pharmaceutical drugs.

Anyway, that's it for tonight. Thanks for reading and wish me luck.

Day Nineteen

So, if you haven't noticed, I changed the title and subtitle of my blog. And if it isn't obvious, I've decided to change my plan up. Not because I can't handle it, but because I feel this fast will have run its course on the end on the twenty-third of this month (December).

I've lost a lot of weight. I won't know how much until the 23rd, but it feels right. I'm going to continue my weight loss by eating raw veggies, fruits, very little dairy and no meat. That means nuts and (maybe) beans.

Why? Well, for people with severe heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, and heavy weight issues... sixty days or more is a good idea. For me, I feel as if the 30 days will work for me and Gary. In many ways, he feels a lot better. He's has chronic bronchitis, which is completely gone because of this. His heart rate is down, and I'm sure if and when he goes tot he doctor, his cholesterol will be much less.

Watching Forks Over Knives helped me make this choice. I think the second half of this diet will be much better still if we can eat solids not of the animal variety. So, we're going to keep it primarily vegan with very little diary.

I thought long and hard about this choice. And I feel really good about it. It still means I can't have Christmas Dinner; I'm ok with that.

In the end, I've been listening to my body. Going 30 days on just juice will be a huge accomplishment for someone like me; especially someone who's never done it before. I really don't know how the water fasters do it. Sound crazy to even attempt. But, at any rate, I feel good about my choice. And while I'm not sure I'll ever do this again beyond 30 days, I do know it has changed my life.

I plan to keep you guys updated on the rest of the plan and transition to better food (for the full 60). So, no worries.

Oh, as for Gary's infection. We got some oil of oregano and we're mixing it with port for higher potency. We're also adding salt to his diet and green tea. And EVOO. So, we're hoping in a few days that it should be completely gone. If you don't know what Oil of Oregano is, please google it. It's great for any kind of infection, internal or not.

Day Eighteen

Whoooooo... man. I'm an hour and half late. But, that's ok. Long day, last final of the semester, and I'm coast free until spring session starts. AND THEN I graduate with my AA. Then it's onto my bachelors and masters. Fun times, right? I hope so.

Today wasn't so bad. Much better than the last two days before it. I notice I have this huge craving problem around what should be dinner time in my house; then it gets worse around the late hour when I eat most of my munchies normally. The only good thing? I'm craving Cesar salad in a whole wheat wrap and more green veggies; I can practically taste it in my mouth. That parts sucks. I know I should stop planning everything I want to eat when I'm off this fast, but it feels more like I'm setting healthy goals for myself rather than teasing myself with what I can't have right now. Although, most of the time if does feel like torture. Especially when it makes it really hard to write.

I just keep telling myself I'm almost to the halfway point. And if I can make it thirty days, surely I can make it another to my birthday, right? Yes, I can. That's what I say.

But, by no means is any of this easy for me. At all.

Well, Gary's pains got worse. It's up and down. BUT, we did figure out it's more than likely an infection. And with all the iron we're taking it? Apparently that can increase and feed an internal infection. Green tea can stop the iron consumption on the infection's part. We also found out that oil of oregano is very good at killing an internal infection. Thus, tomorrow we're going to have Gary drink about 3 8 oz glasses of green tea a day, then mix two tablespoons of EVOO a day with a few drops of oil of oregano over the course of the next few days. I'm hoping we'll see a vast improvement in about a few days to a week. I'll be sure to let you guys know. Because, man, the poor guy can't take much more. And it's really starting to break me up.

So far, so good. Day 18 is over and now we're into day 19. Only 12 whole days (if you don't count 19 totally) until I can weigh in.

As always, thanks for reading and wish me luck.

Day Seventeen

Yesterday was a hard day for me. So was part of today. I really wanted to leave the house and get out, but I also wanted to treat myself with an Orange Julius. Gary couldn't do that and we don't have a lot of money right now. That blew chunks. I got really grumpy; especially when I found out he hadn't brought any water home. The water from our tap just isn't good for us as is and he hasn't found the brita filter yet. So that's very frustrating for me. Not to mention the fact that I have a Lit final tomorrow and I just wanted something nice.

This diet is hard. I was hoping, quietly, that after I hit two weeks it'd get easier. I even said I thought I'd be able to go to Christmas Eve dinner with no temptation or problems. It's not the temptation I'm worried about now. It's not that I will eat it. It's just feeling like I can't that sucks. I'm not depressed, I'm not down on myself I guess. I'm just frustrated and can't wait for the days to be over. Talking helps. I talked to Riven about it and few other people. They keep telling me to push on; they keep telling me I can do it.

To make matters worse, Gary thinks he might quit just because of how much pain he's in. I don't really understand why other than a protein deficiency. We're trying to resolve that with protein powder. I'd personally like to get some spiralina (I'm not sure I spelled that right...). I'm tired. I figured I'd be tired earlier in the diet, but maybe it's hitting me later on.

I've got 13 days till I hit the scale. Part of me wonders if I hit a plateau because I don't see much more visible weight loss. Even though it's not a primary concern, it would be nice to see more. I hear you only loose about a pound a dayish after the initial week and this is pretty normal.

Watched a video called Forks Over Knives. It promotes a vegan diet, showing research that diary products and meat can cause or promote cancer. Freakin' scary. Now, I love meat. But, the more I think about it, the more I think I could do vegan. It would have to happen over time though. I know people say it's unhealthy because you need protein; however, you can get protein from other plants, beans, and nuts. I think we've just been taught that we need animal meat.

Again, I don't know that I could do it right away, but I think I might get into it slowly after this juice fast.

Thanks for the support and taking the time to read. Comments are loved, but not required.

Day Sixteen

I can't believe I did it again. Posting late. Well, thank Kami I figured out how to reset the date and time settings on this thing. So, while I am posting this past midnight again it should show up as Sunday and not Monday.

Pretty bland day today. I should have been writing my story update, but I still don't feel up to it. Mostly I've just been counting the days and trying to stay positive. It's hard though, even with 43 days left. Maybe it's because I'm dying to stand on the scale. I'm not sure. Or maybe it's because I really wanna nibble on a cheeseburger and i know I can't. But I think that's more because I haven't had one in over two weeks. Actually, probably longer... since we don't eat out often.

I don't even care that I'm rambling.

Part of me wants to keep stopping. Everyday I look at the countdown clock I have set up, and think to myself, am I going to make it? Or, do I really have that many days left? And, January 23rd is such a long time from now. But then I remind myself why I'm doing it once more. And then I say to myself, why couldn't you have just gone thirty days, you idiot? Then no one would think you were quitting!

These are my thoughts.

I feel like I'm going up and down. One day I'm stoked and tell myself I can do it. And other days I second guess myself and really want a steak. But then I look at the calendar and remind myself that it's really not that long of a time. It just feels like it because I'm making it feel that way. I mean, 43 days isn't that bad right?

It's been a hard day folks. Thanks for reading.

Day Fifteen

Sorry I'm late. The date on this gonna be off, even if it just Is past midnight. I missed my posting time. Blah, oh well.

To be honest, there isn't much to report today other than I think I lost a little more weight. If I didn't use this to keep track of it all myself... well... I might do it once a week instead. But, I know me; if I don't post then I'll forget and lose track of my days. Which... would suck. Ah well.

Gary's still in pain; its not as much, but still there. In the end, we may end up taking him to a doctor. Probably around the first of the year if it doesn't let up. The juice is helping, but it might be a bone problem. If nothing else, the juice has helped take care of the majority of the issue and has taken a good degree of the pain away.

We talked to mom's doctor. I don't know if I told you that. He gave us the go ahead for her whenever she wants to start. We just have to watch her blood sugar levels and go slowly into it. A sudden drop in calories could make things bad for her because she has diabetes.

Jay's still on the fence about it. Which, is understandable. It's not easy to commit to. And while a lot of people say the first 3-5 days are the hardest, I think it's more like the first 10. The first 3 or 4 are a hump, but you still have a time with it the first 10, in my opinion. Could just be me, dunno.

Well, other than that... nothing new! Thanks for reading.

Day Fourteen

Two week mark!

I'm counting the days, can you tell? Although not like I had been before. Still, this is a milestone. Every week is. I fell better, my mind if working better, and I'm in a much better mood. But, if you've been reading this blog until this point then you're probably tire of hearing that.

This entry won't be long because I don't have much to report other than awesome like usual. Oh! I drove through McDonald's drive through and didn't want anything! If I can survive that I can totally handle Christmas Eve, right? Yosh!

I took a long nap again today. I think that's a combination of a lack of sleep and a late juice dinner. I drank my second drink way too late. I generally drink it earlier and have water the rest of the day. Ah well, I will do better tomorrow. I did decide to top drinking the fruit juice in the morning except on occasion. I just think the mean green is better for me. I hope I can handle not having the sweet stuff. If it ends up wearing on me I'll go back to what I have been doing.

Anyway, that's it! Night!

Day Thirteen

I'm so tired today. Well, I wasn't earlier; however, by the time I hit seven or eight? Man I'm almost gone. But, That because I've had a hectic day. It's a long story, and if you're a facebook buddy then you'll know why. If not, it doesn't really pertain to the topic of this blog. Suffice it to say: I've been problem solving all daaaaaaay long. Hopefully I can relax by writing tomorrow or playing The Old Republic. Because this weekend will be swamped with studying for my lit final (for college).

Had my usual fruit juice this morning, but no mean green. We're out of kale so I had some of my Naked juice. I've got one giant bottle left. I'm using it as emergency when I'm out of something. But, I know the lack of hunger isn't because of that now because I survived on the fruit juice this morning with no problem. I even took my time drinking it and wasn't hungry. I only drank the Naked when I was home and started to get hungry around 5ish. So, it's safe to say you will eventually stop being hungry all the damn time for stupid reasons. It just might take you longer (like me).

Someone sent me pic of a funnel cake. (I think it was a funnel cake...) And I didn't even want it. Like, seeing it didn't make me want to run out and get one. So that's really good. It means when Christmas Eve comes around I'll be able to go to Jen's house to see the boys and not be tempted. I'm so happy about overcoming that hurtle. I was really sure I never would and this whole process would be that much harder.

Now I'm hardly counting the days.

Thanks for reading, as always.

Day Twelve

I almost forgot to blog tonight. It's been a long day, ladies, sirs, midgets.

I ended up having a Naked this morning; mostly because I hate waking up... and I was up late last night working on finishing my book's website with my web guy (and one of my best friends). BUT! Tonight I am drinking my mean green! We got some juicing apples and they seem to make more liquid than the regular apples. Also, they seems to taste better in the mean green.

I took a looooong nap today. I'm not sure if that's just because I didn't sleep much last night or because of the diet as well. I think it was mostly the lack of sleep. I was also wrong about Gary's infection. I'm so use to him feeling better I guess I just assumed (on accident) that it was gone. He's still got a little left on his upper abs, but it's not anywhere near what it was before.

Speaking of Gary, strawberries are coming.... or so he says. I hope so. I'm looking forward to some high vitamin c juice. That's right, people, strawberries have more vitamin c than oranges!

This has nothing to do with juice fasting, but: I passed my American Gov test today and don't have to take the final. Which means... no studying this weekend! And that's awesome.

I don't have much else anything to report. Oh, well, hunger pains were almost nonexistent today. I think it's going to take me about two to three weeks in before they (might) be gone altogether.I am drinking more water though. That helps a lot.

Anyway, night guys. See you tomorrow, and thanks for the support.

Day Eleven

I just want to say two things first:

1. I'm glad I didn't start this fast the week before finals.

1. And I'm glad I didn't get sick; which, leaves me not being to terribly worried about number one.

Very few hunger pains today. I'm honestly wondering if that's because I had two Naked juice drinks today or not. I know the day I had to replace one with an Orange Julius I had a similar occurrence. We'll see what happens when I'm on a juice day that's all just my juice. I'm kinda hoping it's my body acclimating. Actually, I really hope it is.

I can now sit across from people eating normal food without a problem. I know for some people this takes just a few days, but I'm weird. So, what do you want?

UGH, the more research I do about this diet while on it, the more it really irks me bad. So many people are calling it a fad diet. No! Bad! STOP! The rice diet is a fad diet, taking diet pills without moderation is a fad diet; this is not a fad diet. I wish people would do their research and see all the benefits it has, how many accounts of people coming off so much better because of it. But it's not a fad. It's very healthy, especially if you add a little salt and protein supplement to your diet. Many people don't, but if you're worried? Do it.

I've lost weight and I'm dying to get on the scale, but I won't. I'm going to be a good girl and wait till my first 30 days have passed. I don't want to become obsessed with a number. and I want it to be a reward, an incentive, for doing well and sticking with it.

How Gary?

The side pains are gone completely. Any infection that may have existed? Doesn't anymore. Honest. The real problem he has now is (upper) back pain (it's going away and use to be all over). But, he thinks that's because he's losing body fat on his back and his skin isn't used to being that close to this bones. I'm not sure how common that is when people lose weight, but he's getting better. I don't think the bed is really helping, but he's getting use to that as well.

Overall, we're both feeling a lot better. Our moods are ten times better, we're not fighting because we're grumpy, and we feel healthier. So, if this is a fad? I'm not sure that means it's a bad thing under this context.

Thank for reading and supporting.

Oh, and a note: Naked juices are not a good replacement for juicing yourself. If you HAVE to drink juice and you don't have any on you, they are a great replacement once or twice in a bind. But, you don't want to drink just those on a juice fast. One, because they're more expensive; and two, because they're 'gently pasteurized'. You won't get all the wonderful benefits and nutrients that you would from FRESH juice.

Good occasional replacement, but not a regular solution.

Day Ten

My pants were falling off today!

That's my exciting news for the day. I went to put them on and they started to slip a lot and I was like, "Oh Em Geee! Awesome!" I was so happy. I've been trying to loose weight in odd half-hearted ways over the years. Never before has a plan I've stuck to for this long been so drastic and easy to see the progress in. So, if there's one thing you take form this post? This diet works--very, very well.

Over the past few days I've read some blog posts about this diet from others and I've watched a few videos. There's a growing trend I notice: people talk about a lot of the good, but very little about the bad. And I don't mean the hunger pains or the being sick parts. I'm talking about how long those pains really last for some people, how bad the temptation really was for them, and how the days seems to go on forever.

I'm not gonna do that.

One blog in particular (that I can't seem to find now) noted this in a big way. For instance, the writer noted that she cheated twice on her three days fast (eating salad twice--a good compromise). I know there are people who don't. But, how many people do cheat and just never say they do? That's what I wanna know. I just can't do it. I mean, I'm not gonna lie you guys, my readers, I've been tempted quite a number of times to cheat and just not say anything. But, if I've thought about it, how many people have done that?

(I promise you haven't. People who know me know that I'm not b.s.'ing about this.)

Really, my point with this entry is to cover how hard this diet really is, even after a week or more ( much more) into it. For me, the goal is more important. Being honest is more important. Not failing myself is more important. But really, I need to be done with this weight and my unhealthy habits.

With that being said, one of the videos I watched had a couple who talked about their 60 day fast and things they did wrong coming off of it. Old habits returned.

Which brings me to my big big point.

Once you're off this fast it's important to keep vegtables and fruits and main portion of your diet. Meats are ok, but not in huge onzes. Like, when I get my porterhouse from Outback for the first time, I won't eat the whole 24ozs, or ever half that. I plan on eating a small portion, doubling my veggies, and saving the rest for later at home for lunch over the next few days.

I think it's very important if you do this fast that you transition well and have a solid plan. Junk food should be a once or twice a week thing. Eating out for fast food should be twice a month at most. Ect. Be wary.

So, if there's anything I've learned so far? To be careful when I come off this thing and to be honest.

Day Nine

One day away until day ten. The day following tomorrow is when most fasters end their fast. And sometimes I wonder if this is when I should end mine. I had a dream last night where I ended it prematurely. Which is so weird, by the way. I was so sad about that.

When you're having dreams about ending your fast and being sad, something is wrong and you shouldn't end it. That's all I'm saying.

(Plus, my phone broke to pieces in the dream... that sucked too.)

I get my hungriest at night. Late night. Or at least it feels like I'm hungry. I know I'm not. I'm just still ridding out the pains. My day pains are gone. But, the night pains are still there I think because I'm a late night eater. I like to munch when I'm up writing and gaming, or whatever else it is I do.

I'm not getting tired of my juice though. I figured not having too much variety would screw me over, but it's not. I'm really content to keep drinking the same stuff. Seems kinda Twilight Zone, but I'm not gonna question it. Also, another update for tonight.... I have a countdown clock for when I break the fast. You guys can watch it here.

So, again, really small post. But, thanks for reading and rooting for me!

Day Eight

Sitting here sipping some veggie broth, enjoying it's salty-goodness. You can barely taste it, or so says my friend. But, then again, she's not on a juice fast. What little salt I add to it flavors it up just fine for me. And I swear, it's not much. But, I hear this is a good thing since vegetables have a ton of potassium. You need salt to balance that out. So, by having broth once a day from a little cup with a little salt--I'm good.

I'd tell you what I drank today, but it's been fairly well the same thing over and over. I have to say, the way I felt a few days ago versus now is much different. I'm not craving food like I was; it's very, very little. And, like I said before, I'm sure that won't go away because it's a mental thing (AND I love steak).

Gary's still grumpy. Not much to report there. I think he's doing better though. I'm still too afraid to ask; not because I'm afraid of him, but I just really don't wanna upset him or make this harder for him. It's hard enough all by itself without me making it worse by poking my nose around prematurely.

On a side note, using the veg broth in a cup like coffee would be a great substitute for anyone who has a hard time letting go of coffee on this diet. It'd be more of a mental thing, but it might help. Maybe if Jay does this in January I can get him to try it. He's huge on coffee. If he does it I know it'll be hard for him to let go of it for even a day.

That's pretty much all I have to report for right now. My blog posts might get smaller as this fast goes on. I'm not sure how much I'll have to write about from this point on if it this is the way of it. Ah well.

Thanks for reading and please keep rooting for me.