My First Juicing Adventure

We finally started our juicing adventure - which we hope to make a mainstay of ours.  In fact, we had decided to "juice" five days a week - replacing just one meal a day.   Our other two meals will consist of mainly "clean eating".

I found that I will need to plan a bit better prior to the actual juicing process as the juicer I bought  requires that the veggies and any added fruit be cut up in smaller pieces than I had anticipated.   That was a bit time-consuming, particularly since I was cutting and throwing in chunks of veggies and fruit at the same time - so timeliness is also a factor. I will definitely do the food prep earlier!  

The first recipe I used was:  the Grean Mean Machine  which I found on this website:  http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/

The ingredients are:

cucumber

kale

celery

apple

ginger

lemon juice

Although my husband was hesitant, he was at least willing to give juicing a try.  Nevertheless, I was a bit apprehensive as to how he would react to the "green concoction".   He grimmaced when he actually saw the "green liquid", set it down without even tasting it and said he would wait until I made my juice - though it seemed to me that he was putting it off for "other reasons". When we fianlly drank the juice together, he gave me the "thumbs up" sign saying it tasted a whole lot better than it looked!   :)

What surprised me is we drank about 10 ounces of the juice - and it carried us through the evening and into the morning with no hunger pangs!    Another pleasant surprise is when I woke in the morning, I felt refreshed and did not feel the usual joint stiffness I often have in the morning - I actually felt "light on my feet"!

So I can say that both of us gave this first try into juicing ----

It's a safe bet that now we'll be including JUICING as another healthy component to both of our journeys!  

"Working the Program" - What Does it REALLY Mean?

I have been thinking about the fact that sometimes the program works for us, and sometimes it doesn't - even though each time we say we are "working the program"!  I began to think of what I've done differently during each year I've "worked the program" - and why when it's worked, I've done fabulously - losing at times 25 pounds,  30 pounds and not too long ago, a whopping 45 pounds!   And then last year - when I also thought I was "working the program", I ended the year over ten pounds heavier than when I started the year!  What happened?   What did I do differently?  

I had actually maintained most of the year - but then in September when I went through a family crisis  (the loss of my mother), I took a three month hiatus from "my journey" - no tracking, no blogging, not much exercise...and then we went on vacation, followed by the holidays - and the weight came on!  I can also say that throughout last year, my tracking  (food journal)  was spotty - not at all consistent. I really do believe that this is the key to success!  On the other hand, for the past three weeks, I've been very consistent about DAILY tracking of every single morsel of food I've eaten!   The result is I've lost six pounds during those three weeks!  I had done the very same after Thanksgiving and was just as consistent - until we left town for the holidays. I had then lost five pounds, but then regained them - as I completely stopped tracking for two entire weeks.  How can this NOT be the key!?   Since I lost the five pounds within my 1st week back to tracking, most likely some of it was "water weight" - but I also know that I ate a bit recklessly (as in too many sweets!) so some of it was a lack of mindful eating coupled with not keeping track of what I ate.

I did a search on Tips for Losing Weight - and found the graphic below.   Note how #1 is Keep A Food Journal!   And Number One it should be - as clearly when one stops tracking,  the results can be very detrimental to one's journey - I am certainly "living proof" of this!

Not Enough ZZZ's

I've experienced a lack of sleep this week  - not the norm for me - and I have noticed that it has affected my energy, ability to focus, appetite,  and generally my whole well-being.  I decided to do some research on the effects of sleep on weight loss/gain.   What I found was both enlightening as well as an affirmation as to why I felt the way I did.

I read several articles, but found this one to be the most informative and comprehensive:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-while-sleeping

One concern I had was why I felt hungry throughout much of the day.  I had a large veggie omelet (with one whole egg and two fat-free eggs) for breakfast - and yet still felt hungry!  Normally, such a meal is quite filling and I can go easily for hours without feeling hungry.  However, this time, I felt hunger within two hours - and had to get busy in order not to focus on eating.  I could easily have gone on a eating binge - but I did stop myself from doing so by eating a few healthy snacks to curb my appetite- a banana, and then an oz. of almonds.   I did congratulate myself for not allowing myself to succumb to what would have been very detrimental for me. And believe me, I had visions of eating the type of foods that would have been calorie-laden!

Based on the experience I had with lack of sleep and the effects it had on my appetite, I found the following excerpt from the above article especially interesting! It gave me one of those enlightening "Aha!" moments!  

While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, Rapoport says it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, he says, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep.  In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin.

Leptin and ghrelin work in a kind of "checks and balances" system to control feelings of hunger and fullness, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta. Ghrelin, which is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates appetite, while leptin, produced in fat cells, sends a signal to the brain when you are full.

So what's the connection to sleep? "When you don't get enough sleep, it drives leptin levels down, which means you don't feel as satisfied after you eat. Lack of sleep also causes ghrelin levels to rise, which means your appetite is stimulated, so you want more food," Breus tells WebMD.  The two combined, he says, can set the stage for overeating, which in turn may lead to weight gain.

Wow!   What a revelation that was to me! 

And that brings me to another realization - the more research I do, the more I learn about my journey!  

Oh, and needless to say, I will work on improving my sleep routine - and making sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep at night.     

It's All About the Numbers - Or Is It?

Lately, I've been reading blogs that focus heavily on weight loss and the importance of "numbers".    The problem with focusing on numbers is the emotional effect it has - we are elated when the scale shows a negative, and our feelings often plummet when the scale goes up.   I do realize that there are more numbers involved than just the numbers on the scale - but for now, I'm focusing on the placement of too much importance on numbers dealing with weight - whether it be a loss or gain.  

I had a 5 pound loss last week - and, yes, I was elated!  However, I know that realistically part of it was probably water weight as I had been on vacation.   I also know that this won't be the norm - nor should it be as losing five pounds per week is not even considered healthy - not if one is in it for the long term and not just looking for a "quick fix"!   My weigh-in day is tomorrow - and my expectations are a "maintain" or maybe even a slight gain.   Will I allow that to effect how I feel?    I hope not!   No matter what number shows up on the scale,  I know how I did this week - and it was better than last week as I added exercise - and did not touch my weekly allowance the entire week- until yesterday  (which is why there might be a slight gain).   I absolutely do not want the scale to dictate how I feel about my journey!

To place a better perspective on numbers, I would like to share this article:   Don't Bow to the Scale - You're More Than A Number 

Here is an excerpt from the above article:

To base your achievements on numbers does not give you the full picture. It makes it easy to forget the primary reason we should be living a healthy lifestyle or pursuing a fitness goal. Our motivation shouldn’t be to achieve some number; we need to treat our bodies with respect through a healthy lifestyle and daily celebrate the one life we have been given. You are not a number. The purpose of your life is not determined by a number either. Shift your focus to an eternal perspective and find lasting motivation.

Addendum - Monday, Jan. 14 -  Weigh-In Day
 I must have been "psyching" myself up for today's WI with this post of mine as I am up 1.5 lbs.   I think it partially has to do with "bathroom issues".   :(   Anyway,  I will continue tracking, add more exercise, and try not to use any of my weekly allowance this week.  Should be able to as I don't have any plans to eat out or other "food events".  

Keeping Active

I have finally added exercise to my routine - and it feels great!  When I re-started last week, I hadn't exercised - which is partly why I was so surprised that I had lost so much weight in one week.   This week, I've added MOVEMENT which is a vital part of my journey.  So far, I've been active three days this week:  on Wednesday, I worked for two hours on my feet stocking shelves at the Discovery Shop  (a thrift shop where I've started to volunteer - all proceeds go to the El Paso Child Crisis Center).  Yesterday, I did housecleaning  (lots of bending and stretching as I was clearing out bookshelves)  and walked 35 minutes with my husband, and today I did both grocery shopping and housecleaning.  While today's "movement" is not exercise per se,  I know how little I sat today - which for me is a really good thing!   I intend to get some kind of "movement" in every day - partly because I joined an online  21 Day Get Moving Challenge  with a fitness coach named Nicole Kellerman.  My blogging buddy Jan gave me the idea on her own blog - and we are both participating in the challenge.   For me, it's not necessarily about doing her youtube workouts - it's all about getting movement in each and every day.   However, I will be adding her workouts - and other workouts I have on DVD to my exercise routine - and next week, it's back to the pool for me for my lap swimming routine!    

Next week....we will start JUICING - something both my husband and I are excited about!   We finally got our materials/resources/juicer - so we are good to go!!!    I will be a "newbie" at this so it will be a learning adventure and I will be sharing the experience here on my blog.

It looks like each week, I am adding something "new" to my journey! I want to make this journey as exciting as I can - so that I can stay motivated throughout this year.  When the journey becomes "stagnant", that's when it's easy to start skipping a day - which then becomes a few days - and then a few weeks...I think you get the picture!    I would like to quote from a newsletter by Dotti Coon - the webmistress of Dotti's Weight Loss Zone:

Recommitting (to one's journey) is a great way to get that "newbie" feeling back. What exactly is a "newbie" feeling? Let me tell you all ~ it is a feeling of excitement, adventure and confidence in learning new things to improve ourselves, both mentally and physically. It is that feeling of constantly being energized by everything around us - yes, you see many things in a whole new light. You cannot stop talking about your new lifestyle and all you've learned. You are smiling a lot and wondering why everyone has not started this fantastic Journey of their own. You will also notice that your "newbie" feeling is contagious and before you know it some of your friends and family have jumped on the bandwagon. It is a great feeling!   

This is exactly what I want my journey to be - exciting, energizing, motivating!!!

Small Victories - Twice Over!!

Today was my first weigh-in day since I re-started my journey a week ago.   The result is I lost my first five pounds for this year!   That is an amazing "victory" for me as I've never lost that much in one week before!   Since I set my goals in small increments (as per WW - they give a gold star for each 5 pounds lost!), this then is my first "small victory" for the year!  I entitled this "Small Victories - Twice Over!" as my husband has finally joined me on my journey - and not only has he lost weight, but his blood sugar, which had been rising at an alarming rate - dropped by 21 points this past week!   He's not down to where he wants to be yet as he's at 113 - but he's getting there!   We are both celebrating our "small victories" and look forward to celebrating many more!  

I'm sure that some of the weight I lost was "water weight" as I was on vacation - and had put on nearly 4 pounds over the holiday.   My usual weekly weight loss is 1-1.5 pounds per week with bouts of "maintaining" in between.    With that in mind,  I am now setting my next mini-goal of 5 pounds and would like to reach that goal by the time we leave for our marriage retreat on "Valentine Weekend".  We'll be heading to Albuquerque, NM for a "weekend to remember" retreat which we both look very much forward to!  

The main differences I've made from last year is cutting out cheese and most breads and processed foods.  I've also worked hard at staying hydrated.  I've also made sure I had several "filling" food items/foods from the Power Food list on WW (spinach, mushrooms, clementines, berries, broccoli, cucumber, chicken, yogurt, eggs, etc).  

 Here is today's menu:

Breakfast:  an omelet (2 eggs and 2 egg whites) with spinach and mushrooms cooked in a tsp of olive oil  

Lunch:  Activia yogurt w/berries and banana

              pb (1 tsp)  w/slice of low-cal bread

Snack:  Clementines

Dinner:   a huge salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, olives, bacon bits, and a hefty tablespoon of chicken salad  (chicken w/lite mayo w/olive oil) - w/ balsamic dressing (0 calories)

                broccoli w/a bit of butter (w/canola oil)

Snack:   Frozen greek yogurt w/berries

NOTE:

Our start date for juicing will be next Monday - when we've received the resources we've ordered.  It will be interesting to see how juicing will factor in with our "clean eating" menu and what results will ensue.

Our New Adventure in Healthy Eating!

While it's only been four days since I re-started my blog, I can say I've been on track since Monday.   I'm taking positive steps to focus on my health and feeling great!  The only thing I've not done is re-start my exercise routine  - partly because we've days of snow and very frigid temperatures.  The weather should improve considerably tomorrow. Although my weigh-in day is not until Monday, it appears that I've lost 3-4 pounds!    Of course, that gives me plenty of motivation to keep on keeping on my journey!

In my last entry I said I would not be starting anything new this year.  Now I have to say that I've had second thoughts - and I am going to do something I've never done before!  It is not part of WW but I feel it will be a great way to jump-start my program this year.  I'm going to start juicing!  The good thing is I'll be doing it together with my husband - and it will be an experiment for both of us. Here is a series of articles about juicing on livestrong.com : Juice to Lose Weight.  Since we will need to experiment with this new approach (for us),  we'll start slow, and try juicing for five days a week, and just one meal per day - probably mid-day. We will still eat a normal breakfast and light dinner.  Once we get used to juicing, and experiment with different recipes, we will then try juicing two meals a day. We are preparing for this venture by buying a high-powered juicer:  Omega 806 Nutrition Center Juicer.  I chose this juicer after doing a lot of research and feel confident that it will serve our needs well.  I've also ordered three resources: two are books The Big Book of Juices (author: Natalie Savona),  The Seven Pillars of Health (author:  Donald Colbert)  and  the third is  a  film on DVD entitled Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  I know the latter has a morbid-sounding title, but it is actually a story with a positive ending:   it is about a life-changing transformation of an obese Australian man whose name is Joe Cross who became fit and healthy by juicing.

Here is a synopsis of the film:

Overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe was at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. With doctors and conventional medicine unable to help, Joe traded in junk food and hit the road with a juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe had one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.


I am excited about trying this, especially since I've also seen what a difference it's made in my daughter and son-in-law's overall health.   They're both looking so much fitter and healthier!   Stay tuned as I will be posting the results!   Maybe I should call the next several weeks "Our Adventures in Juicing"!   :)   We will be starting this new chapter once we've received the resources we've ordered - and watched the above film, which includes demonstrations of juicing.

New Year - A Fresh Start

Since I started over a month ago with a "new beginning"  to my journey, I would rather name this day - January 1, 2013 - as a "fresh new start".   I stopped blogging before leaving for our trip to San Antonio - exactly two weeks ago today.   Now, I am picking up from where I stopped - but not starting anything new.  I returned to tracking my daily meals yesterday, and I am returning to blogging today.   Tomorrow, I plan to return to exercising.  I won't say I totally stopped my journey - there were many more days of "mindful eating" than of over-indulging.   I have to blame most of my "over-indulging" on those darn oreo chocolate truffles that were "to die for" and the fact that my daughter and I ended up making way too many of them!   I can usually exercise self-control - even with ice-cream or frozen yogurt (my nemesis!) - but those chocolate truffles were oh, so yummy! Clearly, I do need a FRESH START!

I'm home now and thankfully there are no truffles here calling my  name.   We do have a few sweets around the house as I had planned a holiday Open House - which I recently cancelled for a number of reasons and I plan to get rid of them before the week is over.   Truthfully, though, the only craving I have now is for healthy foods.  I think my body has decided "enough is enough" - so I am detoxing by eating fruits, vegetables - not only has my focus been on mindful eating but also "clean eating". I have even had vegetarian days or days with very little meat.   Slowly, my body is feeling healthier - the stomach bulge is disappearing - and my over all well-being is returning!

I actually spent New Year's Eve reading blogs by my blogging buddies - Elaine, Miriam, Flo and Jan, and a few more as well as daily posts on the forums on Dottie's Weight Loss Zone.   Many of the recent entries both on the blogs and forums focused on reviving or continuing fitness and health journeys - and setting up a plan for the new year to help them stay on track - but what inspired me the most was the renewed spirit, determination and motivation which so many of them have!   Since I do not attend Weight Watcher meetings, and am only using the WW e-tools,  I plan to continue reading health blogs, articles and forums as often as I can as a source of motivation and inspiration!