Chris in VA Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tonight, I bought a juicer, and so far I've juiced carrots. I needed 3 cups of carrot juice to make a soup I'll eat tomorrow. I also made salad dressing in the blender, and I've got all my veggies/fruits ready for a green juice in the am. So, I'm 199 right now, and I'm hoping 15 days will go by fast, and I'll be somewhat healthier and thinner! It's a very healthy "diet," and I'm so excited. Just wanted to share. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Good luck. My DH watched the DVD over the weekend and started the diet today - I give him 3 days before he caves :lol: I know that sounds unsupportive but he's never stuck to any diet longer then that - he just can't stay away from food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Good luck! Just remember that if you conk out, there are respectable plan Bs :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tonight, I bought a juicer, and so far I've juiced carrots. I needed 3 cups of carrot juice to make a soup I'll eat tomorrow. I also made salad dressing in the blender, and I've got all my veggies/fruits ready for a green juice in the am. So, I'm 199 right now, and I'm hoping 15 days will go by fast, and I'll be somewhat healthier and thinner! It's a very healthy "diet," and I'm so excited. Just wanted to share. :D :hurray: I'm on Day 7 of a 10 day juice fast. I've been blogging a little about it here. So far, I've made it 3 days with nothing but the juice. On two days, I had small salads, and on one day, I had some steamed cauliflower. I wish I had prepared myself better and did what he recommends, which is for 10 days before the fast, just eating raw fruits and veggies and drink broth. I just jumped right in after all the Easter candy and junk. Best of luck to you. It's not really that bad. Stay away from pictures of food! The worst is having to prepare meals for everybody else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Whatever you do, don't bring oreos into the house or make an apple pie. I gained back 1.8 pounds over the weekend because I was weak. Good luck! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 You can do it!!!! When you feel tempted, come back here and post. We'll remind you why you're doing it. I'm not juice fasting, but I'm doing a week-long change of diet for me and I've noticed a difference already. It's enough to keep me going. Cooking for the rest of my family has been REALLY hard. And, packing up a picnic to take to my son's baseball tournament over the weekend nearly killed me. But, I didn't cheat!!!! You CAN do this. (If I can do it, anyone can!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Way to go! I'm juicing too but still eating other food. Saturday I drank a juice made from carrots, kale, parsley, celery, broccoli and cauliflower. I am also drinking Raw Meal. It tastes gross but is super healthy! :lol: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JM5U46/ref=s9_cxhsh_co_g121_ir03?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-3&pf_rd_r=0JK2C2GD74VY3ZCQ5TQC&pf_rd_t=3201&pf_rd_p=1280661842&pf_rd_i=typ01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Cool! Red pear, chard, lemon, and ginger is my favorite green smoothie. I've heard it makes yummy juice, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 23, 2012 Author Share Posted April 23, 2012 Thanks so much for the words of support! It was nice to come back here this am and find responses. I used the juicer last night for the first time. I ended up buying a GE, which a kind person on my rather desperate "Help me find a juicer!" thread recommended. Worked great! I made 3 cups of carrot juice to make into carrot ginger soup, which I am having today for lunch, with a large salad. Dd and I tasted the juice--wow, it was flavorful and GOOD! I made it into soup by adding ginger, avocado, and some other ingredients per the recipe. I had baked apple and raisin this morning. (The first 5 days are food and juice, then 5 days of just juice, then 5 days of food and juice. It's the 15 day one HERE.) One good thing is that dd joined me for breakfast this am. She ate all the apple raisin bake (it was supposed to have cherries, but we couldn't find any, so we added another half-apple) and a cup of tea. She doesn't eat brkft anymore, so that was nice. :001_smile: I made the green juice for this morning's snack. I'll have to choke it down, but I'm going to do it. Thanks for letting me write about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 So what is the difference btw green smoothie and fruit juice? Can you just make smoothie or is a juicer better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Tonight, I bought a juicer, and so far I've juiced carrots. I needed 3 cups of carrot juice to make a soup I'll eat tomorrow. I also made salad dressing in the blender, and I've got all my veggies/fruits ready for a green juice in the am. So, I'm 199 right now, and I'm hoping 15 days will go by fast, and I'll be somewhat healthier and thinner! It's a very healthy "diet," and I'm so excited. Just wanted to share. :D Dh and I did a 5 day fruit/veggie fast after watching that video, and this was a huge step for dh (and totally his idea). He mentioned after it that he'd like to do the 15 day one sometime, but we'll see :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 Good for you! We watched that movie last week. Dh and I are considering trying a short fast. I hope you'll come back and share how it's going. Scrappy, thanks for posting your blog link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 :lurk5:Please update us reg. Dh is considering doing one, and I'd like btdt info to help him along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 So what is the difference btw green smoothie and fruit juice? Can you just make smoothie or is a juicer better? I don't know if they talk about it in the film or not, but from what I've read, the reason to have juice over a smoothie is that you get more of the enzymes directly into your system. The process of digestion destroys some of the enzymes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I THOUGHT that was what you're doing when I saw your FB post!! Best to you, Chris. Please let me know how it goes. I've thought of doing this myself, but think it will have to be during summer break. Blessings, Lucinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 I am very allergic to carrots... sigh. I really enjoy the website that you linked to and am thinking of checking out what I can juice instead of carrots... I know I shouldn't get hung up over that, but I keep wondering... "What can I juice that's not carrots?" lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeOrchidSong Posted April 23, 2012 Share Posted April 23, 2012 What juicer do you have? Which one is the most inexpensive but gets the job done well? I have a Blendtect that cost $440 (bought last year). Buying another gadget is very costly at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 Thanks so much for the words of support! It was nice to come back here this am and find responses. I made the green juice for this morning's snack. I'll have to choke it down, but I'm going to do it. Thanks for letting me write about it! I have to choke it down too. I don't like the taste of green juice at all. I don't even like to smell it. But the benefits are so amazing that I just hold my nose and stick a straw down my throat and get it down as fast as possible. :lol: I look at it like medicine. And really, you can drink 8-16 ounces of green stuff really fast if you try hard enough! I try to do it in one breath! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 24, 2012 Author Share Posted April 24, 2012 WELL, Day one was mildly successful. I was able to do the apple bake (sans cherries as they are out of season! lol) and drink all but a couple tablespoons of the green juice. It wasn't that bad, and yep, Tracy, I chugged it as fast as I could! The carrot ginger soup made me nauseated after about 4 big spoonfuls, which was discouraging, but at least I got that much into my system. I ate nearly all the salad for lunch. I didn't have the right ingredients for the honeygingersoy dressing and I can't stomach a lot of cooked veggies, so I didn't cook the veggies (3/4 lb of green beans, 3/4 lb of snap peas, and a head of broccoli) that were for dinner but mixed a slightly smaller quantity into the dinner green salad and used a homemade balsamic dressing/olive oil on it. We were cracking up at the dinner table, because the mound of salad on my plate was a little ridiculous! I almost finished it. NO hunger! lol This am, I mixed my smoothie--1 kiwi, 1 banana, 1c blackberries (frozen for me), 1/4 of a pineapple, 1/2 c coconut water (fresh from the nut), 1/2 comice pear. I didn't have the mint leaves, but oh well. It's pretty good and makes two large glasses full. I'm having both. No coffee this am--slight headache. I remembered last night that we are going to dinner tonight with our dear assistant and her hubby--it's tex-mex, so I have no idea what I'll order. Probably beans or something. Argggh. I wish we were going where I could get a salad, but that's ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 That is a bummer about the soup but it sounds like it worked out ok. Your morning juice sounds yummy. I wish you another successful day :) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 You might try adding a little lemon and ginger to the green juice. I think it makes it taste better. I have been juicing since some time innate January or early February. Now I actually think the juice tastes good but it took a while for that to happen. I did a few days of straight juice and then juice plus one meal a day for about 14 days when I started out. Then we went to Disney and I skipped 2 whole weeks. There was a noticeable difference in the way I felt without the juice! For the poster who mentioned no carrots, try extra apple or add some kiwi or other fruit. The carrots add sweetness but aren't necessary. I make green juice a lot with kale, cucumber, celery, green apples, ginger & lemon. I also make about 32 oz when I make it in the am and take it with me to put in the fridge at my office. I know it is ideal to drink it quickly, and I do drink my first glass quickly, but I don't want to take the juicer with me and I've found the refrigerated juice with ginger and lemon tastes good later in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 So Chris, how did yesterday go? I thought of you last night because you had mentioned having to go to Tex-Mex. Did you make it through ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 If this ends up being too challenging, can I recommend green smoothies? A green smoothie isn't always green in color but is basically a smoothie with greens in it- I make mine with pretty much equal parts water, frozen (fresh, bagged, then frozen- bought fresh- not bought frozen and clumpy) spinach, and frozen fruit. I add chia seeds for energy and Omega-3. It is very simple to make and they taste fantastic! I've lost 20 lb since the beginning of January having 2 green smoothies a day- I don't eat ONLY green smoothies but them alongside other foods in my diet. I've also dropped my blood pressure dramatically- I was sitting at in upper 130's over upper 90's (138/95, 135/99, etc...) in my daily readings and was looking at adding a second blood pressure med (I've been on one for over a decade but don't want TWO!). I'm now getting readings like 103/75, 110/72, etc... That's a HUGE HUGE drop and it means I don't need a second med! :) All of us in our family drink them every day and we all feel better than we ever have. And I swear it is doing amazing things to my hair and nails- my nails grow SO fast now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 frozen (fresh, bagged, then frozen- bought fresh- not bought frozen and clumpy) spinach, and frozen fruit. I add chia seeds for energy and Omega-3. It is very simple to make and they taste fantastic! I've been wondering about this. Not to hijack the thread!! Do you just buy fresh spinach - like the bagged baby spinach - and toss it in the freezer, or do you blend in first with some water and freeze it? I want to add spinach to my day but I don't like it at all. I do add some to salads. But I can get greater quantities in a smoothie and don't taste it. I have bought it fresh but sometimes you don't get to it fast enough and it might spoil. This would be a way to keep "fresh" spinach without the worry of it spoiling. Please advise! :confused: Also, congrats on your weight loss and blood pressure! I wonder how just spinach and fruit would help BP?? Mine is high, and I don't want to go on meds. Can you tell me more? Could it be the omega-3s? Or the Chia? Chris, wishing you luck on this journey! That movie was very inspiring to me. I ultimately decided that I can't afford to juice right now (unemployed husband) but I can see the awesome benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I did a "juice only" fast during spring break. I'm not a fruits and veggies type of person, so it was a big change for me. I drank only green juice and found that if I substituted one sweeter apple for a granny smith I was more likely to drink all my juice :tongue_smilie:. I've found that the green juice tastes much better fresh than refrigerated. I use: 1 bunch of kale 1/2 pound baby spinach 1 cucumber 3 stalks of celery 1 granny smith apple 1 fuji apple 1/2 lemon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I've been wondering about this. Not to hijack the thread!! Do you just buy fresh spinach - like the bagged baby spinach - and toss it in the freezer, or do you blend in first with some water and freeze it? I want to add spinach to my day but I don't like it at all. I do add some to salads. But I can get greater quantities in a smoothie and don't taste it. I have bought it fresh but sometimes you don't get to it fast enough and it might spoil. This would be a way to keep "fresh" spinach without the worry of it spoiling. Please advise! :confused: I just take the fresh spinach (pre-bagged at the store, pre-washed) and put the whole bag in the freezer- no processing on it at all before freezing. I roll down the bag as I use it up and clip it with a chip clip.... I never re-bag it because I am too lazy for that! :) We go through several bags a week. I also use kale greens or collard greens sometimes, but I think spinach is my fave because my kids like it more. :) ETA: This also helps the spinach blend more- it sort of "shatters" when frozen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 That movie was very inspiring to me. I ultimately decided that I can't afford to juice right now (unemployed husband) but I can see the awesome benefits. I predict we are going to see quite a few juicers hit Craigslist and yard sales over the next year ;). Maybe you'll be able to find an affordable one that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I just take the fresh spinach (pre-bagged at the store, pre-washed) and put the whole bag in the freezer- no processing on it at all before freezing. I roll down the bag as I use it up and clip it with a chip clip.... I never re-bag it because I am too lazy for that! :) We go through several bags a week. I also use kale greens or collard greens sometimes, but I think spinach is my fave because my kids like it more. :) ETA: This also helps the spinach blend more- it sort of "shatters" when frozen... Okay, this is great news! I know I have seen it at Costco but didn't buy it for fear of it going bad before it was all used. Although if I really make a smoothie or two per day it wouldn't last long. And good to know about the blending effect. I tried kale and thought it tasted a lot stronger so I put that in soups instead and stick with raw spinach for smoothies. I predict we are going to see quite a few juicers hit Craigslist and yard sales over the next year ;). Maybe you'll be able to find an affordable one that way. Actually I had a friend or two offer to sell me their juicers pretty cheap. I was really more the produce cost that I can't swing. I think for now I will have to stick with the smoothie thing. Produce in my area is getting sooooo high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 Produce in my area is getting sooooo high. Yep, just about can't afford to eat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 25, 2012 Author Share Posted April 25, 2012 Well, yesterday was...interesting. I blew it. I had two toasted cheese sandwiches in the afternoon.:tongue_smilie: Then we went out for Tex-Mex. I had cramps after and barely made it to the restroom at home. Worse than labor. I think I freaked out the babysitter. It was very similar to my lactose-intolerant cramps, so maybe it was the cheese sandwiches... But I think it was the margarita.:D:glare: I don't even drink, usually. Anyway, I had an apple, a carrot and some green beans, and a blue smoothie from the natural food section of the store today. I'm not going to be able to do this fast, BUT I can improve my diet and take it day by day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarlaB Posted April 25, 2012 Share Posted April 25, 2012 I've done 2 modified juice fasts....one 15 days, one 5 days and continue to juice at least 1-2x a day (instead of breakfast & lunch) and eat a clean, sensible dinner. This has been really maintainable for me, and something I recommend to people- you will get used it it, but it IS a major lifestyle change. :) It has really changed my life and I feel fantastic because of it. I do a modified 'mean green' for breakfast- (kale, spinach, celery, cucumber & 1 green apple- w/ some lime) It is so delicious- you could add another apple or a handful of grapes to add sweetness i f you need...my husband has started making 1/2 juice and 1/2 blended smoothie (using a banana for creaminess)- neat concept, and you get the fiber bulk too... Some things to know: when starting out, the first 1-2 days are terrible and days 3-5 arent much better. :) Headaches, weakness, mental fogginess- I wasn't able to sleep much because I was so hungry. It WILL pass and your body will get used to the new normal. Also, don't expect to feel great until after about day 5....no one I've talked too has felt that 'surge' much earlier than that... but it DOES come. :) Ive observed that for some people juicing is an instant fit- for others, its not. Regardless of which category you are in, doing all juice is really, really hard- doing juice while eating raw is a really neat way to do it but still challenging. :) You still get all the benefits of juicing, and can keep your mouth busy eating raw broccolli, apples to keep hunger at bay etc. My biggest tip is to figure out WHY you are juicing and then stay focused on that... you will 'fail/cheat & want to give up'- but don't. The key to any life change is to pick up where you left off and try again. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5wolfcubs Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I'm not going to be able to do this fast, BUT I can improve my diet and take it day by day. Today is a new day! Sorry yesterday was so lousy! I've been trying to "eat healthy" via Whole30 and have turned into a nut/fruit eater. :( I agree with the poster who said adding lemon to a green juice makes it very palatable! PS -- did you get my PM? When you're up to it, I do want to get together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 BUT I can improve my diet and take it day by day. Exactly. Don't be too hard on yourself :grouphug: It takes a while to change habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 My biggest tip is to figure out WHY you are juicing and then stay focused on that Wise words! Thanks for the reminder:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I'm not going to be able to do this fast, BUT I can improve my diet and take it day by day. I would suggest adding a green juice to your daily routine and get that down, and then maybe go back to a shorter fast. Dh and I did the one juice in the morning for at least a month before we tried the 5 day fast. I don't think we could have done it first - it was too much of a change all at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 BUT I can improve my diet and take it day by day. :grouphug: It sounds like you have a good attitude about this. Thanks for being open and sharing how things are going with us. Kimberly, I looked at your blog and was excited to see all the smoothie recipes and photos. I'm going to try one today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I'm not going to be able to do this fast, BUT I can improve my diet and take it day by day. That is an awesome attitude! Just add more raw veggies and fruits in, and you will do great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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