Did I survive a 2 day (mainly) juice fast?

Saturday night, after eating 4 delicious enchiladas, I decided I needed a juice fast. I’ve been having some weird tummy issues, something I haven’t had in months, my diet was very wacky, and I was feeling off.

I’ve tried a juice fast twice, and I’ve failed both times. I have no will power, and I like to chew. I was determined it would be different this time.

Sunday started with coffee (I’m not giving up coffee, sorry), and an Alternative Fuel Smoothie from Whole Foods-I drank it while I shopped.


I had two juices at work, a little salsa and chips and some nuts (remember the will power thing, salsa is practically juice!) And LOTS of water.

(the jalapeño had a little kick)

I had a salad for dinner, I couldn’t eat the whole thing-too much GREEN. I drank half a bottle of Enlighten-hemp milk-it was good. I wish it was warm, it’s creamy, and ALMOST Starbucks-like. Before bed, I had a cup of herb tea. I was needing something warm, the juices are cold, and I was chilly all day (often the case with juice fasts).

Monday started with coffee as well. Then I hit the ground running with juice. I’m surprised I could drink kale, celery, spinach, fennel, apple, pear juice at 730am, but it went down pretty smooth.


I was worried about the Fennel, but I didn’t taste it at all. A few more juices at work. Everyone is intrigued by my weird juices, no one asked to try one!

I ate solid food for lunch (we had a free lunch). I was hungry , but could have skipped eating if it wasn’t there. I finished the day with juice, lemon water and the rest of the Enlighten ( it was yummy again).

I picked Daily Greens for my fast, all of the juices are green…none are super fruity. I really needed the green-ness. They are based in Austin, Tx, and portion of sales is donated to young women battling breast cancer.

Overall, I feel fine after the fast. I wasn’t ever so ravenous that I had to:

But I was hungry.

Bloating is a common complaint during juice fasts, and boy am I bloated. The reason behind the bloating is quite lovely. Lemon water is supposed to help, I didn’t notice it helping. Yoga can help with bloating, so I gave it a try as well.

I had some GI distress, there is no need to go into detail, it’s goes hand in hand with the bloating.

I peed SO much.

I didn’t notice any weight change, but with the bloat, I’m not surprised.

I had some dizziness, mainly if I stood up fast. This isn’t uncommon for me, but it happened quite a lot on Monday. I think my body was telling me I need more calories.

I’m happy that I nearly survived a full juice fast or I survived a mainly juice fast. 2 days was a long time without (much) food. Even though I didn’t eat, I am loaded up on nutrients. Looking at the nutrition facts makes you want to drink juice forever. This is from one of the juices, Harmony:


I really love juicing , but it’s sooooo messy at home and very expensive to buy. I was lucky that Daily Greens was on sale at whole foods.

While I’m thrilled I did this, I’m also excited to get back to eating. I really like food, and chewing, and saying masticate!

Please note: A juice fast isn’t for everyone. Please don’t jump into a juice fast without careful consideration of your health conditions. I did not exercise (except for yoga in my bedroom) while fasting. I’m not pregnant or breast feeding, I have no heart, blood pressure, kidney , liver, blood clotting, etc. issues. I feel great, but everyone has different results.

Airing my dirty laundry…food prep

Oh how I want to prep my fruits, veggies, healthy meals, etc., on the weekend. But it never happens. It’s so true, if to fail to plan you will fail. This week was a horribly perfect example. I cooked dinner the 2 nights I was home at dinner, but we either a) ate everything or b) it was a flop, and totally not left over-able. I had no options for packing lunch or dinner. I ate a whole bag of chez mix at 9pm Thursday, it was literally the 13th hour of my 14 hour shift (a shift I totally volunteered for in order to have a extra day off). This is a pretty big fail for a paleo eater.

I just can’t figure out how to prep food on the weekends, when I also need to do training runs, family time, and sleep. I also despise grocery shopping, we really need a Trader Joe’s!

Any tips?

Back to paleo

In November I started eating paleo, I was really strict for a while…then I started to be more or more lax…then I was eating pizza and wings, feeling like poo, and having killer headaches. I never had recurring headaches before “going paleo” but now I notice gluten giving me a headache, and back on board, and for a good reason.

I struggled in the beginning with EASY and FAST paleo meals. I don’t have time to make a complex meal ever. Which is why I fell off the bandwagon.
I do eat dairy (mainly yogurt) so I have that as a meal option. I need breakfast food at breakfast. I can’t eat a salad at 7am! I am also ok with corn and beans in moderation, so hummus is an awesome lunch!

meal ideas
Breakfast:
COFFEE
Eggs (bacon or sausage)
Or Larabar and fruit
Or yogurt and fruit
Nuts, berries/fruit, coconut milk

Snack:
Apple with nut butter
Or Yogurt
Or Nuts
Corn chips and salsa
Popcorn
Hummus and veggies

Lunch:
Salad
Soup
Lettuce wrap
Leftovers

Dinner:
This is the EASIST paleo meal for me. Meat, veggies, maybe a sweet potato.

This, that, and the other

I got a wild hair up my nose, and registered for a 25K. I had to double check my math with my dad (no, I’m not joking. Yes, I am pretty good at math…my math skills save lives. No, I’m still not joking), it’s a 15.5 miles race. Just 2.4 miles longer than I have ever run, in my whole life!

The race is along the HILLIEST section of our trails…the hills are so nasty. Soooo of course I decided to run those hills the other day. It was a hard run, but the weather was beautiful! I ran 20K or 12.4 miles.

I was really happy with my run, even though I needed to walk up a few hills! I didn’t see too many people out, but it was a Wednesday morning. I did make friends with this guy, I named him Bill.

I ran with compression calf sleeves, thinking it would help on the hills. I was WRONG. I sat down at mile 10 and took them off. Compression is recovery for me, not training or racing. I love wearing my ProCompression socks after running, especially if I have to work. I also like lounging in bed with my compression socks.

I’ve totally convinced myself to run a marathon. And I really want to be part of the Saucony 26 Strong program. I don’t know of anyway to increase my chances of getting picked. I’m hoping Amanda (Run to the finish) picks me to be her cadet!

Her criteria (some is dictated by Saucony)
— Must be your first, not your first in 5 years, first ever. check
— Must be female, sorry gents that’s not my rule. check
— Must be up for doing a marathon by Fall.sure
–Must be US based. check
— Must be totally awesome and ready to have some fun.ummm, Duh!
I’m totally the perfect fit! I don’t want to get my hopes up, she has a lot of people signed up. But one can dream!

I’m still stressing about the weather for OKC. Today is a perfect example of wacky Oklahoma weather. It was 80 last week, today it snowed. GROSS. I’m really sick of the treadmill, but I also refuse to freeze.

My eating has been awful. Tons of sweets, bread, totally unhealthy. I’m paying for it all, but it’s time to buckle down-I need to eat well. It’s not about weight, it’s about feeling good. I lucked out this week at work, and I plan on taking advantage of an extra day off to cook a wonderful, healthy, delicious meal!

I’ve been struggling with bad snacking at work (cool ranch Durritos!)
What is your favorite healthy snack?

The nightmare

I had THE nightmare. Not the one where you forgot you were enrolled in class that you never went to and it’s too late to withdraw. Not the one where you show up for a huge presentation with no pants on. But the one where you can’t get your shit together for the race.

I couldn’t find my chomp things, I only had part of my outfit, I’m not sure if I had shoes on, I had an empty water bottle, and no breakfast. We made it to the race and I couldn’t figure out how to get in my corral. I’m pretty sure it was raining.

I woke up a little panicked. I pick out my running clothes the night before for a short training run, so this kind of disorganization stressed me out.

I am trying to figure out my race day nutrition plans for the princess half. Since the race is stupid early, we are at the mercy of someone else for transportation, and we need to be at the start with plenty of time to spare, it’s getting complicated. I want to bring a snack to eat while waiting, most likely a banana and maybe a Lara bar, and some water. Chances are it’s going to be humid and warm, so hydration is a big concern. I need more than a banana and a Lara bar, but at 4 am (or earlier) my paleo friendly choices are limited. I am going to do better with my fuel/chews during the race. I’m going to eat early on, not when I’m already struggling. I bought a big pack of the Gatorade chews (cool blue flavor-try cool blue, it’s fabulous) and I may get some Clif bar blocks as well…gotta have some variety!

My race day outfit is getting packed soon, with some spare parts just in case!

Ok-so really I need easy, no prep breakfast ideas. We are in a hotel, no restaurant available that early, no grocery store, but I can pack (non-perishable) food, it needs to be paleo friendly. Fruit is available, oatmeal (not paleo) gives me trouble during a run…I’m difficult!

Found the image on Pinterest, I wish I had someone to credit, but it was an empty link.

Friday, Friday, gettin’ down on a Friday

It’s Friday, it’s my weekend off, I plan to do a little outlet shopping tomorrow and a LONG (12.5 mile) run on Sunday. Morgan is in Orlando for a sales conference, the kids and I are all tucked in bed, Ella is asleep, Parker is watching cartoons, and I’m checking in on everyone at Downton!

This week has been busy. Today FLEW by, at 1:30 I realized I was hungry, thirsty, needed more caffeine, and I only had 1 1/2 hours left of work! This is a normal occurrence (Not leaving at 4) I forget to eat lunch. Today I was able to eat part of a salad (I didn’t like the dressing or I would have had more). I need to work on a paleo protein shake, maybe a banana/almond butter/almond milk something or other.

Our Magic Bands came in the mail today!!!! Mine is green… don’t make me recite everyone else’s color! We leave 4 weeks, can I start packing now?

I’ve become a brand ambassador for Swirlgear. I’m looking forward to receiving my first order, and giving a review. Check out the website, and use the code swirlon for free shipping.

It’s been FREEZING all week, but tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be warm. I’m hoping it’s true, I’m not looking forward to running in 30 degrees, or running 12.5 miles on the treadmill.

Hope your weekend is relaxing or full of running or BOTH

Whole 30-week 1

I started the week recording EVERYTHING I ate. It was exhausting, and caused undue stress. I felt the need to explain every poor decision I made. Here is way I did this, here is why I did that. Then I read this article. I have no reason to feel guilt, or give explanation for 1/4 tsp sugar in my coffee.

I ate well, I made my own rules for a few days. I’m going to continue with the challenge, although I am not going to beat myself up over a splash of milk, a little honey, or ANYTHING. My goal for both the whole30 and a paleo lifestyle is eating real food, eating healthy, and giving my body fuel.

My favorite snack/dessert has been a berry bowl. The kids and I eat it everyday.

1 handful blueberries
1 handful raspberries
1 handful blackberries
Chopped pecans
Shaved coconut
Coconut dream
Maybe a drizzle of honey

So yummy!

And anyways, my stomach is trying to not get a virus…the next few days could get ugly. The joys of healthcare!

Pre-Whole 30

It’s December 30th, I’m officially starting Whole 30 on January 1, 2014, but I can’t eat like crap today and tomorrow then jump in to total elimination on Wednesday.

Monday
Breakfast
Banana
Coffee (with creamer…it was all I had)
**this is not my normal breakfast, I like to eat a HUGE breakfast, but Monday mornings are sucky. Also, I was in need of a huge trip (or 2) to the grocery store**

snack
Cinnamon apple sauce
Apple, pear, carrot juice

lunch
Cobb salad (I ordered from my FAVORITE pizza place, it was delicious. It had fried chicken, cheese and ranch. Not as healthy as it sounds. I think with a few changes it would still be great!)

Snack:
Starbucks
*I’m making no excuses for Starbucks

Dinner:
Ground Turkey with Italian seasoning and crushed tomatoes
Carrots
Apple

2 out of 3 Mondays, I’m home for dinner. I love being home in time for dinner, but I’m usually pretty tired. We have been eating the same meal on Monday night for a few months now. It used to be served with pasta, but now the pasta is gone, and not missed. If like to try spaghetti squash again, I had a bad experience with it once. Bleh .

Tuesday-NYE

breakfast
Banana
Coffee with coconut milk

snack
Egg over easy

lunch
Meatloaf , green beans, mashed potatoes (went out to eat, should have subbed potatoes for something else but they are soooo good)

dinner
Steak
Broccoli
Bacon wrapped sweet potato bites
Red wine-it was New Year’s Eve

So, I wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t awful. I’ve got a few areas to work on. I NEED a little sugar in my coffee, I’ll try to slowly decrease the amount. I made paleo oatmeal for the mornings, a banana isn’t cutting it. I always have eggs, but there comes a point when I can’t eat another egg!

I’ve been on a pretty steady decline with weight. While complaining about weight loss might seem weird, it’s to a point that it’s nearing unhealthy. I struggle to eat well (or at all) when I’m at work, there’s no time. I’m working on easy to eat meals for lunch and dinner at work. Hard boiled eggs are good, but rather stinky. Salad can be too messy, and it’s easiest if I don’t need to heat anything up. Ideas are welcome.

I’m thinking I’ll try for a weekly post of meals, struggles and deep insight about the Whole 30,subs even a recipe or two.

Whole 30

I wrote about my less than perfect paleo Christmas, and I still can totally shake my cravings for bready, sugary, bad(y) food. I’m hungrier than I have been, because I’ve been sneaking things I shouldn’t be. I tweeted that I was thinking it might be time for The Whole 30 challenge, and I’ve decided it is.

It’s so cliche to start a diet on January 1st, but this isn’t a diet, it’s a reset. I need to redirect my eating. I’ve only been “paleo” for 2 months, and I slipped up in the 2nd month (although I truly think we picked the WORST time to start this). This isn’t about weight loss for me , it’s really about putting good food in my body, and my families bodies. I really think I have recovered from my cold so quickly because I’m eating better than I ever have (even with my slip ups). When you put good in, you get good out.

Our house needs me to go to the grocery store, we have NO food. It’s pretty sad really. When I stock up on the things we need, we eat so well. Right now we are eating out, eating what we have, eating weird food (although Ella can live off of blueberries).

Whole 30 is pretty much paleo with no cheats. No sugar, dairy, grains, legumes, soy, alcohol, processed food. I cheat for a but if dairy, soy and alcohol. I’m going to take January to eliminate cheats, control my cravings, and get back on track.

Will I be perfect? Do you know me? It’s not possible to be perfect. Will I try really hard? I ask again, do you know me? It’s going to be a struggle some mornings, but with enough planning it’s going to work.

My annual winter cold has come for a visit

It never fails, the end of December I get a cold, it often hits right before New Years, and I take it with me to Florida. This year it hit a little early, and we aren’t going to Florida until February. So honestly it’s not as bad as usual! I’m trying to skip the zpak (I know a cold is viral, but trust me this turns bacterial) I’m using a steroid nasal spray and inhaler. And I’m juicing!

I believe in juice, I don’t get too crazy, I just throw all kinds of fruits and veggies from the fridge in the juicer. I’m unable to do a juice fast, I do not have the will power. I add juice to my diet, as a supplement not a replacement. The kids will drink fresh juice as well, and since they shared this cold with me, they need the juice.

I like carrots in my juice, they have a big of sweetness, and no salty ness (celery is too salty, and cucumbers too).

Orange, carrot, apple
2 navel oranges
3 cuties
4-6 carrots

Apple, pear, carrot, ginger

1 Granny Smith apply
1 pear
4-6 carrots
Small price of fresh ginger

The juice may look the same, but oranges and apples taste so different! The carrot really colors the juice, and stains Ella’s face.

No picture

Golden Beet, Apple

1 golden beet
1 Granny Smith apple

This one is very “earthy” it’s one you chug down.

Hopefully, this cold moves out and I can focus on running. I don’t want to run outside right now, the cold air triggers coughing fits. A few miles in the treadmill actually moves some of the junk around, but my body needs to use energy on getting well not running and repairing damage from running. There’s 58 days until The Princess Half!!!!!

I tend to juice when I don’t feel well, then stop once I’m better. I need to keep juicing when I’m well. I do love bringing juices/smoothies to work. The colors make people nervous. Especially green!