I am so very overwhelmed by all of the positive feedback that I have received. Questions and comments from friends and family and neighbors, and yes, even complete strangers have been emailing me...it's AMAZING! Over 350 people have read my juicing blog post...350?!?!? That's CRAZY! Mostly, I'm getting requests for another post...so I have spent the last week or so trying to think of what to say...here goes (sorry if I repeat anything from the first post)....
It's been just over 2 months and I am down 33lbs. That's 4 pants sizes and 3 cup sizes in my bra (YAHOO!). I've done many before and after pictures, but not with an accurate picture of the before...my lowest point ever. Here it is...January to June with still another 14 lbs to go....
In the February picture, I had just had my last miscarriage (explains the slight baby bump), but it was mostly just Fat Cheryl. I'm glad to say she is disappearing & I don't EVER want to see her again!
Moving on....
I'm so wishing that I had taken my measurements before I started this. My weight loss has slowed down (according to the scale) to an ounce or two a day. This would absolutely frustrate me if I didn't still notice my clothes getting looser which I suppose means that I'm losing inches (or my fat is re-distributing itself). I bought a pair of pants a couple of weeks ago that were skin tight, and today, even though the number on the scale is the same, the pants are bagging uncomfortably in the ass and loose around my legs...great...now I have to go buy more new clothes :(
I did do a one month 'cleanse' (my version still allowed me 2 snacks a day (half a piece of fruit and a hard boiled egg), but I was drinking 4 juices a day instead of the 2 a day I started with. My (uneducated) advice if you're thinking of trying this, DO NOT go full juice right off the bat, it makes you a SCARY person, and it's SO HARD! Best if you've already been juicing a couple meals a day for a few weeks. It was difficult seeing everyone around me eating while I just counted the days 'til I could eat supper again LOL. I'm glad to say I'm back to juice for breakfast and lunch and real food for supper (still only a small piece of meat and a ton of veggies).
I made a promise to myself a few weeks back that I would never again eat crap. Basically, if it doesn't rot or I can't pronounce an ingredient (I'm pretty good with pronouncing big words), I will not eat it. It's that simple. Yesterday I found a FABULOUS blog by a nutritionist in the city with the most amazing recipes. Last night I tried out a few and I am hooked! Here it is for all of you that enjoy cooking like I do ~ http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com
So, as I said before, the questions just keep rolling in. I will do my best to answer the most common ones, and if there are any others, please let me know.
1 ~ Yes, Juicing is expensive, sort of. Here's a thought. If eating healthy were cheap and/or easy, there would be far fewer obese people in this world. Simple. Really, you have to decide what's more important, your health or your bank account. You can't take it with you, just sayin'. I would estimate that I spend roughly $150 per week on produce. Keep in mind, non organic is cheaper, I just choose to spend the extra on mostly organic. Before you roll your eyes, sit back and think about how much you spend at Tim's or Starbucks or wherever every morning. How much do you spend on lunches or suppers out every night? How much do you spend on junk food/snacks? Could be less, could be more than what I'm spending, but I can almost guarantee that I feel a million times better than you.
2 ~ No, I can't tell you what type of Juicer to buy. I'm not a juicer expert, all I know is that the pulp that came out of my first juicer was still wet, and the pulp that comes out of my more expensive juicer is DRY like sawdust. The more you spend on a juicer, the less you spend on produce as you're getting more juice out of what you're putting in. RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!!!
3 ~ NO SUGAR (unless it's coming from your fruits and veggies)! NO ALCOHOL! NO RICE, NO PASTA, NO BREAD! I don't know how many times people have told me that they're just not losing weight like they thought and in the same breath tell me they had a plate of spaghetti and a glass of wine for supper the night before. SERIOUSLY??? Please, if you get stuck, think seriously about what you're eating and make adjustments accordingly.
4 ~ Sorry in advance if this is TMI ~ yes, you will get constipated if you're juicing but not drinking enough water. Here's what I do (because I read somewhere that this is what I'm supposed to do lol) ~ I wake up in the morning and start (before ANYTHING) with a large glass of hot water with lemon (real lemon, not the 'juice' in the bottle). This is apparently supposed to help with the movement of things. Then throughout the day I drink at least another 2 liters of water, whether it be plain, or, as I am doing right now, more hot lemon water. I finish off my night with a glass of Peppermint herbal tea (Helps me sleep). That's it. You've heard it a million times from a million different sources...DRINK YOUR WATER!!!! It has more benefits than you know.
I've been trying my best to get some exercise at least a few times a week. My best girl and I were doing really good with walking 4-5 km in the river valley every day at lunch, but with all the rain we've been having and crazy busy schedules on both sides, we've (or at least I) have been slacking a little. Solution? Rebounding. I went for a massage the other day, and she enlightened me on the benefits of rebounding. This is how you do it: Buy a mini trampoline. Jump. Easy Peasy!!! In true Cheryl form, I ran right out and bought a trampoline. It is still in the box in the trunk of my car as I'm trying to decide if I want it at home or in my office. I think the office wins. Monday I will bring it in and the jumping fun will begin. I will keep you updated. I found (stole...but since I'm putting the link on here it's not bad, right?) a list of benefits at http://www.healingdaily.com for rebounding:
~ It increases the capacity for breathing
~ It circulates more oxygen to the tissues
~ It helps normalize blood pressure
~ It helps prevent cardiovascular disease
~ It increases the activity of the red bone marrow in the production or red blood cells
~ It aids lymphatic circulation, as well as blood flow in the veins of the circulatory system
~ It lowers elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels
~ It stimulates the metabolism, thereby reducing the likelihood of obesity
~ It tones up the glandular system, especially the thyroid to increase its output
~ It improves coordination throughout the body
~ It promotes increased muscle fiber tone
~ It offers relief from neck and back pains, headaches, and other pain caused by lack of exercise
~ It enhances digestion and elimination processes
~ It allows for easier relaxation and sleep
~ It results in a better mental performance, with sharper learning processes
~ It relieves fatigue and menstrual discomfort for women
~ It minimizes the number of colds, allergies, digestive disturbances, and abdominal problems
~ (BEST ONE) It tends to slow down aging
Who knew that jumping on a trampoline was so good for you??? I can't wait to get started...in 3 days LOL.
Okay, I think that's all I have to say for now. I've been struggling for over a week to come up with what to say, but it seems that once I get started, I have verbal diarrhea lol. Hope it's helpful, and like I said before, let me know if there's any more questions!!!!
Happy Juicing!
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