Day 26 of my Reboot

Well I am 4 days away from FOOD!  Wow!  What a journey.  Lately I have been just stuck.  There was actually a day I gained a pound :o(.  Maybe in muscle due to this bathroom remodel, hauling stuff up and down the stairs and so forth, but to not eat and gain weight messed with my mind a bit.  I am proud to say I am FINALLY out of the teens.  I weighed in this morning at 209....YAY!!!  Ten pounds away from being out of the 200's.  And 7lbs away from losing a total of 30lbs.  I promise to do an after picture, I just want to wait till day 30 to take it, so stay tuned!

Day 22 of my Reboot

Geesh I'm getting behind on here.  I thought I would be good and update everyday...ha...there I go thinking again.  I guess all in all there isn't much new to say.  I am down another 2lbs and feel like I'm just stuck.  I was really hoping I would get to 200 by February 29th, but at this rate I'm not too sure.  I am not going to allow myself to get down about it if I don't.  This girl has lost a total of 21 pounds in 3 weeks, and in my opinion that is not to shabby.  Im feeling like a new person!  More than just the weight loss the amount of energy I have is ridiculous.  I seriously  haven't felt like this since I was a kid.  My body started waking itself up at 6:30am and goes until around 10pm without ever needing that "second wind".  Its amazing!  No coffee, no nap, no nothing....just juice.  The headaches I used to have, on almost a daily basis, are now COMPLETELY gone.  I think I was 70% dehydrated and the other 30% was diet. 
I have had a few people ask me about the juicing.  If you are interested in checking it out here is where it all began for me: http://www.jointhereboot.com/index.php?lang=au.  I also recommend watching Joe Cross' Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead documentary.  Super inspiring!! 
Well I never thought I would make it this far, but here we are Day 22.  Just goes to show how little I believe in myself ;o)  I have decided that I will go until February 29th.  We leave to go on vacation March 4th, so I want to eat and enjoy time with my family, and not have to worry about juicing.  So hopefully by then I'll be down to an even 200, go on vacation, and come back ready to work on the last 30-40lbs that I would like to lose.  I hope that my juicing story has inspired just a few, to get a healthy start on life!!

Day 14, 15, 16, & 17 of my Reboot!

Haha...can you tell I've been just a little bit preoccupied lately???  Between the bathroom remodel, raising babies, homeschooling, house cleaning, and yada yada yada I've gotten a little behind on updating this.  Fortunately there isn't anything much to report.  Still going strong!  I feel like I am to a point now, where juicing is just a part of my life.  I have found that even the food I feed my family has changed.  Instead of throwing chips and fruit snacks on a plate with a sandwich for lunch, I find myself cutting up veggies with a little ranch dip, a piece of fruit, and cheese chunks.  Or pita chips with some hummus and fruit.  I take alot more pride in the dinners I make now.  So anyway with all that being said, I finally felt the other day as I was getting ready for church, that for the first time in YEARS, I am beginning to feel comfortable with myself.  No more trying to squeeze myself into X-large shirts or size 16/18 pants.  I am down a shirt size, pant size, and am weighing in at 213.  My goal is to finish this month out, which will be a total of 31 days.  I am hoping (fingers crossed) I can get down to an even 200 by then.  We go on vacation the beginning of March so I am going to enjoy my time and eat with my family.  Then when we get back I'll get back to my juicing.  My goal is to get down to a healthy weight, and then reboot from there 5 days a month. 
Thanks to all who read this and encourage me with little comments or messages.  It keeps me going strong.  It's difficult to share my weight and clothes size with you all, but I just got to a point in my life where I needed some serious accountability and I figure that would be a great way!

Day 13 of my Reboot

Source: thebeautyofhope.tumblr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

This has been my motto the last few days.  It has kept me going strong when I am standing at the stove making my family Parmesan Corn Chowder...YUM, or when baby back ribs have been cooking in the crockpot for the last 7 hours, or I sit with my friends at Moe's while they all devour yummy burrito's, queso, and taco salads, and I'm sipping on my lemon water.  I'm determined, I'm done, I'm ready to take care of Michelle, I CAN DO THIS!!

So I weighed in at 216 this morning.  Down another pound :o)

Day 12 of my Reboot

Not much new to report.  Weighed in at 217 again.  Figured this would happen after a 4lb weight loss in 2 days.  Anyway we'll see what the next couple of days bring. 

Day 10 & 11 of my Reboot

Ok so I was really busy yesterday. This bathroom remodel is consuming all my extra time, and I never got a chance to update my blog. So here's day 10 & 11 squished together :o)   I have some really good news to report.  The last 3ish days I have been lingering at 221.  Yesterday I got on the scale feeling kinda down about it, and I swear its like the scale knows when I have just about had it, therefore, has pity on me, and coughs up 219...WAHOO!!  I am down another 2lbs.  Well thats not the end of my good news.  I got on the scale this morning and it read 217, now thats what I'm talking about!  Down 4lbs in 2 days and feeling AWESOME!
 Last night was a really difficult night for me.  Probably not as difficult as the first 4 days of my fast, but I had to go grocery shopping, like BIG grocery shopping for the first time since my fast.  Normally I get most my fruits and veggies from a local farmers market vendor, so I don't have to confront the local grocery store too much.  I consider myself an AVID couponer.  So because of my stockpile I haven't had to grocery shop since before Thanksgiving.  Minus of course things like milk, cheese, lunchmeat, bread, you know all those staples you get every week.  Anyway just to be around all the food, the smells....geesh I couldn't take it!  At one point my husband bought my 19 month old a couple chicken strips from the deli and watching the two of them eat them was not helping the problem.  I finally told Aaron (my husband) to get them (the chicken strips) away from me...ha! Needless to say I left the store victorious! I even managed to pick my kids up from children's choir and Awana's, come home and put all the yummy food away, and put myself to bed before I did something I regretted.  So I think I deserved those 2lbs this morning ;o) 

In total I am down 15lbs.  6 of which I lost the first week I started, cutting out meals and substituting juice. And 9 from the actual "juice fast".  If my numbers are ever skewed, feel free to correct me.  I started at 232 and I am currently at 217...so 15lbs.  Now with 5 more days down the question is to stop or keep on (I said I would take this 5 days at a time), but I am feeling sooo good, how about another 5.  Soooo onward we go!! :o)

Here's a recent (around Thanksgiving-ish time) picture of my darling hubby and me. I am sooo embarrassed of myself in this photo.  I feel like Aaron is having to reach his arms around, as far as he can, just to embrace me.  And THAT makes me sad, embarrassed, wishing I hadn't been in the family pictures that day, but had to because it wouldn't be a "family" without Mommy in it.  Anyway I COMPLETELY realize  that this isn't just a weight issue, its a Michelle issue, which THANKFULLY I have an awesome God that is chipping away at ALL my silly insecurities, some which have been  rooted in me from childhood.  And for Him I am MOST thankful!  And also for my sweet husband, who despite all my flaws, LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY!

The man behind the scenes...

Ok so its not a man...its a machine, but this thing makes it happen day in and day out.  So for all you who have asked or are wondering what juicer I use and absolutely LOVE.  Here you go. 

Day 9 of my Reboot

So something possessed me, not sure what, to make homemade taco's for the kids and hubby tonight.  Homemade meaning, instead of the normal "hard taco shells" or "soft flour tortilla," I made my own (I know not that big of deal), but I grew up with my mom making them this way, so its the tradition in our house now to continue that.  If you know me at all, you know that I ADORE mexican food.  So lets just say making this dinner was utter torture.  I have come to realize in the last 9 days that my obsession with food is still as strong as ever.  I know that food is necessity, but I want to get to a point in my life that I don't base my day and mood on what I am going to eat that particular day.  I consider myself a very spiritual person, and I wish that I could think about God and all the wonderful things He has done for me as much as I think about my next meal.  Anyway I'm praying for God's freedom in this area of my life.  So with that being said, I am still weighing in at 221 :o(,  I figure 11lbs is alot of weight, so maybe my body is just in shock and holding on to whatever it can.  The amount of energy I have makes up for the weight loss anyway.  I haven't felt this good since well before I had all my little people. So back to my liquid spinach, cabbage, carrot, apple, and ginger dinner....it actually isn't too bad ;o)

Day 8 of my Reboot

So my breakfast juice was plum, apple, carrot, spinach, & cabbage...YUMMO in my TUMMO!  Lunch on the other hand "Joe's Mean Green."  I have to say my liking Kale is decreasing rapidly ;o)

Day 7 & 8 of my Reboot

So I was really busy yesterday with church and the superbowl, and didn't get a chance to update my blog...sorry.  We'll not much to say really. Still floating at 221, but not feeling discouraged because I feel great!  The intense hunger pains have subsided, however, I still long for food.  Its amazing to me how comforting I find food to be.  Or how much of a social thing it is.  We went to a friends house yesterday for the superbowl, she had made some bbq chicken sliders, a sausage/rotel/cream cheese dip with chips, I brought potato salad, and a fruit bowl,  as I sat there and watched everyone eat ALL this yummy food, I felt alone.  Don't feel sad for me, I choose this ;o) It was just eye opening to me how often social events and food go hand in hand.  Anyway I told my friend, when this JUICING thing is all over, bbq chicken sliders and sausage, rotel, & cream cheese dip is on the menu ;o)  Anyway I can sit back and say, I survived superbowl and all the yummy dishes that went with it VICTORIOUS! 

Day 6 of my reboot

Still at 221 this morning.  Feel GREAT!  Still struggling a bit around dinner time, but a juice, water with lemon, and hot tea normally help that.  This mornings juice was: cantaloupe, apple, peach, cauliflower, and spinach....SUPER YUM!  Juice On!!

Day 5 of my Reboot

DAY 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I MADE it!  I know...your probably thinking ok what now?  Well onward we go right?!?!  Lets just say the first 3 days I felt HORRIBLE.  The night of day 3 I got on the Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead FB page (which has been a huge motivation for me from the start) and came across this  http://www.juicefasting.org/detox.htm.  Thank the Lord!  Had I not read this, I would have thought I was killing myself and quit.  It explains the steps of detoxing and what happens to your body at each stage.  Made perfect since to me, and encouraged me to keep on.  I am down 11 pounds! Weighed in this morning at 221.  Since I STARTED my fast last Monday I have lost 5bs, but the two weeks prior to that preparing for the fast I lost 6lbs.  Not to confuse anyone. :o)  So if nothing else, I hope I have encouraged any of you out there who may be thinking about juicing or a juice fast, to GO FOR IT!  If even for 5 hard, but SO worth it days! 

Day 4 of my Reboot

Well I'm officially down 10 pounds since the start of my juicing journey, 4 pounds since I started my Reboot.  Today I have felt a 100 times better than the past 3 days.  Lots more energy, and can tolerate being around food, without it affecting me too much.  Weighed in at 222 this morning.  I find it hard to stomach some of the veggie juices, especially lime and kale, hope this gets better.  This morning I made a cantaloupe, peach, and pear juice...DELICIOUS, but really how can you go wrong with those 3 combinations.  Well I am a bit tired so going to hit the hay.  Good night and happy juicing!

Day 3 of my Reboot

I can't believe I'm saying DAY 3!  I know 3 days doesn't seem like alot, but trust me when you haven't ate in 3 days and you have to stand over the stove while beef stroganoff is simmering away, or watch your husband down a bowl of choc. chip ice cream while your trying to make the best of your vanilla sleepy time tea, you'll think 3 days is HUGE progress too ;o)
Ok so anyway today started off horrible.  I shouldn't have been so quick yesterday to say MORNINGS are soo easy, because this morning wasn't.  I almost gave up, when I walked in the bathroom and saw the scale sitting there.  I knew in my head if I stepped on that thing and it blinked 226 at me I would immediately walk into the kitchen and eat the first thing that came into site.  Ready to give up and finally eat something, I stepped up on that scale and to my amazement 223 blinked in bright blue numbers.  I had to get off and do it again cause I just didn't believe it, and yes it really read 223.  Well lets just say my morning started off horrible but got GOOD real quick!  Is got GOOD even proper English?  So since I started my Reboot I am down 3lbs in 3 days, that'll make any girl EXCITED!  And in total I have lost 9lbs.  YAY!!!