Day 15!

Well, so much for blogging my smoothie fast journey. I'm not much of a computer whiz and I spent hours the first couple days trying to figure stuff out on here, and finally concluded that I need help learning how to do some things if I am going to do it right. So, I kind of fell off the wagon in regard to keeping everything posted. Today is day 15. Whoo Hoo! I have actually made it this far without cheating at all! Even with taking a trip to the Creation Museum for our daughters birthday, having company over, and being invited to a friends house last night!  It certainly helped that my friend is also doing the juice/smoothie fast with me, so we sat around the table and watched our husbands and kiddos eat pizza and chips while we sipped juice and water. :) I have lost right about 9 lbs as of this morning. Last week I was pretty much at a stand still. I stayed at the same weight the entire week long. I was kind of discouraged about that, but my sister encouraged me saying that my body was getting used to a new weight level. I actually tried adding more fruit and veggies in a couple days because I thought perhaps my body just needed more calories if I was going to lose and not just hang on to the weight. However, it is extremly hard to overeat, or even have a high caloric intake, when you are just eating  fresh fruit and veggies blended into smoothies! I started adding 1/2 an avocado to my smoothie once a day to make sure I had some good fat in my diet, as well as putting 1 tsp of bee pollen in my morning smoothie each day.

Has it been hard? Actually, it hasn't been to bad. There have been a few days I have really been tempted to just be done with it, but it is more because I've been trying to use up some of the produce from my garden (I have a LOT of kale and beets) and they are rather strong flavors to mask when you put to much in your smoothie. If I actually followed recipes all the time, I'm sure I would have enjoyed my mixtures a little better. The worst one I made, I didn't follow a recipe and threw stuff in for a salsa smoothie. I didn't use enough tomatoes and added to much bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper from the garden. My poor stomach couldn't handle it, and it promptly disappeared within about 2 minutes of drinking it. Just an FYI, jalapeno peppers up your nose doesn't feel good! I didn't try that mixture again!

How have I felt? I've felt really good for the most part. I really didn't get the headaches and body aches that others have mentioned. I have noticed that I got cold easier. I just wear a sweater when that happens, and that problem is pretty much resolved. I've been drinking plenty of water, but I have noticed that I still feel thirsty at times. That seems kind of weird, but my friend said she had noticed the same thing, so I guess that is all just part of it. There have been a few times I have gotten really tired, but if I go make a smoothie, after a while I feel great and ready to go again.

I did start working out a little bit last week. Not much. I only did it twice, but I think it helped in the weight loss. I did so again this morning and plan to try and do so at least 3 times a week. My goal is still to lose another 8 lbs and level there, but I understand that it will take patience and perseverance. I don't plan on continuing to do smoothies until that happens. I plan on beginning to add solid food back into my diet tomorrow, but I will probably also continue with the smoothies while my body adjusts and works back into the changes I throw at it with eating solids again.

Would I do it again? Probably. It is hard to get started. The first few days are pretty rough, but overall, it is worth it, and I'm glad I did it. :)

Thanks for tagging along and joining me here on my journey to health.

Day 5

Day 5~
Today is my 5th day and all is well. :) I'm feeling great. The second day I did have a slight headache, but since then no problem in that department. I have noticed that I seem to get cold easier, but I simply throw on a sweater for awhile and that passes. I've been tracking my calories just for fun over at http://www.sparkpeople.com/ just for fun. Spark People is a free online site that allows you to track calories, fitness, and find the nutritional content of about anything. I've added avocado to my smoothies the last few days to give me some extra calories and needed  healthy fat. Perhaps in the next few days I'll take a few pictures of my smoothies and show you them. I found a really yummy snack the other night. I took 1/2 and avocado, and some grapes. I added 16 oz of water and threw it in my blender and pureed it until smoothie. It was scrumptious!

Last night I was talking to my husband and we discussed the lukewarm ways in which we as Christians seem to live our lives. I just finished reading Crazy Love http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Love-Overwhelmed-Relentless-God/dp/B004MPRWG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347645169&sr=8-1&keywords=crazy+love, and I've been challenged deeply to not just live life, but through Christ, to show His Love to the world around me, and make a difference. How will I do that? I don't know. As a church,and as a nation we have got to have revival. We have got to see God move. It is not going to happen without us getting out of our comfortable little routines and making a decided effort to be in the presence of God. As we discussed the problems of our day, even in our own church and personal lives, then searched for solutions, we didn't come up with an easy answer. I want to be sold out to Christ in every area of my life. We don't know what tomorrow may bring, but whatever comes my way, I want to be ready to stand strong for the cause of Christ. Not to cower in the corner because I am to afraid of what may come. And let me tell you, I can be a very fearful person. I want to use this fast as a building block for whatever Christ has in store for me next. Scripture tells us that if we draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to us. How about you? What is the condition of your soul? If Christ were to come back right now, would He find you waiting and ready? We don't have to live in fear of the future or of getting caught/left behind. We can have a relationship with Christ that is sweeter and richer than any human relationship possible. If He loves us much more than we could possibly even love our children, we are loved beyond imagination. As sons and daughters of Christ, we are His children! So stand strong, If you are in a right/committed relationship with Christ, you have the backing of a mighty Father on your side.

Starting my fast~Day 1

Day 1

Today I made it! Although I was tempted. I actually started the day out with a glass of prune juice which really shouldn't be included on the smoothie fast because it is not fresh being bottled in the plastic jar. But, I had it in my cupboard, and I need to make use of what I have. I used to try and do one fast day a week where I had only water. I haven't been very faithful at it for quite a while, but I'd like to do it again. We have revival coming up next month, and I want to be found faithful in the place of prayer and preparing my heart for the Lord. I want to be willing to get out of my comfort zone and reach out to those around me who are hurting and need the Lord. So, although I didn't do just water today, Mondays are going to be my day where I set aside food in normal portions and try to focus  more on the essential privilige/battle of prayer.

Sunday we had a "homecoming" at our church along with a big pitch in dinner. I had made a bunch of whole wheat rolls and french bread. The rolls were pretty much all eaten, but the bread didn't get touched. So, yesterday morning I fried up all the french bread into "french toast". The kids enjoyed eating some, and the rest I froze for later. I was really tempted to pop a piece in my mouth since I really enjoy french toast and really don't make it very often. Besides that, I kept telling myself, it really was healthy. The bread was made with fresh ground wheat, and honey. So it wouldn't have hurt me. It seems so hard for me to get started though and stick to something, so I refrained!

Later in the morning I made a large pot of herbal tea which I sipped on throughout the morning and afternoon. Charity was eating a bowl of grapes and without thinking I did reach over and pop two of them in my mouth. Oops!

Then for supper plans changed around the house, so I ended up throwing something quick together. I made grilled cheese on fresh whole wheat bread and ramen noodle soup for my family. I know, not very nutritious, but I needed to get something on the table. The kids did eat some fruit and veggies for snacks, so I didn't feel quite so bad. We like home made bread fresh, so when I make a batch we tend to eat it quickly. I was really tempted to eat some of the grilled cheese sandwhich though. We ended up having an entire one left over. Fresh bread grilled with Colby Jack cheese dripping  off the edges. Mmmm, makes my mouth water! I did good though. I didn't eat any.

After supper my husband requested cookies. Yup, I made them. Nope, I didn't eat any. Score! I made it through the first day. If I can make it through the next few days, I know I can do it!

15 day Smoothie/Juice fast. What inspired me, and why?

Today I am starting a new adventure. My friend Cheryl over at http://treasuresfromashoebox.blogspot.com/ went on a 60 day juice fast this spring. She tells all about it on her new blog http://tugboatvoyage.blogspot.com/. I know her personally, so this is not just some person I am pulling out of a hat and following blindly after. I trust her character and am going to bite the bullet and try it. Today she is starting a 15 day reboot, which I am joining in on. I am terrible at blogging, I really don't know how to do anything on here. The more I try to figure things out, the more confused I get. :) Anyway, I figured I'd try and blog my experiences if I can keep up with it. Perhaps it will keep me more accountable, and keep me at it.

I know, I have several friends who have said, but Jasmine, you look fine the way you are, you don't need to lose weight. While I appreciate your opinion, only you (the actual person) know what what weight you feel best with. Let me stop and tell  you a little bit about my struggle. I have never been "fat" as in seriously overweight. However, I have always struggled and tried some crazy thing after another to stay within a reasonable weight range. I come from a "big" family with 15 children. There were 8 girls and 7 boys. One of my sisters went to be with Jesus as just a small baby, so we have 7 girls and 7 boys living. I had always been bigger than my sisters, even though I have never been "big". Growing up, I could never wear my sisters clothes because I was bigger than them, and instead of accepting myself for how I was and who God made me to be, I felt inferior, and "ugly" compared to them. My sister who is just 2 years older than me is beautiful and always has been. But she is not just beautiful on the outside, her inner spirit radiates peaces and joy that add to her beauty. I have a tendancy to be loud and opinionated. Not always a wonderful trait, especially when we are striving to have a meek and quiet spirit. So, when I would compare myself to her especially, I would find myself sadly lacking. We had a love/hate relationship growing up. I was a slob in comparison to her orderliness, and she was blessed to share a room with me until she went to college. :)

Several years ago we went through a series of circumstances in our lives where a lot of thing happened within a short time. My husband's business went under due to circumstances beyond our control. Partially because of the failing economy, and partially for reasons of human intervention on another's part. My husband could have taken action and recovered some of his money, but felt God wanted  him to just let it go. My husband's younger brother died of cancer at the age of 27, and our lives were in a jumble. Through it, we lost everything we had. Our house,  2 cars, beautiful camper, along with  work equipment,  dump trailer, mowing trailer and more. We decided to move out of state and just start over. We moved to a beautiful little town in Arkansas and soon found a great little church family to worship with. However, instead of my being thankful and thriving in our new enviroment, I became depressed and wouldn't do anything. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know anybody, and didn't know where to start branching out, and was to scared to do it if and when suggestions were made.  My husband traveled quite a bit with his job, and instead of supporting him like I should have, I felt sorry for myself and being there.

After living there only 5 months, we moved back home to Indiana. It was a mutual decision for the health of our family, and we were both happy to be back. However, as I say that, we both look back to our time in Arkansas as a very growing special time for our family. Life was slower, and we had more time for our family, even though my husband was away a lot. We went bike riding as a family regularly. We could walk to the park and the library. My kids still talk about the times we had there, and it has been 4 years that we have been back in Indiana this month.

During this period in our lives I picked up some weight. Not terribly so, but enough that I felt it. I have a tendancy to turn to food when I am stressed out. The craziest thing about it is, when I am eating, I know myself well enough that I know I am eating because I am feeling stressed, but choose to do so anyway. When we moved back home, we made some other changes and several months after being home decided to leave the church we had attended since our marriage and find a new church home. We visited and made our choice. My husband had known many of the people for years, so it didn't take a lot for him to feel like he fit in. However, I was still hovering in my shell and was nervous about new people and places. The people are a great group of people, and within time, I felt like I too had a place and belonged.

In the year of 2009, my sister who is four years younger than I got married. It was going to be the first time ever that both my Mom and Dad (who are divoriced and both remarried) along with every one of the kids were going to be together at the same time. My oldest brothers were married and 2 of them had a little boys before my youngest brother was even born. So it was a huge deal, and a very special occasion. I decided that If I had to starve myself in order to lose the weight, I would. I didn't care what it took, I was going to be "skinny" by the time I went to the wedding. Most of our family is pretty health concious and none of them are overweight. And, chances are, if you were looking chunky, someone might say something. Not to be mean, but in teasing, never realizing what it might mean to the person they are saying it to. I didn't starve myself, but I excersied rigourisly, and ate a very careful strict diet. I lost the weight I was trying to, and was very proud of myself when I went to the wedding and received compliments on how much better I looked. But, then I came home. I tried to be careful, but inventibly, I started putting weight back on. After eating a big Thanksgiving dinner, I decided the only way to not gain the weight was to throw it up. Thus began my journey with being a bulimic eater.

For the next year and a half, I struggled terribly! I would eat myself to overflowing, then go throw it up. Sometimes throwing up as many as 5 or 6 times in one day, maybe more. I loved it in the sense that I could eat whatever I wanted and I didn't feel like it mattered. No one critized me for being on "another diet", and I could pretty much do as I pleased. But, I knew what I was doing was wrong. I felt guilty and condemned. I know our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and I was damaging my body with what I was doing. I couldn't seem to stop though. Once I started, I seemed stuck. I tried a hundred times if I tried once. I cried and prayed. I asked God to help me never do it again, but I would do it again the same day. Then in the fall of 2010 I started having panic attacks and a lot of anxiety issues. I worried what I had done to my body. Had I damaged something? I confessed to my husband what was going on, but not to the full extent I was doing it. I continued to struggle and pray for deliverance. I joined Weight Watchers as a way to get rid of the weight I had put on. But at the same time, I was not willing totally come clean with my actions. Finally, the summer of 2011 at a church camp, I felt like God told me if I was willing to come completly clean and confess on myself, God would completly deliver me from my struggles of constantly throwing up. I had been doing better at that time, but I it was still a struggle in my mind. I felt embarressed and ashamed. My husband was a youth pastor, and here his wife is having issues like this? What kind of light and example could that possibly be? I decided that I couldn't do it in my own strenth anymore. I had to do whatever it took to get rid of the struggle I faced daily. I confessed before the whole congregation, and GOD COMPLETLY DELIVERED ME! I have not had a single instance since that time where I have gone back and done it again. Yes, there have been a few times the thought has crossed my mind, but never as a one that was truly entertained.

Now, in the past year, I have put about 15 lbs back on. No, it is not anything major. But, I know the struggles I have had in the past, and I know how I feel about myself when I put on weight. Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband who loves me and totally accepts me the way I am. He is not critical if I put on a few pounds. He tells me I am beautiful regardless! He is a man worth keeping! Not just for that reason, but a multitude of others! So, here is my long drawn out story why I am doing such a major thing as a juice fast for those who don't understand and want to give me reasons why it is such a bad idea. Honestly, I am not really doing a actual juice fast because I don't have a juicer. I might get one at some point and time, but at this moment, it is not a necessity, just a wish. The juicer my friend recommends is about $150.00, so as you can understand, you might think twice before purchasing it as well. I do have a Vitamix though, which is an amazing machine. So, I am going to do smoothies. If you would like to join me on my adventure, I'd love to have you come along!

Blessings on you!
Jasmine