Oh my word!
What a trip! And we’ve still got one more day!
This blog is about my dieting journey, so I’ll stick with it, but my goodness what a time we’ve had!
Okay, first observation… it is very, very difficult (not impossible) to find good options of veggies and fruits (especially the fruits) on the road. Yes, there are occasional fresh fruit and veggie stands, but they are way too hard to find. And grocery stores carry fresh produce, but I am in shock because I can’t find one!
We’re staying in Harrisburg, PA tonight, and I can’t find a grocery store within about a mile radius of our hotel. I didn’t have time to go searching beyond this perimeter. I even stopped in a “Mexican Grocery” to find some fresh fruit or veggies. I almost laughed. They had some scallions, limes, jicama and avocado. I almost wanted to ask where the mariachis were but chose not.
For breakfast I was blessed to have some apples and an orange from our hotel’s breakfast offerings which I juiced. The rest of the day wasn’t so great. I had a couple of chocolates on the road because they were there and I haven’t had any chocolate candy in about four weeks, well since Tuesday – but four weeks before that! I liked it, but it wasn’t all that special.
For lunch, I ate a Subway sandwich – 6 inch honey oat bread with roasted chicken (toasted). I added tomato, cucumber, green pepper, lettuce and spinach with some chipotle southwest sauce (as my decadence). I love the heat. I added a bag of jalapeno Kettle chips and a liter of water. It was a delightful meal and had a few veggies, but I’m starting to miss my fruit/veggie/juice fast.
Now here’s the interesting part. We are on a trip. We are moving from Montgomery, Alabama to Albany, New York (well, near there anyway). We’ve been pushing ourselves for the last several days to get the stuff packed, loaded, sent and the house cleaned. We stayed up driving until 2 a.m. last night, and had a really rough time of it.
I’ll write that story on my other blog.
But here’s the second major issue. The rest of the family is sick. Some of them have actually started vomiting (while I’m driving the minivan!) The others (now including my wife) simply feel nauseated, tired and feverish. Ooo boy!
I feel fine. Well, I have. I’m starting to feel a little nauseated myself, but I think it’s primarily due to the fact that I’ve been neglecting my fruits and veggies and have eaten cra#()$*( for meals. For dinner tonight I went searching for that grocery store I mentioned, but when I couldn’t find it, I should have opted for a salad, even from Mickey D’s. Instead, I got a chicken ranch quesadilla from Moe’s Southwest Grill, which in the Montgomery area is fantastic.
Not so much in Pennsylvania. It probably did not help that I showed up ten minutes prior to close, but the food was almost not edible. Overly salty, greasy and surprisingly bland. I had actually been sad that I’d not be eating at Moe’s again for a long time as we left Alabama. Now, I couldn’t care less.
Anyway, I think this dependence on subpar food is actually affecting my health. I think I’d rather not eat at all than eat this junk. If I can’t find good food, I’m going to try and not eat anything – except at certain times when I’ve decided before hand that I’m gonna take a break and eat the “bad stuff”.
Ah, yes… the diet in general! I forgot to mention what my plans are. I will continue as I had previously thought and just eat as healthy as I can (without too much trial if at all possible) until next week (I think Sunday?) Then I will begin the 15 day standard Reboot again. I think I’ll follow this 20 day plan for a while until I reach my optimal weight (which will be a while).
I may modify it. I look back and realize I enjoyed the juicing and with my office based in my home may be able to juice more easily and for a longer period of time. Perhaps I can do a fifteen day juice fast. That would be intriguing.
Alright, later friends. God bless each of you.
Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. We have only one day left, but if it’s anything like the last two, it’ll be quite an interesting day!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Day Fourteen: I Got An A+!
Fourteen days… that’s two weeks of this new “diet” thing.
It all began because of watching “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”. What an incredible promise the movie seems to make. If you eat fresh fruits and veggies, particularly through juicing, you can see some dramatic life changes. Chronic illnesses can lessen or even go into remission. Your mental state can get clearer. You can lose fat and become healthier. You can lower your blood pressure.
While I don’t suffer from a chronic illness, I have been struggling with a high level of fatigue and the every present battle of the bulge. Also, recently, I had checked (on a lark) my blood pressure fairly regularly, and started getting scared. At one point, it was at or near 160/99. Granted, at the time, I was enduring large amounts of work-related stress, but I could not attribute that level of pressure simply to stress.
After two weeks of the Reboot (and a week of preparation), I have lost nearly twenty pounds, reduced my fatigue and shockingly to me, my blood pressure this evening was 116/68. That seems to me to be incredible. What a blessing this diet has been!
I woke this morning for church, and I don’t eat before I receive Holy Communion on Sundays. So, I went to church a little scared. I knew that we’d be having a wonderful covered dish supper following the service and doubted there would be anything there for me to eat.
Fortuitously, someone brought fresh fruits and my wonderful wife steamed some sugar snap peas.
Today was my last day serving as rector (i.e. head priest/pastor) of my little church in Montgomery. It was a sad and sweet day for me and my family. We will miss our friends from here so much, but the opportunity I have now is truly an answer to prayer, and we are all very excited about the move.
Anyway, for dinner tonight my darling wife browned some great smelling taco-seasoned ground deer meat and prepared some Rotel dip (made with Velveeta). It truly smelled incredible. Honestly, I got a little angry about the whole thing. I had a hard enough time not snarfing the fried chicken, cheesecake and cocktail shrimp at the luncheon. These tacos were simply punishment.
And I nearly broke.
I persevered with the strong assistance of my wife, who reminded me of how I really didn’t want to mess up since I had only one day left. I agreed and fixed myself a juice.
Not A Taco or Cheesy Rotel Dip Juice
GS apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Cucumber (1)
Zucchini (1)
Celery (5 stalks)
Ginger (little bit)
Navel Orange (1)
This mixture was probably the mildest and best tasting of all the “veggie” juices I’ve made through this journey. The orange added a nice touch to the whole thing. I’ve still got some left and may have it for breakfast.
Perhaps if you’ve got high blood pressure, you might consider trying this kind of a diet. I know it seems a little radical, but it becomes pretty easy/natural/sane after a few days. I look forward to my meats, nuts and breads. At the same time, I don’t want to leave this train of health and wellness. I’ve got to figure out the best way to incorporate a broader diet into my life while still retaining the juicing and more “fresh” eating.
I’ll be mining the website at the Reboot site for more information. You might want to give them a shot yourself.
By the way, I’ve mentioned on Facebook that I’d like to hear from you if you’ve been reading the blog. Is this something you’d like to continue to read? I will probably continue after day fifteen to share on the blog my dieting ventures, but it would be nice to get some positive feedback.
Thanks!
It all began because of watching “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”. What an incredible promise the movie seems to make. If you eat fresh fruits and veggies, particularly through juicing, you can see some dramatic life changes. Chronic illnesses can lessen or even go into remission. Your mental state can get clearer. You can lose fat and become healthier. You can lower your blood pressure.
While I don’t suffer from a chronic illness, I have been struggling with a high level of fatigue and the every present battle of the bulge. Also, recently, I had checked (on a lark) my blood pressure fairly regularly, and started getting scared. At one point, it was at or near 160/99. Granted, at the time, I was enduring large amounts of work-related stress, but I could not attribute that level of pressure simply to stress.
After two weeks of the Reboot (and a week of preparation), I have lost nearly twenty pounds, reduced my fatigue and shockingly to me, my blood pressure this evening was 116/68. That seems to me to be incredible. What a blessing this diet has been!
I woke this morning for church, and I don’t eat before I receive Holy Communion on Sundays. So, I went to church a little scared. I knew that we’d be having a wonderful covered dish supper following the service and doubted there would be anything there for me to eat.
Fortuitously, someone brought fresh fruits and my wonderful wife steamed some sugar snap peas.
Today was my last day serving as rector (i.e. head priest/pastor) of my little church in Montgomery. It was a sad and sweet day for me and my family. We will miss our friends from here so much, but the opportunity I have now is truly an answer to prayer, and we are all very excited about the move.
Anyway, for dinner tonight my darling wife browned some great smelling taco-seasoned ground deer meat and prepared some Rotel dip (made with Velveeta). It truly smelled incredible. Honestly, I got a little angry about the whole thing. I had a hard enough time not snarfing the fried chicken, cheesecake and cocktail shrimp at the luncheon. These tacos were simply punishment.
And I nearly broke.
I persevered with the strong assistance of my wife, who reminded me of how I really didn’t want to mess up since I had only one day left. I agreed and fixed myself a juice.
Not A Taco or Cheesy Rotel Dip Juice
GS apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Cucumber (1)
Zucchini (1)
Celery (5 stalks)
Ginger (little bit)
Navel Orange (1)
This mixture was probably the mildest and best tasting of all the “veggie” juices I’ve made through this journey. The orange added a nice touch to the whole thing. I’ve still got some left and may have it for breakfast.
Perhaps if you’ve got high blood pressure, you might consider trying this kind of a diet. I know it seems a little radical, but it becomes pretty easy/natural/sane after a few days. I look forward to my meats, nuts and breads. At the same time, I don’t want to leave this train of health and wellness. I’ve got to figure out the best way to incorporate a broader diet into my life while still retaining the juicing and more “fresh” eating.
I’ll be mining the website at the Reboot site for more information. You might want to give them a shot yourself.
By the way, I’ve mentioned on Facebook that I’d like to hear from you if you’ve been reading the blog. Is this something you’d like to continue to read? I will probably continue after day fifteen to share on the blog my dieting ventures, but it would be nice to get some positive feedback.
Thanks!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Day Thirteen: Tomorrow's the Big Test
Okay, okay…. I missed a day blogging, but I was a good boy with the eating. At least, I think I was.
I had some white potatoes roasted in the oven covered in a little olive oil with some garlic pepper on them – also had some of my new favorite “sweet potato fries”. They’re filling and good for me!
I don’t remember all I had yesterday, so I won’t go into it.
This morning, I got up, drank my two cups of water and eventually had a late juice for breakfast. It was nice with two oranges, a GS apple and some grapes. A rainbow of color! Orange, Green and Red, yea, baby!
For lunch, I ate another sweet potato as fries. Mmm hmmm. Yum yum yum.
For dinner I had another acorn squash with portabello mushroom filling, leftover from last night. Very tasty. I also had a fresh salad with romaine lettuce, celery, carrot, cucumber, GS apple (chopped) and blackberries. I ran out of olive oil – we’re moving and not buying much of anything, so we don’t have to move it – so I couldn’t make a salad dressing. I used Bragg’s on the salad. It wasn’t bad. Also had a coconut water with dinner. That was nice.
Tomorrow should be a very interesting day, as the church is having a covered dish supper “in my honor” since this is my last Sunday. The food there should all be fantastic and probably none of it will be okay for me to eat on this diet. I’ve got to make sure no one is offended if I don’t eat the food they bring. They’re all very lovely people.
What’s interesting is that the desire to consume “food” seems to be purely mental. I don’t mean the desire to eat when I’m hungry, but those compelling to eat a candy bar or a bite of the leftover steak from last night, etc. I guess I’ve been a “grazer” for a long time and simply look to fill my mouth with what sounds good, regardless of hunger or need.
It is a real change refraining from consuming any calories unless my body needs them, such as at meal times. I’m truly having a hard time not juicing – not that I love the juice that much. Honestly, sometimes I’d rather just throw it out and run down the street to any fast food joint and pick up a chicken sandwich or a hamburger, but I don’t “need” to right now. I’m afraid that might change once I start eating “regular” food again.
I can see the allure for juicing for sixty days, as I’ve lost a good amount of weight in these last thirteen days (i.e. 10+). It’s not like I’m ignoring the real needs of my body – except possibly for proteins. The fruits and vegetables I’ve been eating have become my “friends” like never before (what am I to do, because before is a preposition and I don’t want to end my sentence with it… I guess this suffices.)
Anyway, I am not really looking “forward” to the veggies and fruits as much as I’m simply content to have them as my staples for meals. Meat would be great. Breads, grains and nuts would be fantastic – I really want some pistachios; however, I don’t need the meats and other foods to feel sustained or healthy. It’s an eye opener and shocker.
That’s all for now. I’m tired and need to prepare more for tomorrow’s service.
Nighty night.
I had some white potatoes roasted in the oven covered in a little olive oil with some garlic pepper on them – also had some of my new favorite “sweet potato fries”. They’re filling and good for me!
I don’t remember all I had yesterday, so I won’t go into it.
This morning, I got up, drank my two cups of water and eventually had a late juice for breakfast. It was nice with two oranges, a GS apple and some grapes. A rainbow of color! Orange, Green and Red, yea, baby!
For lunch, I ate another sweet potato as fries. Mmm hmmm. Yum yum yum.
For dinner I had another acorn squash with portabello mushroom filling, leftover from last night. Very tasty. I also had a fresh salad with romaine lettuce, celery, carrot, cucumber, GS apple (chopped) and blackberries. I ran out of olive oil – we’re moving and not buying much of anything, so we don’t have to move it – so I couldn’t make a salad dressing. I used Bragg’s on the salad. It wasn’t bad. Also had a coconut water with dinner. That was nice.
Tomorrow should be a very interesting day, as the church is having a covered dish supper “in my honor” since this is my last Sunday. The food there should all be fantastic and probably none of it will be okay for me to eat on this diet. I’ve got to make sure no one is offended if I don’t eat the food they bring. They’re all very lovely people.
What’s interesting is that the desire to consume “food” seems to be purely mental. I don’t mean the desire to eat when I’m hungry, but those compelling to eat a candy bar or a bite of the leftover steak from last night, etc. I guess I’ve been a “grazer” for a long time and simply look to fill my mouth with what sounds good, regardless of hunger or need.
It is a real change refraining from consuming any calories unless my body needs them, such as at meal times. I’m truly having a hard time not juicing – not that I love the juice that much. Honestly, sometimes I’d rather just throw it out and run down the street to any fast food joint and pick up a chicken sandwich or a hamburger, but I don’t “need” to right now. I’m afraid that might change once I start eating “regular” food again.
I can see the allure for juicing for sixty days, as I’ve lost a good amount of weight in these last thirteen days (i.e. 10+). It’s not like I’m ignoring the real needs of my body – except possibly for proteins. The fruits and vegetables I’ve been eating have become my “friends” like never before (what am I to do, because before is a preposition and I don’t want to end my sentence with it… I guess this suffices.)
Anyway, I am not really looking “forward” to the veggies and fruits as much as I’m simply content to have them as my staples for meals. Meat would be great. Breads, grains and nuts would be fantastic – I really want some pistachios; however, I don’t need the meats and other foods to feel sustained or healthy. It’s an eye opener and shocker.
That’s all for now. I’m tired and need to prepare more for tomorrow’s service.
Nighty night.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Day Eleven: Be Careful What You Eat
Eating is kind of weird now. I haven’t done it in five days. I might have made a mistake in my dinner.
But before I go there…
This morning, I had a smoothie, banana, strawberries, blueberries and mango. It was nice, but I was still just drinking my food.
For lunch I had an apple and a cup of baby carrots. It was okay. Nothing major.
I juiced in the late afternoon.
Late Afternoon Juice
Yellow Squash (1)
Cucumber (1)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Carrots (3)
Celery (4)
Ginger (just a little bit)
It was a fairly pleasant juice.
For dinner, I fixed myself some of those sweet potato fries like I had last week. Oh yeah, they were good. My wife likes them so much I had to make some for her too! They were quite filling, and I was glad to get to eat them.
I went out late to bring Holy Communion to a lovely lady living in an assisted living community so I didn’t have time to eat more for dinner – I had planned to eat a salad.
At about 9 p.m., I fixed another smoothie, just strawberries, banana and a fresh peach.
As I was drinking it, I got really sick to my stomach and had to take care of business. I think that the sweet potato might have been a bad choice to add to my diet on my first day back on solid foods.
Lesson learned.
But before I go there…
This morning, I had a smoothie, banana, strawberries, blueberries and mango. It was nice, but I was still just drinking my food.
For lunch I had an apple and a cup of baby carrots. It was okay. Nothing major.
I juiced in the late afternoon.
Late Afternoon Juice
Yellow Squash (1)
Cucumber (1)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Carrots (3)
Celery (4)
Ginger (just a little bit)
It was a fairly pleasant juice.
For dinner, I fixed myself some of those sweet potato fries like I had last week. Oh yeah, they were good. My wife likes them so much I had to make some for her too! They were quite filling, and I was glad to get to eat them.
I went out late to bring Holy Communion to a lovely lady living in an assisted living community so I didn’t have time to eat more for dinner – I had planned to eat a salad.
At about 9 p.m., I fixed another smoothie, just strawberries, banana and a fresh peach.
As I was drinking it, I got really sick to my stomach and had to take care of business. I think that the sweet potato might have been a bad choice to add to my diet on my first day back on solid foods.
Lesson learned.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Day Ten: Thinking Different(ly)?
I made it through day ten! Woohoo!
It was kind of a rough day, at least from a food consumption angle. I had hot water (no lemon left!) this morning followed by two cups of water.
The I made a nice morning juice. Yesterday, the grape juice overpowered the drink and made me a little nauseous. Today I used grapes again, but added a secret ingredient – oranges! Yumdiddlyumptious.
Yummdiddlyumptious Juice
Navel Oranges (2)
Grapes (2 c)
Granny Smith Apple (2 small)
So, I didn’t have many veggies for my lunch juice until my wife got back from Costco. I didn’t have time to juice though, as I had to run off to a meeting. It was a great meeting, by the way. Good friends and acquaintances from the city – a local group of pastors meets each month to pray for one another and the city, in hopes of unity, spiritual, racial, temporal, etc. It’s a blessed group of individuals, striving to honor God’s call to honor Christ’s prayer in John 17, that we all “may be one”.
Anyway, they always have lunch at the meeting. I stayed for lunch, but didn’t partake. It was a nice one too, lasagna. Mmm….
Strangely, I didn’t miss it so much. I guess I’ve gotten to a point where my stomach has shrunk and doesn’t crave as much food. It’s rather nice actually. I think I’m approaching a point where food isn’t as important psychologically.
Don’t get me wrong. Tonight I want a nice beef roast with gravy made from the drippings and smothering some butter-laden mashed potatoes. Oh yeah, that’d be nice.
The thing is… I don’t think I could handle it. It sounds too heavy and would probably make me sick. I am fully intending to have one of those Artisan Ranch Chicken Sandwiches from Wendy’s though as soon as possible; however, I’ve told the wife, she’s gonna have to split it with me because I’m sure I won’t be able to eat the whole thing.
Anyway, back to the Reboot dialogue: I didn’t have lunch, but I drank a coconut juice/water around 2 p.m. I am not all that hungry throughout the day. If I think about it and concentrate on food, I feel a bit hungry, but overall, it’s not bothering me (right now!).
I got home after work and fixed myself a nice mostly veggie juice. I had to experiment a little as I’m out of kale now. I used a yellow squash this time. Not bad at all.
Mostly Veggie Juice
Yellow Squash (1)
Cucumber (1 small)
Granny Smith Apples (2)
Carrots (4)
Celery (5 stalks)
Ginger (a small amount – about the size of a nickel)
I drank about three liters of water (give or take a cup).
Tomorrow I return to eating. Truthfully, I am not that “excited” about it. I mean, I’ll be glad to save the time and not have to juice, but I’ve gotten to a point where eating isn’t necessary. I wouldn’t mind juicing a little longer, but I think with the move coming up, it would be best for me to transition to a primarily “eating” diet with juicing just once (or twice) a day.
I have seen some really good weight loss, but it’s not showing all that much. That’s okay. While I want the weight to go away, I think the most important thing is to get my mind somewhere else in regards to food. If I can continue to adjust my thinking when it comes to food and putting it in its proper place, then I think this whole experience will have been well-worth it.
Signing out.
krbj+
It was kind of a rough day, at least from a food consumption angle. I had hot water (no lemon left!) this morning followed by two cups of water.
The I made a nice morning juice. Yesterday, the grape juice overpowered the drink and made me a little nauseous. Today I used grapes again, but added a secret ingredient – oranges! Yumdiddlyumptious.
Yummdiddlyumptious Juice
Navel Oranges (2)
Grapes (2 c)
Granny Smith Apple (2 small)
So, I didn’t have many veggies for my lunch juice until my wife got back from Costco. I didn’t have time to juice though, as I had to run off to a meeting. It was a great meeting, by the way. Good friends and acquaintances from the city – a local group of pastors meets each month to pray for one another and the city, in hopes of unity, spiritual, racial, temporal, etc. It’s a blessed group of individuals, striving to honor God’s call to honor Christ’s prayer in John 17, that we all “may be one”.
Anyway, they always have lunch at the meeting. I stayed for lunch, but didn’t partake. It was a nice one too, lasagna. Mmm….
Strangely, I didn’t miss it so much. I guess I’ve gotten to a point where my stomach has shrunk and doesn’t crave as much food. It’s rather nice actually. I think I’m approaching a point where food isn’t as important psychologically.
Don’t get me wrong. Tonight I want a nice beef roast with gravy made from the drippings and smothering some butter-laden mashed potatoes. Oh yeah, that’d be nice.
The thing is… I don’t think I could handle it. It sounds too heavy and would probably make me sick. I am fully intending to have one of those Artisan Ranch Chicken Sandwiches from Wendy’s though as soon as possible; however, I’ve told the wife, she’s gonna have to split it with me because I’m sure I won’t be able to eat the whole thing.
Anyway, back to the Reboot dialogue: I didn’t have lunch, but I drank a coconut juice/water around 2 p.m. I am not all that hungry throughout the day. If I think about it and concentrate on food, I feel a bit hungry, but overall, it’s not bothering me (right now!).
I got home after work and fixed myself a nice mostly veggie juice. I had to experiment a little as I’m out of kale now. I used a yellow squash this time. Not bad at all.
Mostly Veggie Juice
Yellow Squash (1)
Cucumber (1 small)
Granny Smith Apples (2)
Carrots (4)
Celery (5 stalks)
Ginger (a small amount – about the size of a nickel)
I drank about three liters of water (give or take a cup).
Tomorrow I return to eating. Truthfully, I am not that “excited” about it. I mean, I’ll be glad to save the time and not have to juice, but I’ve gotten to a point where eating isn’t necessary. I wouldn’t mind juicing a little longer, but I think with the move coming up, it would be best for me to transition to a primarily “eating” diet with juicing just once (or twice) a day.
I have seen some really good weight loss, but it’s not showing all that much. That’s okay. While I want the weight to go away, I think the most important thing is to get my mind somewhere else in regards to food. If I can continue to adjust my thinking when it comes to food and putting it in its proper place, then I think this whole experience will have been well-worth it.
Signing out.
krbj+
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Day Nine: Almost Through The Hard Part
Wow. I can’t believe I’ve made it this far. Nine days down. I woke up very tired. I drank a cup of hot water with lemon juice from a quarter lemon and two cups of cool water.
This morning’s juice was really good, but also really strong. Lots of grapes gave it a wonderful flavor, but it was almost overpowering.
Morning Grape Juice
Red Grapes (2 cups)
Granny Smith Apple (2 small)
Pear (1)
Lemon (one half)
I’m about to run out of my staples for veggies, and I used up a few at lunch today.
Green Lunch Juice
Kale (about 6 ounces)
Cucumber (1 small)
Celery (4 stalks)
Carrots (3)
Granny Smith Apples (2 small)
Ginger (a little bit)
Radishes (2)
Yellow Onion (about one eighth)
I had a hard time drinking it, but I made it through.
At work I had a liter of water (bringing me up to two on the day). I drank a two cups earlier after working outside for about thirty minutes.
The family had pizza for dinner again. Man, I miss pizza. They had Oreos for dessert. Sheeesh.
My mind craves these foods, but my body could care less, for the most part. I’m really wanting that Asiago Ranch (Spicy) Chicken Sandwich from Wendy’s, but I can endure. I’m starting to think about the post-fifteen day Reboot. I think I’ll continue the veggie and fruit thing for breakfast and another meal while allowing the other stuff for another meal (lunch or dinner) for about five days, then I think I’ll start the standard Reboot again. I really enjoy seeing the weight loss and clearer thinking that seems to be a part of this micronutrient boost.
After smelling the pizzas, I decided I had to juice or I might cave. I’m nearly out of veggies, so I had to improvise. This one was a little different.
Interesting Dinner Juice
Zucchini (1)
Sugar Snap Peas (1 c)
Tomato (1)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Carrots (3)
Celery (5 stalks)
Radishes (3)
This juice was close to the worst so far. The zucchini wasn’t bad, it just didn’t provide any flavor – though it did give a good amount of juice. The peas didn’t juice well, so I got chunks of snap peas in the juice, and the radishes gave it a bite. Not repeating this recipe.
I’ve got to get to sleep.
Later.
This morning’s juice was really good, but also really strong. Lots of grapes gave it a wonderful flavor, but it was almost overpowering.
Morning Grape Juice
Red Grapes (2 cups)
Granny Smith Apple (2 small)
Pear (1)
Lemon (one half)
I’m about to run out of my staples for veggies, and I used up a few at lunch today.
Green Lunch Juice
Kale (about 6 ounces)
Cucumber (1 small)
Celery (4 stalks)
Carrots (3)
Granny Smith Apples (2 small)
Ginger (a little bit)
Radishes (2)
Yellow Onion (about one eighth)
I had a hard time drinking it, but I made it through.
At work I had a liter of water (bringing me up to two on the day). I drank a two cups earlier after working outside for about thirty minutes.
The family had pizza for dinner again. Man, I miss pizza. They had Oreos for dessert. Sheeesh.
My mind craves these foods, but my body could care less, for the most part. I’m really wanting that Asiago Ranch (Spicy) Chicken Sandwich from Wendy’s, but I can endure. I’m starting to think about the post-fifteen day Reboot. I think I’ll continue the veggie and fruit thing for breakfast and another meal while allowing the other stuff for another meal (lunch or dinner) for about five days, then I think I’ll start the standard Reboot again. I really enjoy seeing the weight loss and clearer thinking that seems to be a part of this micronutrient boost.
After smelling the pizzas, I decided I had to juice or I might cave. I’m nearly out of veggies, so I had to improvise. This one was a little different.
Interesting Dinner Juice
Zucchini (1)
Sugar Snap Peas (1 c)
Tomato (1)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Carrots (3)
Celery (5 stalks)
Radishes (3)
This juice was close to the worst so far. The zucchini wasn’t bad, it just didn’t provide any flavor – though it did give a good amount of juice. The peas didn’t juice well, so I got chunks of snap peas in the juice, and the radishes gave it a bite. Not repeating this recipe.
I’ve got to get to sleep.
Later.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Day Eight: Hardest Day Yet
Today has been the hardest of the reboot days, by far!
It’s the third day of five for exclusive juicing, and I really crave some substantial food. Funny thing is that most of the food I’m desiring is generally really unhealthy food. I know there are healthy versions of most of what I’m wanting, but I’m mainly imagining fast foods. You know… fried foods like fried chicken or even friend chicken sandwiches (like Wendy’s wonderful Spicy Chicken Sandwich, or their new version with Asiago cheese and bacon!) Decadent. Really, all that grease and fat is just not good for the body in regular doses. Perhaps as a “splurge” once a month, but it should definitely be moderated.
Regardless, that’s the kind of food that’s on my mind.
I’ve been very lethargic today. I figure I’m not getting enough calories. Doubtless, I’ve not been getting my usual amounts of calories, and I’ve seen a great deal of weight loss over the last eight days (almost ten pounds). I’ll be able to consume more calories, or at least have more food filling my stomach in a few days to make me feel a little more satisfied.
Now let me clarify. I have not been feeling hungry as much as I’ve been craving food. I desire to eat and consume those foods I’ve previously deemed “good”. I am sure that any of the foods I’ve been thinking of would most likely make me sick now because they are so rich and full of not-so-good-for-me things.
The juices have given me plenty of energy along with “filling me up.” It’s just that I’ve grown up “eating” to supplement more than hunger, and I’m missing some of the comfort of food. Hmm… perhaps that’s why we call it “Comfort Food”.
Anyway, I didn’t juice until the late morning. I had two cups of water after I awoke, but had to get out and run errands without time to juice.
Late Morning Juice
Navel Orange (1)
Pears (2)
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Cherries (about 1 cup)
Cucumber
I love to eat cucumbers. The addition of it to the juice seems to help mute the somewhat overpowering sweetness of the fruits. It’s a good solid drink.
As the juice was late morning and I had to be out of the house for several hours, I went by the health food store and bought a coconut juice which I drank around 1 p.m.
My early evening juice was a nice change. I took some ideas from the Reboot website and put this one together.
Early Evening Juice
Sweet Potato (1)
Carrots (2)
Celery (4 stalks)
Red Pepper (one half)
Ginger (just a little)
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Lemon (1)
This was actually a very hearty juice. I enjoyed it. The sweet potato added a nice under-current of a flavor. I think I’d like to use one again.
I took a nap while the family ate dinner. I couldn’t stand to be around them eating tonight. It was “Taco Night”. I so desperately want a tortilla with ground beef, cheese and salsa. My mouth is watering thinking about that wonderful little treat.
When I got up, I drank some more water (2.5 liters on the day) and fixed another juice.
Main Dinner Juice
Kale (about 6 ounces)
Cabbage (6+ leaves)
Celery (6 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Granny Smith Apples (2 small)
Pear (1)
Nothing amazing about this juice seemed to strike me. It still had a surprising back bite from something. I didn’t miss the radish or ginger; although I’m sure they would have given it an interesting character.
I recognize that I only want those other foods because I have positive emotional attachments to them, not because I’m hungry. It’s gonna be a long road ahead to change my thinking from eating from desire to eating out of necessity. This diet’s incredibly helpful with that road.
May you be blessed.
It’s the third day of five for exclusive juicing, and I really crave some substantial food. Funny thing is that most of the food I’m desiring is generally really unhealthy food. I know there are healthy versions of most of what I’m wanting, but I’m mainly imagining fast foods. You know… fried foods like fried chicken or even friend chicken sandwiches (like Wendy’s wonderful Spicy Chicken Sandwich, or their new version with Asiago cheese and bacon!) Decadent. Really, all that grease and fat is just not good for the body in regular doses. Perhaps as a “splurge” once a month, but it should definitely be moderated.
Regardless, that’s the kind of food that’s on my mind.
I’ve been very lethargic today. I figure I’m not getting enough calories. Doubtless, I’ve not been getting my usual amounts of calories, and I’ve seen a great deal of weight loss over the last eight days (almost ten pounds). I’ll be able to consume more calories, or at least have more food filling my stomach in a few days to make me feel a little more satisfied.
Now let me clarify. I have not been feeling hungry as much as I’ve been craving food. I desire to eat and consume those foods I’ve previously deemed “good”. I am sure that any of the foods I’ve been thinking of would most likely make me sick now because they are so rich and full of not-so-good-for-me things.
The juices have given me plenty of energy along with “filling me up.” It’s just that I’ve grown up “eating” to supplement more than hunger, and I’m missing some of the comfort of food. Hmm… perhaps that’s why we call it “Comfort Food”.
Anyway, I didn’t juice until the late morning. I had two cups of water after I awoke, but had to get out and run errands without time to juice.
Late Morning Juice
Navel Orange (1)
Pears (2)
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Cherries (about 1 cup)
Cucumber
I love to eat cucumbers. The addition of it to the juice seems to help mute the somewhat overpowering sweetness of the fruits. It’s a good solid drink.
As the juice was late morning and I had to be out of the house for several hours, I went by the health food store and bought a coconut juice which I drank around 1 p.m.
My early evening juice was a nice change. I took some ideas from the Reboot website and put this one together.
Early Evening Juice
Sweet Potato (1)
Carrots (2)
Celery (4 stalks)
Red Pepper (one half)
Ginger (just a little)
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Lemon (1)
This was actually a very hearty juice. I enjoyed it. The sweet potato added a nice under-current of a flavor. I think I’d like to use one again.
I took a nap while the family ate dinner. I couldn’t stand to be around them eating tonight. It was “Taco Night”. I so desperately want a tortilla with ground beef, cheese and salsa. My mouth is watering thinking about that wonderful little treat.
When I got up, I drank some more water (2.5 liters on the day) and fixed another juice.
Main Dinner Juice
Kale (about 6 ounces)
Cabbage (6+ leaves)
Celery (6 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Granny Smith Apples (2 small)
Pear (1)
Nothing amazing about this juice seemed to strike me. It still had a surprising back bite from something. I didn’t miss the radish or ginger; although I’m sure they would have given it an interesting character.
I recognize that I only want those other foods because I have positive emotional attachments to them, not because I’m hungry. It’s gonna be a long road ahead to change my thinking from eating from desire to eating out of necessity. This diet’s incredibly helpful with that road.
May you be blessed.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Day Seven: Philosphizing on Food
I woke and started getting ready for Church and drank my two cups of water.
Church was nice. My mother joined us for worship today, as she was visiting the family for the birthday celebration yesterday. Right after the service, we had some cinnamon rolls (the Little Debbie kind) and a pound cake in the parish hall for anyone who wanted to gnosh something before taking off. I really wanted one of those little rolls, but I somehow persevered and ignored them.
After Church, my mom took us all out to a nice Chinese buffet. I’ve not had cause to mention this before, but my favorite ethnic food would be classified as Chinese (really Far Eastern, I suppose). I thoroughly enjoy a good kung pao chicken, lo mein, sushi, and the like. In addition, the buffet we went to had all kinds of “American” foods, like fried chicken, donut holes, tasty dinner rolls, etc.
If I could eat anywhere often, I would probably choose this particular restaurant because of the variety, and my penchant for Asian-style foods. The kids loved it and got lots of various foods – nearly all of them got watermelon along with whatever else they put on their plate (which I hope is a good sign).
Smelling the food at the restaurant was a treat in itself.
I suppose now is the time to share my current “thoughts” about food.
I’m gaining some greater perspective and awareness regarding my relationship with food. I think I’ve always used food as an expression of my emotions and desires. This process was never a conscious thing, just simply a way of living. I didn’t eat “because I was depressed”. I may have just eaten because I was “hungry”, but I think that my body might have said, “You’re hungry”, when in fact I was depressed.
Likewise, food also presented a kind of satisfaction similar to sexual gratification. I think I coined a phrase, or at least when I said it I had never heard it before, back in college. I ate a fantastic cheesecake brownie from The Great American Cookies store in the big shopping center in Chattanooga (this is back in like 1993). I still remember how good it was. Anyway, I commented that it was like having an orgasm of the mouth. My point is that I believe food has been a vehicle towards pleasure.
As I’ve been thinking about food over the last few days – especially as I’m juicing – I’ve realized that one really can “lust” after food. Those Doritos, that Kraft Green Onion Dip, the pizza, the donut holes or the kung pao chicken all represent in my mind not just sustenance, but a flavor, a sensation, a particularly pleasurable experience associated with all of my senses. I can hear the crunch of the chips, feel the creaminess of the dip, smell the unmistakable mélange of mozzarella, tomato sauce and bread of the pizza, taste the sweetness of the donut hole, and see the various colors and shapes of each food. Food has meant so much to me throughout my life. Multitudes of memories are associated with so many different foods. I have become what I ate in body and soul.
So, as we sat at the restaurant, I watched my wife and kids eat their foods with a new sense of detachment. While deep inside parts of me really yearned to snarf the same foods they were eating, I calmly watched them eat with no need to partake of it. I did not have to eat it. I sat and enjoyed their eating the food, even remembering my own enjoyment of it, but at the same time, I was able to say honestly that I had no need of it right now. Truthfully, I plan to eat some tasty food similar to what I’ve missed out after I finish my reboot, but I may not. I can feel my body changing. I actually do not have a great compelling to eat those foods. Yes, smelling them attracts me, but that’s sort of an autonomic response. I’m not immediately drawn to them.
I drank a tall glass of ice water while they ate, and I thought about all this stuff.
After grandmama paid the bill, I left the buffet and went to one of the local health food stores where I bought a 100% coconut juice which I quickly consumed. Then I went and bought a pint of raspberries, three apricots, four “on-the-vine” tomatoes and a red pepper.
When I got home, I juiced the raspberries and apricots with some other fruit. It made a pretty nice drink.
Sunday Afternoon Juice
Raspberries (1 pint)
Apricots (3)
Pineapple (chopped one-half cup)
Pear (1)
Cucumber (1)
For my dinner drink, I used some of the tomatoes which had me a little nervous.
Nervous Dinner Drink
Tomatoes (2)
Red Pepper (one half)
Cucumber (1)
Celery (3 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Yellow Onion (one-eighth)
Ginger (a small amount, about the end of a pinky’s worth)
The onion was a little strong, and the texture was a bit thick due to the tomatoes I think, but all in all I liked it. It was surprisingly sweet.
Finally, I just juiced some watermelon – because my wife was eating Lay’s with Kraft Green Onion Dip and a croissant sandwich from Costco. I just love those sandwiches, and Nancy introduced me to the dip several years ago. Yum Yum.
But I digress. I juiced watermelon and enjoyed it too. Someday I’ll have green onion dip again, but I’m not in any real hurry. May the juicing continue.
Oh, by the way, I had three liters of water today.
Church was nice. My mother joined us for worship today, as she was visiting the family for the birthday celebration yesterday. Right after the service, we had some cinnamon rolls (the Little Debbie kind) and a pound cake in the parish hall for anyone who wanted to gnosh something before taking off. I really wanted one of those little rolls, but I somehow persevered and ignored them.
After Church, my mom took us all out to a nice Chinese buffet. I’ve not had cause to mention this before, but my favorite ethnic food would be classified as Chinese (really Far Eastern, I suppose). I thoroughly enjoy a good kung pao chicken, lo mein, sushi, and the like. In addition, the buffet we went to had all kinds of “American” foods, like fried chicken, donut holes, tasty dinner rolls, etc.
If I could eat anywhere often, I would probably choose this particular restaurant because of the variety, and my penchant for Asian-style foods. The kids loved it and got lots of various foods – nearly all of them got watermelon along with whatever else they put on their plate (which I hope is a good sign).
Smelling the food at the restaurant was a treat in itself.
I suppose now is the time to share my current “thoughts” about food.
I’m gaining some greater perspective and awareness regarding my relationship with food. I think I’ve always used food as an expression of my emotions and desires. This process was never a conscious thing, just simply a way of living. I didn’t eat “because I was depressed”. I may have just eaten because I was “hungry”, but I think that my body might have said, “You’re hungry”, when in fact I was depressed.
Likewise, food also presented a kind of satisfaction similar to sexual gratification. I think I coined a phrase, or at least when I said it I had never heard it before, back in college. I ate a fantastic cheesecake brownie from The Great American Cookies store in the big shopping center in Chattanooga (this is back in like 1993). I still remember how good it was. Anyway, I commented that it was like having an orgasm of the mouth. My point is that I believe food has been a vehicle towards pleasure.
As I’ve been thinking about food over the last few days – especially as I’m juicing – I’ve realized that one really can “lust” after food. Those Doritos, that Kraft Green Onion Dip, the pizza, the donut holes or the kung pao chicken all represent in my mind not just sustenance, but a flavor, a sensation, a particularly pleasurable experience associated with all of my senses. I can hear the crunch of the chips, feel the creaminess of the dip, smell the unmistakable mélange of mozzarella, tomato sauce and bread of the pizza, taste the sweetness of the donut hole, and see the various colors and shapes of each food. Food has meant so much to me throughout my life. Multitudes of memories are associated with so many different foods. I have become what I ate in body and soul.
So, as we sat at the restaurant, I watched my wife and kids eat their foods with a new sense of detachment. While deep inside parts of me really yearned to snarf the same foods they were eating, I calmly watched them eat with no need to partake of it. I did not have to eat it. I sat and enjoyed their eating the food, even remembering my own enjoyment of it, but at the same time, I was able to say honestly that I had no need of it right now. Truthfully, I plan to eat some tasty food similar to what I’ve missed out after I finish my reboot, but I may not. I can feel my body changing. I actually do not have a great compelling to eat those foods. Yes, smelling them attracts me, but that’s sort of an autonomic response. I’m not immediately drawn to them.
I drank a tall glass of ice water while they ate, and I thought about all this stuff.
After grandmama paid the bill, I left the buffet and went to one of the local health food stores where I bought a 100% coconut juice which I quickly consumed. Then I went and bought a pint of raspberries, three apricots, four “on-the-vine” tomatoes and a red pepper.
When I got home, I juiced the raspberries and apricots with some other fruit. It made a pretty nice drink.
Sunday Afternoon Juice
Raspberries (1 pint)
Apricots (3)
Pineapple (chopped one-half cup)
Pear (1)
Cucumber (1)
For my dinner drink, I used some of the tomatoes which had me a little nervous.
Nervous Dinner Drink
Tomatoes (2)
Red Pepper (one half)
Cucumber (1)
Celery (3 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Yellow Onion (one-eighth)
Ginger (a small amount, about the end of a pinky’s worth)
The onion was a little strong, and the texture was a bit thick due to the tomatoes I think, but all in all I liked it. It was surprisingly sweet.
Finally, I just juiced some watermelon – because my wife was eating Lay’s with Kraft Green Onion Dip and a croissant sandwich from Costco. I just love those sandwiches, and Nancy introduced me to the dip several years ago. Yum Yum.
But I digress. I juiced watermelon and enjoyed it too. Someday I’ll have green onion dip again, but I’m not in any real hurry. May the juicing continue.
Oh, by the way, I had three liters of water today.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Day Six: What a Day!
It started off with a bang.
I had a lot to do first thing, so I boiled some water and added juice from half a lemon. I could only choke down a few drinks of it. Prior to the hot water, I drank two cups of water.
Because of the hectic day ahead, I had to “hurry” and fix my juice. It was yummy to my tummy, fruit-filled splendor.
Yummy Tummy Juice
Navel Oranges (4)
Cherries (about 20)
Lemon (one half)
Bartlett Pear (1)
Wow. What a treat. The orange wasn’t nearly as prominent in flavoring the drink as I thought. The pear actually stood out from the other flavors; although I could taste each one except the lemon. My thoughts are that the lemon muted the bright sweetness of the orange and the pear’s unique flavor took over the drink.
So, I had to go running out to borrow some tables and chairs for the big celebration that would take place later in the day. On the way home with the furniture, I had to pick up a couple of bags of ice.
I got home, unloaded the van, tested the sprinkler for the water festivities and then took a shower. As I dried off and dressed, people started showing up.
We were overwhelmed and blessed to have a large crowd of the children’s close friends and their parents show up (while we had a few adults show up who have gone out of their way to help our family watch over the kids, etc).
The wonderful surprise of the day was the kids’ godparents who live in Georgia showed up without notice. They posted a notice on Facebook earlier in the day that they were doing something “crazy” today, but gave no further information. As I was showering it occurred to me that they might be coming to the party (three hours away), but I was afraid to say anything. They showed up as I was walking into the living room after the shower! Great friends… good times.
So after they arrived, it was time to go get the pizza and some more ice. I prepared to leave but several of the men at the party asked if they could help. I didn’t think I needed the help, but I eventually said to them, “Let’s all go!” So four men huddled together in a Toyota Corolla and took off for Little Ceaser’s to buy some pizza. We had to wait about ten minutes once we got there (seven pizzas), but we had fun talking.
We stopped by for some ice and drove back to the house. As we arrived, I noticed most everyone else had shown up, including the kids’ other godparents. Woohoo! What a blessed day.
So… I’m sure many of you are wondering. How’d he do!?!? Did he make it?
I mean really. Pizza?!?!? Terrific croissant sandwiches with the most incredible pesto mayo dressing?!?!? All sorts of chips? Fruit? Veggies? Cake? Ice cream?!?!
How in the world could I not forget it all and just jump in and shovel it down the hatch. I mean I _love_ this stuff. And, it’s such a special day, kids’ celebration of their birthdays in one big shebang with a load of family and friends to join us.
Somehow, I managed not to eat a thing. I’m not quite sure how I did it. I loved the smell of the pizza. I picked up a Dorito, sniffed it and pretended to eat it – not to shock anyone else – simply because I wanted to pretend for my own benefit. If I couldn’t eat it, at least I could pretend to consume it, right?
I did drink two more cups of water, and when everyone started having cake, I did fix a juice for lunch.
Party Juice
Kale (6 handfuls)
Cabbage (5 leaves)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Carrots (3)
Celery (5)
Radishes (3)
Pear (1)
It was pretty much like what I’ve been drinking for the last few days, and it was alright. Nothing “spectacular”, but it was good.
What was hilarious was that all the guys were gathered around my new toy (the juicer) to watch it do its thing. I must admit I love the sound of the thing as it spins down from juicing. It sounds kind of like a jet engine – at least it’s fun to picture it that way.
So, I handed out about five glasses of juice (with just about a couple of tablespoons in each) to the guys and one of the ladies who was venturous. None of the men were too impressed, but the lady liked it well enough.
The party lasted another hour or so, and then everyone started to go home.
Finally, it was all over. I was exhausted and took a nap.
Upon getting up, I knocked out another liter of water.
Not too long after that I fixed myself a dinner juice. I was a bit terrified of this one, because I had determined to use some tomatoes and possibly some onion. I used to despise tomatoes, but over the last few years I’ve come to appreciate them more. (Check out this previous post: Please Hold the Tomatoes.)
Dinner Juice
Grape Tomatoes (about 30)
Yellow Onion (about one-sixth of a medium size)
Celery (4 stalks)
Carrots (3)
Lemon (1)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
It made a decent amount, about a full quart. I actually somehow enjoyed it. I could taste the onion, but the tomato was not too prominent. In fact the carrot and celery really seemed to overwhelm the drink – not in a bad way.
While I enjoyed the drink and I was feeling rather full, I still felt “deprived”. I mean, seriously folks, this was the party I was holding for my own kids, and I couldn’t eat a single darn thing!
So, I fixed myself a dessert juice to end the night.
Dessert Juice
Strawberries (about 12)
Pineapple (about 1 cup)
Red Grapes (about 1 cup)
Fuji Apple (1 small)
It was a fantastic juice. In fact, I’d say it was better than the morning one.
As I write this, I’m drinking some herbal tea (again, the Aztec Sweet Chili).
Today was a success on many levels. The diet went great. I’ve philosophized about the meaning of what’s going on in my head or whatever – and I’ll share it later. Most importantly though, this day was a success because of the great family and friends who joined us in making a celebration for the kids a day of real friendship and love.
Thank you all. Thank you God. Well done all of you!
I had a lot to do first thing, so I boiled some water and added juice from half a lemon. I could only choke down a few drinks of it. Prior to the hot water, I drank two cups of water.
Because of the hectic day ahead, I had to “hurry” and fix my juice. It was yummy to my tummy, fruit-filled splendor.
Yummy Tummy Juice
Navel Oranges (4)
Cherries (about 20)
Lemon (one half)
Bartlett Pear (1)
Wow. What a treat. The orange wasn’t nearly as prominent in flavoring the drink as I thought. The pear actually stood out from the other flavors; although I could taste each one except the lemon. My thoughts are that the lemon muted the bright sweetness of the orange and the pear’s unique flavor took over the drink.
So, I had to go running out to borrow some tables and chairs for the big celebration that would take place later in the day. On the way home with the furniture, I had to pick up a couple of bags of ice.
I got home, unloaded the van, tested the sprinkler for the water festivities and then took a shower. As I dried off and dressed, people started showing up.
We were overwhelmed and blessed to have a large crowd of the children’s close friends and their parents show up (while we had a few adults show up who have gone out of their way to help our family watch over the kids, etc).
The wonderful surprise of the day was the kids’ godparents who live in Georgia showed up without notice. They posted a notice on Facebook earlier in the day that they were doing something “crazy” today, but gave no further information. As I was showering it occurred to me that they might be coming to the party (three hours away), but I was afraid to say anything. They showed up as I was walking into the living room after the shower! Great friends… good times.
So after they arrived, it was time to go get the pizza and some more ice. I prepared to leave but several of the men at the party asked if they could help. I didn’t think I needed the help, but I eventually said to them, “Let’s all go!” So four men huddled together in a Toyota Corolla and took off for Little Ceaser’s to buy some pizza. We had to wait about ten minutes once we got there (seven pizzas), but we had fun talking.
We stopped by for some ice and drove back to the house. As we arrived, I noticed most everyone else had shown up, including the kids’ other godparents. Woohoo! What a blessed day.
So… I’m sure many of you are wondering. How’d he do!?!? Did he make it?
I mean really. Pizza?!?!? Terrific croissant sandwiches with the most incredible pesto mayo dressing?!?!? All sorts of chips? Fruit? Veggies? Cake? Ice cream?!?!
How in the world could I not forget it all and just jump in and shovel it down the hatch. I mean I _love_ this stuff. And, it’s such a special day, kids’ celebration of their birthdays in one big shebang with a load of family and friends to join us.
Somehow, I managed not to eat a thing. I’m not quite sure how I did it. I loved the smell of the pizza. I picked up a Dorito, sniffed it and pretended to eat it – not to shock anyone else – simply because I wanted to pretend for my own benefit. If I couldn’t eat it, at least I could pretend to consume it, right?
I did drink two more cups of water, and when everyone started having cake, I did fix a juice for lunch.
Party Juice
Kale (6 handfuls)
Cabbage (5 leaves)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Carrots (3)
Celery (5)
Radishes (3)
Pear (1)
It was pretty much like what I’ve been drinking for the last few days, and it was alright. Nothing “spectacular”, but it was good.
What was hilarious was that all the guys were gathered around my new toy (the juicer) to watch it do its thing. I must admit I love the sound of the thing as it spins down from juicing. It sounds kind of like a jet engine – at least it’s fun to picture it that way.
So, I handed out about five glasses of juice (with just about a couple of tablespoons in each) to the guys and one of the ladies who was venturous. None of the men were too impressed, but the lady liked it well enough.
The party lasted another hour or so, and then everyone started to go home.
Finally, it was all over. I was exhausted and took a nap.
Upon getting up, I knocked out another liter of water.
Not too long after that I fixed myself a dinner juice. I was a bit terrified of this one, because I had determined to use some tomatoes and possibly some onion. I used to despise tomatoes, but over the last few years I’ve come to appreciate them more. (Check out this previous post: Please Hold the Tomatoes.)
Dinner Juice
Grape Tomatoes (about 30)
Yellow Onion (about one-sixth of a medium size)
Celery (4 stalks)
Carrots (3)
Lemon (1)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
It made a decent amount, about a full quart. I actually somehow enjoyed it. I could taste the onion, but the tomato was not too prominent. In fact the carrot and celery really seemed to overwhelm the drink – not in a bad way.
While I enjoyed the drink and I was feeling rather full, I still felt “deprived”. I mean, seriously folks, this was the party I was holding for my own kids, and I couldn’t eat a single darn thing!
So, I fixed myself a dessert juice to end the night.
Dessert Juice
Strawberries (about 12)
Pineapple (about 1 cup)
Red Grapes (about 1 cup)
Fuji Apple (1 small)
It was a fantastic juice. In fact, I’d say it was better than the morning one.
As I write this, I’m drinking some herbal tea (again, the Aztec Sweet Chili).
Today was a success on many levels. The diet went great. I’ve philosophized about the meaning of what’s going on in my head or whatever – and I’ll share it later. Most importantly though, this day was a success because of the great family and friends who joined us in making a celebration for the kids a day of real friendship and love.
Thank you all. Thank you God. Well done all of you!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Day Five: Ready for the Real Thing?
So, I’ve had five days of the Reboot program. I’ve eaten fresh fruits and veggies only now for five days – some of them, I cooked. But tomorrow starts the wild phase of this little dietary experiment. I begin the “juice fast” tomorrow.
What’s rather amusing about that is that tomorrow we’re having our special birthday celebration with a few of the children’s friends and a couple of relatives. We bought a sandwich tray from Costco and a big sheet cake with all the chidren’s names on it. We’re also going to have lots of various chips and some fruit.
So, while I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s celebrations, I must admit I think it’s going to be a little frustrating.
Today was a good day. I had another smoothie for breakfast.
Morning Smoothie
Frozen Banana (1)
Frozen Mango (one half c)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Frozen Strawberries (8)
Frozen Peach (one half peach)
Honey (1 T)
Water (3 c)
I made extra to share. It was good.
For lunch, all I had was a juice.
Typical Veggie Juice
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Carrots (2)
Celery (4 stalks)
Cabbage (3 leaves)
Kale (rest of the bag! – about 8 handfuls)
Cucumber (1 small)
Radishes (3)
Romaine Lettuce (5 leaves)
This juice was pretty good. I enjoyed it. It made more than I thought it would – an entire quart. I gave a half cup to Nancy, and I drank the rest.
It completely filled me up.
I had some watermelon in the mid-afternoon, probably about two cups worth.
For dinner, my wife sautéed some yellow squash with onions (adding some garlic pepper for flavor). I put the remainder of the marinara sauce over it and licked my lips as I finished it.
I also fixed some sugar snap peas by boiling them for two minutes. Once out, Nancy added some kosher salt. They too were delicious.
That’s it for the day. I may still have some honey or some fruit tonight, but I feel full and satisfied for the moment.
I’ve had about two and a half liters of water so far today.
Later,
Krbj+
What’s rather amusing about that is that tomorrow we’re having our special birthday celebration with a few of the children’s friends and a couple of relatives. We bought a sandwich tray from Costco and a big sheet cake with all the chidren’s names on it. We’re also going to have lots of various chips and some fruit.
So, while I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s celebrations, I must admit I think it’s going to be a little frustrating.
Today was a good day. I had another smoothie for breakfast.
Morning Smoothie
Frozen Banana (1)
Frozen Mango (one half c)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Frozen Strawberries (8)
Frozen Peach (one half peach)
Honey (1 T)
Water (3 c)
I made extra to share. It was good.
For lunch, all I had was a juice.
Typical Veggie Juice
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Carrots (2)
Celery (4 stalks)
Cabbage (3 leaves)
Kale (rest of the bag! – about 8 handfuls)
Cucumber (1 small)
Radishes (3)
Romaine Lettuce (5 leaves)
This juice was pretty good. I enjoyed it. It made more than I thought it would – an entire quart. I gave a half cup to Nancy, and I drank the rest.
It completely filled me up.
I had some watermelon in the mid-afternoon, probably about two cups worth.
For dinner, my wife sautéed some yellow squash with onions (adding some garlic pepper for flavor). I put the remainder of the marinara sauce over it and licked my lips as I finished it.
I also fixed some sugar snap peas by boiling them for two minutes. Once out, Nancy added some kosher salt. They too were delicious.
That’s it for the day. I may still have some honey or some fruit tonight, but I feel full and satisfied for the moment.
I’ve had about two and a half liters of water so far today.
Later,
Krbj+
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Day Four: Culinary Experiments
Well, today was a pretty long day. Number five went to her first dentist appointment today at 8 this morning. I barely got to see her as I left the house to go to work. She was very excited.
So, in addition to fixing my smoothie this morning I fixed my juice and had to take it with me.
Berry Mango Smoothie
Frozen Banana (1)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Frozen Strawberries (6)
Frozen Mango (.5 c)
Honey (1 T)
Water (2 c)
Veggie Juice
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
Romaine Lettuce (6 leaves)
Kale (6 handfuls)
Carrot (2)
Celery Stalks (4)
Cucumber (1 small)
Radishes (3)
The additional celery, cabbage and romaine seemed to add more juice to the mix this time. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great either.
I am finding it difficult to get excited about drinking the juice; however, as I was drinking it I kept reminding myself about how good it was for my body with all the “liquefied” nutrients that I so desperately need.
For dinner tonight, I had planned to use one of the Reboot recipes for Baked Acorn Squash which includes a portabella mushroom. We don’t have any at the house, so I stopped by our local Fresh Market grocery store to get some. While there I got my wife one of her favorite savory treats – calamatta olives. In addition, I was wandering and came across some “veggie crisps” which were apparently dehydrated and fried vegetable chips of various sorts. I thought “Cool” and bought some to eat on my veggie/fruit diet.
It wasn’t until I was halfway done with my cup-full of a snack that my thinking kicked in, and I realized I was probably cheating. DAGNABIT. Okay… well, never mind the veggie crisp things. !@($#!*@@!*!!
So, I came home and relaxed after work. I was still quite hungry so I fixed myself some sweet potato fries like last night, but I cut down on the salt and red pepper, reduced the heat to 350 and extended the cooking time to twelve minutes. They actually were a little softer than I wished. I think 400 would have been better.
Nancy determined that we would have leftovers tonight (well the rest of the “we”, not me), but she had to go to a meeting, so I got stuck with reheating the macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, noodles & parmesan and chicken nuggets for the kids (and Grandma who came in late last night).
I so wanted eat some of the noodles – I didn’t care which ones. They all smelled and looked so good – especially the spaghetti! But, I somehow persevered and managed to wait to fix my own dinner.
So what did I have? Ahh, the acorn squash from reboot sans the sage because I couldn’t find the crushed and dried sage and we had no fresh sage, so I did without. Also, I think I burned the onion and garlic which gave the whole thing a slightly strange taste. All in all I liked it, but I wish I had not overcooked the mushroom mixture (onions and garlic). Following is the recipe and a link to the site:
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage
1 medium Acorn Squash
3/4 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
6 Tbsp. Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 large Portobello Mushroom, chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
2 tsp. Fresh Sage, finely chopped
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim off each end of the squash. Stand the squash upright and halve lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and the seeds and discard. Brush each squash half with olive oil, and then sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. salt and the black pepper. Arrange cut sides down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the squash until the flesh is tender and the edges are golden brown, approximately 25-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the squash halves over and set aside.
While the squash roasts, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms, sage, 1/4 tsp. salt and the red pepper flakes if using, and saute until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Fill the roasted squash halves with the mushroom mixture and bake again for another 10 minutes.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 254
Protein: 2 g
Fiber: 2.5 g
I enjoyed this enough to have two servings.
I followed the whole thing up with a few cherries.
So far I've had 3.5 liters of water today, and I'll probably drink another .5 liter or so.
Have a great day/evening/night/etc. God bless you.
krbj+
So, in addition to fixing my smoothie this morning I fixed my juice and had to take it with me.
Berry Mango Smoothie
Frozen Banana (1)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Frozen Strawberries (6)
Frozen Mango (.5 c)
Honey (1 T)
Water (2 c)
Veggie Juice
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Lemon (1)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
Romaine Lettuce (6 leaves)
Kale (6 handfuls)
Carrot (2)
Celery Stalks (4)
Cucumber (1 small)
Radishes (3)
The additional celery, cabbage and romaine seemed to add more juice to the mix this time. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great either.
I am finding it difficult to get excited about drinking the juice; however, as I was drinking it I kept reminding myself about how good it was for my body with all the “liquefied” nutrients that I so desperately need.
For dinner tonight, I had planned to use one of the Reboot recipes for Baked Acorn Squash which includes a portabella mushroom. We don’t have any at the house, so I stopped by our local Fresh Market grocery store to get some. While there I got my wife one of her favorite savory treats – calamatta olives. In addition, I was wandering and came across some “veggie crisps” which were apparently dehydrated and fried vegetable chips of various sorts. I thought “Cool” and bought some to eat on my veggie/fruit diet.
It wasn’t until I was halfway done with my cup-full of a snack that my thinking kicked in, and I realized I was probably cheating. DAGNABIT. Okay… well, never mind the veggie crisp things. !@($#!*@@!*!!
So, I came home and relaxed after work. I was still quite hungry so I fixed myself some sweet potato fries like last night, but I cut down on the salt and red pepper, reduced the heat to 350 and extended the cooking time to twelve minutes. They actually were a little softer than I wished. I think 400 would have been better.
Nancy determined that we would have leftovers tonight (well the rest of the “we”, not me), but she had to go to a meeting, so I got stuck with reheating the macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, noodles & parmesan and chicken nuggets for the kids (and Grandma who came in late last night).
I so wanted eat some of the noodles – I didn’t care which ones. They all smelled and looked so good – especially the spaghetti! But, I somehow persevered and managed to wait to fix my own dinner.
So what did I have? Ahh, the acorn squash from reboot sans the sage because I couldn’t find the crushed and dried sage and we had no fresh sage, so I did without. Also, I think I burned the onion and garlic which gave the whole thing a slightly strange taste. All in all I liked it, but I wish I had not overcooked the mushroom mixture (onions and garlic). Following is the recipe and a link to the site:
Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage
1 medium Acorn Squash
3/4 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
6 Tbsp. Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 large Portobello Mushroom, chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
2 tsp. Fresh Sage, finely chopped
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim off each end of the squash. Stand the squash upright and halve lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and the seeds and discard. Brush each squash half with olive oil, and then sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. salt and the black pepper. Arrange cut sides down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the squash until the flesh is tender and the edges are golden brown, approximately 25-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the squash halves over and set aside.
While the squash roasts, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms, sage, 1/4 tsp. salt and the red pepper flakes if using, and saute until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Fill the roasted squash halves with the mushroom mixture and bake again for another 10 minutes.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving:
Calories: 254
Protein: 2 g
Fiber: 2.5 g
I enjoyed this enough to have two servings.
I followed the whole thing up with a few cherries.
So far I've had 3.5 liters of water today, and I'll probably drink another .5 liter or so.
Have a great day/evening/night/etc. God bless you.
krbj+
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day Three: Enjoying It So Far
Wow. The day went by fairly quickly; although I woke up very tired.
Another day, another smoothie. Did I mention I love smoothies? I had another fruit smoothie this morning for breakfast.
Berry Good Smoothie
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Frozen Strawberries (6)
Frozen Banana (1)
Honey (1 T)
Water (2 c)
I’m a little leery about the whole juicing thing at this point, because I’m getting tired of the veggie juices. I don’t necessarily “hate” them, but they are becoming rather boring. Granted, I’m doing pretty much the same one each day, but that’s mainly because I can’t afford to do all the variant ones listed.
So I had my juice at around 11:30 this morning.
Boring Juice
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Lemon (one half)
Carrot (1)
Celery Stalks (4)
Cabbage Leaves (4)
Kale (6 handfuls)
Radishes (3)
Cucumber (1 whole “salad” cuke)
Pear (1)
This juice was by far the best so far. I think it was because of the addition of the pear.
I soon got hungry, so I fixed myself another steamed yellow squash (coined) and covered it in that delicious marinara sauce from Biggest Loser at around 1 p.m.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the office.
Today was number six’s first birthday, so I knew there would be cake when I got home. My darling wife not only cooked a “healthy” cake (banana cake with honey to sweeten and whole wheat flour ),but she also fixed a banana-blueberry sorbet which I was able to eat!
Frozen Banana (3)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Water (1 T)
She let the bananas and berries sit in the blender for about 30 minutes to soften, and then added the water and blended. She then put the mixture in the freezer until we had the dessert. It was quite tasty.
Okay, so I was still famished at this point – even though I ate about a half cup of sorbet (or was that a cup?)
I fixed myself some sweet potato fries by cutting up a sweet potato into some strips about two inches long. I then put them in a mixing bowl, poured about one or two tablespoons of olive oil over them, swished them around to cover them evenly then added some spices. I added ground red pepper, garlic powder and garlic pepper seasoning. Then I placed them on a cookie sheet in the oven on 400 degrees for ten minutes. They probably could have gone longer, but I was hungry. I tried them immediately and liked them, but felt they needed something, so I added a little sea salt – about two pinches – and they were great. Nancy (my wife) said they were too spicy – I admittedly went a little heavy with the red pepper. But I liked them and they were for me, so there. :P
ANYWAY, in addition, I fixed about two large handfuls of sugar snap peas, by boiling them for three minutes and then adding a couple of pinches salt to them as well. Yum yum yum.
Next, I ate a salad – left over mix from yesterday. I used Braggs’ Liquid Aminos for a dressing – just a few sprays over the whole thing.
I had three cherries to follow the meal and then put the kids to bed.
Through the day, I drank my three liters of water and will probably have some more before the night is over.
Oh, I did eat about thirty grapes throughout the day at various times. Especially right before coming to the bedroom – I ate about fifteen after the kids went down before starting a Dr. Who episode with the wife.
And the piece de resistance? The thing that makes this whole process a joy? I had a tablespoon of raw honey from the guy down the street. Quadruple yum.
God bless y’all.
Later….
Another day, another smoothie. Did I mention I love smoothies? I had another fruit smoothie this morning for breakfast.
Berry Good Smoothie
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Frozen Strawberries (6)
Frozen Banana (1)
Honey (1 T)
Water (2 c)
I’m a little leery about the whole juicing thing at this point, because I’m getting tired of the veggie juices. I don’t necessarily “hate” them, but they are becoming rather boring. Granted, I’m doing pretty much the same one each day, but that’s mainly because I can’t afford to do all the variant ones listed.
So I had my juice at around 11:30 this morning.
Boring Juice
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Lemon (one half)
Carrot (1)
Celery Stalks (4)
Cabbage Leaves (4)
Kale (6 handfuls)
Radishes (3)
Cucumber (1 whole “salad” cuke)
Pear (1)
This juice was by far the best so far. I think it was because of the addition of the pear.
I soon got hungry, so I fixed myself another steamed yellow squash (coined) and covered it in that delicious marinara sauce from Biggest Loser at around 1 p.m.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in the office.
Today was number six’s first birthday, so I knew there would be cake when I got home. My darling wife not only cooked a “healthy” cake (banana cake with honey to sweeten and whole wheat flour ),but she also fixed a banana-blueberry sorbet which I was able to eat!
Frozen Banana (3)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Water (1 T)
She let the bananas and berries sit in the blender for about 30 minutes to soften, and then added the water and blended. She then put the mixture in the freezer until we had the dessert. It was quite tasty.
Okay, so I was still famished at this point – even though I ate about a half cup of sorbet (or was that a cup?)
I fixed myself some sweet potato fries by cutting up a sweet potato into some strips about two inches long. I then put them in a mixing bowl, poured about one or two tablespoons of olive oil over them, swished them around to cover them evenly then added some spices. I added ground red pepper, garlic powder and garlic pepper seasoning. Then I placed them on a cookie sheet in the oven on 400 degrees for ten minutes. They probably could have gone longer, but I was hungry. I tried them immediately and liked them, but felt they needed something, so I added a little sea salt – about two pinches – and they were great. Nancy (my wife) said they were too spicy – I admittedly went a little heavy with the red pepper. But I liked them and they were for me, so there. :P
ANYWAY, in addition, I fixed about two large handfuls of sugar snap peas, by boiling them for three minutes and then adding a couple of pinches salt to them as well. Yum yum yum.
Next, I ate a salad – left over mix from yesterday. I used Braggs’ Liquid Aminos for a dressing – just a few sprays over the whole thing.
I had three cherries to follow the meal and then put the kids to bed.
Through the day, I drank my three liters of water and will probably have some more before the night is over.
Oh, I did eat about thirty grapes throughout the day at various times. Especially right before coming to the bedroom – I ate about fifteen after the kids went down before starting a Dr. Who episode with the wife.
And the piece de resistance? The thing that makes this whole process a joy? I had a tablespoon of raw honey from the guy down the street. Quadruple yum.
God bless y’all.
Later….
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Day Two: Danger Ahead!
I thought today would be a lot harder in general, as I knew that tonight I was going to a covered dish supper where I was the guest of honor. In addition, yesterday was kind of rough. I had a headache until late night, which I was able to overcome by a hot shower and clever application to pressure points.
Today started out frustrating, as I was unable to have my breakfast (another smoothie) until late.
Late Smoothie
Frozen Banana (1)
Frozen Mango (one-half cup)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Fuji Apple (1 small)
Honey (1 T)
Water (2 c)
It turned out really well. I blended the mixture a little longer than usual and it was thinner than usual – which worked out well.
My veggie juice drink turned out to be my lunch.
Veggie Drink
Kale (6 handfuls – pre-cut from Publix)
Cabbage (3 leaves)
Celery (4 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Radishes (3)
Cucumber (one-half large)
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Lemon (1)
This juice turned out to be the best so far. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I took a salad made of the same mixture from last night (Red Leaf Lettuce) – and I added a little more Romaine and some chopped cabbage. I used the first dressing from yesterday.
I got home and ready for the going-away party. I was famished when I got home, so I ate an orange. Yum.
At the party, I was overwhelmed by the lovely chicken fingers, roast beef, cole slaw and cakes prepared or bought for our consumption. I avoided them all though and simply ate a few bites of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple).
I did drink a few sips of wine – actually by accident, as I forgot!
When I got home, I was extremely hungry and considered forgetting it and going to bed, but a clearer head and rumbling stomach prevailed.
I steamed some more coined squash and heated it up with some more of the marinara sauce from last night. It was great. I don’t think I need pasta if I can eat this stuff.
I also ate ten cherries and a teaspoon of honey. Absolutely terrific!
Tomorrow should be fun too. The baby will be one year old, and we’re gonna have cake! What will I do!?!?!?
Today started out frustrating, as I was unable to have my breakfast (another smoothie) until late.
Late Smoothie
Frozen Banana (1)
Frozen Mango (one-half cup)
Frozen Blueberries (1 c)
Fuji Apple (1 small)
Honey (1 T)
Water (2 c)
It turned out really well. I blended the mixture a little longer than usual and it was thinner than usual – which worked out well.
My veggie juice drink turned out to be my lunch.
Veggie Drink
Kale (6 handfuls – pre-cut from Publix)
Cabbage (3 leaves)
Celery (4 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Radishes (3)
Cucumber (one-half large)
Granny Smith Apple (1 large)
Lemon (1)
This juice turned out to be the best so far. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I took a salad made of the same mixture from last night (Red Leaf Lettuce) – and I added a little more Romaine and some chopped cabbage. I used the first dressing from yesterday.
I got home and ready for the going-away party. I was famished when I got home, so I ate an orange. Yum.
At the party, I was overwhelmed by the lovely chicken fingers, roast beef, cole slaw and cakes prepared or bought for our consumption. I avoided them all though and simply ate a few bites of fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple).
I did drink a few sips of wine – actually by accident, as I forgot!
When I got home, I was extremely hungry and considered forgetting it and going to bed, but a clearer head and rumbling stomach prevailed.
I steamed some more coined squash and heated it up with some more of the marinara sauce from last night. It was great. I don’t think I need pasta if I can eat this stuff.
I also ate ten cherries and a teaspoon of honey. Absolutely terrific!
Tomorrow should be fun too. The baby will be one year old, and we’re gonna have cake! What will I do!?!?!?
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day One: Evening... Not Too Bad
I am so not enjoying this diet right this moment.
The family had spaghetti for dinner. Yum. And I am very hungry.
It’s not that I haven’t had plenty to eat. I suppose I have. It’s just that I’m desiring GRAINS and possibly some meat. Grains though are something I want dearly – noodles, bread, etc.
But, I’ll make it. It’s just day one, but I think it should only take a couple of days before I am not too concerned with the appetite.
So… since this afternoon, I’ve had another cup of Aztec Sweet Chili from Yogi tea. In addition, I’ve drunk 2.5 liters of water so far today and plan to drink .5 to one more liter tonight.
Anway, I got very tired late afternoon (around 3 p.m.) and ate about a cup and a half of watermelon. It quickly reenergized me. I did still get pretty hungry about an hour later, so I ate a banana which filled me up for a late dinner.
I helped my wife fix dinner – she was fixing spaghetti for the kids (marinara sauce with some ground beef thrown in), and some buttered noodles. We had someone come to the door to talk to her as the noodles were ready to pull off the stove, so she asked me to drain them. I did and unthinkingly threw a couple (literally only two or three) in my mouth to check the tenderness.
DOH!
Since they were all having spaghetti, I figured steamed veggies by themselves would not serve as an adequate repast. I coined a yellow squash and steamed it in the microwave. Then I made a nice marinara sauce from scratch using a recipe from “The Biggest Loser”. You can check out the recipe on the Living Strong website at the following link: Marinara Sauce.
I accidentally put two tablespoons instead of teaspoons of honey in it. I guessed the amounts of the spices and added ground red pepper (to make it extra spicy).
I loved it and even ate some by itself. MUHAHA
Anyway, I had another salad for dinner, just as my lunch but with a different salad dressing. The recipe is found on the website for the reboot, but here it is:
Ginger Honey Soy Dressing
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic
2 Tbsp. Raw Honey
4 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Tamari
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Puree the first four ingredients in a blender. With the blender running, slowly add the oil until the dressing is emulsified.
I didn’t really like the dressing as I thought I might, but it did give the salad a nice kick.
I had about a cup of watermelon to follow the meal.
I’m feeling great except for a slight headache. More to come tomorrow.
The family had spaghetti for dinner. Yum. And I am very hungry.
It’s not that I haven’t had plenty to eat. I suppose I have. It’s just that I’m desiring GRAINS and possibly some meat. Grains though are something I want dearly – noodles, bread, etc.
But, I’ll make it. It’s just day one, but I think it should only take a couple of days before I am not too concerned with the appetite.
So… since this afternoon, I’ve had another cup of Aztec Sweet Chili from Yogi tea. In addition, I’ve drunk 2.5 liters of water so far today and plan to drink .5 to one more liter tonight.
Anway, I got very tired late afternoon (around 3 p.m.) and ate about a cup and a half of watermelon. It quickly reenergized me. I did still get pretty hungry about an hour later, so I ate a banana which filled me up for a late dinner.
I helped my wife fix dinner – she was fixing spaghetti for the kids (marinara sauce with some ground beef thrown in), and some buttered noodles. We had someone come to the door to talk to her as the noodles were ready to pull off the stove, so she asked me to drain them. I did and unthinkingly threw a couple (literally only two or three) in my mouth to check the tenderness.
DOH!
Since they were all having spaghetti, I figured steamed veggies by themselves would not serve as an adequate repast. I coined a yellow squash and steamed it in the microwave. Then I made a nice marinara sauce from scratch using a recipe from “The Biggest Loser”. You can check out the recipe on the Living Strong website at the following link: Marinara Sauce.
I accidentally put two tablespoons instead of teaspoons of honey in it. I guessed the amounts of the spices and added ground red pepper (to make it extra spicy).
I loved it and even ate some by itself. MUHAHA
Anyway, I had another salad for dinner, just as my lunch but with a different salad dressing. The recipe is found on the website for the reboot, but here it is:
Ginger Honey Soy Dressing
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic
2 Tbsp. Raw Honey
4 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Tamari
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Puree the first four ingredients in a blender. With the blender running, slowly add the oil until the dressing is emulsified.
I didn’t really like the dressing as I thought I might, but it did give the salad a nice kick.
I had about a cup of watermelon to follow the meal.
I’m feeling great except for a slight headache. More to come tomorrow.
Day One: Reboot Standard Diet
Okay, I’m on day one of my reboot standard diet.
The reasons I’m doing this are many. Of course there are obvious reasons, I want to lose fat and “look good”. I want to _be_ healthier. I want to think clearer (not that I am concerned that my thinking is bad). I want to honor my God by having a healthy body.
I haven’t eaten a regularly poor diet in years, but the times I binge and the natural desire to “maintain” my weight have not helped me lose the weight. I’m hoping that through re-training my desires and taste buds to expect and desire natural foods primarily will enable me more easily to eat a lower-calorie, high-nutrient value diet each day.
So, what have I eaten so far?
Before I ate breakfast, I drank two cups of water.
For breakfast I made a fruit smoothie.
Frozen peach – (one-half)
Frozen banana – (1)
Frozen strawberries – (1 cup)
Frozen mango – (one-half cup)
Honey – (1 T)
Water – (2 c)
That filled me up and tasted really good (not too sweet). I had enough to fill my cup three times, so it felt like an overabundance which was nice.
For mid-morning I juiced some veggies.
Granny Smith apple (large)
Lemon
Carrots (2)
Celery stalks (3)
Kale (3 leaves)
Cucumber (one-half large)
Radishes (3)
Romaine lettuce (6 leaves) – I’m afraid of spinach due to oxalates, and will refrain from it for now.
For lunch I had a salad with red leaf lettuce, romaine, chopped cucumber, chopped carrots, chopped celery and chopped radish. I made a dressing of apple cider vinegar (1 T), olive oil (5 T), honey (1/2 T), minced garlic (1 clove) and some garlic pepper seasoning on the top of the salad.
I had a little trouble getting it all down -- had a large bowl full of lettuce, but I ended up enjoying it. The dressing was a little low on flavor, but I'm finding right now that I am thoroughly enjoying the aftertaste of the whole salad. It's a rather peppery, fresh taste with the fullness of the oil combined with the sweetness of the honey. Very fulfilling.
I’ll blog later tonight after dinner with more info.
I’m drinking an herbal tea now – Aztec Sweet Chili by Yogi Tea. I talk about it elsewhere on the blog. It’s my favorite.
I had a headache last night (still was eating grains and nuts yesterday), but so far, I'm feeling fine today.
The reasons I’m doing this are many. Of course there are obvious reasons, I want to lose fat and “look good”. I want to _be_ healthier. I want to think clearer (not that I am concerned that my thinking is bad). I want to honor my God by having a healthy body.
I haven’t eaten a regularly poor diet in years, but the times I binge and the natural desire to “maintain” my weight have not helped me lose the weight. I’m hoping that through re-training my desires and taste buds to expect and desire natural foods primarily will enable me more easily to eat a lower-calorie, high-nutrient value diet each day.
So, what have I eaten so far?
Before I ate breakfast, I drank two cups of water.
For breakfast I made a fruit smoothie.
Frozen peach – (one-half)
Frozen banana – (1)
Frozen strawberries – (1 cup)
Frozen mango – (one-half cup)
Honey – (1 T)
Water – (2 c)
That filled me up and tasted really good (not too sweet). I had enough to fill my cup three times, so it felt like an overabundance which was nice.
For mid-morning I juiced some veggies.
Granny Smith apple (large)
Lemon
Carrots (2)
Celery stalks (3)
Kale (3 leaves)
Cucumber (one-half large)
Radishes (3)
Romaine lettuce (6 leaves) – I’m afraid of spinach due to oxalates, and will refrain from it for now.
For lunch I had a salad with red leaf lettuce, romaine, chopped cucumber, chopped carrots, chopped celery and chopped radish. I made a dressing of apple cider vinegar (1 T), olive oil (5 T), honey (1/2 T), minced garlic (1 clove) and some garlic pepper seasoning on the top of the salad.
I had a little trouble getting it all down -- had a large bowl full of lettuce, but I ended up enjoying it. The dressing was a little low on flavor, but I'm finding right now that I am thoroughly enjoying the aftertaste of the whole salad. It's a rather peppery, fresh taste with the fullness of the oil combined with the sweetness of the honey. Very fulfilling.
I’ll blog later tonight after dinner with more info.
I’m drinking an herbal tea now – Aztec Sweet Chili by Yogi Tea. I talk about it elsewhere on the blog. It’s my favorite.
I had a headache last night (still was eating grains and nuts yesterday), but so far, I'm feeling fine today.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Reboot Preparation - Juicing and All Natural Eating
Well, it has been quite a while since I posted. I've had a hard time keeping on my caloric watch due to the idea of limiting oxalates. I couldn't afford to eat good food and maintain a low oxalate diet, so it has been a real nightmare for me trying to lose weight.
My wife and I recently watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead via Netflix. We were so inspired, we thought it would be a great thing for me to try the Reboot.
An issue that might occur is a problem with oxalates, but I have decided not to worry about them. If I am eating healthy, raw food and if I consume at least three liters of water a day I am pretty sure that the kidney stones will stay away. They have been now for several months, and I've cheated some with the occasional soda and chocolate. I am pretty sure I'll be fine. If not, it'll just hurt a lot. :)
I start the actual Reboot next week -- Monday.
Right now, I am preparing by limiting my intake of certain foods. I am having no red meat or pork now until the Reboot is over. I gave up dairy yesterday. I'll give up poultry and fish tomorrow. I'm going to give up grains, beans, seeds and nuts on Sunday.
I'm starting the Reboot Standard Program. Check out the link if you want to see more.
My wife and I recently watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead via Netflix. We were so inspired, we thought it would be a great thing for me to try the Reboot.
An issue that might occur is a problem with oxalates, but I have decided not to worry about them. If I am eating healthy, raw food and if I consume at least three liters of water a day I am pretty sure that the kidney stones will stay away. They have been now for several months, and I've cheated some with the occasional soda and chocolate. I am pretty sure I'll be fine. If not, it'll just hurt a lot. :)
I start the actual Reboot next week -- Monday.
Right now, I am preparing by limiting my intake of certain foods. I am having no red meat or pork now until the Reboot is over. I gave up dairy yesterday. I'll give up poultry and fish tomorrow. I'm going to give up grains, beans, seeds and nuts on Sunday.
I'm starting the Reboot Standard Program. Check out the link if you want to see more.
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