GFHLLP CloudBoss

Reboot, Part 2

Not sure if this will ever get published but wanted to start journaling my latest attempt to get control of my health.

On July 12 at approximately 7 pm, I ate my last meal. I did not set out to do a juice fast. I set out to fast on Monday, July 13th. At the end of the day, I felt so good, I simply kept going. Tuesday came and went. Same goal - I am not eating TODAY! Day three, Wednesday, I was expecting to give it up. For those of you who have juice fasted, you know day three is the day you simply want to lay in bed in the fetal position. However, this did not happen. Day 3 came and while I did notice a difference in how I felt, this change was overwhelmingly positive.

On Day 3, things changed. I felt so good. Of course I was hungry, starving actually, but my energy level was actually better. Why stop now? I have no idea why I felt so good. I have a theory that involves three things:

1. This fast was done entirely using juices purchased at Kuka Juice. My favorite juice, and the stable of my juice fast, is The GREENville. Perhaps this juice, which has items I had NEVER put in my home-made juice, has nutrients I was missing before? Maybe just being able to open a juice and drink it helps. I can tell you from experience that buying veggies, juicing them, cleaning up afterwards all while trying to make a consistent product is an enormous amount of work. Yes, buying the juice is more expensive but soooooo much easier.
2. Substantial reduction in anxiety. As soon as the fast starts, weight just falls off. Of course this very little fat loss at first but I felt smaller. I felt lighter. I felt like I was making progress. This eliminated a major source of anxiety for me. That has to make you feel better, doesn't it?
3. Elimination. I have felt for a while that something I was consuming was giving me issues. Well, I know ONE thing I was consuming was giving me issues...ALCOHOL..but that's another story, one that I'll discuss later. However, I think there is something in my diet causing me issues. Wonder if I'll ever discover what it is. Please don't let it be a gluten allergy as my heckling of what I called a made-up condition will come back to bite me big time!

I basically made it FIVE days before I hit my first rough patch. The weekends are always hard. There is more time. More temptation. More feeling of entitlement. The family ordered pizza so I took the opportunity to go make a purchase I had been needing. The family was kind enough to have the pizza put away before I got back. Saturday was worse. It was moving day for my daughter. Moving heavy items up two flights of stairs was "interesting." I had visited 9 Round earlier in the week. I was able to survive OK. However, something about the stairs really made this hard. Thankfully, so many people were there to help that I was able to get through it.

Of course that was the easy part of Saturday. Then came taking the boys out for some Moe's as a reward. They ate tacos, burritos, chips and queso until they could eat no more. Honestly, it was like watching food porn. However, I was not seriously tempted. I kept distracted by asking the boys questions about what was going on in their lives. I survived this.

One thing that I have really set out to do during this fast is to make it as unnoticeable as possible on those around me. Obviously sitting at Moe's and not eating is going to stand out but I try to make it stand out as little as possible. Saturday night would REALLY test this as Lori and I went to see Shania Twain. 

The first thing I want to do when I enter ANY arena is get a beer. This is simply a habit formed from years and years of doing exactly that. That was my very first thought after entering. I did find the alcohol but simply bought the wife a glass of wife and was on my way. Actually, other than that initial feeling, I was better off Saturday night being at the concert because I had Shania to think about rather than food. Saturday ends..Day 7 is here.

Day 18

I have not blogged in a while b/c every day was essentially the same. I felt fine. Hungry, but not as hungry as you'd expect. Each night I cratered a bit - no energy and disparately wanting food - but is passes. I added a small amount of coffee last weekend to help me get through it. I am still not having any in the morning, just afternoon when I need a pick up.

All of the "good" days ended on Day 18. I felt OK all day but when I went home I very quickly lost it. I honestly came the closest I have thus far to ending it on the spot. I finally went upstairs and laid down. I don't remember much else. I woke up at 5:30 for my workout and felt rested but still very weak.

QSA was difficult to get through today. I don't know what has happened but I have hit a wall. I go to the doctor tomorrow for my big weigh in. My loss has slowed dramatically but that is to be expected. After I weigh in on Thursday, I don't know what I am going to do. I was hoping to continue on but will not be able to if many more days like yesterday. :-(

For the first time, I lost confidence that this was working. I need to get my swag back.

Day 10

Day 10 was exciting as I was nearing my goal. I did decide to keep going, however, so it was also a bit somber realizing that I was just halfway there. Woke up early full of energy again, made and apple juice and headed to QSA for what turned out to be a mostly cardio workout. I did OK. I think I am adapting a bit but my performance at both lifting and cardio is totally unimpressive. I survived however without totally embarrassing myself.

The day went great. Energy was high all day until about 6 pm. I crashed hard. I mean really hard. I went home to the kids eating tacos. They were all starving for one reason or another so they were shoveling in these wonderfully smelling tacos. The smell was devastating. I foolishly stayed in the kitchen waiting for the area where I juice to clear so I could make my dinner. By the time that happened, I was in a full bad mood. I made my juice and eventually sneaked upstairs hoping to go to bed really early to end the day. Day 10 did not end well.

Once I got situated and distracted by something on TV, I was fine. The key for me is going to be getting through those two hours a day where I howl at the moon. The rest of the time, I'm fine.

Day 9 - Sunday Afternoon

I decided to give 9Round another try. It was better than the previous trip but still totally unimpressive. I just have no blood sugar and can't sustain a workout very look. I got through it and was glad I went. I spent the rest of the afternoon praying for the day to end so I could go to work. At work I am distracted.

Again, the habit of eating is the problem. I'm fine being hungry but at times the desire to eat is overwhelming. Lori was eating a turkey burger while Chris was eating some pizza. That was hard to watch. I usually just get up and leave. Contrast to the lunch where I was discussing complicated tax issues and was NOT terribly distracted. The weekends are by far the toughest time to juice fast.

Lori and I watched the previous episodes of The Newsroom trying to catch up but I faded out pretty early and went into a sleep coma. In fact, I woke up when Lori went to bed and didn't know where I was. I definitely am going into deeper sleep on this fast.

Day 9 - Sunday Morning

Up early as we had a worker coming. I feel great. Lots of energy. More energy after I had a juice made from five small apples.

Lori is wanting me to stop after day 10. I wonder if this is the mess in the kitchen? :-) She is mostly concerned with adapting to a normal diet at some point. I am too but I'd like to get as much momentum as I can. The transition will be tough and crucial regardless of when it happens. She's very supportive and will be regardless of what I do.

I weighed in down 23 lbs this morning. That is a bit of a false number because my starting point was in the afternoon wearing full clothes and shoes. It also was with some food in my stomach. So, the true number is not really known. The starting weigh was pre-cruise so that is working in my favor.

I forgot to mention that before I went on the cruise I bought a pair of shorts. They fit but were tight. So tight I was worried about wearing them to tour the Bahamas b/c of my wallet and phone. Yesterday, I wore them to the market and they fit just fine. Wallet and phone included. I even wished I had put on a belt by the time I got home. Win.

Day 8 - Saturday Morning

Saturday morning was great. Woke up full of energy. Made an apple juice and went downtown with Lori to check out the farmer's market. We then stopped at Whole Foods to get spinach and other veggies/fruits that I was out of. I was feeling great.

That afternoon, I decided to distract myself by cleaning out the garage. Chris was happy b/c he wants his Jeep to be able to park in the garage. This work was find but it was hot and I found myself sitting down recovering alot. No food in over a week made me weak. I was able to finish the job and then showered and took a nap. I am very sore.

If I go longer than 10 days I am going to have to add some of Tony G's veggie protein as my muscles are not getting the fuel they need.

Saturday night was awful. Lori cooked turkey burgers on the Foreman and Noah reheated the pizza and bacon/cheese bread that taunted me on Friday. The smells were distracting. I made my juice drank it and went outside on Deckzilla to listen to music. Lori came out and then it started raining. Once the feeling passed me in an hour or two, I was fine.

I collapsed in to bed on Saturday night exhausted but feeling fine. Day 8 in the book.