Metamorphosis Day 23, Juice Fast Day 15

I wanted to put up a quick status post, letting you know that I am still on track.   I am still consuming about a gallon of juice per day, and exercising six days a week for 1-1.5 hours.   Obviously, I fell off the blog bandwagon, but that has been part of my process.

This last week some new and positive things occurred in my life, and I was being present in them and enjoying them as they were happening.

In addition to the new and positive things in my life, in two weeks my father will be living in Atlanta, likely between my house and the house of my ex-husband.  We will share the responsibility in taking care of him as he recovers from surgery and continues with treatment.

Last night I shared and cried on Skype with one of the Isha teachers in Mexico as I am trying to start to let go of some of the resentment of the life events that have lead to this circumstance of both my father’s illness, as well as some of the personal life circumstances that I slugged through in the first half of 2013.  It’s a process of releasing.  It’s a pain in the a** to create the time to do this and to go through the emotional process, but I am allowing / pushing myself to do this, as I want to get to the otherside of resentment – to find the love available in each moment.

I have lost eight pounds, and several inches.   I’m feeling good in my body.

I hope to pick up with the daily post again tomorrow.

Metamorphosis Day 17, Juice Fast Day 10

Juice Fast Day 10

Today was a little bit off track.   I did not juice.  I ate for lunch a small salad with fresh lemon juice for dressing, along with steamed broccoli.  For dinner I had a salad with fresh lemon juice for dressing, steamed broccoli, and salmon.   I was off track for several reasons.  (1) I had wine last night (2) I had three hours of sleep last night (3) I did not have juice at my disposal today.   That, plus I have been fighting so much fatigue, that I went with it, and made the best food choices today.

 

Metamorphosis Day 17

I’m back on track with exercise after missing two days this week.  It felt SO GOOD to be moving and sweating again.  I sweat so much.  Honestly, I don’t think I have ever sweat this much before.

Today’s Routine:

• 30 minutes Dance Cardio
• 30 minutes Muscular Structure DVD, Days 11-20

Metamorphosis Day 16 , Juice Fast Day 9

I am feeling better today.  Much less fatigued.  I was right yesterday.   I was in need of a colonic.   I got one in before bed last night and it was a very productive one, and I feel better today because of it.   It’s a good reminder for me, because yesterday when I was in despirate need of a shot of energy (and making and buying juice with kids in tow for the holiday was just not happening) I was searching for energy from honey, coconut oil, bee pollen, etc.   I had more than I probably should have because I was so in need, but I am now reminded again that it is not about putting things into the cells, it is about removing the obstruction that is in the cells that inhibits one’s own inherat life force energy from conducting.

Juice Fast Day 9

Today I am also making sure that I am getting in enough water and enough  juice in a nice combination of green and fruit juices.   Pineapple juice is a real energy booster for me.   I feel amazing on it.   Green juice, of course, is a staple, but I do need to find better ways to get creative with it.  I am not a fan of green lemonade any longer.   After many many years of green lemonade – I’m over it.   My challenge is that most of my fresh juices are store bought as I don’t have time in my compacted life to make my own.   I can get a base green juice of cucumber, celery, spinach, and kale, and I will have to figure out how to get things like lime juice, basil, and mint added in on my own.   Hmmm. .  . maybe I can just squeeze a frest lime into the juice and add a mint essential oil and some stevia?  I’ll experiment and let you know.

One other thing I did today was create a new page on this site called “My Favorite Foods“.    As I go through this fast, I am noticing which foods I am desiring, and so this is my running list for inspiration post fast.   

One more thing.  I had wine.  More than one glass.  From a social perspective, it was the best choice I could have made.  I made a new friend, and it lifted my spirits.   From a juice fast perspective, it set me back the next day.  See tomorrow’s post for more details.

Today’s Juices:

• 1 Grand Slam (a one ounce shot of each):  wheatgrass, ginger, lemon, cranberry
• 40 oz pinepple, apple, kale, distilled water, ginger
• 20 oz cucumber, kale, celery, spinach, lemon
• 20 oz pineapple, apple, kale, water, ginger
• 2 glasses wine

Metamorpohsis Day 16

A circumstance came up today which prevented me from doing my workout.  I planned to do my workout when I go home from work, but once I got home, I realized I forgot to complete a major deliverable for work, so I had to turn around and go back to the office.   As a result, I was not able to get my workout in.   I am down two days now this week from my planned six workouts per week.

Metamorphosis Day 15, Juice Fast Day 8

I really appreciate the support of those of you who are following a commenting.  I’ll respond soon, I promise.

Today I was very tired.   At the end of the day I am wondering if I am not getting in enough juice or enough water.   I think this could be part of the case.   I think it is also possible that my slower pace and my fatigue is a natural process as my body and my heart heal.   The first part of the year this year presented daughnting circumstances which required my inner warrior to come out, and its different for me to allow myself to actually not be a warrior, and to not be productive.   I’m resting in being okay with being, even if what I am being for right now is fatigued.   I trust that is is part of my process, and that in time, this phase will pass.

Metamorphosis Day 15

I didn’t workout today because I was so fatigued.   By not working out today, that means that the last two weeks (my first two weeks) I am averaging five one hour work outs per week, not six as planned.    I am much better served today with a colonic, to curb my cranky fatigued symptoms from juice fasting, and then I’ll be back on track tomorrow.

Juice Fast Day 8

Fatigue. . . . . . . . . cranky. . . . . in need of a colonic before bed.

Juice Today:

• 46 oz cantaloupe juice
• 30 oz gazpacho juice:  red and yellow bell peppers, tomato, cucumber, garlic
• 20 oz kitchen sink juice: carrot, celery, chard, garlic, beet
• 1 mug veggie broth:  parsnips, celery, mushroom, onion
• 3 TBS TBS raw honey
• 2 TBS coconut oil/ghee combo
• 3 tsp total BED Vitality Super Greens and Potent Proteins
• Bee Pollen
• 2 oz beet kvass
• 2 oz aloe vera

Metamorphosis Days 13 & 14, Juice Fast Days 6 & 7

I have been moving at a much slower pace this weekend, so blogging feel by the wayside as I kept my focus on the exercise and juicing.

Each day I had a gallon of juice, and over the two days I also incorporated bee pollen, honey, very small amounts of coconut oil, and vegetable broth.

I also switched my rest day from Metamorphosis and rested a day earlier.

Metamorphosis Day 12, Juice Fast Day 5

I will say that in the last three days my skin has been much more oily. I found something on Google which suggests that on Days 3-7 of a fast, fats composed of transformed fatty acids are boken down and converted into glucose. I don’t know what that means. But Google says that as a result the skin may become oily as rancid oils are purged from the body. Hmmm. Okay.

Juice Fast Day 5

On a happer note, on this juice fast, while I lack cravings, I do have desires. Right how, crazy as it may seem, I am desiring cauliflower. Doris Choi on her blog at Fresh Energy Lab has put out a couple of cauliflower recipes that peak my interest including:

• Doris’s Raw Cauliflower Dolmas
• Doris’s Cauliflower Couscous with Capers
• Also, for some time have been desiring to make FullyRawKristina’s Raw Fettucini Alfredo (using cauliflower for “cheese”)
• And also, Doris’s Cauliflower Pizza Crust. Atlanta’s Alonz Bakery has a four cheese pizza with Peccerino, mozzerella, riccata, and gorgonzola with shaved fennel, lemon oil, and oregano. I splurged on on this pre-fast and it was out-of-this-world delicious. I typically do not pine after pizza, but this one? Soooo scrumptious. So I am inspired to make a detox friendly version with Doris’s cauliflower pizza crust topping it with Pecceriono cheese (sheep’s milk) and sheep and goat substitutes for mozzerella, riccata, gorgonzola, cheeses along with the lemon oil, shaved fennel and oregano. Stunning!

As you can tell, I’m starting a list of foods I want to eat. It’s fun because taking a break from food and then thinking about food gives me a chance to prioritize what I eat based on what I actually desire. I do hope and expect that by the time I’m done with this fast at the end of June that I will have a clearer head and simpler life circumstances which will allow me to flow back into my rhythm and grant me focuse to do food shopping and food prep again. I have been out of that rhythm since December of last year (due to an unplanned but necessary kitchen remodel and other crazy sh*t like that).

Today’s Juices:

• 24 oz yummy pink juice: pineapple, lemon, cranberry, ginger
• 56 oz cucumber, celery, spinach, kale, lemon
• 20 oz pineapple, apple, kale, spinach, distilled water, ginger, lemons
• 16 oz cherry juice
• 1 mug veggie broth
• Bee pollen
• 2 tsp raw honey
• 1/2 TBS Green Pasture Blue Ice Infused (combination of coconut, fermented cod liver oil, and X-Factor butter)

Metamorphosis Day 12

I started a new Muscular Structure sequence today! It’s for days 11-20. Do note that my numbering of days and the DVD numbering of days will be off and not matching because I am counting the rest days, and the DVDs do not.   But oh my goodness, it was crazy harder.

Today’s Routine, 10:00 p.m.:

• 30 minutes Dance Cardio DVD
• 30 minutes Day 11-20 Muscular Structure DVD

Metamorphosis Day 11, Juice Fast Day 4

I really miss my coffeee.  I find myself moving at a bit of a slower pace, and that is taking some getting used to.  I think I have some self-judgement around not being as productive if I am not amped up.  Coffee helps me to stay amped.  I am not quite sure what to do with that thought, but it’s a hunch that I will be sitting with for a while to see what insights unfold.   Ultimately, I want to free myself from the enslavement of coffee, as that is in line with my objectives for this juice fast, so I am just sitting with feeling less amped and less productive in the mean time.

Juice Fast Day 4

As I stated yesterday, juicing all day and going without solid food for me is a non-issue.  I have no particular cravings, I don’t miss food or chewing (maybe I am speaking too soon?).   The only drawback I am experiencing is more gas.   I’m almost hesitant during the day to consume more juice because I don’t want to be more gassy.   I see a direct correlation between the amount of juice consumed, and the amount of gas produced.  I don’t know what is causing that. 

Although I must say that I have been splurging on fruit juice.  Fruit has not been a part of my diet for quite some time, and I intentionally chose to consume fruit juices during this 40 days fast, so I am a little bit like a kid in a candy store.   Today I had pear juice, and tomorrow it will be cherry juice!   So excited!   For now I am not willing to cut back on my fruit consumption to see if that will reduce my gas production.  I’m going to wait it out, get my fruit fix, and make further decisions from there.

Today’s Juices:

• 2 oz aloe vera
• 3 tsp total of Body Ecology Diet Potent Proteins and Super Green Vitality powders
• 1 Grand Slam (a 1 oz shot of each of the following):  wheatgrass, ginger, lemon, cranberry
• 16 oz pear
• 32 oz cucumber celery, spinach, kale, lemon
• 16 oz apple, pineapple, spinach, kale, distilled water, ginger, lemon
• 16 oz carrot, beet, cucumber, celery, kale, spinach
• 16 oz yummy pink juice: pineapple, lemon, cranberry, ginger
• 20 oz salsa juice: tomato, red pepper, garlic, onion, tabasco
• 1 mug veggie broth: parsnip, celery, mushroom, onion

Metamorphosis Day 11

After giving yetserday my all, I was in need of deep rest and therefore couldn’t get out of bed at 5:00 a.m.   So when my alarm went off at 5:00, I decided to repurpose that hour, and get my meditation in for the day as the first order of business (as opposed to my norm which is at bedtime).   Though I think it is more fair to say that I quasi-meditated-slash-dreamed during that early morning hour.  🙂

Because I did not workout in the morning, and had a typical work day where I was at the office all day, I wasn’t able to do my workout until after the kids were on bed.   This was a first.  I was a little on edge because I wanted to get in 1.5 hours of exercise, but my son wasn’t getting down as early as I wanted, and I was feeling grouchy from detoxing, and concerned about how late I would be up exercising as a result from his non-complicance on bedtime.   Nevertheless, I started at 9:00 with Dance Cardio and then followed with Muscular Structure and cut it my planned workout down to an hour.   I liked doing Dance Cardio prior to Muscular Structure, as I found that I sweat more during Muscular Structure that way.    I was also reminded on the TA online community that she recomonds doing the routines in that order.   Yet I still like to do rebounding before Dance Cardio, so moving forward when I can fit in a full 1.5 hours, my order of sequencing for the routines will be (1) Rebounding (2) Dance Cardio (3) Muscular Structure.

Today’s Routine, 9:00 p.m.

• 30 minutes Dance Cardio
• 30 minutes Days 1-10 Muscular Structure

Metamorphosis Day 10, Juice Fast Day 3

Today was kind of amazing. As you will see, I ran into a few snags, but they ended up being fantastic experiences, and I learned something about my body as well.

Juice Fast Day 3

This juicing thing is really working for me. Seriously, my life is so busy, that eliminating food consumption from from my list of things to plan for, think about, and do frees me up to enjoy life more.   It’s as easy as: (Step 1) Go to store and buy juice (Step 2) Drink. Done.

I awakened some serious gas though, as after some green juice this morning, I had serious stomach cramping. I was at work and so desperate to relieve the gas that I actually closed my office door, and did a inversion / headstand in my J Crew wool skirt and silk blouse.  It didn’t work. So then I tried (keeping my office door closed)  laying on my stomach on the floor while working on my laptop on the floor.  That didn’t work. The stomach pain was so uncomfortable, that I decided to leave the office and finish my workday at home. I even drove with my seat reclined significantly to try to relieve the pressure.

Interestingly, that pain is something that I dealt with for years starting my teenage years. There were times where I would lay in the bed for up to six hours writhing in pain, and other times where I was dining out (at Red Robin) with friends, and I would have to leave the table to go to the car to recline to ease the pain while I waited for my friends to finish dining.

Needless to say, the doctors did not have a solution. They prescribed anti-acids and anti-depressants, neither of which I took because I knew instinctively that it would not resolve the problem. I have been able to mitigate that pain in the last five years through proper food combining and a cleaner diet.

But today I had a biology lesson which answered for me what was driving that pain all those years. It was gas. I know this because as the pain was there today, I knew instinctively to do a colonic. And Holy Colonic! What a colonic. Gas poured out followed by waste. It was definitely a productive colonic. I actually feel more gas pressure now so I know that if I wanted to, I could actually perform another colonic today, but honestly, I’d rather just to go bed.

Today’s Juices:

• 16 ounces distilled water, grapefruit, orange, lemon with 3 tsp total of Body Ecology Diet Potent Proteins and Vitality Super Green powders
• 1/3 gallon green juice: cucumber, celery, apple, ginger, spinach, kale, lemon, stevia
• 1/3 gallon yummy pink juice: pineapple, lemon, cranberry, ginger
• 2 mugs vegetable broth: parsnip, mushroom, celery, onion

Metamorphosis Day 10

I was unable to comply with my early morning wake up this morning, and since I left the office early and worked from home in the afternoon, I had the window of opportunity to get my workout in at five o’clock before picking up my kids at 6:30.  As usual, I started with Muscular Structure, followed by Rebounding. However, half way through rebounding, my DVD froze!   Ah!   After coaxing the DVD machine a bit, I took it out to find the DVD had a smudge on it.   I didn’t want to disrupt my cardio flow, so I decided to clean the rebounding DVD later and instead fit in the full 30 minutes of Cardio Dance.    Somehow today, due to the snag in the rebounding DVD and my mindset when it happened, I surprised myself and really rocked the dance cardio.

I said on an earlier post that I thought it may take me up to 30 days to complete a full 30 minutes where I really give my all to the dance for the full duration.  Nope.   I did it today.   On day ten. 🙂

I think my Playlist helped significantly. I hadn’t messed around with preparing my own playlist before, but today for the first time I put on an old playlist that is dance club type music, and that was a sheer motivator. I discovered after my divorce, (when going through that post divorce phase of rediscovering one’s own preferences), how much I missed dancing to club music. Yes, perhaps I’m a little too reminiscent of my twenties, but hey! I love what I love, and it really gets me moving!

Wowzer (did I just really type that word?) I sweat and sweat and sweat like crazy. The room was almost 80 degrees so in additon to the playlist that helped I’m sure.   But seriously. . . . . (Ew gross, I know) but I was soaking, dripping, and even sometimes splashing sweat.

Sidebar: I never in a million years imagined that I would be blogging about an amazing day due to a productive colon irrigation and some serious sweat.

Anyway, I felt amazing today having done all this and discovering new things about my body.

Evening Routine, 5:00 p.m.

30 minutes Days 1-10 Muscular Structure Metamorphosis DVD

15 minutes Metamorphosis Rebounding DVD (148 heart beats per minute)

30 minutes Metamorphosis Dance Cardio DVD (156 heart beats per minute)

Metamorphosis Day 9, Juice Fast Day 2

Juice Fast

My head was a little foggy today, and I had some mild nausea in the afternoon, but that is to be expected.  I know it will pass in the next few days.   Today I discovered that I have a theme on the juices I love.  I love pink juice.   Grapefruit juice is my number one favorite, then watermelon juice, and pink today’s concoction which is pineapple, lemon, cranberry, ginger.    But the pineapple lemon cranberry ginger juice was sooo sweet that I needed something savory to balance me out.  I made Wellah’s salsa juice and veggie broth.    It hit the spot.

Today’s Juices:

• 2 ounces Aloe Vera juice
• 16 ounces distilled water, grapefruit, orange, lemon with 3 tsp total of Body Ecology Diet Potent Proteins and Vitality Super Green powders
• 1/2 gallon cucumber, celery, apple, ginger, spinach, kale
• 1/2 gallon pineapple, lemon, cranberry, ginger
• 20 oz salsa juice: tomato, red bell pepper, garlic, tabasco
• 3 mugs vegetable broth: parsnip, mushroom, celery, onion

Exercise

I had to be in the office by 8:00 for a meeting, after getting my kids and myself dressed, to school, and through Atlanta traffic.  So, I just did the 30 minute rebounder in the early morning, saving muscular structure for the evening.   However, evening came, and I’m feeling a little emotionally overwhelmed and therefore mentally scattered, so I think it’s best if I just to to bed and give tomorrow a fresh start.   I did the most important thing today, and that’s 30 minutes of rebounding.

Morning Routine, 6:00 a.m:

• 30 minute Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Rebounding DVD

Metamorphosis Day 8, Juice Fast Day 1

Juice Fast Day 1

I have been mentally preparing myself for this day for the last two months. I intentionally planned the start day to be one week after my new workout routine so that I would not be overwhelmed. In the last few days, I considered pushing the start date out, as new challenges in my personal life suddenly arose. But the morning came today, I checked in with myself, and I knew I had it in me to commit. Today. As planned.

Four days ago I learned that my dad was admitted to the hospital. He has stage four prostate cancer that as of last year had spread to his vertebra as small legions in the bone. We learned in the last few days that it has since eaten away at two vertebra, and he is now undergoing surgery on his back to fuse disintegrated vertebra to whole vertebra. The cancer is also in his ribs, his pelvis, his lymph, and potentially other organs of the body as well. I can go on and list the other symptoms and issues that have arisen, but that’s not the point of this post.

The point is that he is in my prayers, and therefore, I have decided to dedicate this 40 day juice fast to him.

Today I consumed:

1/2 cup coffee (NOT ideal, NOT recommended, but I needed this crutch for today)
Chinese herbal tea to end this cough/cold I’ve had
20 oz cucumber, celery, spinach kale juice
40 oz distilled water, grapefruit, orange juice
Lots of herbal tea

Metamorphosis Day 8

Today’s workout was different in the fact that I did it in the late afternoon versus early in the morning. The reason for this is that last night I was awake much of the night with my cough. In the wee hours of the morning, I finally took a sleep aide so that I could have some rest under my belt to face the day with, but that also meant that the 5:00 wake up was a no go.

That’s okay, I made up for this detour with a change in plans to my day. I left work about an hour early, and got my workout in at home before picking up my kids from school at 6:30.

Evening Routine
30 minutes days 1-10 Muscular Structure DVD
30 minutes rebounder DVD