Long Time....

Well it has been awhile since I have wrote anything in this blog. I have been busy with school, work, escorting Steven back and forth to Tae Kwon Do...which I am thinking of taking this summer to earn my black belt. That ought to be a sight.I went to a raw potluck saturday night. It was very invigorating. It was exactly what I needed. My friend Dara did a demo of several recipes which was delicious. I will try better to keep up with my blog. Things will slow down this summer as I will not take any classes. I'm taking a much deserved break.

In health-

M-

Before and After Pics of 2008 feast

This picture was taken a week

before Christmas 2007

This picture (in the red shirt) was taken tonight 01-21-2008

Ending after 21 days

After speaking with my father today (who was also feasting for 21 days) I think I'm going to go ahead and stop after 21 days which will be tomorrow. I do feel this feast had been beneficial for me but I know I could accomplish more if I go longer. As I said in the previous post I know I have a lot more emotional and physical detox to yet experience.
I realized after speaking to my father and listening to his vast wisdom that I am scared to return to eating solids because I am afraid I will return to my emotional eating. It is so much easier for me to fast. Of course I do have hunger pains, detox symptoms, headaches, bad breath that accompanies a feast/fast but I did not have to deal with the emotions of will I be able to stay raw today.
I just can't understand why I can't seem to stay raw but I can go days without solid foods. So I am facing this challenge yet again head on.
The plan is to break my feast tomorrow night and I will face this issue head on and try my best to eat at least 80% raw. I can't keep running from the issue. I need to face it and win this cook and junk food battle.

M-

Day 19 of Juice Feast

Yesterday I had a weakness and decided I was only going to do 21 days. I even went to the store this morning an purchased organic dates to break my feast.I still have not put a number of days I wanted to continue this juice feasting journey but I have decided today as I write this to continue past 21 days.

I don't think I am mentally and physically ready to come off of the feast. I don't feel that I even have begun to detox emotional and physically. I really need to make sure that I am able and ready to stick to at least an 80% raw lifestyle when I finish this feast.

So with my head held high I march onwards and continue this journey.

M-

Day 13 of Juice Feast

Well it is day 13 of my feast and I feel really good. No headaches or hunger pains. Today I am drinking:
5000 Volt
OJ
Red Pepper
Hot Pepper
Garlic
Celery
I am also drinking Kale, Celery, Turnip Greens, Apple and Carrot juice. This past Saturday I was at a raw pot luck we had at a local health food store. We had a good turn out of 16 people. My friend Dara and I have been trying to get more people to the pot lucks in our area. The attendance has been very low. I made Okraw Slaw which was a hit and a surprise hit with my son Steven. I am glad I found another recipe that he likes.
I had no deisre to eat even though every thing looked really delicious. It felt really good to be around like minded people. When I explained why I was not eating no one batted an eye lash. Everyone understood what I was doing.
While at the potluck I brought some MSM powder. I am excited about this supplement and I can't wait to see the benefits.
I hope all is well with everyone.

In health,
Michele

Day 6 of '08 feast

Well it is day six of my feast. I still have not decided on an X amount of days. I feel pretty good except a slight headache this morning. Yesterday I felt really bad and slept most of the day. I didn't drink juice until later that evening and that is I'm sure the reason I felt so tired.
My juices have been celery, carrots, kale, lemon, romaine lettuce, and green apples.
My son Steven helped me last night make my juices. He was so excited but he was mostly in my way and eating all my apples. I'm glad he likes to help me juice as this will be a good way to get him to drink more green juices.
I start school tomorrow so I will be feasting again during a semester.
I hope everyone is having a great New Year!!

In Health,

Michele

Happy New Year!!

It is the new year...well in two days it will be. I always start the new year off with a fast/feast. This time around I will not be putting a number of days on this fast/feast. We will just see what the body tells me and I don't want to be disappointed if I don't make it to X amount of days.
I received a notice on my door that my apartment complex has changed fitness gyms. This is a bummer as the old gym was less than a mile from the apartment and five minutes away from work. I was able to attend the gym during my lunch break. This new gym is to far. So I will be going to my sisters fitness center at her apartment complex. My sister and I will be training for a 5k run......this ought to be loads of fun.
School will be starting up again eight or so days. I must say it was nice to have the break.
I am off to make my list of nice fruits and veggies to grab at the store to start my juicing.

In Health
Michele

OkRAW slaw

I'm sitting here munching on a very good simple recipe by Storm from the Garden diet.com
it is very good and I am enjoying it very much.
Okra, corn, avacodo and honey.
I had a good Thanksgiving. To be honest I was not 100% raw but it could have been alot worse. I'm not beating myself up for it because if I do I will feel guilty and spiral out of control.
I've notice the past few weeks I have not been drinking water like I should. So I am on a mission to reprogram myself to drink at least a gallon a day. I'm wearing a path from my office to the bathroom down the hall in the carpet.

I hope all is well with everyone.

Michele

Treadmill

Well I did it!! I finally got my butt on a treadmill. I finally started (for the 500th time) a Body For Life Challenge. I will be doing this challenge raw vegan of course. I found out my gym is very empty around 2 and 3 in the afternoon. So I took lunch around that time. I have this issue with crowded gyms. I feel everyone is looking at me. I know this is not the case. People could care less but I still have the paranoia.
This morning I did upper body work out at home with free weights. I almost cried when I saw the shoulder exercises. I'm not very fond of them. After class tonight I will finish the work out for triceps and biceps.

Joy Joy

Woozah!!!!

Okay I totally forgot that raw cacao nibs have caffeine and is a natural stimulant. So I blend quite a few to make a powder for my green smoothie.
Head to work and swig down my first jar....holy moly!!! I was ready to pull my hair out. I could not sit still. Needless to say I got very little sleep last night.
I am so making another batch this morning!! LOL


I made a decision to hide my weight scale. That is one object that can send me into a spiral of depression for the whole day. I have this bad habit of hopping on it first thing in the morning. I am a little upset by the numbers this morning but I will try not to let it affect my day. I'm going to hide it in the back of my closet.

My mom is going to be my exercise partner. I am excited about that. Exercise will help me tremendously in this journey. Even though I dread the treadmill and elliptical once I get on there and have a good workout I feel a whole lot better.
So we will see how it goes.

M-

Mikey Likes it! He Likes it!

Went shopping and loaded up on leafy greens for green smoothies. I feel I need more green smoothies in my life :)
I made one with kale, spinach and banana. I leave the kitchen for two seconds I come back to find this:


Kodak moment! Could not let that one get away. Drinking it right out of the vitamix! You can't get any better than that. :)
I am glad he likes it. I have been trying to get Steven to eat more greens. He has not yet found a salad dressing that he likes. So this is perfect.

Got Green Smoothie?




Yesterday I had:

1 Liter of Green Smoothie
1 Lara Bar
Way to much Creamy Portabello Bisque (Ani Phyo)

I can swim in that soup I love it so much.

I am off to study Pre-Algebra...joy..joy!!

Michele

Mushroom Soup and Fish Fry

Last Friday my place of employment had their annual fish fry. Thousands of people showed up for a free fish plate. I stood all day serving fish and hush puppies to people. While my other co-workers serve cole slaw, potato salad and tarter sauce. We had 2 stations going and it was non stop. I will be honest the fish did smell good but I had no desire for any. I guess I'm not at that stage yet where cooked food smell does not appeal to me.
During my break I had Ani Phyo's mushroom soup....that recipe is awesome!! I love it. I think I'm going to make it at the next raw pot luck we have. my son who loves Campbell's mushroom soup did not like it. He does like the marinated mushrooms though just not the Brazil nut soup.
I usually eat pretty small during the day with juice, fruit and a few veggies and then have a salad when I get home. I think I am going to switch that up. My weight has went up just a little. I think I need to eat my salad during the day and eat small in the evenings before I go to bed whether it be a green smoothie or some fruit.
We will see how that goes.

Michele

Steven's Raw Lunch

My son Steven

I wanted to post this video of my son making his fave raw snack of Almond Butter, Agave and Bananas. It so cute. He had a little trouble pronouncing a few words...hey who could sat "transitioning" at 9 years old :)

Juice Day

Today is juice day! I will be having carrot juice. I will be jucing at least twice a week. Today is going to be a good day. I purchased Angela Stokes e-books how to go raw for weight loss and the physical changes when raw. I am excited to read them. I wanted to read her story. As I have said before she is a very sweet woman.
I missed the Raw Spirit Fest this year....so sad. Schall Adams was there as a demo coach. I am going to make plans to go next year.



In Health,

Michele

Done

I have decided to quit my juice feast after 40+ days. I am just exhausted. I was not drinking enough juice. It was hard to get it all down. So the lack of juice I was really tired.
I am proud that I have lasted as long as I did. Now it's back to eating at least 80% raw and getting on the treadmill.

Michele

Dreams

It's funny the dreams I've been having lately. The past few nights I've dream that I ate cooked and junk food and ruined my fast. I always wake up freakin out until I realize that I did not ruin my fast. I went to the library and checked out a few raw books. I need to refresh my knowledge My son Steven has been eating an 80% raw lunch. We just need to work on breakfast, snacks and dinner.
I did purchase to jars of raw almond butter. It was on sale for 12.79. You can't beat that with a stick for raw almond butter. He likes the AB with agave and bananas. He will have that as part of his lunch.
I just realized it has been 29 days...wow. I'm going strong. 63 more days to go.

Michele
Start Weight-231.4
Current Weight- 208.4
Goal Weight- 140.0

Time flies when your having fun.

It is day 18. Time is flying by it seems like. It is already day 18. I was telling my mom yesterday this fast/feast seems more pleasant than my last fast. I've figured out why it's the green juices. My last fasts I have always drunk store brought juices. They did not fill me up. I seem to always be hungry. It is so much better to juice your own juices while fasting.
I went to bed at 1:30 last night I was watching a DVD of the TV series "24". I woke up at 6am. Just wide awake......okay I know thats suppose to happen with fasting. You need less and less sleep, you have more energy, etc. I laid there until I went back to sleep. Like hell I was getting up at 6am.
You know it's amazing what God will do for you. He does give you your hearts desire. He is a wonderful and awesome God. I've been eyeing this new cell phone for me and my mom. Everywhere I looked it was $250.00 dollars or more. I only budgeted about 29 dollars for it because I thought if I renew my contract with Sprint I could get it for that price. Well no it was for new customers only. I looked around for days for this phone at a cheaper price. I finally went to Best Buy. My mother and I walked out of Best Buy with two new Razer phones free!! I was so happy.
I'm going to work on my english paper and make more juice.
Starting Weight 231.4 (08/23/07)
Current Weight 213.0 (09/09/07)

Michele

12th day

I did have broth yesterday. I think that is the reason for my pound weight gain. Technically broth is not allowed on juice feasting but I wanted some. I am feeling okay. I had to stay up late last night to study. I will be doing that this evening as well. I think I am going to do a salt water flush today.
M

8 Day

It's my 8th day on my juice feast. Just 84 more days to go. So far so good. I am having a hard time getting in a gallon of juice a day. I seem to only get a bout a liter and a liter and a half on good days. I just can't drink all that juice right now. Maybe later in this journey I will be able to drink a gallon. I took my first Cascara Sagrada herb caps (herbal stimulant) last night while I had a break in pre-algebra and as of this morning it still has not work. I hope it doesn't decide to work while I am at work.
. I do have a lot on my plate with my son's new school which is a 30 minute drive, my schooling in the evenings. I seem to be holding up pretty well.
Starting Weight- 231.4
Current Weight- 220.0


In Health,
M