After ending my juice fast I managed eating rather well. I didn't overeat, even though I had some foods that are not on the anti-inflammatory list. Quite a few of those, actually (I had quite a bit of pain today, which might be attributed to these off-list foods). Yesterday, though, the cravings were back with a vengeance.
I went to New Frontiers, the local answer to Whole Foods, and bought not just the cat food and sweet potatoes I came in for, but also So Delicious coconut milk ice cream bars, coconut date rolls, a Thai noodle salad with peanut dressing, and a salad bar salad. I have eaten all of those things now. Good thing there were only four of those ice cream bars in the package, at 100 calories and 3.5 grams of fat each. Could have done a lot worse. I suspect the peanut dressing was number one in fat and calories.
I'm gaining ground again. We slip, we get up. We do it again.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Back on real food
Early this morning I fixed a breakfast of scrambled tofu with spinach, broccoli, and potatoes. It was "clean"- cooked in a little water, with turmeric, cumin, and cajun spices. But the tofu really upped the fat content. It was quite filling but not that satisfying. Midmorning I cooked several carrots in water until soft, and ate them with a little salt. After drinking the juice of carrots for so many days I really wanted the whole carrot, and I wanted it cooked.
I lost a total of 6.5 pounds during the ten-day fast. I had hoped for more, and it makes me wonder how much I have to do to lose weight at this point. I think I accomplished my goal, though, to kickstart weight loss again, get a fresh start.
One way to continue the start is to have more raw foods. If I simply have a salad first for every lunch and dinner meal, that should make a difference. I also want to try more raw foods recipes, like the one I will be making for tonight's potluck. I plan to stick with the "safe foods", for the most part: brown rice and a variety of green red, orange, yellow vegetables and fruits. It may be time to try making kale chips, too.
I have many little ziploc bags of carrots in the freezer. A few have other ingredients in them. Perfect for soups or just vegetable broth. Time to start using them before I get juicing again. As for the juicer, I have been washing the parts in the dishwasher and I plan to set the juicer aside for a little bit. Take a break from it.
I lost a total of 6.5 pounds during the ten-day fast. I had hoped for more, and it makes me wonder how much I have to do to lose weight at this point. I think I accomplished my goal, though, to kickstart weight loss again, get a fresh start.
One way to continue the start is to have more raw foods. If I simply have a salad first for every lunch and dinner meal, that should make a difference. I also want to try more raw foods recipes, like the one I will be making for tonight's potluck. I plan to stick with the "safe foods", for the most part: brown rice and a variety of green red, orange, yellow vegetables and fruits. It may be time to try making kale chips, too.
I have many little ziploc bags of carrots in the freezer. A few have other ingredients in them. Perfect for soups or just vegetable broth. Time to start using them before I get juicing again. As for the juicer, I have been washing the parts in the dishwasher and I plan to set the juicer aside for a little bit. Take a break from it.
And it's morning
Forget what I said about sleeping better. I woke in the wee hours, one o'clock or so, and tried vainly to get back to sleep. Finally I just got up, decided to write a bit here. Then feed the cats when the hour is a little smarter.
I couldn't shut my mind down. My legs were feeling a little gimpy, achey, understandable. But mostly it was my mind. And part of that was getting off the juice fast. Thinking about actually eating. This is crazy. Never let it be said that I eat to live; to be sure, I live to eat.
But I won't eat yet. That way lies disappointment. I'll fix my scrambled tofu with broc and spinach and potatoes when the sun has peaked over the horizon. It's only a bit after four now. Perhaps a nice warm shower. Then try again.
I couldn't shut my mind down. My legs were feeling a little gimpy, achey, understandable. But mostly it was my mind. And part of that was getting off the juice fast. Thinking about actually eating. This is crazy. Never let it be said that I eat to live; to be sure, I live to eat.
But I won't eat yet. That way lies disappointment. I'll fix my scrambled tofu with broc and spinach and potatoes when the sun has peaked over the horizon. It's only a bit after four now. Perhaps a nice warm shower. Then try again.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
The Last Night
I make it through this night and I've made it through my ten-day juice fast. I certainly can do it.
Today I went on a photography excursion. A bunch of us went to the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, just above San Simeon. We were led around by docents for over two hours, and then left on our own to photograph the sunset from wherever we wanted. This means we walked around, stood, walked, stood, took pictures, walked again...I sat down a couple of times for very short times. Otherwise I was on my feet.
I got tired but my hip did not hurt. My legs felt pretty good overall. I felt like I did well. This, on top of three or four days without the sharp pains in my groin area that have become part of my life.
I suspect, therefore, that the foods I juiced do not cause inflammation in me. And now I want to follow Dr. Barnard's plan: go with anti-inflammatory foods for a while, then gradually add in foods that may be inflammatory, one by one. My first day, tomorrow, though, will be different. I want to have scrambled tofu with spinach and broccoli tomorrow morning. The tofu is not on that list. Tomorrow night I will be going to a potluck. The foods offered there will be healthy, for the most part, but I won't know what is in everything, so I won't be restricting myself to the "safe" foods tomorrow.
Today I went on a photography excursion. A bunch of us went to the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, just above San Simeon. We were led around by docents for over two hours, and then left on our own to photograph the sunset from wherever we wanted. This means we walked around, stood, walked, stood, took pictures, walked again...I sat down a couple of times for very short times. Otherwise I was on my feet.
I got tired but my hip did not hurt. My legs felt pretty good overall. I felt like I did well. This, on top of three or four days without the sharp pains in my groin area that have become part of my life.
I suspect, therefore, that the foods I juiced do not cause inflammation in me. And now I want to follow Dr. Barnard's plan: go with anti-inflammatory foods for a while, then gradually add in foods that may be inflammatory, one by one. My first day, tomorrow, though, will be different. I want to have scrambled tofu with spinach and broccoli tomorrow morning. The tofu is not on that list. Tomorrow night I will be going to a potluck. The foods offered there will be healthy, for the most part, but I won't know what is in everything, so I won't be restricting myself to the "safe" foods tomorrow.
Day 10 at last.
This has been a LONG ten days.
Last night I went to Art After Dark, aka First Friday. Saw an exhibit that included a work by a friend, then took in several other places, including a beauty salon where the wine and beer were sitting in ice in the shampoo bowls. Very cool. I resisted all that free wine. Believe me, it wasn't easy.
Today I am doing a fake marathon. I have to get my tripod out to take some pictures of myself running. I will set the camera's shutter on ten seconds' wait, then do my best. Probably more than once. Nobody volunteered to help so there won't be a refreshment stand or people holding signs or anything like that. I hope this happens again next year but I doubt it. I think it's really a one-time deal.
After that I will carpool with three or four others to the San Simeon Motel, where we will meet the rest of our photo group and then carpool to the San Simeon lighthouse, where we will spend three hours photographing. The challenge for me will be the standing more than anything else, I think. As well as figuring out how to make the most of the venture. I'm not half the photographer I wish I were.
Because I will be gone all afternoon and into the evening I will be making a large jug or two of juice to bring with me. I need to figure out a good way to pack up lenses, tripod, shutter remote, and juices in a reasonably compact way. I have decided that the marathon and the walking around the lighthouse will be my exercise for today.
Last night I went to Art After Dark, aka First Friday. Saw an exhibit that included a work by a friend, then took in several other places, including a beauty salon where the wine and beer were sitting in ice in the shampoo bowls. Very cool. I resisted all that free wine. Believe me, it wasn't easy.
Today I am doing a fake marathon. I have to get my tripod out to take some pictures of myself running. I will set the camera's shutter on ten seconds' wait, then do my best. Probably more than once. Nobody volunteered to help so there won't be a refreshment stand or people holding signs or anything like that. I hope this happens again next year but I doubt it. I think it's really a one-time deal.
After that I will carpool with three or four others to the San Simeon Motel, where we will meet the rest of our photo group and then carpool to the San Simeon lighthouse, where we will spend three hours photographing. The challenge for me will be the standing more than anything else, I think. As well as figuring out how to make the most of the venture. I'm not half the photographer I wish I were.
Because I will be gone all afternoon and into the evening I will be making a large jug or two of juice to bring with me. I need to figure out a good way to pack up lenses, tripod, shutter remote, and juices in a reasonably compact way. I have decided that the marathon and the walking around the lighthouse will be my exercise for today.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Day 9
I think it I did not have activities scheduled in these ten days it would be easier to do this. Tomorrow afternoon I will be spending with a bunch of other photographers. I will be gone from about 12:30 until after seven at night. I need to bring juice with me for this. Not quite as easy as packing a sandwich.
I am continuing to not have the sharp pains in my groin area that I was getting several times a day. Perhaps those were from inflammation. I managed 15 minutes on the treadmill today, after 15 on the bike, without pain. I still have the tension in my legs that makes me not want to do more, but at least I was not bothered by actual pain. It may be well for me to look at that list of foods that are anti-inflammatory again. Then, when I get off the juice I can be a little smarter in what I eat.
Last night I made apple juice just before I went to bed. I saved most of it in a covered container in the fridge, so I had a glass of that first thing this morning. When I got back from the gym I made a big batch of carrot-orange-beet-beet greens-spinach juice. Filled a quart container. I had a glass over ice and it tasted so good that I went back and had another. And another. Until it was all gone. I think this will be a good choice in the future when I crave something smooth and sweet.
Energy? I don't know. It seems like I have more but I'm not bouncing around or anything like that. I always feel like I have more energy when I just plan stop overeating. If my system is not involved in digestion it can do other things! I am also still sleeping well these nights. I don't sleep all the way through but whenever I get up to go pee I go back to sleep easily. That is plenty good enough for me.
I am continuing to not have the sharp pains in my groin area that I was getting several times a day. Perhaps those were from inflammation. I managed 15 minutes on the treadmill today, after 15 on the bike, without pain. I still have the tension in my legs that makes me not want to do more, but at least I was not bothered by actual pain. It may be well for me to look at that list of foods that are anti-inflammatory again. Then, when I get off the juice I can be a little smarter in what I eat.
Last night I made apple juice just before I went to bed. I saved most of it in a covered container in the fridge, so I had a glass of that first thing this morning. When I got back from the gym I made a big batch of carrot-orange-beet-beet greens-spinach juice. Filled a quart container. I had a glass over ice and it tasted so good that I went back and had another. And another. Until it was all gone. I think this will be a good choice in the future when I crave something smooth and sweet.
Energy? I don't know. It seems like I have more but I'm not bouncing around or anything like that. I always feel like I have more energy when I just plan stop overeating. If my system is not involved in digestion it can do other things! I am also still sleeping well these nights. I don't sleep all the way through but whenever I get up to go pee I go back to sleep easily. That is plenty good enough for me.
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