Not knowing what to expect…

Today, I have had 3 and a half of my 5 suggested juices (I am finishing one now, and one is waiting for later). I picked out my juicer at Wal-mart, being the typical college student that I am, for $60 from Hamilton Beach. This was much less than I anticipated it being, as I expected to be spending around $100 to $150. I chose this juicer in particular because of the positive reviews it had on a number of sites in comparison to the more expensive ones (which surprised me).

This is the juicer I chose (you can click it to see some reviews I read that led me to purchase it):

When I got home, I made the 2 juices for my day: carrot apple ginger and the mean green. Each recipe made two servings, providing me with 4 juices for the day. Instead of the suggested fifth dessert juice, I had a Naked mango juice from the store this morning (since I woke up late). The preparation was very easy and relatively quick, and I was impressed with the taste of the juices as well. I prefer the carrot apple ginger juice over the mean green, but the mean green isn’t so bad. Neither juices are particularly savory, but more sweet instead.

So far today, the hunger that many people describe hasn’t really happened to me…instead I feel full. I guess I will know more as the days go by, as the first day hasn’t seemed all that difficult. I am pleasantly surprised, so far. This post has been difficult to write, honestly. Maybe my ability to communicate effectively has left me since beginning my juicing journey. Tomorrow, I will bring my A game.

P.S. this was my shopping list, as promised:

(http://www.rebootwithjoe.com)

Fruit
† 17 red apples
† 6 green apples
† 8 oranges
† 6 ripe peaches or pears
† 5 baskets blueberries
† 8 lemons
† 1 big bunch purple/black/red
grapes

Veggies
† 26 carrots
† 2 bunches celery
† 10 cucumbers
† 7 bunches kale (Australian Tuscan
Cabbage)
† 3 bunches leafy greens (collards,
kale/Australian Tuscan Cabbage,
chard)
† 2 bunches spinach
† 1 large head romaine lettuce
† 8 beets/beetroots
† 3 sweet potatoes

Fresh Herbs
† 1 bunch parsley
† 1 bunch mint
† 1 bunch basil
† 1 big hunk of gingerroot

Other
† 6, 16 oz. packages or bottles of
coconut water, or purchase
coconut water in larger containers,
at least 96 oz./3 quarts, or
just about 3 liters
† herbal teas

A Trip to Sprouts

So this morning I woke up later than I had hoped. 10 instead of 8. After getting ready for the anticipated first day, I headed to my local farmer’s market store, Sprouts. I had my list with me, but I was worried about price. It would seem like this much fruits and veggies would cost me an arm and a leg.

I walked in and grabbed a basket and headed for the coconut water…where I broke a bottle on accident. So that was fun. But once that ordeal was over with, I began to shop for my ridiculous amounts of produce. I’ll post the list later, but let me tell you….26 carrots, 27 red apples, and 13 bushels of greens later (a very condensed list of what I found hilariously large numbers)…I felt like everyone in the store was watching me and thinking I looked as silly as I felt. Once my reality kicked in and I realized juice cleanses were rather common at health food stores, I walked with a sort of pride to the cash register. I spent only $78 ish dollars which was much less than I anticipated. The cashier asked me if I was juicing, and I said yes. She began to chat with the bagger about how they should start juicing and suddenly I felt much less alone. All in all, it was a good experience.

Once I got home, the fun of stuffing the fridge I share with two roommates dampened my mood. Here’s what that looked like…my poor roommates.

So now I am going to go buy a juicer and Begin my journey. Updates to come later this evening.

Well…I’m starting a juice cleanse!

*Begin mocking my basic white girl status*

Yes, I know. How typical. In all honesty, though, I have struggled with my weight since I can remember (even though looking back…I used to be very fit and healthy contrary to my insecure beliefs). I’ve always been frustrated with my weight, even when it wasn’t really an issue. My family struggles with food addiction, and this has become an adopted trait on my behalf. Knowing that I control exactly what I put into my body, I am choosing to finally take charge of this addiction. While I will still, undoubtedly, struggle with constantly thinking of food and my next meal…I believe I can begin to control my urges. In learning to love my body and love myself, I chose to do this juice cleanse as a way of taking control of my will power and my food addiction. If I can drink nothing but juice for 15 days straight, I can stop myself from eating an entire box of pasta, or fast food, or that extra plate of food. That’s the thought at least.

This is the start of my last semester as an undergraduate at Texas Tech University, and I want to be fit and healthy as I enter the next phase of my life. I have an internship with an oil company this summer and I will hopefully be entering graduate school as a geology student (part II). It would be great to start these new experiences as a better me. I feel that I have accomplished so much during my educational endeavors and I would like to gift myself…with a new, healthier body and mindset. Congratulations, Heather! I give you extreme dieting! (I’m corny and awkward, I’m sorry).

Beyond the superficiality of wanting to look good, I want to be able to describe myself as healthy and active. I love hiking…and the more fit I am, the more I can do in that department. My dad has been my inspiration for wanting to become more active, as he has recently become very physically fit and taken control of his own addiction. He has been completely honest along the journey, commenting on his weaknesses and acknowledging when he falls short here and there. Regarding my own journey, he has been nothing but encouraging and has pushed me to be the best me and make changes for myself. I’d like to think my mom is joining me in this experience too, as she is beginning to make positive choices in terms of diet and exercise. She has been an amazing inspiration as well, having done things physically I never thought were possible during her weight loss journey in India. While she has struggled again recently, she has never stopped being my inspiration. She only proves to me that we are imperfect human beings and that this is something that needs to become a permanent part of my life…as the addiction is real and real life takes tolls on us. The fight never stops, it is all a part of the journey. I have very strong minded and bodied parents, and I wish I could thank them more for the qualities I love about myself that they’ve provided me with.

My friend Ashlyn and I are embarking on this adventure together, but she will begin 5 days behind me. We have both been making changes to our diets to be cleaner and healthier eaters before making this huge transition. The idea came to me (so original, I know) when I came downstairs one morning to my dad playing Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead on Netflix. While I’m not all that convinced after seeing the associated site that this isn’t some big Breville (sp?) promotional scam…the movie moved me and I am willing to give anything a try at this point.

So tomorrow starts my first ever juice cleanse. I’ve chosen the 15 day program from the reboot suggestions from the site mentioned before. I am, however, taking this 5 days at a time and trying to be realistic. I hope to update this blog daily…if only to help my sanity along the way. Following the cleanse, I plan to transition into a paleo-style diet. I think this will be a nice plan, because I have relatively frustrating intolerances to both gluten and (severely) lactose. So, here goes…