I'll do it tomorrow...

I am a classic procrastinator. For example, I've been thinking about writing this post for at least two weeks. It seems like there is never enough time in the day. The days go by and are full of diapers and meals and cleaning and before I know it, it's 11 pm and I'm just sitting down for the first time in hours. For the last few weeks there has been so much I wanted to add to this blog, but I can't ever find the time to do it. By the time I sit down at night I am exhausted and just think, "I'll do it tomorrow."

So now I need to catch everyone up on where I stand with juicing. I lasted about 3 days with the juice fast. Just as I had read about and just as I had prepared myself for, the initial body cleanse at the beginning of the fast was horrid. I was tired, irritable, spent most of the time in the bathroom and was just plain miserable. By Day 3 I was feeling better and down 5 lbs, but I was SO hungry. Taking care of 3 young children, the house, the meals, the laundry, it just all was too much with the juicing. Yes, this is a complete excuse, but I'm using it.

Instead of fasting I slowly began to integrate meals back into my daily intake. I've been careful about what I'm eating and when. I've been loving the Tofurkey sausages and brats, granola with almond milk and all sorts of healthy things. I've been trying to make choices that don't leave me ready to run to the gas station for a Snickers, but also fill me up and satisfy my taste buds. But I am still juicing, and I love it.

I'm starting to get a real knack for knowing what goes well with what. I love that I can put kale or spinach in pretty much every juice and its nearly undetected. I love that when my kids are sick (another reason it has been so long since my last post), I can make up a vitamin packed juice that I know has no unhealthy additives or sugar and they will chug it down when they won't eat or drink anything else. I love that when I'm in the mood for something other than water with my meal, I can take a few extra minutes and whip up a yummy drink and as I gulp it down I think of all of the wonderful things I'm putting into my body.

The past month has been a huge step in our journey to becoming healthier. Fruits and veggies now make up about 75% of what we eat and drink. Six months ago my 3 year old wouldn't go near a strawberry and maybe would be in the mood for a banana every now and then and her diet consisted of hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Now that same 3 year old ASKS for fruits. When offered a hot dog she will say she would rather have a banana. Instead of processed chicken nuggets that contain lord knows what, she is eating straight off the bone no skin chicken... and asks for seconds!

We have indeed made some major steps in improving our diets, but we are not quite finished yet. I do find myself incredibly cautious when grocery shopping. Now when I looked at the boxed and processed foods that used to fill my shopping cart, it makes me want to gag. Don't get me wrong, there are still the occasional quick and easy foods finding their way in my home, but not nearly as much as there used to be.

 I'm extremely satisfied with the changes we are making. In addition to the changes in our food intake, I have also started exercising regularly again. A few of my friends started an event on Facebook called "Couch to 5k." This is application that can be downloaded on a mobile device and you play it while on the treadmill or walking/running outside. It tells you when to walk and when to run and you can listen to music while doing so. The goal in this is to go from a "couch potato" to being able to run a 5k. I can say I would never HONESTLY do this the whole way through if I didn't have the support of my wonderful friends. Knowing that each of them is sticking to every second of the program keeps me going.

With all of these wonderful changes, I have still been finding myself teetering between 224 lbs and 221 lbs. It's frustrating because I am working so hard, but I know my body is changing. I have more energy. I am no longer taking my Prozac and I'm keeping positive (OK, so maybe 75% of the time that's true), my clothes are more loose,  I'm getting up earlier and I'm doing more with my kids and around the house. So I know the changes I'm making are having an impact on my body. I wish I had done actual measurements when I started, but I know the changes will become more obvious eventually.

That's it for now on this post. I'll try my best to keep this updated more often, and I appreciate all of the love and support everyone is giving! Now to post about the awesome dinner I made tonight...