Last day of juicing! I broke the fast tonight with some grapes. I felt good all day. Plenty of energy. No headaches. My whole body ached, though. I was definitely dehydrated. I could feel my muscles stretching and cramping - in my back, my legs, my sides. I'm used to drinking at least 60 ounces of water a day - minimum! But yesterday I realized once I got home that I hadn't had a single ounce.
My training plan for the next few months is as follows:
Meal Plan
Breakfast
1 banana/apple
1 teaspoon of nut butter
Mid-Morning Snack
16 ounce fruit smoothie
(frozen fruit, soy milk, spinach, agave)
Lunch
Salad
(mixed greens, chickpeas, corn, black beans, 2 tablespoons salad dressing)
Afternoon Snack
1 cup of fruit
Traffic Snack
1/4 cup nuts
10 chocolate chips (vegan!)
Dinner
1/2 cup grains
1 cup steamed or roasted veggies
Evening Snack (if needed)
Edamame
Exceptions to the Rule
4 rule-free meals a month
2 vegan treats a month
A pre and/or post workout snack on long distance days from this website.
Running Plan
2 miles Monday/Wednesday/Friday nights on treadmill
Tuesday/Thursday - one yoga day and one day off
Saturday - either long distance or speed mile
Sunday - yoga and long distance or speed mile
Long Distance Plan
Feb 23 - 3.2 miles
March 2 - 5 miles
March 9 - 3.2 miles
March 16 - 5 miles
March 23 - 10 miles
March 30 - 3.2 miles
April 6 - 5 miles
April 13 - 10 miles
April 20 - 3.2 miles
April 27 - 5 miles
May 5 - Broad Street 10 miler!
So that's the plan! Any tips, recommendations, comments?
Thanks to the following resources:
50 Awesome Pre and Post-Workout Snacks
Cris Sardo: The Very Hungry Xfitter
Gary Gibson: The Vegan Effect
No Meat Athlete: The Vegetarian Athlete Diet
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Juice Fast 2013: Day 4
I had a relatively easy transition back to work. No headaches, no hunger . . .the day went by quickly. Moments of ease and moments of lusting after food.
I'm going to spend tonight constructing a healthy plan for the rest of this year's "cleanse." Because I'm hungry! And I'm starting to worry about the less appealing physical side effects of the fast . . .like dizziness, urinary tract infections, constipation. All the fun things I totally forgot about in the euphoria of having completed the fast.
Another thing the fast brings out is all the unhealthy ideas I have about eating. I worry that if every bite I eat is not carefully planned and measured, I'll gain weight. I'll lose control and go right back to pre-fast habits. I imagine a single bite of food will make the scale jump up a number. I have to be able to see weight loss without fasting.
The fast felt like freedom. There WAS some freedom. But I don't think doing it again will bring the same sense of freedom. The fast will become the prison. Freedom to me now means eating - eating for health, eating because I'm hungry, eating because we HAVE to - and still being able to lose weight. Freedom would mean not fearing the act of eating.
But it's just like the classroom. If I want freedom, I need structure. So if I want to eat tomorrow, I need a plan tonight. So here I go . . .
I'm going to spend tonight constructing a healthy plan for the rest of this year's "cleanse." Because I'm hungry! And I'm starting to worry about the less appealing physical side effects of the fast . . .like dizziness, urinary tract infections, constipation. All the fun things I totally forgot about in the euphoria of having completed the fast.
Another thing the fast brings out is all the unhealthy ideas I have about eating. I worry that if every bite I eat is not carefully planned and measured, I'll gain weight. I'll lose control and go right back to pre-fast habits. I imagine a single bite of food will make the scale jump up a number. I have to be able to see weight loss without fasting.
The fast felt like freedom. There WAS some freedom. But I don't think doing it again will bring the same sense of freedom. The fast will become the prison. Freedom to me now means eating - eating for health, eating because I'm hungry, eating because we HAVE to - and still being able to lose weight. Freedom would mean not fearing the act of eating.
But it's just like the classroom. If I want freedom, I need structure. So if I want to eat tomorrow, I need a plan tonight. So here I go . . .
Monday, February 18, 2013
Juice Fast 2013: Day 3
Day 3 is notoriously the worst day. I didn't feel too bad, but definitely started really feeling hunger. I was also tired. Never made it out to see Argo. I ended up spending most of the day lounging around under the covers.
I stocked up on my make-it-through-the-day V8s for school tomorrow. But - in a happy turn of events, I won the Broad Street Run's lottery and got a spot in the 10-mile race. So I have to adjust my fasting plans.
I could continue fasting until March 1st, then drop the fast for heavy training. I could adjust the fast, continuing to juice except before and after workouts. I could create a really mindful eating plan and turn the fast into a whole food, training combination that would last until the race. The last idea is inspired by Cris Sardo. Everything she eats is planned according to what her body will need for her workouts. I'm leaning toward that one . . .but still not totally sure what's going to happen next. So until then . . .happy fasting.
I stocked up on my make-it-through-the-day V8s for school tomorrow. But - in a happy turn of events, I won the Broad Street Run's lottery and got a spot in the 10-mile race. So I have to adjust my fasting plans.
I could continue fasting until March 1st, then drop the fast for heavy training. I could adjust the fast, continuing to juice except before and after workouts. I could create a really mindful eating plan and turn the fast into a whole food, training combination that would last until the race. The last idea is inspired by Cris Sardo. Everything she eats is planned according to what her body will need for her workouts. I'm leaning toward that one . . .but still not totally sure what's going to happen next. So until then . . .happy fasting.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Juice Fast 2013: Day 2
Tip #1: Definitely start a fast when you have no other obligations. I chose this weekend intentionally because I have 3 days to get over the initial side effects of fatigue, hunger, cotton mouth, and more! But conversely, the days are long. I get to spend all day thinking about not eating. It's rough. I went for a mile-loop again today to distract myself - and finally put away the Christmas tree. Thinking about going to see Argo tomorrow to lose time on Day 3. I also have to cover all my word wall words in contact paper since there is no convenient access to a laminating machine in my life.
It's amazing how life-consuming food can be. I still haven't decided the parameters of this food-experiment . . .so a pure fast is still in effect. Working my way through my pineapple - yum. I discovered the art of juicing the pineapple in chunks instead of spears. Less stringy build-up on the blade.
It's amazing how life-consuming food can be. I still haven't decided the parameters of this food-experiment . . .so a pure fast is still in effect. Working my way through my pineapple - yum. I discovered the art of juicing the pineapple in chunks instead of spears. Less stringy build-up on the blade.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Juice Fast 2013: Day 1
Since last year's fast I have remained vegan, gone to yoga at least once a week, and been a regular runner. When I started running, I was doing about a 15-minute mile and I was building up to a 5k. Now my fastest mile is under 11 minutes and my longest distance has been about 10.5 miles.
But after one too many nights of skipping a real meal in favor of a pretzel and a bag of chips, I decided I needed to revisit the fasting experience. Being a first year teacher has definitely taken a toll on the scale. I've gained 10 pounds since September, which means I'm starting the 2013 fast at 205 pounds. (Which is 65 pounds lighter than last year!)
I'm not calling this a 60-day fast. I'm open to the possibility of changing this to a juice "feast" - which would mean eating as many fruits and veggies as I want in addition to juicing. I'm not in the same place as I was last year, so I don't think my body needs the shock of a 60-day fast. And hopefully, I'll win a spot in this year's Broad Street Run. If that happens, I'll need to constinue running long distances regularly, so I may add some protein before and after runs. But until I decide exactly what I want to do, I'm fasting.
The most life-altering thing about last year's fast was the way I felt about food and the way I felt about my body post-fast. And that's what I'm trying to get out of this year's experience.
Today's menu looks very much like last year's Day 1. I started with my favorite - a pineapple-spinach-orange-strawberry juice. I also had a sweet potato-carrot-orange-cinnamon juice and a romaine-carrot-apple juice. Feeling tired, hungry, a little fuzzy, and debating whether or not to hit up yoga in the morning.
I did do a mile loop around Hackettstown tonight before the sun went down. It felt good to be outside, good to be using the juicer again, good to be back at the Farmer's Market.
But after one too many nights of skipping a real meal in favor of a pretzel and a bag of chips, I decided I needed to revisit the fasting experience. Being a first year teacher has definitely taken a toll on the scale. I've gained 10 pounds since September, which means I'm starting the 2013 fast at 205 pounds. (Which is 65 pounds lighter than last year!)
I'm not calling this a 60-day fast. I'm open to the possibility of changing this to a juice "feast" - which would mean eating as many fruits and veggies as I want in addition to juicing. I'm not in the same place as I was last year, so I don't think my body needs the shock of a 60-day fast. And hopefully, I'll win a spot in this year's Broad Street Run. If that happens, I'll need to constinue running long distances regularly, so I may add some protein before and after runs. But until I decide exactly what I want to do, I'm fasting.
The most life-altering thing about last year's fast was the way I felt about food and the way I felt about my body post-fast. And that's what I'm trying to get out of this year's experience.
Today's menu looks very much like last year's Day 1. I started with my favorite - a pineapple-spinach-orange-strawberry juice. I also had a sweet potato-carrot-orange-cinnamon juice and a romaine-carrot-apple juice. Feeling tired, hungry, a little fuzzy, and debating whether or not to hit up yoga in the morning.
I did do a mile loop around Hackettstown tonight before the sun went down. It felt good to be outside, good to be using the juicer again, good to be back at the Farmer's Market.
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