So, for the first 9 days, I juiced 100%. Didn’t cheat at all except for one meal with my parents and brother before they went back to Phoenix. As a result, I had lost 9 pounds. I then had one more cheat meal with my husband on my Thursday night date night, which was planned, and went back to juicing. Next thing you know, I am making excuses for another cheat meal, that wasn’t in the plans. And then it was cheat meal after cheat meal after cheat meal. I know I cannot be the only who who has gone through this. Mentally, I feel like I am back to where I always end up everytime I am on a “diet”. Feeling completely, and utterly defeated.

Well, I am going to start up again today, with 100% juice. Thankfully, through all of that “cheating”, I had only gained 1 pound back from the 9 that I lost. My plan is to only cheat Thursday night for my date night, and Sunday night for our family outing/dinner. Here’s to hoping I stick to it this time. I am going to take this week by week instead of thinking of it as 60 days.

May I also recommend this Starbucks 16oz Clear Acrylic Tumbler? I paid around $15 bucks for mine at Target. It’s a bit steep for a cup, but juice tastes better through a straw (for me, at least) and you can take it ANYWHERE. Below, I filled mine with 4 large carrots + 1/2 pineapple + 1 green apple. SO GOOD!

Totally off-topic, but somewhat on-topic, how amazing is this dress by Christian Dior?



STATS:
Starting weight (08/24/11): 221 lbs
Current Weight: 213 lbs
Mini goal weight (09/21/11): 208 lbs
Ultimate goal weight (03/10/12): 140 lbs for my 10 year wedding anniversary
Pounds lost so far: 8 lbs

So here’s what’s been going on in the past week. After my trip with my best friend to Savannah and Charleston, I came back home for one day to pack and go on my next trip to Ocean Isle Beach with my family who flew in from Phoenix. As soon as I finished packing, I watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, and I was immediately motivated to get my life back on track. So much so, that I began my 60 day juice fast ON MY VACATION. Everyone kept telling me to wait until after my trip since it would be hard, but I was determined not to wait and began while I was still motivated. And I did. And I stuck to it. I had a “cheat day” on Sunday on my last day with my family, and a small Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt with fruit last night, but other than that? All juice. And as a result, I lost 9 pounds! The strangest part about all of this is that with my old habits, which included A LOT of carbs, I would down a huge bowl of pasta or a huge bag of chips and feel hungry within an hour or two. Now, I drink a tall glass of freshly squeezed fruit and/or vegetable juice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I never feel hungry. At all. Which still boggles me, but whatever. It works! I have received many requests for recipes on what I have been drinking via my Twitter and Facebook. Here are a few of the ones I have tried and love.

Breakfast:
3 apples
*mix sour and sweet apples

Lunch:
4 large carrots
1/2 pineapple (rind & core removed)

Dinner:
3 tomatoes
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves (peeled)
1/4 jalapeno pepper
1/4 onion (peeled)
1 celery stalk

I use the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer which I bought at Costco for only $89. The recipes above are from the recipe booklet included with the juicer and there are so many more great tasting ones inside. Anyway, I wanted to share my success with this so far, and I hope that I have inspired some of you to kickstart yourselves back into shape. And because no blog post is interesting without a photo, here’s a self-portrait from today.

STATS:
Starting weight (08/24/11): 221 lbs
Current Weight: 212 lbs
Mini goal weight (09/10/11): 205 lbs for a wedding we shoot in Savannah
Ultimate goal weight (03/10/12): 140 lbs for my 10 year wedding anniversary
Pounds lost so far: 9 lbs

On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the most fun ever to be around on this trip, I would rate myself a 9. It would have been a 10 if I wasn’t so down and depressed about the way I looked. And I soon felt like I not only deprived myself of a perfect 10 experience, but I also let my best friend down too. And that made me sad. My weight is something I can control, and somehow I have let it spiral more and more out of control than I ever have. This is a photo of me taken by my lovely friend Jenny in Savannah during this trip:

Well, this ends now.

After watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead last night, I knew what I needed to do. I needed a wakeup call. My BODY needed a wakeup call, and I knew that this was how I had to do it. Starting today, I will be on a strict 60-day juice fast only diet. I am determined to rid my body of the toxins within me, and in 60 days, I am determined to look good in an outfit similar to this:

I want to live there. (But that’s a whole ‘nutha subject)

And since this is a Weight Loss Wednesdays post, I said all that to say that I may have gained a pound since the last time I weighed in. And I am fine with that because there was no way I was going to visit New York and not try the amazing food that lives in this marvelous city. And I mean: I did not hold back. But we walked miles and miles every day we were there, so, considering how much I ate I’m surprised I didn’t gain more than the 1 pound.

Next we went to Charleston. Again. And I would still go again and again for as long as I live. I never tire of this city. This time, the main purpose was to shoot an engagement session for a very dear bride of mine. (Pictures coming in the next couple of weeks.) We brought the kids along and spent some time together walking the quiet neighborhood streets of historic Charleston, and then spent a couple of hours at the Isle of Palms beach. I just loved spending that time with Alin and the kids. Although I love having fun with my husband when we are alone together, I seem to enjoy even more just seeing my kids happy. I have LOTS of pictures of our day in Charleston to show in the next few weeks.

Now on to the stats. My next mini-goal is to reach 200 pounds by 05/06/11 which happens to be my sister-in-law’s wedding in Mexico. I cannot wait to rock my new body then!

STATS:
Start weight: 215
Last weigh-in: 207
Current weight: 208
Mini-Goal (sister’s wedding on 05/06/11): 200
Long-Term Goal (10 yr Anniversary on 03/10/12): 135

1. We eat at Bombay Grille, our favorite Indian Restaurant, around 3-5 times a month, and I ALWAYS eat the Shrimp Tikka Masala. A dish full of succulent, juicy and huge shrimp that sit in a large pool of the most amazing tasting sauce you will ever eat, and always ordered at a “level 3 spicy”. I dump that dish over a bed of delicious white rice, enough to feed between 2-3 people easily. I would then alternate using a fork or the cheese-filled garlic naan bread to scoop the amazing goodness into my mouth one after another until the plate is practically licked clean. So that is what I normally order and eat. The temptation I overcame last week? Well we visited Bombay Grille, and instead of telling Ajmal, our waiter and friend, I’d have the usual, I said I would try something different. So I looked at the menu and looked for something lower in carbs and calories. Shrimp Tandoori, I guess? Ajmal warned me there was no sauce on that dish, and I said painfully, “I know”. So that’s what I ordered. Just grilled tandoori shrimp over a bed of bell peppers & onions. No rice, no….sauce (although I did steal a tablespoon or two off of my husband’s tikka masala plate). But my victory here is that I made a better choice when the temptation was in my face to eat what I normally eat and love so much. I could live on Bombay Grille’s shrimp tikka masala for the rest of my life and never get sick of it.

2. I fought the urge EVERY night last week and this week to eat past 7pm and I won every night!

3. I walked into Target to buy some cleaning supplies and the candy aisle is not too far from it. I ALWAYS go to the candy aisle and buy Sour Patch Kids and Chewy Sweet Tart mini’s. And then I’d finish both bags in 1 day, no problem. So I put the cleaning supplies in my basket, and walked over to the candy aisle, even though I knew I shouldn’t. I grabbed the bag of Sour Patch Kids, looked at the back and counted around 600 calories & 130 grams of carbs for the bag. YIKES! So I put it back. Then I walked over to the Chewy Sweet Tart Mini’s and checked the back. Over 1,000 calories for the bag as well as over 350 grams of carbs! I don’t think I ate that many carbs ALL last week & this week put together, let alone in one bag of candy. So I put the bag back and walked away. All the way to the register. All the way to the car. All the way home. I fought the urge to stuff myself with 1600 calories & 480 grams of carb goodness and I won!

4. I went to the gym a couple of days, walked a trail with my family another day, and signed up our whole family for martial arts. Karate for the kids and Krav Maga for Alin & I.

STATS:
Start weight: 215
Current weight: 207
Mini-Goal (NYC on 04/15/11): 205
Long-Term Goal (10 yr Anniversary on 03/10/12): 135