I don't think working full time and going to school is for everybody. Lots of people are doing it but I seriously don't know how they survive it. I am weak. I'm a baby when I don't get enough sleep and I get stressed out when I have a lot on my plate. I did two semesters part time at community college and it just about killed me. I came home from class in tears because I was so exhausted and so tired and had no idea where I would find the time or energy to get everything done. My husband is a lot stronger then I am. I already knew that. WE already knew that, but doing what he did is just one more example of how much stronger. For the past three years Mj has been a fixture at the dining room table doing homework for hours and hours on end. I come home from work and there he is posted up in front of his laptops. I'm chilling on the couch on Sunday catching up on the old DVR and there he is doing homework all. day. long. I really did feel sorry for him slaving away while I dozed in and out of sleep on the couch. Some week nights we'd hardly even talk because he'd be doing homework from when I got home until we went to bed.
He's been counting it down month by month, week by week and day by day. Literally. I got an update every week. I "used" him as motivation to get some writing done and got him to come with me to my favorite coffee shop to work. I wish I'd started it sooner because I got a lot done with him and it was fun. He spent all Sunday working on his final project and now after years of hard work he finally has his degree and is so happy to be getting his life back. Not that he ever really stopped living it. My husband is a busy body. He still hung out with his friends. He cooked and went through all kinds of random baking phases. He did his Army Drills. We went on vacations. We had date nights and DVD nights at home. He went biking. He did two cycles of P90X last year. He did kick ball, dodge ball and is in his second flag football league in a row right now. In fact, he's in two different leagues. He just does not stop. Needless to say he's really good at multi tasking while I'm tired just thinking about it. I'm such a slacker. He says he doesn't know what he's going to do with all this extra time and I'm thinking he may not want to tell me that because I'm sure I can think of a few things to help fill the void.
I'm so very proud of him. When we met he told me that getting his Bachelor's degree had been a goal that he set out for himself a long time ago. He did active duty Army, traveled the world then once he went to part time Army the degree was next on his list. He had some setbacks. It took him longer then he planned. Army reserve training, deployments and life in general got in the way but he buckled down and got it done. And what's really awesome aside from the whole getting your college degree thing is that between the GI Bill and his job benefits he hasn't paid a dime out of his pocket. How freaking amazing is that in a time where most college graduates are drowning in student loan debt? He even has a new job position lined up for next month. He's a smart one alright, and he's cute. I'm just glad I snatched him up when I did.
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Volunteers Wanted
4.29.2013
I hate painting. Painting our house started out fun but ended up being torture. With the prepping and taping and extra coats it takes so long. We still have 3 bathrooms and two bedrooms with plain white walls that I do not even want to touch. So when Mj signed us up to paint the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Building at 7:30 am on a Saturday I wasn't too thrilled. It was for a good cause so I didn't fuss. Well, not too much anyways. They had a bunch of projects going on to spruce up the building. We signed up to outside painting which is a heck of a lot better then painting inside because outside you don't have to tape things off and if the paint falls on the ground it's no big deal. Everyone grabbed brushes and pitched in wherever it was needed and by the end of our time there the we'd all painted a garage, two cinder block walls, part of the building and you know what? Turns out it wasn't so bad after all. It was actually kinda fun.
We did this through the company that Mj works for. They fed us breakfast and lunch and provided us with giant sexy red T-Shirts. The kind that I won't even wear to the gym. It will go in the drawer with the rest of my collection of T-shirts of sentimental value that I won't wear OR get rid of. We were done by 11:30am and still had the rest of our Saturday. And what did we do with it? Showered, watched a movie and then took a great nap on the couch. Then Mj spent the rest of the day doing homework while I lazed around on the couch getting caught up on House Hunters. Since last Saturday I was in LA and this Saturday I was painting a building our house went another week without a cleaning. Technically I could have done it when I got home, but realistically; yeah right. If I don't do it Saturday morning when I get up it probably 'aint gonna happen. Oh well. There is always next weekend.
I donate money here and there sporadically and I haven't done any kind of volunteer work in a really, really long time. Sometimes I do feel very badly that I don't do more when I know how fortunate I am to have what I do. Time is so precious when so much of it seems to be spent at work, doing chores and trying to fit in time at the gym. It's always the same old excuse. I don't have time. I only get the weekends and I want to enjoy them. I have too much to do. So while I was annoyed at first I'm glad that Mj took the initiative and signed me up for it too. It felt good to volunteer my time to do something good for others.
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We did this through the company that Mj works for. They fed us breakfast and lunch and provided us with giant sexy red T-Shirts. The kind that I won't even wear to the gym. It will go in the drawer with the rest of my collection of T-shirts of sentimental value that I won't wear OR get rid of. We were done by 11:30am and still had the rest of our Saturday. And what did we do with it? Showered, watched a movie and then took a great nap on the couch. Then Mj spent the rest of the day doing homework while I lazed around on the couch getting caught up on House Hunters. Since last Saturday I was in LA and this Saturday I was painting a building our house went another week without a cleaning. Technically I could have done it when I got home, but realistically; yeah right. If I don't do it Saturday morning when I get up it probably 'aint gonna happen. Oh well. There is always next weekend.
I donate money here and there sporadically and I haven't done any kind of volunteer work in a really, really long time. Sometimes I do feel very badly that I don't do more when I know how fortunate I am to have what I do. Time is so precious when so much of it seems to be spent at work, doing chores and trying to fit in time at the gym. It's always the same old excuse. I don't have time. I only get the weekends and I want to enjoy them. I have too much to do. So while I was annoyed at first I'm glad that Mj took the initiative and signed me up for it too. It felt good to volunteer my time to do something good for others.
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Wanna Be Photographer
4.25.2013
There are 6 Conferences in NCAA Gymnastics: Big 10 Championship, Big 12 Championship, Pacific 12, Mid-American Conference, Southeastern Conference and Western Athletic Conference.Each conference has it's own championship for the Conference Title AND qualification to Regionals. The top 6-7 teams in each region earn a place in Regional Championships and are assigned to one of six held across the nation.
Road to NCAA Championships
Columbus Regional– UCLA, LSU, Arizona, Ohio State, Central Michigan, North Carolina State
Corvallis Regional – Georgia, Oregon State, Arkansas, Boise State, Arizona State, Cal
Gainesville Regional – Florida, Minnesota, Auburn, Maryland, Bridgeport, Pittsburgh
Morgantown Regional – Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina
Norman Regional– Oklahoma, Stanford, Penn State, Washington, Iowa, Southern Utah
Tuscaloosa Regional – Alabama, Utah, Denver, Kent State, Brigham Young, Iowa State
As a former gymnast myself I know how hard the sport is. And I wasn't even that good!! Gymnasts are incredible. No matter how many times I watch it I am never any less amazed at the tricks they do. They are so strong and they make it look so easy. The thing is, that people aren't supposed to do the things that they can do. Not only do they they defy gravity but they are fearless. They stand there, raise their arms over their heads and launch into a tumbling series on a four inch beam like it's nothing. They are in such good shape too. Muscles popping out everywhere. In the crowd there were a lot of gymnasts and you can spot them a mile away because of their toned legs and build. I have abs and pretty solid muscle tone to this day that I think is from doing gymnastics so many years ago! I maintain that gymnastics is the best sport in the world and nobody can tell me any different.
The real photographers were on the floor where they were confined to this little taped off square box area. I'm a wanna be photographer so I got what I could from the stands. We had pretty good seats. Here are some of my favorite shots.
Standings after Team Qualifications Session I and II
1. University of Florida, 197.775
2. University of Alabama, 197.350
3. Louisiana State University, 197.325
4. University of California-Los Angeles, 197.200
5. University of Oklahoma, 197.200
6. University of Georgia, 197.150
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Road to NCAA Championships
Columbus Regional– UCLA, LSU, Arizona, Ohio State, Central Michigan, North Carolina State
Corvallis Regional – Georgia, Oregon State, Arkansas, Boise State, Arizona State, Cal
Gainesville Regional – Florida, Minnesota, Auburn, Maryland, Bridgeport, Pittsburgh
Morgantown Regional – Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina
Norman Regional– Oklahoma, Stanford, Penn State, Washington, Iowa, Southern Utah
Tuscaloosa Regional – Alabama, Utah, Denver, Kent State, Brigham Young, Iowa State
- The top two teams and the top two all-around competitors not from an advancing team at each regional receives a berth in the NCAA Championships. In addition, individual event winners who did not already qualify with their team or as an all-arounder will advance.
- At the national championships, the twelve teams that made it compete in two different qualification sessions on Day 1 to make it into the team finals.
- The top three teams from each session advance to the Super Six Team Finals which is held on Day 2.
- The top four individuals from each semifinal in each event (including ties) from Day 1 of competition will compete in the individual-event championships which is held on Day 3.
- There is no separate event for the Individual All Around. The top finishers who did all four events in the team qualification round are ranked based on those results.
As a former gymnast myself I know how hard the sport is. And I wasn't even that good!! Gymnasts are incredible. No matter how many times I watch it I am never any less amazed at the tricks they do. They are so strong and they make it look so easy. The thing is, that people aren't supposed to do the things that they can do. Not only do they they defy gravity but they are fearless. They stand there, raise their arms over their heads and launch into a tumbling series on a four inch beam like it's nothing. They are in such good shape too. Muscles popping out everywhere. In the crowd there were a lot of gymnasts and you can spot them a mile away because of their toned legs and build. I have abs and pretty solid muscle tone to this day that I think is from doing gymnastics so many years ago! I maintain that gymnastics is the best sport in the world and nobody can tell me any different.
The real photographers were on the floor where they were confined to this little taped off square box area. I'm a wanna be photographer so I got what I could from the stands. We had pretty good seats. Here are some of my favorite shots.
Marissa King, Florida- Team Qualifications // 2008 Canadian Olympian |
Shayla Worley, Georgia- Team Qualifications // Former World Team member |
Nansy Damianova, Utah-Team Qualifications // 2008 Olympian for Canada |
Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA-Team Qualifications // Former Elite & US National Team member |
Marissa King, Florida-Team Finals |
Mackenzie Caquatto, Florida- Team Finals // Former World Team member |
Bridget Sloan, Florida-Team Finals // 2008 Olympian, 2009 World Champion |
Oklahoma, Team Finals |
Chelsea Davis-Georgia, Team Finals // Former Elite & US National Team Member |
Shayla Worley, Georgia- Team Finals |
Ashley Priess, Alabama- Team Finals // Former Elite |
Shalya Worley, Georgia-Team Finals |
Bart Connor and Kathy Johnson were right in front of us |
Chelsea Davis, Georgia Bar Finals |
Emily Wong, Nebraska- Floor Finals, 3rd Place |
1. University of Florida, 197.775
2. University of Alabama, 197.350
3. Louisiana State University, 197.325
4. University of California-Los Angeles, 197.200
5. University of Oklahoma, 197.200
6. University of Georgia, 197.150
Final Results
1. Florida, 197.575
2. Oklahoma, 197.375
3. Alabama, 197.350
4. UCLA, 197.100
5. LSU, 197.050
6. Georgia, 196.675
Bridget Sloan from Florida won the All Around.
Bridget Sloan from Florida won the All Around.
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Weekend With Mom and Gymnastics
4.23.2013
All set and ready to go |
Outside Pauly Pavilion before Session II of Team Qualifications Day 1 |
It's a good thing my mom and I never run out of things to talk about and that she really likes gymnastics because last weekend with my mom involved a whole lot of both. We
headed up to Los Angeles in the morning, checked in with our hotel so we could get a parking pass for my car and went straight to Session I of the NCAA Team Qualifications at Pauly Pavillion on the campus of UCLA. It was so exciting to be there!! After that we walked back to our hotel, checked in, and then grabbed a bite to eat. It was tempting to go to Denny's because for some reason I really like that place but Mj will not go there with me 'cause he thinks it sucks. Even though it was right next door we didn't eat there once. We had to explore someplace different since we were in a new town and there were so many options to choose from. We found this little Mediterranean restaurant around the corner and ate some delicious Panini's. Then walked back to UCLA for more gymnastics; Session II Team Qualifications. Dance Moms fans will get a kick out of this one. Maddie and Mackenzie were sitting not too far from us. Mom Melissa was not there; they were with a younger man and woman. During the meet they had people coming up to take pictures with them and then after they had a line of little girls waiting for pictures and autographs. My mom had no clue who they were but I sure did because I'm addicted to that show. Is it sad that I thought seeing them there was pretty cool and kinda wanted a picture with them for myself? Oh well. That night we went back to the room, watched TV at snacks and popped open a bottle of red wine.
Hanging out at Coffee Bean |
We had so much fun that day!!! |
Day 2 of our LA Gymnastics weekend adventure started out with the Coffee
Bean. I really wanted to try to get some writing in as the month is
about gone and I had not hit my page goal yet. We spent a few hours
there and I got a lot done. What do girls like to do together on
vacation? Shop of course. We spent hours making our way through the
shops in the cute little college town of Westwood that surrounds UCLA.
We both found cute hats at Target and a few other things too. I totally
got gypped on my college town experience when I was at UCSD. There was
nothing within walking distance and it was mostly surrounded by
business/residential apartments. Too bad I got into UCLA but made the
"sensible" decision and went closer to home. I don't regret it but
thinking back it sure would have been cool to have experienced the
college life at UCLA. For lunch we stopped at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria. It's a build your own pizza place where you choose
white or red, pick from a ton of amazing cheeses and toppings and then
they bake it up for you in less then 10 minutes. It was so good!!
Right after Super Six Team Finals Day 2 |
We took our sweet little time and the next thing you know we were late which is ridiculous since we were a 15 minute walk away and didn't even have to deal with traffic or parking. For some reason I thought the competition started at 6 like it did the night before instead of 4pm. I only realized it when I saw something from USA Gymnastics pop up on my News feed announcing the time. We practically ran to the arena and we were so mad at ourselves for mixing things up for the most important competition of the Championships. Super Six Team Finals was the loudest and most attended night of the whole weekend. Florida won it. After the meet we thought about stopping at a bar for a drink but instead went back to the room and finished off the bottle of wine and talked about anything and everything until we were both too tired to keep our eyes open.
Day 3 Individual Event Finals // Bridget Sloan on Bars |
The last day of a trip is always bittersweet. You just never want it to end! My mom and I woke up, went to breakfast at the hotel, checked out and then took our time stopping at a few stores along the way back to UCLA for the Individual Event Finals. We made sure to be there early which was cool because we got to watch open warm ups.
The Royal Palace Westwood Hotel is a real gem. I have to give myself a pat on the back for finding this one. Actually, I can't even really call it a hotel. It's a motel. It was relatively inexpensive but still way more expensive then you
might think for what you are getting. Hotels; even motels are so expensive these days! It had almost no amenities to
speak of but it was clean, perfectly located and had free parking. This
saved us from having to pay hotel parking then drive to UCLA and pay
campus parking because we could walk back and forth. It had a continental breakfast which we utilized both mornings and a
microwave and refrigerator in the room. We were there for gymnastics so I was only looking for the basics anyways and that's what we got.
I loved the 80 degree weather and getting to watch gymnastics all weekend. I've been watching whatever was televised and I'd already seen most of the girls on TV at some point. We had the same seats every day and they were right up front. These girls are so talented and so good at what they do. Being a former gymnast and fan for life I am in love with gymnastics and so so glad I got the chance to see them live and up close. When Mj got me the tickets I should have known from the start that my mama would be the best person to come with me. It could not have worked out any better. Mom's always remember to bring snacks! And it was so great for us to get to spend so much time together. My mom and I both have a pretty bad sense of direction. We got lost every day! It may have taken us some wrong turns and a few extra circles to get where we needed to go but we always figured it out and we had a good time doing it.
I loved the 80 degree weather and getting to watch gymnastics all weekend. I've been watching whatever was televised and I'd already seen most of the girls on TV at some point. We had the same seats every day and they were right up front. These girls are so talented and so good at what they do. Being a former gymnast and fan for life I am in love with gymnastics and so so glad I got the chance to see them live and up close. When Mj got me the tickets I should have known from the start that my mama would be the best person to come with me. It could not have worked out any better. Mom's always remember to bring snacks! And it was so great for us to get to spend so much time together. My mom and I both have a pretty bad sense of direction. We got lost every day! It may have taken us some wrong turns and a few extra circles to get where we needed to go but we always figured it out and we had a good time doing it.
Did you think I'd go to a gymnastics competition with my DSLR and not take a ton of action shots and share them on my blog? I got some really cool pics but I'm saving them for the next post. The Championships is being televised on ESPNU tonight 4/23, 4/30, 5/1 if you want to check it out.
I'm Traveling Baby!!
4.18.2013
I love to travel. It's so much easier getting through busy exhausting weeks when you know you
have really fun travel plans to look forward to far, far away from
work and chores. A place where the only thing on the agenda includes things like wine, flip flops and exploring. Last year's trip to Europe was epic. The after glow kept me going for a while but I'm ready for more. Having travel plans on the horizon helps keep me happy.
Trip #1 is just a weekend mini getaway really centered around a sporting event but I have to pack and book a hotel so it still counts. I'll be heading up to Los Angeles TOMORROW for the 2013 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships at UCLA. Mj bought two tickets to all sessions as a Christmas gift with the understanding that the extra ticket was NOT to be for him. He said he'd go if I couldn't find a date but would rather not. It's a 3 day 4 session event which is a lot of gymnastics for a non gymnastics fan to sit through and I might have made him except that a friend of his is coming in from out of town and I knew he really wasn't interested. I was all set to go by myself and sell my extra ticket but my mom volunteered to come with me and insisted that should could not allow me to go alone. It couldn't have worked out better. I'll get some great quality time with my mom and I'll have someone to share this awesome Gymnastics event with. So it's me, my momma and gymnastics this weekend and I'm really excited about it.
I'm going back to Vegas this year for trip #2 in May with my older sister and my very pregnant good friend who lives in Alaska. Is it weird that she's going to be 8 months pregnant chillin' at the pool in Vegas? Kinda. But she doesn't care. She loves poker. She's so good she'll probably make enough money to cover her plane ticket. She's just dying to get away from Alaska which from the sounds of things sucks big time and if she doesn't care about her big round belly entering the casino before she does then we don't either. It'll be good to see her and spend some quality time with my older sis before she moves out of state again.
Trip #3 takes us to the Washington DC metro area. We will start out in Delaware visiting Mj's family for a few days then we'll hop over to Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia visiting some of Mj's friends and exploring DC. The last time we went to DC it was a side stop over on the way back from Delaware. It was December and it was FREEZING! I was so miserable that I didn't even want to see the White House. My face was turning into an ice block and my limbs were starting to go numb. This time I can actually enjoy the experience and see more things. We snagged our airline tickets for only $246 on Valentine's day. Dynamite deal. I have not paid that little for an airline ticket in a long time.
Six long months later is trip #4. In December we will be going to Maui for 8 days!!! Europe was a city vacation. Exhausting, frenetic but still amazing of course. DC is also going to be a city vacation. We went to Oahu for our honeymoon two years ago and that was our last lying around on the beach sipping fruity drinks vaca so I'd say it's time for another. I can't wait to explore a new Island. The hotel is booked but we still need to get our airfare.
We might throw in one other trip in there somewhere because I need to use my timeshare. It would just be a short one not to far away. I'm barely into trip #1 and my mind is already conjuring up European trip ideas for next year too. I told you I love to travel! Some people have no desire to ever travel and see anyplace new and I don't get it. The upside is that you save a lot of money if you never go anywhere but the downside is that you miss out on so much! The world is vast. It's bursting with different cultures, amazing places to experience and memories to make with people that you care about. There are so many adventures to be had outside of our little work and home life bubble. I say, might as well get out there and see it. That's what I plan on doing anyways.
That time I Didn't Eat for Five Days
4.16.2013
Like any diet Juicing seems to be quite the controversial subject. If you watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead you are told that juicing is the healthiest thing you can do for your body but not everyone agrees. Proponents say you are giving your body what it really needs in a high concentration, it can work for weight loss, it allows for a greater variety of veggies in your diet then you'd normally get, it's helpful to give your body a break from digestion and it aids in the prevention of several diseases. Adversaries say it's too high in sugar, you don't get enough protein or fat and you lose a lot of Fiber in the juicing process when you eliminate the skin. What do I think? It sounded like a fun challenge so I was willing to give it a try.
I read that you should prep for a juice fast by limiting dairy and sugar a few days before to reduce withdrawal symptoms and prepare the body. Not eating was going to difficult no matter how you slice it so I pretty much said to hell with that and just went for it. On Sunday I ate the cheesiest Pizza you ever saw and after that, nothing but juice for five days. On day one I went to the gym but I gave myself a pass for the rest of the week. Physically, I think could have but If my stomach gets a digestion break then it seemed only fair that I get a gym break.
What I drank:
They say for a veggie juice the only thing acceptable to mix in with it is Apples. Something having to do with enzymes and sabotaging digestion. On Day 1 and Day 2 I drank 32 ounces of a Veggie based Mean Green combo of Apples Kale, Cucumber, Ginger, Mint and Lemon for Breakfast and Lunch. It took me most of the day sipping on it at work to finish. In the evening I switched it up to a fruit based combo of 12 oz of Pineapple, Apples, Oranges, Mango and Strawberries for dinner. On Day 3 after running out of the Mean Green concoction we juiced up 24 oz of Carrots, Kale and Apples for me to drink during the day. I could really reduce the sugar content by eliminating the Apples from the Veggie drink but I'm thinking it probably would have tasted awful without that sweetness and I just didn't want to go there. I also drank a ton of water on top of that. Can you believe that I was "over" juicing half way though day 3? I didn't want to make anymore so that night and the last two days I survived on Naked Juice. It was good but I liked our homemade juice better. It seemed thicker and more "hearty" so it kept me full longer. A Juicing diet has a lot more carbs and sugar then I realized. I should have known this because I know that is what fruits and veggies are made of. My Fat, Sodium, Fiber and Protein intake went down while my Carbs and Sugar went up. I got all the wonderful vitamins and nutrients that you get from fruit and vegetables but nothing else. I don't know how that could be healthy for you long term without supplementing for what you are missing out on. I estimate daily calories at around 1,000 or less.
Cost:
Juicing isn't cheap because in general produce isn't cheap and it takes quite a bit to make an adequate supply of juice to live off of. I don't know exactly how much we spent on vegetables but we went to Sprouts and spent $16 to add to vegetables that Mj had already bought. It took five large carrots, 6 medium sized apples and some kale leaves to make 24 oz. It's definitely cheaper to buy the produce and make it yourself then to buy it. When I got lazy I it cost $5 on sale for 32 oz of Naked Juice. At that price it's about $7.50 for enough juice to last a day which is about $37.50 for the week at the minimum and more if you want more then 48 oz a day.
Day 1:
I didn't start to feel hungry until lunchtime. By the afternoon I was feeling a little headachy but it didn't last. I went to the gym after work and had a decent work out. I actually felt really energetic for about an hour after but then my energy just dropped. By 8:00pm I was so sleepy I was falling asleep on the couch and the low grade headache came back.
Day 2:
I got some stomach growls in the morning and was very sleepy for most of the day. Caffeine is not recommended but I drank some anyways. Coffee doesn't really work on me for some reason. It never perks me up but I'm always hoping that if I think it could help that I can mentally trick myself into thinking it is. Plus, I like it in the morning. It was hard to tell if I was sleepy just because I was sleepy or if I was sleepy because I hadn't eaten. I didn't really crave food because I'd already made up my mind that I wasn't having it. The overwhelming sleepiness finally passed at about 5:30pm just in time for me to get off of work. I felt fine for the rest of the day. No headache. I just feel a hollow pit in my stomach where food usually is. It wasn't a hunger belly ache or anything like that. I was just constantly aware of being empty. The hardest thing about day 2 was that I lost my juicing partner in crime. Mj was super tired and couldn't continue working without eating so he had a bagel while he was at work and then came home and made pancakes for dinner. It smelled so good! Normally, I'd at least taste his food but I couldn't even have a single bite.
Day 3:
On Wednesday morning there was no hunger, no emptiness in the pit of my belly and no headache either. I did not feel like someone who hadn't eaten for going on 3 days. I've been way hungrier on some mornings after I've had a big dinner. I had coffee again. I just wanted it and so I did. I felt awake and just fine during the day and then the hunger pangs started to hit around 6:00pm but they passed by bedtime. Mj made a BLT for dinner and I went to bed with the tantalizing aroma of bacon in my nose.
Day 4:
I felt just fine in the morning. I had another coffee cheat. I wasn't hungry or tired. I wanted so badly to just have one little piece of one of the left over cookies from our meeting but I resisted. By the time I got off work I was feeling really hungry. Drinking my 16 oz of juice for dinner helped but by bedtime I was really hungry again. I literally dreamed I was eating Pizza that night.
Day 5:
This was the hardest day yet. I woke up feeling fine but as the morning wore on I just felt tired and hungry. There were cookies sitting out in the office and I wanted one so bad. I became very aware of how much we snack in our office. There were cookies, chocolate and pretzels in addition to the normal office organic popcorn that our boss gets for us. Normally, I'd be right there with them munching on something or other but I sipped my juice and blocked it out. I broke my fast that night with some raisins and as soon as my stomach got a hold of them it started growling louder then it had all week.
The food cravings weren't so bad because I'd already made up my mind I couldn't eat. What I missed most was the action of eating food. I missed the flavors and the enjoyment that I get from it. I missed snacking while I watched my favorite shows which is probably a habit I need to break anyways. In my opinion a liquid diet is way easier then a low Carb diet or even just eating in moderation. I tried low carb for three days last year and found that to be so much harder then five days on juice. With a liquid diet there is no margin for error and it's really clear cut. Either you ate food or you didn't. There is no extra cookie, five servings of tortilla chips, just a tiny piece of bread or whatever else you couldn't keep your hands off of to screw you up before you even realize it happened. If you drink an extra juice it's not a big deal, plus it's not like I was sitting there craving mean green juice or anything anyways so I drank my juice and when it was gone that was it. I wasn't running back to the kitchen for more juice or a "snack" as I might do if I was eating food. I lost 6.8 lbs in five days. It's not real weight though so I expect to gain some of it back.
Because of nutritional deficits like most extreme diets I don't see it as a realistic approach to weight loss and diet long term. Bottom line; you need to know how to eat right to maintain a healthy weight and body but there were some positive things about it. Juicing is great for hydration. I am so hydrated right now and feeling very regular if ya know what I mean. I eat pretty healthy most of the time despite what my Instagram feed might tell you but I do have a sweet tooth and sometimes I fall off the wagon and go on a bender and fill my body with a ton of crap. Sometimes all I crave junk. Eating Healthy is a lifestyle and a mindset and juicing helped me get back on the right track. I'm not craving chocolate at all like I was before. Five days was pushing it but I really wanted to see if I was capable of it. It actually was a fun challenge which is weird to say about not eating food but somehow it was. Call me crazy but I already have another one planned for May with another blogger but I'm only doing 3 days. There's a very good chance I will never do five days again!! If anyone wants to join in for motivation let me know.
Read about my 3 Day Juice Fast here.
I read that you should prep for a juice fast by limiting dairy and sugar a few days before to reduce withdrawal symptoms and prepare the body. Not eating was going to difficult no matter how you slice it so I pretty much said to hell with that and just went for it. On Sunday I ate the cheesiest Pizza you ever saw and after that, nothing but juice for five days. On day one I went to the gym but I gave myself a pass for the rest of the week. Physically, I think could have but If my stomach gets a digestion break then it seemed only fair that I get a gym break.
What I drank:
They say for a veggie juice the only thing acceptable to mix in with it is Apples. Something having to do with enzymes and sabotaging digestion. On Day 1 and Day 2 I drank 32 ounces of a Veggie based Mean Green combo of Apples Kale, Cucumber, Ginger, Mint and Lemon for Breakfast and Lunch. It took me most of the day sipping on it at work to finish. In the evening I switched it up to a fruit based combo of 12 oz of Pineapple, Apples, Oranges, Mango and Strawberries for dinner. On Day 3 after running out of the Mean Green concoction we juiced up 24 oz of Carrots, Kale and Apples for me to drink during the day. I could really reduce the sugar content by eliminating the Apples from the Veggie drink but I'm thinking it probably would have tasted awful without that sweetness and I just didn't want to go there. I also drank a ton of water on top of that. Can you believe that I was "over" juicing half way though day 3? I didn't want to make anymore so that night and the last two days I survived on Naked Juice. It was good but I liked our homemade juice better. It seemed thicker and more "hearty" so it kept me full longer. A Juicing diet has a lot more carbs and sugar then I realized. I should have known this because I know that is what fruits and veggies are made of. My Fat, Sodium, Fiber and Protein intake went down while my Carbs and Sugar went up. I got all the wonderful vitamins and nutrients that you get from fruit and vegetables but nothing else. I don't know how that could be healthy for you long term without supplementing for what you are missing out on. I estimate daily calories at around 1,000 or less.
Cost:
Juicing isn't cheap because in general produce isn't cheap and it takes quite a bit to make an adequate supply of juice to live off of. I don't know exactly how much we spent on vegetables but we went to Sprouts and spent $16 to add to vegetables that Mj had already bought. It took five large carrots, 6 medium sized apples and some kale leaves to make 24 oz. It's definitely cheaper to buy the produce and make it yourself then to buy it. When I got lazy I it cost $5 on sale for 32 oz of Naked Juice. At that price it's about $7.50 for enough juice to last a day which is about $37.50 for the week at the minimum and more if you want more then 48 oz a day.
What I survived on for Five days: Mean Green Juice, Fruity Juice Mix, Carrot Based Juice and Naked Juice |
Day 1:
I didn't start to feel hungry until lunchtime. By the afternoon I was feeling a little headachy but it didn't last. I went to the gym after work and had a decent work out. I actually felt really energetic for about an hour after but then my energy just dropped. By 8:00pm I was so sleepy I was falling asleep on the couch and the low grade headache came back.
Day 2:
I got some stomach growls in the morning and was very sleepy for most of the day. Caffeine is not recommended but I drank some anyways. Coffee doesn't really work on me for some reason. It never perks me up but I'm always hoping that if I think it could help that I can mentally trick myself into thinking it is. Plus, I like it in the morning. It was hard to tell if I was sleepy just because I was sleepy or if I was sleepy because I hadn't eaten. I didn't really crave food because I'd already made up my mind that I wasn't having it. The overwhelming sleepiness finally passed at about 5:30pm just in time for me to get off of work. I felt fine for the rest of the day. No headache. I just feel a hollow pit in my stomach where food usually is. It wasn't a hunger belly ache or anything like that. I was just constantly aware of being empty. The hardest thing about day 2 was that I lost my juicing partner in crime. Mj was super tired and couldn't continue working without eating so he had a bagel while he was at work and then came home and made pancakes for dinner. It smelled so good! Normally, I'd at least taste his food but I couldn't even have a single bite.
Day 3:
On Wednesday morning there was no hunger, no emptiness in the pit of my belly and no headache either. I did not feel like someone who hadn't eaten for going on 3 days. I've been way hungrier on some mornings after I've had a big dinner. I had coffee again. I just wanted it and so I did. I felt awake and just fine during the day and then the hunger pangs started to hit around 6:00pm but they passed by bedtime. Mj made a BLT for dinner and I went to bed with the tantalizing aroma of bacon in my nose.
Day 4:
I felt just fine in the morning. I had another coffee cheat. I wasn't hungry or tired. I wanted so badly to just have one little piece of one of the left over cookies from our meeting but I resisted. By the time I got off work I was feeling really hungry. Drinking my 16 oz of juice for dinner helped but by bedtime I was really hungry again. I literally dreamed I was eating Pizza that night.
Day 5:
This was the hardest day yet. I woke up feeling fine but as the morning wore on I just felt tired and hungry. There were cookies sitting out in the office and I wanted one so bad. I became very aware of how much we snack in our office. There were cookies, chocolate and pretzels in addition to the normal office organic popcorn that our boss gets for us. Normally, I'd be right there with them munching on something or other but I sipped my juice and blocked it out. I broke my fast that night with some raisins and as soon as my stomach got a hold of them it started growling louder then it had all week.
The food cravings weren't so bad because I'd already made up my mind I couldn't eat. What I missed most was the action of eating food. I missed the flavors and the enjoyment that I get from it. I missed snacking while I watched my favorite shows which is probably a habit I need to break anyways. In my opinion a liquid diet is way easier then a low Carb diet or even just eating in moderation. I tried low carb for three days last year and found that to be so much harder then five days on juice. With a liquid diet there is no margin for error and it's really clear cut. Either you ate food or you didn't. There is no extra cookie, five servings of tortilla chips, just a tiny piece of bread or whatever else you couldn't keep your hands off of to screw you up before you even realize it happened. If you drink an extra juice it's not a big deal, plus it's not like I was sitting there craving mean green juice or anything anyways so I drank my juice and when it was gone that was it. I wasn't running back to the kitchen for more juice or a "snack" as I might do if I was eating food. I lost 6.8 lbs in five days. It's not real weight though so I expect to gain some of it back.
Because of nutritional deficits like most extreme diets I don't see it as a realistic approach to weight loss and diet long term. Bottom line; you need to know how to eat right to maintain a healthy weight and body but there were some positive things about it. Juicing is great for hydration. I am so hydrated right now and feeling very regular if ya know what I mean. I eat pretty healthy most of the time despite what my Instagram feed might tell you but I do have a sweet tooth and sometimes I fall off the wagon and go on a bender and fill my body with a ton of crap. Sometimes all I crave junk. Eating Healthy is a lifestyle and a mindset and juicing helped me get back on the right track. I'm not craving chocolate at all like I was before. Five days was pushing it but I really wanted to see if I was capable of it. It actually was a fun challenge which is weird to say about not eating food but somehow it was. Call me crazy but I already have another one planned for May with another blogger but I'm only doing 3 days. There's a very good chance I will never do five days again!! If anyone wants to join in for motivation let me know.
Read about my 3 Day Juice Fast here.
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