P90X Update - Day 17

Hey - so I'm 17 days into the P90x 'lean' program. In my last post I included the workouts that the 'lean' program uses. This path is way more cardio than strength based. Out of the 7 weekly work-outs 4 are cardio. Instead of doing 'Cardio X' and 'Kenpo X' on Tuesdays/Saturdays I've replaced them with runs of 4-6 miles. I'm training for a 15k in March and I need to be running, I also think I'm burning more calories running than I would in the cardio sessions.

The program is definitely working. I have been sore every day since I began. The first week really sucked ass because I was overly sore, but now it's just moderate soreness - which is bearable. I have stuck to the diet plan faithfully (link) and haven't had a sip of booze since Jan 13th. My numbers on the scale haven't really changed, I'm sticking around 170lbs but I can feel and see a difference already.

The hardest workout by FAR is Yoga X. Yoga is a 90 minute workout whereas all others are 60 minutes max. I find it mind-blowing that stretching and holding yourself in positions can leave you in a complete heap sweating on the ground. So far I'm only able to get 45 minutes through it. I have another go at it tomorrow and will see if I can make it to 50 minutes.

The Legs/Back workout is also pretty difficult for me, although I do manage to get through it. Even though I'd been hitting the gym, I neglected legs. After the first legs/back day 2 weeks ago, I had trouble walking up stairs, sitting down, and standing up. Last week was better, I expect this week to be a marked improvement as well.

Scaling workouts has been the key to me making it this far. In these videos you are watching a bunch of super-fit people banging out rep after rep of exercises you've never done before. You HAVE to scale these work-outs if you're not very fit to begin with. Shit, I had to watch some videos a few times just to get the movements right. Set a number of reps in your head you want to get to and knock em' out. Seek to improve upon that number the next session, even if it means adding 1 additional rep.

Thus far, I've noticed my flexibility and stamina are improving. There has been some definite fat loss from my midsection and I'm getting an outline of abs....never had those before! My body as a whole looks leaner now than it did a few short weeks ago. I'm excited, because it's so early into the program and I'm seeing changes.

So what are Days 30, 60, 90 going to look like? Can't wait to find out.

P90X Begins

I started P90x yesterday...and damn I'm sore. There are 3 different paths to choose from when doing the program: classic, lean, and doubles. I'm going with lean, which consists of 2 days resistance work, 4 days cardio/yoga weekly.

Schedule Weeks 1-3

I picked up a yoga mat and an adjustable dumbbell set  over the weekend. I already owned a pull-up bar, so start-up cost was relatively low considering I pirated the workout DVDs. I'm also following their nutrition guide to a tee, I want to see exactly what the program can do if I completely dedicate myself to it. The first 30 days is very high protein, 3 meals/2 snacks a day. I'm going to attempt not drinking alcohol for the first 30 days of the program, and then sparingly after that. After the fitness tests, etc. the program has me on a 2,400 calorie diet, which is higher than I typically eat - but I'm gonna roll with it.


I did some research on supplements, and have decided on the following:

• Goldstar Whey Protein (breakfast/before bed)
• Musclepharm Creatine (pre workout)
• P90x Results & Recovery formula (post workout)
• Vitamin stack
• Multivitamin
• Fish Oil
• Calcium
• Green Tea 

I did Core Synergistics yesterday. This consisted of push-ups, hip raises, banana rolls, planks, lunges, and other core activities that left my entire body aching today. The video was 60 minutes and I got through 40 before I collapsed and had to turn it off. I scaled down the reps on a lot of the exercises or else I wouldn't have even made it 40 minutes. All in all, a great success....I hope to build on it for next time. 

2+ Months Removed....

Hey internet, it's been awhile.

Over the past 2 months I've been steadily bombarded with emails asking me to update, provide advise, etc. I apologize I haven't been able to respond to all of you or even provide a final update on my progress. Between work and my recent lifestyle changes, it keeps me pretty busy. But I agree, it was shitty of me to update for ALMOST the entire time and then drop off completely.

Anyhow, I stopped short of the 60 days I set out to complete. I ended up stopping on day 46 of my fast because I hit 170lbs and that's where I wanted to be. Granted, it wasn't a studly muscular 170lbs, but it was a damn good start! I decided to re-introduce solids because I wanted to up my protein so I could do incorporate strength training in rather than just cardio.

As you may recall from my earlier posts, I was strictly doing cardio during the fast. While this was good for dropping the weight, it kinda left me as a weak skinny-fat noodle. I started doing full body strength training 3x/week and have put on some muscle. I'm at the point now where I don't feel like a complete tool at the gym because I'm actually able to lift some weight. Feels good brah. I've adapted my weekly routine to include 3 days strength, 3-4 days cardio.

My current diet is mainly high protein, low carb. I tend to eat pretty clean during the week. The booze and occasional shitty meal still present themselves on the weekends. I tend to drink a lot more vodka/water or vodka/lime now though. All the booze, no carbs. I've been following the leangains intermittent fasting program the past couple months and am enjoying it. I'm pretty used to not eating since this whole juicing thing began, so the transition was pretty seamless. I don't have time for breakfast in the morning anyhow...

So really, my goal right now is to get to a lower body fat percentage while increasing strength. Since I stopped juicing, I've gained 5lbs and stabilized at around 175lbs. I want to get to the point where the number doesn't matter, just feel/look good.

So anyhow, the final results:

Start Weight - 214.2lbs (9/4/12)
End Weight - 170lbs (10/20/12)
Total Loss - 44.2lbs
Start Waist - 38"
End Waist - 33-34"

Several of you have asked for a before/after picture, so what the hell:

My first beer after 46 days :)

What's Next?

Anyhow, this kinda turned me on to working out and getting healthy. I set some lofty goals for 2013 and I intend to follow through with them. I want to do crossfit, but I don't think I'm strong enough to even begin that shit. So, since I tend to do well with extreme shit....such as drinking juice for 40 something days...I'm doing P90x, cutting the booze, and closely monitoring my diet throughout the course of it. I just bought all the necessary items and intend to start mid January (need a few more party nights).

After that, I may look back into crossfit. I think I'll be posting my P90x progress on this here blog since people are still frequenting it.

Anyhow, I gotta go - got a 10k in the morning, prepping for the Gate River Run in March!

Goodbye Internet

Day 44

I finally went and got my watch after work tonight for my first reward (190lbs). I passed that mark awhile ago, just haven't got to check anything out....been staying pretty busy. I decided on a Victorinox Swiss Army watch. It's a pretty clean piece...I'm happy to add it to my collection.

Victorinox

I already owe myself an iPhone 5 for hitting 180lbs and I'm 4lbs shy of owing myself a MacBook Pro for 170lbs. This is getting expensive...LOL..but it's so worth it. I'm more motivated than ever now to continue getting fit and monitor my diet/exercise.

I'm taking a break from the gym tonight, I ran about 5 miles last night and my legs are reeaallly sore. I've got to keep upping the mileage to hit my goal of the Gate River Run in March. I'm signing up for several different 5k races between now and then to get some experience. Pretty cool stuff.

I ate a piece of avocado on Tuesday night - it was the first 'solid' food I've taken down throughout the process. Also, I drank a few beers last night. I met up with 2 friends I haven't seen in awhile and had a great time. The few beers I had hit me way harder than they would have 44 days ago - tolerance way down! I'm going to work on eating more solids in the coming week, breaking from the strict juice binge is kinda freakin' me out though. Hopefully, I still like food!

For now, juice on.

Day 42

It has been a loooonnnnggg slow week, BUT I hit my original goal weight of 175lbs this morning!! This past week was the slowest week yet in terms of weight loss. However - there isn't a lot more to lose....so I'm OK with that. I'm considering exiting the fast prior to 60 days and starting the next phase of my diet/exercise plan.


I'm pretty excited about working protein back in so I can start back with the weight lifting. Phase 2 is all about toning. I'm going with a high protein low carbohydrate diet while modifying my workouts to include strength training in addition to cardio. I'm planning on juicing through next Tuesday (already have the produce for the week) and then starting to eat raw fruits/veggies/nuts. By month's end I should be working meats into my diet - pretty stoked!

'The Biggest Loser - Week 6 Results

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I weighed in this morning at 174.8lbs for a weekly loss of 2.8lbs which brings my total loss to 39.4lbs or 20.28% of my starting body weight! Like I said, it was a 'slow-go' week - not much loss. This is why I think it's time to move on to the next phase. I don't want to become rail thin, I lost a huge amount of fat - now I need to go tone up and gain some muscle...

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Day 35

Well...I'm still plugging away. It's been 35 days now and this past weekend was one of the toughest. I went to the FL vs LSU game on Saturday. It was a lot of fun (especially with the gator victory), but much different from my prior years at this game.

We've tailgated with the same group of LSU fans for the past 6 years. They always have a killer setup with outdoor cookers, grills, and tons of different food and drink. This year was no different, aside the fact I abstained from everything. Luckily, there were some games that didn't involve alcohol I participated in to keep busy while everyone else was boozing and eating cajun cuisine.

Several of my friends didn't make the last UF home game vs KY so I hadn't seen them since the opener September 1st. Almost everyone said something about the amount of weight I have dropped. They were all pretty interested about the juicing - asking questions and trying the 'mean green'.  It was pretty cool.

'The Biggest Loser' Week 5 Results

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I weighed in this morning at 177.6lbs for a weekly loss of 6.8lbs which brings my total loss down to 36.6lbs or 18.69%. I'm within 2.6lbs of my 175lb initial goal and 7.6lbs of my re-adjusted goal of 170lbs. It's pretty remarkable seeing the weight still falling off at such a high rate. It actually increased 2.4lbs from last week's loss. I think I can credit some of this to the strict gym schedule I've been sticking to. I'm back full strength with running and am hitting the cardio 5-6 days/week now. I may decide to cut the fast short since I don't need to lose much more. I'm kinda interested to see how far this can go though...

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I'm spending this week and next researching my approach back to solid food and future diet. It looks like I'm going to start by first eating the produce I've been juicing, then steamed veggies, then finally mix some lean protein (chicken, fish) in with veggies after about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks. It should be interesting - I just want to be back in time for Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, I'll have to concede defeat to my brother in our annual eating competition, it's all about moderation going forward....

Halfway there....

It's been 30 days......1 whole MONTH on the juice fast. Coming into this, I didn't know if I could really go the distance. I've found that it's much more of a mind game than anything else. I'm not physically hungry, I just want to eat something because I enjoy eating different foods. I've been put in some tough positions (parties, tailgates, etc.) and haven't cracked. It definitely helped having some detractors that pretty much pinned me to fail from the beginning, appreciate that!

I'll be the first to admit, I've never considered myself to have a great amount of willpower in following through in regards to diet and fitness. I've always put it off, saying that I'll do it at a later time. I have literally been WANTING to get fit since the 11th grade - but always had an excuse. It would have been a lot easier then, but at least I'm doing it now. I have learned a lot about myself the last month and what can be done if you stick to a plan. Overall, it's been a great experience, I'm down to 181 lbs as of today - a whopping 33lbs less than one month ago. That's the equivalent of one of those huge ass Costco dog food bags that I was carrying around on myself.

I feel better in just about every way. My confidence has definitely taken a positive boost. Obviously, my clothes feel better, albeit loose. I'm thinking clearer and am more focused. I feel better running (much less bouncing LOL). Lastly.... I feel better sitting...this might sound trivial, but I sit all day and having extra pounds on you is pretty uncomfortable. I was always figgiting around in my chair and re-adjusting....no longer.

The first official 'Biggest Loser' weigh in at my workplace was today. I didn't see everyone's stats, but I'm fairly confident I have a pretty large lead. Some others have definitely lost weight, just not as drastic amounts as myself. I'm looking forward to winning this, so I get some extra cash to purchase some new work clothes. All of my work clothes are now baggy. They don't look terrible, but they are noticeably baggy. When I first started at my current position I came from a company where beachwear was acceptable attire. So I invested about $600 on dress clothes 4 months ago before starting this position. If my projections are correct I'll be netting about $660+ if I hit my target weight. That should be plenty enough to buy new clothes...

Over the next few weeks, I'll be planning my exit strategy. I'm starting to do research on the P90 program (starter version of P90x) to get toned up. I'm thinking of hopping straight into that when the juice fast ends, while I'm still in the disciplined mind-frame. Reintroducing solids into my diet needs to happen gradually, so I've got to start planning for that. I know I've got to change my diet going forward and keep the work-outs going. I'm cool with that though, I most definitely needed a lifestyle change.

Later

Day 28

It's pretty crazy to think it's been almost a month without consuming anything but juice. I think it's gotten way easier over the past week. I've adjusted my intake (yet again) to bring down the total number of ounces drank per day. I found that I wasn't finishing all the juice I made in a day. The more reading I do, the more I think I overshot my initial intake of 100oz. I'm consuming about 60-70oz a day in addition to 1 protein drink.


I didn't think it would progress this quickly...big strides have been made in these 28 days. This weekend I went through my closet and filled 2 large garbage bags full of clothes that are now too big. The more rewarding part was trying on clothes that were too small...but now fit. In the past, whenever I would buy something without trying it on, and it was  too small - I would save it thinking "maybe it will fit one day". I had several bags like this in my closet, it was great being able to finally take the tags off and rotate them into the lineup.

"The Biggest Loser" - Week 4 Results

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I weighed in at 184.4lbs this morning for a weekly loss of 4.4lbs which brings my total loss down to 29.8lbs or 14.92%. We have our first 'official' weigh in on Thursday of this week. This will give me an idea of what others in the office have lost. I've already started calculating my winnings, there are some worthy competitors - but I don't think they can catch me now. I'm within roughly 14lbs of my re-adjusted goal weight of 170lbs. 

This is definitely do-able in one months time!

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Day 22

So I'm officially 1/3 of the way done with the fast. I've been on it for 3 weeks now and feel great. I feel like I've been saying that a lot, but it's the truth. Between the juice and the gym my fitness levels have definitely been improving. I worked running back in yesterday after taking a 2 week hiatus in favor of the elliptical. My foot feels better, but it's not 100%. I'll probably have to go see a doctor about it.

'The Biggest Loser' - Week 3 Results

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I'm a day late on writing this - should have updated it yesterday, but didn't get around to it. I weighed in yesterday morning at 188.8 lbs. The weekly loss from 9/19 - 9/25 was 3.4 lbs bringing my total loss to 25.4lbs. If I continue to average 3 lbs a week, i'll easily hit the inital goal of 175, but will be a little shy of the re-adjusted goal of 170. In any case, I'll just keep on it until I hit that mark. I started working in crunches, push-ups, and pull-ups on a daily basis to get some resistance training in in lieu of lifting weights. Everything is going pretty good....



Progress graph 9/4 - Present
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I need to go get my new watch this weekend.....with the Gator bye week it should give me some time Saturday. I'm going to the Jags game on Sunday - hopefully they don't suck.

Godspeed.

Day 19

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was pretty swell, went to Gainesville for the UF vs KY game on Saturday. This was the first time I've had to be in a tailgate environment with food and beer being consumed all around me. It actually wasn't as difficult as I imagined it'd be.

I hit the Farmer's Market yesterday late afternoon after getting back from Gainesville. I think I'll be going at the end of the day from now on. I got the best deals so far, not sure if it's because they were about to close for the day or what. The kale vendor I bought from last weekend wasn't there - so I found another lady who I bought an entire case off of for $6! The case had 12 bunches of kale - so it was a pretty good deal. I had to take one of the produce drawers out of my refrigerator just to store it. I literally have a trash bag full of kale in the bottom of my fridge.

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Other than the steal I got on the kale, I bought 20 cucumbers, 4 bags of celery, and some ginger root. I spent $20 for all the items pictured here. Unfortunately, the guy I bought the celery and ginger root from offered to sell me a case of cucumbers for $6 AFTER I had already bought them from a different vendor...I don't know where I would have stored 80+ cucumbers- but it would have been pretty awesome.

I've had several people at my workplace express interest in juicing and 2 have actually committed to doing a juice fast, like myself. Another couple people are interested in working juice into their diet or maybe using it as a single meal replacement. It should be neat to see how this works out for others - I know it's working out great for me.

It looks like I get to buy a new watch because I hit my first goal this weekend! 20 more pounds to go for the Mac Book.

Peace

Day 14

I've been on the juice for 2 straight weeks now and feel pretty damn good. As I've mentioned in prior posts, I've changed my intake a few times but have finally settled on a formula that works for me. Last week's extreme loss of 15.4 lbs largly consisted of BS weight I put on for the competition. This week looks more regular in terms of expected loss going forward.

'The Biggest Loser' - Week 2 Results



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I weighed in this morning at 192.2lbs. The weekly loss from 9/12-9/18 was 6.6 lbs bringing my total loss to 22lbs. I wore a shirt on Sunday that wasn't comfortable since I bought it, was too tight. Stuff is starting to fit better...That's all the motivation I need to continue.



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Day 13

Bale o' kale

As you may of noticed, I broke the daily postings...but the fast goes on. It was a busy weekend....going forward I'm only going to be posting a few times a week. I did pretty well at the Farmer's Market on Saturday, spent a bit more cash to stock up this time (see bale o' kale).

I've officially got a "go-to" vendor for kale going forward. She sells mostly collard greens, but had a single box of kale. Her prices were $1/bundle, I negotiated 10 bundles for $8. In addition I purchased 8 lemons, a large ginger root, 20 cucumbers, and 4 bags of celery. I've decided to continue purchasing granny smith apples at Publix since they are a good size and fit right in the juicer without cutting in half.

I have also tweaked my intake again, I think I've finally found a plan on what works for me. It also means I only need to juice twice a day. I make portions in the evening for that night and the next morning, and portions in the afternoon for the afternoon juices. The last few days I've been substituting protein in place of the mid-afternoon juice. It's more satisfying and easier to take down.

Morning

20oz juice

Mid-Morning

16oz protein/water drink

Afternoon

20oz juice

Mid-Afternoon

16oz protein/water drink OR 20oz juice

Evening

20oz juice

Tomorrow marks my second week on the fast, I'll be doing another weigh in and posting my results. It has definitely slowed, but progress is being made. I still have a long way to go, but I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing so far!

Adios

Day 10

I was pretty beat last night so didn't bother to write a post. So....10 days in...progress is definitely being made, though it has slowed like I assumed it would. The last 2 days I cut out the post-lunch juice and have substituted protein in it's place. Drinking nearly a gallon of the same juice everyday gets a little boring - so this helps a bit. It's almost like dessert...one of the powdered variety.

To keep myself going here, I've established some goal weights and the subsequent rewards I'll be gifting myself when I hit these goals.

• 190lbs - TBD watch
• 180lbs - iPhone 5
• 170lbs - MacBook Pro 

I really want the MacBook Pro. Not just for a toy...but for SCIENCE! Being in IT, I feel that I've never had enough exposure to Macs and the MAC OS. So I'm looking at it both as a learning tool and a toy. I honestly don't think that 170 goal is out of reach either. Now, it may not take place in two months, but it'll happen.

I'm about to go hit the Farmer's Market and stock up. Have a nice weekend!

Day 9

Short post tonight - football is on! I had a pretty good day today, got a lot done at work and didn't really have any hunger. Between the protein powder, and just getting used to the diet - I'm pretty content. I used to snack on stuff throughout the day (sunflower seeds, jerky, etc.). I'm finding out it wasn't because I was hungry, I was doing it because I enjoyed it.

There are some challenges sticking to the diet while at work. Most of my co-workers know that I'm on the diet now and I'm not eating junk (or any solids for that fact). One particular co-worker, who I have a side bet with keeps putting cookies and other snacks on my desk. I have to admit, it's pretty funny returning to find what's on my desk.

Then there are all the other office snacks that are semi-difficult to abstain from. Bagels/donuts/chicken biscuits in the mornings at times with cookies in the afternoon. Luckily, it's not happening all that frequently. I'm glad this diet isn't taking place through the December holiday, since I hear there is usually quite a spread of food around that time. Of course, I'll be practicing moderation at that time. The absolute TOUGHEST item so far has been smelling coffee in the morning - no coffee is ROUGH!

This weekend should be a good test as well. I'm going to a work function with pizza, wings, and booze Saturday. We are having a bowling/mini-golf/darts competition. I really WANT to have a few beers with the co-workers - but first things first. There will be other opportunities. On Sunday, I'm hitting the Jaguars game. My typical Jaguars game routine consisted of tailgating AKA grilling out and having some beers. Not enjoying a beer or two while watching the game will be a change up. Luckily, the Jaguars changed the rules this year on outside food/beverage. I'll be packing the mean green...

Day 8

I've been saving all my receipts since beginning the fast. I had done some research beforehand on how much produce would be required - but didn't look too much into the cost. I've never been a big fresh produce consumer, so I wasn't real aware of the market prices. So here I am 8 days in and I've broken down the prices from startup costs through produce cost to date.

Startup Cost



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The initial startup costs consisted of the juicer and Nalgene water bottles. I purchased Jack LaLanne's Ultimate Power Juicer from Costco for $89.99. I'm pretty happy with it so far, wasn't too expensive, works well, and it's fairly easy to break down and clean. I needed water bottles for storing juice in the refrigerator and for transporting to work/events. I've used Nalgene bottles in the past camping in North Carolina and have been pleased with them. I purchased 3 32-oz Nalgene widemouth water bottles at Academy Sports for $30.00. They are odor resistent BPA free bottles that are easy to clean and take on the go.

Produce Cost to Date

Unfortunately, I've been doing the majority of my shopping at Publix due to convenience. As I posted earlier, I'm going to start taking advantage of the Farmer's Market since the prices are more cost efficient. I've had to make 8 separate shopping trips to Costco, Publix, and the Farmer's Market combined. The most expensive item out of what I'm juicing are the apples. Even at the Farmer's Market - the apples were still expensive.

Produce CTD 9/4 - 9/12

With about 7.5 weeks remaining, I'm looking at a projected total produce cost of $1,150 over the 60 day fast. I'm definitely spending more money than I typically would on food. However, I'm not going out to dinner, or going out for drinks on the weekend. So, if you take that into consideration - I'm saving money overall.

Peace.

 

Day 7

It's been one week...and I'm still in it! At this point there's no turning back. I'm feeling great and am seeing positive results, as I'll be revealing in tonight's post. A lot of times after eating 'regular' food I would feel tired and sluggish. A part of that was overeating, but I believe the bigger factor was poor food choices. I don't feel that anymore. After a juice drink, I'm satisfied - but not stuffed. I'm feeling more alert and refreshed in the mornings. I feel generally happier as a whole.

I'm realizing I don't need as much food to sustain. When I go back on the 'solids', I'm definitely going to be more conscious of my portions. One of the challenges is the fact that I enjoy cooking and eating food. I'm a food junkie. I have a smoker, outdoor fryer, and food dehydrator. I had a dream the other night in which I was eating some BBQ(can't recall the exact meat, likely ribs). When I awoke I was pissed off at myself until I realized it was JUST a dream! Anyhow, I feel the fast is sustainable for the next 53 days. On to the results...

'The Biggest Loser' - Week 1 Results

For those readers who didn't see the introductory post, I entered a 'Biggest Loser' competition at my workplace last week. Tuesday, September 4th was the first day of the contest and the official 'weigh-in'. I weighed in at 214.2 lbs last Tuesday. Today I weighed in at 198.8 lbs for a total loss of 15.4lbs or 7.4%.

Week 1 Results

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Needless to say, I'm pretty encouraged by the results. I'm fairly certain the rate of loss won't keep up as the first few pounds seem to come off the quickest, but I'm OK with that. Several pounds were 'fluff weight' from the last few huge meals before the weigh in. As long as I can drop 5lbs/week - I'll easily hit my goal of 180lbs by November 4th.

I'll be posting a Cost to Date analysis tomorrow evening.  It should help me project the total cost of this expedition through November. It's expensive, but seems to be worth the investment to me.

Have a good night!

Day 6

So I'm pretty much out of produce from the farmer's market...So much for the hope it'd last me until later this week. Now that I have a fairly good idea of just how much I need, I'll make better purchasing decisions going forward.

Produce depleted fridge

Today was the first day of adding protein into the mix. I had a large bag of whey protein I purchased at Costco earlier this year. I took 2 scoops, 1 first thing in the morning, and another about 4:30PM. I think it made a slight difference in terms of hunger. It's kind of nice having something other than juice too - it's chocolate flavored.

I screwed up my right heel running about a week ago and idiotically have kept running on it. It doesn't seem to be fixing itself, so it's elliptical for me until my foot feels better. I hit that up after work and had a pretty good session. I like Planet Fitness, there's all sorts of people there. Young, old, fat, skinny, meat-heads, grandmas, etc. It's a pretty comfortable environment to work out in and it's cheap ($10/month).

Ready for tomorrow

I've been making morning/snack juice the night before so I don't have to wake up and do it, and then clean the machine. It saves me quite a bit of time in the morning. Tomorrow is 1 week into my workplace's 'Biggest Loser' competition. It's been pretty cool so far, there is some friendly trash talking going on around the office in terms of whose going to be victorious. I plan to post my 1 week results in tomorrow night's blog.

Peace

Day 5

Hope everyone had a good weekend...mine was different, in a good way though. One of the benefits of not drinking/eating crap food on Friday/Saturday nights is being able to wake up early and get more stuff done. I did a lot this weekend, it was one of the more productive weekends I've had in awhile.

I realized today I should have purchased more kale at the farmer's market yesterday. Out of all the produce I've been juicing - kale definitely goes the quickest. I guess it's because it's a leafy green rather than a larger solid item (i.e. apple). It takes a lot to get an adequate amount of juice out of it. Next week I'll be stock piling the kale at the market.

Getting prepped

I feel I'm adjusting into this routine pretty well in just 5 days. Tomorrow morning I'm going to start supplementing whey protein into my juice 2x/daily. This will add an additional 280 calories to my daily intake, which is minimal for the benefits I think I'll be receiving.

I'm going to supplement the morning and pre-workout juice with protein. I made this decision because It gives me the time to burn the additional calories. When I take it first thing in the morning, throughout the course of the day - I'll easily burn 140 calories.When I take it pre-workout, It'll be gone after a short period of time on the treadmill or elliptical.

That brings me to another point. Some people I've talked to think this is a 'starvation' diet and it's unhealthy. This is NOT a starvation diet nor is it unhealthy. Sure, I feel hungry at times - but I'm still taking in the calories, vitamins, and nutrients I need. A recommended caloric intake for someone my age/height/weight is between 1600 - 2400 calories. Right now I'm taking in right under 1600 calories, after I add the whey protein I'll be well within that range.

'Mean Green' - Nutritional Information

Pint of Mean Green

Serving(20 oz):

•  Calories: 310
•  Fat: 1.5g
•  Carbs: 57g
•  Protein: 10g

Daily Intake(100oz):

• Calories 1550
• Fat: 7.5g
• Carbs: 285g
• Protein: 50g

Welcome to my new readers up North - the blog is really taking off. Right now we've got readers from 8 different countries actively following.

Adios

And so it begins....

Juice Fasting

 

A fasting diet where the dieter takes in nothing but fresh squeezed vegetable and fruit juice in place of solid foods. It is thought to be a cleansing process to clear out all the processed foods and junk from our regular diets. The fast can go on from 3-90 days depending on the desired results of the dieter. For this particular fast, I will be doing 60 days - starting tomorrow 9/5/12. 

Juice fasting has been around for a while. It recently had a resurgence of popularity due to the movie, "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead"(on Netflix now) in which a fat Aussie juice fasts while traveling the U.S. He has some pretty remarkable results dropping weight, healing a skin disease, and eventually ceasing the intake of  many prescription medications. If you haven't yet seen the documentary, I would strongly recommend checking it out. Pretty inspirational shit.

The Plan

For the next 60 days, I will be consuming 80-100oz of fresh juice a day. I plan to adjust accordingly once I'm a few days in and see what my demands are. Along with the juice, I will be keeping well hydrated with water. These are the only items I will be consuming. No beer, no liquor.... :(

The recipe I decided on is called the 'Mean Green' and is a  green vegetable based juice. I will make my breakfast and snack the morning before work. I will come home from work and make lunch/snack for the afternoon. I purchased several BPA free Nalgene bottles to transport my 'snack' juices to work. During the fast, I will continue with cardiovascular exercise (running) but will discontinue weight lifting at my doctor's advise. I may supplement my diet with whey protein powder if deemed necessary, since there is an extremely low amount of protein in the fruits/vegetables i'll be consuming.

Mean Green Recipe

Mean Green Ingredients

• 6 Kale Leaves
• 1 Cucumber
• 4 Celery Stalks
• 2 Green Apples
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1 piece of ginger

Why are you doing this?

1) Let me go back in time for a minute here. It was December 2011...I was sitting at my desk in my former employer's office and couldn't get comfortable. I kept shifting one way in the seat and then readjusting another way. THAT was my wake up call, I was too fat to comfortably sit in a chair....

Immediately after I finished college, I obtained a position at a software development company in Jacksonville Beach, FL. It was my first desk job and I continued the sedentary life style I had begun in college. I ordered fast food every day and typically ate at my desk. I ballooned up to my heaviest weight and was out of control. I had tried dieting unsuccessfully several times in the past. But this time I told myself I was actually going to FOLLOW THROUGH. I didn't want to diet through the holidays (HA) so I started dieting a few days after new years.

I dropped about 40 lbs from January 2012 - July 2012 through mostly diet. Since July I've been stuck in this rut from 198-210 lbs. I've been eating pretty clean, and started exercising regularly for the past 4 months. It's just not moving fast enough for my liking. I feel like this fast can break the plateau to make me reach my goal faster. After the fast, I plan to reintroduce proteins, carbohydrates, and alcohol back into my diet in moderation while ramping up my exercise routine to keep the weight off.

2)The other reason I've decided to start this juice fast has to do with a competition at my workplace. About 20 people are in the office's version of 'The Biggest Loser'. Our official weigh-in was today, 9/4/12 and the competition will last 60 days. I don't particularly like losing and there is a cash prize to the contestant that loses the largest percentage. A few people have also made side bets on me to fail, so I'm feeling especially motivated to prove them wrong.

Grand Prize

$3.00 per % loss per contestant to winner

Example - winner loses 10% - $30 from each contestant

Side Bets

1. $10 - I will break down and eat solids prior to Nov. 4th
2. $10 - I will not lose more % than a certain co-worker
3. $30 - I will not lose more than 30 pounds 

The Weigh in

Over the weekend I absolutely gorged out in preparation for the weigh in on Tuesday. I needed to put on as much fluff weight before the weigh in since I'm going up against others with more the lose than me. Gain to lose baby...This was the first time I've deliberately tried to gain weight in my life....I gained 9 lbs from Friday to Tuesday. I was supplemented by chicken, ribs, subs, pizza, chocolate, and my last meal consisted of an Italian buffet for lunch today. After lunch and chugging about a gallon of water....I weighed in at 214.2 after lunch today!

My goal weight is to reach 180lbs after 2 months of fasting. That is a loss of 34.2 lbs in 8 weeks.Let's see what happens. I start tomorrow. No solids, no booze, just juice. 

I'll be updating the blog daily, please check back often.