After the second week of doing The Brad Plan, my mother-in-law started telling me about a diet program someone she knew well had been doing. She was very excited about it and was doing lots of research. She lead me to a website put together by people who her friend knows well. The site talks about overall health, as well as selling this diet program she was planning to do. In reading over it, I came upon the importance of detoxifying and cleansing your system. This lead me to a link regarding The Master Cleanse. I'd heard about it from a friend who did what she called The Lemonade Diet. I became more interested the more I read.
A serving of lemonade consists of 2 tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 tbsp of Organic Grade B Maple Syrup (not the same stuff you put on your pancakes), 1/10 tsp of cayenne pepper, and 10 oz. spring or reverse osmosis water. The cayenne makes it very spicy, which can be a little tough to take down, but overall, it's not too bad. Easiest to make a pitcher at a time, since this is your "food" for at least 10 days! No other food is allowed. And the only other drinks are water and the flushes.
The Master Cleanse, written by Stanley Burroughs in 1941, is not designed as a weight loss system. It is to detoxify your body and give it a rest from exerting so much energy on digestion (i.e. fast), so that it can concentrate on pulling the toxins out of your body. A side effect is that you lose weight. In ridding the body of all the junk in our cells, it is said to correct many of our ailments. Ten days is the minimum time suggested, but when your tongue turns a healthy pink (because it gets very white and fuzzy during the detoxing process) is when you know you are done detoxing.
Besides the lemonade, it is important to do the daily flushes. Take a laxative tea at night, then 2 tsp non-iodized sea salt in 32 oz. of water in the morning. The salt water is HARD for me to get down, so I just have to chug it as quickly as I can. And 32 oz. is four glasses or a quarter of a gallon - which is a lot when it tastes bad! Give yourself about an hour and a half before leaving the house. The first day I had to turn around after getting two blocks from the house or else I would have had a major mishap.
I started The Master Cleanse on April 10th. The process for me wasn't all that bad and even though I was hungry at times during the first couple of days, it wasn't anything unmanagable. Commonly, people feel really bad the first two to three days. I think that going from a bad diet of high sugars, starches, and fats directly to this cleanse may cause people to feel so bad. But since I'd already been eating really healthy and had cut addictive food and drink (caffeine) out of my diet for the three weeks prior, I didn't have these horrible symptoms.
The most interesting thing was that I'd walk by the kitchen and think, "I need to make myself something to eat." I'd been very focused on planning my meals with The Brad Plan, so the sight of the kitchen would prompt my concern for what healthy meal I'd make for myself. This was just pure habit. Eating was just a habit. I caught myself thinking this several times in the first two days.
Besides the salt water flush, which I eventually got used to, I liked the empty feeling. As I got lighter, I felt lighter. No bloating, no feeling full or like I ate too much. I was energized! I even continued to push myself at the gym everyday. People automatically think that it's not good for a person to not eat; but fasting is hardly a new concept, and has many benefits. I also heard, "I could never do that! I love food too much." Believe me, you don't love food any more than I do! It's all a matter of wanting to do it. I was committed.
I had full intention of doing the clease for 10 days. I even thought I'd go longer since I felt so good, and I wanted my tongue to go back to pink. But on the 8th day I started pms-ing! I began to crave anything and everything! I decided to start coming off, which takes two days of eating homemade veggie soup broth and working up to OJ and veggie soup. Then reintroducing foods slowly. If you gorge on heavy foods right away, you can do yourself damage, even die. So it's important to ease back in to eating.
I lost 8 lbs in 8 days.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Anna
I have to give credit to Anna. She has been very motivating and the biggest influence for me.
She is a little 60 year old Vietnamese woman, who has been eating right and exercising as part of her daily life all her life. In fact, she just ran the La Jolla Half Marathon last week. She is my workout buddy, even though we separate for the most part when we get to the gym. We talk about food and compare what we're eating. And with Kathy, another co-worker, talk about what stores have Cutie tangerines on sale each week, among other items.
My husband's cousin has also been motivating. He is an inspiration and a great example of hard work and discipline! But where his level of exercising is so far beyond my capabilites, and his obsession is so extreme (running 18 miles a day, biking 50, swimming 2, running 9 marathons last year), Anna is more relatible for me.
We talk about shoes and fashion. We watch the same shows like American Idol and DWTS. She tells me what she ate the night before, "I just make a piece of salmon, with some broccoli. Not the crazy things!"
She helps keep me on track. And I appreciate her for that.
Thanks, Anna!
She is a little 60 year old Vietnamese woman, who has been eating right and exercising as part of her daily life all her life. In fact, she just ran the La Jolla Half Marathon last week. She is my workout buddy, even though we separate for the most part when we get to the gym. We talk about food and compare what we're eating. And with Kathy, another co-worker, talk about what stores have Cutie tangerines on sale each week, among other items.
My husband's cousin has also been motivating. He is an inspiration and a great example of hard work and discipline! But where his level of exercising is so far beyond my capabilites, and his obsession is so extreme (running 18 miles a day, biking 50, swimming 2, running 9 marathons last year), Anna is more relatible for me.
We talk about shoes and fashion. We watch the same shows like American Idol and DWTS. She tells me what she ate the night before, "I just make a piece of salmon, with some broccoli. Not the crazy things!"
She helps keep me on track. And I appreciate her for that.
Thanks, Anna!
"The Brad Plan"
On March 15 I took a challenge presented to me by Mike, a co-worker. Twenty years ago his buddy Brad, a nutritionist, had come up with The Brad Plan.
In summary, the plan was to eat foods on the Yes list, avoid foods on the No list, and exercise at least 30 minutes each and every day. Do this for 30 days and you'll lose weight and feel better. The lists consists of the typical foods you'd expect on the Yes - fruits, veggies, lean meats, non-fat milk, even pasta (shocker!), and on the No - starchy veggies, sugar, wheat, flour, candy, sodas, cheese, most dairy, etc.
Mike and Brad decided to challenge each other and make a bet. Whoever didn't stick to the plan, or was the first to deviate from it, would owe the other $100. Both men stuck to the plan for the entire 30 days, so they both kept their money. But Mike said he lost 20 lbs.! I decided to take the challenge and try to get my friends to do it with me and make a wager. My brother was anxious to try to take my money, and another friend jumped on board quickly, wagering a $25 Nordstrom gift card. But as quickly as they hopped aboard, they hopped off. Ended up my friend Tina said she'd follow the diet with me for about three weeks, until her planned Vegas trip. We chose not to make a wager.
I stuck to the plan religiously. Some times were harder than others. I made fruit smoothies for breakfast, salad with chicken or tuna, dried cranberries, slivered almonds and vinegar for lunch. Dinners were harder because we end up eating out or getting take-out often, but I'd make sure to eat only the foods allowed. Problem with that is everything is so overloaded with salt. Also, even though pasta and rice are on the yes list, eating more than a very little of it is counter-productive. I came to the realization that it's not so much determination that is necessary for weightloss, it's PLANNING!
I re-joined 24 Hour Fitness, kicking myself for cancelling my $99 per year for life membership only a few months earlier. Three of my co-workers go to the 24 Hour across the street during our lunch hour, including Anna, who is in my department, and my boss. I never thought I'd look forward to working out. I actually am anxious to get to the gym everyday!
In three weeks on The Brad Plan, I lost 6 pounds. That's a 2 lbs. average per week, which is supposed to be healthy. My clothes began fitting looser, though I was still in the same clothes.
In summary, the plan was to eat foods on the Yes list, avoid foods on the No list, and exercise at least 30 minutes each and every day. Do this for 30 days and you'll lose weight and feel better. The lists consists of the typical foods you'd expect on the Yes - fruits, veggies, lean meats, non-fat milk, even pasta (shocker!), and on the No - starchy veggies, sugar, wheat, flour, candy, sodas, cheese, most dairy, etc.
Mike and Brad decided to challenge each other and make a bet. Whoever didn't stick to the plan, or was the first to deviate from it, would owe the other $100. Both men stuck to the plan for the entire 30 days, so they both kept their money. But Mike said he lost 20 lbs.! I decided to take the challenge and try to get my friends to do it with me and make a wager. My brother was anxious to try to take my money, and another friend jumped on board quickly, wagering a $25 Nordstrom gift card. But as quickly as they hopped aboard, they hopped off. Ended up my friend Tina said she'd follow the diet with me for about three weeks, until her planned Vegas trip. We chose not to make a wager.
I stuck to the plan religiously. Some times were harder than others. I made fruit smoothies for breakfast, salad with chicken or tuna, dried cranberries, slivered almonds and vinegar for lunch. Dinners were harder because we end up eating out or getting take-out often, but I'd make sure to eat only the foods allowed. Problem with that is everything is so overloaded with salt. Also, even though pasta and rice are on the yes list, eating more than a very little of it is counter-productive. I came to the realization that it's not so much determination that is necessary for weightloss, it's PLANNING!
I re-joined 24 Hour Fitness, kicking myself for cancelling my $99 per year for life membership only a few months earlier. Three of my co-workers go to the 24 Hour across the street during our lunch hour, including Anna, who is in my department, and my boss. I never thought I'd look forward to working out. I actually am anxious to get to the gym everyday!
In three weeks on The Brad Plan, I lost 6 pounds. That's a 2 lbs. average per week, which is supposed to be healthy. My clothes began fitting looser, though I was still in the same clothes.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Weight Problem
I'm a little nervous about starting my first real blog! But I want to chonicle my attempt and hopeful success at the significant amount of weight I am trying to lose.
Guess I should start from the beginning, which is having a weight problem.
I was never the thinnest of kids. In fact, I always thought of myself as fatter than most of the kids around. I read recently that obesity isn't genetic. But we definitely learn our eating habits by how our family eats. Ah, another thing I can blame on Jim! Just kidding. But he was a big eater. Basically, I never really thought too much about what I ate. I remember one night, when I was about 15, we were having pizza for dinner. My mom told me I could only have two pieces. I was upset. Why, all of a sudden, did she care how much pizza I had? I would have normally eaten 3 or 4 pieces. I'm sure she was coming from a caring place.
When I was in 11th grade, I was a junior's size 5, sometimes even a size 3 if I really squeezed - like lay on the bed and suck it in. I wish I was as "fat" as I thought I was then. Even being that small, I was fatter than a lot of girls my age. I ate a lot of fast food, since we were always on the go - driving around town doing a lot of nothing, as teenagers tend to do. My first year of college, I gained the typical freshman 10-15. What do they put in the food at the cafeteria that makes us so fat? Gross. I gained more about another 10 lbs at a low point in my life when I was about 23 and living in San Jose and being forced to work 80+ hours per week. I remember a particular photo during that time that I recall with disgust, "I am SO fat! But, wow, my hair looks great." I was fat. My thighs bulged. I lost some weight after quitting that job and moving home. Between, 23 and 28, I went up and down within about 15 lbs. The higher weight didn't seem to look as bad at age 27 as it did at 23. I went from size 10 to 12 to 14, then back to 10, then 12… I jumped around without much notice.
At age 27 or 28 I decided to go vegetarian. My step-sister, who was a veggie at that time, had a theory that if you eat fat - animal fat - then you will be fat. She made a good point. But that's not the reason I stopped eating meat. I was cutting a piece of chicken one day and got grossed out at the fact that I was cutting through a ligament. It just hit me that I was eating muscle, and ligaments, and blood vessels. I stayed a fish- and dairy-eating veggie for a year and a half. I naturally lost weight gradually, and before I knew it, I was a size 10, then a comfortable size 8. I didn't count calories or portion control; I ate as much as I wanted. I loved my clothes and how I looked in them. I was a size 8, but was constantly trying to lose 5 lbs. and get into a size 6, since I was still larger than most of my friends. How are some of you girls made to be so naturally thin?!
After going back to eating meat, which started with a bite of my then-boyfriend's steak, I started gradually gaining weight. Instead of cooking my typical rice, black beans, salad, and occasional fish, I was eating out often. Rich, savory sauce-smothered food. Yum! I became a "foodie". The weight crept up. I cried and stomped around (a.k.a. had a tantrum) one day when my size 10's were getting too tight. Soon I was a 12. I stayed there awhile, then hit 14. Went back to a 10 while on a heartbreak diet (the most effective type for me!) and dealing with my grandpa's death. Then started going back up from there. I stayed in a size 12 or 14... until I moved to Washington to be with Jamie. I don't know if it was the lack of movement after being laid off and spending most of my time in the house, or my body adjusting to the cold weather, like a whale with a layer of blubber to keep me warm! Or if it was just continuing to eat what I'd been eating, and steadily gaining from that. But not even my own wedding was enough of a motivator to get me to do something about my weight. On my wedding day I think I was heavier than I'd ever been. When we moved back to San Diego in Feb '09, I was moving toward a 16. End of last year, the 16's started getting tight.
I'm a fat lady now. I feel like shit. I sometimes feel attractive, when I look at myself after doing my hair and make-up in the bathroom mirror. Then I see a full body view. It's depressing. I can't stand the sight of myself naked. Jamie still tells me I'm beautiful, but I don't believe him. :)~
I've finally made weight loss an obsession and I'm determined. I lost 14 lbs. in 4 weeks. But I've gained 5 back, which I'll write more about soon.
My goal is to get back into my size 8 clothes, with an ultimate goal of being a size 6, which is very lean for me.
I'd love for you to follow my progress!
Guess I should start from the beginning, which is having a weight problem.
I was never the thinnest of kids. In fact, I always thought of myself as fatter than most of the kids around. I read recently that obesity isn't genetic. But we definitely learn our eating habits by how our family eats. Ah, another thing I can blame on Jim! Just kidding. But he was a big eater. Basically, I never really thought too much about what I ate. I remember one night, when I was about 15, we were having pizza for dinner. My mom told me I could only have two pieces. I was upset. Why, all of a sudden, did she care how much pizza I had? I would have normally eaten 3 or 4 pieces. I'm sure she was coming from a caring place.
When I was in 11th grade, I was a junior's size 5, sometimes even a size 3 if I really squeezed - like lay on the bed and suck it in. I wish I was as "fat" as I thought I was then. Even being that small, I was fatter than a lot of girls my age. I ate a lot of fast food, since we were always on the go - driving around town doing a lot of nothing, as teenagers tend to do. My first year of college, I gained the typical freshman 10-15. What do they put in the food at the cafeteria that makes us so fat? Gross. I gained more about another 10 lbs at a low point in my life when I was about 23 and living in San Jose and being forced to work 80+ hours per week. I remember a particular photo during that time that I recall with disgust, "I am SO fat! But, wow, my hair looks great." I was fat. My thighs bulged. I lost some weight after quitting that job and moving home. Between, 23 and 28, I went up and down within about 15 lbs. The higher weight didn't seem to look as bad at age 27 as it did at 23. I went from size 10 to 12 to 14, then back to 10, then 12… I jumped around without much notice.
At age 27 or 28 I decided to go vegetarian. My step-sister, who was a veggie at that time, had a theory that if you eat fat - animal fat - then you will be fat. She made a good point. But that's not the reason I stopped eating meat. I was cutting a piece of chicken one day and got grossed out at the fact that I was cutting through a ligament. It just hit me that I was eating muscle, and ligaments, and blood vessels. I stayed a fish- and dairy-eating veggie for a year and a half. I naturally lost weight gradually, and before I knew it, I was a size 10, then a comfortable size 8. I didn't count calories or portion control; I ate as much as I wanted. I loved my clothes and how I looked in them. I was a size 8, but was constantly trying to lose 5 lbs. and get into a size 6, since I was still larger than most of my friends. How are some of you girls made to be so naturally thin?!
After going back to eating meat, which started with a bite of my then-boyfriend's steak, I started gradually gaining weight. Instead of cooking my typical rice, black beans, salad, and occasional fish, I was eating out often. Rich, savory sauce-smothered food. Yum! I became a "foodie". The weight crept up. I cried and stomped around (a.k.a. had a tantrum) one day when my size 10's were getting too tight. Soon I was a 12. I stayed there awhile, then hit 14. Went back to a 10 while on a heartbreak diet (the most effective type for me!) and dealing with my grandpa's death. Then started going back up from there. I stayed in a size 12 or 14... until I moved to Washington to be with Jamie. I don't know if it was the lack of movement after being laid off and spending most of my time in the house, or my body adjusting to the cold weather, like a whale with a layer of blubber to keep me warm! Or if it was just continuing to eat what I'd been eating, and steadily gaining from that. But not even my own wedding was enough of a motivator to get me to do something about my weight. On my wedding day I think I was heavier than I'd ever been. When we moved back to San Diego in Feb '09, I was moving toward a 16. End of last year, the 16's started getting tight.
I'm a fat lady now. I feel like shit. I sometimes feel attractive, when I look at myself after doing my hair and make-up in the bathroom mirror. Then I see a full body view. It's depressing. I can't stand the sight of myself naked. Jamie still tells me I'm beautiful, but I don't believe him. :)~
I've finally made weight loss an obsession and I'm determined. I lost 14 lbs. in 4 weeks. But I've gained 5 back, which I'll write more about soon.
My goal is to get back into my size 8 clothes, with an ultimate goal of being a size 6, which is very lean for me.
I'd love for you to follow my progress!
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