Days 5 and 6...

Hi folks!

Here is a quick summary of my last two days.

Day 5

Weigh-in: 224.4 lbs

I had no loss on the scale this morning, but I stuck to the plan for the day. For breakfast:

Orange Crush:

3 Oranges
1 Apple
2 Small Carrots
1 tsp Cinnamon

This was a fantastic breakfast juice. It kinda tasted somewhere between an apple pie and a pumpkin pie. I definitely recommend this juice.

For lunch, 

Leafy Green:

8 fresh spinach leaves
2 kale leaves
1 beet
2 stalks celery
1 apple

This was a heartier juice than the Orange Crush, but very good. 

Those of you that know me well, know I am a salt addict - not that you could tell by my low blood pressure. In a way, this reboot has helped me cut back my sodium intake, but honestly, I am not sure how well that will work once I am off the juicing diet. I find myself craving salt every day, which makes me look forward to dinner even more. Speaking of dinner, tonight was:

Roasted Veggies:

6 Portabella Mushroom Caps

1 Eggplant

1 med Sweet Potato

1 Onion

8-10 leaves Kale

3 Garlic cloves

1/8 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper

1/8 tsp Mustard Seed

¼ tsp ground Cumin

pinch of Paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash all ingredients well (except onion). Cut ingredients (except for kale) into medium sized wedges and place on parchment paper. Spray with Olive oil and add seasonings. Roast in oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Add kale last 5 minutes of roast. 

I am not a huge fan of eggplant - never have been and I think I never will be. This dish reasserted that belief. All the other veggies were fantastic. It was like Autumn in my mouth. However, that eggplant had to show up and ruin all the fun for everyone. I think it's just me though...Dennis liked the eggplant. I guess to each his own.

Day 6

Weigh-in: 223.1 lbs.

I have lost a total of 8.3 lbs in 6 days. I am definitely liking this :-) Today's breakfast was:

Melon Mania:

1 2" Slice of Watermelon

1/4 Cantaloupe

2 Oranges

2 Pineapple Wedges

Boy was this good! It was hearty, and fruity, and yummy all rolled into one. Definitely will do again.

Today was a bit harder getting through the day with only juice. I guess because I was home and it was kind of a lazy Saturday, I spent more time thinking about things I could eat opposed to work days when I barely have time to think at all. So lunch today was not a juice. Dennis had the left overs from the roasted veggies last night and I had the last of the veggie soup from Day 1. I don't know how to feel about the fact that both of felt very full after eating a bowl of veggies and a bowl of soup respectively. These were rather small portions too. So does this mean my stomach is shrinking? Well, I think tomorrow I plan to stay busy to see how it goes. Hopefully it will be much better in this respect than today was.

Dinner tonight was:

Veggie Stir Fry:

1 cup chopped Broccoli

½ Red Pepper Julienne

½ Green Pepper Julienne

2 med Carrots Julienne

1 cup sliced Mushrooms

½ med Onion (sliced)

1” Ginger root (finely sliced)

1 Garlic clove (finely chopped)

1 tbsp Canola oil

2 tbsp Water

ground Black Pepper to taste

1 tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce

1 tsp Rice Vinegar

Red Pepper flakes to taste

Mix soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper and red pepper flakes and set aside. Heat oil and saute veggies – add onion first and cook for about 2-3 minutes until clear, then add garlic and ginger, then the rest of the vegetables. When veggies are almost cooked (retain

bright color and are still crunchy), add the sauce and stir into veggies. Cook briefly.

I did not add the red pepper flakes, mainly because I did not have any and my in-laws do not eat spicy food. I did have chili paste that I added to mine once I served it on my plate. It was quite tasty. The roasted acorn squash and the zucchini and tomatoes still are tops of the list, but this one is definitely a do-again.

So there it is. A little over eight pounds in six days. Not too shabby if I say so myself. :-) Thank you for reading. Until tomorrow...

Ana

T-minus NOW!!

Hi folks!

I want to begin by thanking Hilda, Erin, and Julie for poking me today. I have been off the grid for a few days, but all for a good cause. I had my sister come visit for a few days this past weekend and I was busy enjoying her visit :-) However, her visit came to a close and that meant it was time to JUICE!!!

Sunday night, my MIL came by with a small box-load of fruits for juicing. After we juiced all her stuff and went over the details of how her first day would go for her, I went ahead and juiced our breakfast and lunch. 

For breakfast, Sunset Blend juice:

1 large Sweet Potato
1 medium Carrot
1 Red Bell Pepper
2 large Red Beets
2 Golden Delicious Apples
2 Pineapple wedges
1 Orange

For Lunch, Spinach Blend Juice:

1 Fennel Bulb
1 Cucumber
3 Celery Stalks
3 cups Spinach

We tried both concoctions before packaging them up. The Sunset Blend was fruity with a beet background. Dennis liked it, but he said all he could taste was the beet. My MIL liked it. I loved it. The Spinach Blend was a bit more interesting. Dennis was not too convinced. He said all he could taste was celery. My MIL did not care for this one at all. I thought it would be OK so long as I could add a bit of salt and maybe some Tabasco. I think the main issue on this one, for me, is that it has fennel. The fennel is supposed to be a sweet anise flavor and honestly, I am not sure how well it blends with the other veggies.

So having said all that...

Day 1 

Starting weight: 231.4 lbs.

I got up early, weighed myself, got ready for work, packed my juices and headed out. Had the first juice done by 9AM and the second one...well, that was a different story. I added salt to it in the hopes it would taste better, but no go. Will need to rethink recipes that have fennel in them - not quite my thing. I will admit that I was not hungry all day between the juices and all the water I drank. The goal is to aim for 64oz of water daily in addition to your juices. 

The plan we are doing involves juicing twice daily and then a veggie dinner. First night was:

Green Vegetable Soup:

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Leeks, thinly sliced, white and green parts
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 head Broccoli, trimmed to small florets
2 medium Zucchini, cut into half moons
1 head Spinach, roughly chopped
4 leaves Basil
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Pepper
6 cups water
3 tbsp. fresh Basil, chopped

Saute first three ingredients over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add next six ingredients and saute for 5 minutes. Add water and boil for 15 minutes. Add chopped basil when served.

This was actually pretty good and it was nice to end the first day of juicing with a hot meal. Gotta be honest...it was not rice and beans with a side salad, but it did the trick.

Day 2

Weigh-in: 229.6 lbs

I got up, used the restroom and weighed my self again - what works for me is to weigh every day at the same time of the day. The second day was pretty much like the first. I am a routine kinda girl. What can I say? :-)

The juice for today was as follows:

Carrot Apple Ginger Juice:

3 Carrots
2 Apples
1” Ginger

I made double the quantity and had it for both breakfast and lunch. I realized I should have had an herbal tea before breakfast, so I make sure to remember to tea-it in the morning - Lipton's Mango-Peach Herbal Tea. YUM! The rest of the day was a breeze, just like Day 1. 

Dinner tonight was:

Kale Avocado Salad:

2 cups Kale
1/2 cup Red Cabbage, chopped
1/2 Tomato, chopped
1/3 Avocado, diced
1/4 teaspoon dried Basil (or 1/4 cup fresh)
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
Sea Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste

Cut kale off of stems and chop. Chop red cabbage, tomato and avocado. Mix together in a bowl. Add 1 Tbsp dressing and toss. We used the following reboot dressing (it was fantastic):

Garlic Basil Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
Sea Salt and ground Black Pepper to taste

Blend the Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Honey, Garlic, Sea Salt and Pepper.

I enjoy salads for dinner, specially on days we do not have Connor at home. This was a nice meal even though there was no meat with it. I think I might get the hang of vegetarian eating and give it a go when I am off the reboot.

Day 3

Weigh-in: 226.1

This is just like any typical morning...very routine. Last night, however, I was tired and was a bit lazy in my picking a juice recipe so I went gung ho and made up my own. I juiced the following:

Ana's Special Blend:

2 Peaches
2 Oranges
2/8 Pineapple
2 Apples
1/8 Lemon
1 Pear

This was fruit-tastic! I loved it for my breakfast. I found it gave me a good boost of energy that lasted quite a long time. For lunch I had:

Ana's Lunch Blend:

1 Sweet Potato
1 Beet
2 Carrots
1 Orange

This was pretty good but I think I need to get back to drinking something more green for lunch. I will need to revert back to the menus. For dinner tonight we enjoyed the following:

Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom and Sage:

1 medium Acorn Squash
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
6 tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 large Portabella Mushroom, chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
2 tsp. Fresh Sage, finely chopped
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim off each end of the squash and stand the squash upright and halve lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp and the seeds and discard. Then brush each squash half with olive oil, and sprinkle with ¾ tsp. salt and the black pepper. Arrange cut sides down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the squash until the flesh is tender and the edges are golden brown, approximately 25-35 min. Remove from the oven, flip the squash halves over and set aside. While the squash roasts, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Second, add the mushrooms, sage, ¼ tsp. of salt and the red pepper flakes (if using), Saute for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to soften. Fill the roasted squash halves with the mushroom mixture and bake again for another 10 minutes.

I must state for the record that I am not a fan of portabella mushrooms. However....HOLY FREAKING AWESOME, BATMAN!!! This must be by far my favorite meal. It was perfect combination of sweet and salty and savory. Perfection in a squash...who would have thought that? Loved it!

Day 4

Weigh-in: 224.4

Woot!! 7 pounds FTW!! What a nice way to start off Day 4! :-) Here is my list of juices for today:

Ana & Dennis' Experimental Juicing:

2 Carrot 
2 Apple
1/4 Watermelon
2 Sweet Potato

Very yummy. Had this for both breakfast and lunch today. For dinner, we enjoyed the following:

Baked Zucchini with Tomatoes and Herbs:

5 sm Zucchini
4 Scallions (sliced, white and green parts separated)
1 sm Onion (chopped)
2 Plum Tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
2 tbsp Celery Leaves (from inner stalks, chopped)
4 tbsp chopped Basil Leaves
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the zucchini in half crosswise. Cut each half again lengthwise, and slice each of the halves into 4 equal, ½” pieces. (They should look like sticks.) In a bowl, mix together the zucchini sticks with the white parts of the scallions, onion, tomatoes, celery leaves and basil. Mix in the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to combine. Pour into a 3 qt baking dish and bake for 20 min. Garnish with the sliced green tops of the scallions and the extra chopped basil.

Sweet Potato and Carrot “Fries”:

2 med Sweet Potatoes
2 lg Carrots
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp ground Cumin
¼ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and carrots. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and slice each half into 4 equal wedges. For the carrots, cut in half crosswise into two chunks. Slice each chunk lengthwise into 2 pieces, and cut
each piece into 2 or 3 wedges, making them roughly the same size as the potatoes. Put the potato and carrot wedges into a bowl and toss with the oil, cumin, pepper and salt. Arrange on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh is tender and the outside is lightly browned and the edges slightly crisp.

This is my second favorite meal so far. I am definitely enjoying the veggie eating. I thought it would be a lot harder to get through the first few days of juicing, but it has been very easy so far. I have not felt hungry except if I have lunch too early - sometimes at work that will happen. But otherwise, it's been a breeze. I am glad I did not opt to dive  into a full on 30 or 60 day juice diet. I think that would have doomed me to fail. I know me and I think this is definitely going to work. When the ten days of this juice cycle are done, I am going to move to the Classic Reboot. That one involves 5 days simialr to what we are doing now, followed by 5 days of pure jujicing, and ending with 5 days of juicing and eating.

I am excited to be doing this and if you feel that this is something you may want to try, I invite you to do so. So far, it has been great. I really have nothing negatove to say. I hope  to keep doing the juicing for as long as I can. Most likely I will end up being a once-a-day juicer with the scheduled full on juice fasts at periodic intervals. I am really excited that my road from Flab to Fab is off to a great start. 

Thank you again for the pokes, Ladies! I appreciate it. More to come tomorrow. Until then...

Ana

It's here!

Hi guys!

I am super stoked tonight! The juicer arrived a day early! 

So I get home early and there is this box from Bed bath and Beyond...and inside that box? Another box...

So we opened the box, only to find....another box....it was like Russian Nesting Dolls, I tell ya!

But inside that box, queue the music...

Pardon the mess in the background. Hubby painted the computer room today and the entire contents of it was in the living room and dining room when I got home. But I digress...

Oh juicer! How I have dreamed of the day we would meet face-to-face. And here you are.

So one trip to Publix later, we tested the old girl out - could not wait for the in-laws.

We juiced the following:

1 Bartlett pear

1 gala apple

3 pineapple quarters

1 beet with tops

1/2 inch ginger root

1 squirt lemon juice

There was approximately 16 ounces of juice out of all that. And this is what it looked like...

And we drank it. Dennis and Connor both thought it tasted a bit earthy...beet-y. I think Connor may enjoy the fruit only juices. I personally loved it and cannot wait to get started! My sister is coming up this weekend so I may have to test it out on her too. I won't make her try the beets :-)

Well, I wanted to give you a quick update tonight of our first test drive of the juicer. Fantastic little machine that did exactly what it said it would. The clean up was a lot easier than I expected, specially when I read the tip about putting a plastic bag in the pulp bin...cinch up and toss! As we use it more and more, I will let you know if it still lives up the first impression.

That is all I have for tonight. I am feeling a bit under the weather - hence why I was home early - so I am turning in early, at least early for me :-) Thank you for coming by today and reading up on my little journey. I appreciate you being here! Until tomorrow...

Ana

I have a pair of partners

Hi there!

Every Tuesday night has now become "Dinner and a Movie Night" at the in-laws. I love my in-laws so it is always a cool thing to do. Tonight, while I was helping in the kitchen, my MIL and I got to talking about the whole reboot plan. I talked about my progress in preparing for the reboot and how it has been an interesting journey so far. Things I thought would be super hard, like quitting coffee, were not bad at all, etc. She asked me questions and I gladly answered. After chatting for a bit, she says she is ready to join me :-) YAAAY!!

My MIL is not as gung-ho as I am. She wants to try it for a about five days to see how she likes it. If she does not experience any issues, then she will go longer. I am excited to have her join me. I know Dennis, my hubby, is ready to try it too, so it should be a lot easier to do in a group setting. I am truly excited about doing this :-)

The juicer will be here Thursday and I can't wait to test drive it! I am already looking through the Juicing Bible and the Reboot website for recipes we are going to make. Dennis suggests we do a juicing smorgasbord and try out a good assortment of recipes. I'm asking my MIL to come over to the christening and to taste the samples :-) It should prove to be a juicy evening! I wish you could all be here too. 

So I'm heading back to juicing recipe world so I can make my list of produce and such. I can't wait to write about that! It will be lots of fun! Until then, thank you as always!

Ana

One day closer

Hi there :-)

Today I realized that some of you have been leaving comments on my entries. I feel kinda dorky for not noticing before now. I have read them all and I can say is....wow...thanks! You guys are awesome and I love you all!! Thank you for the kind words. They really mean a lot to me.

Today there is not much to report. I am still waiting for the juicer to get here and in the meantime, I am working on cutting out all the stuff I don't need from my diet. I am slowly but surely making progress, but not quite there yet. By the time this juicer gets here, I should be all set. Definitely looking forward to start this juicing deal!

I have also been thinking about my goals and building those smaller, manageable goal lists. I should have those set in a day or so and should post again. Putting it out there definitely makes it real and tangible. Can't wait to start scratching things off the list.

I promise a much longer post tomorrow, but for now, I am heading off to bed. Thank you again for all the positive words of encouragement. I truly appreciate it :-) Catch you all tomorrow!

Ana

Goals...Gotta catch them all

Hi folks!

It has been a long week and I apologize for not posting last night. My brain was fried by the time I got home yesterday. I barely had enough energy to make dinner and eat it, much less sit and write. But, after finishing some stuff around the house, I decided to sit down and write about my goals.

Most days I feel as if I am adrift in the world. I work hard, but I don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile. I have come to the conclusion that I feel this way because I haven't spent enough time thinking about what I want from life, and I haven't set any formal goals. I feel that without them I am on a major journey with no real idea of my destination. 

Over the last month, I have been seriously looking at and reading about goal setting. Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about an ideal future, and for motivating oneself to turn that vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life, and by knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. So here is my attempt at goal setting.

I have never given much thought to what I want to accomplish in my life in the next year, five years, or even ten years. But because change means change, I need to seriously examine what those things are that I want. So when it comes to setting goals, just about every site I have checked out on this topic has the same ABC's to goal setting:

1. Create the "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (over, say, the next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.
2. Break these goals down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach your lifetime goals.
3. Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.

So basically, make a list of the ultimate life goals, then work backwards from there to today and build smaller goal lists that need to be completed to reach the life goal. Here is my life goals list broken down into categories:

HEALTH

• Quit smoking
• Lose 100 pounds

LEARNING/EDUCATION

• Complete my Bachelors degree 
• Complete my Masters degree

CAREER

• Own my own business

FINANCES

• Buy a house
• Pay off all debt
• Save $500,000

ADVENTURE

• Experience weightlessness
• Skydive
• Swim with dolphins
• Go hang gliding
• Run a marathon
• Travel around the world
• Celebrate the New Year in NYC, watching the ball drop at midnight

COMMUNITY

• Volunteer in my community
• Start a non-profit organization
• Donate blood frequently

FAMILY

• Watch Connor graduate from high school
• Watch Connor graduate from college
• Make peace with my family
• Celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary

FUN AND PERSONAL

• Learn to belly dance
• Master quilling
• Read the top 100 novels of all time
• See the Top 100 films of all time
• Get a tattoo
• Get rid of clutter and only keep what matters most

So there is my list. I already have completed one item; I quit smoking on January 1, 2011. I only have twenty-seven to go :-). The next step is to set a plan of smaller goals that I need to complete in order to reach my lifetime plan, and then break those down into even smaller manageable goals. That will be another day. For now, I will contemplate my goals list and picture what it will be like when I scratch off the last item from my list. 

Until tomorrow...

Ana

A slight change in plans

Hi folks!

Today is a shorter post than I expected. Hubby went juicer hunting today, but alas, the prey was elusive. He was able to catch a glimpse of it online but the beast won't be home until 3-8 business days from now. Hooray for in-home delivery!<--insert sarcasm there... So my test juicing will have to wait possibly until reboot time. I was planning to take pictures and measurements today as well, but honestly, I am exhausted and do not feel like it at all. Of course, the fact that I hate having my picture taken does not help either. So I will postpone writing about that until the juicer gets here :-)

Instead, let's talk about eating changes. 

1. Friday is officially day four of no coffee and I am down to one soda a day. This is big. I will confess that I had splitting headaches the first two days, but now...cake. Tomorrow will be my first soda-less day, which means I will have effectively cut out caffeine from my diet. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. 
2. I am slowly trying to eliminate all the other stuff from my diet, but it's hard. I am almost completely off dairy, except for about half a cup in the morning. No cheese or other dairy foods this week. That one was not too hard for me. 
3. I've cut out red meat. So far chicken and turkey. Tomorrow might bring fish to the table. I don't see this part being hard either. 
4. I have definitely increased the consumption of veggies, but I am still having a hard time with adding more fruits and cutting back the white flours, specially bread and bread-like foods. 

Since the juicer may take a little longer to get here than my actual reboot start date, I might have a few extra days to wean myself off all the stuff I need to cut out. I have made some progress, but I still feel like I need a little more to get where I need to be before the Reboot. But I know I will get there!

So that's it for today. I need to hit the hay before I pass out. Thank you again for being here with me. Just knowing you are there reading this, helps me stay the course. Thank you! Until tomorrow...

Ana

Countdown to reboot

Welcome back :-)

Yesterday I wrote a little about what brought me here and how this journey is something I NEED to do. I will write more about this later, but for now, let me talk about the Reboot site, the prep, the research, and the quest for the right juicer.

After watching the movie, I had to go over to the site and check it out (if you haven't already, feel free to click the link on the right and visit the site for yourself). The site is not the best I have seen but it has good information to help you make educated decisions. There is a Blog section with categories such as Ask the Nutritionist, Recipes, and my favorite, Reboot Profiles. Here you can read success stores of normal everyday people like you and me who for one reason or another decided that they too needed to join the reboot. Other sections include Forums, where you can interact with other Rebooters, and the Marketplace where you can purchase gear, juicers, and the like.  
   
Finally, you have a section called plans. Here, you have several different plans to choose from depending on your lifestyle and goals. Per the website, the plans are broken down as follows:

1. Long Weekend (juicing only) - This plan is three days long and is intended for people already eating a plant-based diet who are looking to add in even more plants and juice. Also for people looking to try out a Reboot before committing to a 5-day or 15-day or longer program.
2. Express Reboot (juicing + eating) - This plan is five days long and is intended for people looking to try a Reboot without making a long-term commitment. Also for people who would like to chew their food throughout their Reboot, instead of just juicing.
3. Quick Start Reboot (juicing + eating) - This plan is ten days long and is intended for people ready to try a 10-day Reboot but who aren't ready to give up chewing. Also for people who are brand new to a plant-based diet.
4. Classic Reboot (juicing + eating) - This plan consists of five days of eating, blending and juicing only whole fruit and vegetables; followed by five days of just juicing; followed by five days of eating, blending and juicing whole fruit and vegetables again. Think 5-5-5. This plan is intended for people ready to give a Reboot (like Joe's) a try, people who want to experience a juice fast, already eat a plant-based diet, and are ready to commit to 15 days of just veggies and fruits
5. Plus Dinner Reboot (juicing + eating) - This plan is three days long and is intended for people who would like to eat dinner with their family, people looking to ease into a full-juice program, or anyone seeking the benefits of juicing but aren't ready to give up eating solid foods.

I order to prepare for the reboot, you have one week of prep work. This is what I call the Countdown Phase. According to the website, you need to make sure that during that week you start changing the way you eat. Over the next few days I will have to eliminate processed foods, white flours, sugar/desserts, fried food, fast food, processed meats, alcohol, and wean off caffeine - that is the hardest part. I don't care that much about the other stuff, but the caffeine will be the hardest.

The Countdown Phase transitions to eating more salads, soups, smoothies with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. I have to transition from animal protein to protein solely from plant sources such as beans, nuts, and legumes (for example, black beans, hummus, chick-peas, lentils, and edamame). I also have to transition off dairy. By the end of the week, all dairy should be out of my diet. The night before the Reboot starts, I need to stop taking non-prescription vitamins and over-the-counter medications, and that I have hydrated well with at least 64-72 ounces of water.

Tomorrow the juicer comes home. Been looking at them online, reading user reviews and such, and I think I am going for the Breville Juice Fountain Plus. There are so may out there that it is hard to narrow it down to one. This model seemed to have the best reviews for a juicer in my price range, so I am going for it. It will come from Bed Bath and Beyond because of their awesome return policy...so if it does not perform as expected, back it goes and I will pick something else. I will update you on this.

So...once all the ducks are in a row, I will be all set to start my Reboot. I picked the Quick Start Reboot. If after ten days I feel I can keep going, then I will switch to the Classic Reboot and continue for at least 30 days. I will be documenting weights and measurements along the way so I can chart my progress. I am really excited about this!

Tomorrow is t-minus six days. I need to set up a chart for measurements and take some before pictures. I will post all of this tomorrow along with some feedback on the juicer. I might make one recipe from the Juicing Bible to give the juicer a dry-run :-) More on that tomorrow. For now, thanks again for being a part of this. I appreciate your support more than you can possibly know. Good night, my friends...until tomorrow.

Ana

Time for a reboot

Once upon a time, I used to blog about many things. It has been quite a while since I blogged about anything; it has been quite a while since I did anything. It is time that I change that. Please join me as I blog about my journey from flab to fab - where I chip away all the bad parts to reveal the awesome gem hidden below. There is no strict timetable here, but the ultimate goal is to regain what I lost nearly 23 years ago; ME. So with a little luck, some hard work and dedication, and the support of the few people I hope will read this, I plan to get there.

First, let me tell you about how the inspiration and motivation for this change came about. I am sick of the way things are right now. I have let myself go in so many ways that I sometimes don't even recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror. I don't take care of my health, I don't watch what I eat, I don't seem to care about how I look, I don't follow any dreams, I just don't DO anything. It's like I picked a spot in space-time and just stayed there refusing to move forward. This HAS to change. Each day that passes is an opportunity I miss to make changes in my life, and I can't afford to lose any more time. This is my own call to action. Accepting that I NEED to change inspires me to do so. But there is one more thing that motivated me to make these changes.

I recently watched "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" on Netflix. This documentary was my "A-Ha!" moment. What an eye-opener! I watched the journey of two men who realized they had been going down the wrong path for far too long. It took a full stop and complete change of behavior to correct their problems and return to health. It was at that moment that it all came together for me. The road back to me had to begin here, with a reboot. 

I joined the site. I read up on the different diet plans. I researched the prep work involved. I bought the Juicing Bible. I am researching juicers right now. I am in the "Countdown to Reboot" phase. It is all coming together and honestly, I can't wait! Tomorrow I will post again and talk about my research, plus some odds and ends. 

I hope you will check in from time to time and see my progress as I embark on this new journey. As they say, the journey is always better when you have a friend to share it with. On that note, good night my friends...until tomorrow.

Ana