My Jack boy is 2 weeks old today! Time seems to be going so fast, I am already not looking forward to having to go back to work :(.
Jack is doing great and according to our scale he has gained about 2lbs since he was born, which puts him at a whopping 10lbs! He has already outgrown his newborn clothes and is in 0-3 month clothing! I am so proud, blessed, and overjoyed to be able to witness this beautiful life that God has given us. Its so incredible to see the culmination of love that Ryan and I have for each other in such a little human being.
We started using our cloth diapers/wipes when Jack was about 5 days old, it has been going well, although we do have a heavy wetter and have to change Jack's outfit about 2 times a day/night. The nurses in the hospital said that they thought he holds his pee, lets just say that their theory was right. We have to wash the diapers once a day, and we have about 16 in our stash. It's been nice knowing that we don't have to go out and buy diapers. We are coming as close as possible to establishing a "routine". Jack eats about every 2-2.5 hours, sometimes 3 depending on the day. He generally sleeps all morning and is up from 1:30pm until 4:30pm or even until daddy comes home at 5:30. I try to keep him awake so Ryan can see him with his eyes open, but sometimes that isn't always possible.
I have been documenting a few of the cute things that he does daily, its been awesome watching a new life grow and flourish! Yesterday, Jack and I went on our first "trip" to visit daddy at work in Elkhart, he did great, and slept the whole time. Before we left for Elkhart, I changed Jack's diaper, and while i was in the midst of changing him he decided to make business happen. We use cloth wipes and I had an empty container sitting at the end of the changing mat and I was able to catch all of the pee in the container! I never would have guessed what life would be like with a little boy, I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of our adventures!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
One Month After Fast
Today, July 11th marks one month from when I finished my 10 day juice fast. I received an unbelievable amount of support during my fast and even encouraged a few people to think about doing a Juice Fast. If I was someone watching my juice fast and saw that I lost 22 lbs in 10 days I would probably be skeptical of the thought that someone could keep the weight off. So, here is an update of what has happened over the past 30 days.
Immediately after I finished my fast I started eating better. I had 2-3 meals in the first week that I was craving during my fast but for the most part my mind and body had been changed enough during my fast that I felt better when I was eating better foods (how it should be from the start). I planned on gaining 7-10 lbs in the first week simply because I had food in my stomach. It is important to remember that I did not drink as many calories as I was supposed to at the end of my fast because I couldn't find a mixture that I enjoyed. This made it so that I lost more weight than what I should have so I was assuming my body was going to put it back on much faster than what would be considered typical. If I would have continued a strict eating schedule I most likely would have gained 3-5 lbs for the first week after the fast. Since I had some meals that were strictly to fulfill my cravings I ended up gaining about 8 lbs. I watched my weight gain/loss very closely for those first two weeks and without any scientific research outside how I felt I would say that I didn't feel like my body was completely out of starvation mode, and back into its regular mode until 7 days after the fast was over. I could tell for these 7 days that my body was trying to store as much food as possible in case there was another "drought."
Over the past month the maximum weight (in the morning) that I have reached is 259 and my lowest weight was 252 (2 lbs more than where I finished the fast). This was very surprising because at my worst point over the past month I was still 13 lbs lighter than when I started my 10 day fast. I only tell you all this because I know the weight is what everyone is so concentrated on. Allow me to tell you about what has really mattered.
I have felt great! I started running again almost immediately after my fast but it took my body 1-2 weeks before I felt better than I did before the fast. I assumed that doing a juice fast would benefit your body during and possibly immediately after since you are providing your body with needed nutrients that it is not used to having. However, the weight loss mixed with whatever the juice fast did to me has given me a drive when working out that I haven't had since I was training for basketball. I am finally excited about working out again!
I have not changed my eating patterns 100% but I have changed. I have tried to change my mind/eating patterns in the past but it has always been so painful. This time it is easy and natural because my body craves and enjoys the good stuff rather than the crap I was constantly putting in my body before my fast. This part is hard to explain but I guess you have to trust me on the fact that I feel better in almost every area of my life.
I can't end this update without mentioning the best thing that has happened in the past 30 days which is our new baby boy Jack! He is the best, and I am so glad that I decided to make a lifestyle change before he arrived so I can have as much energy as possible for him. Also, I am excited that I had this life changing experience before britt had Jack so we can work together to lose weight and become the healthy, and active parents that Jack deserves.
If you are debating if you should do a juice fast or not, know that God's Grace will give you the ability to change your life at the rate that you choose. God Loves you so much that he sent his Son (God in the flesh) so that you can live an Abundant life (best life you could ever imagine). I knew that I was preventing myself from living this life because of my eating and I can honestly say the Juice fast helped. The juice fast by itself won't do anything for you but a desire to improve your mind and body along with God's Grace can/will radically change your life.
Cheers to better health!
Immediately after I finished my fast I started eating better. I had 2-3 meals in the first week that I was craving during my fast but for the most part my mind and body had been changed enough during my fast that I felt better when I was eating better foods (how it should be from the start). I planned on gaining 7-10 lbs in the first week simply because I had food in my stomach. It is important to remember that I did not drink as many calories as I was supposed to at the end of my fast because I couldn't find a mixture that I enjoyed. This made it so that I lost more weight than what I should have so I was assuming my body was going to put it back on much faster than what would be considered typical. If I would have continued a strict eating schedule I most likely would have gained 3-5 lbs for the first week after the fast. Since I had some meals that were strictly to fulfill my cravings I ended up gaining about 8 lbs. I watched my weight gain/loss very closely for those first two weeks and without any scientific research outside how I felt I would say that I didn't feel like my body was completely out of starvation mode, and back into its regular mode until 7 days after the fast was over. I could tell for these 7 days that my body was trying to store as much food as possible in case there was another "drought."
Over the past month the maximum weight (in the morning) that I have reached is 259 and my lowest weight was 252 (2 lbs more than where I finished the fast). This was very surprising because at my worst point over the past month I was still 13 lbs lighter than when I started my 10 day fast. I only tell you all this because I know the weight is what everyone is so concentrated on. Allow me to tell you about what has really mattered.
I have felt great! I started running again almost immediately after my fast but it took my body 1-2 weeks before I felt better than I did before the fast. I assumed that doing a juice fast would benefit your body during and possibly immediately after since you are providing your body with needed nutrients that it is not used to having. However, the weight loss mixed with whatever the juice fast did to me has given me a drive when working out that I haven't had since I was training for basketball. I am finally excited about working out again!
I have not changed my eating patterns 100% but I have changed. I have tried to change my mind/eating patterns in the past but it has always been so painful. This time it is easy and natural because my body craves and enjoys the good stuff rather than the crap I was constantly putting in my body before my fast. This part is hard to explain but I guess you have to trust me on the fact that I feel better in almost every area of my life.
I can't end this update without mentioning the best thing that has happened in the past 30 days which is our new baby boy Jack! He is the best, and I am so glad that I decided to make a lifestyle change before he arrived so I can have as much energy as possible for him. Also, I am excited that I had this life changing experience before britt had Jack so we can work together to lose weight and become the healthy, and active parents that Jack deserves.
If you are debating if you should do a juice fast or not, know that God's Grace will give you the ability to change your life at the rate that you choose. God Loves you so much that he sent his Son (God in the flesh) so that you can live an Abundant life (best life you could ever imagine). I knew that I was preventing myself from living this life because of my eating and I can honestly say the Juice fast helped. The juice fast by itself won't do anything for you but a desire to improve your mind and body along with God's Grace can/will radically change your life.
Cheers to better health!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Juice fast- It is Finished!
It is Finished!
It is finally the moment of truth. True revelation is nothing without a changing of our minds. I have not only went on a radical physical change but also mental. I feel supercharged, like I can literally do anything. For the first time in years I feel like running, biking, swimming, and doing all the stuff I used to love to do. I feel like eating nutritious foods because they are good for my body instead of because they are low in Calories. My friend Bryan Weisweaver told me a quote once that the ancient Greeks believed that food were our real medicine (I'm butchering it). This is so true. Providing our bodies with the fruits and veggies that it is craving is so much more powerful than any medicine you can put in your body. So, onto what everyone wants to know, how much did I lose?
It is finally the moment of truth. True revelation is nothing without a changing of our minds. I have not only went on a radical physical change but also mental. I feel supercharged, like I can literally do anything. For the first time in years I feel like running, biking, swimming, and doing all the stuff I used to love to do. I feel like eating nutritious foods because they are good for my body instead of because they are low in Calories. My friend Bryan Weisweaver told me a quote once that the ancient Greeks believed that food were our real medicine (I'm butchering it). This is so true. Providing our bodies with the fruits and veggies that it is craving is so much more powerful than any medicine you can put in your body. So, onto what everyone wants to know, how much did I lose?
Before that, here are some other things you might want to know:
Total cost of the 10 day fast: $185
Total lbs of apples eaten: 24 lbs
Total lbs of strawberries: 10 lbs
Total bunches of Kale eaten: 15 bunches
Total bunches of Spinach eaten: 10 bunches
What else? Celery, Carrots, Chart, Ginger, Beets, Kiwi, Lemon, Lime, Sweet Potato, Pears, etc.
So, how much weight?
I lost a total of 20.6 lbs. in 10 days!
So, how much weight?
I lost a total of 20.6 lbs. in 10 days!
So, what was my first meal? Apple! I also had 2 eggs and a piece of wheat toast with nutella on it because I have been craving it for 10 days!
Thanks so much for all of you that supported me through this. Your support has meant everything to me. If you are questioning if you can do it, know that through Christ all things are possible!
Cheers to Better Health!
Day 10 "Last Day!"
Day 10
It's finally the last day. I woke up this morning like every other morning and made my breakfast and dinner. We went to church for worship and left early so I could go with Mike Coble for a golf scramble in Syracuse. This was a little scary because britt is getting into the last stages of pregnancy and I was over an hour away. I ate as much as I could and braced myself for the 91 degree weather. I drank plenty of water and somehow made it through 18 holes. I went to drink my dinner drink and it sucked! This was supposed to be my last juice but it was so bad that I couldn't stand to drink it. This meant that I had to live on 30oz on my last day. Please note that this is neither healthy nor part of the fast. So, I made it home to see my beautiful wife and ended the night resting.
I couldn't sleep because I hadn't ate hardly anything all day and all I could think about was eating the next day. I finally got to sleep after laying there battling my mind for about 2 hours. I thought about getting up at midnight but I decided that would be for someone that was doing a diet, not a lifestyle change.
So, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of our lives. This has been an amazing experience and I am so glad that I accomplished it.
Cheers to better health!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 9
Day 9
To see how Day 9 went you can see day 8. I am still a little tired but I have found ways to keep myself satisfied. We watched "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" again and it inspired me to continue to change my life style after my 10 days are long gone. I know now that the day after 10 days is not the end but really the beginning.
The fast has been great for losing some quick weight and working on changing my mind. Not being able to eat allows me to have some time where I don't have to worry about eating 3000 calories in one meal and I can focus on seeing what causes me to overeat.
So, tomorrow is the last day. I am really excited and happy that I made it to this point. I can't wait start fresh on Monday with a new body and mind.
Cheers to healthy living!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Day 8
Day 8
Well, today was the last day of the work week. It will be smooth sailing from here. I started my day out by spilling my lunch all over the back of my car so I wasn't too optimistic about the possibilities of what the day would have to offer. I decided to save my breakfast and sip on that throughout the day and chew some gum. Gum is allowed in my fast but if you are going to do one of your own I would recommend thinking about what the gum is doing to your body. For me, I needed it to get the taste out of my mouth and settle my stomach down. I chew sugarfee gum but I am sure it is putting things in my body that I wouldn't like. Once I got home I tried my lunch juice and it was disgusting so I threw it out and made a fruit heavy dinner. If you have been reading from the beginning you would know that I am trying to have a veggie filled lunch and dinner, but I can't take it any more.
Britt and I went on a nice walk along the riverwalk and talked about things we could do that don't have anything to do with food. We came up with a nice little list and I am excited about knocking some of these things off with our Son. It was nice having enough energy to go on a walk but my head is still cloudy and I feel like I am in slow motion at times. Britt's mom decided to come out tonight and stay through tomorrow. Most of our time with her includes a nice dinner and waking up to a huge breakfast so it is going to be weird not eating. Once Marcia got out here we decided to go to watch the fireworks at the silver hawks game. I am sure that prior to my fast we would have replaced this with going for ice cream or some other food related experience. My old company, Melrose Pyrotechnics did the fireworks, and they were awesome! I would highly recommend getting out to the cove on a Friday night to see these! We got home kind of late so I was really hungry and kind of dizzy so I went to bed. For those of you that are thinking about doing a fast, please know that my dizziness is not typical. If I liked the juice (especially veggie juice) I would have been drinking all day and night and would have felt fantastic. Since I hate the taste of the juice right now I am sacrificing feeling good for not having to put another ounce of juice in my mouth.
Recommendation
So, what I recommend is getting a juice and find a "go-to" fruit filled and veggie filled mix. This will allow you to make that recipe when all else fails. Also, since it is such a mind game, your mind will tell you that you like that recipe and it will make a world of difference.
Cheers to better health!
Well, today was the last day of the work week. It will be smooth sailing from here. I started my day out by spilling my lunch all over the back of my car so I wasn't too optimistic about the possibilities of what the day would have to offer. I decided to save my breakfast and sip on that throughout the day and chew some gum. Gum is allowed in my fast but if you are going to do one of your own I would recommend thinking about what the gum is doing to your body. For me, I needed it to get the taste out of my mouth and settle my stomach down. I chew sugarfee gum but I am sure it is putting things in my body that I wouldn't like. Once I got home I tried my lunch juice and it was disgusting so I threw it out and made a fruit heavy dinner. If you have been reading from the beginning you would know that I am trying to have a veggie filled lunch and dinner, but I can't take it any more.
Britt and I went on a nice walk along the riverwalk and talked about things we could do that don't have anything to do with food. We came up with a nice little list and I am excited about knocking some of these things off with our Son. It was nice having enough energy to go on a walk but my head is still cloudy and I feel like I am in slow motion at times. Britt's mom decided to come out tonight and stay through tomorrow. Most of our time with her includes a nice dinner and waking up to a huge breakfast so it is going to be weird not eating. Once Marcia got out here we decided to go to watch the fireworks at the silver hawks game. I am sure that prior to my fast we would have replaced this with going for ice cream or some other food related experience. My old company, Melrose Pyrotechnics did the fireworks, and they were awesome! I would highly recommend getting out to the cove on a Friday night to see these! We got home kind of late so I was really hungry and kind of dizzy so I went to bed. For those of you that are thinking about doing a fast, please know that my dizziness is not typical. If I liked the juice (especially veggie juice) I would have been drinking all day and night and would have felt fantastic. Since I hate the taste of the juice right now I am sacrificing feeling good for not having to put another ounce of juice in my mouth.
Recommendation
So, what I recommend is getting a juice and find a "go-to" fruit filled and veggie filled mix. This will allow you to make that recipe when all else fails. Also, since it is such a mind game, your mind will tell you that you like that recipe and it will make a world of difference.
Cheers to better health!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Day 7
Day 7
Today was pretty uneventful. I had the typical hunger and craving issues but I have definitely turned a corner. I saved my breakfast juice and sipped on it all morning so I could keep my body full with the energy I needed. I also saved the last little bit and filled it with water so I could have it after lunch. My lunch was better today and I started using a water bottle with a small opening at the top. This made it so that I couldn't smell or see what I am drinking. This made it much easier!
Work days are pretty slow since I am constantly thinking about what I would like to eat. I have found that I don't have any desire to give into eating something solid when I go places like gas stations or see what my friends are eating around me. My mouth has stopped watering at the smell of one of my favorite foods but my mind is still focused on what I am going to eat after I am done. I have had weird cravings for avocado because of all the advertisements going on right now by Subway and a handful of other places. Did I mention that I have never ate avocado?
We went to our friends Mike and Nicole's house tonight. They have been encouraging through this time and Mike and I are having a competition to see who loses the most weight. It isn't really a competition for me because I can't lose any more weight than what my body is losing. Mike is running 30 miles over the 10 days and trying to eat better to compare how much weight can be lost while working out compared to juicing.
I have come far enough now that I know I will finish. I find it hard to give up a weekend to my juice fast but I keep reminding myself how many weekends I have spent killing my body with fatty foods.
Tomorrow is my last day of work, which has been an major goal that I have been looking forward to from the beginning. I am excited about finishing this fast and starting a new, healthier lifestyle.
Cheers to better health!
Today was pretty uneventful. I had the typical hunger and craving issues but I have definitely turned a corner. I saved my breakfast juice and sipped on it all morning so I could keep my body full with the energy I needed. I also saved the last little bit and filled it with water so I could have it after lunch. My lunch was better today and I started using a water bottle with a small opening at the top. This made it so that I couldn't smell or see what I am drinking. This made it much easier!
Work days are pretty slow since I am constantly thinking about what I would like to eat. I have found that I don't have any desire to give into eating something solid when I go places like gas stations or see what my friends are eating around me. My mouth has stopped watering at the smell of one of my favorite foods but my mind is still focused on what I am going to eat after I am done. I have had weird cravings for avocado because of all the advertisements going on right now by Subway and a handful of other places. Did I mention that I have never ate avocado?
We went to our friends Mike and Nicole's house tonight. They have been encouraging through this time and Mike and I are having a competition to see who loses the most weight. It isn't really a competition for me because I can't lose any more weight than what my body is losing. Mike is running 30 miles over the 10 days and trying to eat better to compare how much weight can be lost while working out compared to juicing.
I have come far enough now that I know I will finish. I find it hard to give up a weekend to my juice fast but I keep reminding myself how many weekends I have spent killing my body with fatty foods.
Tomorrow is my last day of work, which has been an major goal that I have been looking forward to from the beginning. I am excited about finishing this fast and starting a new, healthier lifestyle.
Cheers to better health!
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