Weight: 205.6
No food yesterday. I got my new supplements in. I took those. I also drank something called "Natural Calm" which is a magnesium supplement. It helps to read labels, though. I was supposed to build up to the dosage instead of jumping into the dosage. I had liquid poo this morning -- which is interesting considering that I've had no food for 3 days.
Sauna: 33/15/15 (Sauna 33 mins, cooldown 15 mins, sauna 15 mins)
It's going to be a busy day today. Visiting a friend to figure out details of building a chicken coop, a garden and a rabbit pen on his place. Very interested in getting more natural meat and eggs than is available at the local grocery store.
Also preparing for Easter dinner at grandmas today. I'll be making the deviled eggs today, the salad and green bean dish tomorrow morning. I'll probably wind up eating something today. I will definitely eat tomorrow. I'll be back to fasting on Monday.
Hunger has not been a problem. It's nearly non-existant. I feel empty, sure. I have appetite, sure. But no real hunger. I actually prefer and enjoy the feeling of being empty and the relief of stress of thinking about each upcoming meal.
I got really good sleep last night. Went to bed about 10pm, woke up without an alarm at about 6:25.
I'm reading a new book about foraging for wild plants and I'm hoping to gain the skills to increase my larder, reduce my produce bills and get a more natural and more nutritious diet. It will take months and years to become proficient, with lots and lots of practice.
Ben, read your recent post on Paleo Hacks. I am on day 55 of a juice fast and am anticipating transitioning to a paleo diet. I started at 230 and am down to 182. BTW, I did it for health reasons. Loss of weight was secondary. Having done this fast for this long, I think your approach is the right one. A juice fast, in my opinion, doesn't really accomplish much after 30 days. (I do grapefruit juice in the morning and then all the green stuff (64 oz) for the rest of the day.) I did feel some deterioration after the 30 day mark and began to take supplements such as Omega 3 fish oil and protein. 5 more days and I will come off this and get onto Paleo. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteGTD,
ReplyDeleteGood job on the health benefits and weight loss! I'm envious! :) I'll be there soon, though. The thing that I have the most trouble with is portion control. I've lived so much of my life that I end up cooking way too much and it's very tasty, so I want to keep eating. Once I open the flood-gates, I just keep pouring it in. This weekend is a good example of that. I made a very healthy meal--asparagus, ground beef, onions, peppers, etc. But, I wound up eating nearly 2lbs of beef. I only needed to eat about 4oz. But it was so good! And I'd been off food for so long, looking forward to the next week without food and I made a bad choice. (Well, "bad" is relative--it's not like I went out and had a pancake feast with white-flour pancakes, margarine and high-sugar maple syrup.)
If you haven't read "The Paleo Solution Diet" by Robb Wolf, I'd strongly recommend it. He explains why the diet works, what the hormones in your body are doing when they get certain foods and why its necessary to eat fat in order to lose fat. You can also check out his forums at: www.robbwolf.com
Definitely recommend the fish oil supplements. I am also taking Vitamin D3 (hard to get enough Vitamin D when I sit in an office building for 8+ hours a day). My wife also has me on trace minerals, B6, B12 and several others. I'll get a list posted soon...
I actually function a lot better on a water-only fast than I do on a juice fast. Since I'm supplementing my vitamins and minerals, I dont' think I need the juice, and the juice represents a high carb content that is actually counter-productive to my goals.
When you come off your juice, though--come off gently. Steamed veggies with coconut oil is a good first meal. Soft, tender, full of nutrients and the coconut oil is high in Omega-3 and should "guide" your body into fat consumption. After a day of those, you might try some Omega-3 eggs (I can get them at my Wal-Mart, they're pricey, but since you're on reduced intake, the price difference is really negligible). I like eggs with some garlic, onions and jalepenos. However, if you're not accustomed to spicy, then I'd leave out the jalepenos. Garlic, however, is highly recommended. It's a natural anti-biotic that does good things overall. Probably a good idea to have a bit of that when you get back on food just to be sure that you're not pulling in something that could make you sick.
On my list of books to read are: Mark Sisson's "The Primal Blueprint", Loren Cordain's "The Paleo Diet", and Michael & Mary Eades "Protein Power".
Ben,
ReplyDeleteWow, I read my last post and was surprised at what I wrote because I thought I'd gained more! I've actually only gained about 2 lbs back but am watching my weight like a hawk. You're right that the portion control is critical. It's what I deal with now. I notice that my over eating comes about when I am not fueled up already and wait too long to eat. Nuts are definitely a problem and I can easily down too many. Am also using MCT and Coconut oil.
I really think your approach is a good one. I got off the juice fast and have mixed feelings about doing it that long. I like the idea of shocking the body to keep it guessing. I basically did what you said to get off it and it worked like a charm. The juice fast definitely cured my ailment. I can attest to that and that is worth every penny. However, solely juicing beyond 30 days? Not worth it to me. But the 30 days did give me the ability to say "no" to portions though I fight it all the time. I never had such willpower.
I have downloaded the books you've mentioned. Not sure I believe they knew what prehistoric man ate but I can believe that the diet is clean and healthy.