Before I start, just let me say... don't tell people you don't know that you're "juicing". Every stranger assumed I was talking about steroids... uh, what?
Ok, I know it seems silly to call my juicing experience a journey but when you're not CHEWING food for 5 (supposed to be 10) days... it's a journey.
Kyle and I were completely committed to juicing for 10 days but our GE juicer broke on the morning of day 6. I knew we should have gone with the best quality. I called GE and our new juicer is supposed to be here in 7-14 business days. So, take my advice: don't buy a general juicer from your local Walmart. Invest in a good one. If we had done our research we would have purchased the one that Joe Cross uses in his documentary "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead". This documentary is on Netflix and is what inspired us to start juicing... I mean we literally rushed to Walmart and dropped $150 on a juicer, fruit, and vegetables. Before you juice, PLEASE watch this documentary because it will answer so many of your questions. Plus it's a huge factor of your motivation and completely makes you re-evaluate your lifestyle.
You can buy Fat Sick and Nearly Dead here!
Buy the juicer that Joe Cross uses and recommends here!
My personal experience:
I know that everyone is different. Some people let food have all control over them *raises hand*, and some people can view food as something they eat just to give their body nutrition. Oh, must be nice. I honestly thought that this was going to be the MOST miserable 10 days of my life. I dreaded the challenge but anticipated the weight loss. An odd combination of emotions. I told myself I would be completely 100% honest in this blog. Day 1 was HELL! I had a headache because if I don't have an IV of coffee hooked up to me I can't function. Pathetic, I know. Kyle and I wanted to just quit because day 1 was so awful. I had no energy and just wanted to eat. Every food commercial made me want to go crawl in my bed and hide from the fact that I was about to only consume juice for the next week. However, I told myself that I will NEVER have the body I want if I continue to let food have control over me. That night I realized that food is a TEMPORARY satisfaction, and having a good figure is a PERMANENT satisfaction. Plus, all the health risks you're canceling out when you're not stuffing your face with processed food and gulping down chemicals and sugar. Don't get me wrong...I love junk food. I love soda. I love snacking. But something has got to give- my love for food or my love for being confident in myself. So, on Day 2 I woke up and made my green smoothie. After my 2nd one for lunch I had so much energy. I felt as if I could run a marathon-it was so invigorating! Also, when I had weighed that morning I lost 3.3 pounds. 3.3 pounds overnight? Um, what? Ok, I'll take it! The weight loss is also a motivating factor. After day 1, day 2-5 were a BREEZE. I couldn't believe that what I thought would be the most miserable week of my life was the easiest. Even now I am getting excited thinking about juicing again when my new one comes in the mail. I made 16 oz for every meal. 3 times a day. I did 2 green smoothies, then a fruit smoothie for dinner. Vegetables burn fat quicker, considering it takes more calories to digest them.
Frequently asked questions:
"So uh... you don't eat?"
No. However, you're actually consuming a platter of fruits and vegetables for every single meal. More than you would be able to eat. This is why juicing is so good for you- the number of nutrients you're getting is amazing.
"What do you put in the juicer?"
Some people thought that this drink was a magic trick to loose weight that required no effort. They could eat whatever they wanted, but if they had this drink the weight would still come off. No. You put fruits and vegetables ONLY in the juicer. You are not chewing food what so ever.
"How long do you do it for?"
This is completely up to you. I would suggest starting out 10 days. If you set an unrealistic goal, more than likely it fails which just leads to discouragement.
"Will this make me sit on the pot 24/7"
Not at all. I got asked this too much not to include it.
"How much weight did you loose?"
The average weight loss is about 2-2.5 lbs per day depending on your starting weight. I lost 11 pounds in 5 days.
"Is it hard?"
Not as hard as I thought. The only hard day was the first.
"I heard this was bad for me? What about protein?"
Ok... seriously, how can you go wrong with fruits and vegetables? These were the foods that were INTENDED for humans to eat.
Tips:
Clean your juicer out immediately after every single use. You don't want mold or fruit flies!
You HAVE to prepare each meal (16 oz) right before you drink it. Fruits and vegetables can start to loose nutrition immediately. Not a significant amount, but it's always better to prepare it directly before.
Drink two green drinks a day, and one fruit! Fruit has all the sugar. Vegetables are always better!
Invest in a good juicer! It's completely worth it.
I don't suggest using banana- they hardly produce any juice and you're just wasting your money. Raspberries and blueberries don't produce as much juice as apples or oranges, but they give a sweet flavor.
Cucumbers and apples produce the most juice and taste refreshing and delicious!
Stay busy.
Recipes I used:
-breakfast
16 oz (one meal)
1 bunch of kale
4 stalks of celery
1 cucumber
2 granny smith apples
half lemon
ginger root (if you use ginger root, only use about half an inch)
-lunch
1 cucumber
2 Granny smith Apples
2 Oranges
a handful of spinach leaves
-dinner
6 cups of grapes
1 granny smith apple
1 inch piece of ginger
1/2 cups of blueberries
honestly, I would make a lot of recipes up just with what i had leftover. This blog is where I found the majority of my recipes!
I can't wait to continue my juicing!
GOOD LUCK!
Thank you for reading! If you have any more questions, email me at Leah61291@yahoo.com
I am not a health professional... this is just from personal experience!