Throwing out the Old and Beginning the New

Day 20 & 21.

At the close of today I have fasted for three weeks. I am both amazed and impressed. From tomorrow I'm breaking new ground. Once I attempted a forty day fast for spiritual reasons and gave up at 21 days. With little advice, I only drank store bought fruit juices, so I was very glad to consume something else!

This morning I sorted through my jeans to see how many are still looking decent. I know some of my group are already in new clothes, but having only lost 6.7 kilos, my tighter clothes are still okay. In a flurry of action, I cleaned out all my drawers and discarded a mountain of excess. There were still size 20 clothes from before I lost weight last time. It was liberating to free my space of so much rubbish, making way for the new that will come in the spring. I'm hoping to get through winter without buying anything, unless I find bargains in the sales!

On Tuesday I started writing my next book. I planned to spend this juicing time praying and writing, but have been slow off the mark. The book now has 1,541 words down, only 85,000 to go! Other things have been pulling at my time the last couple of days and little more has happened, but the count will be over 10,000 by the time this fast is done!

This week I learned more ugly truths about myself. Beating the Carb Monster is not enough. I have a few other monsters to defeat, for example, Stress Eating, Comfort Food and Chew to Think. Today I became stressed due to restricted time pressure. I managed to achieve the task and headed home, exhausted. Any other time a cappuccino or one of the 'healthier' chocolate bars in the supermarket would have been in order.  But today I grabbed the couple of items I needed from the shops and limped home! I allowed myself the juice of one orange, mixed with lots of water (or it tastes too sweet), and lay in my chair in the sun to drink it. Warmth, orange and a chat to a good friend restored my equilibrium. Maybe in a week even those enemies to my health will be defeated!

Meanwhile I'm convincing myself that my sinus are clearing - at least I hope that explains why my nose is running like a tap! Wish me luck for two more days - then I only have a week to go!

fate stepped in to rescue me from this crazy adventure

Day 18 & 19

Fate stepped in to rescue me! It offered the perfect excuse to quit, eat real food and walk away from this crazy adventure.

My juicer broke. It is hard to grieve for it! The machine was really annoying me. It demands constant cleaning, groans and moans and makes a terrific racket. The amount of waste it produces is obscene and I'm always carting its mess outside. All I did was offer it pumpkin, to see if it liked it. I love pumpkin and I was cooking a big pot of vegetable soup for the family.

Not only did that machine scream its protest, but it spun around in a tantrum, making it hard to grab the switch to silence it. By then it was emitting a nasty smell. I ignored its antics and continued with the soup, but later when I tried to juice my evening meal, it refused to work.

There it was. My perfect excuse. I had no juice and no juicer. I had soup in the pot, an obvious solution to my hunger. Hot, thick, flavorsome soup. How tempting! In my head, I composed my explanation of my actions  to you, my cheer squad.

But no, I banished temptation to follow the Carb Monster and used a ladle to scoop out a cup of broth from the soup. I replaced the liquid with stock, added seasoning and fed the family. But let me hasten to say, that broth was the most wonderful thing I'd had for years. There was no added salt or flavour, but it bounced with warmth and taste.

This morning I rescued an old neglected juicer from my daughter-in-law's cupboard and coached it into action. It is the same brand as mine, but not as powerful. It complains much more than the one that threw a tantrum about eating pumpkin. I'm hoping the store will replace my cranky model tomorrow. Meanwhile I'm thankful that I've passed that place of temptation. I'd hate to give up now. I only have 11 days to go.

My weight plummeted by 1.2 kilos on Sunday and bounced back 0.4 today. Its still a good result. Last night someone suggested I was looking ten years younger. I laughed. I think it may the newly tinted eyebrows and lashes. We'll see as the days go on.

My pain has eased. It is no longer keeping me awake, but the cold did last night. Queensland has decided to throw winter at us with a vengeance and we are neither used to it or prepared for it. I may even have to buy winter pyjamas! To add warmth to my office, today I  dug out the oil heater. (its been neglected nearly as long as the juicer!) The only others who are feeling this cold or my fellow juicers. It's a small price to pay for being off all medication!

Boredom, Pain and a bright Future

Day 16 & 17

Seventeen days of only juice. Yesterday I was so sick of drinking the stuff. I felt as though I couldn't swallow another mouthful. Maybe the problem was I had an unexpected drive to the hospital to pick up a grandchild early Saturday morning. I got up and left at 5.30 am. The bottle of vegetable juice I had ready for such an occasion came in handy. So my first juice for the day was a commercial one. It had no added sugar or preservatives, but had a metallic taste. I had about 350 mls and couldn't go any further. The rest of the day I had several herbal teas, but any juice seemed unpalatable.

I didn't have anymore until 7.30 pm, and then only drank about 200 mls. I wanted real food, badly. Once again, I had about 50 mls of orange juice mixed  in water. It tastes like nectar now! I worried my  eating problem was larger than I thought. This wasn't the Carb Monster. He's been banished! I figured it was simply my long standing love of food.

This afternoon I returned to the Lifestyle Change Program, only to discover that everyone was feeling the same. Peter Pratt had a fancy name for the condition - Boredom! I feel better now and juice was tasty tonight, or has my attitude change? Besides, I can do this. There is only 14 days to go!

Cold! Yes, many of us are feeling the cold acutely. I guess it isn't surprising. We are taking off layers of fat and putting little fuel into our body.

And I'm struggling with pain. First it was the right knee, particularly in the muscles behind the knee. It is much better but the last few nights I've missed a lot of sleep because my hips are sore, too painful to lie on. I never could sleep on my back. Last night it was a little better, to my relief, but in the lecture this afternoon, both my knee caps were aching! This is trying, but I'm hoping it is the body bringing healing to my weakest parts and that is exciting. We'll see what happens in the next few days.

My fellow adventurer's results are inspiring. Many have lost 10% of their body weight and more. They look better, feel better and have dropped much of their medication. All this will be for nothing if we don't make a permanent lifestyle change. If we return to our old eating habits, guess what will also return?
Our weight and our diabetes.
So I'm determined to start looking at our new lifestyle. It is exciting really... but more about that next blog. Just like the picture on the right, a new day has begun. Yay!

Now it is bedtime. I'm hoping my hips let me sleep. They must be getting better as I haven't reached for pain killers tonight.

I'll be back on Tuesday to report on the next two days.

Half way. Can I make this marathon?

Day 14 & 15

I'm half way!  I've done it. Fifteen days of not eating solid food seems crazy but I'm feeling much better for it. I've been very encouraged by you all as you read and cheer for me from the sidelines. Every comment of support spurs me on. Fifteen days to go.

The accountability of reporting to a crowd of unseen witnesses is a strong motivator. It stops me cheating! Yesterday I needed that help as I sat beside the water at Redcliffe with a table of teenagers. They ate sandwiches and hot chips. I drank juice and peppermint tea. I think it was the most difficult time so far . It wasn't the chips I wanted as much as the cappuccino I usually buy from the waterfront store.  For the rest of the day I struggled to resist food. I went to the shops and bought good, truss tomatoes, throwing aside my 'most economical' approach. My dinner juice was nearly straight tomato, with a couple of carrots, followed by a small glass of orange juice. The flavours were wonderful, even if the texture was missing.

Today a wore the slacks I grabbed on sale last year for $5. They reinforced my achievement. Sorry I wasn't holding my beetroot juice in the picture. It would have added great colour! It is an easier day and I remember I only have to do one day at a time, so all is good. Meanwhile both blood sugar readings I've taken are below 5.5! It gives me hope for my future health.

The scales however have turned on me. They read 0.4 kilo more than two days ago. More! I tell my self weight fluctuates from day to day. Last week my weight did a similar thing, then, all of sudden, it dropped a kilo. Today I'm not as upset as I could be as I know it isn't my fault. It can't be anything I ate, as I'm not eating anything!

So I've chalked up another new learning. The scales aren't reporting on my behavior but a scientific fact. Say what you like scales, but you will have to show a lower reading soon and I refuse any accusation of blame from an inanimate machine.


This is Steve's lunch, made while  I prepared my juices for breakfast and lunch. It looked so yummy. This is the food I'm looking forward to! Only fifteen days to go and I can join him. Juicing for a couple more weeks can't be that bad. I've proved it is possible.

Not my Fault, but my Responsibility

Day 12 & 13

Today, I'm pleased to be on this juicing adventure. I'm feeling good, except for aching joints, especially hips. My knee seems to be recovering well so I'm hoping the hips will feel better soon. I'm missing my early morning walks and am really looking forward to returning to my hill.

My stomach has stopped its constant whinging for real food. It is only in last couple of days that I've been free of the demand. Last night I made Mexican dinner for nine and it was much easier than last week, I spent a fair while browning mince and chicken with out feeling as though I must have some. This morning as I thought about it, I realized Peter Pratt is right. I can't remember how Mexican food tastes. But I can remember what cheese tastes like. I asked someone else to grate it to stop the temptation to pop a sliver in my mouth!

According to my scales I have lost 5 kilos! 7.9% of my body weight has disappeared. Some of the group have lost 10% and more. My aim is to lose 20% eventually. I'm really looking forward to new clothes. I do have one pair of fabulous pants in the cupboard. I picked them up on sale six months ago and put them away until I lost a couple of kilos! They fit now, which is both fabulous and disastrous. I probably won't get a lot of wear out of them!

The biggest realisation in the last few days is how difficult it is to keep blood sugar stable when you are a diabetic. I've been blaming myself for years for sugar levels. As it is a lifestyle disease, I felt I caused it. Therefore it's my fault when my readings go up and my fault cause I haven't lost more weight. ( I have lost over twenty kilos since first diagnosed.)

My reading last night was 5.2 . Awesome! this is an all time low.This morning when I got up it was 8. I hadn't eaten between tests. It wasn't my fault. Two hours after breakfast it was 6.4. By the time I got to have my lunch juice, it was back to 7.1. There is no logic at all. I am looking forward to it stabilizing, but meanwhile I have released myself from guilt.

A few weeks back, at the Diabetic Health Clinic, we saw a movie of a doctor speaking. He said weight could be the consequence of the disease, rather what has always been assumed - the disease being caused by the weight. the problem is a consequence of our national diet. Some get diabetes...some don't. Many who have been diagnosed aren't overweight.

So I no longer own the blame, but I do own the fight! There is a way to stop the rot, literally, and regain health. I am on the path and I must choose to stay on it. At the end of this adventure, there will be a new way of eating in this household. Steve is already starting to embrace it. We are excited.

Solving the riddle of yuk juices!

Day 10 & 11

Today has been a good day.

Yesterday was a tough day. It should've been great as we attended our weekly meeting with the Diabetic Health Clinic and listened to all the amazing results achieved by the group. Many are looking healthier in the face, some have lost unbelievable amounts of weigh, many well over ten kilos. Most are off all medication, even those who have been injecting insulin. It was great to celebrate our achievements together.

So why was it a tough day? I guess I was a little jealous of some of the weight losses. I have lost 3.7 kilos, but it seems small in the face of many. But the real reason it was a tough day was the juice. It didn't matter what I put in the machine, it tasted awful. Last night I finally got it!

Carrots!

I have had carrot in every juice. I like them and when I first started I bought a 20kg bag of the biggest, juiciest carrots you have even seen. Last week, when they ran out, I went to buy another bag. As they were much cheaper than the first bag, I assumed they were juicing carrots. I dragged them home crowing over my savings. Last night I grabbed a carrot out of the big bag in my pantry and my finger sunk into it. Yuk! I threw it in the bid and went to investigate. In the middle of the bag was this fermenting, bubbling, foaming, revolting mess.

Being a little slow to catch on, I carefully selected sound carrots from the edge and made my favourite tomato juice, determined to drink a juice I enjoyed. I added a little olive oil, salt and pepper and warmed it in the microwave in a soup mug. With my feet up, I settled down to enjoy it. Wrong! It too was foul. Finally I understood! I've been juicing old, off carrots. I emptied the glass down the sink, drank 80 mls of orange juice and went to bed.

So the offending vegetables are in the bin. I've had two lots of juice today without carrot and they've been a great improvement. This episode forced me to make my first 'Green Delight' juice, following a recipe.  Not having enough silver beet, I added some cabbage, straight from our vegetable garden. This was the first juice I've enjoyed in days.

I guess I'm still learning to be selective about what I put in my mouth!

Good news! Blood sugar readings have been in the normal range for last two days. How wonderful! I know I'm on the road to better health.

PS. This is the ninth blog in a series. The others can be read by clicking on the links at the left.

Why am I doing this madness?

Day 9

Anyone who thinks drinking only juice is easy, I'm here to tell you it isn't! Yes, it that sort of day. My stomach, expanded previously by generous portions of amazing food, is feeling empty, very empty. The juices all taste either blah or bland.

Yesterday morning's juice ended up splattered all over our pavers, mixed with assorted-shaped slithers of glass. I was thankful I  had already drunk about 500 mls and I hadn't chosen my crystal glass . The drink I concocted last night tasted foul, so I stopped about 300 mls short of the 750 mls I usually drink. I went to bed after drinking one juiced orange. Maybe that is the cause of so much grief today.

I was called for Grandma duty this morning and picked up Miss 6 from the netball courts to take her to a party at Hungry Jack's. Twice they gave me cups of boiling water so I could make herbal tea. I loved the fact I could access ice to cool them down. I didn't want their food, but I really wanted the food at home - cheese, bananas, a pear, or coffee!

My juice at lunch time was....well juice. I'm over it!

I must return to the WHY. (See yesterday's blog) Why am I doing this? Some think I'm mad, others disagree but many are cheering and supporting me. That's great but it's not enough. Why would I do such madness? To control diatetes? Yes, but that isn't enough to make me continue. A raw tomato with salt and pepper wouldn't harm my blood sugar. Not would a mountain of coleslaw and grated cheese. So there has to be a bigger why.

In the last few weeks at the Lifestyle Change Program, we have been encouraged to write down our motivation ready for such times as this. I gave it a lot of thought but never actually wrote anything down. Today I need such a list so here goes...

• I want my strength back. The combination of diabetes and medication has reduced my capacity, physically and mentally. S
• I want to be able to travel anywhere at any time, to speak all over the world. T
• I want to make sure no hidden enemy is attacking my eyesight, the nerves in my fingers and toes or my brain. E
• I want to write eight more books and when they are published be able to run and not grow weary.E
• I want fullness of life. L
• I want to feel ten years younger. Y

STEELY. This is my vision. I feel better for having written it. It will strengthen me.

What is your focus? Do you have a compelling why big enough to make you change your lifestyle? Or will you succumb to the pressure, as I did, and take medication...as it is easier?

PS I just created this poster to go on my wall. What do you think?