Taste Sensations and Inadequate Underwear.

The fast is over. I did it. Thirty days of only vegetable juice. I'm pleased I've done it but I'm not in a hurry to repeat the exercise.

So I must be careful what I eat as I don't want to see the enemy Diabetes or Carb Monster get a foot hold in my life again. So far I have followed the recommended guidelines for the two days I have eaten. This has saved me from any pain or discomfort.

Day one. Juice for Breakfast and dinner. Steamed vegetables for lunch. Check. I really enjoyed the vegetables but to be able to sit with Steve and eat together was the highlight for me. (You can see I added eggs to Steve's) As for taste, the clear winner in flavour was the four tiny cherry tomatoes we picked from a wild bush in our backyard. They were a flavour explosion!

Day two. Juice for Breakfast and dinner. Vegetable soup for lunch. I chopped eight different vegetables of varying colours and taste and simmered them in water. I added parsley and oregano from my garden and some salt and pepper for flavour and ate three bowls. It warmed my belly and comforted my soul.


Meanwhile I've lost another half a kilo since I last reported. My weight loss has now become obvious, both to others and myself. I blink when I walk past a mirror. Who is that stranger in my house? And what has happened to my clothes? This morning I went for an early morning walk, wearing my old track suit. It doesn't get many airings in Queensland winters and I'll admit its been in my cupboard for a long time. However, it is hanging off me as it is a size 20. This morning as I left the house something was wrong with my attire. My clothes weren't as comfortable as usual. I wiggled my butt, trying to get things to fall into place. It got worse.

I then realised it was my nickers blowing in the wind. Usually tucked under jeans, I'd missed the fact they are too large. It just may be time to shop! (I decided to spare you pictorial evidence!) One day soon, I may even post an 'after' photo, but I'm hoping to lose more weight first.

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Pushing toward change.

Day 8

To see full story, read blog on the left, 'The Adventure Begins.'

I'm losing weight. Yay! I'm 3.4 kilos lighter! The scales have been very slow to encourage me, but this morning they were kinder. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Today it has been easier to handle food. I have a house full of unexpected guests. They arrived on day 2. I informed them I wasn't cooking but they we're welcome to help themselves, which they have. This morning I made grilled cheese on toast for them. The little pieces of cheese I'd usually pop in my mouth were the greatest problem, but I resisted.  I don't feel as hungry, so that helps.

My food triggers are becoming obvious. Every time I come home I want to eat. When I go to bed at night I start looking for something. A banana or apple would be so nice. Or even a whole tomato or two! Social interaction begins coffee cravings, but it is more a normalcy than a driving force. Somehow the lemon grass tea which I had this afternoon just doesn't seem the same!

Yesterday, my friend was tasting some of my juices and pronounced them revolting.

"I thought I'd try it, but how can you drink it?"

"I have a big WHY."

I'll explain my answer by sharing with you the formula for change.

"D x V + FS > R"

Let me expand this truth. Dissatisfaction x Vision plus taking the First Step to change lifestyle must be greater than all resistance to change.  I have had a lot of resistance to diet change because of my friendship with the Carb Monster. However Diabetes has caused me much dissatisfaction. Peter Pratt from the Diabetes Health Clinic has built such a vision of a better alternative that it has been easy to push aside the resistance as I've taken the first steps this last week.

I'm excited about the possibility of my health continuing to improve and will give this adventure all I've got.

Can I turn a week into ten days?

Day 7

As I write there is only a few more hours before I can say I haven't eaten for a week! Am I missing food? Yes! It is especially evident when someone heats food at work, or makes hot chocolate in the kitchen. Yet it is much easier to eat nothing, knowing I'm loaded with good nutrition, than it is to eat less, or follow diets. I feel like a smoker who knows that haven't smoked for a week, but knows they still want to. The Carb Monster may be defeated, but it is still lurking in the shadows and will pounce again if I give it a chance. So may goal isn't yet reached. I want to get to the place where Carbs and I don't get on, where I don't want to hang out with it ever again.

And so I will continue. Peter Pratt tells me that by day ten my taste buds will be forget what food tastes like. I'm not sure I believe him so I'll push on and let you know.

Meanwhile I find I'm over carrots! I have used them as the base of most of my juices, so I guess it is time to explore further. I picked up three kilos of cheap Roma tomatoes this afternoon. They have refilled my glass bowl, but I'd love to stick my teeth into one!

The exciting news is this morning's blood sugar reading was in the normal range, 6.4! I have never tested myself and seen a reading that low in ten years of diabetes. And this is without the help of any medication. Yahoo!

Am I feeling better? I'm still waking with headaches, but the body is still detoxing so expect it will stop soon. My knee is okay if I don't put any pressure on it. My energy levels are improving slowly.

So what's the assessment after a week? The results are definitely
worth the effort, so raise your glass with me and drink to good health and a lifestyle change.

Little victories and the Hill that Pained me.

Day 6 Of Lifestyle Change Adventure

I woke feeling a little better, maybe a lot better than when I went to bed. The Carb Monster was savage yesterday afternoon and evening and I was relieved when the family left early and I could retreat to bed! However I managed to host a birthday party and join them at the table with my spiced-up tomato juice which I drank from a fine china cup and saucer.

Whilst assembling the lasagna, I talked to my friend who is supporting two of us through this adventure. This helped me notice when I licked my fingers, after getting Ricotta cheese on them. I ran to the sink and washed my mouth out. Extreme maybe, but I am very determined to see this lifestyle change succeed. The conversation also stopped me from eating the stray piece of grated cheese or scraping our the frying pan to get the last of the sauce on my finger. I also asked others to help to clean the kitchen. These are strategies for success as Peter, our coach, would call them.

This morning, I went for the first walk for a couple of weeks. I love to walk early enough to watch the sun send its first rays of light over the world. It reminds me God begins everyday fresh and new. Enthused, I left my normal concrete path and tramped across the open paddock. The ground is rough. It still has the ridges and troughs from when it was a farm and grew pineapples. I was about a kilometre from home when my right knee started to complain, loudly. It took an hour to get home, as I rested about every hundred metres on strategically place green boxes that belong to the electricity company.  

All this is good news. Last Sunday I learned that one of the advantages of drinking only juice is the release of micro-nutrients into the system to bring healing to old injuries. I hurt this knee about five years ago, so I'm claiming this pain as a healing work.

So far today I'm not hungry, so I'm hopeful the worst is over. I've stopped all my medication and this morning my blood sugar was 7.7. I can only get better from here.

Here's to good health!

Busy Hungry and a tad disappointed.

Day 4

The day was busy, so busy that I'm late in writing this blog.
It was a hard day. I felt hungry for most of it, in spite of large servings of good juices and four or five cups of herbal tea. Still the stomach complained. I'm blaming the Carb Monster, but I'm very sick of his company and can't wait to shut the door in his face.

I went shopping yesterday. A big mistake. There are coffee shops on every corner. Having been eating low carbs for a long time, it isn't the cakes that tempt me. My other addiction, Cappuccino Comfort, beckoned to me at every turn. I can't say I'll never have another, but I can decide not to have one at this moment. So I managed to resist and sip a full pot of peppermint tea while my granddaughter ate icecream!

My last port of call was Lawnton Country Markets and then home to wash and try to store a mountain of vegetables. Whilst doing that I comforted myself with a fruit juice drink. I used orange, lime and mint, mixed with ice and water. I so enjoyed it! It meant no fruit in the main dinner drink, but that was warm tomato so didn't need sweetening.

The big disappointment was my blood sugar figures. The before dinner reading was 11.3, up over three points from the last three days. I found that very discouraging! The next reading was down to 7.2. There doesn't seem to be any logic there!

* * * * *

Day 5

I woke with a thumping headache, but it was eased by panadol. I'm also feeling more joint pain and felt very old this morning! (Of course there may be some truth in that!)  However, the day has rushed on and I'm doing well. My stomach is still grumbling. This morning's daily email from The Life Style Change Program assures me this must be the tail end of cravings. I hope they are right!

Today's challenge is a family dinner. I'm serving Lasagne and salad. Fortunately my friend who is living here at the moment has made the meat sauce, tasted it, and adjusted the seasonings. The challenge as I assemble the layers is to avoid popping cheese into my mouth!

I have already prepared tomato juice with other vegetables to add flavour to drink as they eat. I will drink it warmed with added olive oil, salt and pepper. And I intend to use a fine china cup. Wish me luck.

Sugar reading was up this morning, and I've only lost 1.5 kilos. I may be disappointed but I'm very determined!

The picture shows the lastest in table decoration in my house. It will be empty in two more days!

(See Blog Achive on top left for more Blogs in 'The Adventure Begins Series')

Day three closes

    Three days I've survived without carbs, without meat, without chewing.
It's not easy, especially when someone cooks toast and the smell wafts through the house, or when I can hear Steve chewing nuts, or when I walk past the fruit bowl and see a banana!
 
    However today was easier than yesterday, and this afternoon I've been encouraged as our group met for our weekly Lifestyle Change Program and listened to others who are on the same journey. Some have lost a lot of weight, others have seen dramatic drops in blood sugar levels. Some have been savagely attacked by the Carb Monster, but all are surviving and doing well. Peter Pratt, from Diabetic Health Clinic has told us many stories of people who have been successful in normalising blood sugar levels and regaining ten years of energy. We are inspired!

     Today's juices tasted better. Is that because I'm getting better at blending flavours, or is it that I'm adjusting. As I write I'm sipping a warm tomato juice (with added red onion, capsicum, parsley, celery, capsicum, lime, olive oil sat and pepper). Yum. Tonight I even made soup for the family.

    My blood sugar reading before my juice tonight was 6.5. That is the first reading in the 'normal' range that I have ever seen on my monitor in over ten years. Looking forward to tomorrow.

The Adventure continues

Day 2 of my Adventure (See yesterdays blog for adventure details!)

The day has dull skies and its trying to rain. The brightest spot is the flowers Steve brought home from the office for me.

It's cool for Queensland and seems like soup weather to me. But I'm not being deceived. Whilst I may argue I want something warm to drink, I know it is really the Carb  Monster tricking me. I can drink as much herbal tea as I like so its not heat I'm after.

I had juice for breakfast, juice for lunch and there is juice prepared for dinner! It isn't as bad as it sounds as they are different flavours. Tonight I'm having juiced coleslaw with a touch of pineapple. I intend to add a little lemon and olive oil, salt and pepper.

Surprisingly I'm not often hungry, and if I am water usually satisfies. The worst part so far is the headaches and tiredness. I spent twelve hours in bed last night and then had to drag myself out of bed. Today the headache has been eased by a lovely friend who gave me a massage so all is well.

The best news is my blood sugar levels are dropping. I'm seeing figures I haven't seen for years and that is only after one day. I'll report more tomorrow.