Juice Fast, Day 2

 It's 8pm on Day 2 and so far today has been better than yesterday. I don't have much of a headache at all and my energy level has been about the same as yesterday. My aches are a little more noticeable - my muscles feel tired - but not bad. No nausea yet, but we'll see what happens closer to bedtime. I am a little bit more irritable today so that's not ideal...

I've had a harder time with the juice today. Man, this would be soooo much easier if I liked this juice! Last night, as I was doing more research, I was reading Drew Canole's Alpha Reset which is part of his Juice Up Your Life program. Usually I wouldn't go for a product/service like this because it seems like just another thing to spend your money on that you don't really need. While I kind of think that about this too, Drew Canole is a friend of my sister-in-law's so I decided to give it a try. (NOTE: The Alpha Reset is free.) The Alpha Reset is a 5-day program in which he prescribes only water and juice for days 1-3. The best part for me is that he says not to force yourself to drink the juice. Drink lots of water and when you feel like you need it, drink the juice. That was music to my ears today. I'm still working on my first juice of the day (it made 32 ounces) but I'm feeling ok. When I feel some hunger pains, I drink some more. I started chasing it with lots of water and that helps some. The thing with the juice is that when it hits your tongue it's the wonderful sweetness from the fruit; but as soon as you swallow it leaves an aftertaste of vegetable, especially celery. Since I don't like celery, that sucks. Chasing it with water has helped but removing the pressure of having 4-6 juices a day has helped a lot too. I hope that in the next few days, my taste buds will be reset and the juice will start to taste a lot better. I've read that after the reboot, the simplest fruit or vegetable seems so much more appetizing than it did before the fast so I'm banking on that!

I've battled a lot of mental hunger today. I've really been craving food, and not even bad food! I'm not hungry for Dorito's or Oreos - I just want a banana or some grilled chicken. My hubby was eating a bowl of brown rice and it looked like a feast! He made fajitas with chicken and red pepper, greek yogurt and wheat tortillas for dinner and it looked and smelled divine! I look forward to eating that on the other side! Thankfully I had determined to see this through before I ever started so I'm not tempted to quit, but I am really missing real food. I'm trying to use this time to figure out what kinds of things I'm going to eat when it's over but it's hard to look at delicious recipes that I know are healthy and not feel hungry!

I have a few things helping me get through it though. First, I lost 4 pounds on Day 1!! As of now on Day 2, I haven't lost any more, but if you know me you know I don't put too much stock in the number on the scale. At points in my life I've done away with the scale entirely. Right now I recognize that it's just a number and whether it's up or down, it's motivating for me at the moment. So after almost 48 hours without eating any food, I'm down 4 pounds! Second, I'm determined to show myself that it can be done and inspire other people to give it a try. I truly believe the effects of a juice fast can be so drastic that it convinces other people to get onboard. There are people in my life who want to lose weight, get healthy, get off long-term medicine, etc. and I want to show them all that it's possible. Third, I've been reading Candace Cameron Bure's book Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness. This book has been such great motivation for me, especially as I go through this fast. I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to implement a healthy lifestyle. And last, I have dates looming for which I want to look good. I want to be bathing suit ready by our beach trip in early May; I have a gorgeous dress I've never been able to wear (it was given to me) that I'd love to fit into for my anniversary at the end of May; I really want to get a tattoo for my birthday in June but I don't want to do it until the canvas for it is flatter. These are all approaching in less than 3 months so every day is important. I know if I stick with it, I can see a major change. I just have to get past the mental block!