Juicing!!

[Circleville Signs]

I know that several of you have been dieting/adjusting your diets. I thought I'd make a quick post about what I've been doing, and how it's working!

About 2 months ago I watched a documentary on Netflix out of boredom. It is called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". Thing changed my life - literally.

Premise is simple. 2 fat, sick dudes decide to use "alternative" medicine in the form of macronutrient overload for 60 days via changing their diet to nothing but freshly squeezed juices. Nuts, right? I thought so too - until I watched what happened.

Dude 1 - 315 pounds and around 6' tall to start. Day 60? 223 pounds. Healthy as an ox, and saying that he felt better than he had since he was a teenager.

Dude 2 - 440 pounds and around 6' tall to start. Day 60? 335 pounds. Within 10 months? 220 pounds. Same feelings.

I was inspired, but a bit skeptical as well, so I started doing research on juice fasting. Turns out it is legit. Talked to my doctor. Got the go ahead to start my own.

I started 18 days ago. My BP was 169/110 (I've been on high BP meds for 3 years). I weighed 305 (I'm 6'4").

As of this morning I weighed in at 281. I've lost 24 pounds in 17 days (this is my 18th day). After day 4 I stopped feeling hungry at all. My juices fill me up. I feel AMAZING. More energy than I've had since I retired from football. More mental clarity than I remember having in FOREVER. I'm more productive, I sleep better, and I don't get the afternoon nap urge.

Here's the crazy part. at the 14 day mark I went back to my doctor for bloodwork and a checkup. You know what my BP was? 129/70. According to my doctor, in a two week period I cut my risk of heart attack and stroke by 50%!!!!!!!

Anyhow, my whole point here is that if you are looking for a way to drastically improve your health, and you are a mentally tough person, then you should really, REALLY give this a try. Even if it's just for 10-15 days. My goal is 60 days or 60 pounds, whichever comes first.

 

[gabagoo]

Good luck to you Gary, good fast results.... My concern is losing weight to fast is not always a good thing, but more importantly what will happen when you go off of juice...How fast will the weight come back...what maintenance diet do you follow at that point.

I remember I did the zone diet about 10 years ago, i dropped weight pretty fast but found it is hard on your organs with to much protein and also hard on the bum!!! lol

 

[Circleville Signs]

This is what I like to call a "reset". It's a chance to rewind my body 10 years and make better decisions. Just like ANY diet, if you end it and go straight back to the eating habits you had before you'll eventually put every pound right back on.

When I come off the fast the plan is simple:

1-5 days: Raw fruits, veggies, and legumes. Some cooked beans
6-10 days: Cooked and raw fruits/veggies/legumes/beans, and introduction of meat protiens (mostly fish)
11-infinity days: Same as 6-10 days, with the introduction of dairy and red meat in VERY limited portions

This is a lifestyle change. I'll still use my smoker, but more for chicken wings than brisket. I'll still enjoy the occasional steak - but a 6 oz portion rather than a 24 oz. portion.

 

[genericname]

Holy crap, man! Good luck! I owe a couple years of rugby, and an awful service industry with my slowly losing weight (who wants to eat fast food when you both feel horrible, and are treated like crap?), but if I had to start now where I was, I'd definitely give this a shot.

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

damn doesn't sound like too bad of an idea! But I would as well be worried about dropping the weight that fast.

So what types of juices do you drink? Are there some that are better than others for this diet? Do some seem more filling then others?

 

[ddarlak]

i've done a few water fasts, hard to get started, but you feel so much better afterward.

 

[Circleville Signs]

Dropping the weight fast is really NOT a bad thing. The reason people think that dropping weight fast is unhealthy is because it normally means that you are depriving your body of necessary calories and nutrients. With Juicing NEITHER is happening. I'm getting around 1000-1200 calories/day. HOWEVER, my digestive system is in full slumber, meaning that the energy my body normally uses for that (around 20-25% of burned calories) is now being directed to my metabolism and other functions. I'm getting every nutrient that I need from the juices.

I supplement fresh juices with Naked brand juices and V8 (low sodium) when I get too busy to fresh juice. There are lots of recipes out there - some are better than others. You kind of have to experiment to see what you will like.

 

[john1]

Watched the same movie, I tried juicing and it's great but i get a bit lazy in having to clean the juicer everytime you use it.

I have lost 80lbs over the last 2 years doing a simple, watching my fat, carb and sodium intake as well as doing cardio at the gym a few days a week.

Was 338, Now i am 260

After losing weight, you will NEVER look at people indulging in fatty foods the same again. Feeling great changes your perception on everything.

 

[FatCat]

Gary, going to have to call you and talk about this.

You're holding out on me bro...

 

[Circleville Signs]

LOL - give me a shout when you get a chance! Wasn't holding out

 

[HulkSmash]

Dropping the weight fast is really NOT a bad thing. The reason people think that dropping weight fast is unhealthy is because it normally means that you are depriving your body of necessary calories and nutrients. With Juicing NEITHER is happening. I'm getting around 1000-1200 calories/day. HOWEVER, my digestive system is in full slumber, meaning that the energy my body normally uses for that (around 20-25% of burned calories) is now being directed to my metabolism and other functions. I'm getting every nutrient that I need from the juices.

I supplement fresh juices with Naked brand juices and V8 (low sodium) when I get too busy to fresh juice. There are lots of recipes out there - some are better than others. You kind of have to experiment to see what you will like.

Had a friend who lost like 90lbs in a month, had to have her gallbladder removed because she lost weight way too fast... not sure how that's connected.. but it was the reason for having to remove it.

 

[Sticky Signs]

I'm working on a similar diet. It's call "Beer-ing". So far I'm in pretty good shape. Round is a shape right?
Good luck

 

[Banners Signs Etc.]

I saw that movie too...borrowed a juicer tried it for a day and found I was too fat sick and lazy to juice and then clean up after it...and the smoking and drinking kind of interfered...but I'm 28 and 210 so I got a ways to go before ima gonner..

Kudos to you for actually doing it...it was a great movie

I'll stick to getting on the wife's recumbent bike once a week maybe...see how that works out

 

[vid]

This is what I like to call a "reset". It's a chance to rewind my body 10 years and make better decisions. ...(edit)

:ROFLMAO: ...That's the term I was looking for, "reset." I was trying to explain the diet changes my my wife and I are trying to do to a friend just last night ...and why we were shifting our choices. Certainly, it's not nearly as dramatic as what your doing, but it follows a similar tone.

We started at the beginning of this year. I'm 6' and dropped 30lbs from 220# to 190#. We did a juice thing for a week, and had similar results as you by dropping a pound a day. We followed that with changes in our diet - smaller meat portions and bigger veggie portions.

I figure I'll settle in somewhere around 175 -180 in the next 6 months or so. But just getting the first 20 pounds off in a month was my reset and now it's just settling into a lifestyle change.

Ripping off that first chunk as quickly as we did is a real motivator to make those changes


Good luck with the program!

 

[OldPaint]

colorado, i would bet she had more going on then the weight loss. GENETICS, PRE EXISTING CONDITION, or already having problems and the diet "triggered" a reaction.
i was a vegetarian for 19 years.LACTO OVO. meaning i ate eggs and dairy products. no loss of proteins or amino acids. VEGAN and raw fooding, you have to supplement amino acids.
in my 19 years as a vegie, 1st question was alway where do i get my proteins? eggs, cheese & milk have plenty. beans, and fruits are all you need. when i went vegetarian i was 42-43. i had had my 1st heart attack(never went to hospital or doctor)was affirmed june of 2009 when i had a heart cath done. the heart attack i had at 42, blocked the right artery. the cath doctors were amazed because my heart had regrown veins around the blockage. this was futher seen when i had the open heart surgery dec 2010. the doctor then said they was thinking of by passing the right artery, but the body did a better job then they could!!!!!
back to the veggie change. my cholesterol was 305 , i was 255, on top of having the heart attack. 90 days after ..........i was down to 225, cholesterol was 160!!!!!! i also added TAI CHI. we had 2 hour classes 2 days a week, but did this every evening when not in class. stayed with it for 5 years, and i attribute that mostly with my lungs coming back very strong after smoking for 25 years!!!! i got doctor/hospital and they put that finger clip on........i have 98-99% oxygen!!!! also between the veggie and the tai chi, i got 21 years.........after a serious heart attack without any medical intervention. so my point is YOU CAN save yourself a lot of problems by changing your eating and exercise.

 

[Gino]

Good going !!

 

[signswi]

Keep carbs under 45g for three meals a day and 15g or less for three snacks a day, done. No need for wacky fasts or specific item restrictions. Eat less meat. Yes, I've seen the film. I enjoy juices and smoothies but abhor "fasts". Every other day there's a new one that's the GREATEST EVER and then 6 months later the same people are all "oh crap my organs are failing". Just eat smart. But, if it's working for you and your doctor approves (crucial step, don't do things like this without talking to your doc first), that's great and keep it up.

You'll enjoy food more too once you get rid of all those sugar and fat cravings and you'll begin to really taste flavor profiles instead of just THIS IS SWEET THIS IS SOUR etc. Once your taste buds are retrained it's really easy to eat healthy and much more enjoyable.

 

[sar bossier]

Gary, that's really cool!! Best of luck with this!

 

[trimguy]

I also watched this movie about a month and a half ago. Went to Colorado to snow board and felt so out of shape. Started juicing and went from 208lbs to 188 today! Feel like I'm 10yrs younger now. I don't eat like a teenager anymore. Moderation!

 

[Speedsterbeast]

It's pretty impressive that you can mainatin energy at only 1200 calories a day. That's barely half of what most people require.
When your body is in good health though it seems to need less.
On a two month kayak expedition my partner and I only ate about 1500-2000 calories a day, all while paddling up to 70km (40 miles) a day in not necessarily ideal conditions. Somehow our bodies used fuel much more efficiently.
You'll have to keep us posted on your progress.