What a Difference a Day Makes...

Much better day today than yesterday. Sleep is an amazing thing. My mood was good with the occasional irritability, but I attribute that to being home with my children, not this diet. LOL!

I went through the second day of inserting workouts into the juice fast template. I waited the first week, to kind of see how things went -- make sure the energy was there to get it all done with when this week started having had plenty of energy the week before, I went into the YMCA and started doing the MobileFit program.

It's a slick program, I'll give you a quick run-down -- the program starts you out based on your weight, weight loss goals, and motivation levels and sets up an individualized workout plan for you. You download your daily workouts, actually do them, and then when you're finished, you supply feedback. Based on your feedback, the system adjusts your workouts accordingly. It even has a meal tracking program that goes with it, but that costs extra. I'm using one on my computer called VidaOne. In that program, in addition to MobileFit, I can keep track of my calorie bank, and workouts.

Part of this journey has been to become more organized, and more deliberate about my meals and exercise routines. I've always been a shoot from the hip kind of guy, and I approach my food and my workouts in much the same way. Looking for something to eat? What's in the cupboard.... hmm.. nothing quick and easy (didn't plan accordingly and I'm out of time) so pop down to the market and get some Swedish Fish. Yup, that sounds like a solution to me. Workouts were much the same way, I think I'll do a little of this... a little of that. Maybe do some running, maybe lift some weights. MobileFit helps me to become a lot more deliberate and certain that my workouts are getting the job done.

I wondered whether I would have the kind of energy for a pretty demanding workout on top of my daily routine just on juice, and I've got to tell you, except for yesterday, lack of energy has not been a problem. Quite the contrary, there have been times where I've had nervous energy, and can't hardly sit still. Fat is a solid fuel, and when your body starts burning that, in addition to not using your digestive system, you have a large surplus of energy.

That energy is coming from the raw juices I've been taking in for the last 8 days, hard to believe its been that long. I've finally settled into a nice pattern and found some recipes that I like. Today's juices were mainstays that I have done before.

Juice 1: Apples, Carrots, Celery, Plums
Juice 2: Sorta V8

In addition to looking at juices, I've started looking forward -- in 2 days, the 'juice' portion of the cycle is over, and I start to seque from nothing but juices into a 100% raw diet until the 21 days are up. As I've been reading into the raw food lifestyle more and more, I find parts that I like, and I find parts that I don't like. I find the raw lifestyle very limiting (which isn't always a bad thing) but I think the principles of raw food, taken with the freedom of choice (with health in mind) is probably a smarter and more sustainable viewpoint for me. The stricter the diet is, the more difficult it has been for me to keep in the past. I know myself, if this starts getting really difficult to maintain, that increases the chances that I won't keep going. I've been there too many times in the past to expect a difference now. With that said, I have 8 days of eating 100% raw, I might find that using Rayetta's resources and with enough motivation, it might be easier than I think. You never know until you try. I keep on reading and printing off recipes to try.

I tried one out on Shannon today, I made some Cantaloupe Salsa. Pretty easy, except my cilantro went bad and I had to throw it out.(boo!) It's super easy, nice and cold and fresh for a hot summer day, full of nutrition (Cantaloupe is one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat) and according to Shannon -- pretty good! Aiden was eating it with a spoon. lol

Cantaloupe Salsa
1/2 Canteloupe finely diced
3/4 cup Red Pepper finely diced
1/2 cup Onion finely diced.
1 cup Cilantro (Adjust according to your like of cilantro. I LOVE IT! so I use lots.
Juice from 1 lime (I used like 8 key limes)

Mix it all up and serve. This made a normal sized kitchen bowl worth. Double it if feeding more than a couple. I just lived vicariously through them and drank my V-8.

Tomorrow, more reading about Raw foods, scouring for recipes and things I would like -- no workout -- and look forward to getting some things done around the house.