YES!!! Today starts week three!

Hello everybody!  I did it!  First two weeks down!  Today starts week three!  I am feeling great and very motivated!  Weighed in this morning for the first time in a week.  I was hoping for 8-10 pounds and only lost 6, but am very excited to say...THAT IS 30 LBS!  I am super stoked about that number!!!  Only 20 more pounds before I get my bike!  It' still a long road ahead, but I am ready to hit it hard!  This week, my goal is to walk at least 5 miles a day!  I know this might slow weight loss a little, but I feel great after a good walk!  I am hoping for another 8-10 pounds this week.  I am increasing my green juice and the amount of water I drink!  Watch the video to hear the other exciting news!  Thanks for following along!

60 Day Juice Fast- Day 13 Summary!

Another great day!  Things are going very well.  Got a ton of stuff done today, including making up a new juice recipe!  You have to try it!

Day 11- Video

Day 11- WOW! Hardest day yet?

Yeah you read it right.   ALthough today was day eleven, it was the most difficult day since I began.  Let me start by saying it really had nothing to do with the fast at all.  It was totally mental.  Call it emotions or psychology, but I hit a mental road block today.  Before you get worried, let me tell you, I did not break the fast.  I pushed through.

It all started with RED VELVET CUPCAKES!  Yes this is my cryptonite.  My absolute favorite dessert on Earth.  Someone brought Red Velvet cupcakes to work.  A lot of them!  At first I had no problem passing them up.  But then, when I went to grab my green juice for lunch....they were there.  I think I may have even heard them calling my name.  They looked delicious.  I smelled the cream cheese frosting!  Oh, it was over at that point!  I grabbed my juice and went back to my office, but no matter how busy I kept myself, my mind went back to the fridge and dance with these sweet babies!  After all, I made it.  I left for work and headed home.  On the way home the fast food shops were also calling me.  Chik Fil et knows my name by heart!  I was physically torn down to despair!  I came home anyway!  I fixed myself a tall glass of Orange/Carrot juice which immediately pepped me up and cleared my mind.  I continues with my plans, got ready and took a 4 mile walk/jog.  By the end I was feeling great and felt like none of it had happened.  Refocused and ready to kick some Red Velvet Butt!

Day 10 Complete! Feeling Awesome

Hey Everyone!  Just wrapping up day ten and wanted to give you all an update of how everything is going.  One word....AWESOME!  I haven't eaten solid foods in ten days and I feel amazing.  Exercise is getting more intense... This big guy even jogged today!  No weigh ins until Monday!  That will be the beginning of week three!

Day 8 Summary

Another great day in Juice Land.  Sorry everybody, no video today.  I keep saying the same thing, but I will say it again....I feel great!  The energy level is still soaring, I feel lighter, and I am loving the exercise.  I took my two daughters on a three mile walk in the evening and felt great afterwards.  As I mentioned before, I got new work out clothes that I was wanting to try out.  What a perfect Valentines Day gift!

Spent the day thinking about how nice it would be to take my wife out to dinner on V-Day, but stayed focused on life after the fast.  How much better will it be to be a leaner, stronger, and older husband for her.  I think she understands and appreciates the effort.

It is so crazy how the tradition on Valentine's Day pushes us to think of candy, cookies, cakes, and treats.  My day was spent thinking about my wife and how I can love her more.  That made me start to think about love in general and how I can be a more loving person to those around me.  So, although, I'd love a piece of red velvet cake right now, I am thankful that my focus was taken off of the celebration and put onto the real purpose!

Do one thing today that will improve the way you love people around you.  Have you told that person how much you love them?  Would a quick phone call brighten their day?  Sometimes the smallest gift can make the biggest impact.  How about a little love note?

Be Healthy  ~Matt

One week in! First week of Juice Fast

I did it!  The first week, often referred to as Hell Week, of my 60 Day juice fast is over!  It's only seven days, but for part of it, I thought it would never be over!  Days 3 and 4 were the rough ones.  I was in total Detox mode and feeling it, but by day 5 I was feeling better, my energy was improving and even my thought process and attitude were getting better! 

Big results for the week!
Another 11 pounds lost!  That's a total of 24 lbs!!!  Current weight is 239.

Some dangerous prescription meds dropped!  Ambien and Wellbutrin are all done, as well as a list of regularly taken OTC drugs for symptoms that simply aren't there anymore!  Headaches?  GONE!  Acid Reflux?  GONE!  Exhaustion?  GONE!  Heartburn?  GONE!  I am feeling great and heading full blast into week two!

Looking forward to learning even more about how I can control my body through nutrition.  Getting a few books to research and intensely devouring as much information as possible in preparation for my post-fast diet, which for now, will consist of 80% plant based food.  I will fill you all in on more details as we get closer.  It's a plan in the works anyway.  AS I learn more, I change more!  No rush, there are 52 days left of juicing.  52 days that I am looking forward to making the best of!

Day 7 Summary

Well, it's been a week!  I'm going to wait until tomorrow to go over all the week's progress, but I wanted to post a quick update about the changes I feel after just a week!

Day 6- Summary and weigh in

Day six went great. Started out the morning with a walk and trip to the Farmer's market with Bryn. Came home and went out to walk a few miles with the whole family at the beach boardwalk, so we got a lot of exercise in yesterday! Juicing didn't go to well. I am experimenting trying to find an alternative green juice....some were yuck! Also, we went to the movies! Imagine the movies with no popcorn! Haha. I brought a special treat....a bottle of tangerine juice. Weight lost on day 6 was one pound. I don't quite understand why the weight has shown down so much, but I'm pushing through! Total weight lost is 24 pounds!

Day 5- Summary

The video says it all!  What a great day!  AWesome things are happening.  Let me know what impact this blog has had on you?  Is this your day to change?

Medication update! The list gets smaller!!!!

Goodbye Ambien!!!

Really excited to announce that my medication list is getting smaller.  My body is changing, but even more importantly, I feel better than I have in a decade!  One of my big goals on this journey is to get off of all my prescription and OTC medications.  On day one, I began weaning off of the Rx meds and guess what?.....Last night, for the first time in two years, I fell asleep without the need of Ambien.  It feels so freeing to be done with it!  The medication is a powerful drug that forces your body to sleep.  Not Good! This morning, I woke up, bright eyed, and ready to conquer the world!  It usually takes me hours to wake up all the way!
The other meds are decreasing too.  I hope to be off of all of them by the end of the first month, but maybe sooner!!!  You can check on the progress of the Rx Drop by clicking on the health update button up top!  I know you're getting tired of hearing it, but I honestly can't believe how I feel after only 5 days!!!!  OH YES!

Day Four- Summary

Today was another great day. Sorry, no video today....I'm really tired. Got off work a little early, so went for a long walk with Bryn...3 miles. All the juices were good today, so that made it even easier. I am really still shocked that I am not hungrier than I am. I know it's only four days in, but this doesn't seem so bad after all. I was talking to someone on Facebook, who is also fasting, and said that it feels like I'm getting on the ramp to the fast lane. I have heard that if you make it past the first week, it gets easier as time goes by. I can't complain...it has been pretty easy so far. Coming up to the first weekend! Hopefully actually being around food won't be that tempting. Looking forward to week two!

Still can't believe the number of people hitting the blog. I have even heard from some of you that you have started to juice too. Would like everyone to chime in on the blog. It's getting about 200 visits a day and very few comments. Let me know if you're considering a fast, even a short one. Let me know how you plan on getting healthier. Let me know if you have suggestions, juice recipes, or if you've been down this road! Talk to you all tomorrow morning!

Day 3 - Summary

Hello everybody!  Three days down.....57 to go!  It seems like such a huge task, but I am trying to take it just one day at a time. 
This morning started out a little rough.  I felt tired and sluggish.  I did get up about 1.5 hours earlier than normal.  I'm glad to say the day got better as the hours passed.  After my morning juice, the energy was pumping again.  It lasted throughout the day.  The mean green was bitter again...  I think it is the cucumber peels!  For dinner, I made a drink with cucumbers and peeled them...Presto!!!!  They tasted fine.
Today also marked my start of phase one in exercise.  Nothing too exciting, just walked 2.5 miles.  Make sure you click on the exercise button to see what my plans are!!!

Thanks to everyone who is visiting my site daily to catch up on how it is going!  Your comments, opinions, and words of encouragement go so far during the hard times of the day!

Day 2- Summary

Day 2 is complete....THANK GOD!!!  I knew the challenges of this coming into it.  I am really glad that I did my research and knew what to expect.  Detox is beginning.  Some symptoms, but I still feel great, overall!
The juice I had for the whole day at work was bitter!  (be sure to cut the ends off your cucumbers!)  It's all I had so I drank it anyway. 
Digestion is going good again! I was worried about that, but things are moving right along!  Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Excited to get to the end of the week and over the hardest part!  I will check in tomorrow morning with the new weigh in.

60 Day Juice Fast- Day One complete!! Feeling great.

Day 1 went really well.  I cannot believe the amount of energy I had today.  I realy didn't feel hungry except for a little in the early afternoon.  That was my fault....I had a meeting and didn't have any juice with me.  So it was a few hours with no water, no juice...OOPS,  lesson learned.  I am super stoked about tomorrow and can't wait to get even more into this.  Of course, finding out first thing this morning that the prep for the fast made me drop 13 pounds really helped with the motivation!  Current weight 250 even.   Day one down, so far so good!