Juice Cleanse - Day 2

I'm on the second day of my juice cleanse and feeling really good.  From what I've heard, the first day of a juice fast is the toughest and while I admit to feeling a bit peckish last night, I didn't have any headaches or moodiness at all.  Despite a fitful sleep, I awoke this morning at 6am feeling alert and ready for the day.  Today, I'm feeling a little "high".  Its the only way I know to describe it.  I feel very alert, calm and high. 

I've been dining on home made green juice fresh from my Breville Juicer.  The ingredients I've been using in my juice are any combination of the following:  Romaine Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Lemon, Gala Apple, Ginger, Cucumber, Celery, Green Cabbage, and Parsley.  When ever I feel that tell-tale hunger signal, I just juice up another glass.  Here is a photo of today's lunch in a 24oz to-go cup.

1.

For those of you who have done any kind of a cleanse, 

what was your experience?

2.

For those of you who have not done a cleanse or fast, 

have you ever thought about trying it out?  Why?

Weigh In - Week 37

I pigged out this week.  Really.  I was a little piggy.  I went to Jack in the Box, I had girl scout cookies, I had gelato with my son, I said yes to two doughnuts, I went on a date with my husband and had two beers and dessert to follow.  I did it all.  So when I stepped on the scale today, I was ready for a little weight gain.  But by some fluke, I still lost weight.  I lost 2 pounds this week!  What?  How is that even possible?

Maybe its possible because I still went to boot camp and ran on my own during the week.  Maybe its possible because my metabolism is revved up enough to continue burning even in the face of Krispy Kreme.  Well, whatever the reason, I'm grateful. 

Pounds lost this week: 2

Total pounds lost: 53

Do you remember back in September when I did a three day juice fast?  I really loved it and have been planning for some time to do another fast.  December and January were both amazing months filled with holidays and family.  This provided ample opportunity to eat rich foods and indulge my sweet tooth.  January also brought some difficult news pertaining to my son's stroke - an MRI that showed extensive brain damage.  I've been having a rough time trying to accept, process and embrace my feelings about Charlie's situation.  I think that a juice cleanse would help me to clarify both my body and my head.  I think it will be a great tool in creating space for new feelings and sensations to emerge.  I hope that makes sense...

Spring Juice Cleanse

So today I'm beginning a nine day juice cleanse.  Here is my juice cleanse schedule:

Day 1-2:   Green lemonade and water only

Day 3-7:   Green lemonade and water all day and a raw evening meal consisting mostly of greens

Day 8-9:   Green lemonade and water only

As I alluded to before, I have many goals for this juice cleanse:

1.  I want this cleanse to be a "re-set" button for my body and my mind.

2.  I want to re-teach my body how to eat and draw my mind's attention to portion control.

3.  I want to create some open brain space for creative impulses.

4.  I want to honor my feelings about Charlie's MRI results and move forward.

5.  Lastly, I want to drop some more weight and kick start the season with a full spring cleaning!

I know that a 9-day juice cleanse will seem extreme to some of my readers, but I had a great experience the first time and feel that this may be a productive way to transition out of winter and welcome the new season. Oh... and a special thank you to my friend Jessica, who is also doing a 9-day cleanse with me!  It's always nice to have a partner to keep you focused and motivated!  I'll keep you all updated over the next 9 days!  Wish me luck!

The "I Did It" List

I did 2.5 boot camp workouts ( I pooped out on Fri. due to lack of sleep)

I ran 2.5 miles on Sunday afternoon

I planned, prepared and served a raw meal to ten people

I met with a dear friend who will be joining me in my upcoming juice cleanse

during my down time on Saturday, I did sit ups while Walker played Legos

I helped one of my favorite clients and dear friends deliver her baby boy on Thursday night

Experience the World

It's Saturday.  The weekend.  A time to rest and relax and enjoy my family.  My plan is to hit the trail at White Rock Lake for a 5K before the weekend is over, but until then, I'll breathe deeply and experience the world.  Here is a video of my son doing just that. 

My next weigh-in is on Monday.  We'll see if my trip to Jack in the Box and a few doughnuts through me off my horse.  Have a great weekend everyone and as always, thank you for being here and supporting my weight-loss journey!

You ate what?

Okay...  after all of my raw talk and my raw dinner party and my green lemonade juicing and my "oh I don't eat bad stuff anymore" chatter, I had a chicken burger from Jack in the Box today.  You know... the chicken sandwich with the grilled sour dough and mayo and cheese and bacon?  (Yes bacon.)  And that is not all.  I also had two doughnuts yesterday.  TWO.

I know, I know... "You ate what?"

What can I say - I was tired and PMS-ish and unprepared to feed myself today and running around doing errands and zooming in between appointments and I just thought "Ah shit, who gives a flying you-know-what" and cruised through the drive through.  And yesterday, my son was begging for a treat and mentioned doughnuts and before I could pull myself together I had gobbled up a maple and a sour cream glazed. 

Where is the "Do Over" button?

Raw Dinner Party Menu and Recipes

I did it.  I hosted an all raw dinner party for non-raw eaters.  And guess what?  They didn't make icky faces, or leave or order pizza!  I'm so thrilled with how it turned out.  The guest list mostly consisted of women who are currently training at Positively Fit Lake Highlands.  We also had some spouses and some new joiners!  The best part about hosting a raw dinner party is that all of the work can be done before the party.  All I had to do was plan ahead and plate the food when we were ready to eat!  Here is a look at the table just before we sat down to eat the second course.

Portabello Mushroom Steak with Brazil Nut Broccoli Mash and Asian Slaw!

Here is the full dinner menu:

APPETIZERS

Sunny Red Pepper Pate served with Zucchini chips and Baby Carrots

FIRST COURSE

Savory Creamed Carrot Soup

 

SECOND COURSE

 Marinated Portabello Mushroom Steak

Brazil Nut Broccoli Mash

Asian Slaw with Raw Dressing

DESSERT

Cashew Cherry Cheesecake
(This dessert turned out to be FANTASTIC.  I'll definitely be making it again!)

And here are the recipes:

Sunny Red Pepper Pate - Jeremy Safron

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of almonds (soaked for 2 hours and drained)

1 large red bell pepper seeded and chopped

1 clove pressed garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped (I used dried)

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

1/2 red onion minced and rinsed

juice of one lemon

2 Tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce (I doubled the soy sauce)

Process or blend ( I used my Vitamix Blender) seeds, almonds, pepper, garlic and herbs.  Transfer to bowl and stir in the onion, lemon juice and Braggs or soy saice and serve with zucchini slices and baby carrots. 

Sunny Red Pepper Pate

Savory Creamed Carrot Soup - Kristen Suzanne

2 cups fresh carrot juice (I juiced a two pound bag of carrots)
1/2 c. water
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan crystal salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tteaspoon cayenne pepper
dash cinnamon
2 avocados pitted and peeled
Chopped vegetables - optional

Blend all ingredients except avocados at high speed.  Then add avocados and blend until smooth.  Pour into bowls and serve immediately or store in fridge for two days.  You also have the option of serving the soup base with chopped vegetables to make it "meatier". 

Marinated Portabello Mushroom Steak - Natalia Rose

3 Portobello Mushrooms sliced lengthwise

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 Tablespoons cold pressed olive oil

3 Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow them to marinate for 2 hours (or as long as two days).  I sealed mine in a freezer bag for 24 hours.)  Serve them side by side like steak and use the marinade as "steak sauce". 

Brazil-Broccoli Mash - Ani Phyo

2 cups of broccoli (chopped)

1 cup of Brazil Nuts (I used a combo of Brazil nuts and walnuts)

1 teaspoon sea salt

pinch of ground pepper to taste

1/2 clove of garlic (whole clove if you LOVE garlic)

a few dashes of Nama Shoyu soy sauce (optional)

Process (I used my Vitamix blender) garlic, pepper, salt and nuts.  Empty the nut mixture into a bowl.  Next, process or blend broccoli while adding Brazil nut mixture back in.  Serve like you would mashed potatoes.

 Asian Slaw - Natalia Rose

1/2 head red cabbage

1/2 head green/white cabbage

1/2 cup raisins

black or white sesame seeds for garnish

Thinly chop (I used a mandolin) cabbage.  Add raisins.  Toss with Liquid Gold Elixr dressing to taste (see below) and garnish with sesame seeds.

Raw Dressing for Asian Slaw: Liquid Gold Elixr - Natalia Rose

2 cups fresh lemon juice

3 whole garlic cloves

3 Tablespoons minced ginger

3 Tablespoons Nama Shoyu soy sauce

3 heaping Tablespoons of raw honey

1 1/2 cups cold pressed olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil in blender.  Begin blending and slowly add oil until its completely blended.  When made right, this dressing is a beautiful gold color.  Will last over a week in the fridge.

photo source

Cashew Cherry Cheesecake - Beth @ Sweet Freedom

 Crust:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 8 soft Medjool dates
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked if they're actually raw, but don't bother otherwise)
• Juice of 1 lemons
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 10-15 fresh sweet cherries, pitted (or any other berry, I'm sure)

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine pecans, dates, salt and vanilla.

2. In a spring form pan, or a pie dish lined with parchment paper press crust mixture evenly.

3. Process the ingredients for the filling until it forms a very creamy paste. All traces of cashew crumbs should be gone. 

4. Scoop about half the filling into dish and spread evenly. 

5. Add cherries to remaining filling and process until smooth. Spread remaining filling in dish. Place in freezer until firm.
6. Remove from freezer 15-30 minutes before you want to eat it.

Thank you to everyone who attended!  

It was wonderful to have you over.

Weigh In - Week 36

I just got home from boot camp.  Today was the booty-est, campy-est boot camp ever.  We ran drill after drill after drill without stopping.  The recovery time was spent running laps around the neighborhood junior high track.  We spent most of our time in the center of the track on the muddy field doing bear crawls, lunges, jumps, sit ups, burpies, froggies and a bunch of other-kick ass moves with cute names.  Here is a quick shot of my tee-shirt post work out.  I'm doing a white load with bleach as I write this.

All complaining aside, its been a great week.  And Mallory, if you're reading this, I love your boot camp classes even when you drag me through the mud.  I've had lots of success this week in saying "no" to little offenders that I usually have no power to avoid.  For instance, I went through the coffee drive through and got a drink for my husband, a chocolate milk for my son and nothing for me.  This is a BIG feat, people!  Usually I think, "Well, I'm here and I'm ordering and it would be silly not to quell my tiny coffee craving with a Double Venti Caramel Latte Bomb."  On Sunday, I made whole buckwheat pancakes for my family, as I usually do.  And instead of having a pancake with syrup (or two), I made the cakes and then enjoyed watching them eat while I drank a big glass of Green Lemonade.  Little victories!

Pounds lost this week: 1

Total pounds lost: 51

The "I Did It" List

ate healthy raw foods as well as healthy cooked foods

went on a date with my husband and indulged in a Negra Modelo

attended three boot camp sessions - Monday, Wednesday and Friday

replaced morning coffee with water and green lemonade 4 our of 7 days

ran a mile on Thursday night

ran 5K on Sunday night

Tonight, I'm hosting a raw dinner party for all my work-out pals at Positively Fit Lake Highlands.  I'm so excited to have everyone over, corner them in my dining room and force them to eat raw food.  I'll post photos and recipes here on the blog when it's all over.  Wish me luck!!

Hey, have you got 13 minutes?

My husband shared this TED Talk with me the other day.  I had just lost my fiftieth pound and before the morning was over, I was already talking about how I'll lose the next 25 pounds.  I had my moment of celebration, which I shared here on the blog, and immediately pushed my weight-loss goal farther out.  Jack reminded me that if happiness lies on the other side of "success", then I'll never get there.  It will always be out of reach.  Jack encouraged me to "Be happy now, and success will come."  Then he showed me this video:

Shiny Stretchy Running Shirt

Last night I went for a quick mile run around my neighborhood.  I wore my new shiny stretchy running shirt - a Christmas gift.  I love the color.  I love that it wicks the sweat away from my skin.  I love that it keeps me warm and cool at the same time.  It's even got thumb-holes, which is like fashion code for "Hey, I'm a real runner, okay, so back off."  Its a little on the small side, but I figure that if I keep running, it will fit much better in the near future.  Just the act of putting it on makes me feel like going out for a run.

And just because I like to keep it real, here I am in my running shirt 

on my way out the door for a run.  See?  It's still a little snug.

Do you have a special shirt or pair of shoes 

that make you feel the "get-up-and-go"?

Thank you, body.

Thank you, body, for...

walking me gently through the first 34 years of my life

for bouncing back even when I mistreated you

for nimble hands that wrote plays, stitched quilts, made free throws

Thank you, body, for...

safely delivering two babies into this world without medical interventions

long strong arms to hold my babies and show them the power of a mother's love

for breasts that nursed two children and nourished their delicate bodies and brains

Thank you, body, for...

filtering all the poisons from the air, water and food I've ingested over the years

for staying awake at the wheel when my brain shut down that night

legs that walked out despite the fear that seized my mind

Thank you, body, for...

walking me down the aisle a second time

for surrendering to love and embracing the joys of marriage

and for keen senses that appreciate beauty in all its forms

Thank you, body, for...

another chance to express my essence 

for releasing the weight that served as armor

and for showing me that it's never to late to be who I might have been

Valentine Treat

Instead of chocolatey, oooey-gooey Valentine candies, I'm going to snack on these today.  Aren't they adorable?  All you need is a heart shaped cookie cutter, some skewers, an orange and a watermelon.  Yummy, sweet and totally raw.  Have a very happy Valentine's Day!

Weigh In - Week 35

Today is a big day.  I stepped on the scale to find that I have lost 50 pounds since June 1, 2011.  FIFTY!  I'm so excited I can hardly keep my mouth shut.  I feel the impulse to shout it out my front door and tell people in line at the grocery store and roll down my window and yell out at every intersection, "I lost FIFTY pounds!"  But instead of boasting all over the block, I'll just shout it out here on my blog.

My husband was the first to congratulate me this morning. He cracked me up by saying, "And the best part is you lost fifty pounds by being healthy and not by being weird."  I'm not sure what "being weird" might entail, but I assume it would be something along the lines of eating only grapefruit and Fen-Phen martinis or going to oxygen bars for O₂ therapy or having a daily colonic. So cheers to losing the weight slowly, steadily and healthfully!

It's been a good week for weight loss, but it has also been a good week for our family.  We're back in the swing of things after our month of illness and out of town Daddy.  I've been sticking to my "cut the grocery bill" New Year's resolution with lots of success.  In fact, last month, we cut our grocery bill in half!  Click HERE and HERE to see what I'm doing to keep our costs down.

Pounds lost this week: 3

Total pounds lost: 50

The "I Did It" List

juiced (green lemonade) every morning

retooled my blog to make it more user friendly

got another basket of produce from the Bountiful Baskets Co-Op

took all the ill fitting clothes out of my closet and made an appointment to consign them

enjoyed a date night with my husband for Valentine's Day

ran two miles on my own around the neighborhood

attended 3 days of boot camp 

Bulking up?

Yesterday was a great work-out day!  Our car was in the shop for a tune-up so I took the opportunity to run to boot camp instead of drive (about a mile).  Then at boot camp we ran another 3/4 mile and did some crazy awesome circuit training that focused on the legs and core muscles (front and back).  Then I ran another mile home.  I felt great all day!

Someone asked me last week if I was worried about "bulking up" with all the strength training I'm doing right now.  When I used to strength train and weight lift for basketball back in my teen years I never bulked up.  I only got strong and lean.  I'm not an expert on anatomy or anything, but its a myth that women get "bulky" from weight training.  Why?  Because we lack testosterone, the key component to "bulking up".  Only chemically altered female athletes bulk up (like in the body building magazines where women have comical balloon-sized calves and biceps). 

One of the great boons of strength training and doing weight bearing exercise is that it boosts my metabolism.  The stronger and more engaged my muscles, the easier and quicker they help to burn fat.  Also, I think you have to pump a serious amount of iron for a long long time to get that kind of tone.  I'm doing it for 3-4 hours a week.  I spend the rest of my time running or doing the odd yoga class.  So no, I'm not worried about bulking up.

See... Marilyn did it.

She lifted weights and cross trained...

...and did crunches.

And she looks pretty good to me!

The Color Run

The 5K Color Run is coming to Dallas' Fair Park on February 19th.  I had no idea until now, otherwise I may have registered.  It looks like the happiest 5K on the planet.  Check it out!

Click HERE to see if the color run is coming to a city near you!

I'm still preparing for my 5K at the end of March.  This morning, I'm heading out to boot camp, which always helps me with endurance, strength training and short distance running and sprints.  And then I'll hit White Rock Lake on Sunday for another self-imposed 5K.  I love running on my own around the lake.  It's an incredible oasis in the middle of North Texas that transports me to another place.  When its cold and misty, it feels like Green Lake in Seattle.  When its warm and humid it reminds me of Winona, Minnesota.  The lake helps me to open my awareness to more than just the running and before I know it, I've finished five kilometers! 

Raw Dressings

photo source

I eat a lot of salads.  The more I eat them, the more I love them.  I define a salad as a anything with raw vegetables.  Sure you can add some nuts or some dried fruit for flavor and texture, but once you start adding diced chicken, hard boiled eggs, shredded cheese, bacon bits and croutons, your "salad" morphs into something else.  I make a salad almost every night.  Sometimes I'll use an organic dressing (the selection from Annie's is really great), but that can get expensive.  I also don't know exactly what's in bottled dressings.  They aren't raw and sometimes they hide things like high fructose corn syrup or worse.  So I make most of my dressings at home.  It allows me to keep my grocery bill down and also keep tabs on the ingredients I'm putting into my body.  Here are some favorites from my recipe card file.  They are all raw and all delicious!  Just ask my four-year-old.  He loves them.

I use the dressing below on everything.  My favorite is to make raw slaw by tossing it with red and green cabbage and raisins.  Toss it all together and let it sit for one hour before serving.  SO yummy!

The recipes above were taken from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen and The Raw Food Detox Diet.

Fortune Favors the Brave

I've recently received a few emails asking "how do I search this blog to find recipes?" and "where can I find specific weekly weigh-ins?" and "where are your 'before' photos?", etc.  Thank you, dear readers, for your notes and helping me awaken to the fact that this is a public forum.  I now realize that Smaller Sarah needs a higher level of organization and accessibility.  I've heard the call!

It's time to be brave and put it all out there!  As you can see, I've already made some cosmetic changes to my blog.   I've changed the banner, added a current photo in the side bar, and included a search engine just above the "pounds lost" count.  I have been reluctant (and nervous and embarrassed) to do this, but you can now find my 'before' photo (gasp!) in the Photos tab in the tool bar at the top of the page.  You'll also find two new tabs, Recipes and Weigh-Ins, in the tool bar above.  Those are currently under construction and will soon have working links to the recipes I've tried out and loved as well as links to the weekly weigh-ins.  I hope that you like the new look.  Please please comment below and let me know what you think.  I want to hear exactly what you like and, just as important, what you don't like.  Thanks as always for being such wonderful readers and participants on this crazy journey.  Becoming a smaller version of myself has been made easier and more fun because of YOU!  I so appreciate it!

Raw Recipe: Pear Frosty

I whipped up a yummy raw treat for dessert last night!  It was so good, I thought I'd share it here.  This recipe is from one of my favorite raw "cook" books called Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, by Ani Phyo.  It is so simple - just pears, dates, vanilla bean, water and ice.  And it's so frothy and delicious! 

Raw Pear Frosty

Makes four servings.

Ingredients

2 ripe organic pears seeded and quartered

1/2 c. pitted dates

1/2 vanilla bean

2 c. water

1 c. ice

Preparation
Blend pears, dates, vanilla bean, and water until smooth. Add ice and blend for another 10 seconds. Serve right away or keep for up to three days in the fridge.

The photos above were not taken by me.

Weigh In - Week 34

There must be some crazy astrological stuff going on up there in the swirling cosmos because this has been a strange week.  My inner state is a pendulum swinging wildly between total exhaustion, mild despair, contented joy and complete optimism and faith in the future.  What does that look like?  I'll draw a diagram for you below:

There is no rhyme or reason to these feelings.  The good news is that I am better able to handle and process these feelings because I am exercising and eating well.   No matter how chaotic life gets, I can always find a reliable "reset" button: a run, a work-out, a clean green meal, a talk with my husband, a smile from my son.

I can also rely on my inner voice.  When I am feeling put-out or a tad hopeless, I ask myself, "Is this true? Is it hopeless?  Is this feeling the truth?"  The answer always comes back as a confident "no".  When I am content and calm in my center, I ask the same question.  "Is this true.  Am I content and calm?  Is this feeling the truth?"  And the answer is always a confident "yes".  We know the truth when we FEEL it.

What does this have to do with weight loss?  Not much, really.  What does this have to do with my journey towards a healthy Smaller Sarah?  A lot.  This journey must be a holistic one, or nothing good can come of it.  I must address the whole Sarah if I am going to make permanent change for the better.  And so far, I think its working.  I'm feeling energized and fit.  My mind and my body are both benefiting from the changes I've made and the changes I have been able to maintain. 

Pounds lost this week: 1

Total pounds lost: 47

The "I Did It" List

ran 5K on Friday morning

ran a mile and walked a mile on Sunday afternoon
went on a date to a vegan restaurant with my husband 

two days of boot camp

ate healthy meals

juiced most mornings

P.S.  This morning I did the monthly physical assessment through my boot camp classes.  I knocked 38 seconds off my mile run and improved in most of the other categories as well.  I was most excited to find that I've dropped an inch off of my hip measurement in ONE month.  Booyah!

Protein

Just for fun...

Morning Run

This morning, I went for a 5K run at White Rock Lake.  I started at 6:30am in the dark at a nice slow and steady pace.  It was such a joy to watch the morning rise over the lake.  I loved hearing the turtle doves, hoot owls, and loon-like birds start their morning chatter.  Now that I'm over the January gunk, I'd like to start running 5K once a week in preparation for my 5K race at the end of March.  I've never been a morning person, but running is something I'll definitely get up for.  Today, I ran 3.1 miles in 38 minutes. 

Making Time

I was on the phone yesterday with Children's Hospital trying to schedule an EEG for my son, Charlie.  The hospital never asks "When are you available?"  They always say, "Our next available appointment is yada yada yada."  Usually I take the appointment and cancel all my other engagements.  Why?  Because its my baby boy and he needs medical care and mommy guilt and he's the priority and on and on.  But yesterday, when the scheduling department said, "Our next available appointment is Wednesday morning at 9am" I winced.  I thought, no... no... no... that is right in the middle of boot camp!  I took a breath and asked, "Do you have another time available?"  She sighed and said, "We're pretty booked...  but we could do it at 2:30pm on the same day."  YES!

When I started boot camp in early November, I wasn't sure if it would work into my busy schedule.  I could only manage two of the three days a week and felt like it was an extra burden of time and money that I didn't have to spare.  But that's a pretty normal reaction to something new.  Most of us think that of all the things we lack, time and money are at the top of the list.

But I don't feel this way anymore.  Now instead of wondering how healthy eating and working out will fit into my schedule, I plan my daily life around eating well and working out.  My children still get to appointments and preschool on time.  My family still gets three healthy, timely meals.  My blog posts still get written.  My mom still gets phone calls from me.  My bills still get paid on time.  My husband and I still sit down to watch Mad Men at night and chat over a glass of wine after dinner.  But when I sit down with my calendar and plan the month ahead, I pencil in boot camp classes and time for running first.  I also spend some time planning meals and snacks so that I don't have to improvise food.  (Improvising food is how I gained so much weight in the first place.)

We never think we have enough time.   Never.  But if we make our health a daily priority, as we do our families and our jobs, then we can change our lives.  We can transform our chaotic habits into healthy ones.  We can transform our out-of-control inner life into one of peace and joy.