Juicing Forum

Hello all! I am new to this site and new to juicing. My office is starting a Health Challenge and, having tried EVERY OTHER WEIGHT LOSS program ever conceived (aside from surgery), I decided to research juicing and give it a try as my form of participating. I have chosen to set a "length of fast" goal, rather than an "amount of weight" for 2 reasons, one being the fact that I am only interested in weight loss in terms of improving my health, rather than appearance, and two because my long term goal is to lose about 150 lbs. and this fast is a trial in determining whether or not juicing is the way to do it for me.

I will be going shopping and prepping tomorrow evening and I am getting excited and nervous!

Wish me luck!!!

Thank you Donnie - I am a little disappointed to learn today that the Health Challenge at the office has been put off until 8/29....however, this will give me more time to prepare, which I think will increase my success. I want to make plans for eating around/with my family and do a little additional research on juicers (i have a Jack Lallane that I have borrowed from a friend, but am looking at a comparably priced Beville and your Hamilton Beach as well!) I also plan to use the time to try out some additional recipes so that I can modify the shopping list as needed based on what I like the best, although I have LOVED every juice we have tried so far (especially Mean Green!) - I know myself and variety will be key!! Even though the wind left my sails a bit this morning when I heard they program would be delayed, I am actually pleased to have the time to "ramp up" and prepare myself by eating more raw foods a for a couple of days before I start to fast. I have not been this excited about a life-style change since I learned I was having my first child!!!

Ok - had a doctor visit today for annual physical and told her my plans for the upcoming juice fast. She was not as excited as I am. She is "inherently against juicing" because it "removes all the bulk and fiber from food and just leaves the sugar"......AND NUTRIENTS I wanted to yell! She did concede that if this was an attempt to "reset" my taste for less processed food and "kick start" a healthier diet that she thought the was a pretty good idea. At any rate I am getting excited again about starting next week and am preparing to shop and pre-wash/sort my juices. I have found that I am not as fond of the "savory" juices as I expected to be. I still like Mean Green best and am surprised that I don't seem to "get bored" with it - of course I am sure that over the course of 7 days I will be glad to have other options!! I am going to surf the site now for other progress and get myself more pumped to to get going!

Well the day has arrived and I am so excited! Last night my Sweetie and I went shopping for my produce and took some VERY MOTIVATING "Before" pictures! What a reality check! I did some prepping last night but learned quickly this morning that I will do more of this in the evenings going forward to make mornings go a bit faster! I have been replacing at least one meal a day with juice for the last few days and I really feel ready! I enjoyed a cup of water with lemon, my Morning Glory juice and then did an "official" weigh in and took measurements. I AM SO EXCITED! I do not remember ever being this excited about a weigh loss plan - and I have tried them ALL! I think it is because the weight loss is really just a fortunate byproduct of getting healthier and lengthening my life! August 29th, 2013 - what a great day!!!!!!

Nicholas was a little overly excited to start his first day of kindergarten a few weeks ago.

Thank you Lisa! They can be handful but we have fun in everything we do together. At least I can keep up with them now!

Ok so here's the thing.....it isn't just the hunger. I am clearly addicted to EATING. I am very frustrated with the almost overwhelming urge to chew something. To use a fork and put something in my mouth. Very irritating and very eye-opening as well......

Also - I expected to be a real "B" today - but instead - I am very emotional and weepy - interesting.

Here I am on Day 4 - feeling pretty good I guess - we went for a little walk this morning and it was already hot - think I have a very little headache from that. My biggest problem.....I am basically sick of juice. I found myself having to force down a fourth juice yesterday, not really to curb my hunger, but to make sure I was getting enough nutrients. I am hungry - but I feel like I would rather be hungry than drink juice. Last night I did make a soup recipe from the site to help me get that last "juice" down. That helped - I added Franks Red hot Sauce - couldn't help it - needed the kick - and it is pretty much cayenne and vinegar. It really helped that I it was warm and I ate it from a bowl with a spoon - the psychology if it was amazing. we are about to go run a few errands - I am not sure it is the best idea - not feeling very strong - but will take juice and lots of water and try to detract myself.

Thanks for the support Donnie! I must confess that I did cave in in the afternoon of Day 4 and have a salad. I did the same on Day 5. Everything else has been juice, and when I get back in to work this morning and weighed on the scale I started on, I have lost 8 lbs!

I was disappointed that I ate a little - but here is the thing - I was at the point where I would rather be hunger than drink a juice, has that ever happened to you? It was like - give the option of feeling the hunger, or drinking another juice - I will take the hunger.....and a nap (which I could do, given the holiday weekend) and I began to worry that I was going to slow my metabolism down by consuming nothing.

It is Day 6 - only one and 1/2 days left (if I don't demand to restart the clock from my last salad!) and I really feel great. I have not really had any headaches, I have not felt awful, I have had plenty of energy - even more than usual I would say. I can't lie - I nearly fainted when we walked past a hot dog cart at Lowes this weekend! But it is getting easier and easier to react with "but what is really in that thing?" and "whew - let me get something to drink instead" than it was before. It all just feels like positive progress.

I also walked today at lunch. I honestly have not felt hungry all day and plan on taking my "snack" juice along for the ride home instead of drinking it here at work. HUGE change for me - can't ever remember being this "un-hungry"

Hi Becky - I am glad you found this site! It is so helpful! I have been drinking a variety of juices, so I don't think it has been a matter of not enough variety - I think it would have been better to state it as "I was sick of drinking my meals" That said - I cannot deny - I feel GREAT! I want to continue collecting recipes for even more juices. I think I need to add some more savory ones that can double as soups I think. I really think my real struggle has been with breaking the "habit" of eating. It is so strange - I can't say this has been "easy" - but it hasn't really been hard and the juice is fantastic. Today it the last day of my initial "fast" - but I am hooked on juicing and cannot imagine going forward "eating" 3 meals a day. I am down 9 lbs now - no time to stop now!

Thanks Brian!

Maggie, Thats WONDERFUL! 😀 I think it's a very encouraging thing to do weekly re evaluations.. I believe I will do the same. I'm only on day 3 so I have a ways to go.. but i'm excited about this journey of juice! haha.