Day 1

Okay, so after watching "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead"..and having a friend tell me about the success he had doing a juice cleanse, I figured that I would give it a go. I also decided to document my progress to hopefully give me the extra boost if needed during the week. If the week is successful, maybe I'll continue the cleanse for an extended period of time.

Let me give you a little background about my current weight situation. I returned from visiting my husband in Dubai on January 12. While there, I proceeded to eat like an animal and returned weighing approximately 169lbs. Luckily this was not my heaviest weight, which was approximately 174lbs. last summer. In mid March, my weight was at 164lbs. I began working out with a friend of mine, and my current weight this morning..153.3. I have a goal weight of 110..okay..realistically, I'd like to be at least as low as 135lbs..which I find to be a pretty achievable goal. Revealing to the world how much I weigh is really not something I'm super comfortable doing..but I suppose that sacrifices must be made (including my dignity, apparently).

Regardless, here goes. I went to a local health food store (it was my first visit, but I'm actually looking forward to going again soon!). I had looked up some juice cocktail recipes online, so, armed with a pretty fierce shopping list..I began my journey. From what I have read, organic produce is the way to go..so..I anticipated spending a little bit more than I typically would on certain things.

I left with:
Kale
Spinach
Celery
Carrots
Watercress
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Apples
Red Peppers
Alfalfa Sprouts
Mint Leaves
A Pineapple
Pears
Raspberries
Ginger Root
A Lime
Frozen Cubes of Wheatgrass Juice
Frozen Blackberries (I would have preferred fresh, but they didn't have any)

I'm sure I purchased more..but that's all I can think of off the top of my head (and the receipt is in the car..but you get the gist). Anyway..the grand total was $78.84. A bit high..but not as bad as I had originally anticipated. Plus, the wheatgrass juice cost $21 by itself..and the berries were over $5 each. All in all..not a terrible investment (at least I hope not..we'll see when this week is over).

Anyway, I was eager to get my purchases home and make my first juice. I had gotten a Breville Juicer from Bed Bath & Beyond a few months ago, and absolutely love it. I am glad that someone finally inspired me to get a lot of use out of it. I used it a lot when I first got it, but my interest in it has waned a bit. Mine cost approximately $150, but I know that there are less expensive models out there.

My first juice consisted of:
2 Red Peppers
2 Carrots
1 Apple
3 Broccoli Spears
6 Raspberries

It was amazing!! I was a little concerned about the red pepper, because honestly, I had never juiced one before! That will definitely be a juice that I will be making again. The mixture made about 20oz of juice, and per the instructions of the cleanse, you should be drinking up to 64oz. of juice per day. I'll probably make another serving for today (I started kind of late)..and then I'll go to three servings tomorrow. I'll be drinking a lot of water in the interim as well. I bought 3-24 packs of Dasani water yesterday for $12. I think that's a steal! I'm also looking to purchase a couple of bottles so I can make multiple servings for a day, and save the rest so I don't have to clean the juicer a million times a day.

So far, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm very motivated today..so that's probably quite beneficial for my current situation. I guess we'll see how I'm feeling later..or tomorrow. I know the first couple of days are going to be rough, but I think that I have the drive to be as successful in this endeavor as possible.