Experiment #1

     Hello everyone, I am happy to announce that I have lost a total 45 pounds! That's right, I am five pounds away from my first major goal. (cue fanfare) \(^_^)/ I would like to start off by saying thank you for all of the love and support thus far. You guys have no idea how much you inspire me. I am still in a bit of disbelief because when I went in for a check up the doctor actually high-fived me! I don't think I've ever been so happy to go see the doctor! Also, the more I think about it, the more I am like "Hey! It was hard but not impossible. I think I may actually be able to do this!" Sorry if I am rambling. I am just super excited. Looking back on all my past attempts I wish to say the most I have ever lost was around 30 pounds. My goals so far have mainly been based off of 10 pound intervals. This way it seems less intimidating. I have decided however that for larger goals such as losing my first 50 pounds or the moment I am no longer in the 300's, just to name a couple, that I should do something amazing or something out of the ordinary. The thing is, I myself am a bit out of the ordinary. (>_<) I mean I have always been known as "the different one" in the family. A "black black sheep" if you will. LOL! If there is something new or different, rest assured I will more than likely be the first one to try it. My family is more into watching tons of sports on television, and sticking to eating things they are familiar with. I on the other hand would rather not waste my energy on something I am not playing. I enjoy anything where I can learn awesome facts or get a great laugh. I also love watching cooking shows and trying new foods. Which brings us to the topic at hand.
     A few months after beginning my lifestyle change I came across some information about people who only juiced their meals. I immediately questioned this and even asked around because to me it just came off like another fad diet. We have all heard of the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, and the  infamous master cleanse which consist of nothing more than water, lemon juice, agave nectar, and cayenne pepper. So I immediately chalked it up as garbage because most of these when completed resulted in the regaining of their original weight back. Two rules I have given myself for my weight loss are no fad diets and absolutely NO DIET PILLS!!! Both options resulted in yo-yo dieting and voila! You had me 362 pounds. (T_T) After researching I have discovered that there are people who lead full lives on just eating raw foods. Some of which have done it for 8+ years
! You heard me folks. Not just vegetarian or vegan but Raw Vegan. I think I just heard a cow moo. (>_<) So far the changes I have made consist of exercising more and increasing my water intake. I also watch my calories but nothing as drastic as juicing and eating raw foods for the rest of my life. I mean with every pro there is a con as with just about anything in life. I then thought, "What if I only replaced one of my meals? Eating multiple times a day is still a challenge for me but what if I drank some of my meals?" So I decided to give it a try for one month. All I can say is wow! Doing this has assisted me in having a well-rounded diet. I will say that I was shocked that I experienced detoxing symptoms even though I never became fully raw. I sometimes got headaches from caffeine withdrawal or felt as though I could not completely focus. I even developed a rash under my chin. This happened on and off for about two weeks. I am just happy I didn't undergo any worse symptoms such as a serious cold or fever. You can read more info about the symptoms if you'd like here. Juicing side effects. Around the third week I could really feel a difference. My skin started to clear up while my energy went through the roof! I remember going to a Zumba class and joking with one of the instructors saying that I felt like I had co-taught the class. For me to still be smiling at the end of ANY class was huge. So now if I feel like I need a kick of energy or I just don't feel like physically eating, I make a smoothie. Here is one of my favorites. (^_^) I do not currently own a juicer however my blender works just fine.

Beet-live Me

1 large carrot grated
1/4 cup of grated beet
1-1/2 cups of orange juice
1/2 cup of water
1/3 of a ripe pineapple
5 frozen strawberries
1 cup of rinsed seedless grapes.
1-2 bananas
(The amount of bananas depends on how sore I am from the previous class. You trainers reading this know who you are...(>_<))

My tip here is to start with the liquids and then add each item one at a time to ensure your blender blades continue spinning. Also, by using frozen fruit instead of ice, your drink will not be watered down. This recipe yields two and a half 16 oz servings at only 272.8 calories a glass!

I am currently working on other drinks that I will post here. Hopefully, you will enjoy them as much as I do. Until next time,

-SKBarnes