Happy New You

Well, here we are in January 2014 and the festive season is well and truly over for another year.  This weekend the decorations will come down and stored back in the loft where this time they hopefully won't be attacked and destroyed by a squirrel (see my partners blog for the full story here).  But I digress.

My last blogpost was in October and since then I have been mad, mad, mad busy at work. I have also been out to Majorca to see my son who was working there and of course then we had the whole Christmas and party season which this year began even earlier; our local town, Leigh-on-Sea, had the Christmas lights going up on November 22nd! December seemed to be a continual round of firm's do's, drinks and excuses for merriment, and all the while I revelled in the fun BUT at the same time maintained a pattern of 1-2 juices a day and, wherever possible, as few carbs as possible. That's what does it for me, you see; carbs. In my younger days when I was fit, active and playing any sport I could, bread, rice, potatoes and pasta would be simply sources of energy that I would store and more than burn off.  However, approaching my 53rd year (think about it - I'm not even really middle aged any more unless I plan to live to 106) the opportunity for calorie burning sport is few and far between and even if I could find the time, the joints ain't what they used to be. The mind says go for it, the body says "You are having a laugh." Even a quick dash across the road means allowing extra time than I used to because either cars have sped up or I am slowing down.

But I digress again. The point is, that up until December 23rd I had maintained this fun and frolics without any weight gain because I had also been semi-sensible by juicing and eating wholefoods with nothing processed in and around all the functions.

And then Christmas Eve arrived, work shut down until the New Year and I actively gave myself the time off from the healthy stuff and just indulged in party food, chocolate, turkey leftovers, alcohol and anything else available, vowing to begin my healthy lifestyle in earnest on Monday, January 6th.  After all, you have to live and enjoy sometimes, don't you?

So it is with some confusion, on January 4th, that I am actually wondering what it was I enjoyed.  To put it bluntly, this year so far I have felt absolutely rubbish. Christmas itself wasn't bad, just a big roast dinner really and not too much drink was consumed but over the last few days, convenience foods have crept back in and the slow build up of continual rich and less than nourishing food is now playing havoc with my digestive system. I have had spots break out on my face for the first time for ages, heartburn has returned, I've put on weight (I haven't dared get on the scales but my clothes are tighter), my sleep pattern is all over the shop meaning I am continually tired and I'm actually thinking "What was that all for, then? How enjoyable actually was that?".

To be honest, I wish I hadn't really bothered as the party food and stuff I had been looking forward to really seems a bad idea.  It's amazing how easily we forget... I had to re-read my blogpost from September (here) to remind myself how bad I felt after doing the original juice fast and went back to regular food for just one weekend.  Well, I'm there again and last night felt absolutely rubbish. I don't think I'll bother with this again... the juices can always stay as there is really nothing great in feeling so sluggish and lethargic.  The good thing is that I know within just a few days I will be back to feeling great again.

So it's Happy New year and hopefully a Happy New Me.  If you haven't tried the juicing, I urge you to do so. Get past the first 4 days and you start to feel really good.  Follow Joe Cross at http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/, plus he is on Twitter (@joethejuicer) and facebook (https://www.facebook.com/joethejuicer?fref=ts) so take the plunge.

Make 2014 a Happy New You!

Shapeshifting

Well, it's been a a few weeks since the last blog and I have to confess that I haven't been all that good all the time... but that's kind of the point, isn't it?

I'm not where I want to be but with various things going on recently and with me disappearing off to Majorca on Tuesday to see my Son for a few days I don't actually want to spend all my time continuously watching what I eat. Therefore I have been pretty darn good from Monday - Thursday but have enjoyed the weekends. Weight loss has slowed up and has been static for the last week, but I was weighed and measured last Wednesday and have lost 5lbs since the previous "proper" weigh and measure two weeks prior but, interestingly, I am now losing inches.  My waist and chest combined lost nearly 4 inches in that same period and I have had to buy some new clothes; I had a couple of work suits that were literally hanging off me!

So it seems that everything is settling a bit but I am changing shape and this must now be noticeable as in the last few days I've had several people comment on it and my daughter, who hadn't seen me for a week, said "Oh my God Dad you're well skinny now."  Well, quite.  Except in medical terms I actually still am classified as morbidly obese so that doesn't actually sit with the "skinny" argument but I knew what she meant, bless her.

I know what the next few days will bring as it's very hard to be super healthy on holiday but when I return it's back to the hard work and then to see if I can lose another stone and a half by Christmas.

The Proof of the Pudding...

... really is in the eating. With apologies for the longer than usual blogpost here, but last weekend I accidentally seemed to undergo some sort of unplanned science experiment, the results of which I would not have believed if it hadn't happened to me.

But first, let me take you back to last Friday 13th September, the last day of my juice fast.

So, after my day off the previous week, I returned to the strict regime although I must admit to also sneaking the odd handful of nuts or other healthy morsel leading up to the Friday - the last day of the fast. I avoided unhealthy or processed stuff and it literally was only a bite or two of anything but personally I could not wait for the weekend.  I think my appetite had been whetted quite a bit.

Yes, yes, I was missing food.  Big time.

The weight loss had got up to 2 stone 6lbs over the 30 days, so had slowed considerably and who knows, if I had not veered slightly off course may have topped the 2.5 stone mark, but that's good enough really. The lighting in the photographs isn't overly flattering but there is a big difference from the initial picture taken, especially in the torso.  My clothes are much looser and there are a couple of suit jackets that just hang off me. I must have lost 3-4 inches off my chest measurement.

Abi, Dawns brother Mark's girlfriend, had come down on the Friday and we had a busy weekend planned, so it was good to finish and be able to eat "normally". We celebrated with a whisky (or 3) on the Friday night and I couldn't wait for Saturday morning.

Well, that was a mistake.  I had not had a drop of the spirit for over a month and when I awoke on Saturday morning I felt decidedly woolly headed... not a feeling I had become recently accustomed too!

I had some work to do (as usual) so took myself into the office at about 8:00am.  For once, I did not make a juice and instead paid a visit to my local Costa to grab a drink "to go" but, instead of opting for my usual Chai Latte or Cappuccino accompanied by a Belgian Brownie or cupcake, I elected for a healthy Gingersnap Peach fruit tea and a Granola bar; a healthy-ish option I think?

I did however struggle to get going.  I was paper shuffling and email checking for far too long and it was a good hour before I managed to get stuck into the work that I really needed to do.  For most of the previous month I had managed just to get up and come to work, hitting the ground running. I should have taken notice of this warning sign.

Saturdays lunch was a simple bowl of muesli with some chopped up fresh plums - see, that's also quite healthy - and I had nothing more than water or fruit teas to drink until we went out for an evening meal to a beautiful and quirky local restaurant in Southend called Bacchus, which is well worth a visit.  Beautiful food. It's part of the San Fairie Ann group and their website is here - http://www.sanfairieann.com/.  It is a fine dining restaurant but not ridiculously expensive.  We had a main course and dessert, with a couple of drinks each - no bottles of wine - and including a decent tip came to £70 per couple, certainly not OTT in todays market.  My Lamb shank was delicious and fell off the bone. All in all, we enjoyed a good evening with good company, being Mark and Abi, and one of Mark's old friends Brian plus a friend, who really, really didn't want her picture taken so I've done the decent thing and edited the photo slightly.

We didn't go mad with the drinks - just 3 for me all night including the late one on the way back at Zabranos in Leigh - and looked forward to Sunday and the birthday party we'd planned for Mark's birthday earlier that week and also my son Dave's birthday on the Saturday.  The weather forecast was meant to be rotten so the original BBQ was in doubt, but as it transpired I managed to get started and most of it done before the rain came.  Anyway... what's a British summer without at least one BBQ in the rain?  Many thanks to Dawn's old friend and Godfather to her children, Simon, who had to resort to extreme measures to keep his head dry whilst keeping me company in the deluge (he's an avid West Ham fan!).

So all went well. I drank about 4 bottles of beer ALL DAY and nothing after 7 o'clock.  The food was usual BBQ fare minus the burgers, so just essentially chicken and sausages with some Samosas, Pakoras and Bhajis that I had heated through. I didn't have the time to make these, so they were shop bought (hangs head in shame). There was however a selection of healthy salads, like home made beetroot coleslaw using yoghurt instead of mayonnaise, tomato, mozzarella and basil, minted potatoes, plus some crisps, sausage rolls, french bread and ciabatta with, naturally, a birthday cake (thank you Home Made Bakery - it was delish.).  Being chef, I didn't really have the chance to eat much so just scavenged the odd bit from the grill and then some of the more "snacky" bits when I returned inside.

So that was my weekend.  Not a juice in sight (it was nice not to have to do all that washing up) and quite busy but certainly not what I would have usually consumed beforehand, so I was patting myself on the back for keeping everything in relative moderation.  I had really enjoyed it.

But then I woke up on Monday.

Well, I cannot remember feeling as bad as that for a long, long time.  Slow, lethargic, woolly headed, nauseous, unable to concentrate... seriously, I was totally shocked.  I had been absolutely fine the night before.  I had too many appointments that day to cancel, otherwise I would have done.  It wasn't something bad like uncooked food, as everyone else was fine; it must have been the type of food that was giving me grief. I went back to juices for the day but it was mid afternoon before I felt any better and in the evening I had exactly the same detox headache that I suffered on Day 3 of the original plan. On the Tuesday I was fine, back to how I had felt, with decent energy levels and clear thinking.

I have spoken to several people this week and have established that yes, because my body had been used to 90% nutrition for the previous month, it was indeed giving me a backlash against all this processed stuff I had shoved into it over the weekend.

Now I don't want to feel like that again.  Ever. I could not believe how just one weekend of mild enjoyment would have had such a monumentous effect on my daily well-being.  Those who know me will probably have said that I was most likely to brush that type of feeling aside with ease, as I have a reputation for an iron constitution, can eat or drink anything, never get hangovers or sick and would have simply dismissed the natural and well being argument as "new age, liberal rubbish."  Well I can tell you that the effect of just one weekend has completely shaken me.

I can't stay on just juices for ever, but I can incorporate at least one or two into my regular diet.  This weekend I am out on Saturday night again at friends for a meal and some drinks but will have a couple of juices during the day, plus Sunday as well (before enjoying my Sunday lunch), and will report back next week as to how that felt on Monday.

Oh, one last thing; the weight loss has now hit the 2.5 stone mark, so no harm done.

A Day off

Ok, ok I admit it.  I have had a day off from the fast.

It wasn't planned, it's just the way it turned out.  Friday was meant to be a regular, normal day with possibly an evening down in Old Leigh with some friends to celebrate their birthday, but with me drinking water.

However, it didn't pan out that way.

All started well and the weight loss is now up to about 2 and a quarter stone, so I'm extremely happy with that.  I'm starting to notice the looser clothing and today wore a suit suitable for the funeral I was attending at lunchtime.  This was the first time this particular outfit had been donned for a while (since May I think) and the clothes felt as though they were hanging off me.  So far, so good.  Latest picture below.

But then, mid morning I had a call to attend at the local hospital in the afternoon to do the part of my job I find most upsetting; an emergency Will.  This is essentially for someone who doesn't have long to live and the Will generally has to be written at the bedside.  This particular lady apparently had deteriorated quickly and her ability to give instructions was in doubt.  I managed to get past that bit, but then came the production of the document itself, which had it's complexities and was delayed by first a failing printer, then the ink running out and the unavailability of a second witness.  It all became a bit of a race against time but we got there in the end and she was able to sign and have the peace of mind to know that her affairs were in order.

From there, I made the trek across the hospital to meet my partner who was having an emergency eye examination for something that we had been worried about and which could have been serious.  Her optician and GP had felt that some discovered damage in her eye could have been caused by possibly a tumour or MS, but luckily it appears not and there is a secondary cataract which can be lasered away.  What a relief!

So, with all that had gone on, we decided to wander up the road for some nibbles and then onto our friends drinks which I celebrated in the same way as everyone else; with a beer or two.  Actually, it was just one as the bar was hopelessly understaffed and I was at the bar for nearly half an hour before being served.  The food was the best bit though I must say and how I've missed you!  We shared a Greek Platter, Breaded Deep Fried Calamari and it was bloomin' gorgeous.

I suppose this will be my challenge - after I decide that the fast has finished properly, what then?  I really don't want to go back to what I was doing but the temptation is there and it will be hard, much harder I suspect than the fast itself.

Oh well, we will see.

Plus points though  -

1) Several people commented on how well and good I was looking,
2) My going out clothes pleased me the most as I wore a shirt I haven't been able to get on for some time and jeans that have never ever been that comfy even if they fitted (last time I tried they wouldn't do up) were now loose.
3) I spent the evening socialising with my friends and realised that if that part of my life was denied to me, what would be the point?

Sometimes things just need to be celebrated.

This should save a few quid...

Twenty days in and the weight loss is slowing up.  Only two more pounds since Friday so maybe my optimism re the other stone before next weekend 14th was misplaced.

But it's in the right direction and I think I'm changing shape.  People are visibly noticing when they see me now and over the past couple of days I've had two people tell me that I look taller; one of them actually didn't recognise me initially (the Groucho Marx wig and glasses was nothing to do with it, honest.)  Most of the inches have come off of the upper torso meaning my jackets fit better and tomorrow I'm seeing some mates I haven't seen since the beginning of July and it'll be interesting to see if they notice (I don't think they follow this blog).

Anyway, beetroot juice is currently the favourite and a fabulous recipe consists of 2 beets, 2 apples, 3 big handfuls of spinach and/or leafy greens, 6 carrots and a 2-3cm piece of root ginger.  On the plan it is called "Un-beet-able" and it certainly is.  Deep red in colour, full of iron and extremely tasty.

There are several other beetroot recipes and I am going through them like wildfire at the moment, so it's probably just as well as this lot were harvested from the garden earlier together with about 20 apples and some tomatoes, also pictured.  The toms aren't featured in the juices but there's nothing like growing your own produce, is there? Saves on the grocery bill too!

Next photo probably this Friday.  Cheers for reading

Insane results after 15 days!

Well, the first 15 days are done (finished yesterday) and I have decided to do another 15. The main reason for this is that yes, the magic TWO STONE figure has been reached.  I don't think another two stone is likely in the next 15 days but one would be good.  It really is an insane amount of weight to lose and I'll review the situation again at the end of that 15 day period.  I'll basically repeat the 10 day juice fast recipe but I may find some alternative recipes to vary it up a bit.  Here are the comparison pictures, definitely a lack of overhanging stomach!

I'll list my favourite juices over the next few blogposts and give the recipes that you can also try.  This is Joe Cross's Carrot Apple Ginger recipe, especially nice in the morning.  You need four apples, six carrots and a piece of root ginger about 2-3 cm wide.  If you have a whole fruit juicer, no prep needed so just wash the fruit and juice the lot!  That will make two large servings of about 375-400ml each.  Have one in the morning and either put one in a flask for later in the day or give the other one to a friend! For other recipes and the details of the plan I followed, go to www.rebootwithjoe.com and look up the "Plans" section under the Rebooting tab.

It hasn't all been plain sailing and I have missed food a bit. This weekend I am missing out on three different birthday parties but will stay drinking just water.  Dawn has had a very stressful week one way or another and succumbed to the lure of Sauvignon Blanc but had been eating some light meals anyway.

For me, I also have to say that the odd handful of blueberries and piece of fruit has been eaten as opposed to juiced but I'd be getting it anyway so that works for me.  There has also been a couple of food tastings as I have been cooking for the kids but I am proud to say that nothing processed has passed my lips.

It seems to be a "top-down" diet that has most worked on the face and upper torso so far.  I am yet to notice a significant difference in the waistline but my shirts and jackets are much looser; a good few inches looser I would say!  That is a big bonus and I hope that I will be a size smaller very soon.

I'll continue to update every few days but if you are thinking of doing it, I do recommend it, if only for a short while.

Seeds of doubt

And so we are into the last third of the initial plan and I am now starting to miss food a bit. This weekend has seen a bit of a challenge.  On Friday night, I cooked a large Chilli con Carne for the family and out of force of habit, instinctively tasted the dish to make sure the seasoning is correct.  Now that won't do any harm to the diet, but it did give me a taste of proper food for the first time in 10 days and that has stirred doubt and temptation.

Then today, we went to a friends birthday party where there was cake, cake, cake, more cake, Prosecco and oh, did I mention cake?  No sooner had I resisted all temptation and arrived home than two girls knocked at the door selling fairy cakes they had made and were selling for charity. ARRGGHH!

To make things worse I made a chicken roast dinner for the girls with peas, roast potatoes and glazed carrots and the smell has been driving me insane!  Almost every Facebook status update that hasn't been about the localised flooding seems to feature some unbelievable food that my friends are making, eating or savouring.

Should I continue on the juice fast at the end of the 15 days or should I drop to two juices a day and a meal? I decide to take two courses of action - 1) Weigh myself to check the latest weight loss and 2) Venture into the garden to see the natural produce we are growing and which will hopefully form part of the juices and salads soon.

So, the weight loss - I am on day 11 of the plan and have lost 1 stone 8 lbs and wore a loose shirt today that was almost tight just 2 weeks ago.  This gives me the impetus and encouragement I need... is it possible that by the end of the 15 day plan I could have lost TWO STONE! I know the weight loss will decelerate but further 10 days could mean another half a stone.  I think I'll soldier on.

So, noble follower, your juicing blogger is back on track and as everyone has been posting pictures of their food, I'll leave you with my pictures of the apples, pears and tomatoes in the garden that we'll soon be able to harvest.  Yes, those red apples are really that red.