I was perusing through my Netflix online menu and found a documovie that looked interesting. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. About an Aussie dude who was overweight and suffering from a skin disorder brought on by his general lack of health. He took a six month trip to the US with his Juicer machine and was going to do a juice cleanse while interviewing fat Americans about their eating and dieting habits. Crazy idea, but I was intrigued.
I'm always interested in hearing how others get fit, stay fit, or where they were before they were fit. The Biggest Loser show is a favorite, but even more are the success stories of people who do it "on their own" without Bob and Jillian and a state-of-the-art gym to work out in 7 hours a day. I never understood why the BL would give those people that cocoon of personal food instruction and a gym with no contact with the outside world, when that outside world is what helped them get over 400 pounds in the first place.
I was never in that over-200 lbs category (well, possibly with 9 months of pregnancy either time, but if I was, I didn't let the nurses tell me) but after each kid was born, I did do it "on my own" to get the baby-weight off and get back to my former athletic self.
The documentary was more informative in the beginning about how the all-juice diet was cleansing the guy's system and flushing out all the toxins he'd built up and it showed him talking to some really dumb Americans who would say things like "I gotta have my Burger King, I can't give that up", while standing there tipping the scales at over 300 pounds. He would go through his spiel about the juice and tell him what he's lost (he was shrinking throughout the movie) and they'd look at him like "uh-uh, don't you tell me I can't have my meatloaf!".
One guy he met at a truckstop in the middle of nowhere was a big dude. Divorced dad who hadn't seen his kid in a while due to his depression, health issues, and being on the road all the time driving a truck. He revealed he had the same affliction the Aussie had, which was rare. The Aussie did his thing, and the guy even tried the juice out of the juicer in the back of the guy's car, and said "Hmmm, that ain't bad". Juice-guy gave him his number and said to call him if he wanted more info on the diet. Trucker-guy was well over 400 lbs and I thought, yeah, no way.
Aussie went home after 6 months of only juicing (cuh-razy if you ask me) a much skinnier guy off his meds and feeling great. He gets a phone call from trucker-dude. He's ready. The documovie sets the trucker up in a lake house to get him walking and swimming and juicing. He does it all. All by himself. The townspeople where he was started talking to him and he was telling them the juicing benefits. He ended up doing a juicing class in a local restaurant. His weight was dropping like crazy. Juice only. By the end, he was a new man. Reconnected with his kid and was throwing the football with him and running. It was SO INSPIRING. Both men were totally transformed.
Others in the show were doing 10-day cleanses and feeling great too. I decided then and there I was getting a juicer. I did not think I needed or wanted to do a "cleanse" on juice only, but as a supplement or a meal replacement, I thought a glass full of veggie or fruit juice right from the produce itself, would be nothing but good for me. I was right.
I bought the Jack Lalanne Power Juicer. I figured if that man made it til he was almost 90 and endorsed it, it was good. It was also under $100 which was a factor. So I read up a little on what produce was good for juicing and began to buy fresh kale, cucumbers, broccoli stalks, peppers, carrots, apples, oranges and lemons. I throw it ALL in there. The apples and oranges add sweetness and keep it from being bitter. Its juice but it is filling. The pulp that shoots into a holder in the back is full of fiber and nutrients as well, so I mix that with fat free sour cream and use it as a dip, or put it in my soups, or mix it with Greek yogurt. Buying fresh produce means you have to use it before it goes bad, which forces me to continue to make juice.
The juice fills me up but I don't think I could do it in isolation. I get hungry for a little more bulk and other flavors and since I don't need to drop 50 or 100 pounds, I am choosing not to go extreme. My desire for regular food is less since I have the juice filling up space, so that's good. TMI warning, but my eliminations are smooth and easy with all the veggies and fruit cleaning out the crevices of my intestines and lubing up the pathway out. My skin is clear and I sleep soundly (but not enough hours). I am following dietal suggestions for reducing cancer occurence or reoccurence. Aside from the clean-up of the machine itself (where's ole Jack for that?), I see no downside.
I still have carbs and meat in my diet. I am an athlete and feel I need the protein and carbs for energy. I choose lean meats and low-sugar carbs when I can. I limit my sweets. But if I eat a Thin Mint for 40 calories of my allotted 1325/day, I'm perfectly good with that.
I know there are athletes who are vegan. I'm sure there's tofu options out there but I run and race for the Texas Beef Council for gosh's sake, so I don't think I'll be ditching the lean meat anytime soon. I could cut more snacky things like crackers, pretzels and chips. Lent is coming and I think it will be the kick in the pants I need to quit those three things for 40 days. Jesus would approve.
I'll never be a lean machine type of athlete. I haven't ever been that. I like my shape but want it at its best, and in another 15 pounds I know I could be faster and more fit for my races. Maybe I won't get it all off at the food consumption level I have now. I'm willing to tweak my plan. Don't know if I could maintain it either. I like to have a glass of wine while sharing a yummy dessert with my Sinatra or my girlfriends and don't see me denying myself that experience. As long as I'm living, I can live with that.
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