I blame the polar vortex!
This was quite the challenge! Quite! Texture has been the biggest struggle. I am sure you are supposed to have a high end super power juicer so that it doesn't come out like mine:/ The taste wasn't the problem. And I am not one of those people who is weird about textures, but if someone tells you this drink is good or even OK, go ahead and take them off the people you can trust list.
Motivations that got me through it:
- I posted it on facebook. I was hesitant, but I am glad I did. Otherwise I would have gracefully bowed out if no one knew I was trying it.
- It was a challenge. I try not to back down from a challenge I have accepted, especially if everyone knows about it;).
- This will definitely help motivate me to eliminate caffeine, refined sugar, and processed foods. I will eat right, so I feel right, and so I never have to do this again. It really wasn't terrible if I could find a better alternative to lunch. But like I said the lack of enjoyment of actually drinking them will keep me on track!
- 3 Days...that's definitely dooable.
- The investment- purchasing all of the ingredients for the drinks. I hate being wasteful.
- The hope that my clothes will fit comfortably again like they did pre-polar vortex.
- Summer is upon us.
Modifications I made to the Dr. Oz plan:
- I did not want the snack smoothie, but I am pretty sure that's optional
- I did not take the multi-vitamin...I have had bad experiences with those if I don't eat a substantial meal.
-I did not take the omega-3 or do the detox bath to cut costs. I already take pro-biotics, so I just continued.
I wrote a quick bit after each meal. If you have any questions, I am happy to answer! And I am an open book, so feel free to ask whatever. Overall I would recommend it!
Day 1:
Breakfast Drink:
- The green tea made me queezy. I drink it all the time but usually with breakfast. So I think it was because I may have drank it too quickly and on an empty stomach.
- The only substitute I did today was the almond butter. The only kind I could find at our local stores had added sugar. So I had natural pb already and used it. I will get almond butter today while we are in town.
- The drink is pretty good. Of course my parents didn't enjoy the taste that they had but overall I enjoyed it. I like that it tastes healthy...my dad's dramatic reaction was "that's gotta be healthy"...he didn't like it;).
It's raspberry so it's very seedy, and I think I will try tearing the spinach to help it break down more.
Lunch Drink:
- Um... one word....bleh!
- I left out the celery because I don't like it and many reviews said it was very overpowering and that they also left it out. I also exchanged spinach for the kale. I can only imagine how bad it would have been with those 2 in it!
- The cup I drink out of all the time, never seemed so big!
- Mom looked over and noticed the little progress I had made in the 20-30 minutes since I had begun. She implied that maybe it was growing...
-I can do it 2 more times but let's be clear: I will not enjoy it and I better notice some kind of results;).
Dinner Drink:
I did it exactly to recipe except for the Kale. I will always substitute for spinach because I have heard Kale is bitter and spinach is a good replacement nutrient wise. The taste is fine but at this point I am already tired of drinking and the blueberries didn't blend well so it's still not a nice smooth drink.
Concluding day 1:
- I was fine energy wise. I did take a long nap, but I was up late and woke up early. Not to mention, I'm usually a fan of Saturday afternoon naps anyways.
- I was able to workout. I ran 5 and walked 1. I usually run 6 with no problem, but I did it in the afternoon which is quite warm so I was just really thirsty. (If you haven't noticed, the weather and I have a love-hate relationship...I blame it for all my troubles).
-Overall I feel fine...not hungry, not weak.
I have also come to the conclusion that Tuesday maybe my new favorite day;)'
Day 2:
I literally dreamed about these drinks all night. It was trickery though because in my dreams I had already drunk them, so I thought I was closer to the end than I actually was.:/ I was disappointed when I woke up.
Breakfast Drink:
-I definitely like the breakfast drink best. Texture wise it is the easiest to handle.
-I can taste and smell a bit of the banana (which I cannot stand) but it's mostly covered by the raspberries. If I could replace the other 2 with this one, this would be a breeze!
- I have had great energy. Came home from church and knocked out several chores that have needed to be done all week.
Lunch Drink:
- I drank it early...not because I was hungry...but because I wanted to get that awfulness over and done with! One more time...just one more time...that's how I got through it...Yucka Mucka!
DInner Drink:
- Amazing! Maybe it's just because it follows the hideous lunch drink... how many adjectives can you find to describe how bad that lunch drink is;)
- Went to my cousin's graduation party where there was a delicious looking chantily cake (one of the ones like you get at Whole Foods...can't spell it). We brought some home and both my mom and dad asked if Tuesday I would eat any. To which, I quickly reply that I didn't go through all of this to eat cake! Now for super special occasions, I will indulge, but not day to day.
Day 3:
Breakfast:
- I decided to go ahead and get that nasty lunch drink over and done with, so I had it for breakfast. Staying busy while drinking on it helped. Plus the time restraint of getting out the door on time got it down faster. Plus I didn't want my students to have to watch me drink that mess, and I didn't want to dread it all morning;). The worst is officially over!
- Knowing it was the last time I had to drink it made it much better;)
- Drinking on the green tea now. I found that it made me feel nassau if I drank it first thing, so I think drinking it with something on my stomach will help.
Lunch:
- I had the breakfast drink
- I was so hungry because I had my breakfast drink so early. It was amazing, and I was satisfied after drinking it.
Dinner:
- I went for a bike ride and a short walk with good old Dodger.
- I was hungry, so it was delicious. Really anything tastes great after the green monster of the lunch drink;).
I weighed before I drank the dinner drink tonight, and based on my weight a couple weeks ago, I only lost a couple of pounds...likely water weight. I usually weigh in the morning, so that could have been a factor. But I wouldn't advise it for weight loss. It's a great jump start if you are looking to make a change. For example, I am working really hard to eliminate as much refined sugar as possible (I will enjoy family dinners and things, but just watching portions and 98% of my eating I would like to say is processed sugar free). Some do it for caffeine, or whatever healthy living goal you are working towards. If you do it for weight loss and just return to eating as you were before, you will likely gain it back.
I came to appreciate a few things. Mostly that eating properly definitely affects how you feel. 1. It's a mental thing. Knowing I was eating well was a mood booster in itself! 2. Bloat was gone. 3. Energy was good! 4. Appetite was satisfied.
There is so much I could say but the biggest thing is that it showed me that even in the midst of the craziness of life...being out and about and needing to grab a bite to eat, parties, work (cupcakes, deserts, candy, take out, etc.), satisfying a need to have a snack...there are easy healthy options. All you need to do is plan ahead and commit to making a healthy choice or the healthiest choice available (I need to invest in a larger purse to carry around snacks options when out and about;)).
And it taught me that I like to bite my food! I would do it again...not anytime soon. But only if I could replace that lunch drink. I will probably do the other 2 every now and then when I need to fit in some fruits or veggies fast.
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