Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

Join me as I take on the task of eating only fruits and vegetables in juice or smoothie form for the next 10 days!

I have been struggling for the past 15 months with a few things, and one of those is my weight.  In May of 2012 I was at a very healthy weight, I felt great and I was confident in my appearance.  I actually felt wonderful. I was running 3x a week and the gym was my second home.  And then I started nursing school.  Being under a constant state of stress for 15 months will do a lot of damage to a person, both physically and mentally.  I would get so stressed during certain times in the semester that I would binge eat & then I’d go through periods where I would be so stressed I’d hardly eat at all.  My water intake went from 64-80oz a day to probably 16 oz a day on a good day.  I started drinking coffee in May to help get me through the night shifts and the long day shifts. I (still) continue to drink coke zeros almost every day.  Stopping at McDonald’s to grab a large diet coke on the regular has become a necessity.  This past summer got so busy that I’d eat “easy” foods that wouldn’t perish – pastas, frozen foods, corn tortillas with cheese or fast food, etc.  I tried to eat gluten free, but I often found myself unable to follow through with it, even though I am gluten intolerant.  At the hospital where I worked for 12 weeks we were provided with free breakfast, lunch and dinner.  On the night shift I’d eat dinner around 2am.  During the day shift I’d start my day with a Greek yogurt and then of course hit up the breakfast buffet where I could grab a bowl of hash browns and maybe a slice of bacon.  I didn’t necessarily over eat, but I ate foods that definitely weren’t conducive to maintaining a healthy weight.  For lunch I’d eat whatever the buffet provided… including usually a fresh baked cookie or a slice of cake.  The buffet included a salad bar and many days I’d make up for eating a cookie by only eating salad for lunch.  So I wasn’t always eating crap, but I knew I wasn’t eating the way I’d like to.

Last Friday I finished school.  In the two weeks leading up to graduation I was eating whatever I wanted.  I was so, so busy (working 55+ hour weeks) and stressing about school work.  I kept telling myself that I’d get healthy once nursing school ended.  I’ve heard that the stress of nursing school alone causes women to gain weight.  Add an unhealthy diet to the stress and you get 20lbs of extra weight that you really don’t need.

So now it’s time to realize what I kept telling myself during those stressful weeks when I’d binge on cookies or stop by McDonald’s for an unhealthy meal on the go.

Last night I watched half of Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead ~ a documentary about a 309lb man who had failing health but had a desire to get healthy.  Through juicing, he lost over 100lbs and his health improved drastically.

Everyone has their opinions on juicing.  “It’s not healthy to not eat,” say some.  “It’s too much sugar!” say others.  The truth is that if you do it right (retaining most of the fiber from the fruit & veggie peels) and add enough protein and definitely have an even combo of fruits & vegetables – you should be fine.  Obviously consult your doctor if you’re worried or have any health concerns.  Also, you should consult a doctor if you take medications, as fruits & veggies can definitely interfere with certain medications.  My digestive system is going to get a major break as I remove solid foods from my stomach…. this is a plus!  Our digestive systems are constantly working to digest foods that aren’t meant for digestive systems like processed meats and breads.

I’m a 27 year old female and I don’t take any medications.  I want to go through a complete detox ~ especially after the crap I have put into my body over the past 15 months.  I have often told myself “Go big, or go home” and it’s true.  So, no raw diet for me or protein diet or any other fad diet.   This time, I’m going to detox.  I’ll use the juicer some days, the blender other days.  My blender has the ability to make my smoothies as thin as water, so it’s essentially like juicing anyways and you get the bonus of having the fiber from the skin!  The overall goal is to rid my body of wastes.  I know that before I take on a hardcore workout plan to actually shed some pounds and firm up I need to detox my body so that I can feel light on my feet again which in turn will help when I hit the pavement and start training for the winter half marathon I’d like to run.

Detox first, shed weight second. I know this will be a challenge.  It’s common to feel very tired and irritable during the first three days as your body releases toxins.  My goal is to spend the time I normally would be eating on doing other things, like walking the dog, reading my bible or finishing one of the books I downloaded on my Kindle App.  I’m going to definitely read “Unstuff” – a book I started about a year and a half ago.  It’s about unstuffing everything from your life that interferes with your relationship with God… and realizing that living simply is a better way to live.

Anyway- I’d love for you to join me on this journey.  I know blogging about it will help me stay on track & stay motivated.

First up – I will buy all my fruits & veggies today.  Start my detox tomorrow!

I’ll be staying in Black Forest, CO for the next week and a half at my boyfriend’s parents.  I’ll be working as a Nanny during the day for the twins – and commuting an hour and a half total each day.  I will pack my blender and my juicer and big water bottles.  My boyfriend will be there with me, and he’s ready to support me on this journey.  His parent’s have been warned.  I’m ready!

The trailer for Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (Which can be seen in it’s entirety for free online)