Week 2 Juicefeast: Weightloss and Eating

This weeks's fruit bowl (I've already made a dent in it, it was fuller than this) Also have the fridge full and freezer has frozen mango and berries

Monday's menu

It's Week 2, and despite a blip on Sunday I'm doing fantastic this second week. Sunday was a free day. The first bite of mushrooms and toast was a little strange after six days of nothing but juice and smoothies. I ate a lot less than what I usually would, and was actually craving fruit, rather than cooked food when it was my designated day off. I wasn't having anything too bad until it got to dinner time and we had palak paneer. Oh my.... within 20 minutes my sinuses were blocked, I had to keep blowing my nose and clearing my throat. My tummy did not thank me for the foreign matter and consequently Sunday night wasn't a terrific sleep. Cheese is definitely a no no for me (not that I eat it often as we eat predominantly vegan). After having such clean food clearly dairy is not a substance I should ingest! You would have thought I would have learnt by now I cannot digest dairy, but no! I wonder if I have finally learnt my lesson?

Yesterday was much better, I had 4 litres of juices starting with mango, carrot, and pineapple; then beet, celery, and orange; a smoothie of bananas and greens, and strawberry, blackberry, and pink grapefruit. Today I made my juices, but wasn't hungry until about 11.30 when I had watermelon, orange and beet juice. I did have two cups of green tea when I woke up, but I don't believe in eating if you don't feel hungry, so I didn't. 

Workouts: Quite a lot of the material I've read doesn't recommend intense workouts while juicing. But I feel I have so much energy I really wanted to workout, and since I'm also doing smoothies I didn't think it was a bad thing. I started running again last week after a two week hiatus. I do interval running using Yuri Elkaim's Treadmill Trainer. Yuri's programs are very achievable whatever level fitness you are at and I get results quite quickly. I love having someone in my ear encouraging me the whole way through and watching the time for me. It's like having a personal trainer on your iPod!

Normally when starting after a break I jog the first three phases of increasing intervals at speed 7, and drop to a 6.5 for the last four minute interval (its meant to be light jogging so this is reasonable when you start running again). Last week, first time back on the treadmill and I was running at an 8 the whole way. I wasn't even breathing heavy, and felt like I could do the workout all over again. I didn't, pushing too hard is not a good idea!! The next day I ran at a 9 for the first three phases, and dropped to an 8 for the last phase! I'm not sore, and it felt pretty amazing. Fruit is definitely my optimum fuel, and juicing agrees with me. Beetroot juice two hours before a workout seems to give the best performance. Beetroot juice is supposed to be good for blood flow, maybe that's why?

Weight loss: After two weeks, one eating mainly raw, and last week's juicefeast I have lost exactly 6kg. I've also lost 2 1/2 inches off my bust, and 2 inches off my navel. The Beloved has told me my tummy is looking flatter which is fantastic. Maybe I can get into that bikini again when we have holidays in February :)