right in time for my tenth day.

Thank you, Dreamdancer 12.

I am feeling more confident about the results from my fast and my ability to maintain healthy eating habits after. I had some temporary negativity from the difficult nature of what I was doing and hormones, but I’ve regained my positivity now.

I am finished with my juice fast as of tonight, but I am going to continue juicing regularly and continuing my increased intake of fruits and vegetables. I am also going to try to benefit from the lack of refined sugars for the last 10 days and keep them out of my diet as much as possible- one day at a time.

I am glad to know that I had the strength and willpower to do this juice fast, and I am glad I did it. 4 months ago

I’m chugging right along, but honestly, I’m disappointed by the results. I’ve only lost 5 pounds, my face is breaking out despite claims that this is great for your skin, and I don’t feel that wonderful energy and commitment to eating healthy that everyone talks about. I’m wondering now if I’m having PMS, which would explain the lack of weight loss and the breakouts. (And the gloominess).

My biggest complaint is that I definitely have not reset my palate. I’ve gone 9 days eating nothing but fruits and mostly vegetables juices and water, and although I don’t have any big cravings except when I’m feeding the kids, I don’t know if I will be able to resist the temptations of my unhealthy eating once I stop fasting. I don’t have any desire to eat more fruits or vegetables, that’s for sure.

Maybe I need to go longer, but I’m not sure I can do that. I do plan to substitute one meal a day with juicing still when the fast is over, but I don’t feel confident about not relapsing to unhealthy choices in the other meals. I really thought I’d feel differently by day 9. I feel right now like I undertook this incredibly difficult task, succeeded, and it was all for nothing. Yuck. 4 months ago

I haven’t really felt hungry today at all. Making dinner for the kids will be tough, but not as tough as before, I suspect.

I am definitely going for the ten days! 4 months ago

is so much easier than any of the preceding days. Even though I wasn’t nearly as busy as yesterday, so there was less to distract me. I think that the psychological boost of being one-half done now is very calming. I don’t worry so much that I can’t do this.

I haven’t decided yet whether I will stop at day seven or go for day ten. If day six and seven go on like today, I will definitely go to day ten. This morning, I weighed myself, and I’ve lost five pounds. If I can lose another five pounds, that would be fantastic.

Of course, there are bigger issues than temporary weight loss from a juice fast. I need to start planning my strategy for beyond the fast. How will I avoid going right back to bad eating habits? I need to plan. 4 months ago

I’m not as hungry, and there is more to distract me from any hunger because I have a great deal of work to do.

Great things: I do have lots of energy and I’m definitely saving money- not buying prepared foods outside the house is a budget booster! I will have to make sure I continue that good habit when I’m done with the fast.

The hardest is when I have to make food for the kids. I don’t have any withdrawal symptoms of note. I do worry that I am going to disappoint myself by not making the 7 day minimum when I have to feed them.

Everyone, please think good thoughts for me. Send me willpower and strength, would you? Thanks. I really appreciate your support. 4 months ago

I started by replacing dinner on January 31st. There are already some positive things I’m seeing in the way I approach food.

First, the temptation factor is lessened. Frog’s friends came over and brought some of my favorite junk foods. It would have normally been so easy to rationalize having some, but the black and white of “No food, just juice” takes away the grey areas that are so difficult for me to navigate. Of course, I will have to re-navigate the grey areas when I’m done with the seven days (assuming I can make the seven days!), but for now, this is a good jump start.
Second, this forces me to prepare my food at home, rather than grabbing something while out. I have been doing a lot of in the car eating. It’s very easy to rely on buying food outside the home during the work day. The process of bringing home and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables is one that I have to make a habit, and this is a good way to start that habit.

I am somewhat nervous about what the next few days will bring. Will I start to have terrible withdrawal symptoms? Just the refined sugar withdrawal alone will probably be difficult. I haven’t had any withdrawal issues yet, and I was hoping they would happen during the weekend, not during the workweek. I have presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I need to be well-functioning. I also have this fear that I’m not going to make it; that I’m going to cheat before the seven days are up, (really I’m hoping for 10, but that seems even more impossible), or that the hunger is going to be too much for me.

I am hungry. I’ve heard people profess that they aren’t hungry on the juice fast, so I’m a bit disappointed about that. It’s not horrible, but it is there. Even harder than the junk food in my house right now is the preparation of food for Tadpole and Frogette. They asked for bagels for lunch today (my favorite), and the smell of the scallion cream cheese was rough. Right now, my stomach is rumbling. I’m going to take a big drink of water and start my next juice preparation.

Here’s to my health! 4 months ago