Baggy Skin After Weight Loss

On a weight-loss forum I sometimes visit, a young mother of three was really worried about the loose skin that can come with significant weight loss.

Her fear is actually quite founded, so it's important to keep three factors in mind: the speed with which the weight is lost, how much total weight is lost, and your age.

Skin elasticity simply cannot keep up with significant weight loss (100+ pounds) in a short amount of time, such as when people have weight-loss surgery. Many people who do have surgery to lose weight remain unhappy with the "skin suit" they are left with and thus require body contouring surgery to feel better about themselves. And even then, there are often scars. That isn't great news, but the basic problem is that if you lose weight too fast, it may not be possible for your skin to go back to the way it was before the weight gain.

Further, as we age, our skin becomes less elastic, which limits how well our skin adjusts to significant weight loss. By the time we are approaching 50 or so, our skin may have lost most of its elasticity, and thus regardless of what else we do, if we lose a lot of weight fat, there will be a lot of excess skin that cannot adjust to the change.

Assuming your skin is healthy, it should be able to adjust as your body changes when weight loss isn't too dramatically fast. So how can you help keep your skin elastic and give it time to adjust to your new body?

• Lose weight slowly.
• Exercise, which can create a layer of muscle under the skin.
• Use moisturizer that contains collagen and vitamin E to promote elasticity and new skin-cell growth.

And don't forget to drink lots of water, which you should be doing anyway, to keep the skin hydrated and elastic.

Depression and Obesity - Are they Linked?

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 1 in 10 adults in the United States are suffering from depression and more than 3 in 10 are obese.

And according to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, nearly half of all depressed people are obese.

The data from the National Center for Health Statistics doesn't answer the question of why, however.

I think the answer lies is what depression does to people:

• Depression makes you care less about the things you would normally care about, and that includes what you eat and exercise. 
• Depression causes you to lose hope, and without hope you can't have goals, including weight-loss and exercise goals.
• Depression saps your energy, and you need energy to exercise.
• Depression lowers your self-worth, and if you don't think well of yourself, investing in yourself through diet and exercise seems pointless.
• Depression causes you pain, and sweets and other treats can make you feel better if only for a moment.
• Depression can make you feel empty, and you may eat too much in a misguided attempt to fill your emotional space.
• Depression medication can have weight-gain as a side-effect.

So which came first, the chicken or the egg? Does obesity lead to depression or depression to obesity? I would wager that both are true, but if your depression is serious, the depression needs to be addressed before you have the mental or physical fortitude to work on your weight issues.

If you think you're depressed, talk to a mental health counselor or heath professional.

Here's a link to the Depression Health Center on WebMD: Depression Health Center

Venus Factor Rapid Weight Loss for Women

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Weight Loss and Body Acceptance

I am conducting research for an eBook I'm writing called 10 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days.

 The book presents the pros and cons of ten extreme ways to lose weight quickly.

As a health-advocate, I don't support extreme diets unless the dieter is very clear about the nature of the diet and has a clear idea about the purpose of consequences (such as quick weight regain) and unsustainability of such a diet. Further, I support permanent lifestyle change for health, and a "diet" is rarely conducive to that end.

The 10 Ways book has a bonus method, which I called Method 0. Method 0 is to love yourself as you are and forget dieting. We live in a thin-obsessed society, and while I am not fully convinced of some of the claims of the fat acceptance movement, such as HAES (Health At Every Size), I do strongly agree that accepting yourself as you are and loving yourself as you are is fundamental to health. A person can't hate their body into a shape that they will love. Our bodies love us, try to keep us alive and protect us, and we need to love our bodies back if we are to enjoy emotional and physical health.

I have two female friends who are very good looking and physically attractive. Both are below-average in weight, are mothers of multiple children, and have told me that they are - to put it mildly - unhappy with their "fat."

If not for the social construct of "you can never be too thin or too beautiful," would either of these women or countless others like them have any issues with their size and appearance? No. The reason they think they are too fat is for one reason only: social and media pressure. Both are healthy, reasonably active, and able to enjoy physical activities and tasks. If not for social pressure, there would be absolutely no reason for these women to ever give "a few extra pounds" a second thought.

So if these popular women have difficulties with body image, how much more so for people who are considered less attractive by current standards and are less socially accepted because of being "too fat?"

What I have learned and am learning has really given me pause and caused me to carefully consider how I want to write and market a book on extreme diets in a society that obsessed thin to the point that thin = happy, thin = good and the converse judgments.

While we cannot simply throw off media programming any more than we can throw off sexism, racism, or ageism, we can begin to see the ideal of physical perfection for what it really is: a way for corporations to profit from our insecurity. The way to combat this attack on our persons is through education. Learn the real issues and learn the difference between a media manipulation and real human values.

So while I'm an advocate of self-improvement and living healthy, active life, we all need to remember that a person's worth cannot be measured with a tape or a scale.

Purium 10-Day Transformation Cleanse

2-4-15 Update: I am doing the Purium 10-Day Transformation Cleanse again later this month, and this time, my friend Lisa and I are writing an eBook about our experiences on the cleanse.

The eBook is called The Purium Success Guide, and we will not only share our experiences on the cleanse, but also tips and tricks and support and information to guide you through your own cleanse. 

The eBook will be available for the Kindle (initially, and later as in other formats) later in March.

If you would like to do the cleanse yourself, order your own 10-Day Transformation Cleanse kit at

MyPuriumGift

and enter my Gift Card Code

SPIRITSHOCK 

to get $50 off your order!

If you try the code and it rejects the code, simply shoot me an email at purium@spiritshock.com or try again in a few hours because it means that I need to buy more gift cards to cover the expense.

Thank you, good luck on your wellness journey, and stay tuned for more information about the forthcoming book!

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I started the Purium 10-Day Transformation Cleanse the morning of May 1st, 2014. To prep, I had two days of light, vegetarian eating and avoided processed foods.

Daily updates are at the end of the post.

Purium Cleanse Claims

1. Purium claims you can expect to lose 5-20 pounds in just 10 days.
2. Purium claims it can reset your metabolism and break your addiction to food.
3. Purium claims it will detox your body and clean your digestive tract.

I have three main goals with this cleanse, which are fairly close to their products claims:

1. Reset my brain to reduce craving for unhealthy "food."
2. Cleanse my system from chemicals and toxins present in processed foods.
3. Lose my middle-age "pooch," which measured at 35" this morning.

So, to help accomplish these goals, I am doing the 10-day cleanse.

What the Purium Cleanse Contains

The Purium cleanse comes with the following:

• Power Shake
• Master Amino (150 count)
• Apothe-Cherry
• Ionic Elements
• Daily Fiber Blend
• Shaker Bottle
• Gym Bag
• Tape Measure
• Easy-to-follow Transformation Support Guide

The Power Shake is the backbone of the program. It contains a bunch of powdered "superfoods" such as Activated Barley, Carrot Juice Powder, Hawaiian Spirulina, and Organic Kamut Grass Juice Powder, You drink it three times a day. It tastes fine. Some people like it or learn to enjoy it. The Master Amino is a supplement that you take 5 of three times a day. It claims to serve several purposes. The one I was most interested in is that it will help feed your muscles (it's a vegan protein source) while you cleanse. The Apothe-Cherry is a near-bedtime drink that contains antioxidants and is supposed to help you sleep. Some people like the taste. I don't, but it's okay. The Ionic Elements are drops that you add to water or your shake. It's supposed to help with various things, such as helping to reduce the effects of aging, promote restful sleep, support immune function, increase alkalinity, and promote the healthy growth of hair, skin, and nails. They suggest you add it to your shake, and that it tastes "fresh," but I think it tastes pretty bad and ruins whatever you put it in. I dilute it in water and drink it as fast as possible. The Daily Fiber Blend, of course, supports bowel function. It doesn't taste good, but it's fine and, well, full of fiber.

Note: to be fair, I have the "taster" gene, which makes me sensitive to bitter tastes. Wine and beer and coffee also all taste bad or sorta okay to me for the same reason.

You are also allowed "flex" foods three times a day when you need them. A flex food, explained mostly simply, is a small portion of a raw fruit or vegetable. There are several more choices, such as sauteed broccoli, almond milk, herbal tea, and vegetable broth. The big no-nos are meat, cheese, and bread.

My 10-Day Cleanse

I may not be the typical Purium client, but perhaps someone might be interested to see how this process goes for someone who doesn't have a weight-loss goal. I hit my target weight last year and currently have a BMI of 23. I'm 6' 6", am on the wrong side of the 40s, and have a medium build.

My weigh-in the night before the cleanse was at 199.4 (3 lbs less than normal weight for some reason, which seems a little dramatic for two days of vegetarian and light eating.)

I will evaluate Purium's claims as much as possible when the process is complete. Much of this is high subjective, so your mileage may vary.

I plan on using the kick-start from this cleanse to help launch me into a 6-pack abs workout program.

Day One

May 1st, 2014:
As I write this, I realize that it's hard to report on how I feel for the simple reason that I only got a few hours sleep last night, and can hardly keep my eyes open. Under the circumstances, however, I feel fine, and energy seems good.

One thing that makes this cleanse easier than my 10-Day Juice Fast six months ago is that the Purium cleanse allows and even encourages the use of "flex" foods, which are explained earlier in the article. I had two apples, a banana, and a few grapes. The grapes were a little more than the cleanse calls for, but I plan to eat a few every day anyway for their taste and cleaning properties.

So, other than going to pee every 15 minutes because of the high-volume of fluid intake, the first day has gone quite smoothly!

Day Two

May 2nd, 2014:
6pm
Was a little more hungry here and there today, but still quite manageable. Energy is good. Slept well last night. I have one flex food left, which I will eat later. I gagged a little on the ionic elements tonight, which was fun. Next time it's getting diluted more, maybe with 20 oz of water. Mental acuity seems fine as well.

As expected, my digestive system is getting a break, which is one of the other benefits of a liquid-only cleanse or a cleanse with a low volume of solid, unprocessed food such as this one.

Passed by a lot of homemade pizza tonight, which looked surprisingly good!

Day Three

May 3rd, 2014:
As with my 10-day juice fast, I am never hungry in the morning, though today when I went for a drive with a friend, I did start to feel hunger.

Today went well, and quite uneventfully, though I did consume a little more flex food than normal (fresh fruit). Because I am afraid of losing too much weight, I'm not too worried about eating a little extra clean food. I also ate a some warm food for the first time, a vegetable.

Energy and mental clarity are good, though I did take a long nap (which I try to do at least once a week on a weekend.)

I already feel mentally more prepared to resist sugar and processed foods, and am devising new ways to keep eating clean when the cleanse is over.

I'm really starting to hate the "Ionic Elements," though. That stuff is really bad!

Day Four

May 4th, 2014:
Pretty smooth sailing today, though I again consumed more than the recommended amounts of the "flex" foods. I had grapes, citrus, a veggie.... Again, these are pretty clean foods and I don't want to lose too much weight, but still I don't want to vary from the program recommended amounts too much, which may skew my results in other ways.

I did a quick visualization of some food choices, and these are the results:

-Sweets, Cake, Candy: Doesn't sound revolting, but I don't want any. Chocolate doesn't sound bad, but I also don't want any and am not looking forward to eating any.
-Pop (Sprite): (I went over a year with no pop, and then started having a Sprite a few times a week.) Not interested - doesn't sound refreshing.
-Meat: Sounds great. I am still looking forward to having some quality meat a couple days after the cleanse is done.
Dairy: Milk. Neutral. Wish I had a healthy source of milk. I don't, so I use almond milk. Cheese. Cheese sounds good.

So we'll see if this list changes over the next few days. When I finish I will be eating a plant-heavy diet with some fruit and meat, and right now that, along with more raw vegetables and fruits, sounds good!

Day Five

May 5th, 2014:

Here I am about half way through the Purium 10-Day Transformation Cleanse, and am finding that, as hoped, my desire for crap food has been reduced, as mentioned in yesterday's post.

Unlike the first few days of my 10-day juice-only fast, I don't have persistent low-level hunger all the time with this 10-day cleanse. The flex foods, plus vegan protein sources and other elements of the cleanse make hunger a minor issue for me.

Of course, for those with serious "food" addictions (most people), the deprivation of our crack, um, I mean, sugar, will certainly be a problem for a while. As much as I enjoy sweets, however, I am not fantasizing about them at all, and am convinced I can remain free of them as I transition into my abs program at the end of this cleanse.

Day Six

May 6th, 2014:
Today my overall energy level has been lower, but nothing worrisome. Had some trouble focusing at work. Both these symptoms, however, may have more to do with personal issues than dietary ones, as there are a few things going on personally and finals are this week, finals for which I am not well prepared. I also have a writing job that needs to be hit really hard, and that is stressful as well.

Sautéed some asparagus tonight for my flex food (I usually eat a raw fruit or vegetable), and it was pretty good! Later tonight my energy has seemed to increase a bit. Feeling pretty good as I get ready to go to bed.

Day Seven

May 7th, 2014:
Energy is lower than it "should be" at this point. I feel a bit tired, drug down, and have an overall sense that I am missing something nutritionally. I will expand the foods I am eating a bit and see if that helps.

Day Eight

May 8th, 2014:
Energy low (but I still feel fine overall) again today. Funny that the motivational text I got from Purium said, "Go ahead and exercise. You've got (sic) the energy." I read it and was, "Umm. no I don't. As a matter of fact, I had the energy before, and now I don't." Wonder why....

Still feeling as if I am missing something, and am starting to look forward to eating again. I do not have cravings, but the idea of some cheese seems to sound good for some reason. I am also still looking forward to some meat, but am not craving it. (Note that I am not much of a "craver" at any time.)

I had a final tonight and was feeling pretty tired before class, so I bought a trail mix bag from a local company. It had some nuts and dried cranberries in it - no sweets or grains. Maybe the fat in the nuts will re-energize me a bit.

Day Nine

May 9th, 2014:
Felt a little better today energy-wise. I am starting to get a little less focused mentally. Still have a general sense of needing a wider variety of food, but with some of the things I ate yesterday, I am feeling better, I think.

Still am a little more tired than I should be. Not only am I looking forward to a broader spectrum of food (still clean, still mostly green, and still very little processed), but I am also looking forward to working out.

I'm also getting a little curious about my weight. I may run into the gym tomorrow evening and do my weigh in.

I don't feel as if I have lost much abdominal fat, but my pants are looser, so I guess we'll see!

Day Ten

May 10, 2014:

My Purium 10-Day Transformation Cleanse comes to an end this evening. This was not about losing weight for me, but about cleaning my mind and body. Nonetheless I dropped around 9 pounds and 1.5 inches from my waist in the last 10 days. I intentionally ate considerably more than recommended, and still lost a significant amount of weight. The differences between the pictures aren't dramatic, but here it is:

Have I?

1. Reset my brain to reduce craving for unhealthy "food."
2. Cleanse my system from chemicals and toxins present in processed foods.
3. Lose my middle-age "pooch," which measured at 35" this morning.

I have reduced my craving for unhealthy foods, one can assume that 12 days of clean eating has helped my body detoxify itself, and my "pooch" is around 33.5" inches ( I dropped 9 pounds). Pants are loose and belts had to be tightened.

One thing I do know is that this cleanse and renewed my resolve to be fit, healthy, and clean!

Overall, the differences between the 10-day juice fast and this Purium 10-Day Transformation Cleanse are not overly dramatic. I lost more weight with the juice fast, obviously, but this cleanse was much easier to accomplish.

Now to give myself a couple of days to reacclimatize to animal protein sources, and I'll begin my abs challenge!

The Simple Weight-Loss Equation

There is enough conflicting information out there to make us all crazy and frustrated about eating healthy, losing weight, and staying fit.

So when you need to ground yourself, remember this simple equation. If you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight. If you ingest more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.

 

The trick is to figure out how to burn more calories and to eat less calories. This part can get complicated, but remember the basics:

1. Eat as many high-nutrient and low-calorie foods as possible (primarily vegetables but also other whole foods), and as few high-calorie, low-nutrient foods (junk food and almost everything in the standard Western diet) as possible.
2. Stay active and strive to gain some muscle tone. Being active burns calories, and muscles, even at rest, burn more calories.

Food addictions aside, high-nutrient foods are more satisfying. It may be a revelation to some, but it shouldn't be surprising that if you eat low-nutrient foods, your body keeps telling you to eat more because it needs more nutrients. And all those sugars you get from this high-consumption of calorie-rich low-nutrient food? Your body can't burn it all so it gets stored... as fat. From your lips to your hips (or belly).

 

The simple steady path to weight loss is to forget the fads (such as the juice fast I just finished) and the inevitable weight yo-yo that results from them, and be mindful of your caloric intake and expenditure and adjust until you are on the healthy side of the weight equation.

10-Day Juice Fast – Half Point

Well I am nearly half done the 10-day juice fast, and although it’s been difficult running a low-level of hunger much of the time, so far it’s been tolerable and I haven’t been tempted to quit. I’m a little weak, a little spaced out, and a little sick of juice, but that’s all right. The fact of doing something good for me and the growing sense of accomplishment as I stick to my plan mitigates some of the physical and psychological distress of self-denial.

And speaking of self-denial, there’s a difference between suffering as a victim and choosing to suffer. When you choose to suffer in the short term for a long-term goal, such as working out to build muscle or refraining from certain bad foods for the sake of your health, you build up the confidence in yourself that you need to tackle more difficult challenges.

If we constantly give in to the whiney little brat of our desires, we’ll soon have a monster on our hands. So tame your desires a bit by saying “no” to yourself once in a while. In time you’ll find that when you need to deny yourself some immediate gratification for your greater good, you’ll have the strength to do so.

10-Day Juice Fast Log (Daily Updates at the End)

Today I started a 10-day juice fast with two primary goals:

• Digestive Healing
• Appetite Reset

I don't want or need to lose weight overall (although I do want to continue to expose my abs), so my focus is more on the health benefits of a juice fast.

EDIT: I finished reading Eat to Live, and based on that book's criteria, which is more strict than the already strict BMI, my ideal weight is 195 (I'm 6' 6" and 202 lbs.), so I guess losing some weight while doing this fast is OK!

Digestive Healing

As you likely know, our digestive system works really hard. The process of digestion and waste-elimination is an intense process. And for the last year or so I've been trying to follow workout diet of "never be hungry." The basic idea is to eat many small meals and keep your metabolic rate up. When you're working out, you need to keep fed so you build and repair muscle. And that's not going to happen if your body does not have a ready supply of fuel.
 
The problem with that plan is that if you're eating every couple of hours your digestive system never gets much of a break, and it needs a break from digestion in order to perform certain bodily maintenance and repair tasks. It's like those jobs are in the queue, but they can never or rarely get started or completed because digestion is priority one, and active nearly all the time.
 
During a juice fast, your kidneys are still on the job (the only way to give them a break is with a water fast), but your digestive system, after a couple days, switches to using stored energy and starts detoxifying and cleaning up your system.
 

Appetite Reset

Another interesting thing happens when you fast. As you begin to break your addictions to bad food, your body and mind start communicating better about what you really need. You often lose the desire for calorie-high, nutrient-low food (junk food), and learn the difference between true hunger and appetite/cravings. The last time I fasted, which was years ago, the idea of a fast-food burger was repulsive - for a year!


So after this 10-day juice, I am hoping to have my appetite reset again and be able to move on to the next phase in dietary change, and that is to go on a whole-foods and wheat-free diet at least until the end of the year.

Experience Log - Day 1 (Friday, October 11, 2013):

7:00 AM: Made a little over a half pitcher of juice - mostly carrots, and some kale, lemon, and apple. Didn't give myself enough extra time to clean up very well before work, so I'll have a mess to deal with when I get home at the end of the day.

10:00 AM: Drinking my second glass of juice. I see that I did not make enough for "lunch" and afternoon, so I'll likely be fairly hungry by the end of the work day. Unsurprisingly, no negative or positive effects to report at this early stage.

12:00 PM: Was a little hungry before I drank my juice, but not too much. Again, nothing negative or positive to report. Unfortunately, I am drinking the last of my juice, so I won't have anything for 3 PM. I'll drink a lot of water this afternoon, I guess. Tomorrow I will make more juice!

1:00 PM: Just got back from walking a mile in high-winds. I am a little hungry again already, but I found a $10 bill on the walk, so that was a good sign. :)

3:00 PM: I was pretty hungry so I made a quick run and got some Naked Juice. After drinking a bit, I realized that it was a smoothie (contains puree), so that's a bit of a cheat since my digestive system will have to work on that a bit. Tonight I'll get more produce and make sure I have enough juice for a day so I won't need to fall back on the pre-made Naked Juice or Bolthouse Farms juice.

6:00 PM: Stopped at the grocery after work and bought more fruits and veggies. Made a lot more juice. Randomly threw in celery, spinach, carrots, apples, grapes, lemons, and so on. It was okay.

Final thoughts on Day 1: Was hungry a lot but not too bad. Not other real changes or gastric-intestinal issues. On to Day 2!

Experience Log - Day 2  (Saturday, October 12, 2013):

7:00 AM Woke feeling fine and not hungry. Stomach and head good. Nothing interesting digestively going on....

9:00 AM Got hungry and made more juice and added it what I made last night. Also made a small glass of straight red grape juice. Wow - that was sweet, too sweet. Not doing that again.

12:00: A little hungry and drank my "little-of-everything" juice.

2:30 PM Feeling tired and a little dizzy. Drank a little more juice because of fairly consistent hunger. Almost out again. Considering taking a nap....

3:00 PM Did 35 push-ups, which is about the most I can do, and they weren't especially hard, though my headache and spaced-out feeling persists.

6:00 PM Napped for a bit. Seemed to help. Somewhat hungry, but not very interested in making or drinking juice. Feel mildly spaced out, but pretty good overall. The fast itself is a little distressing, but I am feeling good that I am doing something good for myself. No sign of any cravings anywhere, though I do want to eat much of the time. The juice curbs the hunger, but I still desire healthy solid food. The taste of the juice isn't very good, and I'm used to really enjoying what I eat, so there's a part of me that is a bit confused about why I am doing this when there's a bad of yummy yams sitting right there, for example.

No negative emotional symptoms noticed so far, though I do have some minor negative physical symptoms: a little bit of a headache, a little tired, a little spaced out. Nothing surprising. This is harder than I thought it would be at this point, but I can take it!

12:00 AM Went to bed a little hungry, but out of juice and too late to make more. Drank water.

Experience Log - Day 3  (Sunday, October 13, 2013):

10:00 AM Work up this morning pretty much the same as yesterday. Feeling fine, not hungry even though I went to bed hungry. Made a few glasses of random juice. A little hungry while handling the solid food and almost put a bit of orange in my mouth by mistake. Same thing happened with a grape yesterday. It's like there's a programmed unconscious response to put food in your mouth, and my conscious mind had to say, 'Hey, no!" :) Juice turned out pretty decent, and drinking a glass now, though I'm not feeling like I need to.

1:00 PM Just got back from a brisk walk - probably a couple miles. Feeling pretty good. A little hungry. Was a smidge light-headed when I stopped. Hunger mild. Drinking second glass of juice for the day.

3:00 PM Still persistent low-level hunger but not bothersome. The thought pops into my head, "I should probably grab something to eat." But no. :) Feeling a little pressure in my head. Mild headache likely. Feel pretty good otherwise. Sipping on some more juice.

6:00 PM Still doing fine, but also still hungry for solid food. Juice is not very attractive to my palate, but hey! :)

11:00 PM Sadly, this record is not terribly exiting so far. No fingers chopped off while cutting vegetables, not craving madness leading to binge eating, no great (or horrible) changes. Am still fairly hungry, which I was hoping would pass by now. Made more juice and made a colossal mess again. Am slightly spaced out, but pretty normal overall.

12:30 AM Not even as tired as I expected to be considering my lack of solid food. But I better head off to bed!

Experience Log - Day 4  (Monday, October 14, 2013):

9:00 AM: Awoke feeling fine again. Not hungry. Had a glass of water. Mental clarity seems good.

12:00 AM: A little hungry, a little spaced out. Maybe from not getting enough rest last night.

3:00 PM Hungry, out of juice, and don't feel like making any more. So what did I do? I made the biggest batch of juice so far. Threw in everything, so now all I have left is apples. The result isn't good, of course, but it's drinkable. Guess it's off to the grocery store tonight!

6:00 PM Nothing special to report. Feeling fine, though a little weak and light-headed, I suppose. Nothing very noticeable. I did a few reps with dumbbells as an experiment, and it was much harder than usual. I was pretty hungry while shopping, so the sights and smells of food was a little tempting. There was a lot of Halloween treats for sale, and the thought went through my mind, "What a bunch of yummy-looking poison!"

11:00 PM Got pretty hungry because I didn't feel like drinking the juice I made. Went to the store and bought another $50 worth of veggies and some fruit. Didn't make any new juice, though. Finally drank another glass of the stuff I made earlier. Back to work in the morning, so we'll see how my brain and body does on day five.

Experience Log - Day 5 (Tuesday, October 15, 2013):

8:30 AM: Into the half-way mark! Woke up feeling pretty good. Not hungry in the morning as usual. A little film on the tongue this morning, but nothing significant. The juice that wasn't so good last night is even worse today as it has degraded a little, but it's what I have to "eat" all day. Tonight I may get crazy and actually try a juice recipe or two. I bought some ginger root last night - maybe I can find something interesting to go with that.

12:30 PM Feeling a little weak. Came back from a staff meeting and felt tired and a little out of it. It's hard to gauge your own mental function, but I seem to be a little off focus.

3:00 PM Feeling a little more hungry again, but not too keen on the juice I have. Drank it anyway, of course!

6:00 PM Getting hungry but don't want any juice and drank all the juice at 4:30 PM, so I didn't have any made. Have to do it anyway, so I made carrot juice with apples and a little ginger.

9:45 PM Less hungry after the carrot juice, but still not really satisfied. Will need to make a lot more juice in order to have enough for tomorrow. I wish there was at least one juice bar so I could go out and let someone else make the juice for once. :) Overall, I feel pretty good physically and mentally. Was a little more tired this afternoon than normal, and a little weaker. Tomorrow is hump day, and also over the hump for the fast!

11:45 PM Have been sipping some extra grape juice that I was left over after making my other juices. Tried things a little differently tonight, and instead of mixing lots of stuff together, I made a green juice (kale and green apples and green grapes), an orange juice (carrots and green apples) and some apple juice. At least I will have some choices tomorrow instead of my "Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" special!

Experience Log - Day 6 (Wednesday, October 16, 2013):

8:30 AM Woke this morning feeling fine and not hungry again. Actually less than hungry. I do not feel like drinking juice right now. I've been up for over an hour but have only taken a sip of the apple juice I made last night. Feeling fine physically and mentally.

12:00 AM Had a meeting lunch and got to watch other people eat salads, main courses, and desserts. Not too torturous, but I think it did jump-start my appetite a bit.

3:30 PM Hungry, but not for juice, downed a bunch of carrot-based juice down anyway.

5:30 PM On the way home was re-listening to 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferris, and he was talking about eating eggs in the morning for protein, and I started to salivate a little. Note that I don't like eggs very much, but I am going to start eating them more once I go off this fast and move to whole foods. Maybe just knowing I am going to eat eggs after the fast got me hungry for them.

Since I have not had a significant decrease in appetite (shortly after drinking juice I am hungry again), I am starting to wonder if I might not be in great need of detoxification in the first place. For one, my percentage of body fat is really low, and so I do not have toxins stored there that would release into my bloodstream as I burn fat, and two, I have been eating somewhat cleanly for over a year. For a few week prior to the juice fast, I cut out dairy and most sugars and sweets, and for a year before that I got rid of fast food.

Feeling fine physically and mentally, though I am starting to worry that I have not been drinking enough water. I better step that up.

11:00 PM Haven't had much juice, but finished all I had made yesterday and begrudgingly made more. The juicer stopped working before I finished off the spinach. I hope it just overheated! Feeling fine, though I am a little tired, so headed off to bed to read for a bit and then sleep.

Experience Log - Day 7 (Thursday, October 17, 2013):

7:20 AM Woke up at 4 AM and didn't fall asleep again until after 5, so am a little off today. Woke feeling fine otherwise. Mentally and physically good. No hunger.

8:30 AM At work an feeling fine. Have only taken one sip of juice because appetite hasn't kicked in yet.

11:00 AM Walked a brisk mile in the cold (30s with wind), and did fine. Mental and physical function seem fine. Seven days in and no dramatic changes in physical or mental function, including no gastrointestinal distress or strangeness.

2:00 PM At this point, am noticing I am a little less hungry in general than previous days. As mentioned, however, I've never been ravenous or hungry to the point of anxiety at any point during the fast.

5:00 PM Still not much hunger, but I finished off my green juice about 45 minutes ago, and didn't like it much. I may buy a few things tonight that may taste better, but I'm feeling a little worn out, so maybe that will be a task for tomorrow so I'll have tastier things for the last weekend of the fast.

11:00 PM Well, didn't drink anything most of the night, so apparently the hunger has abated a bit more. I waited too long to make juice tonight so I'll have to get up early and make some more for the day tomorrow and not be forced to buy something pre-made. Overall still feeling good. No real negatives or positives.

I've been starting to develop some ideas about why I am not experiencing some of the symptoms - good and bad - that other people who juice fast for 10-day seem to experience, but I'll probably wait until I'm done before I write much about it. In short, I think my relatively low body fat percentage and my clean living and moderately clean eating over the last year are part of the reason I am not having any significant changes this far. We'll see how the last three days go!

Experience Log - Day 8 (Friday, October 18, 2013):

8:30 AM Overslept a bit, so didn't make juice this morning and I only have a couple small servings left, so I need to see if I can run home at lunch and make more, or else I will have to dip in to my pre-made stash - the Bolthouse Farms juice, which has puree in it.

Otherwise, am feeling pretty good. Energy good so far, and no hunger. Feel mentally clear. As I was dressing this morning, I felt "thinner" for some reason, but I haven't weighed myself on my usual scale - the one at the gym.

10:40 AM Walked another mile with no difficulties. Having a little hunger but not much.  Feeling pretty clear and reasonably energetic.

3:00 PM Drank more of my slightly old carrot juice mix. Not tasting too good!

6:00 PM Drank the last of my juice. Stopped by the grocery store on the way home and got another $50 worth of groceries. Got home and the juicer is toast. Drank a Bolthouse farms juice (not a puree) to hold me over, but was soon able to borrow another juicer and get back to making my own. Still feeling fine and energy is good. Oh, and I made a kale-based juice with apple and a little lemon and ginger and it tastes pretty crappy!

9:30 PM Getting a little tired. Need to get up and go pick up my Bountiful Basket tomorrow, so probably should go to bed at a reasonable hour. Hoping the basket has both some good stuff for juicing and some good stuff for me to break my fast with Monday.

Experience Log - Day 9 (Saturday, October 19, 2013):

9:30 AM Woke up at 8 feeling good, not hungry as always. Energy was fine. Picked up my basket and got some good things for juicing and, in a couple days, eating. Not feeling like making any juice right now, so I am slowly finishing the pre-made mango/carrot/ginger juice. I'll make something fruity in a while and then make my first beet juice. Should be interesting!

1:00 PM Not very hungry, but did make some green grape and lemon juice which was yummy, made some endive juice with apples, but it was still really bitter, so I added some grapes until it was drinkable.

3:00 PM Feeling tired, but good. Drank the rest of the endive/apple/green grape juice. Took a nap.

5:00 PM Made a sweet treat with a bunch of raspberries that didn't seem to juice well but nonetheless made for a tasty drink, along with several pears, a few green grapes, a bit of kale, and two lemons. That was one of the best I made thus far, but not the most healthy for an evening juice meal! Feeling energetic though from the sweet drink and the sleep.

9:00 PM Still haven't made the beet juice yet. I better find a recipe and get at it before too late. Still feeling energetic. Better get at the beet juice soon. Lazy day....

11:00 PM Made beet juice with apples and ginger and green grapes. Use a whole beet along with its stalks. Turned out all right but made a huge red mess! My tumbly is a little rumbly.

3:00 Am Better go to bed - oops. Guess the earlier nap and sweet drinks gave me too much energy.

Experience Log - Day 10 (Sunday, October 20, 2013):

9:00 AM Last day! Woke feeling fine as usual, but during the night I had a couple of moments where I felt unusually cold, the kind of cold you feel when you have the flu or something. It didn't last, but perhaps is related to how the body burns fuel to keep warm. Still a little mild disturbance in the stomach.

12:00 PM I juiced four cucumbers and a couple apples together: bleh! Pretty bad. So I juiced two pomegranates, thinking that would help. Before I tasted the pomegranate juice, I checked online to make sure the rinds aren't poisonous. Well, they aren't, but said they are bitter. Understatement of the year! I am used to drinking some pretty foul brew, but that was impossible! Can't add that to the mix. So I juiced my few remaining grapes and several apples, and make the cucumber juice drinkable. I have a pretty decent batch, so I might be done making juice.

5:00 PM Okay, this is insane. I weighed in at 202.8 10 days ago. I went to the gym, put on the same clothes and shoes that I wore then, and I weighed in at 190.0 pounds! I thought I would inevitably lose a few pounds, but 12.8? And I'm not done yet, so at that rate, my total will be close to 14 pounds. That's pretty wild for a guy with low body fat already. Imagine how dramatic a loss could be for someone with a lot of fat to burn. Crazy.

11:45 PM Wrote a blog entry on willpower. Am now sipping my last juice of the fast. In the morning I think I'll have a banana, and maybe an apple a little later if I am still hungry. I have a pre-made smoothie I may drink for lunch, but we'll see how that goes. Perhaps I will get some steamed vegetables. Going to sleep shortly with the thought that yes, I did something that I set my mind to!

Breaking the Fast ( October 21, 2013):

8:00 AM Woke feeling good and, as always, not hungry, so I am drinking a glass of a pre-made fruit smoothie. Brought two bananas and two apples to work. Will be eating shortly - when my stomach and appetite ask for it. :)

9:00 AM Am eating a big banana. Very tasty! Pretty sweet and flavorful after 10 days with no solid food. And the flavor is staying with me. Also, have no interest in the other banana and two apples I brought to work this morning.

10:30 AM Although I was not hungry after the morning smoothie and the banana, I walked a brisk mile and started feeling hungry on the way back, so I'm eating an apple now. Super sweet! Wow. Flavors very bold. Almost too sweet!

11:00 AM No noticable reactions from the banana and apple, so  I am eating six very chewed-up plain almonds to give my digestive system a hint of what's to come! (Also drank 20 oz of water so far this morning.)

1:00 PM For lunch I had about 20oz of a pre-made Green Machine smoothie, followed a while later by a whole handful of plain almonds. Too soon? Guess we'll see!

3:00 PM Not hungry at the moment - I think those almonds will hold me for a while. Perhaps in a while I'll have the rest of the Green Machine pre-made fruit smoothie. Also still drinking plenty of water.

7:00 PM Had my first cooked food. A sweet potato with a little sea salt and later a couple of beets with a little olive oil.

11:00 PM Stomach okay, so I guess I can handle the solid food. :)