Fasting ... Among Other Things
Tuesday July 12, 2011 8:50 amDAYS NUMBER TWO,THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, AND TEN ... JULY 13,14,15.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, AND 21 ARE BELOW THIS BLOG. (ALSO, THERE IS A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO A READER FROM THE PAST UNDER THE HEADING FOR DAY THREE!!!!!!!)
It's 8:15 in the morning and I am now back home from my recent travels and I just completed a 17 mile bike ride in 75 minutes. Although that is not very fast, only 13.6 mph... considering what I ate and drank for the last four days I'll take it. Besides all that... it is HOT out there! To prove just how hot it already is... in the last 75 minutes I dropped 2.3 pounds from that short ride! Now, I am ready to get back to exercising and eating right. I am starting this morning an extended “juice fast” and I will day-by-day keep everyone who is interested up to date on my progress. First though... a little catching up news of the last several days.
A few days ago I drove to Muncie, Indiana to help support Bob in his first (of many?) iron-man triathlons. He did great! While watching the races it was fun for me to imagine competing in that very same race next year with Bob. That is why I started this day out right with some bike riding as I am wanting to begin even now working toward that goal which is almost a year away.
Early in September I will compete in my first “sprint” triathlon. That event involves three races but each race is much shorter than the ½ tri which is 1.2 miles swimming, followed by a 56 mile bike ride and then 13.1 miles on foot. The sprint is just 400 yards swimming, followed by a 17 mile bike ride and a three mile run. (Really, these shorter races are just to help a person get used to the transitions between swimming/riding/running.
The last several days for me has been a decadent time of eating and drinking things I normally do not eat or drink. Also, early on Sunday morning I was able to see a lot of old friends from HBC... I had an enjoyable time there. After church I found another old friend I hadn't seen in many years and I had an enjoyable time talking with her. I followed that with a day in Huntington at the two main parks in the city and some trails which are in the parks.
This past June 29th marked 17 years since I became a vegetarian. However, for a brief time after I got so sick a couple of years ago I had gone back to eating fish a few times. The last meal I had in Huntington was at a restaurant that is supposed to be known for serving good fish... I'm certainly no connoisseur, but, I couldn't really tell if it was all that good. Regardless, I am now back to never again eating fish.
I finished my evening in town watching The Green Lantern where I ate some popcorn and I followed that with a chocolate dessert at a nearby restaurant. Now, can everyone see why I now needed my early morning ride and my extended juice fast I am also beginning today.
Hopefully... prayerfully, I will be doing this fast of mine for some time. I am not doing an “Esther fast.” My goal will be more like a “Daniel fast.” I just purchased a Jack LaLanne power juicer and until I reach my target goal I will be neither eating or drinking any type of processed foods. My complete diet will be (only) fresh produce, nuts, fruits, and distilled water only. This diet will be 100% whole food (and raw) and everything will be run through a juicer.
For the next several weeks, rather than add a new blog daily... I will add updates at the bottom of this same blog. I will most probably do it like this for ten day periods of time... then, I will start a new blog for the next ten day time-frame.
To end this portion of today's blog I want to tell everyone a short story about something that happened at a park in Huntington. It will help everyone to understand why I think that girls are the most fascinating creature which God ever made... men, are not even a close second. First though... a little back-story.
In March when I was on the AT in Tennessee I was excited to find a small box left by some geocachers which had a few little “treasures” inside. According to etiquette... if you are ever hiking and you find such boxes and you take something out, you are supposed to put something of your own back inside for the next traveler who might happen upon it. I did that while there... that is, I took and I left something. I told you that story because I also left four items on a trail at one of the parks in Huntington.
Originally, after I had the idea to leave them on a trail I had no intended target for the recipient. However, because the day was so very hot there weren't many people walking anyway. But, I did pass a young couple holding hands and talking quietly to each other. As I passed them I turned and smiled and both of them smiled in return and then immediately went back to talking with each other again. It seemed like they were very much in love. So, I jogged a little so I could get ahead of them and out of sight. When I knew I was far enough so that they couldn't see me I removed my backpack and laid my little offering out on the trail and then I hurried on. I prayed that I would pass no one coming toward me who might find it first. My fortune held and I passed no one coming toward me clear to the end of the trail. As I sit here and type this I am hoping that the young couple will have found some special meaning in each thing that I left. I suppose I like the thought that if they have any curiosity at all, they must wonder who it was for sure who left them... and why? I mean, it was the same two thoughts I had when I found my little treasures in Tennessee. (In fact, the little plastic gorilla I kept from my find in Tennessee I now have him hanging from a small chain in my office and I stop to look at him every once in a while... and I wonder about the person who left him.)
As I was leaving that trail I saw a girl sitting by herself on a bench. I thought she looked like she could use some cheering up, so I decided to give her what I still held in my hand. Now, I am trying to remember the exact conversation... the best I can remember is that we exchanged less than 50 words between us. The entire encounter was maybe 45 seconds. As I turned and had taken maybe two steps away from her... she said four words: just four words, but, they were perfect. What follows is one of my favorite sayings from Dr. Hyles: “Girls are born knowing what it takes guys 15 years to learn.” He was so right!
I will keep everyone posted as I reach certain milestones. As of 6:10 this morning my weight is 227.9. When I left Hurricane to (first) move to Lexington on January 1, 1990 my weight was 215 pounds. So, I am 13 pounds heavier this morning then I was back then. However, my target weight that I am wanting to attain is 180 pounds. Physically, I was in the best shape of my life when I was 27 years old. Although I can never be 27 again... I certainly can get back to that same weight. So, beginning today and until I reach my 47.9 pound weight loss (from this morning) I will add regular entries to let you know about different things I am doing to accomplish this goal.
This blog entry will be... “Day One.” I am on vacation the rest of this week, so I should be able to make my entries each morning. However, once I am back to work there might be times that it will be very late at night before I can make that day's post. Then, starting the 11th day I will start a new post. Alright... here goes, I am now off to the kitchen... my new juicer, and my extended juice fast!!!!!!!
DAY TWO -- WEDNESDAY JULY 13
8:30 am (weight 222.1) From my first weigh-in yesterday morning until this morning I have dropped 5.8 pounds. Part of that is exercising, part of that is my juice fast... and part of that is the fact that at least 3 of those pounds were put on simply by what I ate and drank over my long weekend and they were just begging to fall off anyway. I mean, I put them on easily and they came off just as easily.
Now, I am not a complete novice when it comes to fasting. Example: The longest “Esther (type) fast” I have ever done was five days... from one Wednesday through the following Sunday where I neither ate or drank anything, including water. I have had many other fasts of different durations and types. However, this one I am attempting now will be different than any of the others I have previously done.
I think at least for today I will publish exactly what I had for each meal that I juiced. Although, I am fairly certain I won't list again everything I juice and drink as I am sure it would be boring just to read a menu for each blog. Also, keep in mind when you read the combination of what I juiced that I really have no idea on Earth what I am doing as far as what items I am mixing together. I only picked what I thought sounded good and then I juiced it.
BREAKFAST 9:00 am – strawberries, orange, banana, apples, peach
LUNCH 12:40 pm – beets, tomatoes, celery, spinach, radishes, basil, cucumber, zucchini, carrots
DINNER 5:00 pm – red potato, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, strawberries, celery, kale
The breakfast and lunch drink that I made wasn't too bad: the one for supper... wasn't too good. I can only say that it tasted very “green” and very “raw.”
A few months ago as I was attempting to reach certain physical goals I had set for myself I had quit eating fruit completely: because of that my potassium levels plummeted and my doctor put me on Klor-Con m20 tablets. She assured me that once I decided to return to eating a diet with fruit again that I could quit taking them. So, yesterday I ate fruit and I quit taking them. I am only including this in today's post to let any reader know I have two (almost) full bottles of these potassium pills and if you have been prescribed this and are taking them... I will send my two bottles to you!
DAY THREE -- THURSDAY JULY 14
When I first began writing this blog my friend Virgil was only three-years old. On his next birthday he will be 11, so, I have been doing this blog for a long time now and never before have I used this blog to attempt what I am attempting this morning... that is, I am specifically trying to reach a single person who at one time often read what I wrote. I no longer know if they still read or not: but, I owe a debt of gratitude to this person and in some small way I would like to try and repay some of what I owe with information I have which might help them. I mean, it isn't natural to take shots or pills on a daily basis just to try and feel better. Before I reach out with some helpful information I would like to try and explain something else.
On June 15, I awoke early and made a decision to quit writing... period. This blog, other papers, etc. etc. etc. I really could not imagine it was helping me or anyone else so I quit. Then, one of our granddaughters was diagnosed with a serious illness and I remembered that many times when I had written one of my blogs I would have people who were completely unknown to me (other than through this blog) email and tell me they were praying about whatever it was I had written. So, I decided that day to write again and hopefully I could reach some of those same people from the past. Anyway... this morning I am doing something along those same lines... I am reaching out to someone to pass on some information.
No one reading would really understand how this person helped me when I was so sick a few years ago. So, I am not going to try and explain it in this morning's blog. Suffice it to say that I honestly believe that this person's help was nothing less than lifesaving and I am grateful.
Since I decided to do a juice fast I have been reading a lot about it online and from many different sources, and the ways in which it can help a person. With that thought in mind I want to recommend to everyone reading this... and especially to my friend, a movie I watched (twice) last night. The movie was produced by a man named Joe Cross and it is called: FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD. I found the movie, especially for a documentary, to be entertaining. I also thought it was inspirational, especially as it related to a poor and grossly overweight truck driver. (His story alone is worth watching the movie.) However, even beyond the movie being entertaining and inspirational... it was also informative. In addition, I believe that for some people who might watch it and then incorporate at least some of what is being taught into their daily lives... well, it might be life-changing, and for the better.
As I watched the movie I began to think about my friend and their particular illness... auto-immune. As a Christian who believes God created all things... I believe that everything we need to heal our bodies is found in nature and has been provided by God. While it is true that modern man has been able to replicate and chemically copy many drugs in labs today and they no longer need the plant itself... it does not alter the fact that these drugs WERE PLANT-BASED IN THE BEGINNING. There are many great websites which track modern drugs from their original herbal beginnings to the shelf at your local pharmacy... I am providing a link below to just one of them to give everyone an idea that God gave the answer to our needs in what grows from the ground and what we are supposed to ingest... plant-based diets. However, because of the society we live in we make ourselves sick with our excesses and eating and drinking things which God never intended. Anyway... now that we are sick, there are still answers to our healing found in getting back to what He first provided to make us well.
http://www.rain-tree.com/plantdrugs.htm
Okay... that is my attempt to reach out to someone from my past and I hope (and sincerely pray) that it works and they find this information helpful and useful in their healing.
Tomorrow afternoon I return to work... ugh! This will certainly pose some logistical problems as it is nigh to impossible to juice in advance and just carry it along as many of the important nutrients found in the drink is lost soon after juicing. That is why a person needs to drink what is juiced immediately. Anyway... where there is a will, there must be a way... so, I will figure something out.
On my second day I started using some recipes I found online and in a book. I have to admit that these tasted better than my own recipes from the first day. Of course, my own recipes only consisted of shoving anything and everything I thought sounded good through the chute on the juicer. Anyway... to everyone who is now doing this, or might try it in the future... happy juicing!
DAY FOUR -- FRIDAY JULY 15 ... 7:07 AM
Not much to report this morning... just more of the same from yesterday. I did get in a 27 mile bike ride after I juiced my breakfast. It took me one hour and fifty-five minutes so you can see I didn't push myself while doing the ride. I am trying to get in a long ride... at least every day I am off work and shorter rides on the days I am working.
If anyone out there who is reading these posts decides to try this juice fast... at least for a few days to see if it helps you... write to me and let me know. (clarkmatthews1@aol.com)
DAY FIVE -- SATURDAY JULY 16 ... 8:55 AM
As of this morning there are now several people in my immediate family who are "juicing" and LOVING IT! Alright, I admit that "loving it" part is a lie! But, already every single person on it are seeing some good and positive results... at least once they are past the headaches within the first 24-48 hours. I will (at least for me) give you an update on my total weight loss while doing this after my tenth day. When I started this I was at 227.1 and my goal is to reach 180 pounds. Now, with the remaining part of this blog I will tell you why it is not good to brag.
Several months ago I had gone to my dentist for a scheduled cleaning. When I left the office I said (bragged) that I didn't have any cavities and that as of that time I had never had a cavity in my life.
A few days ago I had an awful pain in my jaw that ran down into my neck... it hurt like a "toothache." The problem is that if you have never had a toothache before it is hard to know what that is supposed to be like? Anyway, I called my dentist and scheduled an appointment. My appointment was early yesterday morning. After an x-ray he gave me the bad news... I not only had one cavity, I had two! They were side by side and though they appeared small... the one tooth he filled easily... but, the other one he said that the cavity went down into the nerves and that one would have to come out! WHAT??? Me, who had just a few months before bragged that I had never had a cavity now had TWO... and one of them had to come out!!! Anyway... to bring this tired, sad, story to a conclusion... I now have only 31 teeth and I am missing the first posterior molar on the bottom left side of my jaw. I think I want my tooth back... this morning I am sort of missing the little guy!
Although, I have to admit that it is sort of fun for me to try and run my tongue over the spot where my little friend used to live. I know... I find the oddest things to enjoy. I suppose that I amuse easily (:
DAY SIX -- SUNDAY JULY 17... 7:55 AM
Not much to report this morning. Because of yesterday's blog about my lost tooth I did get an email from a reader I hadn't heard from in several years. She really knew how to make me feel bad.
She simply wanted to know if the tooth fairy left any money under my pillow? Because the answer to her question was... "no" that got me to thinking. I mean, how bad does a person have to be if even the tooth-fairy has forgotten you? Thanks... thanks a lot. I was bummed out for the rest of the day, apparently my life sucks.
I have only 31 teeth left in my head... I am drinking juice and pretending like it's real food... AND... AND... I have now been abandoned by one of the least of all known fictional characters, the lowly tooth fairy. About 20 years ago the Sandman kicked me out of bed and I haven't slept a complete night through since then... now this. What's next? Will Santa not visit me in December?
DAY SEVEN -- MONDAY JULY 18... 7:59 AM
The only thing to say this morning is that I believe the most dramatic weight loss results from juicing must only happen if you are able to do it all the way. That is... not also allow for an in between meal while at work. Because the results I am having are typical of just exercising and counting calories. Nonetheless... it still must be healthier than eating regular meals.
I can tell you that I saw a pretty funny movie yesterday... Zoo-keeper with Kevin James. Now, some of the humor was typical for an Adam Sandler movie... but, there were several laugh out loud scenes in it as well! Also, for any reading this who might be curious... no popcorn, candy, or drinks were ingested by me while at the movies (:
DAY EIGHT -- TUESDAY JULY 19... 7:17 AM
I will add two more days to this blog... then, on Friday I will report on weight loss with a new blog at that time. Missy is coming over this morning and we will have a juice breakfast together. She has found a particular fruit "juice" she has experimented with and she likes it and I am going to try it as well.
As I had reported in another blog I believe for the greatest weight loss a person would have to "juice" exclusively for at least ten day periods of time... maybe more? However, apart from that I do believe there is one benefit I have found for myself while doing this. I can't say exactly that I am sleeping longer... but, I do feel more rested when I awake. Perhaps, I am sleeping more soundly for the time that I am asleep?
DAY NINE -- WEDNESDAY JULY 20... 8:15 AM
Tomorrow will be my last day for the first section of ten days of trying to drink most of my foods from a juice processor. For Friday morning's blog I will begin a new post rather than adding to this one. At that time I will also give an update of my progress in losing weight while attempting this.
So far... only "day one" and yesterday was I able to juice exclusively. I had already written that I had found it problematic to try and juice while at work because you can't really juice at home and then take the drinks with you because (almost) immediately they begin to lose much of their nutrients.
Yesterday though I thought I would try and find a juice-bar nearby where I work so I could drive there during lunch. I couldn't find any that were close enough but I was able to buy two drinks from a special section in Meijer's where they sell only juices that are natural, fresh, and with no preservatives added. I found one drink from the Naked Juice Company called "Blue Machine" and it contained only the juice from 27 blueberries, 3 blackberries, one banana, and 3 and 1/4 apples. I also found a "protein-monster" drink from a company called Odwalla. Anyway... as far as being somewhat natural and good for you that is about the best I can do away from home and short of an actual juice-bar.
DAY TEN -- THURSDAY JULY 21... 12:07 AM
Well, it's either very early... or very late: take your pick. I am off work today... yayyy! For tomorrow's blog I will begin a new one with an update on weight lost so far on this (mostly) juice meals, but not all juice of course.
This evening after work I rode for awhile and I am planning a long ride in the morning about six a.m. I want to awake early and get my riding in before the oppressive heat of the day begins in earnest. Before turning in though I will tell you a little about another movie I finshed watching a few minutes ago. It is called The Adjustment Bureau and it was pretty good. I like movies, and probably for the same reason that most people do... escapism. They are fun to watch, especially the ones where you feel you can (in some aspect) relate to them. I suppose that before tonight I thought there were certain aspects of my life which was similar to a movie called Serendipity. After tonight it makes more sense for me to imagine this one instead. At times it honestly has felt as if I am only a puppet and someone far more powerful is pulling the strings as I dance merrily along. Yep, I think that's me... so close, yet so far away.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 8:46 AM
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