Exercise feels different...amazing! And my boys ate broccoli!

So we started juicing on Tuesday.  We went to the YMCA to do elliptical work on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, took a family walk on Sunday and were back to the Y today.  Since surgery when I ballooned up and we joined the YMCA, around March, I have worked out at least 3-4 days a week.  I would do an hour on the elliptical, it said I burned 600 calories. But I could rarely get my heart rate to 120.  I didn't really break a sweat.
When we went to the YMCA last Saturday, our 5th day in I actually FELT the cardio.  My heart rate was up. I actually broke a sweat.  I noticed it but didn't think about it. Then today, I really felt it cranking.  My heart rate was up between 130-150, I was sweating like crazy. It felt AMAZING.
I don't know if my blood is pumping cleaner or better, if I just have more energy, or what it is.  But there is a profound difference in how my body is working, just one week into this.  I like it!
Many years ago, before the years I was starving from my surgery complication, I had been running 20 miles a week for months. I had run half marathon distance twice and was signed up to run one.  Then I was in a bad accident and at the same started not being able to keep food down and had no fuel.  Then  had 2 babies in 2 years, so no time and money for a gym membership and a baby sitter. But as I was able to eat less and less I was getting skinnier and skinner as I ate worse and worse.  So I was grossly unhealthy and out of shape.  And went from a size 2 to busting out of a size 12 between January 7, 2012 until July 24, 2012.

So for dinner Jhon had more great ideas. He is loving coming up with ideas.  He made couscous with water and vegetable broth in one pan. Then he cooked up some broccoli, onion, red cabbage, spinach, portabello mushrooms, minced garlic, and tomatoes in one pan with a tad bit of vegetable broth.  Then combined them all together. We thought the boys wouldn't eat it.  So we made them some vegetarian corn dog bites.  Well, guess what.  Asher and Caleb ate their broccoli and the dinner Jhon made! If you know my babies, you know I have a hard time getting them to eat their veggies and usually resort to blending spinach and kale into their smoothies.  They didn't even eat the corn dogs, just ate some of the ketchup!  Whoo hooo!!!!!!  They have transitioned just fine from cow's milk to almond milk.  Here are pictures of my dinner and the boys eating their broccoli!  

Slight change of plans....dinner time!

Jhon was only home one day after two weeks before we started juicing.  We only sat together and had a couple of meals together as a family.  We noticed after our third day of juice fasting that the boys weren't really eating well.  We felt it could be that we weren't sitting and eating with them.  We decided for our family we needed to sit down and have dinner together. So we are juicing breakfast and lunch, and then eating dinner as a family. We are not eating anything else all day.  No snacking.  We were excited to start some yummy vegan dinners.  So on day 4 we had whole wheat spaghetti, with marinara with some boca burger and portabello mushrooms. With some vegan mozzarella on top. Then a lovely spinach and romaine salad with tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, onion, and radishes with a garlic red vinegar for dressing. 
I was worried that we wouldn't lose weight, but I still lost a pound and Jhon a half pound. 
Tonight we made pizzas. Jhon worked hard making a whole wheat crust from scratch.  We had fun topping them. Our toppings were pizza or barbeque sauce, vegan mozzarella, artichoke hearts, green peppers, onions, spinach, portabello mushrooms, mango, garlic, peppercinnis. We didn't have olives or red peppers. We have dough left over and will try some new toppings next time.  Yum!!! We had fun!  Asher has gone to town on both dinners. Caleb has always been a light dinner eater, so he ate about his usual. 
Then we had some almondmilk yogurt for dessert. It is dairy and soy free. 
We are definitely having fun cooking with whole, real food and thinking of fun ideas of what to do! 
We got our crust recipe here...
Jhon was only home one day after two weeks before we started juicing. We only sat together and had a couple of meals together as a family. We noticed after our third day of juice fasting that the boys weren't really eating well. We felt it could be that we weren't sitting and eating with them. We decided for our family we needed to sit down and have dinner together. So we are juicing breakfast and lunch, and then eating dinner as a family. We are not eating anything else all day. No snacking. We were excited to start some yummy vegan dinners. So on day 4 we had whole wheat spaghetti, with marinara with some boca burger and portabello mushrooms. With some vegan mozzarella on top. Then a lovely spinach and romaine salad with tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, onion, and radishes with a garlic red vinegar for dressing.
I was worried that we wouldn't lose weight, but I still lost a pound and Jhon a half pound.
Tonight we made pizzas. Jhon worked hard making a whole wheat crust from scratch. We had fun topping them. Our toppings were pizza or barbeque sauce, vegan mozzarella, artichoke hearts, green peppers, onions, spinach, portabello mushrooms, mango, garlic, peppercinnis. We didn't have olives or red peppers. We have dough left over and will try some new toppings next time. Yum!!! We had fun! Asher has gone to town on both dinners. Caleb has always been a light dinner eater, so he ate about his usual.
Then we had some almondmilk yogurt for dessert. It is dairy and soy free.
We are definitely having fun cooking with whole, real food and thinking of fun ideas of what to do!
We got our crust recipe here....
Jhon was only home one day after two weeks before we started juicing. We only sat together and had a couple of meals together as a family. We noticed after our third day of juice fasting that the boys weren't really eating well. We felt it could be that we weren't sitting and eating with them. We decided for our family we needed to sit down and have dinner together. So we are juicing breakfast and lunch, and then eating dinner as a family. We are not eating anything else all day. No snacking. We were excited to start some yummy vegan dinners. So on day 4 we had whole wheat spaghetti, with marinara with some boca burger and portabello mushrooms. With some vegan mozzarella on top. Then a lovely spinach and romaine salad with tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, onion, and radishes with a garlic red vinegar for dressing.
I was worried that we wouldn't lose weight, but I still lost a pound and Jhon a half pound.
Tonight we made pizzas. Jhon worked hard making a whole wheat crust from scratch. We had fun topping them. Our toppings were pizza or barbeque sauce, vegan mozzarella, artichoke hearts, green peppers, onions, spinach, portabello mushrooms, mango, garlic, peppercinnis. We didn't have olives or red peppers. We have dough left over and will try some new toppings next time. Yum!!! We had fun! Asher has gone to town on both dinners. Caleb has always been a light dinner eater, so he ate about his usual.
Then we had some almondmilk yogurt for dessert. It is dairy and soy free.
We are definitely having fun cooking with whole, real food and thinking of fun ideas of what to do!
We got our crust recipe here.....
http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/pastagrainspizza/r/Recipe_Whole_Wheat_Pizza_Crust.htm

The first 3 days!

So, it is going well! We are in the morning of day four. After 3 full days of juicing Jhon is down 14 pounds and I am down 8.  Weight loss is not our main reason for doing this, but it is nice!  And all the naysayers who say as soon as we go back to our regular diet we will gain it all back can shove it, because clearly we are not going back to our regular diet. We are excited about our plant based diet and cutting our processed food and junk.  Coming off a juice fast we will be excited to eat the fruits, veggies, grains, and nuts!  I think I want a Cafe Rio salad when I break my fast. My friend brought me one, it is just their salad, on the tortilla, rice and beans with a cilantro lime dressing. Yum!  I haven't decided how many days I am going to juice fast yet though.
We feel good! I have more energy.  We have done some cardio twice in the last 4 days.  Jhon has had a little bit of a head ache, but not as bad as usual and they have gone away.  We never got sick, or had any uncomfortable symptoms.  So far, so good!

The beginning.....

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