Will I Ever Learn?

I've mentioned that I haven't been eating very well lately and yesterday it caught up with me.  Major heartburn ALL DAY!

I got it the first time about 8 years ago.  My weight was at an all time high and I was living on a steady 6 meals of fast food a day.  All of a sudden I started getting these pains right in the middle of my chest at the bottom of my rib cage.  I finally went to the doctor after trying Tums and immediately throwing up after taking them. Nothing would stay down without causing immense pain. And I would be up all night doubled over in pain from the pressure in my stomach and the pain in my chest.

Brace yourself...

My doctor told me it was heartburn. I was surprised, because I didn't think hearburn would be so painful. Commercials for heartburn just show people with a little discomfort grabbing their stomach in pain, not doubled over the toilet wondering if they are dying. I was experiencing intolerable pain!  She told me to change the way I ate and prescribed me a month of some prescription acid reducer to help with the flare ups.  She told me no coffee, no soda, get rid of the fast food, start exercising and you should see improvements.

So I did it. I stopped drinking my half pot of coffee a day, drinking soda constantly and stopping at fast food joints every chance I got.  I actually quit caffeine for 2 years. I dropped 50 lbs by doing Weight Watchers and really started to feel good about myself.

The heartburn has come back a couple of times, but it is so painful that I will immediately change my eating habits again...and again...and again.  I keep falling in the trap of eating like garbage and not expecting any
consequences.

Close enough

So, let's do this again. I'm starting Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live Challenge anyway. And this recent flare up just solidifies my need to change the way I eat.  So starting today, I will start with no caffeine: no soda, no coffee.  This is going to be especially difficult, because this week I have to work third shift at work, so my usual meal and workout routine won't be happening this week, but I don't really have a choice but to change.  My body has had enough.

Have you ever had to change your eating habits?

Eat to Live

Yesterday I went for a run/walk. I completed both Week 3 Day 2 and Week 3 Day 3 of the Couch to 5k program.  I usually will complete one 'day' by heading out from home and then walk all the way back home, but I hadn't completed a day since last Wednesday I believe, and wanted to get through it - because I knew I was capable of it.

I was planning on Zumba tonight, but for no good reason decided to not go which left me feeling pretty down about my weight (especially since I stopped and got Rocky Rococo's for supper). I haven't been eating very well, staying in my calorie range for the day? - yes, eating healthy? - no.

More like here and Instagram.

I had put a hold on the book Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman on the elibrary.  I read it before a long time ago, but it was more of a skim through rather than a read and absorb.  I like that he knows "diets" don't work and promises that I won't ever go hungry on his plan.  I also really like that the way he says we keep weight off is by eating real, natural food, not by eating the fat free, sugar free, over-processed foods that many diets encourage people to eat.

Challenge accepted!

Since I am going out Friday night to a beer bash, I will start Saturday fresh and on this new eating plan.  Dr. Fuhrman says to give him 6 weeks and it will change my life.  That's a big promise, but I'm willing to take on the challenge.  This will give me a day to plan my meals and grocery shop so I start out successful.

Have you ever read this book or another book to help lose weight or inspire yourself?

Documentarathon

It has come to my attention that I seem to like doing things that end in -athon: triathlon (close enough), marathon, sleepathon.  So, I've been on a documentary kick over the past week or so.  What did we do before Netflix?

I usually like to watch documentaries that focus on the food industry and how horrible it is; especially when I am trying to eat better.  I've watched a couple of those and more.

There was Bananas!*, a documentary about the Nicaraguan banana workers and the dangers they faced from the pesticides that were rained down on them.

There was Maxed Out, about how credit card companies prey on the poor and unknowing and make it virtually impossible for you to ever repay your debt.

And then my food documentaries: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Food Matters, Vegucated, and Farmageddon.  I was surprised to see Dr. Fuhrman in a couple of these docs.  If you don't know, he wrote Eat to Live and encourages a clean eating lifestyle.  It made me want to reread his book and start  incorporating juicing like in Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

Eat to Live

So, I am borrowing my younger brother's juicer while he is gone for a couple of months and I will use it as soon as I get the thing clean.  He may be a great brother, but great at cleaning things? Definitely not.

I don't have the time to juice 3-6 times a day, but  I will definitely be doing it as at least one meal replacer.  I'm pretty excited to try it and will let you know how it goes!

Have you ever juiced?  If so for how long?  Have you ever done any type of cleanse? What did you do?