Fasting, Recovery, and Bikram Yoga...Oh my..

So I did a 4 day fast recently and am so stoked for the energy and willpower to pull it off. Maybe I should say God Power instead of willpower. Thank you God for the power to juice fast for 4 (almost 5) days! It felt so good to take a break from eating. I detoxed a little bit. Shed a few pounds, of course! Bonus! Got some great sleep! Did not disturb my wife's sleep by snoring. Apparently, when I eat cleaner and I'm less fat, I tend not to snore! Lately, I've been snoring quite a bit! Anyway...not really sure how to recap since my last post, but thought I'd post something to get some thoughts out of my head!

Went to a very good meeting tonight! I thought it was going to be a dry meeting because I sized up the speaker based on his looks! Terrible right! I hate when I do that! Part of me wanted to turn around when I noticed the chair person. So glad I stayed. I always get something out of every meeting I go to!

The topic was on Step 10: Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it!

I didn't get a chance to share! I haven't really given step 10 a good look lately, but realized tonight that it is very much engrained in my daily life! I'm constantly taking my inventory and am very aware of the actions I need to take in order to help me live happy, joyous, and free! Now, whether or not I take the action is a very different story! Lately, however, I've been taking a lot of action in many areas of my life that I feel is helping to make me a better human being.

List of actions:

• I'm sober today
• Got to a meeting tonight
  
• Asked someone to sponsor me
• Made an appointment with my dentist
• Recently sought counsel of a nutritionist
• Started to see my therapist more regularly
• Showing up for work on time
• Present for my children and wife
• Starting to attend Bikram Yoga classes regularly

Those are the list of actions that I've taken recently that are helping me so much. I've been very lazy in the self development area of my life and am confident that I will continue to take the right path with the least resistance.

Not sure where I'm going now...I'm tired of looking at the screen.

I should mention that I regret drinking the coffee today. I should have listened to my inner self that said, don't do it! But hopefully I learned that my body doesn't respond well to it any longer. I do not plan on drinking any tomorrow or the day after. I pray that I stay away from it! It's a drug that my body and mind crave and deep down I know that I can't drink it without having ill effects! I just felt amped and edgey. Oh well...progress not perfection! Thank god tomorrow is a new day.

Bikram was very tough this morning. Actually, this was the toughest class I've had since I started. I'm not really sure what it was, but I'm just thankful that I went and got through the practice! I'm pretty sure I'll go tomorrow.

Anyway...

--Namaste

Bikram Yoga Rocks

I know, I know...it's been so long since I've posted. It's ok really, because it's not like I have any followers or anything. (Not that my ego wouldn't mind having some followers.) This is really a place for me to come and share what's happening with me. I try to be honest with my eating. However, that's not a very true statement. Because if I was honest, I'd be writing about all the shit I've been eating. Total Crap. Bad for you food. I struggle with food. I hate that I struggle at all with anything. Food would have to be at the very very top of my issues these days.

The reason I'm writing right now is because I'm feeling good. My eating is clean today and I have good energy. I never write when I eating crap! Ever! I write when I'm feeling good or possibly when I'm about to eat crap. If I haven't, I will start coming here to vent about my feelings regarding my cravings and desires to eat foods that are not on the list. Good point, maybe I'll make the list now. I wasn't planning on doing this, but I feel it would be a good exercise. Speaking of exercise, I was recently turned on to Bikram yoga. I'm so stoked on this new find. It may be that my yoga practice is helping figure this stuff out. All I know is if I eat like shit the day or night before doing bikram, the classes are harder and I struggle. More on Bikram later...Back to my list of foods to stay away from:

Abstinance List:

1. Coffee--> I have to stay away from coffee. I'm a total addict and I LOVE a good caffeine buzz and it totally fucks with my energy and food intake.
   
2. Refined flour--> I can hardly imagine not ever having slice of sourdough bread again, but need to test the waters here. (I actually have an appointment with a nutritionist next week. Hoping she can shed some light on my struggles!)
3. Potato Chips--> They're not that healthy for you and it may be a food that I should stay away from.
   

This is doable for the near future. At least until I can get some professional advice! I definitely have issues! I wish I was normal and could not trip on food or alcohol or coffee.

I think I'm starting to get tired writing now! It sure does feel good to write again. I love this forum. I found some great Bikram blogs that are so fun to read. I can't believe how much I love doing Bikram yoga. I feel soooo gooood when I'm done with my practice. I want to be a Bikram instructor! I'm gonna start saving now! My goal is to do it in 2012! Stoked! Stoked! Stoked!

Today's intake:

spring water--76 oz
2 cups of chai tea (with raw honey)
32 oz of green smoothy
1 pear
fresh apple juice--32oz
celery & broccoli with hummus
2 oranges
raw almonds--1/2 c

I need to write down yesterdays intake:

2 venti coffees from starbucks
steel cut oats with banana and brown sugar
spaghetti with alfredo and veggies from cafeteria (bland)
beans and tomatoes (cafeteria) --not bad
peanut butter cookie (cafeteria) very good, but super greasy

When I got home from work at 11pm then I had:

ritz crackers and cheddar cheese
ritz crackers and smoked salmon (from costco) very good
small lunch bag of lays barbecue chips
2 bowls of lucky charms with almond milk

I think that's it. I may be forgetting something. It's the night eating of junk food that's been hard to break, but that's about to change! At least that's my honest intention! I will go to a meeting tonight, maybe. Tomorrow for sure! We'll see how I feel at midnight. I'm kinda sleepy eyed right now...therefore, i'm signing off

--Namaste

Abstinent Day 2

It's actually day 3. I attempted to do an update via my new ipad, but for some reason it wouldn't bring the focus to the main body to update....Oh well...Maybe I'll try again. I was at work taking a break in my car, tapping into google's free wifi. Anyhow...

Feeling pretty good for day 3. Basically I've been all raw for 3 days now. It's amazing how clear my head and how much more energy I'm feeling. Except for some trader joes hummus I used to dip my broccoli and peppers into, i've been raw.

Yesterday's intake:

2 cups of chai tea with honey
1 plum
2 quarts of green smoothy
1/2 quart of coconut choc/maca/cayenne smoothy
handful of nuts/gogi mix
2 quarts of spring water

I finally made it to our local spring to harvest some water. It takes 20 minutes per 5 gallon bottle. It makes me feel good knowing i'm putting spring water in my body vs. the RO water! I harvested 4 5gal jugs, so I should be good for a while.

My eating habits have been so bad lately. I've gained, within the last couple of months, at least 10 lbs. I'm at 200 lbs. I'm so uncomfortable lately, something has to give. My food choices have been awful as well! It's so crazy to me that I've been eating so poorly! It's mostly the night eating as well as some poor food choices that have contributed to my weight gain and my low energy!

The good news is "tomorrow is a new day"! and I can make a change anytime I choose! I love the early morning brisk air we've had lately. I can feel the seasons changing and I'm looking forward to changing with it! So here I go! Ready to post as much as I can to document my food intake as well as my daily progress and feelings.

Peace

Abstinent Day 4

Funny to read my previous post's entry. "Addictive eating no more"

The good news is that I keep trying to stay abstinent from refined flour, processed sugar, chips, and caffeine! Yes I'm at it again and maybe, just maybe, I will not regress. I'm so tired of my past eating habits. I'm so ready to move forward from my unhealthy ways.

I'm up to 195lbs, the last time I weighed myself at least. I could have crept up a pound or two. OMG, 198 oh my! I never thought I'd be back in this neighborhood, but alas, here I am! I've been waiting to post until I had a few days under my belt. I didn't want any one day false starts. Like I've been doing for the past freaking year! "Today's the day I start abstaining! For fuckin sure this time!" Shea right!

Feels good to write again. Tonight was my wife's christmas party and I actually ate sensibly! What a freaking concept! Thank you God for giving me the strength to not share that lava cake with my wife! I kept looking at it! Debating! I didn't give it TOO much thought however! Thank god! I abstained and I'm thankful! I am just a little hungry right now, which is why I'm writing! I will most likely have some fruit. Even though it's 11:30pm and I could easily go to bed. I'm most likely going to have maybe a banana and some a bite or two of the raw chocolate treat I've paid $8 for from whole foods! Whatever! It is a serious treat for me! I just need to figure out how to make them myself. (All in good time!)

Keeping it real & grateful!

Addictive eating no more...

I'm not sure how it happened, but I've been raw since the first day of Autumn and I feel pretty darn good! Not sure where to begin except that I made the decision not knowing it was the first day of fall. It realized this a couple of days into it and it seems quite fitting for it to fall on this date. For the longest time I've been trying to come up with the "perfect date" to start my new way of eating...New Years Eve, New Years Day, April 1st, (my AA birthday), July 1st, my wife's birthday....I don't know why, but I wanted to make it a special day.

I'm sure I'll start blogging lots more now...I've got lots I need to get out of my system...I just hope I make sense!

Today I felt like I had some detox symptoms...like I do when I eat dairy....I started sneezing a few times, then my nose just ran and ran for 30 minutes maybe. Hmmmm....I expect lots of detox symptoms in the days and weeks to come!

I'm happy to finally start my journey!

Food Log:

64 oz of green smoothy
64 oz of water
1/2 cantelope
couple slices of orange
nut burger from cafe gratitude
some live nuts (from whole foods)
few figs
some sliced tomatoes
12 oz of kombucha tea

My plan is to start a fast either tomorrow or Monday. I will prepare the juice tomorrow...enough for a few days.

It's been a while...

Have been mindfully staying away from posting. Hmmm.... I enjoy writing, so how come! I know why! I've been too busy! I'm too tired! I have nothing to say! What does it matter, anyhow? No one really cares, so why should I care? Too funny! All these excuses sound wonderfully valid. Some are, but most are just that--excuses. To be honest, I just enjoyed reading my last post! Or part of it! It's interesting, how much I struggle with my addictions. Especially food and coffee!

I need to start writing again! It's good for me to get stuff out! I also need to start hand writing in my journal! I will try not to be too self conscious about what I write about and just write. I'm confident that I'm not the only person struggling with intake choices!

My wife and I recently got away to Calistoga and Mendocino for a few days. Ahhh....it was sooo nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

The highlights were as follows:

1. Made love a lot
2. Stayed at Indian Springs resort for 2 nights and swam (floated) in the hot spring pool for long periods of time late at night under a blanket of stars.
3. Enjoyed my first mud bath
4. Stumbled upon Farm Sanctuary in the local book store.
5. Experienced my first fresh water spring. (Very Cool find)
6. Spent quality time my wife
7. Stayed 2 nights at the Stanford Inn. (The only thing it was missing was an olympic sized natural hot spring pool)

The whole trip was great! Our kids were in summer camp all week and we got away! It was nice to be apart, but it was also nice to re-unite with them at the end of the week!

So I just got done reading Farm Sanctuary! What a great book! It was a good reminder for me to why my food choices matter. Especially my reasons for not eating meat and for inspiring me to continue to strive to be 100% raw vegan.

I'm getting tired...so it's time for me to retire. Besides I feel like I'm rambling anyhow...I made a ton of juice today...so the plan is to juice tomorrow and get pumped up to start my fasting journey asap...

Green juice, green smoothies, OH MY...

What a difference a day makes. I'm so glad this day is almost over and I can plop into bed for a pleasant slumber! OMG...I had the hardest time falling asleep last night because of my coffee consumption! I knew it too! Since my body did not have any coffee for at least a week or more, I was super sensitive! I knew I was going to have a hard time of it! I think I actually thought I'd just have a small coffee or a grande! Oh no, not me dude! I have a Venti! It's like a tall beer or a pint of Lager! Then i go back for one more, when the caffeine buzz is really on! Like it's going to get better or something. Actually, I got cotton mouth and felt pretty lousy after about an hour or so after finishing my second Venti!

I think I've learned my lesson! I don't like the way caffeine makes me feel. Not to mention all the negative effects it has on your body! I've been re-reading a lot of the literature I have on caffeine and it really does help to keep me focused on why I need to stay far away from the stuff!

Intake:

32 oz Lemon water with MSM
32 oz of greeen smoothie
32 oz of greeen juice
64 oz of water
10 chlorella tabs
10 spirulina tabs
1 TBS bee pollen
2 bananas

I felt really great and was going to stay raw, but the Indian food we purchased last night was calling my name, "one last time"!!

I should have stuck with my plan, because I had plenty of energy prior to consuming the indian food!!