365.

ONE YEAR WITHOUT FAST FOOD :)

can you believe it? i can't! this is such an exciting goal to have reached. it doesn't feel like it was a year ago. and now i'm here, on the other side. it feels so good. and thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging to me through this personal challenge.

some things i have learned over the last year about my previous relationship w/ fast food: 

1. i am no longer an emotional eater b/c what i would go to for comfort was fast food. no more! 

2. i don't have a desire to eat fast food. i actually think i would feel bad, emotionally, eating it again. (though i'm not ruling it out in the future, but i would like to go as long as possible w/out it.)

3. if i were to calculate the amount of money i have probably saved over the last year i think it would be somewhere around $500-$700. maybe even more. (that's ridiculous!)

4. i feel so much better, inside and out. i was eating so unhealthy three months prior to giving up fast food. it's really embarrassing how much of it i was consuming. 

some words of encouragement for anyone wanting to give up their fast food habit: 

-fast food is a convenient option when you are in a hurry, don't want to cook and are on the road. i get that. but it is not your only option. fruits and nuts are an easy snack to curb your hunger while on the road or while you wait for a meal to be prepared. you can choose to eat better.

-ask someone to take the challenge of not eating fast food w/ you. it's always helpful when you have someone else to walk through something w/ you, even as trivial as this may seem. accountability is so helpful. crucial even.

-take it one day at a time. i didn't begin w/ a year in mind. i just started out hoping to see that i would be able to go a long time choosing to eat healthier things. challenge yourself to a month. the first week was the hardest for me, but i did it. and so can you.

-telling people about what you are trying to achieve will help you. they will encourage you when you need it. they will help you. they will cheer you on as you reach for your goal.

may we all choose healthier options NOW.

you CAN do it!

day 5: juicing

i got seven and a half hours of sleep last night. again i felt really good, but i also got in a two hour nap :)

due to that nap, i threw my juicing schedule off and only drank four juices. but i wasn't hungry and made sure to drink lots of water in between.

another yummy juice in the books! (not pictured: ginger & blueberries)

if you didn't notice the link in day 1 to the new juicer i chose, please scroll over the word Breville, click the it and you will be directed to the store where i purchased my new juicer. one of the main reasons why i chose that juicer is b/c the spout where you put the fruits and veggies in is so much bigger. and as i stated before, it's quieter and the clean up is so easy.

last night i bought some pears to put in my remaining juices. excited to try those. today i started saving the kale, spinach and carrot pulp from my juices. i plan on using them in some recipes on tuesday, which i will of course share w/ you all. 

here's the pulp!

there are only two more days left in my juicing challenge. i can't believe i'm almost there. i'm almost finished. it has surely been a challenge and also a learning experience. and so many people have been so encouraging to me about this process. thank you again if you were one of those who have spoken words of encouragement to me and if you have said a prayer for me during this time.

see y'all back here tomorrow :)

day 2: juicing

my first full night into the juicing challenge i got 7 hours of sleep. i thought for sure when i woke up i was going to be groggy, per usual, but in fact i was not. i felt really good and had a lot of energy during the day. 

i realized from day 1 that i needed to drink more juice throughout the day and not wait so long in between "meals." i did really well and alternated 24 oz. of water between each juice again. however, i did not pay close attention to what times during the day that i juiced. i was more concerned w/ trying to drink the juice five times a day. and i made sure to start my "breakfast" at 9:30 am. 

yummy juice for the latter part of day 2: carrots, cucumber, tangerines, strawberries, lime, celery, apple, tomato, pineapple and bell pepper. (not pictured: spinach & kale.)

food smells from today were extra strong. i wasn't even hungry all day, but i was wanting what i couldn't have. it is weird not eating solids. when i cook, i just throw things together most of the time. and that's exactly how i juice, which has worked for me so far.

i thought day two would be easier than day one for some reason. but it wasn't. as i said before, i wasn't hungry at all, which was great. however, by the end of the day i just wanted to chew something! i was honestly craving a hamburger :) before bed, i kept wondering if i had bitten off more than i could chew w/ this challenge. (pun intended) and i prayed that i would really crave the juice. my peeps have shown me so much love and have been so encouraging. i thank you immensely for it all. 

maybe i already started planning my first solid meals for when the 7 days are up :) a townhouse salad for lunch sounds about right, doesn't it? 

5 more days to go! see y'all tomorrow :)