transformations

Today is 46 days into my juice feast. I’ve been really quite about it (not just on my blog-where you may have noticed I’ve be “quiet” for months, but life in general). Only recently have I started sharing this with those beyond my immediate circle. The program I’m (mostly) following is 92 days (the same one as the former Farmer Femme), so if I am to complete it, this is the halfway point. When I began this journey, I didn’t plan on going for 92 days, hell, I didn’t plan on making it to 30, or even 10. I doubted my ability to stick with something like this. No chewing, no protein, no sugar, no carbs – no way, I thought to myself. But, I also had a great deal of motivation.

My primary motivations were/are detoxification and weight loss. Concern about my toxic load –especially as I plan on creating, growing and nursing future children, as well as the way my weight could adversely impact my chances of conception, a healthy, low-risk pregnancy and increasing my chances of having a low-intervention birth. I can’t begin to describe how much those things mean to me and therefore I’m willing to do whatever I believe will help me get closer to those goals. Lower toxins, a lower bmi, and more confidence, that’s what I was seeking from this experience.

These motivations were what got me through the first two–well, to be totally honest closer to three–weeks of hard-core detox. The day I started, September 6th, I had already been exposed to a cold (C also got it) and the next day was CD1. So, I was sick with a cold, menstruating and detoxing all at once; not ideal. Cleansing is not always easy, but compound it with those other factors and I was seriously questioning myself and what I was doing. I knew however that quitting wasn’t going to really help (in the holistic sense) and I decided to keep going. I knew going in that after the first three weeks it often got easier, and that was my experience as well. Right about day 21, I felt different, lighter, cleaner. I was in a rhythm and my body has gotten used to this new stage.

Now, at Day 46, I feel great. Really #^@&*%$ great!

‘s coming up slightly more now that the weight loss is more noticeable and now that I’m more immersed and more confident, I feel able to respond to the range of questions and comments. When I share this all with others, I am met with shock, incredulousness, concern and admiration. The most common question is how long am I going to continue, and my response has been, as long as I’m feeling good. (I usually leave the 92 day thing to myself, as it further compounds the more negative end of the response spectrum.)

Greater attention to my body, exactly what I’m putting into it and how I feel throughout the day has been interesting, challenging and rewarding. I’ve slowly started to increase my physical activity (in moderation and deference to my energy levels), which also feels good. I have of course continued my acupuncture treatments biweekly (in the every-other-week sense of the word) which I love, love, love. (In fact, I saw LNL today and every time it reaffirms how great she is and how much I need this.) Before I started the scariest thing for me–other than the idea of “failure”– was how I would deal with attending bir.ths (I generally live off nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal and adrenaline while at one, and they can last for days). I’m happy to say that I’ve developed a system that seems to work for the three I’ve had so far and I only have one more client for whom I’ll be on-call.

On the horizon: returning to the gym, more yoga, focused meditation practice and taking it all day by day. And, maybe some more regular blogging…