9 posts from July 2007

I made it to the finish line.  And I've lost weight. I've gone from 14st 4llb to 13st 91/2 which is a loss of nearly 9llbs.  I am so pleased. This is just a start for me- I have a long "weigh" to go but in terms of a kickstart this couldn't be better. Losing weight is also just the visible sign of all the health benefits which I am also feeling - no IBS, no heartburn, more energy and I've started to reduce my risk of many other things - heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure to name but 3.

Some tips for those who are thinking of doing this programme

1. Read the book thoroughly before you start.  This really helped me to be mentally prepared for this week which I believe is a must. You must absolutely believe you will finish the programme before you start it.

2. Don't think you are being deprived.  This is your choice and only your choice.

3.Keep in mind your reasons for doing this and visualise your goals.

4. If I can do this then anyone can.

The week has not been particularly difficult. At no point did I think I would not do it and that has been helped by the encouragement from Gavin and also my friend Karen in Lancashire who has sent me encouraging and motivational messages all week.  Thank you.

So what is next?  Well today I move on to the 14 day programme -"Turbo Charge your Life"  which is a programme of juicing and other healthy eating and exercise.  You know what? I'm looking forward to it. Here's to the next 9llbs weight loss and even more energy.

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Well, there you have it. Another great result. I know how much it means to get a reward for your efforts and you certainly deserve that. I'm so pleased for you and to hear your commitment to a brighter, healthier future must be inspirational to others reading this.

I'll add a post later to combine the after photos with all the stats!

Gavin

Well 6 days complete out of 7 - I can't believe I'm here with so few hiccups. It was a good start with "Passion 4 Juice" being the first 2 meals of the day. This lulls you into a false sense of security though as the next juice is "Pure Green Super Juice".  I could hardly drink this one and the advice to take a bite from a slice of orange after each mouthful must be heeded. It is doing me good so I did finish it and I just moaned about it to Gavin in our training session later in the day!

I was always very focussed on completing the programme but you never know what is going to happen during the week. However, at this late stage even if something knocks you, you must be determined to finish.  In the past if I had had a bad day I would have had another latte or perhaps some chocolate but that didn't enter my mind today and I'm hoping that will be the same beyond these 7 days.

I'll speak to you tomorrow about the final day, a summary of the week and what happens next for me.

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It's funny how we tend to look to food & drink for either comfort in times of hardship or to celebrate the good times with. I think that is thanks to all the advertising and lifestyle associations the clever marketing people make. They take an event or an emotion and attach it to their product so when you experience that emotion you think of having their goods.

Why do we eat popcorn when we go to the movies? Why celebrate with alcohol? We all do it yet almost everyone is convinced they are not influenced by the advertisers. We might not consciously be influenced but they don't throw those millions at us for no good reason. It works and we are all suckers for it. just keep a look out for the bells that rhe advertisers ring when you are in different situations. They ring the bell and just like Pavloc's dog you start salivating and want their product (kerching!!)

Phillipa is making smart choices. These 7 days take you away form your habits and help you to form new ones.

Gavin

Amazingly, I had plenty of energy at 4am - I was taking my friend Rob to Bristol Airport.  In a couple of his books Jason Vale talks about "airport days" - days when it is difficult to eat heathily because there is so little available at airports supporting healthy eating.  Well I couldn't even get a slice of lemon in hot water this morning - the coffee shop was even reluctant to give me hot water -  for H & S reasons.

Following my early start I would usually have gone back to bed for an hour but not today -  I came home and did some exercise.

I struggled a bit today with the juices.  I really don't like the taste of the Super Chute Juice(it's the only one so far I don't like) so I had the first one but then I swapped the second one  for a juice I like.

I continue to have no IBS or gastric reflux symptoms and I think my skin is also looking brighter - or maybe that's just the strange shade of red I go during exercise - not a pretty sight!

Anyway, only 2 days to go and whilst I am lookig forward to having a healthy chicken salad or something similar on Saturday, I am certainly not craving anything.

Good news all round!

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Well done Phillipa for seeing through the glitz and appeal of instantly available "food" (I use that term in the broadest sense!) I constantly amazed at how poor alot of the choices are for "feeding" in various environments. Another example is pubs, where if you are getting smashed there are hundreds of options but if you are driving or simply choosing not to drink alcohol then your choices are severely limited and usually consist of something bordering on sugar water.

I've been to quite a few business breakfast meetings where the only option is to have a full english. That's fine as a choice but I don't want to eat that so I end up taking my flask of juice. Someone this morning suggested I offer to cater for other people who would like a healthier alternative to sausage, bacon and egg! I might have to look into that.

Gavin

More energy today!  Did an hour workout with Gavin and then the usual exercise in the afternoon.  I feel like I have lost weight today - I think I have one less chin!! My nails are definitley stronger and I have no symptoms of IBS or gastric reflux - amazing.

I'm more than halfway through now. This week has flown and I have not really found it difficult. The process of making the juices is fine. In fact, I think it helps me enjoy the juices more and it feels more like a "meal"
because I've prepared something - not just poured it out of a bottle.

I've started to read the "Turbo charge your life In 14days" in preparation to continue the programme beyond Friday.

Speak tomorrow.

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Phillipa should be an inspiration to anyone considering what to do in order to lose weight. She is completely focussed and heading towards a brighter, lighter, healthier future.

I can't wait to find out her stats at the end of the 7 days. But clearly it doesn't stop there, Phillipa is going on to "Turbo Charge Your Life in 14 Days" which will set her up for the long term with a lifestyle she can keep forever!

Gavin

Well I can't believe I'm nearly at the end of day 3.  I wouldn't say it's been easy but it certainly hasn't been as difficult as I thought.  I was a little disappointed this morning because I felt tired when I got up.  I forced myself to do some exercise and I felt better for it. (I cannot believe this is me saying these things - I must have been inhabited by some
alien!) Never mind the alien loves fruit and veg.   I have been fine for the rest of the day.  The juices today have been great - starting with the lively Lemon Ginger Zinger and the Passion 4 juice made a very flavourful change. The Turbo Express is very filling and tastes good too.

I have been taking daily medication for gastric reflux for a couple of years but I decided not to take it from day one of this programme and guess what? I have had virtually no acidity or heartburn. Fantastic!

By the way, for those of you who thought you saw me at the Sainsbury's patisserie today - you did! But the carrot cake and muffins were for some friends who were visiting. I'm a glutton for punishment.  I suppose I should have been encouraging them to eat more healthily but it really made me feel good that I resisted the temptation.

That's it for today. Off for my "hot n spicy" now.  Speak to you tomorrow!

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What a result! Virtually no heartburn or gastric reflux. That's another condition helped by juicing to go along with IBS and Fybromyalgia as experienced by previous customers.

When I hear feedback like this it really does make me wonder why are so few people juicing? After all, it tastes great, it is a whole lot easier than cooking and it does wonders for your health. I really must get around to starting the Campaign for Real Juice!

Gavin

I thought this might be a difficult day - but it wasn't.  I think the trick is to keep yourself busy.  I took the 2pm juice out with me and by the time I got back it was already time for the 5pm - I was feeling really ready for it by then. And I did miss having a latte whilst we were shopping in Bristol. But the pangs didn't last long.  I had lots of energy today and on top of the exercise programme set by Gavin I also went for a 2 hour walk.  
If there was a low point ( and there wasn't really ) it was when my sister told me she was cooking a lamb chop dinner.  It's a good job she lives in Wales or I might have been sat at her table in a flash.

My kitchen doesn't know what's going on - it's never witnessed so much fruit and veg and the cafetiere is definitely having withdrawal symptoms. Well they better get used to it!  I've consumed so much green stuff that I think I'm starting to lean towards the light!! I don't feel lighter yet but I certainly feel better already.

2 down - 5 to go!

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Ha ha, glad you missed that appointment with Mr Latte!

When I was shopping yesterday I thought I'd try the juice bar at Reading's Oracle, called Fuel. The juice tasted okay but I was disturbed when I spied on them making some of their recipes to see they were using concentrated (carton) juice. I know most people won't be spying like me but this is out of order. Customers are thinking they are getting a freshly squeezed/extracted juice yet half of it may have come straight out of a carton. That's crazy!

Keep at it Phillipa, you are going to get one heck of a reward at the end of this week!

Gavin

Here I am close to the end of day one and it's gone well.  The fruit and veg didn't arrive until this morning because of yesterday's floods so it was a bit of a later start - but that was a great excuse for a little lie in. The quality of the fruit and veg is excellent. Having never used a juicer before I was a bit worried but it was really easy to use and to clean.  The taste of the first juice was a pleasant surprise and there was too much of it to finish. I have adjusted the times of juicing to suit my day and my hunger, although I have not really felt that hungry at all. My favourite juice today has been the "Lemon Ginger Zinger" - basically it does what it says on the tin (only without the tin)

I feel a little tired this evening and I had a slight headache earlier but that subsided very quickly when I had the next juice. I have been to the loo a lot today (wees).

I have not had any cravings even when my friends were eating pizza and garlic bread in front of me.(they are, of course, no longer my friends) I just told myself this is my choice and if I wanted pizza I could have some but I really didn't as I know how much good this week of juicing will do me.

So far so good. Speak to you tomorrow.

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Wow! Way to go Phillipa. You are talking like a real professional juicy person!

You are absolutely right, you can have pizza if you want to. In fact, you can eat whatever you want. Just be sure it is what you want and not just a "mental hunger". Most of us will eat in response to emotions, be they good or bad. Have you ever wondered why you never crave to eat an apple or a tin of pilchards? It's because we haven't created emotional attachments to those foods. The advertising media has not yet considered it worthwhile to try and convince us that it's cool to eat cucumbers or radical to scoff radishes! There's probably not enough margin in those foods compared with  fast and processed foods that supposedly "add value"!

What a great start Phillipa, GO GO GO!

Gavin

Philhs

My name is Phillipa Evans and I am 37.  I have just moved to Wiltshire from Cardiff.  I am a writer, working from home. There are a number of reasons why I have decided to "tryjuice".

-  New location - New lifestyle
-  I am very overweight - the word obese is scary but that's what I am.
-  I am climbing Kilimanjaro again in January so I need to be fit and healthy.
-  My energy levels are really low and I want to boost them.
-  In a nutshell I want to feel and look better than I do at the moment.

I have decided to keep a diary during the 7 day juicing programme in the hope that it will help others who are thinking of embarking on this and also as an extra motivational tool for me -  I don't want to publicly "come off the tracks".
So here we go.

Friday 20th July

I am just waiting for the fruit and veg to arrive. It may have to be delivered by boat today as it is raining so much.  I have mixed feelings about the week ahead.  On the one hand I am a bit nervous, asking myself questions like
Will I be able to make the juices correctly?   Will I like the taste?   Will I get hungry?  What if I feel ill?

And on the other hand I am excited about it, asking questions like How much weight will I lose?  What will I do with all the extra energy? ( no suggestions thank you!!)  What new clothes will I buy when I'm smaller? How much healthier will I be?

I highly recommend reading the "7lbs in 7 days" book and watching the DVD before you start this programme.  They have both certainly helped in terms of mental preparation and motivation and I will be re-reading the book
during this week I am sure.   That's it for now.  I will update you after my first day.

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Congratulations to Phillipa for deciding to Blog her way through the next 7 days of her transformation!

In fact Phillipa has already made a terrific start to changing her life and transforming her health by exercising with me as her Personal Trainer. Despite finding the first session horrendous, she is now 10 days later speeding along showing significant improvements already.

Phillipa has also decided to share her photographs with you so you can see how she changes.

Best of luck Phillipa!

Gavin