Fat2Fit HQ Podcast

Are you having success with Juicing? Yay! Challenges? Not surprising… if it were easy, we would all try it.
But let us know about your experiences. Your story can help others. Your story matters.  Write to us at success@fat2fithq.com
(** Always check with your physician before trying a juice fast.)

Caroline Miner Houston, Texas

March 2013 – And now, for something completely different.  Remember, not all things work the same for all people.  If you try one thjng and it doesn’t work for you, be open minded to try another healthy thing.  Juicing/detox is NOT for me.  I do not do well without real food in my day.  In fact, I would say that it is personally a poor choice as an unstable diet trigger for migraines for me.  However, my family and I are loving a beginner green tea smoothing as part of our breakfast.

What great reminders for us all Caroline!   While we have many listeners that swear by the benefits of a juice cleanse, you are exactly right: everyone is different.  Thank you so much for the great smoothie recipe that we will share on our recipe page.  Keep up the healthy journey! – Carol

Martha Martinez, Houston, Texas

Feb 2013- Martha had been wanting to try a juice fast/cleanse for a while. She wanted to get to a healthier way of eating and had heard that a juice fast might help her kick cravings. This is how her 5 day juice fast unfolded in her own words:

I had heard about the Juice Fast and decided to try it. While it seemed a bit drastic, I took it on as a physical and mental challenge.
My friend had done it several times and talked about it. It always seemed like a huge feat that I was not tempted to try like running a marathon. However, I decided to try it.
I got a hand-me-down, stored, and forgotten (after the first time it had to be cleaned) juicer that belonged to two of my sisters in turn, quizzed my friend about do’s and don’ts, did some research, bought a fridge full of colorful vegetables mostly GREEN, made a plan and jumped in. After a successful 5-day Fast, I learned so much about nutrition and my physical, mental, and emotional well being.
This is how my journey began:
I planned a routine to make two juices the night before and prepare the veggies and fruit to make fresh for breakfast.
The first day: The morning routine went well, and I found the juice almost enjoyable. Most of the recipes I found contained 2-4 apples, so they were sweet. Lunch was more green juice. To my surprise I was never hungry. I juiced my dinner. Ruben was on his own.
The second day: Easy to follow the routine to make the juices, and the clean up got easier with practice. I drank my lunch juice in the office. I juiced in the evening and sat at the table with my husband Ruben for dinner. I was never hungry and didn’t crave anything.
The third Day: I was not enjoying the juices as much. I drank my lunch and went to sit with the lunch crowd because I was not socializing. I did not want to drink my green juice in front of others eating take out burgers and Mexican food, not because I might crave it, but because I did not want to hear the inevitable comments! I needed only positive energy!!!! I decide that instead of juicing for dinner I would go to a trendy, healthy grocery store (Central Market) to try different juices and buy some for the next day. It would be like going out to eat. Ruben could get a hot meal to take home. I did not cook for the five days I was on the fast. Is that cheating?
That evening turned out to be the worst idea, and probably my “make it or break it” moment! On the way to the market, we passed many restaurants, it is after all Houston, and Ruben reminded me of the wonderful meals we had shared at different places. As the conversation kept going, I notice I was getting hungry and longingly thinking of the next time I would again enjoy a meal out. Not a good feeling!!
We finally get to the market, and as fate would have it, we walked in the wrong door. Not the produce door but the door to the prepared foods and fresh bakery!!!!! I thought I was not going to make it to the produce section. Finally, some green juices. After tasting juices without any fruit, I found I liked them better. I armed myself with a load of green veggies and new resolve. When I got home I felt better than I had all day. I was able to get into my routine and was ready to continue the fast.
The Fourth day… For breakfast, I treated myself to an all fruit juice, cantaloupe and strawberries. Delicious! I had only green juices with no fruit and found I liked them much better and felt very good.
The fifth day… This day was mind over matter! Your brain is a very powerful ally or enemy. Since I knew this was my last day, I needed to hold on to my resolve to break my fast on Saturday morning. By dinner time I was not in the mood to juice, so I had the leftover 8 oz. of juice and steamed a cup of broccoli and carrots. I never felt hungry.
The end….Hurray!!!!!!
What I learned:
• Have a plan and work the plan.
• You need a positive attitude and strong resolve to meet the challenge.
• Listen to your body, as far as how much and how often to drink juice.
• Experiment with different combinations of juice until you find ones that make you happy and makes you feel accomplished.
• Plan carefully to break the fast!
I made the mistake of not eating enough after the fast and had a bad experience, but that is another story!
Two weeks later, I have lost 7 lbs. and have not had any of the bad whites (sugar, potatoes, flour), or carbonated drinks and don’t crave them. I do have a cup of coffee daily. Nice.
Remember to be social even if people will think you are weird, and feed your soul after the fast with a bite of something you really like and makes you happy.
I will do this again and won’ t I know what I am doing!

Carol: Thank you for letting us come along your journey Martha! I am a big fan of a short juice fast to reboot or start on a new path. It is not easy the first few days but you are proof that after that, it is all worth the effort! Your story is inspiring and will surely help many who might be thinking of a juice fast.