I started my weight loss journey in my early 20s. You know when you’re dealing with those extra 5 pounds and struggle to lose them? Here I am, 15-plus years later and five babies later, and it seems almost impossible!

Delicious foods and drinks are so hard to avoid. Every time you look up, there’s a party, holiday, or another excuse to have a great time. Your self-discipline is weak, to say the least; at least mine was in my 20s. And I’ll be truthful—I’ve struggled in my 30s, too.

What works and what doesn’t? I just want to find what works and still look and be healthy. I don’t want it to be miserable, either. I refuse to pay massive amounts of money for some weight loss gimmick. I am working on doing this for free and for me. 

Mothering and Parenting

You’re just trying to keep up with life. Before you know it, those nine months of not worrying about your mid-section show their impact. I remember telling myself I would never let that happen to me. Then I had my precious baby (I would never wish her/him away, of course), and this belly stretched.

I have stretch marks on my body that I’m trying my best to eliminate. How am I supposed to figure out how to make my body return to how it was? Honestly, there should be health and psychology classes to prepare us for “the change.”

In my junior year of high school, I would eat a whole bag of those mini white powdered donuts—a huge bag to myself! My pant size was zero. Zero! Who even made up that size? Everyone has a measurement. If they didn’t, they would be a nobody.

I look back and see I was unprepared for the body season change. I am 38 and still working on my body. More so, thinking about how it is not burning enough calories anymore. Then you get into a groove and are in a new decade and a physical season of change. And it may seem dark and depressing at times. I am laughing out loud right now, as dramatic as it may be, but there are moments of self-doubt and regret in my undisciplined seasons. 

Finding Consistency

But this is my new season of consistency, as best as I can make it consistent. To stay on track and bury the self-doubt and “not possible” attitude. It is time for self-discipline and consistency. I have decided to do a 45-day juice fast to lose a good portion of my body weight. I would like to lose 65 pounds. I am currently starting at 201 pounds of positive weight, which would bring me back to 136 pounds if I reach my goal. 

Juice Fasting: The Plan

I have chosen to try juice fasting. Here’s what it’ll look like:

Breakfast: My plan is to drink a sunshine drink in the AM with 40 grams of protein from a beef and chicken bone concentrate in powder form.

Lunch: At lunch, I will drink green juice, which will be mainly vegetables and herbs, and 20 grams of broth powder mix.

Dinner: And for my evening juice blend, I will drink a dark red juice made from beet juice as the main ingredient and other fresh juiced veggies for my dinner, with an additional 40 grams of protein bone broth powder concentrate.

My Rationale

I am not a health expert. I am experimenting with what I know in this 90-day healing and health journey. It’s healthier than what I was eating before. I read that, on average, you can lose one to two pounds daily on a juice fast juicing fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It will add a lot of nutrients to my diet throughout the day – many more nutrients than I was receiving before. The bone broth will increase my protein intake to an appropriate level for my body weight. Hopefully, I won’t lose much muscle.

Bone broth contains a lot of collagen, which helps joints, tendons, organs, skin, hair, and nails. My most important focus is healing the gut, which I have struggled with for the last 15 years. They say your gut is connected to your brain, and I know that any increase in my brain function is a win.

I also drink a lot of water by adding lemon or lime. My favorite is fresh-squeezed lemonade with Truvia for sweetness. The lemonade flavors are what I look forward to throughout each day—flavorful hydration! Not only do I love it, but all my boys also love it. To maintain a healthy balance, I will incorporate avocados, chia seeds, and healthy fats into my juice meals. 

Daily Challenges

Since last Thursday, I have been juicing up until dinner time and then eating a healthy dinner to prepare for this juice fast. In the first few days, I had headaches from no coffee or caffeine. On Friday, the first day of the preparation, I took three Tylenol as I did not want to cave in and drink my coffee. I did have moments when I didn’t think it would be possible. I was not even planning on doing a full juice fast until I started to feel much better and brighter.

I was wearing tight clothes. I’m sure many people around me are thinking, “Oh my word, she is really chunky in the midsection,” but I told myself I’m going to wear my tight, fat-sucker-inner shorts that barely button. I have a tube of fat around my waist, and I’m wearing a fitted tank top. I never show my arms or my belly anymore. I am now. It is keeping me accountable. It’s making me realize every time I go into the kitchen that my clothes are very snug and uncomfortable.

I am not caving into pleasure. I don’t want that anymore. I want to feel good about what I’m wearing. I want to bend down and not struggle with tying my kid’s shoes. I would like to hustle when my husband needs help with a hard task versus breathing heavily just to walk upstairs. I want to fit in my old clothes again and be fashionable in what I wear like I once did. I don’t want to be depressed whenever I buy new clothing because I can’t wear those cute capris with that fitted shirt and heels. 

Sleeping Habits and Quality

Last night, I slept well. My average sleep score, according to my Fitbit, is in the mid-70s to low 80s. One of the weird things that I noticed after starting the juice fast was achiness all over my body, especially my feet, calves, and legs. It was a flu-like achiness. I wouldn’t say I liked it.

I do not know what it was scientifically, but it was as if I could feel toxins being destroyed by the nutrients my body had been receiving. I could feel the toxins tingle and explosions underneath my skin. I took this as an invitation from our hot tub on our downstairs patio overlooking Great Falls. I unquestionably was ready for a relaxing soak as the boys slept in.

I took my vitamins and drank my belly reducer shot, which is juiced pineapple, kale, ginger, lemon, and pineapple boiled water. I am sure I will be recreating this blend over the next few weeks, but this is what I drink when I wake in the early morning and before I go to sleep. 

Bowel Movements

Not to be gross, but bowel movements are one of the most important aspects of assessing your health. Mine have been frequent in the first few days, but yesterday and today, with only liquids, they have decreased. Early bowel movements were easy, but today, they were unformed. 

Wow, that was hard to share, but hey, it’s transparent. If you are following my blog, you might be a parent, and I know you get me. Bowel discussions can even become dinner topics once you have toddlers. I have five boys, and it is what it is. 

Skin Health and Changes

For my skin, I have small breakouts that are barely noticeable on the sides of my cheeks and temples. I looked up the Chinese acne face map; it indicates that the areas where I am breaking out point to the gallbladder, stomach, and pelvic organs. 

Energy Levels

I have not seen a huge difference in my energy just yet. 

Mind Health

I feel like my mind is quicker. For the first couple of days, I wanted to nap midday. 

These are the first few days of my Juice Fasting Weight Loss Journey. I have to address some challenges of overcoming bad habits and inconsistencies. But as you can see, fasting has already shown some positive results in my health, mind, body, and sleep.

I look forward to sharing more of my journey over the next few weeks. If you like what you’ve read, sign up for my newsletter! You’ll receive weekly emails to keep you in the loop so you don’t miss any of my updates!