Liver Detox - Metabolism Jumpstart

I decided to do a Detox/Cleanse on Friday after recommendation from my coach.  She recommended a Liver Detox ** from First Magazine.  At first glance, I liked the idea of this one because it wasn't some crazy product littered with words I can't read!  It was regular foods and it also allowed you to EAT starting day 2.

You can read the description for what it does for you, but reality is,  the cleanse is like an oil change.  You just need to do it once in a while to keep things working right.  Many of you know I struggle with my weight too, so I thought why not give it a try?

Day 1:

Drink a concoction that you create with spices, juices and water with an addition of flax seed in the AM and PM. Alternate that and water for 12 hours.

I can't handle non-sugar sweeteners, so I had to deal with the tart cranberry/lemon taste.  It wasn't that bad. It would have been nicer  sweet, but was just fine.

Thoughts: not as bad as I thought.  I  found that drinking 8oz of water every hour was really hard to do.  I'm dumbfounded too as it is only 4 more portions than required normally. Clearly I do not drink enough.  As expected, I had to pee every 45 min, and I was a little hungry at points.  I figured my 'hunger' wasn't really 'hunger' since my stomach wasn't growling, I just wanted to eat!

I went to bed early and dreamed of my eggs for breakfast.

Day 2:

I prepared my scrambled eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes. I realized there was a TON of food and wasn't going to be hungry today.  I finished my eggs, ate my orange for dessert and packed my lunch.

My first snack: 1 cup of plain yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and flax seed.  1 cup of yogurt is a TON!  Those single servings are like 1/3 of a cup or something, I felt like I was eating a full bowl of cereal.

Lunch: big salad with dark greens, beets, artichokes and chicken.  I giggled at at the beets, yes for you Carlie!   I also am not particularly fond of lettuce, it is just weird and difficult to eat to me, but it's a necessity in eating heatlhy! I found the salad to be very filling; and luckily I do not need dressing so "as is" was fine for me.

Around 1, I had enough and I just wanted to eat a piece of bread or a chocolate (or chocolate on bread?), or donuts  or cookie, or cake, or just warm french bread, or pizza.. or wings with bleu cheese,  or cheese, or potato chips.....then I reality checked myself and realized I AM FULL, it is my brain saying "eat this crap." I am fully addicted to carbs, hopefully this 3 day thing will help get me off of them.

Thank God I don't have a caffeine addiction. I imagine this would be REALLY HARD if you needed coffee.  My coach has asked me a couple times if I had a headache.  I really wouldn't know the difference, I have a headache 99% of the time anyway so whatever, right?  If you are going to try this, I recommend kicking your caffeine addiction first!

Dinner was good, a big bag of cauliflower and broccoli, 6oz of chicken and I made a dipping sauce for all of it.  2tbl of that plain yogurt and 'simply garlic' (a packaged bought spice blend.).    I like sauce, so the addition of my little mixture was just perfect. It is very good too!

Then a baked apple with nutmeg and cinnamon! Yum!

For those that don't understand how yogurt can be used as a sauce, you have to try it.  Plain yogurt is so well, plain!  John made a face at me, he said "but it's sweet" I said "no it's plain" he said "no it's sweet."  His response is typical.  You can use plain yogurt as a substitute for sour cream, just add some chive! You can have a veggie dip by adding onion soup mix....You just have to try it.

Day 3: 

Woke up and down 4.5 lbs from the start. That's not "REAL" we all can call a spade a spade here. Water weight! I'm just shocking the system, but hell, I'll pretend and be happy today.  I feel full, but my brain still wants something sugary or bubbly to drink, and carbs.. oh how I would love a bagel.

I choose to eat the same thing as Day 2, I could have mixed up my veg and protein  but was just easier to prepare it all at once.  Eating healthy does take more time, but I kinda like getting up early, making eggs and watching something from the DVR.

The most annoying thing so far with this detox is the pee-breaks!  I have a 1 hour commute, and a 30-45 min bladder at this point.  One word UGH.. (ok 2 words) pee dance!

I lived through day 3 just fine, I enjoyed my food for the day.  So much that I even prepared the same breakfast today. I'll probably have that yogurt/ fruit mix for a snack later.  I did add a small piece of toast to breakfast though.  Damn carb addiction, but man it was good!

Officially I'm 4.2lbs down from when I started. I'll be surprised to see how much actually stays off.

I feel a little better, but mentally I feel LOTS better.

I would recommend it, I feel like it jump-started my potential to eat better.

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** The original link to the recipe was removed from the source, so here it is **

First Day:

Prepare the Miracle Juice!

• 8 oz all natural cranberry juice
•  3/4 cup orange juice
• 56 oz pure water
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger and nutmeg
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• Stevia natural sweetener to taste
• Ground flax seed (store in freezer)

Bring the mixture of water and cranberry juice to a soft boil. Combine cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg into a tea ball and steep it in the mixture for 15 minutes. (For a tangier juice, add the spices directly to the liquid.) Let it cool, then add lemon juice to the mix. Add Stevia for taste.

Day One of The Liver Cleanse Plan

• For breakfast pour a glass of the juice. Stir in 2 Tbs. of flax seed 
• One hour later drink 8 oz. water
• Keep alternating juice and water for the next 12 hours without the flax seed
• Add the flax seed again to your final cup of juice before bedtime

Alternate drinking 1 cup (8 ounces) of filtered water and 1 cup (8 ounces) of Miracle Juice during the day. Drink at least 72 ounces of filtered water throughout the day, in addition to the Miracle Juice. Make sure you drink at least a cup of liquid - either the Miracle Juice or water - every hour. Begin the protocol when you wake up in the morning. You don't have to begin at a specific time, but be sure to have all eight glasses of Miracle Juice in addition to the 72 ounces of water by day's end.

Breakfast:

• scramble 2 eggs
• add veggies (mix in or serve as side dish )
• have a small orange for dessert (no juice)
• add fresh lemon juice to glass of water

Snack:

• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt topped with fresh (or from the freezer) berries and ground flax seeds.  Grind in coffee grinder or mini blender.  Refrigerate after opening bag.  Organic yogurt best and Trader Joe's carries it!

Lunch:

• dark green salad with beets (raw shredded or cooked), artichoke hearts, 6oz lean protein (wild and/or organic best).  Avocado okay.

Snack:

• baked apple with cinnamon and nutmeg 

Dinner:

• big portions of cauliflower, broccoli and 6oz lean protein (wild and/or organic best)
  
  

12 week Winter Training - Fundraising Event!

Build base, strength, and power and help a GREAT cause!

Hate winter training, but also hate the sluggish feeling in the spring?
Want to learn how to train more effectively?
Want to be a better, faster, stronger rider?
Want to ride with Phil's Phriends?

Cycling Fusion is a great startup that is changing the face of indoor cycling. They are offering a 12 week winter training starting in January that will get you in shape and ready for next season without leaving the comfort of your own home!

Anyone can take the class, beginners, advanced, you just need a trainer or indoor cycling bike and an internet connection.

You get 30 hours of instruction from experts in the industry, a tool to log and evaluate your workouts, increasing ride time, and cross training for $299 and a generous portion is donated to  Phils Phriends 2013 PAN MASS CHALLENGE. (Use PMC2013 as your coupon code to have a portion donated)!  As a special one time event, because we are their first fundraiser, they are donating 30%-50% of the training to the PMC!

The classes are live on Saturday AMs, then rebroadcast on Sunday, Monday  and Tuesday.  Starting Wednesday classes are available on demand and you can take the class when you want!

This is your opportunity to ride with us, support a wonderful cause, and get in shape!

To sign up:

Go to Cycling Fusion Winter Training and click on the sign up today button.

Then from the Train at Home, select either one lump sum of $299 or you can select to pay in installments.

VERY IMPORTANT: in the coupon code use the "PMC2013" to make sure your registration qualifies for a generous donation by Cycling Fusion.

Check out the short video about Winter Training:

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2012 Ironman Florida Volunteer Race Report

I decided a couple months ago that I was going go to Florida to volunteer.  You really need to be there the year before if you want a slot for next year. As a volunteer you get the privilege of standing in a 3 hour line in hopes to get a slot.  I'm glad I did this, as the online slots sold out in less than a minute!

I arrived on Friday and drove in from Tallahassee.  My hotel was NOT within walking distance so I had to drive to the race site.  Parking is terrible, you park at a Walmart a mile away, or down the street, a little under a mile.  I found that LaVela was the best place, it was slightly closer even though it charged to park.  

I went to find a volunteer registration tent only to find out that there was a meeting at 5PM (??), I received  no emails or communications to me about meetings, so I was a bit frustrated.  I wasn't sure where I was going, what I was doing, but I'm a Type A and was bound to find my post. It was just before 5 EST when I discovered that Panama City is on CENTRAL TIME!   Seriously  who put half of Florida in Central Time?  I felt stupid!  The 5PM meeting was also not helpful for me, the Security and Swim captains did not show, so I was still at a loss.  The Volunteer Coordinator told me to just go to my posts in the AM and I would be fine.  

Well, not only was I fine, I had the absolute best posts on the course!  There were 2500 volunteers and I think I had the best posts!

I arrived race day at 4:30am.  Met up with some people who I thought were in charge.  Turns out I met the Sheriff's department and they stationed me with the EMT's.  It was my job to get DNF's and injured athletes out of the surf as they were brought in on the Jet Skis.  

The water was pretty choppy.  Many, including the pros said it was the roughest water they'd seen in the 14 year history of the race.  I watched as the Jetskis and Kayakers had  a tough time maneuvering. 

 The mass start was crazy, I was at the other end so I didn't capture great pictures, however you can see there are 5+ people in spots where there should be one.  Many were hurt during the start. Including one man who was kicked so hard he dislocated his shoulder. I asked an athlete later and he said there was no way to NOT climb on people.  I was also told this was more viscous than any IM they'd done before.  Presumably due to the waves.

I saw most of the pros come in for the first lap prior to to getting to work. A tip I learned, all the Pros "SKIPPED" out of the water, definitely made the trudging through surf look easier than the mess I saw with the age groupers.

After the first loop of the pros, I put my camera away and went to work. I had a wetsuit on so I stood in the waves.  I helped people off the Jetskis, but also kept an eye on people falling over in the surf.  I saw the weirdest stuff once the age groupers came through.  One guy had a skull cap on to keep his head warm, not odd.. but couple that with the fact he was in a SPEEDO ONLY: Weird.  Seriously if you're cold, WEAR A WETSUIT.   Another guy had a zipper, over the head wetsuit shirt on, he tried to remove it in the surf and of course got it stuck on top of his head, arms extended and landed face first into the surf.  I yanked his head out of the water and he said "hey I'm ok." - Seriously, don't put your head in the waves as your arms are tied down.

As we got closer to the cutoff, things got  hairy.  MANY MANY people were throwing up.  I had never considered that I would have to swim through puke on an IM swim.  The last swimmer that would make the cutoff stood up, her eyes were almost rolled back into her head.  I ran to her and she said "I'm not going to finish."One other volunteer and I just yelled, how about you make that decision in 20 yards, you have 1 minute to get there and we ran her up. She at least finished the swim!  The look on the faces of those behind her were devastating.   Knowing their day was over at 9:30 AM just heartbreaking.

I was the only volunteer in the actual water on my side.  As the end drew near, a few joined me and also wished they had brought a wetsuit. (note, bring a wetsuit if you're volunteering, you might want to swim at some point)!

I collected so much junk as I was standing there, several goggles, caps, gu packets, all would be 'trash.'  I don't know if the athletes retrieved their stuff, but know to check lost and found. People turn in just about anything. 

I then took a break to remove my wet clothes and eat and watch the pros come in on the bike. This was the end of Andrew Starykowicz's epic ride. 112 miles in 4:04!  I didn't make the connection until later in the day, but he was the athlete in Abu Dhabi who hit a volunteer that ran out in front of him an was subsequently thrown in jail. (Check out his blog).  He didn't receive medical care for his injuries and had a pretty hellish month.  I swear this story could be on that "locked up abroad" show!  He really just let it all out today!

Note he has a police escort! YEA, so I will consider myself first place from now on when I have one, instead of last!

After watching him finish, I proceeded to the most awesome post, the finish line, where I stayed for the next 11 hours. I was un-wrapping medals, and handing them out!  WOW!  This is what life looked like for the rest of the day!

I was lucky enough to be there for Pros, and take some pretty cool pictures.   Their interviews were very humbling too, they were genuinely happy, proud, they let it all out there.  Andrew especially was touched, especially after the year he's had. 

Yvonne was similar happy, no smug athletes here!  That was nice. Actually, I only encountered a couple of jerks all day. Most  athletes were just so awesome!

 My Idol Rinny! And  a great pic of the top women. Yvonne, Mirinda, and Meredith. I was in awe of Meredith as she came out of the water 11th overall. Yea she caught almost all of the pro MEN, who had a 5 min headstart!

Then as the day wore on, there were the age groupers.  The emotion on their faces is just awesome. People were letting it ALL out on the course.  Many  would collapse as soon as they got to the finish line. It was an absolute honor to put medals on these athletes heads!

Ironman had a special event this race. It's 500,000's finisher crossed the line at 14 hours.  This poor guy had no idea what was going on, why there were fireworks for him, or the women's winner was putting his medal on!

A finisher in the last 30 min was especially  amazing. Not only did she complete an Ironman, but RAN IN HER FULL FIRE GEAR!  WOW! 

 We drew closer to the end, the pros were all out either running people in, or giving medals.

Inspiring is an understatement.  You can't help but be inspired, in awe, touched, and just downright emotional when you watch the last hour.  TO hear the chant from the crowd "You are an Ironman" was amazing.

Well watch for yourself! I took this video!

I cannot wait until next year.  359 days until I cross that finish line.  If you need an excuse to go to Florida  this sure is a good one!  Fatgirl is now officially on her Ironman Journey!


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