Weight loss - DAY 1

First thing this morning I drank a 16 ounce glass of cold water. No food, no coffee, just water. I then waited at least 45 minutes before my next intake. That was a delicious drink called Green Goodness that is produced by Bolthouse Farms. I am not promoting any particular products on this blog, but I will tell you what I like and why. Green juices may be an excellent source of nutrition including phytonutrients and this particular one provides 2 grams of protein in 8 ounces, containing things like wheat grass, spirulina, spinach and blue-green algae in an apple juice base along with kiwi, mango, banana and dragon fruit, that just tastes good. From this one glass of juice I get more than 100% of my daily requirement of vitamins A and C, 30% of folic acid, 15% of vitamin B6, 30% of B12, and well over 100% of Manganese and Zinc. I should also mention that I continue to take my normal daily supplements.

Over the next few weeks I will increase my juice intake and decrease my intake of solid foods. Most of the juice will be made fresh using my own juicer, but for convenience I will also use some juices purchased at the local grocery. For this first day, lunch will be a single boiled egg for protein, and another glass of juice. This time it will be C-Boost also from Bolthouse Farms. As the name implies, it is loaded with vitamin C from all natural sources. Though I really like the taste of this juice, as time permits I prefer to drink freshly made juices. That requires a well-planned trip to the farmers market, so I will have to fit that into my weekend schedule if possible.

Before the evening meal I will walk 30 to 45 minutes, either outdoors or on a treadmill. Every two hours, all day, I will drink either juice or water. This will help detoxify my body and push me toward losing weight. Keep in mind though, that healthy weight loss, and maintaining a healthy body requires exercise. There is no magic way around it, so find something you can enjoy and get busy! I sometimes walk on the treadmill while playing a game on my Playstation2, or watching something interesting on television. Outdoors, there is so much to look at while walking that the time goes by fairly quickly. Add to the walking at least three sessions each week of using some weights or working with equipment to keep the muscles toned. We lose 3% to 5% of our muscle mass every decade we live past 25 unless we actively do something to combat that loss. If you want to be healthy and vigorous well into your 70's and 80's and beyond, exercise is a key component. I'm more concerned with staying physically active than I am with my weight, and I just don't believe the Body Mass Index (BMI) is the sole arbiter of what a healthy weight is either. Good to know, but only part of the total picture. In a few days I'll post an update on how this project is going. I hope you will post your comments and join in!