The 5-Day Juice Fast, My Summary

So, having gone through 6.7 days of juice fasting, I thought I would share a little summary of my pros and cons.  You can read about my actual experiences here and here.

Cons:

- Obviously the hunger.  Made even worse by the fact that I still had to feed my kids and then sit there and watch them eat.  Torture at times.

- The mess.  Juicing is messsssssyyyyyy.  Aside from all the prep you need to do for the produce, the juicer itself constantly needs cleaning.  And it is kind of a pain.  Not to mention the tiny bits of veggie pulp that go flying everywhere that I am still finding.  

- Those days when you feel like absolute hell....tired, weak, grumpy, exhausted.  Ugh.  Combined with hunger?  Kill me now, please.

- The cost.  You need a ton of produce.  Which can get really expensive.  Plus a juicer, which isn't exactly cheap.

- Not conducive to a social life.  I mean, you can't really go out for dinner and bring your juice...you know?

Pros:

- The weight loss factor.  For me (because I am vain), this is the biggest pro.  My starting weight was 147.  My ending weight was 141.8. However, I think a good portion of this was water weight....I definitely have added some back.  And I would not consider this a permanent or sustainable method of weight loss, unless you are prepared to make some serious lifestyle changes when you are done.

- The health factor.  I mean, you are getting super doses of all those veggie and fruit vitamins and nutrients.  All while avoiding the crap food you normally consume.  

So...for the future....

My takeaways from this...I did like the idea of getting more fruit and veggie nutrients, so i do see myself adding in more vegetarian meals.  And it was nice to kind of re-set my eating and drinking habits.  There were several juices that I did like, so I do think I will sub one of those for a meal or snack, especially after a booze/sugar/processed food binge.

A new (to me) breakfast...apples and blueberries sautéed in coconut oil with a little cinnamon.

As to whether or not I would attempt another fast...I have no major health or weight issues, so I don't really need one.  And I am thinking I didn't experience the same benefits as people who actually needed one.  I guess I am not sure....maybe?  But definitely not any time soon.  I am enjoying masticating way too much to try it again now.

Another juicing-inspired meal...pineapple, tomatoes, and 1/2 a baked sweet potato with salt, cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle chili powder.