60 Day juice fast results :)

Good Morning lovely people!

I'm so grateful that I have been able to share such a wonderful experience with you guys. This has truly been the experience of a life time. Brace yourselves, this is going to be a long blog entry; I have a lot to say.

But first, y'all are probably ready to see my results huh?

Let's remind you of my starting measurements:

Arms: 12 1/4 in
Bust: 44 in
Under bust: 37 in
Gut: 44 in
Waist: 43 in
Thighs: 26 in
Calves: 16 in

My measurements after my 60 day juice fast are:

Arms: 11 in (-1 1/4)
Bust: 39 in (-5)
Under Bust: 31 1/2 in (-5 1/2)
Gut: 37 in (-7)
Waist: 36 in (-7)
Thighs: 21 1/2 in (-4 1/2)
Calves: 13 1/2 in (-2 1/2)

If I did my math correctly that is a total loss of 41 inches (counting each arm and leg).

My "before" weight was 185 pounds. This morning I weighed in at 148 pounds; making for a total weight loss of 37 pounds! In my before post I mentioned that I was unhappy with my numbers; I'm incredibly proud of my numbers now. I still have about 13 pounds to go, but I'll get there soon with a little more hard work.

Now the part you REALLY care about! My photos!

(I didn't realize until I was uploading them that my legs aren't in the "after" photos, but you get the idea, right?)

I've always wanted a photo like this! These are the jeans I used to wear on a regular basis. They are a size 16. I'm now fitting into a size 8-10! I've almost cut my size in freaking half people!

I also thought that you might like before and afters of my face; it's changes a ton!

The photo on the left is of me at my 21st birthday bash celebration 3 days before I started my fast; the photo on the right is of me about to take a bite of pineapple for the first time in 60 days! I want to point out that the only make up that I am wearing in the photo on the right is on my eyes. My skin naturally looks that good. 

So, This past week has been the hardest week of my entire fast. I knew the end was near and I couldn't wait for it to get here, but at the same time I was having anxiety. The days seemed to drag on forever, and fly by too fast at the same time. Now I'm finished and I couldn't be happier! I'm no longer classified as "obese stage II", I've managed to get down to "overweight". I'm pretty dang close to a normal weight range!

Last night was like Christmas Eve! I couldn't sleep because I was too excited to wake up this morning and eat my dang pineapple. I've also been craving peanut butter, as I've mentioned plenty, for a while. Last night I had a dream that I woke up this morning and Patty, my mom's life partner, had eaten all of my peanut butter saying, "you snooze you lose!!!". I was devastated and woke in a panic! As the loving parent that Patty is, she did not actually eat my peanut butter, and it is still patiently awaiting me to eat it. 

I woke up early this morning so that I could fix my hair for you guys (I've looked homeless in every other picture I've posted). I ran down stairs and gave my biological mom a big hug! "I'm so proud of you, you did it!" she said to me. There is nothing quite like hearing your parents tell you that they are proud of you. Nothing hits home like that. After taking my photos, it was PINEAPPLE time! (Thanks to everyone who voted on the poll) I drank part of my every day juice, and then went to town on that pineapple. I had already cut it up yesterday, so that I wouldn't have to waste time doing that this morning! 

The pineapple was so amazing that my eyes started to tear up. Yummy! I was only able to eat about 5 or 6 bites before I felt like I was going to explode! I was really worried that I was going to over eat everything like I did before my fast, but I got full so quickly that I don't think that will be an issue. 

Yesterday I bought some ingredients to make a nice salad for today, as well as some other produce to munch on. I still don't have a "set" eating plan. I'm going to make sure to continue to listen to my body. When I'm hungry, not thirsty or bored, I'm going to eat or have a juice. I'll be eating only raw foods for the first 4-5 days of transitioning as well as drinking 2-3 juice a day. Sometime next week I'll add in cooked foods such as quinoa, rice, and cooked veggies. I'll keep a mostly vegan lifestyle for life. By mostly I mean, I'm going to have fish on a very seldom occasion. I will not be eating fish at least until I've reached my goal weight of 135 pounds. I'll be doing short juice fasts occasionally here and there just to reboot my system. I'll probably juice fast at least 2 days a week until I've reached my goal weigh and size.

Let's talk about what has changed in my life over the last 60 days! I'll give you a list.

-I walk easier

-I no longer get feet cramps, calf cramps, or shin splints when I run!

-I no longer snore, I sleep like a brick, and I have really vivid colorful dreams

-My skin looks and feels amazing. I've always had a problem with eczema, but it's now mostly under control

-I no longer take allergy pills

-The whites of my eyes are really really white

-I no longer have to shop at Lane Bryant for my bras!

-It's easier for me to focus

-I only crave foods that are healthy and raw

-I don't really have acne

-My confidence is through the roof. I've always had a low self-esteem, so this is a big one!

-I no longer feel dependent on others to make me happy. I make me happy and others make that happiness grow.

-I don't mind being alone anymore. I used to hate being by myself and I needed someone to entertain me. Now I actually enjoy being alone every now and then.

-I believe my relationship with my friends and family has improved a great deal.

-I care about myself and what I put in my body

-I have loads of energy

-I have so much energy that I work out at least 5 days of the week!

-I've never liked produce. Now I'll pretty much try any kind of produce and I usually like it.

-I can get up and down the stairs without feeling short of breath

-my hair is super soft

-my nails are strong and grow like weeds 

-Even though I'm not yet to my goal weight, I love my body. I appreciate my body. I no longer feel like I'm fighting myself. Now I'm working with myself. Love your body and treat your body right and it will return the favor, my friends. 

The list goes on and on!

To sum it up, this has been the most amazing and rewarding experience of my life. It was a really scary goal when I started, but I finished strong, and I'm so proud of myself for doing so. I've honestly never felt so alive. I'm free from my old self now. I'm free. 

You may remember me mentioning that I had saved all of my birthday money for a shopping spree after I've lost a ton of weight. That shopping spree is inching nearer! I'll probably wait until I've lost at least 10 more pounds or so until I get my new wardrobe. Once I've gone shopping I'm going to get new pictures taken of me. Conveniently, my mom is a photographer, so she'll be doing updated photos of me. My moms have blown up photos of me and all million (okay only 4) of my siblings up on the wall in our entry way. Mine is really out dated because I've never wanted to do new ones. I always felt to fat to do new ones. I'll also be getting a few shots of me and Keith! I'll be posting those photos in a blog entry.

I really want to thank Keith, my loving boyfriend, for being so supportive of me. He's gotten me through a lot of tough days and celebrated every single milestone with me. I'm so grateful that I have someone in my life like you, Keith. 

I'd also like to thank my family for helping to pull me through this. My mom, especially, for getting me through really difficult runs. Thanks Mom, Patty, and Kelli (biological mom, bonus mom, and sister) for not cooking very often! That was really helpful!

Also a huge thank you goes out to everyone who has followed my blog! I've received so many encouraging messages! Most of which from people I haven't talked to since high school! I also got a gift in the mail from my cousin, Kyla. Kyla and her husband made me mason jar lids that have a little hole in them that fits a straw! Since I'll still be drinking a lot of juice, this will come in handy in preventing the juice mustache (I always have a juice mustache). Thank you, Kyla and Seth, for being so thoughtful.

This hasn't been easy. In fact, a lot of days sucks, and I just wanted to quit. I don't say this lightly, every single second of my fast was worth it. Anyone who is contemplating some sort of juice fast please contact me (healthyhaley60@gmail.com). I promise you that it will change your life forever. It's one of the best choices I've ever made. If you need guidance and support, I will walk you through it. 

Don't be sad because my fast is over! No no, my blog is still running my friends! I still have weight to lose! Also, I've started a blog on my journey to becoming a marathon runner. I'll post the link to that once I've made it look pretty! I'll still be posting weekly weigh  ins as well as vegan recipes that I try. My next HUGE goal is to run a marathon. Obviously, I'm taking baby steps to get there. My 5k (3.1 miles) is on September 29, 2013. Stay posted for results!

Once again, y'all have really pulled me through this fast. I couldn't have done it without the overwhelming amount of support that I have received. I'm so grateful that I have so many beautiful people in my life! 

With every single ounce of love in my heart,

XoXo Hay 

P.s. Granny, you can call me after you read this :)