Juice Diet: Day One

 I am 26 years old and over the last few years I have been through huge changes. I was a big girl.---->

I was unhappy in every aspect of my life. In 2010, I started my weight loss journey. 

Before we get to that point I feel that it is only fair to tell you a little about how I got to that point. Throughout my life I have always struggled with my weight, actually, I always struggled with my self image. It was hard to be honest to the person I was because I didn't look like the girls I went to school with and I didn't feel comfortable being myself. At 13, I developed boobs and grew tall - 5 foot 9 1/2 inches in 6th grade. I was a giant - or at least that is how I viewed myself. That feeling convinced me to harm myself and since I have battled with bulimarexia. Honestly, it's a little overwhelming to share this fact with the world. The only way to share this journey with you, my readers, is to be as honest as possible. It is important for me to share where I have come from so that you can know who I am just a little more. Hopefully, inspiring you when you think you can not do it; know that someone has fought her way from the bottom too. 

My weight fluctuated up and down over many years In 2010, I weighed approximately 290 pounds - give or take 10 pounds any given week. I ate what I wanted, gorged myself until I could not eat another bite. I would drink liquor every weekend. I would sit around watching football games, eating and drinking. I would stuff my face with everything. I would not exercise. I had sleep apnea, I was fighting high blood pressure and I was terribly depressed. There were a lot of life factors that lead to my lifestyle choice, but they were my choice. I ate myself into a deep, dark hole of unhappiness. 

I moved from Texas to Maryland January 2010. I decided with that move that I would change my life. I started walking my dogs around the neighborhood. I started trying to change the way I was eating. No more fast food, no more soda and no more drinking. It was easy to stick to at first because I was not working (I moved with my ex-boyfriends job). I was focusing on me while he was working a million hours. Within the first three months, I lost 30 pounds. I was so ecstatic! From then, my battle with my weight became a little easier every day. My friends supported me and I found a strength in myself I did not know. 

In March of 2010 I started a new job and joined a gym. I started working out with a trainer 3 days a week and I was doing spin class everyday. It was incredible to know that with hard work and dedication, I could fight through my demons and find strength I never knew I had. I started to love myself, every day. I was able to look into the mirror and know that I was there. Before, I would look into the mirror and sometimes not ever really see myself. In the summer of 2010, I ended a 4 year relationship and in December I moved to Jersey City -across the river from the city I've always dreamed about New York City. 

I lost over 100 pounds in one year by changing the way I was eating and loving myself enough not to die because of my weight. My weight has been holding steady at/around 180 pounds. I am happy with my weight, but I know I can do better and be healthier. The big city life lead me in a direction of walking more and exercising without really trying on a daily basis (walking/riding my bike to and from places). It also lead me to some easy and terrible habits; having food delivered and drinking more than I like to.

I found the love of my life back in Jan 2011. He drinks a lot of Monster energy drinks and until he started dating me, I am not sure he even knew what vegetable were. Okay, he did, but come on -we all know how single guys eat! TERRIBLY! So he ate terrible, but thought it was okay because he biked all over the city. McDonald's three times a day. It was so disgusting. So, when we started dating I told him the long personal journey that I had been on. Told him that if we were going to date that his eating habits would have to change. I could not commit to loving him unless he was willing to change his lifestyle and eat healthier. He decided that his love for me was greater than his love for crappy food and we have slowly been committing our lives to living healthier together. Over the last year we've been changing small things in our diet to introduce more and more vegetables, cutting out fatty meats, and exercising more. We of course like everyone have fallen off the bandwagon here and there; but we are committed and always pick ourselves back up. 

"Failure is only a fact when you give up. 

Everyone gets knocked down, the question is: Will you get back up?"

So, today we start another journey together; the Reboot juice diet. After seeing the movies "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and "Forks Over Knives" we decided that we wanted to challenge ourselves with a juice diet. I hope that I am strong enough and focused enough to make this not just a diet, but a life change. We are finding our recipies from Join The Reboot! My goal is to document this journey, not only in writing, but in video blogs as well. 

I am grateful that you have taken time to read and look forward to you joining me on this journey.