Update: Minus 4.4

After the first weigh-in and after incorporating juices and raw food in my diet, I lost 4.4 lbs in 12 days. Not too shabby eh? I am more encouraged to try, try harder every single day. This it it! There is definitely no turning back. 

Nike WMNS Lunarfly +3 Shield

Confirmed! I have the lowest EQ in the world. LOL! If you can still remember, I mentioned that I was eyeing another pair of shoes aside from the one I that I wrote about last Sunday. I bought a pair of Nike WMNS Lunarfly +3 Shield shoes. I thought it was heavy but turned out, it's about the same weight as the other one. 

This is a lower profile running shoe with the perfect blend of stability and cushioning. It also has a lightweight mesh overlays. The Lunarlon midsole with dynamic support provides ample support while still remaining super flexible and of course lightweight. On the other hand, the BRS 1000 carbon rubber in the heel with green rubber in the forefoot provides excellent traction in wet or dry conditions. Nice eh! 

FEATURES

Outsole: Waffle outsole pistons to help absorb impact and add responsiveness

Style: Asymmetrical lacing system to help reduce pressure for enhanced comfort

Support: A stretchy mesh inner sleeve with seamless overlays enhances the supportive, glove-like fit.

Flexibility: Diagonal cuts through the arch area add flexibility and help increase foot strength.

Weather Protection: Weatherized mesh and reflectivity on the upper offer protection from the elements and visibility in low light. 

Cushioning: Abrasion-resistant carbon rubber under high-wear areas for enhanced durability

Technology: Flywire technology and cushioning tuned specifically for basketball.

Materials: Synthetic leather upper/ lightweight mesh upper

I can't wait for my weekend run so I can test it. I used it for a quick set of jumping jacks yesterday and so far I like the cushioning and the stability it provides. 

My Inspirations

I am writing this post to introduce you to the people (bloggers) that continue to inspire me as I go through my journey to healthy living at the same time prepare my body for pregnancy. I have gained weight (approx 30lbs) after I stopped going to the gym, after I lost interest in running and all sorts of exercising and after eating anything I want to eat and giving in to every craving that knocks. My eureka moment was when I'd feel all sorts of aches in my body already especially my back (not to mention the belly fat that I always try to hide by wearing dresses). 

I guess I have come to the point of taking charge of my own body for my own good. Are you with me here? Yes, I needed to make sure that I watch what I eat and exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes) in order for me to be in proper fighting form when my husband comes home from his time out at sea. LOL! Yeah, that's my biggest motivation of all. I want my husband to come home to a wife that he can be proud of. I want my husband to come home to a wife that is fit, strong and healthy. I didn't even make an effort to lose weight before our wedding so now I think is the perfect time for me to devote some time and change my lifestyle before I become a mom. 

At this point, I am preparing myself for a slow and steady process of losing weight. I am not a fan of crash diets, water and lemon only diets among other things. I want to still be able to enjoy food (but not so much). I still want my chocolates at some point but the end goal is that I consume more raw food than processed. I have incorporated a mix of fruit and vegetable juice and smoothies in my daily food intake since January 31 and aside from the flu that I experienced for the first week, I think I am all set now. I am very happy with the result so far as I feel clean inside and out. I think I am ready for a little challenge.

My goal from 2/11 - 2/15 is to consume only fruit and vegetable juice feast everyday for 5 days. If ever I allow myself to eat, I would only eat fruits or vegetables. I think this is doable. I am also going to sneak in a little bit of running or brisk walking for at least 30 minutes everyday. Of course, I will continue reading through the blogs of my inspirations to check out some weight loss recipes, tips, and best practices. 

1. Linda Wagner - is an experienced and skilled Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach who utilizes a holistic methodology to invigorate the mind, body, and spirit. It is her passion to assist others in achieving their true, unlimited potential. You can visit Linda's blog to be inspired too or you may reach her through her email address linda@lindawagner.net

2. Sonnet - is a certified holistic health coach, food educator, blogger, and writer with a passion for helping people lead fuller, healthier lives. Her blog, For The Love Of Food, features seasonal, plant-based cooking that is filled with recipes to help her readers live a healthy and sustainable life. She is based in Seattle, Washington. Her cooking philosophy revolves around simple, whole foods cooked from scratch always taste the best. I emailed Sonnet and she graciously responded. If you have questions for her, you may email her through fortheloveoffoodblog@gmail.com

3. Megan Elizabeth - is a low-fat, high fruit program follower. She's had a few health challenges before converting to the program and she is stoked that she has successfully got over the situation. The low-fat raw vegan lifestyle keeps her happy, healthy and with so much energy. You can visit her blog by following this link. If you plan to get in touch with her, you may email her through requests@meganelizabeth.com

4. Candice Kumai - Candice is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu California. Ah, I could only dream that one day I could be schooled in a prestigious culinary arts school too. She's a former model turned chef and is an author of a couple cookbooks and she also writes for Men's and Women's Health. Candice's mission is to help all of us "get real with our foods again". Her cookbooks are entitled "Cook Yourself Sexy" and "Pretty Delicious". Aren't the titles so enticing?

Nike Free 5.0 V4 Women's Running Shoe

As I have planned, I got myself a new running shoes. I have been looking for a good pair (preferably with a hint of pink or orange) and I instantly fell in love with this very light and flexible shoes in the "Barefoot Ride" section of the Nike Greenbelt 3 store. I actually saw another style that I like but it's a little on the heavier side and I don't really foresee myself running in puddles so it being water resistant is not that big of a plus at this point. Maybe, I will get it some other time. 

What You Should Know About Nike Free

Nike Frees are different than traditional athletic shoes. They’re designed to let your feet move more freely and naturally, which means your muscles will be doing a bit more work than demanded of them in some other athletic shoes. Nike encourages you to get used to them gradually for a safer, more effective and more enjoyable experience. Please visit http://www.nike.com/nikefree for more information on how to get the best from your Nike Free shoes.

And this morning, I tested the shoe and run for an hour and a half at the University of the Philippines oval. It's my first time to run there and I really liked the area. There were lots of trees and it wasn't so hot. Today will definitely not be the last. I will be back UP! Wait for me... 

• Breathable mesh upper for comfort
• Fused Phylite midsole and outsole for an ultra-lightweight, resilient ride
• Carbon rubber inserts at high-wear areas of the outsole for enhanced durability
• No-sew upper contours to the foot for a comfortable, barefoot-like fit
• Deep outsole flex grooves for natural range of motion and flexibility

Smoothie Sunday - Ultra Red

I really really wanted to show you my favorite smoothie as of today. It has beets. You know that deep-red purplish vegetable that so many hate. Anyway, I thought making red smoothie would be a fun way to switch up the greens and the purples (because of grape). 

This recipe contains zero gluten, zero refined sugar, zero yeast, zero corn, zero grain and zero nut. This is perfect for those who are slowly inching towards living a life enjoying raw food. I am not looking at being 100% raw but I am leaning towards learning to love fruits and vegetables more. This smoothie will give you an amazing energy boost as well as supply your magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamins and minerals as well as iron needs. 

The assurance I can give you at this point is that this tastes so good. Add some ice cubes to your glass to make the juice more refreshing. You can either use a juicer or a blender for this recipe. I used my trusted blender and sieved the smoothie after blending to get rid of the pulp. If you don't want to throw anything, just  run the blender for another 30 seconds and you will be good to go. 

Ingredients

Makes 2 servings

1 medium sugar beets

1 Granny Smith apple 

1 kiwi

1 handful spinach 

1 banana

1 cucumber 

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice 

Remember

1. Peel apples (no need if organic), kiwi, sugar beets, cucumber and banana. 

2. Put water and orange juice in the blender and slowly add the sliced fruits and vegetables. 

3. Blend away! Watch how the mixture turn into a yummy tint of red. 

4. Run the juice through a sieve and transfer to your mason jar or a tall glass. 

5. Enjoy the goodness of this delicious smoothie. 

If you ever try this, let me know. I am sure you will love it. I am kind of addicted to this mix already. 

My Fitness Pal

After 3 days of detox (raw diet), I am slowly introducing some protein (in the form of meat) back to my daily food consumption. I have eaten eggs, ham and have some dumplings. I feel a lot better and lighter. My flu is starting to go away as well and I have observed a reduction in my mucus (I felt my left nostril was producing it nonstop) the past couple of days. 

I have also signed up for a My Fitness Pal account and I have backtracked my exercise (almost none) and food consumption (calorie counter). If you want to sign-up for your account, go ahead it's simple and easy and you can also sign-up using your Facebook details. 

I've been tempted to eat the left-over chocolate hazelnut cake at home but it wasn't successful. I hid it at the back of the fridge so I can it eat some other time - maybe when I have to reward myself. Haha! 

Wish me luck! 

Getting Into The Groove

I talked about trying the raw food diet in my last post and I am happy to say that I have slowly included raw food in my diet for the past week. My detox symptom came in too early. I am now experiencing flu-like symptoms and my weekend was spent making my smoothie, lying in bed and watching TV. I am not 100% sure if my flu was caused by my switch to raw diet or because it is the flu season again. I guess I will just ride this out. I have taken cold meds but it doesn't seem to help at all. I seriously feel miserable now. 

Progress Report: I have limited my rice and meat or egg intake (just for breakfast). The rest of my meals are either fruit or green smoothie. I am happy about that to say the least. I am just a bit irked that my detox symptoms came knocking even if I am not yet a 100% raw foodie. Aside from the flu-like symptoms, I have also noticed that I have a couple of zits on my chin and forehead. I hope this isn't going to be a bad breakout. 

Oh and yes, while watching Food Channel, I cringe at the sight of overly processed food and I glow when I see salads and fruit juices and simple recipes. I wish I can have this motivation going until I reach my goal. I hope no amount of detox symptoms can deter me. 

In my next post, I will be sharing to you my smoothie recipes. 

How To Start A Raw Food Diet?

I am back and you can kinda guess that I have been on a slump for the past 2 years of my life. I have just been concentrating on my job (I've been in 2 for this length of time), travelling in the Philippines and in Asia, planning my wedding among other things. I have exercised quite a bit but not like 2009 which I think was my healthiest year since I started this blog. Oh you cannot imagine how much pounds I have gained through these two years as well. I have practically gained a good 30 pounds more than what I weighed before. Que horror! 

I've talked to my husband about my plan of losing weight and I have his support. I am on the planning phase now and I am starting to watch what I eat and introducing more fruits and vegetables to my diet. I am also trying to eat more raw foods as inspired by this video that I am going to share to you. So for the remaining days of January my goal is to psyche my body to be able to eat healthier as well as putting in more sleep time so I would be in full swing of exercising and weight loss in February. 

It has been 3 days since I started watching what I eat and hopefully I will keep my motivation and get this route to healthy living going. Plus I need to really loss the pounds that I gained back so I can be more prepared to conceive a baby.