My Diary Update

So, it's been a while since I have done an update on my Juice Plus+ journey so I thought today would be a good day to start. First of all, I am not very well today, a little under the weather...which I am quite shocked about. Since starting the Juice Plus lifestyle back in April I haven't been ill once! And for me that is pretty amazing as I used to be ill quite often. So it feels very weird to be unwell. But I know why I am, I have been working very hard and not getting much sleep. What has been amazing whist I have been ill is that I have had no appetite, but I have kept taking my Juice Plus shakes/capsules as I figured I had to eat something, and why not let it be something really good for you. I have also been having lots of Oranges to up my vitamin C. Would you believe it, I am actually feeling ALOT better! I spent all day yesterday in bed and this morning chilling of the sofa, and this afternoon I feel pretty much back to normal! I know a lot of people who have had this flu thing that I have got and for anyone reading this I would just say, rest up and stay eating healthy!

Any way, on to my Juice Plus journey. I started back in April and it has literally changed my life as I have said in past blogs. I can't believe I ate as unhealthily as I did and also how easy it is to be healthy! After completing the first 16weeks of the Juice Plus lifestyle change, taking the capsules and having the shakes, I lost just under 2 stone. I feel amazing and it is great having clothes that actually fit me! I now should be on the 3rd stage if the plan which takes you back to healthy eating however I decided to stay on the shakes as I still have another stone I'd like to loose. I am a bit looser on the diet now in that if I need to have an off day (party/lunch out etc) I will.

A few things that struck me this morning which I thought I'd write about...some advice for those on the Juice Plus plan (or just people loosing weight).

1. Exercise (don't get scared...read on...) When my clients enquiry about Juice Plus they always ask me 'Does it work without exercise?'. It really does! BUT!  I really advise that you should exercise with the plan....one reason is that it does make you feel amazing! You will find you have a lot more energy when you eat healthy and use the Juice Plus project so you will have energy you want to burn. It doesn't have to be much if you don't have time or don't want to. 15 minutes a day is a lot better than an hour workout every so often. Get into a schedule! But my main reason I wanted to mention exercise is....if I had done more of the exercise as I was loosing the weight it would have toned me as I lost the weight. I have a bit of an issue now in that I have lost the weight...but I'm not toned! I especially notice it in my arms and have been going mad on the Kettlebell workout recently. So that's something I would really stress to people. It's great that you are loosing weight, but stay on top of the exercise! Even if its just 30 squats, 20 sit ups, set of arm work outs etc. Just do something!

2. Clothing. Like I said it has been great having my clothes fit me better and also fitting back into clothes I haven't worn in a while. One thing I realised the other day....I was on holiday in Spain and I was wearing some black high waisted shorts with a vest top. Every time I walked past a shop window I would look at myself (as you do!) and think...why do I look so big? I know I am physically smaller...but I look big? I then realised that my shorts were two sizes too big for me!! And they were really baggy around the high waist! I have now noticed that I have a lot of clothes that I wear on an everyday basis that are way too big for me! I need to get a new wardrobe. I have been putting it off until I get down to my target size but I'm thinking I'm just going to do it now as it is no fun looking at yourself in baggy clothes!

3. Don't let yourself cheat too soon. When I started the Juice Plus lifestyle I was extremely dedicated and actually didn't take any of the daddy cheats for the first 8 weeks. It was difficult but I powered through and I got results. A few of my clients are allowing themselves to give in too soon and then finding it hard to get back on track. I really think it is a good idea to be as dedicated as possible in those first 8 weeks. It is really important! Obviously don't become a bore! There are ways you can still be healthy when you go out for dinner..have a BBQ etc. And if you want to have a big drinking night out, substituting wine/cider for Gin and Tonic is a great help! But I do think it is really important to give it your all from the word go. No point in doing half a job!


Anyway, just a little update from me. Hope you are loving Juice Plus like I am if you are on it! Take a like of my Facebook page if your interested in getting healthy!

Rachael

Setting Goals

Hello!

I have a had a bit of a naughty couple of weeks...well! To be fair...I have been relatively good but just had a couple of weekends or odd days of naughtiness! What I have found hard is that before I was working towards a target. I had a gig (I'm a performer) which I wanted to be at a smaller size for, which also fitted in perfectly with the first 8 week cycle. However since then I have gone a little off track...only a little though! So, it is time to re set my targets! It is SO important to have something to work towards. I would like to loose 1/2 a stone in the next 6 weeks, which will be the end of my 2nd 8 week stint. This is very much do-able!

I am extremely happy with my weight at the moment and it has made such a difference, people commenting on how I look, clothes fitting better, feeling better etc. It's great! But I still have a little way to go. In fact, I probably could loose another stone however I want to set a realistic goal that I can work towards achieving.

I weighed myself yesterday and I have put on 1lb (phew! thought it would be more than that!) however I haven't lost anything in a couple of weeks so I definitely need to get my head back in the game.

I am down to 1 shake a day so I am having a healthy breakfast (usually Granola) a Juice Plus+ Shake for lunch, and a healthy meal in the evening. Along with a healthy snack mid afternoon. I haven't felt like I have needed more snacks which is nice as I was worried about going down to 1 snack a day. But it all works!

So, this week is all about re setting my goals and getting on it! I did a 2 hour workout this morning which was great. And I plan to workout again tomorrow and Thursday, and maybe a run at the weekend.

I am LOVING the Juice Plus+ products and I really can't recommend them enough. They have changed my life!

Stay healthy!

Rachael
rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

My Diary Update

Hello!

This weekend was a big weekend for me....not only did I have a big gig (I am a performer) but it was what I was working towards with my weight loss. It nicely fell on week 8 of the Juice Plus+ Plan and I had managed to loose a stone and a half. I am SO happy and it really has made such a difference to everything!

I have a confession though...to celebrate this achievement I had planned a big naughty meal on Saturday evening...which I went to town on! It started with dough balls...then went on to pizza...then I cant even remember the pudding (a lot of drink was involved) So it was VERY naughty!

As much as I did really enjoy this meal (best pizza I've ever had!) and I felt I deserved it.....man do I feel rough now! I feel so bloated and just dirty!!! I'm looking in the mirror thinking...what have I done?

But it doesn't matter...a bit of fun every now and then is surely acceptable! And I have been so good and dedicated on weeks 1-8...it was my only naughty spell...I deserved it.

I now can't WAIT to get back to healthy food...my body is crying for it! I am starting the second 8 week plan today so going down to 1 shake a day and 2 healthy meals. I would still like to loose a further stone so am going to really up my exercise plan and also really concentrate on the good foods...especially this week...I feel like I need a clear out!

Am so pleased to hear I am also helping other people. Lots of my Juice Plus+ clients have been texting me today telling me their weight loss so far and also commenting on how different they feel. It's a great feeling to not only be helping yourself, but helping others too.

Happy Happy Happy! And Healthy Healthy Healthy! (minus the pizza!)

Have a happy healthy week

Rachael : )
rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

Week 7

Hello!

I woke up today to a lovely surprise of an extra 6lbs lost : ) I didn't weigh myself last week as I seemed to have got stuck on the same weight for a couple of weeks so I thought I'd wait a little...6lbs lighter! wohoo!

Last week I ate very well however only managed to do 2 exercise sessions. So my aim this week is to fit in at least 4! Without fail! I had a really busy and tiring week last week and by Sunday I was actually dieing to indulge!!

When I say indulge....I don't crave the naughty things I used to crave on a indulging Sunday...before it was cookies..cupcakes....doughnuts... Anything sweet! But I just crave lots of food...but healthy food! It's a very strange thing to crave healthy foods....weirdo!

So yesterday (Sunday) I had my usual shakes in the morning/ lunch and in the evening I had Roast Lamb! I am salivating at the thought! Roast lamb, lots of veg like carrots, peppers, onion, parsnip, courgette..and boiled potatoes. Yum! Yum! Yum!

I also felt very much in need of a nice relaxing alcoholic drink, so I went for a gin and tonic (one of the more healthier drink options). Apparently, vodka and soda water is a 0 calorie drink, haven't tried that yet though.


For pudding I had blueberries and strawberries with Greek yogurt along with some melon.

What a great meal! I wasn't stuffed though which was nice, just felt complete : )

Looking forward to this week as I have more time to exercise and plan and research some different yummy meals.

I have also had a lot of people sign up to Juice Plus+ over the weekend so I am really glad my health craze is inspiring people! If you haven't already, join my Facebook page to keep inspired/motivated.

Stay healthy!

Rachael
Rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

My Juice Plus+ Story So Far...

I first heard about Juice Plus+ through a friend. I saw the amazing results she was getting and I was instantly interested! It took me a bit of time before I actually made the move to change my lifestyle. I was cautious of things like Will it work for me? Will I stick to it? Will I be able to afford it? Well, I can now safely say it was the best decision I ever made!

I have always been a size 10-12 and although interested in eating healthily and exercising, never that motivated. I also had a lot of issues with my energy. I would often find myself completely lacking in energy and I would often get dizzy spells.

So, I decided to make that change! I am quite an organised person and I really enjoyed reading all the information that was sent to me and planning my meals for the first week. The first couple of weeks were a detox stage however it's not what you think...it's not starving yourself or drinking only liquids, it is just simply eating healthily! I really enjoyed this process although to be honest I did get a little obsessed with the recipes and probably spent a lot more money on food then I needed to! I was having a fancy healthy recipe every night when infact a simple fish, vegetables and boiled potatoes would have done!

In the detox stage I didn't actually do any regular exercise. Although I did feel great from eating so healthily I still wasn't brain motivated  - I struggle with this! Once I get going I'm really into it but it takes me a while to get exercise mad! The detox stage was great. It was just simply re-training your diet to be healthy, understanding what foods are good etc. I lost 6lbs in the 2 weeks I was on detox. Result!

When my Juice Plus+ Capsules and shakes arrived I waited until a Monday to start as Monday is my day off so I knew I would have time each week to assess how I was doing, re-plan my meals etc.

I have to say this first day was actually really difficult. I had my morning shake (Vanilla, Soya Milk and Blueberries) it was lovely. I also took the Capsules, great. I had a morning snack (oatcakes and avocado), lunch (Shake of banana and choc), afternoon snack (nuts and raisins) and for dinner I had the Portabello Mushroom recipe (listed in my Healthy Recipes section) which was ridiculously yummy! So I ate well....but when it got to the evening I struggled.....I just wanted to keep eating!!!!!!! I text my friend Allan who is also on the diet and had been for a few weeks and he said just keep drinking water and you will get through it, it's just your body getting used to it all. And he was right. I powered through and I literally haven't had a single hard day since. The beauty of this diet is that you are not starving yourself, you are eating regularly and healthily so you never go hungry.

After a week I had got in the swing of the eating side and I was shedding pounds however there was something missing...exercise! I was very aware that my body was changing and I didn't want to end up with any loose ends : ) So...how to make my brain exercise motivated.... I had seen a lot of home workouts posted on the Juice Plus+ group and I noticed alot of them were based around situps and jumping jacks, so as I work at home on a Wednesday I thought I would set myself a challenge (as I knew my brain would react to this!) I decided every hour on the hour I would do 30 situps and 30 jumping jacks. It was immense!!!!! I was feeling amazing by the end of the day, shattered but amazing....and I did have to work an extra half hour as it actually took up a fair bit of time lol But that was it, brain engaged....lets workout!!

About 3-4 mornings a week I am following some of the home workouts and working out for about an hour and a half (getting up early!). I started with just doing 1 workout like this:

But then I wanted more!!! So I now combine them, like this for example:

I am totally in the workout mode!


Now in my 6th week, I have lost over a stone. I am loving food (healthy food), and I am LOVING exercise!!!!

I am a little nervous about putting up my before and after (well mid way) pic...but hopefully below will give you an idea.

This is a pic of me taken before Juice Plus+ (I know it's not an underwear one but you get the idea)

and this is me this week, on a video shoot.

My energy levels are amazing, I never get my dizzy spells any more and my make up artist (I'm a performer) has commented on how different and amazing my skin is. RESULT!

I have still got further to go to reach my goal but I am totally in the Juice Plus+ flow and loving it. I think even when I have finished the plan I will keep it in my life as it is amazing.

My advice to anyone on it would be:

Be strong - stick to it, it's so worth it!!!
If you do have to have time off the plan then make it work...last weekend I went on a hen do, so there was no time for shakes however I kept up with the capsules, drank mainly gin and tonics (the healthiest alcoholic drink I could find!) and chose my meals with my healthy head on. I thought I would be a lot more naughty and take the time to pig out a little, but I actually didn't want naughty foods. I craved goodness!

Don't compare yourself to others. This was my main issue. I was seeing all these success stories and thinking, she's lost a stone in 2 weeks, why haven't I??? Everyone looses weight in different ways. Look at how it is working for you, you will definitely see results!!!

Don't obsess over numbers/inches. Weigh yourself every 1-2 weeks. Make sure it is first thing in the morning, straight after a wee! Make sure you are wearing the same outfit/or nothing each week. And make sure your scales are on a flat surface and in the same area each week. The other day I weighed myself in a different room in my house and it said something different to what it did in the kitchen!!??? It was only a matter of a couple of lbs but it did make me panic!

Understand how YOU work! If you are not the kind of person who likes going out for a run, then don't! Start with some home workouts! I am this person....I started with home workouts and now I actually enjoy going out for a run...mad eh!?


I am now working for Juice Plus+ because I find it so inspiring and I want to help people like it has helped me. I have a page on Facebook if you would like to check it out or get in touch : )

Stay healthy!


Rachael
rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com

Week 5 - Monday

Hello!
So I have been using Juice Plus+ for 5 weeks now...and I love it! I have lost a stone since I begun the detox (2 weeks prior to starting) and am overall feeling a lot healthier : )

I thought it would be a good idea to keep a diary - so I can keep track but also so I can hopefully motivate some people to join me!

So, today! Monday...beginning of the week...

I woke up and straight away had a glass of water. The benefits of that first glass of water in the morning are amazing...it purifies the colon to make it easier to absorb nutrients...increases the production of new blood and muscle cells...helps with weight loss, 16 ounces of chilled water first thing in the morning can increase your metabolism by 24%, gives you glowing skin and balances your lymph system (the glands that help you perform daily functions, balance your body fluids and fight infection).

After taking my Juice Plus+ Capsuals (2 fruit blend, 2 vegetable blend) I prepared my breakfast...which I have to say was the yummiest thing ever! I blended together ice soya milk, Juice Plus+ Complete Chocolate powder, handful of blueberries and a banana....so tasty!

Feeling fired up already I went to get ready for my workout...I always like to leave a little time between breakfast and my workout to allow my breakfast to settle..but about 1/2 hour later I was ready to go!

I was in the mood for cardio this morning so I followed some of my more cardio based workouts. I do most of my workouts from home, although do go for a run round the park every few days. I really like working out from home as it doesn't feel like so much of an effort to do...and you don't have to worry about who is watching you sweat!

Here are a couple of the workouts I combined this morning:

When I started exercising I just started by simply doing one of these and my plan was to do that for a week, every day. However, I very quickly got the 'exercise bug' and ended up doing lots of different workouts and combining them. I usually work out for about an hour/hour and half 4-5 times a week.

I then followed the above with some weights...I am trying to tone up my arms in particular however today I did an all over workout...

I then finished off with the top 'burn 100 calories right now' workout...just because I was craving more cardio!

I did a lot more than usual today because I was naughty last week and didn't do as much exercise...but I was also just very much raring to go this morning. SO much energy it's unbelievable!


After the workout (throughout which I drank  ALOT of water) I had an orange, along with a green tea! About mid morning (11am?) I usually have a snack of some kind...today I had an apple!

For lunch I will have another Juice Plus+ Complete shake...I'm planning vanilla & raspberries.

There will be a mid afternoon snack of some kind...I'm thinking nuts and raisins will go down nicely! And for dinner tonight...Mackerel and vegetables!

Yum yum yum!

Have fun and let me know if you choose to do any of the fun workouts above! I want to know I'm not alone!

Rachael
rachaeljuiceplus@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/letsgethealthywithjuiceplus