I've let my fans down....

Ok, I probably don't really have any fans, but I've definitely let myself down. For the past year I have been struggling with (and depressed about) my weight...starting and stopping diets and just not really getting back to the way I need to feel and look to be happy. I use excuses like stress (which is a really big one), lack of time, my wedding (which is a really bad one), being tired and others to avoid really focusing on any particular plan. Yesterday, I decided NO MORE!

I know, I know.."we've heard this before, Ronjini, you always fall off"..Not this time my friends. yesterday I took the bold step of stepping on the scale, something I have feared to do for months now. Anyway...I can't tell you the embarrassment that is my current weight, but I can tell you have 22 pounds to lose..Can you believe it??? 22.

I don't want to, but I had to face facts. So, I got home, took a shower and went to the post-its. I got out my big fat Sharpie and wrote my weight largely on three post-its. I posted one on the refrigerator, one on the bathroom mirror and one right here next to my keypad on my Macbook. Now, I can't get away from it. Every week from now until minus 22 pounds, I will update my weight (hopefully it will get smaller), to keep my motivation fresh.

I'm cutting out carbs, excess sugar (but not sugar completely), sodas (but not fizzy water) and pretty much anything artificial. I will make healthy salads, eat tons of boiled eggs, tuna, stuff like I did the last time I had a huge weight goal (unfortunately that was only a 10 pound goal). And of course promising to work out everyday, twice if Tennis is one of the workouts (to me, Tennis doesn't count for some reason). Lately, I've been struggling on runs and I now think its because I weigh too much. Oh well, I'll check in soon and you'll see...don't worry... you'll see.

Day 10 - The Master Cleanse!

Yes, I did it. 10 days of the Master Cleanse, nothing but Salt Water Flush (SWF), Herbal Senna Tea and of course...the spicy lemonade mixture. I didn't make it widely known, because there are a lot of judgers out there. So I decided that on my last day, I would write a post to expose my entire experience. It will be a long one folks, but you can read this to know what YOU can expect during the Master Cleanse, the ups and downs, tricks of the trade, mind over matter, all that junk!

First, why?

Well, it was something I tried to start a long time ago, but thought my fiance would think I was crazy, and to be honest, I didn't think I could do it. The challenge didn't become real for me until my fiance told me he wanted to try do this cleanse (from a referral by a friend). My competitive nature kicked in and I started it immediately the next day (many do a 3 day ease-in, I say JUMP!), he is planning his for September.

Obviously, the first attraction was that I wanted to lose weight and it says that you can lose 1-2 pounds a day. If you complete the 10 days, that's 20 pounds. I need to lose 30, so there you have it. The primary goal of this cleanse, however, is not weight loss, it is detoxifying and flushing out your system. *MC Golden rule* If you think of this as a cleanse and NOT a diet, it makes sense and keeps your motivation, trust me. You have to realize that will indefinitely gain some weight back when you begin eating solid food but if you don't eat healthy afterwards, you'll gain it ALL back. It's up to you.* During the process, your mind changes into healthy mode though, you realize what is and what isn't easy to digest and how you want your body to feel.

What you need:

• Grade B Maple Syrup (grade A is okay if you can't find the other, organic is best) - Trader Joe's is the best place to get this, comes in a big bottle $13.99.
• Fresh lemons (*MC Golden Rule* they MUST be fresh, no lemon juice, etc. The enzymes in fresh lemons are most potent for the cleanse)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Herbal Senna Tea
• Herbal Peppermint Tea (as a substitute or something different in your day is okay)
• Sea Salt (I've seen people use the celtic sea salt, I just used the one I had, you SHOULD NOT use Iodized table salt, must be sea salt)

The process

Basically it's 10 days (not 5, not 7, not 9) of fasting with this juice blend. In the morning before you do anything (you'll probably have to wake up earlier than normal) take the salt water flush.

SWF - 24 oz. of distilled/filtered water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt.

Very salty and gross. Just close your eyes and drink it fast. Plan to be around the bathroom for at least 2 hours.

Every time you get hungry, make and drink your lemonade. *MC Golden Rule* - do not pre-mix, if the lemonade sits the enzymes in the lemonade are less effective. I messed this up day 1 and tried to make it for the whole day. It's a no-no.

2 tblsp lemon juice (about half a medium lemon)

2 tblsp maple syrup

Add 8-10 oz. of distilled/filtered water

1/10 tsp cayenne pepper/to taste

Enjoy!

At night before you go to bed, drink the Herbal Senna Tea, which is actually pretty tasty in my opinion. *note* After day 2 I started to get cramps early in the morning from this. If you drink your SWF immediately in the morning the cramps will go away and you can get to 'cleansing' :).

*MC Golden Rule* You should drink plenty of water during the flush, but not more water than lemonade mixture. Not sure why, maybe it dilutes it.*

My Journey on the cleanse train

Day 1 - Day 1 starts off okay and ends with tears (okay, not really). It's hard, by the end of the day you're hungry, okay maybe by lunchtime. Nothing you can really do about this than keep yourself busy. I decided to go workout, I wasn't too weak, since it was only the first day. Only mentally hungry really, oh and heavy white film on my tongue. It's a HARD day.

Day 2 - Whiny. I threatened to quit about 20 times this day, all while persevering. Those SWF really do the trick though, I can definitely feel waste eliminating from my body. I wasn't sure I was going to get past the day, but I just whined a lot and did nothing about it. My tongue is definitely white and dry and gross. I think this was the first day that my fiance ate a big juicy burrito right in front of me. :(

Day 3 - Things are getting easier. With the hunger pains gone, now it was really just all mental. This was the first day that I noticed my sense of smell was heightened. Empty stomach at this point and only liquids coming through. Have been waking up late and going to bed early. Craving EVERYTHING I see.

Day 4 - Much easier today and feeling light, don't feel like I'm losing any weight though. Not exactly energized like some say. Just going through the motions and keeping myself busy with all the tons of work I need to do. Decide to go for yoga and feel like it will be good for my 'hungry' spirit to relax my body for a bit. Feel good but really thirsty afterwards, need to drink more water. This is the first day that I didn't run to get lemonade every couple of hours, actually I don't even think I took all the glasses I was supposed to (at least 6/day).

Day 5 - This was interesting. We went to Santa Monica to workout. I did a light stair workout, was pretty hungry, but kept drinking water. Then rushed home to change for a flower appt. (wedding planning) really hungry. I took some mixture with me because we were going to a birthday party. My senses were on high alert at the Mexican restaurant, but I sat there and had water with lemon, like a good little cleanser should. Got a lot of questions and finally told people about the cleanse, many skeptical and called it the Beyonce diet, which was not my purpose for this. I need more lemonade, but don't have access to ingredients, so I continue with water. Cupcakes, I want birthday cupcakes! :( We went to a club afterwards for a friend's event. I could smell every little last bit of alcohol on B's (my fiance's) body, no good for me that night. Those scents are SO strong, I wonder why we don't sense them normally.

Day 6 - I had a dream about buying two hamburgers, taking a bit and then feeling guilty about it. I woke up confused and realized it was a dream. Feeling pretty light and chipper. We go to yoga on the bluff, I'm pretty hungry, especially since on Day 5, I was NOT able to get to lemonade when I wanted it. I drank water but water is not great after 5 glasses. Today I feel good, getting things done, energized, finally. I was a little disappointed when I weighed myself, only 6 lbs, which means probably closer to 3 lbs. when I'm finished. We'll see how things go. Contemplated quitting this day too.

Day 7 - What a productive day for me. This cleanse is really just normal now. Apart from the occasional desire to chew yummy foods, because I do love food, I'm definitely not hungry. I'm okay for the most part, but keep looking up yummy recipes online, can't wait for Saturday. I feel really light and lifted in my body. I was very focused on my work and was thinking pretty clearly. I could get used to this. I'm now contemplating stretching the cleanse out over the weekend to save me from eating poorly at my brother's place, we'll see. I had a facial appt., my person smelled of garlic, normally I don't think I would notice, it was light, but my smelling has become like a superpower. Great day!

Day 8 - I have been feeling really good today. Got a lot of work and creative thinking done today. Finally feel the energy everyone talks about, got a GREAT workout in today! *MC Golden Rule* Listen to your body when it comes to working out on the cleanse. Some say don't do it. If your body allows it, go with the flow, just don't push yourself or be surprised when you can't really go all out. Be active but not crazy.* I am ready for the cleanse to be over, but I'm fine at the same time. Smelling all kinds of odors on the bodies of others. B reeked of garlic and spices from his carne asada tacos last night. They looked so good, but the aftermath kills me. Every time I see meat now, I think man, that is really hard to break down in the body (guessing that's where the smell comes from). Looks yummy though. I think my tongue is turning pink again, a sign that you body is nearly finished detoxifying.

Day 9 - This morning B looks at me and say's "I think I want French Toast", I was about ready to jump over the couch and punch him. I don't care if I feel good about this cleanse or not, teasing or even discussing french toast (you know the one with Hawaiian bread, coconut milk and vanilla) with me at this point is not a good idea. Today was really bad, yoga was really hard, I just started my womanly time. Cleanse + womanhood = BAD! Just when I thought I was okay. I usually comfort myself with Indian food, but nada and I'm exceptionally hungry, I think its the hormones. I am DEFINITELY quitting on Friday.

Day 10 - So this WOULD be my last day if I wasn't crazy. I have decided that I am stretching it out to Monday which would be 14 days on the cleanse. I have headaches today, but I think its the menses. I feel like weight loss ultimately plateaued very short for me but I feel good, I'm hoping a few more days may bump it up a few pounds. Mostly, I don't want to go visit my family and ruin all the work I've done, so I'll just stay on it for now.*MC Golden Rule* The ease out is a critical part of the cleanse, because it gets you back to normal. After not eating solid food you can't just jump right into it (you'll gail a lot of weight, back). You start with 1 day of OJ and water, 2nd day soups and juices (fresh), 3rd vegetables and then go from there. Afterwards continue a healthy eating and exercise plan. Or in my words, don't ruin the torture you just went through, be good!*

Overall Thoughts: When you see good food when you're on the cleanse, you want it. I wanted it but thought, damn, the work my body goes through digesting that may not be worth it. This cleanse has definitely changed my diet. I will be eating soups more often, less meat/fish, less bread products, less cheese, less everything. All organic vegetables and eliminating foods with preservatives, although it may seem like a dollar more, I think your body with thank you later. Your body works really hard to digest your food, which affects other important body functions and it makes your body feel super heavy. I definitely love the light feeling I have right now and don't want to lose it. I also noticed the shittier you eat, the more your body smells, we just don't notice because we all smell. All you people smelled really bad when I was on this thing.

However, I don't know that I would do this again, or would be able to. They say its safe to do every 4 months or so, maybe I'll do it twice a year. The first few days are pretty rough, but if you can get through Day 3, the rest is a breeze. I am certain that all the other cleanses are NOT worth it, juice cleanse BOGUS, wayyy too much sugar. This is THE ONE! Otherwise, just cut out the grease, artificial sweeteners and dairy and eat healthy.

Total Weight Loss (10 days): ~8 lbs

Total inches lost: ~6" in my waist 4" Hips

Have any questions? Want to share your experience? Go ahead and comment, I dare you. Cheers!

Frustrations of a chronic dieter - part 2011

AHHHHHH! This will be a short blog post, and it's probably not even a good one at that. Why can't I get my dieting act together? It's really not enough to workout, the key is what you are putting in your body, I know that but it still doesn't help.

What I decided that I need is a personal chef to make my meals and put healthy snacks at my fingertips. The best solution would be to stop eating altogether, but REALLY? That's not going to happen. I realize now, with my rapidly increasing age, if I'm going to do anything life changing about my diet and/or my body I've got to do it now. I'm definitely not getting any younger.

This weekend we went to Fiesta Hermosa, which was a wealth of small retailers and independent artisans, it was really quite lovely. We came unto a group that is a family farm and signed up to get fresh produce delivered to our place bi-weekly from Farm Fresh To You. That is the start I guess, first delivery comes on Friday. I'm pretty excited about it, but I just have to make sure to cook the stuff and not let it go to waste.

This will be the organic, nutritious part of our diet I guess. I'm really eager to try this out and see what kind of fresh produce that I get in my box. Wish me luck, I need LOTS of it and some motivation (I may just be PMS'y though, grrrr).

Cheers and happy hump day!

Adventures of a Chronic Dieter...

After a couple of great weeks of getting back into shape and eating well, I faltered. How? you ask. Those damn yogurt covered pretzels from Trader Joe's. I know you are supposed to treat yourself once in a while, so you're not too far off on deep end dieting, but I felt like I lost control. I didn't actually eat that many overall, maybe like 12. But still, I felt the lack of control, as to everything else, I have been thinking through and controlling pretty well (as far as eating goes). Especially, since I've been working out so hard, it feels like a set back.

My body is beyond sore and if I drink any more water I'm probably going to have to move my things into the bathroom. I hate being this sore, it makes me realize how out of shape that I have actually gotten. I've been working out on top of the soreness, but after I finish, I can barely move again. Getting up in the morning is tough, because my body wants that extra rest and I feel crippled when getting out of bed, crawling to the coffee pot.

Today, I took an afternoon nap (and a walk with Chaka) of about 30 minutes, amazing what a nap can do for your mind and body! Hopefully, I will be off to play tennis shortly (like in the next hour), otherwise I have to go to the gym to run, which I'd rather not do today.

Next week...it's swim time. Monday will be my first master swim class at the YMCA. I'll ride my bike to swim at 6:00 am. That's some dedication there huh? It's my first time since beng a kid, but I think the water will help me get in shape and it's only twice a week. I'm hoping it will help melt away that nastiness that has gelled around my legs.

Back to drinking my water now. Stay tuned! I will feel fantastic soon, I just know it.

Return of the Chronic Dieter....Part...let's just stop counting.

Hahaha... I can only start this blog by laughing at how many times I've attempted diets. Ahemm..But let's get serious now. Women's tennis season is beginning and summer is approaching in about 2 months. I have no time to waste or eat carbs and loads of sugar.

Protein and vegetables are the name of the game here people. So...During detox I finally set a nice workout pace and I have been slowly guiding myself back into workout mode. It's much harder than it used to be now that I have outside factors

to worry about (i.e. the fiance, the dog, my social life), it confuses my mind and makes it even harder.

It's all good though, tennis is firing up, however I have a rotator cuff injury. For those of you who know my tennis style, I'm a monster server, so this rotator cuff business is all bad for my game. I am not pleased about this, but there is also nothing much I can do about it.

I was finally inspired to go back to my extreme diet, when talking to a colleague of mine. She doesn't eat carbs or dairy. I did that once and I felt great. Her explanation for why was because she didn't like the way it made her feel or look. Well damn, is that all you need? I wish my will power allowed those reasons to be enough for me too. I will make it enough...Thank you colleague, you have inspired me to really be in top notch shape. I was in such great athletic prowess about two summers ago. Just because I'm aging rapidly and my 20's are behind me doesn't mean I have to lug this extra 20 pounds around.

So all in all here are some daily goals I will be adhering to for at least the next 45 days:

1) drink lots of water

2) lay off the carbs and dairy (and juices, soda and alcohol)

3) stretch

everyday

( styrafoam rollers are great for this)

4) workout everyday (gym or tennis)

Got me some new running shoes for this bad boy!

Brooks Green Silence

5) eat healthy, no fast food

And by the end of all this, I will look like this:

Without the head cut out of course...and maybe a few inches shorter. Watch out gentlemen! LOL

DETOX...It's time!

This should really be categorized as an entry under "Adventures of a Chronic Dieter," but I felt that detox was a much better name for what I'm about to do. I'm going back to when I was less affected by everything around me and becoming pure Ronjini, as I like to call it.

I used to be a fitness/tennis fanatic! I used to continuously improve myself! I used to fit into my clothes! Moreover I used to look good in my clothes. I used to go out during the weekdays and not act like an old cat lady, and I used to not have to drink coffee.

So let's get back to that! When I say let's, of course I mean "I". I have started the engine to changing my habits. Coffee....GONE! Working out...started again this week! Tennis...started again this week! Go out at least once during the week....Pajama Party tonight!

I'm about 25 pounds overweight and I act about 5 years older than I am. This is my public vow to get back to 2004 (right out of college and fabulous).

Here I go!

Adventures of a Chronic Dieter - entry XXX???

So my plan this week was to workout in the morning before I go to work. Morning - 2; Ronjini - 0. I did so good last week and don't know what happened, but with every exhale and piece of clothing I try on...FROM MY OWN CLOSET, my desperation for going to the gym gets worse.

I realize it takes a certain motivation and balance of time in life, but my energy has waded with this new puppy and the amount of work I do. Once I'm back on a schedule, I should be good. Maybe I'll set some short-term goals to kick start my momentum.

Goals for this week:
- Drink WATER, no soda (or minimal soda)
- Workout everyday for the rest of the week (Tuesday - Sunday)
- No eating lunch out (that's what kills me most of the time)
- sleep by 11, awake by 5
- no carbs after 7

This is aside from the dozen other personal things I should take care of, yay! Its Tuesday.

Allright folks, here I go again!

Adventures of a chronic dieter #2

This is the beginning of week 2. It seems the less that I talk about it and the more that I do, it works out much better. I've been really good in getting back on track and staying focused with the workouts. It helps that I don't feel as bloated as I did last week as well.

Every corner I turn I see something that motivates me to be good. It was hard to wake up early this morning for the gym, namely because my legs are pretty sore from the stairs yesterday; however I WILL make it to the gym by the end of the night today.

I feel like I'm finally getting back on track to at least the way my old body used to be. I was considering putting a picture up in my office to inspire me, but now I realize that what I really want to look like is myself as I was at this one particular juncture when I was in college.

I won't lie, I looked fanTASTIC. So that's what I'm shooting for. I'm inspiring myself with...well...myself. Unfortunately, I don't have anything but a mental photo of that self, but I think that will be enough to work.

Wish me luck as I continue on my journey.

Adventures of a chronic dieter #1

Again and again, I have promised myself that I would lose weight and improve my physical fitness over a period of time and there have been many many times that I have actually achieved my goals in that arena, however, since July I have made promises to myself that I just haven't kept. That all ends today...

"Why are you always on a diet?"...Well, I guess its not really a diet anymore but just a lifestyle choice. It is not that I think that I am obese either, and a lot of weight loss is not about that, but more about being the best you can be. I know I'm better than this, therefore, I have tried to encourage myself to get back to the 'way things were', because I felt better about myself back then. So I don't think I'm overweight more than I know that I feel and perform better at my ideal weight, previously achieved.

We all use excuses about why we have gained weight as we get older; working a desk job, being stressed out, being too busy, loving food too much, not wanting to torture ourselves, etc. Well fitness should be a part of your regular activity and when you want to lose weight you just have to incorporate some extra time into it. Its like when you're a student and you're struggling in a subject, you get a tutor and put more emphasis on it.

My goal is to trim off this excess weight and become a lean mean tennis machine. Along with fitness, I will utilize this 52 day program to improve my focus on everything in my life, improve my tennis game and get my finances situated (for all those trips I'm taking this year).

I have until March 31st to be all that I can be. I'm not going to put an exact number goal because that can be deceiving, but what I can put down are some ground rules:

- Cut sodas and artificial juices
- No candy or baked goods
- No more than eating out 1 time per week
- High protein, low carbs
- Incorporate a master cleanse of maybe 3-5 days in the plan somewhere
- Cut out as much dairy as possible (including cheese...I know....ouch!)
- Replace Coffee with Green Tea and non-sugar energy drinks (if necessary)

Tomorrow morning in the wee hours of the morning is the weigh in. I will not procrastinate to wake up and get out of the house. And alas, to make this the real deal, I will post my starting weight as embarrassing as it is for me.

During this extraordinary promise to myself, I will post my weekly progress, interesting observations, great fitness classes and exercises that I come across and recipes that I discover to keep my 'diet' bearable and exciting. The good news is that I love vegetables and salads. The bad news is this is undoubtedly going to be the hardest thing I have done to date (sometimes I think it is harder to lose weight when you're not overweight).

Here's to achieving the BEST!!! Cheers!!! Stay tuned...