Magic Weight Loss

Dear Readers,

Remember back when I did the Military Diet, and it almost seems like a magic way of losing weight?? Well, unfortunately, I am here to tell you, it's not magic. The diet is supposed to change the chemicals in your body and make you lose weight fast, although, if you will notice, most people can't keep it off. I believe a bunch of people are confused, as I was. Look at what you are eating, grains/bread, meat, even fruits. But you are lacking in the vegetables. Unless you make grains and meat fresh yourself, you are more than likely not thinking about how those foods were processed. Even corn. Think about it, corn is a very common food, but do you know where it came from? Corn originated from a Mexican grass called teosinte.

This is what "corn" looked like before going through mutation, caused by humans!

I hate to tell you bad news, but what you are putting in your body, is damaging your body. I encourage you to check out my post "It's not just what you're eating, It's also what's eating you." 

The Magic Solution

All you have to do, to allow your body to heal itself is, cleanse. For some of you, that may mean a 30-60 day cleanse. For others, it may only be 10 days. Even, for those of you who need 30 days, but would struggle completing 30 days, start short. Go for a 10 day cleanse, take a break and then continue!! That's what my mother and I are trying to do!

We are both starting with the 10 day cleanse! My mother has the biggest success of the two of us. She has been on this cleanse for four days, and is already down seven pounds!!! She has more energy than she has ever had before, and to me, she simply seems happier!!! This is great news for all of us!!

Congratulations to my mother for keeping to this and do so well on it!!!

I am on day five, and I am down six pounds!! Of course I didn't weigh at the beginning, so I could even be down more than that!

If you decide juicing might be for you, first, visit my post "it's not just what you're eating, it's also what's eating you," to learn about an awesome documentary that can point you in the right direction!! Also, if you need some guidance on how and what to start juicing, feel free to send me an e-mail!

Happy Healthy Living,

Cleanse Your Body Cleanse You Mind

Dear Readers,
Sorry  I have not posted this week. I began student teaching, and my life has been consumed with teacher's meetings and such. However, I do have some awesome news to share.

After watching the movie, "Hungry For Change," I ordered my first juicer. YAY!

I began a ten day cleanse three days ago! So far, I have lost 4 pounds. The first two days of eating nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables  I felt amazing!! Nevertheless, as many people have told me, DAY THREE IS ONE OF THE HARDEST. All day today I have just been craving anything and everything, but I am sticking to it!!!

I do love this "diet," NO IT'S NOT A DIET, this LIFESTYLE! The juice really wakes me up and motivates me! Aside from today, I have had more energy, in fact, I have been skipping coffee at 4:00 in the morning...tough time to wake up. I did make coffee just to smell it yesterday morning.

I am going to continue posting about this new lifestyle as often as I can. I will also give you my recipes and tell you whether they are actually good or not.

Here are a few pictures from the past week of shopping for the food and the juice :)

First Shopping Trip

First Juice: Green Lemonade

This recipe calls for 1 lemon, 2 sticks of parsnip, and a TON of broccoli. Juice a handful or two of broccoli first, and then add enough to make a whole cup of juice! :) And, I got this juice from blendhappy.com

My First Concoction 

Half a cucumber, 1 lemon, a small bunch of parsley and cilantro, lots of spinach, and a handful of spring mix.

This one isn't FANTASTIC, but it is good. I LOVE LEMON in my juice :)

V8 style Fusion

three carrots, two big tomatoes, half a cucumber, ginger, and one green apple

I really enjoyed this one; however, the carrot has a very distinct taste. Go easier on them than I did, maybe one or two carrots tops.

The Gross Machine

Cayenne, spring mix, cucumber, lemon, ginger and aloe Vera. Not exactly tasty...but it supposedly opens the blood stream but I know the aloe is great for cleansing. So down the hatch :) 

I hope you have enjoyed a few of the juices I have done, or at least reading on it. As weekends approach, I will do my best to continue posting juices, and facts on what and why certain things are good for you!!

Good luck!!

Happy Healthy Living

<3

"It's Not Just What You're Eating, But Also What's Eating You"

"It's not your fault, this is how we are as mammals...you are programmed to put on fat whenever there is food available..."

Overview

Since early high school, I have been dieting. I have longed for a way to change my body. I have striven to lose weight, be skinny, look pretty, be confident, be active, be happy and more. I thought that in order to fix my body to make it what I want, I had to "deprive it." I had to take away the ice cream, chocolate, the beef, the calories, everything had to go. My whole view changed in about an hour and a half.

My boyfriend Wes loves watching documentaries. I on the other hand, hate them. On the other hand, I love that HE loves them. He has so much knowledge and information in his head, and I can learn from him. He was flipping through the documentaries on Netflix and pointed out "Hungry for Change." I was captured by the title, and I would never admit I was interested in a documentary to him, although now he will know. He was in town spending time with me for three weeks. The day he left, I was incredibly sad. I thought I have to get busy, to take my mind off of being without him. I went to the library and checked out three books on weight loss, but if you know me, you know I am not much of a reader. I came home, and I logged onto Netflix, and said, "Well, I just start with a documentary."

If you haven't watched this movie, DO IT  NOW! In order to truly lose weight, we are going to have to understand our bodies. At the end of this blog, I will post links to help you find out more.

I hate to begin to describe this movie to you; because, the awesomeness of this movie, the science, the understand, and the realization of what is really going on, I cannot explain! However, I am going to sum up a few of my favorite points, quotes, and what I am have decided to do in my life.

"Hungry For Change"

These are just a few thoughts I have picked from the movie "Hungry For Change." To understand the science behind your body, you need to watch this movie.

On my blog, on the journey tab, you will see my story. This is a brief overview of my life. After watching "Hungry For Change," I realize, "obesity is not a problem, it's a solution." Therefore, when you are stressed, you gain weight. Even if you are eating healthy and exercising, your body will still gain weight! I cannot explain to you all of the science, but please watch the movie to find out more! Weight gain starts over a significant event in your life. For me, it was my parents divorce. Ever since then, I have battled my weight. My body realized I was stressed, and hurting, so it did what normal bodies do in times of stress, produce fat to protect the body.

Foods are made to be addictive. The food companies want to keep you coming back for more. "It's not your fault. We as mammals are made to eat when there is food around." We are a nation that is "over fed, but starving to death." We are eating, but we aren't eating the foods that our bodies need. Thanks to the food companies making food addictive, it becomes much harder to let go. The key is, don't deprive yourself. Start slow. Add in foods you need to stay healthy, your body will not reject this. After some time, this will be what your body craves.

Our ancestors lived off of clean and fresh foods. We need to go back to eating our vegetables. "Juicing is easy to absorb, and its fast...You can jazz up juices to taste divine." I cannot tell you how amazing juicing is yet because I haven't done it. WATCH THE MOVIE!!! YOU WILL UNDERSTAND!!! AFTER WATCHING THE MOVIE, I JUST BOUGHT MY FIRST JUICER. (This movie will share stories of life saving juicing!)

There are many more tips on this movie. Tips for cleansing periods and visualizations. As I enter my new life of juicing, I will continue sharing tips and hints that I first learned in the movie, and how they are applying to my life!

Here are the links to finding out more about "Hungry For Change:"
Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/hungryforchangefilm?fref=ts
The Website:   http://www.hungryforchange.tv/
Hungry for Change Part 1:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-WWp9wlvwU&list=UUrrixaOr-bEIxIP_J1UUnsg&index=5
Netflix: You can also find this movie on netflix under documentaries!

I have done what feels like a thousand diets, and I now understand WHY THEY DIDN'T WORK. Please watch this movie! It's time to live a better life!

A Lot of Catching Up

Hey guys,
I have a lot of catching up to do with the blog.

For starters, the group, three day military diet. Wes lost three pounds. Hey, three pounds is still three pounds. I do have lots of comments about the diet and dieting all together, but that will be a post in itself in just a day or so. Come back on Tuesday evening and it will be up! I may even get lucky and have it up tomorrow evening.

Next, the polar plunge was awesome! Through family contributions, I was able to raise 15 dollars over my goal. I also have to tell you, I did not go all the way in and record it. On Tuesday of last week, I went to a buffet with my grandmother for her birthday. This blog is about healthy living, and buffets are bad for two reasons, and probably more. 1) They are simply unhealthy, and they make you think you can eat and eat and eat. 2) Buffets are dangerous to eat at for food poisoning. Think about it. They are making lots of food all at once, carelessness becomes easier with increased quantity. Also, as with most restaurants  you don't know who is cooking your food. Therefore, is the cook sick? Did they wash their hands? Are the utensils they or even you are using clean? I could go on with the questions, but I won't.
Well, thanks to this buffet, I became, what felt like, deathly sick for 24 hours. My poor boyfriend sat there taking care of me, and then 12 hours later he got it. (now you maybe thinking, that doesn't sound like you got it from the buffet, but, if I explained the timing of my sickness and such, just trust me, it was from the restaurant.) If you have ever had a bug of any type, you know you are still achy and aren't back to normal for at least three to four days.
And today is my first day of feeling pretty much normal.

I will post links of pictures and such later when people post them.

Well, I'll talk to you soon, and stay away from buffets!

Love,
Becca

Group Three Day Diet Update (on day 2)

Hey guys,

I just wanted to send you an update on how the diet is going. During Christmas, I have to admit, I had little self control. Now, I am paying for it. The three day diet is really making me realize how  you need to stay strong, even over a holiday otherwise, there will be repercussions.

My sister, Wes, and I are all on day 2. Man it is so hard right now! Yesterday wasn't too bad. The ice cream makes up for all of the dieting, and the gym helps you forget about your hunger.

I have added lemon juice to my water. I know this diet is all about the chemicals, so hopefully this doesn't mess me up. I have heard that lemon water increases metabolism and increases weight loss, so hopefully that will be true. But I also know it helps curve hunger. There fore I have been drinking lots of it, because I am so hungry.

If you are doing this diet as well, we would love to hear from you! Send me a comment or an e-mail.

Polar Plunge Myrtle Beach SC

Hey Guys,

I want to tell you a little about an upcoming event in my life. The Polar Plunge.
The Special Olympics is an amazing opportunity for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Each year there is a fundraising event called The Polar Plunge to support the Special Olympics.

On my fundraising website, I have a little blurb about why I participate in this event. But for my awesome readers, I want you to think about why you should participate in this event, or events like this. Think about your life. Think about your family, your friends, your health. Think about how blessed you have been, and maybe even are right now. Not all people are as blessed. They have a much more difficult time in life because they are a little bit different. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being different. We make others conform to our world because we believe in being normal. That isn't right  or fair. Think of it this way. If you lost your legs and you went to stay at an old hotel. Everyone you know is staying here. It's like a big family reunion. They could have had the choice to stay at this hotel that only has stairs, or they could have chose to stay somewhere else, a motel that is one story, someone's house, or even, they could help you up the stairs. But they didn't do that. You are still an amazing person, even though your legs are gone. But your family likes people who are normal. How would you feel in this situation? To me, it would hurt. To have to act "normal" because everyone else is "normal," that just isn't fair.

The Special Olympics is a chance for us to accommodate the needs of others. No one has to conform here. It's about giving a chance to those who didn't seem to  have a chance or opportunity before.

I hope you will join me in supporting the cause. Below are links to where you can find out more, or donate.

If I exceed my goal, I will even record the running into the water and being frozen and running  back out.

Links:
Special Olympics: http://www.specialolympics.org/default.aspx
SC Polar Plunge: http://www.polarplungesc.com/2013/Home.html
My fundraising Page: https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/BeccaRhodes/freezin-for-a-reason

Time for the Three Day Diet Again! Can't Wait!

Hey guys,
Remember I mentioned my boyfriend and I would be starting the diet together. Well, we are starting tomorrow, along with my little sister.
We have just gotten back from a trip to the mountains with the family. WOW, the family sure does know how to keep you off a diet ;) but I guess most of our families are that way!

I hope you were a lot stronger over the holidays than my boyfriend and I were.

But it is a new year! It is time for new resolutions, new actions, and new changes! (Happy New Year, and Merry Christmas by the way)

I am so excited to start this journey with three people that I really care about. Time to keep each other accountable, and do our best.

My boyfriend will be a guest speaker on this diet. He will share his opinion and experiences on how this diet worked for him.

If you are starting this diet, good luck!
I would love to hear from you, feel free to post in the comments, send me an e-mail, or add me on google plus account!

E-mail: beccasmiles2u@gmail.com
Google Plus Link: (idk if this link works) https://plus.google.com/u/0/

Good luck

PS. Here are a couple of pictures from our trip to the mountains.

Guest Speaker: Three Day Military Diet

Hey guys, I e-mailed a friend of mine who took the challenge a few days after me. I asked her to be a guest speaker on the blog. This is what she wrote back to me:

"I finished the three day diet yesterday and lost 8 pounds. I did substitutions for some things, especially cottage cheese...yuck! Other than that I stuck to it, worked out and it really does work. I'm on the four day break till Tuesday night and then I'll begin it again on Wednesday morning."

These are some amazing results!!! I am hoping my friend will keep me in the loop and we can continue to watch these great results!

If you have any results from your journey that you would like to share, leave me a comment saying so and I will send you my e-mail address.

Thanks for reading! 

:) Good luck on your Journey!