I am not sure what the first type of juice I owned was, however it was not a cheaper juicer. I purchased it from Sur La Table and it was one of the those masticating style juicers, which you can see here: http://thejuicerdirectory.com/category/masticating-juicers/ When I first purchased it I loved having it and thought it was super useful. I never thought cleanup was really that easy however. As time went on I began to find it rather time consuming, I was also always frustrated that there was no use for the pulp. I know there are several websites you can go to and find uses for the pulp but I didn’t really have time to do that.

I also found it annoying that you have to peel somethings, most you didn’t but the ones you did have to are the ones that you would rather not peel. As for making me healthier I cannot really say if it did or not, I probably didn’t use it long enough to notice major health benefits.

Some of my more favorite things to juice were apples, the fresh juice was quite delicious. I would have liked to juice orange but that required peeling them, and it was just easier to squeeze the juice from them. I also enjoyed making grape juice quite a bit. I noticed juiced certain things gave the final product a somewhat powdery or bitter taste such as cranberries so I tried to stay away from those.

In whole I think that juice is healthy and a good alternative for those who have time and maybe do not like eating fruit. If I had to choose I would rather just eat fruit and save from having to clean up after the juices, plus that way you are getting the fiber. Who knows though maybe if I had a different juicer that worked better I would feel a completely different way.

Three days later when I could move, I decided it was time to change my strategy!

So I tried my 5 lb. weights. I did fewer reps.

This time I wasn’t as sore the next day, but I still waited another day before picking the weights up again. Gradually I started to see definition. At first it was in my shoulders. I was feeling good and strong. I kept up this routine for about two months. Then I thought I would go on to 8 lb. weights. I was taking it slow and increasing weight and reps oh so slowly. I started noticing that I was able to do other things more easily. I could load the groceries and a 24 pack of soda into the car without the effort that it used to take. The store had a 24 pack of water on sale. I couldn’t believe how easily I lifted it up into my truck. That was about 15 years ago.

I have continued with my weights and am quite proficient at it now. I vary my routines and my weights. With the lighter weights I do more reps and with the heavier ones I do fewer reps. I am very pleased with the muscles I have developed in my arms. Of course I wasn’t satisfied with only developing muscles in my arms. I started working on muscle everywhere in my body.

I started doing lunges and working out on the treadmill and bike to maintain a healthy weight. I now have very muscular thighs and calves. They are not the body builder’s type muscle. It just looks like good definition.

The thing that amazed me was that it really didn’t take that much work to build muscle. All it took was consistency. I have found it much harder and longer to lose fat through aerobics alone. Little did I know that if you have muscle, you will burn calories more efficiently. It is really a win/win situation. If you build muscle, the rest of your body cooperates and tones up quite quickly. One important thing to remember–muscle weighs more than fat. Don’t get hung up on that number on the scale.

Look at the beautiful definition in your arms and legs. See how your clothes fit. Building muscle really can be a beautiful thing. As an added bonus the extra muscle has helped me to lose fat. I think if you’re looking to lose weight this may be how to lose weight fast without crazy dieting.

Now that I have put that behind me I’m ready to get back to working out and feeling normal. I’ve got to say that every time I do that to myself I feel awful so I am not quite sure why I do it again and again.

Today I’m going to work on the back and my triceps and top it all off with about 20 minutes of cardio. I had a long discussion with my wife about weight loss supplements for women and have come to the conclusion that she is probably better off not using them when you consider the high price tag.

Tomorrow we have a run planned on the beach. Our plan to to get in about three miles of jogging in the dense sand along the surf line. Running in the soft stuff in just so much more effort. Not that effort is bad but we do like to get at least a few miles of jogging to burn fat. The shorter and more intense distances just don’t have the same effect and running over slightly longer distances helps us to clear our head.

That’s about as far as planning has gotten us for the week so far. Wednesday will likely be a rest day and maybe Thursday as well because our schedule is pretty packed that day I don’t want to have to squeeze in another workout.

Oh and if you’re thinking about doing a little sand running then check this out. You might be surprised just how much more intense it is then on concrete or a track. You’ll probably have to try it to be convinced. I love the idea of running on the beach to clear my head though and that’s why I do exercise outside as much as possible. It’s way more effective for clearing my head than an elliptical with a television stationed in front of me.