Waging War on Weight!

I ought to be ashamed to call myself a blogger. My posts have been few and far between, but it's only because the Lord has been blessing me to be busy helping other sisters set themselves free with Sisterlocks™. Anywho, I'm back and am embarking on a new journey. I have been battling the bulge for about 2.5 years now and am officially declaring war. In 2007, I had surgery to reconstruct my ACL (a ligament in my knee). The surgery was absolutely debilitating beyond anything I was prepared for. My health insurance (Blue Shield) afforded me only 6 physical therapy sessions which was ridiculous. I was limping and gimpy for months afterwards, and was absolutely devastated. I couldn't wear my high heels, which at 5 feet 2 inches are just part of my drill. Walking was uncomfortable, my knee was still hurting. Desperate for relief of any kind, I started taking yoga classes at the gym on my lunch hours, twice a week. I could barely do any of the postures, but my size zero, blond haired, blue eyed instructor continued to encourage me to do what I could and each time, try to take the stretch a little further. I hung in there, and low and behold, within about 2 months, I was able to fully straighten and stretch my leg. I was gradually able to resume wearing my heels. I was feeling so good, I started adding cardio and weight training to my routine. I managed to lose about 20 pounds, but plateaued. Because my husband has high blood pressure and cholesterol, we eat fairly healthy as a practice. Fish, lean chicken, turkey, fruits and veggies. We only drink freshly prepared juices, nothing bottled or in a carton, water, wine. The only time there is ever soda in our home is if we're having a family function and only if someone brings it, in which case they are required to take it with them when they leave. We exercise daily at 4-6 times a week, and still can't seem to loose a pound. I'm declaring war now! I've been exploring vegetarianism and raw foods for some years now; dibbling and dabbling. Well, today was my first day eating a totally raw diet. Unbelievably, I'm not weak or hungry. Here's how my day went: 7:30 AM - Banana & Water 9:00AM - Hot Yoga (90 minutes) 11:30AM - Fresh Juice (2 Apples, 2 Carrots, 1/2 inch piece of Ginger Root and a squeeze of Lemon) 6:00PM - Spinach greens w/ sliced strawberries and golden cherry tomatoes tossed in a strawberry vinegarette; 1/2 cup dry roasted, unsalted almonds 64 ounces of water consumed throughout the day It's 11:30PM, and I feel great. Getting ready to call it a night, and try it again tomorrow. I'll probably go for a 2 mile run in the morning - not enough time for yoga :o(. Stay tuned!