My 2-Day Juice Cleanse Experience

My body didn't tell me to slow down, it screamed it at me for weeks. My busy work schedule and jam packed social calendar have really started to take a toll on my body and health lately, so I knew it was time for me to be more responsible and make better choices when it comes to food. And so I made the decision to do 2-day juice cleanse and jump start this healthier lifestyle that I'm aiming for.

I've been interested in juicing ever since I watched Jason Vale's Super Juice Me documentary many months ago, but I've just never put a few days aside to actually do a cleanse. Until this past weekend.

I've been meaning to buy my own juicer, but I discovered a juice shop called Juicy Diary here in Taipei that delivers fresh cold-pressed juices right to your doorstep. So I went on their website and picked a 2-day juice cleanse set, and it was delivered to me on Friday evening. Very convenient!

Okay, so how does it work? Each day I was to drink one juice every two hours, totaling six juices for the day, and twelve juices for the weekend. They also recommend drinking a lot of water, some herbal teas and lemon water throughout the cleanse. As for food, if you want to do the cleanse properly, you really shouldn't eat anything, but alas, I prepared a fridge full of fresh fruit and vegetables anyway, just in case I got really hungry. I mean, I'm not trying to starve myself here, I just needed a health kick.

So this is what went down during my 2-day juice cleanse journey:

Day 1 (Saturday):

8am - Water with fresh lemon

I woke up refreshed, excited, and energetic. I've never done a juice cleanse before, and I've never gone two days without eating solid foods, but I was up for the challenge, and ready to take this giant step towards a healthier lifestyle. I drank a Mason jar of water with fresh lemons to kick-start my detox, and then I took Toby out for a 20-minute walk.

9am - Juice #1 GREENS

Ingredients: Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut Water

We were off to a rough start, as I really didn't like the overwhelming taste of celery in this juice. I just closed my eyes, tried not to breathe through my nose, and drank it as fast as I could. Maybe I'm just being a little dramatic now, but it wasn't my favorite out of the bunch. 

11am - Juice #2 ROOTS

Ingredients: Pineapple, Carrot and Ginger

This one was absolutely delicious and by far my favorite juice out of all the juices this weekend. If I could, I'd drink this juice every day for the rest of my life. It was sweet and yummy and totally made up for Juice #1.

By this time I was thinking about my regular morning ritual; a cup of coffee. Damn, I really craved it! Even though I only have one cup (maaayyybe two cups) a day, I missed it terribly. I did a light 20-minute workout, vacuumed the house and did a load of laundry to take my mind off of the coffee craving.

1pm - Juice #3 CITRUS

Ingredients: Pineapple, Cucumber, Lemon, Apple, Mint and Chia Seeds

This juice tasted fine, but didn't blow my hair back. Around this time I was starting to feel  hungry and sluggish. I watched some TV and ended up passing out on the couch for an hour and a half.

3pm - Juice #4 ROOTS

Ingredients: Beets, Pineapple and Lemon

Another fabulous juice! Delicious and sweet. Around this time I started getting a dull headache, which I assumed was from not having my daily caffeine fix, or from the detoxing process. I went out with The Husband for a walk, but the headache kept lingering.

5pm - Juice #5 CITRUS

Ingredients: Apple, Pear, Kiwi, Lemon and Celery

Luckily the celery wasn't as prominent in this one, perhaps the apple influenced that. It was definitely much better than Juice #1. My headache got worse though, which made me feel horrible, as I couldn't focus on anything.

7pm - Juice #6 NUTS

Ingredients: Almond, Dates, Vanilla, Mineral Water, Sea Salt

I had no idea what to expect from this one, I mean, never in my life have I had a nut-flavored juice. It was surprisingly delicious, and one of my favorites this weekend. It was a much thicker consistency than the others, and actually felt more like a meal. It definitely made me feel "full".

Overall Day 1 experience:

I truly thought I'd be way hungrier than what I was. I guess the nutrients in the juices satisfied my body, so I didn't feel like I was starving. I did crave my daily coffee, and thought about eating some fruit which I'd bought "for in case". I didn't end up eating any though. I drank A LOT of water throughout the day, too.

I was home by myself for most of the day, which I assume made this process easier. I can't imagine having to watch The Husband scarf down on some solids while I was sipping on a juice. I was quite sluggish and, apart from taking a couple of walks and doing some light exercises and housework, I spent most of my day on the couch.

In general, it was a good day, but the headaches really ruined it for me. I had so many things planned to keep myself busy this weekend, but the throbbing in my head was so bad that I couldn't read anything or watch TV for most of the day. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to sleep. I was in bed by 9pm! 


Day 2 (Sunday):

8am - Water with fresh lemon

I literally jumped out of bed with glee when I realized that my headache was gone. I guess that's what eleven hours of uninterrupted sleep would do to a person. (The Husband went away for the night with some friends, so the house was quiet.) I had water with lemon again, and took Toby out for a 30-minute walk in the park.

9am - Juice #1 GREENS

Ingredients: Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut Water

Bleh! This is exactly the same juice as Day 1's first juice. Again, I just closed my eyes and finished it as fast as I could. I didn't crave coffee as much this morning, but I definitely thought about it.

11am - Juice #2 ROOTS

Ingredients: Carrot, Pineapple and Ginger

Again, this was the same one as Day 1's second juice. No complaints, because I absolutely loved that one. I felt great and did a 20-minute workout at home, did some housework and got ready for the day.

1pm - Juice #3 CITRUS

Ingredients: Apple, Lemon, Kiwi, Celery and Ginger

This juice was okay, neither great nor terrible. I felt a slight headache creeping up on me again, which was annoying, so I took a 45-minute nap which definitely helped.

3pm - Juice #4 ROOTS 

Ingredients: Beets, Pineapple and Lemon

Also the same as Day 1's fourth juice, which made me happy. I enjoyed it so much! I read my book and watched some TV shows, which kept me occupied for most of the afternoon.

5pm - Juice #5 GREENS

Ingredients: Romaine, Celery, Cucumber, Lemon, Chia Seeds and Coconut Water

Damn! Another one! It took me a while to finish this juice, as I really wasn't feeling the celery. I forced it down while doing some online shopping, because it took my mind off of the taste. (There's always an excuse to do online shopping!) I took Toby out for a 20-minute walk and kept myself busy with things around the house.

7pm - Juice #6 NUTS

Ingredients: Almond, Dates, Cacao, Mineral Water and Sea Salt

And so, it was time for the last juice of the weekend, ending my 2-day juice cleanse. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, the cacao made it taste like a thick chocolate shake, and was glad to end the cleanse on a high note.

The Day After (Monday)

Overall experience and final thoughts

Doing the 2-day juice cleanse was fairly easy (easier than what I had anticipated). I wasn't as hungry as I thought I'd be, I didn't experience any mood swings and I didn't feel nauseous. But, I didn't have a lot of energy and suffered really bad headaches throughout the weekend, which was awful.

After two days of juicing, I felt like I was only getting started and could have continued only drinking juices for probably a couple more days. So next time I'd like to try a 5-day juice cleanse. Yep, already thinking about "next time". I've decided to go ahead and purchase my own juicer, to incorporate juices into my daily life.

I feel pretty good today, and didn't drink any coffee. I ate some oatmeal for breakfast and just had rice, vegetables and meat for lunch. I do still have a slight headache, but other than that, I have plenty of energy.

I'd recommend a juice cleanse to anyone who feels like they just need that extra something to help kick-start a healthier lifestyle. If drinking nothing but juice for a few days scare you too much, you can incorporate some fresh fruit and vegetables. Also, just having one juice a day is already a big step in the right direction.

My tips for when you decide to embark on a juice cleanse:

• Don't make any plans to leave the house, trust me, you are going to want to be close to your bathroom.
• Don't plan on doing much, you are likely to feel sluggish, especially in the afternoon.
• Make sure you have some fresh fruit and veg in your house for in case you really need to eat something.
• If you don't live by yourself, encourage the rest of your household to join you in the juice cleanse.

Let me know if you have any questions about the cleanse, you can also email me at liesl@pretty-random-things.com

Have you ever done a juice cleanse, what was your experience? Or have you thought about doing it? 

Thankful Thursday

Source

I'm Thankful...

1. ... for delicious, sweet summer fruit.

2. ... for inspirational people in my life.

3. ... for that perfect, refreshing shower after a workout.

4. ... for humor and laughter.

5. ... that I'll be able to spend time with the fam in Dubai next week.

Happy Thursday! What do you feel thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

Source

I'm Thankful...

1. ... for the delicious dinner our friends cooked for us last night.

2. ... that my parents will be with my siblings in Dubai soon, for a much deserved vacation.

3. ... that summer vacation is so close now, I can almost taste the cocktails.

4. ... that everything worked out for my two friends who are making a big move from Taiwan to the USA.

5. ... to be surrounded by so many hardworking and successful people who inspire and motivate me to be the best person I can be.

What are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

I'm Thankful...

1. ... that my sister got a flight to Taipei in May. It will be her first visit to my home away from home, and I can't wait to show her around.

2. ... that The Husband finishes work early on Wednesdays from now on.

3. ... for spring rain that cleans the air in the city.

4. ... that we are halfway through the semester. It's all downhill from here!

5. ... for the delicious falafel I had for dinner last night with great company.

What are you thankful for today?

Summer in South Africa

The Husband (I still get a kick out of saying that) and I have been back in Taipei for 2 days now and I still feel blue from having to leave South Africa and its beautiful summer weather and friendly people behind. Even though we were there for almost a month, it just never seems like enough.

Our time in South Africa was exciting, magical, busy and unforgettable. We flew into Cape Town, and we literally hit the ground running, as the next day we already had a meeting with our wedding coordinator; our Big Day was only 2 and a half weeks away and we still had a list as long as my arm of wedding to-do's. We couldn't wait to get started on the final preparations and the days leading up to our wedding was a blur of phone calls, emails and organizing.

Arniston/Waenhuiskrans

Of course, we did manage to sneak in some down time and spent lots of time at the beach and in the sun. We also went to Cape Town (about 2 hours' drive from my hometown) for a joined Bachelor/Bachelorette Party that our friends had planned for us. It was so much fun, as the theme for the party was Barbie and everyone had dressed up. I loved seeing all my friends (some I haven't seen in 3 years!) and partying the night away. 

D'Aria Wine Estate, Durbanville

We also attended our very good friends' wedding on a wine farm just outside Cape Town the next weekend. The Husband was the Best Man and joked that it was his opportunity to practice his speech for our wedding, which was only a week away. Their wedding was lovely, and we thoroughly enjoyed that weekend away from wedding planning and just relaxing with our friends.

Table Mountain, Cape Town

The week leading up to the wedding was extremely busy as family and friends from around the world started arriving in South Africa for our wedding. We picked up The Husband's mom and three brothers, who had flown in from North Carolina, USA from the airport the week before our wedding and spent two fun-filled days in Cape Town where we went sightseeing, ate a lot of good food, and drank a lot of tasty local wine. We also met up with our friends who had literally traveled thousands of miles to attend our wedding, from Taiwan, Australia and the States. During this time, my brother and sister also arrived from Dubai. (My oldest brother had arrived from the States the week before.)

Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town

Two days later we picked up The Husband's dad and stepmom from the airport (also flying in from North Carolina) and headed back to my hometown to get everyone settled before the Big Day. We rented a house by the beach for his family (which also gave us an excuse to go to the beach in between last minute wedding preparations.)

My parents hosted an unforgettable braai (South African BBQ) for his family three days before the wedding, as it was the first time our two families got to meet in person, and they couldn't stop talking about the food for days. It was an incredible moment for us to have both our families under one roof.

With my mom at my Bridal Shower

The next day my sister and bridesmaids hosted a beautiful Bridal Shower for me. They put so much thought and effort into planning it, and it really did make me feel so special. A bunch of my girl friends and female family members attended, and everyone gave me underwear as gifts. Needless to say, I probably won't have to buy underwear again for at least the next five years... The great food, champagne and laughs were exactly what I needed to relax two days before the wedding.

On top of Table Mountain, Cape Town

One day to go, and we all headed to the wedding venue for rehearsal. My mom, my mother-in-law, my sister and my bridesmaids all stayed with me at the beautiful guest house by the wedding venue the night before. We drank champagne (we did this a lot, didn't we!?), tried on our dresses and got ready together the next day before The Husband I and said our "I do's". 

The wedding was even better than I had pictured in my mind. I'm going to write a detailed post about the wedding in a few days, so I'm not going to say too much about it now. But it really was one of the best days of my life and I still catch myself with a huge stupid grin on my face when I think about it.

Happy times at the beach

The day after the wedding we all headed to the beach house and spent three days lazing on the beach, eating everything in sight and spending some quality time with our new huge family. Having The Husband's and my family together under one roof was one of the highlights for us from our trip, as this will probably not happen again any time soon, being that among the 13 of us, we live in four different countries.

The Newlyweds, Struisbaai

It was really hard to say goodbye to everyone and head back to reality and our life in Taiwan. I really wouldn't have minded spending another week in sunny South Africa with our friends and family. Luckily I we have plenty of pictures and wonderful memories from our trip, and I know we'll be seeing our family again soon when we go to the States in six months.

Stay tuned for more pics from our trip which I'll be posting as soon as I've uploaded them and sorted through the hundreds of snapshots.

Happy weekend!

FOCUS T25 (Week 10)

Aaaaaand, that's Beta Phase, people. Done and dusted! Originally, this would have been the end of our Focus T25 journey, but I decided to continue with Gamma Phase, the third cycle in this workout program.

In general, Week 10 was way better than Week 8 and 9 for me. I've gotten so used to the workouts now, that I could basically do them with my eyes closed.

Here are my updates from Week 10:

Day 64 - Rip-T Circuit (Monday)

For some reason, this workout is scheduled three times this week, which sucks because it's not my favorite. There are still some moves that I can't do properly, and it's very frustrating for me. I basically just wanted to get it over with.

Day 65 - Core Cardio (Tuesday)

Dare I say that this workout was easy!? Maybe because I have a lot of energy today or it could be my excitement for tonight's New Year's Eve celebrations with my friends. 

Day 66 - Rip-T Circuit (Wednesday)

Because we had the day off work today, I had to do today's workout at home and I didn't have my dumbbells. Hence, I had to substitute the Rip-T Circuit workout with one I don't need weights for. Of course I chose to do Speed 2.0. This workout is just the best!

Day 67 - Dynamic Core (Thursday)

All motivation to exercise has totally left the building, and I'd be lying if I said I gave it my all today. I'm feeling a little bored with the Beta Phase set of workouts now, and I can't wait for the next round.

Day 68 - Rip-T Circuit (Friday)

Thank goodness this was the last time I had to endure this workout. It's not that it was particularly hard, it's just not a fun one for me and I literally dread doing it. Well, now it's over with and I don't ever have to look back.

Day 69 - Speed 2.0 & Stretch (Saturday)

I'm happy that I got to finish off Beta Phase with my favorite workout, Speed 2.0 Can Shaun T please develop an entire workout program with these types of routines!? I like that it's so fast-paced, and that I'm so busy trying to keep up with it, that I can barely look at the clock. 

I must say, I am proud of myself for finishing the first two cycles of the Focus T25 workout program. Mostly, it wasn't too difficult to stick to the program, and I think it's greatly because the workouts are a mere 25-minutes each. That being said, sticking to a 2-month intense exercise program is not always a walk in the park. Of course there are days that I didn't feel like it, or weeks where I just couldn't motivate myself to eat healthily.

I'm super ready for Gamma Phase now! I haven't seen any of the workouts yet, but I have a feeling they are going to be crazy. I'll be off to South Africa next weekend and I'm not sure yet how easy it will be for me to fit in a daily workout, but I'm going to do my best.

After finishing Gamma Phase in four weeks, I'll write a detailed post on my general experience with the Focus T25 program, and how it compared to my INSANITY experience.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

FOCUS T25 (Week 9)

After the Major Fail a.k.a Week 8, I was so motivated to give it my all in Week 9. The weather has been so miserable, which definitely makes it harder to work out. I just have to keep reminding myself that we'll be on our way to summer in South Africa in exactly two weeks, which is a great reason to be in the best shape I can be.

I've been trying to eat healthier, but the colder it gets in Taipei, the more food I want to stuff in my face. Christmas meals didn't help much either on the eating-healthily front. Whatcha gonna do, right! Anywho...

Here are my updates from Week 9:

Day 57 - Rip-T Circuit (Monday)

I felt very motivated to exercise today, after I've not been able to work out since last Wednesday. It felt good to be back at it again, and although I'm not feeling 100% yet, I'm glad I'm back on track.

Day 58 - Dynamic Core (Tuesday)

Ugh! "Core" means ab workouts, and ab workouts means me moaning and groaning for 25 minutes. So that's that.

Day 59 - Core Cardio (Wednesday)

This workout was welcomed with open arms today, as we've all been freezing in the office. Finally we could jump around and get warm. And, working out on Christmas day!? We should be getting extra points for that!

Day 60 - Dynamic Core (Thursday)

Man! This one AGAIN. Hates it. At least I'm finally warm after freezing the whole day.

Day 61 - Upper Focus (Friday)

Today is so cold in Taipei, that we literally couldn't wait for our workout in the afternoon to just be able to warm up. We even did a quick 8-minute Speed 2.0 session in the morning to just get ourselves warmer. Upper Focus does not require that much jumping around, so we opted to do Speed 2.0 instead to warm up our bodies after work.

Day 62 - Speed 2.0 & Stretch (Saturday)

Today I substituted the Speed 2.0 workout with Core Speed, which is an alternative. Oh man, this workout is so fast and I could barely keep up. I liked it, but not more than Speed 2.0. Maybe it will go better next time, as I know the movements know and I wouldn't have to look at the screen as much. I didn't have time to do Stretch, as I got up too late and had lunch plans. Maybe I'll squeeze that one in tomorrow.

On Monday we're heading in to Week 10, which is the last week of Beta Phase. I really can't believe it, these couple of months have just flown by! I'm already looking forward to Gamma Phase, as I'm so ready for a new set of workouts.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

FOCUS T25 (Week 8)

This past week was a disaster, healthy-eating and exercise wise. I'm not sure if it's the disgusting cold and rainy weather in Taipei or what, but all I've wanted to eat are chips, baked goods and chocolates. I even had McDonalds, people! (*hangs head in shame) Whatever. YOLO. It's hard for me not to give in to cravings, because I never deny myself a treat. I vow to make healthier choices next week, though! Also, I couldn't exercise on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, so I feel like Week 8 was a total bust. Nothing I could do about that, let's just hope and pray that Week 9 will go much smoother.

Really, how are we at the end of Week 8 already?! It seems like just yesterday that I was so sore after Day 1's workout. Nowadays, I'm not sore after workouts anymore, although I can feel that I've exercised. Two more weeks and we're done with Beta Phase!

Here are my updates from Week 8:

Day 50 - Core Cardio (Monday)

I was relieved to see we had this workout today, because I feel it's the easier one out of the Beta Phase bunch. Damn, I've been so NOT in the mood to exercise today. The weather is gloomy and I'm wearing three layers of clothes. But, this feeling I have after working out is totally worth it!

Day 51 - Upper Focus (Tuesday)

Dumbbell time! For this workout, I feel like my 3kg weights are too heavy for some of the exercises. But I don't want to buy new ones just for this. My workout buddies have been innovative and filled up big milk bottles with water. Maybe I should get myself some of those, too. (Just for the one exercise where the 3kgs are too heavy for me.)

Day 52 - Speed 2.0 (Wednesday)

Even though I worked out by myself today, I had a good time during this one. If Shaun T came out with a workout program that only consisted out of these types of workouts, I'd be all over it! Next week, I'm going to substitute Speed 2.0 for Core Speed though, to see what that one's like. Hopefully I'll like it just as much.

Day 53 - Rip-T Circuit (Thursday)

No workout today, unfortunately. I had to go to the doctor and an exercise routine was just not in the cards for me.

Day 54 - Dynamic Core (Friday)

Still couldn't work out today. This sucks!

Day 55 - Speed 2.0 & Stretch (Saturday)

It's the 3rd day in a row that I couldn't exercise, and this is totally killing me! I always enjoy the Speed 2.0 workout, and I hate that I couldn't do it today. 

We officially have two weeks left of Beta Phase, and I'm super pumped for them! Because of health reasons, Week 8 kinda sucked and I couldn't exercise, which I hate. But, it does motivate me to go in to Week 9 on Monday and give it a 110%.

Enjoy your weekend, friends!

FOCUS T25 (Week 7)

FOCUS T25 Week 7 Results

Now that I've finished Week 7 of the Focus T25 workout program, I can really start seeing the results! (Damn, I wish I had taken "Before" photos, as this was absolutely NOT what my tummy looked like before I started...) I'm so excited because I've been working really hard to tone up and be stronger. I think that in the end, my final results might just be better than my INSANITY results. We'll see! 

Here are my daily updates from Week 7:

Day 43 - Dynamic Core (Monday)

I'm still not very familiar with the new workouts and I completely forgot that this one was jam-packed with ab routines. I do feel like my core is much stronger, but some of the ab workouts are just too hard for me. I try to keep up with it, but I'm still struggling.

Day 44 - Core Cardio (Tuesday)

Loved this workout today! I've been so cold today and didn't really want to change into my workout wear. But, once we got started it didn't even take me 3 minutes to warm up and start sweating. I do notice that's it's a lot harder to be motivated to work out in the colder months. How do you motivate yourself? I'm just thinking about next month's summer vacation and our wedding coming up. That's enough to keep me jumping like a crazy person!

Day 45 - Rip-T Circuit (Wednesday)

Flashbacks of last week's ab workout fiasco came screaming back to me today. Man! I just can't do those properly, my body just doesn't want to do funny ab thingies. Ugh!

Day 46 - Upper Focus (Thursday)

Oh yeah, this is the one with lots and lots of dumbbell exercises. I like those though! I worked hard today so I'm expecting really sore muscles tomorrow. We'll see...

Day 47 - Rip-T Circuit (Friday)

I decided to do my workout at home today, and not after work as usual. Bummer, forgot that this one needed dumbbells and I've been leaving mine at work. So I just did the Core Cardio workout instead, which I like a lot. Problem solved!

Day 48 - Speed 2.0 & Stretch (Saturday)

I can't even describe how much I LOVE the Speed 2.0 workout! It's so fast and fun and my favorite part is probably that it doesn't include any floor ab work. Yay! I probably look like a complete lunatic doing this workout (I hope nobody can see into my apartment...), because it really is non-stop-action-packed madness! If I can recommend you to try one workout, it would be this one!

So now there are only 3 weeks of the FOCUS T25 workout left! Even though I originally just planned on doing month 1 and 2, Alpha and Beta, I've decided to take on Gamma as well. So I'll start that some time in January and try to keep at it while we are on vacation in South Africa.

In general, my body is feeling amazing! My clothes fit differently and people have been commenting that I've lost weight, even though my weight has stayed basically the same. Obviously, I've definitely lost body fat and gained muscle. And muscles weighs more than fat. 

I still eat like a monster, just like I did when doing INSANITY, and I drink protein shakes. I try to eat healthier, but I do like to snack and I never pass the chance to eat a packet of chips or order dessert. Who cares? I'm very active, so I can eat whatever I want, right? 

Have a nice weekend, everyone! Talk to you again next week.

FOCUS T25 (Week 4)

And that's Week 4, folks! I can't even explain to you guys how good I'm feeling. I have so much energy lately and I just have a general feeling of well-being. Exercise really is THE best thing you can do for yourself! I'm doing only 25 minutes of exercise a day, and I feel like a new person. Here are my updates from the past week's FOCUS T25 workouts:

Day 22 - Cardio & Stretch (Monday)

Today I had the day off work, so I decided to squeeze in the Stretch workout that I didn't do this weekend. It's weird working out at home by myself, and I missed my workout buddies. I had so much energy today! Probably because I slept in until 10:30, as opposed to my usual 6:15 Monday morning get-up. 

Day 23 - Total Body Circuit (Tuesday)

Guess what?! Total Body Circuit didn't kill me today. Yay! Am I finally mastering this horror of a workout, or was today just a fluke?! Not that it wasn't hard... I just didn't die a thousand deaths during and after. I've been eating a lot more protein lately. Could it be that?

Day 24 - Lower Focus (Wednesday)

This workout really took it out of me today, and I'm going to feel it tomorrow, for sure! We had a good time though, laughing and encouraging each other as we hit the hard parts. 

Day 25 - Total Body Circuit (Thursday)

FML. Yes, Tuesday's workout was just a fluke.

Day 26 - Ab Intervals & Speed 1.0 (Friday)

Two workouts again today. Luckily I had time to do Ab Intervals just after lunch at work, and we did Speed 1.0 after work. I really really hate the ab workouts, I much prefer a jumping-around-like-a-crazy-person kinda workout. Speed 1.0 was fast and fun as usual.

Day 27 - Stretch (Saturday)

I woke up feeling so good, saw that it was a beautiful sunny and blue-sky day, that I decided to go for a 20-minute jog in the park first before doing the Stretch workout. Great idea, because I feel fantastic!

I'm very excited for the next week of workouts, as it's the last week of Month 1 Alpha. After this week, we'll be starting with Month 2 Beta. I'm a little nervous because I haven't seen the workouts, but I'm ready for a fresh batch of workouts and a new challenge.

This past week I've really been trying to ingest more protein, as my muscles are working so hard, but I physically just can't eat a lot of meat. I tried some a protein shake, and although I like it, I decided to spruce it up and make a "Power Smoothie" out of it. Next week I'll post the recipe to my high-protein smoothie concoction, maybe those of you working out would like to give it a try.

Catch you guys next Saturday. Have a wonderful and safe weekend!

5 Things I Love...

I love ...

1. ... that, slowly but surely, fall is starting to creep up on Taipei. (I hope!) 

2. ... The Fiancé, especially after suggesting an evening of shopping for our date night this weekend. (Could he be any more awesome!?)

3. ... having lots of candles and fresh flowers in my home.

4. ... fresh baked goods.

5. ... Franck, the wedding coordinator, from the Father of the Bride movies.

What random things do you love?

5 Things I Love...

I love...

1. ... that Emirates (the airline that my sister, brother and his wife work for) has recently announced flights to Taiwan, which means I'll be able to see them more often, and be able to visit them in Dubai regularly now.

2. ... how I feel after a good workout at the gym.

3. ... dark chocolate. Period.

4. ... looking through old travel photos and daydreaming about future adventures with The Fiancé.

5. ... a friendly smile from a passerby on the street. No, not the creepy kind. Just the regular I'm-having-a-good-day-and-feel-like-smiling kind.

What are you loving today?

Paris j'adore!

One of the MANY photos we took in front of the Eiffel Tower.

After our week in Paris, a long flight back to Taiwan, a hectic week at work, and a devastating typhoon, I finally have time to sit down and share our trip to France with you guys. I don't even know where to start! I feel like we were there for a month; we saw so many amazing places. We walked all over the city and also made a day-trip to Versailles. And, not to forget the biggest news, we got engaged!

We arrived in Paris early on Sunday morning and we stayed at a lovely hotel in the 9th arrondissement, close to all the big shopping centers like Galeries Lafayette and Printemps (I didn't plan it, it just worked out that way... I promise!) We were also in easy walking distance from The Louvre, the Seine, Champs-Élysées and Jardin des Tuileries. We also walked to the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame. I told you we walked all over the city!

On our first day we went  out to explore our neighborhood. We discovered that most of the stores had huge sales going on, (*happy dance!) and that our neighborhood was filled with cute cafés and bakeries. Later in the evening, we walked to the Eiffel Tower. I love that the sun only sets at around 10pm, so we took a picnic blanket, bought some champagne and found a spot amongst all the other people at Champ de Mars to watch the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower and wait for the lights to start flickering, which it does for a few minutes every hour after sunset.

Having champagne and enjoying the sunset at the Champ de Mars.

It was right before 11pm that The Boyfriend officially got upgraded to The Fiancé. It was very romantic and special and I'll never forget how happy I felt at that moment. He got me the most beautiful ring, which I'm in love with and will probably wear every day for the rest of my life. We were so giddy while watching the Eiffel Tower light up. It was like a fairy tale. We stayed there until after midnight, enjoying the happy summer atmosphere with the other tourists and Parisians.

Just after he put a ring on it!

I'm a lucky lady!

On Monday we took a train to Versailles to visit the Palace and beautiful gardens. I never knew the grounds were so enormous, and of course we walked all over. We also sat by the huge pond on the perfect green grass to have lunch. Oh gosh, which reminds me how much we ate that week! How couldn't we? I couldn't get enough of all the delicious food in France. I'm a pastry fanatic and were all over the croissants and crêpes. 

The gardens at the Palace of Versailles.

Walking around the gardens at Versailles

Later that evening we strolled through the Tuileries Garden at The Louvre, walked by Notre-Dame and visited the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore which, for book nerds like us, was heaven on Earth. After that we, unsuccessfully, tried to find this one jazz lounge our friend had recommended to us, but later gave up and splurged on a lovely dinner on a typical Parisian street.

Walking past the Louvre Museum.

Escargot, anyone?

On Tuesday morning and afternoon we did something very exciting, which will be a whole blog post by itself and I'll tell you guys about that later... Oh, the suspense! In the evening we walked to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre to experience the glorious view of Paris from the mountain and to watch the sunset. We passed the famous Moulin Rouge on our way there, and I almost had a mini heart attack when The Fiancé told me that he has never seen the movie... On which planet does he live!? Anyway, we drank champagne on the steps leading up to the Sacré-Cœur and stayed there until we were ready for a late dinner. 

Outside the famous Moulin Rouge.

Steps leading up to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

Enjoying the view of Paris with some champagne.

We were planning on buying tickets for those red hop on/off sightseeing buses for Wednesday, but it was a little rainy, so we went to Champs-Élysées instead to visit all the famous stores and to take some pics by the Arc de Triomphe. Of course, we got sucked into doing some shopping; I mean, you can't take two shopaholics to Champs-Élysées and not go shopping... We also visited the world famous Louis Vuitton flagship store and got macarons at Ladurée. Later we had a nice early dinner there and headed back to the hotel.

Standing in the middle of Champs-Élysées to get an Arc de Triomphe snapshot. So responsible!

The line to get in was ridiculous, but we HAD TO get some macarons. Totally worth it!

On Thursday the weather was nice again so we walked to the Eiffel Tower and bought our tickets for the hop on/off bus. These buses will take you all over the city and it's so convenient. We went to all the famous spots again and took more pictures. We walked to the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens as well. We ended the sightseeing trip at the Trocadéro across the road from the Eiffel Tower where we had crêpes... again... and people-watched. I can't, for the life of me, remember what we did on Thursday evening, but I'm sure it included food and champagne, or wine... or probably both...

The lovely Luxembourgh Garden

Eating crêpes at the Trocadéro. Yummy!

On Friday we went out to do some shopping again. (I love France and its 12% tax returns!) We spoiled ourselves to some very nice souvenirs and we also had delicious hot chocolate at Angelina, which one of our friends recommended to us. On Saturday we said goodbye to the City of Lights and headed back to reality in Taiwan. 

Paris is a shopaholic's paradise!

The best hot chocolate I've ever had! At Angelina.

We still can't stop talking about our trip and we feel so fortunate that we were able to go. I love the city and all the people were so friendly and helpful. It's total BS that Parisians are rude. We didn't have a bad experience once! I felt so at home there; maybe I was a Parisian girl in my past life? I really wouldn't mind living there, I'll just have to get used to EVERYONE smoking. Seriously, I felt that I was the only person in Paris that is a non-smoker.

No wonder Paris is on almost everyone's wishlist of places to see; it really is worth it and I'll treasure the memories of our experiences there for the rest of my life.

View of Paris from the roof of Galeries Lafayette.

Paris j'adore!