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I didn’t plan on journaling my 21 Day Fast or Daniel Plan experience, but there is such a marked difference in how I feel after only one day that I feel compelled to – not so much just for you – but for myself so I can look back and remember the differences in my health, body and diet.
I also thought it would be helpful, instead of telling you what I’m going to do each day, look back and tell you what I actually did and how it aligned or differed from the actual plan in the book.
Now don’t hold me to daily posts – we all know as soon as I say I’m going to do something daily, something inevitable happens. But I do promise to chart this Daniel Plan experience to the best of my ability.
This of this more as an online journal (which is truly what I began blogging in the first place) than a “how-to” series of posts.
Of course, if you want to join in, you can purchase the Daniel Plan HERE or join in on the 21 Day Fast (through Christ Fellowship) HERE. No-one asked me to do this and I’m not being compensated to do this; I just know myself and as much as I’d like to think I remember how I’m feeling right now or what I actually ate yesterday, chances are, that’s not going to happen 🙂
Let me also make note that I’m starting this journey with their 10 Day Daniel Plan Detox. So for those of you not great with numbers, let me make sure I’m exceedingly and abundantly clear on what’s going on:
* 10 Day Daniel Plan Detox (to jump start my…
* 21 Day Fast (through Christ Fellowship, that I hope to continue through…
* 40 Day Daniel Plan
Got it? Good, then let’s get to it…
Daniel Plan Experience: Day 1
Breakfast: Blueberry Spinach Flax Smoothie
*Recipe from the book*
– I have to admit, I wasn’t crazy about this one. Perhaps because my frozen blueberries were a little old (I typically use frozen mixed berries, but happened to find a half-used bag of straight blueberries, so I tried to stay true to the recipe). I make smoothies quite often in the morning, but since they’re also for my kids, I’m used to throwing in some pineapple, mango and even a splash of juice to sweeten the deal. I may have to play around with this one a bit…
Snack: Hard Boiled Egg
– Not the specified snack for today on the plan, but we already had some made, so this was a choice of convenience
Lunch: Quinoa with handful of Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Collection
*Sort of from the Book*
– Lunch called for a 1/2 cup of quinoa with steamed broccoli, carrots and antioxidant dressing. I didn’t feel like cooking and steaming, so I made the quinoa, grabbed a handful of the Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch Collection and mixed it in to wilt it, then tossed it with a splash of the antioxidant dressing, which I did make from the book (though I tweaked the herbs and spices a bit). While it was a small bowl, I slowly ate it while I was working and it really filled me up.
Snack: Artichoke Hummus & Baby Carrots
*Recipe from the book*
– Let me first say that I don’t like artichokes. I’ve never liked artichokes. But again, in my effort to try the recipes as they are at least one time, I went with it. I will say, once blended, I didn’t notice the artichokes by themselves and I can tell there is a different depth of flavor over my regular hummus.
Snack 2: Crispy Chickpeas, Cinnamon Almonds & Spicy Garlic White Bean Dip
*Recipes from the book*
– While this wasn’t a planned snack, I decided to keep cooking since I’d already made the hummus and quinoa.
The Crispy Chickpeas I think will serve as a good snack, though I had to cook them longer than the recipe suggested to get them truly crispy. (Side note – neither of my kids liked them)
The Cinnamon Almonds were supposed to be whole. raw almonds, but I couldn’t find any at the store yesterday, so I used my sliced almonds I already had at home. Definitely not the same as those yummy smelling delights in the mall kiosk, but I can see adding these to hot oatmeal or quinoa (and my son DID eat these alone as a snack after I made them).
The Spicy Garlic White Bean Dip is similar in style to the hummus, but I added more paprika than I would have liked. I didn’t think paprika really had a taste, but I was wrong. I think after this sits in the fridge for a day and the flavors blend I’ll like it better.
Dinner: Thai Inspired Stir Fry
*Recipe from the book*
– Again, I played around with this a little and only ate the vegetable stir fry and did not make the coconut rice that I could have had according to the plan. I added my own version of vegetables and no tempeh (they don’t carry that at my local grocery store either) and quick cooked them in a wok. Look how beautiful it turned out:
So all in all, a very satisfying day. My husband asked if this was going to break our grocery budget and I really don’t think it will. Many of the components are things we already buy or have on hand anyway. Surprisingly enough, this is also the first recipe plan where I can honestly say I’m not only excited about the recipes, the majority of them are things I already eat or aspire to eat. It’s just going to come down to consistency for me.
Weight & Measurements
I honestly wasn’t planning on tracking this on here, more out of sheer embarrassment than anything else, but I’m going to pretend like no-one will scroll down this far to see it and it’s just a record for my own upcoming success story!
Weight: 195
Waist: 42″
Summary: 5 pounds lost & 1 inch down since yesterday.
These are also the two measurements asked for when you set up your free online profile at DanielPlan.com.
For those of you playing along at home, here are my starting measurements:
Weight: 200 (EEEEK! Keep in mind, I weighed 172 when I was 9 months pregnant)
Waist: 43″
There are several Daniel Plan resources available (though I only have the book, so I can’t vouch for the others.) Keep in mind, if you purchase anything through the Amazon affiliate links below, I will make a small percentage of the sale at NO extra cost to you.
* The Daniel Plan Study Guide: 40 Days to a Healthier Life
* The Daniel Plan Cookbook: Healthy Eating for Life
* The Daniel Plan Jumpstart Guide: Daily Steps to a Healthier Life
* Daniel Plan Journal: 40 Days to a Healthier Life (The Daniel Plan)
If you’d like to join me in this Daniel Plan experience (or just have an encouraging word!), will you please let me know in the comments below? Here’s to good health!
