My Juicy Story - Sam Cantle
18 March 2009
What got you into juicing and what did you think of it before you got into it?
A few years back, my husband, Steve, decided he’d like to buy a juicer, and it was a kitchen appliance I’d never considered owning before. He liked to drink bottled vegetable juice, which wasn’t to my liking as it just tasted foul in my opinion (strong taste of tomatoes which I’m not very keen on!). Using that first juicer, he would make the occasional juice for us to drink in the morning (mainly carrots and apples), but I insisted on always having oranges in mine as it wasn’t very appealing otherwise, much to the annoyance of Steve (they are so messy and sticky!).
When that one gave up the ghost, we didn’t invest in a new one until late summer 2008. This time it was a Phillips juicer which came with a free copy of Jason’s ‘7lbs in 7 Days’ book. Once we had both read it, we chose a week in early October in which to give it a go (we had both piled on the pounds, following our wedding and honeymoon in June) and we haven’t looked back since!
I guess before I got into juicing, I would have seen it as the pastime of ‘health freaks’ and not really for me. Now, however, I find the juices delicious and have one every morning for breakfast, which replaced my usual bowl of cereal and milk.
What results have you had since you got into juicing?
Before I started the 7-day programme in early October 2008, I was 10st 5lbs, probably the heaviest I have been in my life, and wearing size 12/14 clothes. Afterwards, I found to my delight that I had lost 8lbs. Following that I embarked upon the 14-day Turbo Charge programme on which I lost a further 5lbs. After Christmas I weighed in 9st 7lbs, and then having completed my second 7-day programme in January 2009 and following principles of healthy eating and drinking gleaned from Jason’s updated ‘Slim For Life’ book, I am now at the time of writing a very satisfying 8st and 8lbs, wearing dress size 8. That’s an overall weight loss of 25lbs and I am over the moon!
My energy levels really soared when I had completed the first 7-day plan and I now find I’m not as tired as I used to be and have more enthusiasm and less lethargy than before. I have also noticed that my stomach has become flatter and that my hair, nails and skin are all in much better condition.
Also, once I had finished the first 7-day plan, I discovered a new-found appreciation for the food on my plate and realised that certain foods that I thought I didn’t like (olives, celery, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes) I can now eat without batting an eyelid.
How has juicing changed your life?
Getting into juicing has been a real source of positivity and excitement in my life. After the age of eighteen, I noticed that my usually slim 8st, size 8 frame was starting to change and gain weight (no thanks to my university student lifestyle!), and my half-hearted attempts at exercise and controlling my diet never seemed to work, at least in the long-term. Now that I have read a number of Jason’s books and followed his principles, I can now easily incorporate juicing and exercising into my daily life, and find that I really enjoy it and the happiness and confidence it brings to me.
Summer holidays (including my honeymoon) would mean sucking my stomach in and hoping I’d somehow look good in my bikini, and avoiding those unflattering camera angles. I had also resigned myself to the fact that my post-30-year old body was supposed to look like that and even believed I had rather a lot of cellulite! Turns out that it wasn’t as bad as I had thought, and much of what gave that dimpled, cellulite-like appearance has now disappeared. I look forward to my holidays with excitement now as I know I no longer need to feel ashamed of my body and can wear my bikini with pride!
I love walking into a clothes shop and going straight for the size 8 clothes, and knowing that I don’t have to apply the old ‘rules’ I was using for dressing a larger frame. I can quite simply choose what I want, and I am looking forward to trying on some pretty dresses for my friend’s wedding in July this year, without struggling to get the zips done up fully!
Has juicing had a positive effect on your friends and family?
Steve has followed the 7 and 14-day programmes with me and has also shifted some unwanted pounds from around his middle (a stone in total). He has loads more energy and is rekindling his love for running and cycling, having run 3 marathons in the past. He is now hoping to complete his first triathlon later this year.
I think Steve is glad that I have finally stopped moaning about being ‘fat’, but I think he’d now wish I’d stop going on about how slim and great I feel!!
Many of my friends have noticed my weight loss and change to my shape and asked how I did it. I have referred those with a genuine interest to Jason’s books and website, and a couple of them have even completed the 7-day plan with good results.
What advice would you give to someone sceptical about juicing?
I would say to anyone who is sceptical about juicing, and really wants to change their life and way of thinking, to read one of Jason’s books (Slim For Life in particular) or attend one of his seminars . Jason is such an enthusiastic speaker and writer on the subject of nutrition and exercise, and he’s not trying to sell you a wonder product or rip you off. He speaks from the heart, from experience and is truly inspirational and motivational.
Jason has helped thousands upon thousands of people to change their lives for the better by showing people what they already know – cut out the junk food, move your body and get some raw fruit and vegetable juice inside you at least once a day. It will seem quite strange to start with but after that becomes second nature, and you won’t look back once you see the weight loss, flatter stomach and you start to feel alive! And the juices really are delicious!
What's your favourite juice?
Well, it’s a close call between the Turbo Charge Smoothie and the Passion for Juice Master, but if I had to pick one, then I think the Passion would win. Sometimes I throw some blueberries into the mix too – yum!
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