But, still doing well with fasting and still sticking to my reduced carb choices three days per week. I really notice a difference in my digestion and how I feel when I don't eat wheat. I am going to really try to limit the wheat I eat as much as possible. And carbs will be limited too, within reason of course. I don't really like giving anything up completely because it doesn't really seem maintainable for me, but limiting is certainly the first step.
Here is a photo of the food I eat Mon, Tue and Wed. I also have some chocolate for dessert and later have a snack of carrots, cucumber and hummus dip. I love how colorful this meal is. I REALLY enjoy it when I eat it, so much variety and flavor! The bread is a wheat free bread that I LOVE. It is 100% rye flower with flax seeds. In my salad is some egg, chicken, avocado, spinach, broccoli coleslaw, cucumbers, sesame seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and dressing. Sometimes I also have some pickles and later in the day I might have a banana for a snack.
I often say that two years ago if I had tried to switch the way I eat to this meal overnight, there is no way I would have managed to stick to it. But now, I know that I will keep this up. Fasting gives my body the chance to tell me what foods it wants in the form of CRAVINGS. Cravings that are just as powerful as the ones we get for chocolate cake. I CRAVE this food now, because my body wants it, it wants the nutrients. It feels good when I give it these nutrients so it asks for more.
I am doing all of this in small steps.
First step was deciding I had enough and making a commitment to change.
Second step was giving up carbonated drinks and diet sweeteners.
Third step was try fasting, work my way up to the 19 hour fast.
Fourth step was adding in more veggies, always break my fast with veggies and eat them first. That is when I started eating my spinach salad.
Fifth step was adding in more longer fasts to help kick start my weight loss and keep me consistently moving downwards.
Sixth step was adding in some activity, yoga twice a week is now a must for me, and I want to add a third day.
Seventh step was changing how I eat Mon-Wed and reducing my carbs.
And there will be many more steps to come I am sure. There were things I tried along the way that didn't stick. Things that I just didn't enjoy, counting calories, lifting weights, cutting out wheat and dairy completely etc. The things that stuck were the things that I found I did because I enjoyed them, not because I had to do it or should do it but because I really wanted to do it.
That really is the key, try stuff out until you find things that you LIKE to do, food wise, exercise wise and anywhere in your life that you want to make a change. And don't try to do everything all at once and make HUGE changes cold turkey. Do things one small step at a time, and eventually you will look back and be shocked at how far you have come, and it didn't even seem like it was hard to get there because you did it a little at a time.
Two years ago I was 215 Lbs, very unhappy, very unhealthy, eating almost 100% wheat, carbs and sugar, almost all my food was white. I came home every day and sat in front of the TV until bed time.
Today I have a new life, with new friends and a schedule of fun things to do almost every evening (and very little TV). Tons of travel in my past and in my future and a healthier happier body. Fast 5 has changed my life and I am never going back!
Here are some pics from the various events I have been busy with this month.
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| My cousin's wedding in Victoria |
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| My Grandma and I at the wedding, she is 89 and got up on the dance floor for two songs! |
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| My hubby and I on the dance floor at the reception |
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| Hubby, me and our dog Bexley on the RV |
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| The HUGE RV that our friends took us on this trip in |
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| Doing some sightseeing |
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| In one of the wineries in Osoyoos |
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| One of our yummy lunches on our trip |
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| The birthday girls |
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| Girls night out |
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| On the dance floor |
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| Strike a pose girls! |
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| The morning after, outside the hotel. |
Great post, Jenna! I'm very impressed by your transformation.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I've toyed with many different systems of eating during the last year and have found that the only one I truly like is intermittent fasting. It's so much easier for me to just not eat than it is eat only certain foods. Not sure if that makes sense.
Because of that (and with some inspiration from re-reading your blog), I'm going to start up 19/5 intermittent fasting again as soon as this holiday weekend is over. :)
Dear Jenna,
ReplyDeleteYou photos are lovely and you look wonderful. Just to say am very grateful for you continuing to post and share you IF journey. I love IF but find it hard to be consistent. I really need to work on this, as only then will I see some weight loss.
You look fantastic and your food picture made me drool!! Today was Day 2 of me being back on track. I feel awesome and let go of 3+ pounds in 24 hours. Probably water weight, but I'll take it. I'm back in the 130's which is huge for me. I just have to say you are radiant. Love the birthday pictures!! You are so beautiful!! Love ya!
ReplyDeleteHow do you handle IF on vacation? Does your hubby fast with you?
ReplyDeleteFasting on vacation is easier than I thought it would be when I first began. I do find that it is easier to switch my eating window to dinners when I am on vacation as that seems to be the most important meal. There is usually a lot more eating in restaurants which is usually why people gain weight while on vacation.
ReplyDeleteBut, of all the times I have gone on vacation and continued my intermittent fasting, I have stayed the same, lost weight or only seen a very small increase of a pound or two.
That is the beauty of Intermittent fasting. You can eat in restaurants, eat the foods you love and because you spend 19 hours fasting, you still maintain or lose weight!
Check out some of my archive posts...there are a few with the subject vacation.