"Are you still on your diet?"
This is a very common question that people ask me. It always throws me off a bit. I have been living this lifestyle now for almost two years. I am not on a diet. I never really was. I guess when I started I thought of it as another diet that I would try to see if I could lose weight. But since the first week, I have never felt like I was on a diet ever since.
Diets don't work. Plain and simple. I don't care what kind of diet it is, how healthy or unhealthy the variety. They just don't work.
I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, "But I lost 30 pounds on the atkins diet, that worked." Well sure, it may have worked for a minute. Until you went "off the diet." That's why people always ask that question. "Are you still 'on' your diet?" Diets don't work because diets are not maintainable for life. And in order for a diet to "work" you have to lose weight and keep it off for the rest of your life.
Only when I stopped dieting did I stop struggling. That is why when people ask me that question, I am always so thrown off. Because I associate the word "diet" with "struggle"
and I am not struggling anymore.
Intermittent Fasting = FREEDOM!!!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Fasting on Vacation
Well, I am back from my cruise to report how it went fasting on a non stop, floating food buffet!
It went pretty well. I stuck to my 5 hour window about half of the cruise. The other half I had two meals instead of one. Not too bad. I did, however eat tons of rich food and lots of desserts. The food was pretty excessive on the ship, they even had a huge "Dessert Extravaganza" one night at 11pm that consisted of an entire room filled with tables full of all kinds of desserts, cakes, pies, puddings, tarts, cookies, pastries, chocolates and to top it all off, two chocolate fountains and a cotton candy machine. Pretty crazy!
I was feeling pretty bloated and terrible after it all, in fact, I was out at a store the day after and a woman asked me when I was due!!! I could hardly believe my ears. I told her that I wasn't pregnant, and she said, "oh, I was going to congratulate you." I said, "Yah, congratulations for being fat!" I hope she felt like the idiot she is. Who asks that?! Don't people know that unless you actually see a baby's head crowning you don't assume someone is pregnant??
But, despite all that, with my 64 hour fast before the cruise and another 64 hour fast after the cruise, I managed to LOSE a total of 1 pound. Pretty impressive I think considering....
I am back to my regular new and improved schedule and yesterday had my wonderful salad, some fruit, an egg and a slice of wheat free bread. I plan to have the same today and tomorrow have some stir-fry.
I am feeling pretty confident that the scale will keep going down and I will start to see the path to my goal getting shorter and shorter! I am going to pretend that pregnant thing never happened!!! Geeeeze!
It went pretty well. I stuck to my 5 hour window about half of the cruise. The other half I had two meals instead of one. Not too bad. I did, however eat tons of rich food and lots of desserts. The food was pretty excessive on the ship, they even had a huge "Dessert Extravaganza" one night at 11pm that consisted of an entire room filled with tables full of all kinds of desserts, cakes, pies, puddings, tarts, cookies, pastries, chocolates and to top it all off, two chocolate fountains and a cotton candy machine. Pretty crazy!
I was feeling pretty bloated and terrible after it all, in fact, I was out at a store the day after and a woman asked me when I was due!!! I could hardly believe my ears. I told her that I wasn't pregnant, and she said, "oh, I was going to congratulate you." I said, "Yah, congratulations for being fat!" I hope she felt like the idiot she is. Who asks that?! Don't people know that unless you actually see a baby's head crowning you don't assume someone is pregnant??
But, despite all that, with my 64 hour fast before the cruise and another 64 hour fast after the cruise, I managed to LOSE a total of 1 pound. Pretty impressive I think considering....
I am back to my regular new and improved schedule and yesterday had my wonderful salad, some fruit, an egg and a slice of wheat free bread. I plan to have the same today and tomorrow have some stir-fry.
I am feeling pretty confident that the scale will keep going down and I will start to see the path to my goal getting shorter and shorter! I am going to pretend that pregnant thing never happened!!! Geeeeze!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Fasting Success
Today I broke my 64 hour fast at noon! I felt so great making it to that last hour that I didn't even rush to the lunch room, but stayed at my desk and finished up some work for 10 or 15 minutes before heading in to eat.
Yesterday, near the end of my long fast I did yoga. I have never felt so focused. It was magical. I really do enjoy the side effects of long fasts, clarity, calm, accomplishment. I lost over 5 pounds in two and a half days. Hopefully at least 2 pounds of that will stay off. I know that if I keep to my plan and continue to do these long fasts once per month that I will reach my goal of 135-140 pounds and stay there! I am so excited!
When I broke my fast today, I was a little concerned that I would overeat, since that is an issue with me. But, I am happy to report that I only ate the food I brought for the day and didn't go overboard or eat past feeling full. I had a big salad with spinach, cucumber, cabbage, broccoli coleslaw, chicken, feta, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, croutons and dressing. I also had a hard boiled egg and a slice of wheat free bread. Then later I had some watermelon, blueberries and cherries with a few squares of chocolate.
I am so happy today!!! Looking forward to continuing on this new path and seeing results!
Yesterday, near the end of my long fast I did yoga. I have never felt so focused. It was magical. I really do enjoy the side effects of long fasts, clarity, calm, accomplishment. I lost over 5 pounds in two and a half days. Hopefully at least 2 pounds of that will stay off. I know that if I keep to my plan and continue to do these long fasts once per month that I will reach my goal of 135-140 pounds and stay there! I am so excited!
When I broke my fast today, I was a little concerned that I would overeat, since that is an issue with me. But, I am happy to report that I only ate the food I brought for the day and didn't go overboard or eat past feeling full. I had a big salad with spinach, cucumber, cabbage, broccoli coleslaw, chicken, feta, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, croutons and dressing. I also had a hard boiled egg and a slice of wheat free bread. Then later I had some watermelon, blueberries and cherries with a few squares of chocolate.
I am so happy today!!! Looking forward to continuing on this new path and seeing results!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Long Fasts
Today is the beginning of my new schedule. I have started with an extra long fast. Since next week I am on vacation, on a cruise, where eating is the main event, I feel I need two extra long fasts this month. One just before the cruise, and one just after.
I have been fasting since 8pm on Sunday evening and will break my fast on Wednesday at noon, making my fast a total of 64 hours. I will then have my regular lunch of salad and fruit with a slice of wheat free bread and some chocolate (I plan to be controlled, to eat my food nice and slow, to savour it and not overeat).
Next week while I am on my cruise, I still plan to fast 19 hours every day only I will break my fasts at dinner. I am sure that I will be eating much more than normal though as there are regular 5 course meals on a ship with indulgent desserts everywhere you look. I am going to enjoy the cruise but eat within my 5 hour window and try to make smart choices. Once I am back I will do another 64 hour fast and hopefully the two long fasts will balance out any over eating I do while onboard the ship.
So far I feel great during this fast, I find when I have made a decision in my mind to not eat, then eating is not an issue. It really highlights to me how much of this overeating is "in the mind" and I am sure that if I can figure out how to "just decide" not to overeat, I will be successful. Just got to figure out why I can't "just decide".
The schedule should really help to keep my fasts regular. I am really excited about this new plan and I feel confident that it will be what helps me reach my goal once and for all!
I have been fasting since 8pm on Sunday evening and will break my fast on Wednesday at noon, making my fast a total of 64 hours. I will then have my regular lunch of salad and fruit with a slice of wheat free bread and some chocolate (I plan to be controlled, to eat my food nice and slow, to savour it and not overeat).
Next week while I am on my cruise, I still plan to fast 19 hours every day only I will break my fasts at dinner. I am sure that I will be eating much more than normal though as there are regular 5 course meals on a ship with indulgent desserts everywhere you look. I am going to enjoy the cruise but eat within my 5 hour window and try to make smart choices. Once I am back I will do another 64 hour fast and hopefully the two long fasts will balance out any over eating I do while onboard the ship.
So far I feel great during this fast, I find when I have made a decision in my mind to not eat, then eating is not an issue. It really highlights to me how much of this overeating is "in the mind" and I am sure that if I can figure out how to "just decide" not to overeat, I will be successful. Just got to figure out why I can't "just decide".
The schedule should really help to keep my fasts regular. I am really excited about this new plan and I feel confident that it will be what helps me reach my goal once and for all!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Fasting Schedule
Today I decided it is time to make some changes so I can get to my ultimate goal of losing a total of 80 pounds. So far I have lost just over half of that. The changes I have made in my life so far have gotten me half way, but I have now levelled out and hit an unbreakable plateau. Now it is time to kick it up a notch so that I can reach my goal.
HERE IS MY NEW PLAN FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR:
I will continue to fast 19 hours of the day and eat during a 5 hour window most of the time.
TUES-THURS:
I will eat lunch and will avoid wheat completely having only salad and fruit with a slice of wheat free bread. I plan to have a small amount of chocolate as well so I don't feel deprived. I really enjoy my salad and LOVE fruit so this won't be difficult for me, I already do this anyway, so no big change here.
FRI:
I will buy my lunch, probably a veggie stir-fry with rice, or sushi.
SAT:
I will eat dinner out and enjoy an indulgent meal but make smart choices, salad instead of fries, no cheese, no appetizers.
SUN:
I will cook a nice meal at home.
I will allow this schedule to shift as needed to accommodate celebrations or vacations but will always get right back to my routine once the celebration is over.
Any desserts will be low calorie options like angel food cake, yogurt, low fat puddings etc. probably only Saturday & Sunday when I eat at home.
I will continue with my all day fasts once per week of 36+ hours.
I will add in an extra long fast once per month of 60+ hours.
I will continue with yoga three times per week.
I will stop eating the following foods:
Avocado
Nuts
Chips
French Fries
Extra Cheese
I bring slices of cheese to eat with my lunch or snack on slices of cheese. I will stop doing that and won't add cheese to sandwiches etc.
These changes should greatly reduce the amount of calories I have in a day.
I feel like these food changes are going to be easy to incorporate because most of these foods are foods I can take or leave. Slices of cheese were just an easy snack that I felt was healthier than having cookies or chips or something like that.
Chips and French fries might be a challenge but I hope that if I try to eliminate them completely and occasionally struggle with that, at the very least I will greatly reduce them from my diet.
Once pottery begins in the fall, I will switch my cooking at home night from Sunday to Friday and do my 36+ hour fast on Sundays instead. This will mean I eat my salad Monday-Wednesday and have my take out lunch on Thursday (of course this is all not set in stone, just my way of keeping a routine to always go back to if I have to adjust to fit events in my life now and then).
In order to keep on schedule with my fasting and to ensure that I am strict with my long fasts, I have created a calendar. This should make it easy to follow and keep me accountable. It also helps to visualize when a long fast is necessary to help correct any indulgent eating that might happen during a vacation or event. I have organized my fasting days around these events.
I am looking forward to reaching my goal! I know I can get there!
HERE IS MY NEW PLAN FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR:
I will continue to fast 19 hours of the day and eat during a 5 hour window most of the time.
TUES-THURS:
I will eat lunch and will avoid wheat completely having only salad and fruit with a slice of wheat free bread. I plan to have a small amount of chocolate as well so I don't feel deprived. I really enjoy my salad and LOVE fruit so this won't be difficult for me, I already do this anyway, so no big change here.
FRI:
I will buy my lunch, probably a veggie stir-fry with rice, or sushi.
SAT:
I will eat dinner out and enjoy an indulgent meal but make smart choices, salad instead of fries, no cheese, no appetizers.
SUN:
I will cook a nice meal at home.
I will allow this schedule to shift as needed to accommodate celebrations or vacations but will always get right back to my routine once the celebration is over.
Any desserts will be low calorie options like angel food cake, yogurt, low fat puddings etc. probably only Saturday & Sunday when I eat at home.
I will continue with my all day fasts once per week of 36+ hours.
I will add in an extra long fast once per month of 60+ hours.
I will continue with yoga three times per week.
I will stop eating the following foods:
Avocado
Nuts
Chips
French Fries
Extra Cheese
I bring slices of cheese to eat with my lunch or snack on slices of cheese. I will stop doing that and won't add cheese to sandwiches etc.
These changes should greatly reduce the amount of calories I have in a day.
I feel like these food changes are going to be easy to incorporate because most of these foods are foods I can take or leave. Slices of cheese were just an easy snack that I felt was healthier than having cookies or chips or something like that.
Chips and French fries might be a challenge but I hope that if I try to eliminate them completely and occasionally struggle with that, at the very least I will greatly reduce them from my diet.
Once pottery begins in the fall, I will switch my cooking at home night from Sunday to Friday and do my 36+ hour fast on Sundays instead. This will mean I eat my salad Monday-Wednesday and have my take out lunch on Thursday (of course this is all not set in stone, just my way of keeping a routine to always go back to if I have to adjust to fit events in my life now and then).
In order to keep on schedule with my fasting and to ensure that I am strict with my long fasts, I have created a calendar. This should make it easy to follow and keep me accountable. It also helps to visualize when a long fast is necessary to help correct any indulgent eating that might happen during a vacation or event. I have organized my fasting days around these events.
I am looking forward to reaching my goal! I know I can get there!
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