Monday, November 05, 2018

So, I started a fast....

I haven't posted since April. I got stuff on my brain and I figured this would be a good way to get it out of my brain. My friends don't want to hear about what I am putting myself through, so blogging is perfect.

A lot of things have happened since April. The big things include Pooka starting a dual enrollment program with the local community college as she takes half a day of senior classes in high school. It is kinda crazy that I remember blogging about what happened at her daycare. Now she is a senior in high school. She is a great kid and she is doing well for the most part. I am blessed.

My mother still lives with me and lately she has been rubbing me the wrong way. Not that she has done anything in particular. It is just that she is ALWAYS here. I will never really have a chance to enjoy my space completely alone. I try not to complain because my mother is in the same boat. Due to her illness, she will never know what it is like to live alone. I try to keep things in perspective, but it is hard sometimes.

As for me, I work at the same spot. I don't have a million jobs. Just a main one and a PRN one that I don't go to often. I will work there the weekend after Thanksgiving after not helping out there since July. Sorta thought about getting a non medical related gig, but that thought comes and goes.

I brought a house. It is great. My family and I love it. There are things that need to be done and I am dealing with those things. I can't wait to start my warm weather garden in a few months. I tried to purchase the home that I was renting and had started the process of making that happen after the owner said he would sell it to me...then he changed his mind. I had all my ducks in a row when he changed his mind so...I brought a house, just not his, LOL!

Recently I have been feeling all around like crap. Mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically, you name it. So as I was scrolling fb a high school friend of mine posted a lot about her fasting. I haven't fasted since my hard core Christian days, but it seemed like that right thing to do. So I have been on a water fast for 5 days. I also haven't had any alcohol, watched any adult movies, self loved, loved on someone else, or logged onto fb since Halloween. My current plan is to water fast for 7 days, juice fast for 7 days (start refeeding super slow), smoothie/soft foods for 4 days then add salads to that for the last 3 days...then bum bum bum bummmmmm Thanksgiving!!!! It is down in the country again this year and I plan to enjoy the country food. I am hoping my detoxed system will be able to handle it. I may do a 24 hour water fast on black Friday just to give my system a chance to figure out what it's going to do with the country food.

I haven't really figured out what type of healthier way of eating I will follow. There are sooo many options: Mediterranean, Paleo, Keto, etc... I think I will go back to what I was doing when I lost all that weight a couple years ago. Mostly plant based diet with no restrictions. I know it works for me. This fast is only partially about weight loss. This fast is more than that to me and the more I research it the more I learn of the benefits doing this would potentially bring.

As far as my weight goes. On Halloween I was 355. In July of 2016 I had got down to 316 then got back up to I want to say 385 in 2017, then been toggling between the 330s and 360s for the last year.
Five days into my water fast I weighed in at 338. Which is cool, but I know once my digestive system kicks back in and everything is functioning, the numbers will go up some. But that is where the healthy lifestyle comes in. I haven't gone this far to fill my body back up with mostly junk!

I kinda wish I started blogging about this on Nov. 1st. but I didn't think about it. Let me try to remember what I've been dealing with so far... that I can remember...

Day 1 was okay, went to tae kwon do class and everything was peachy
Day 2 was okay
Day 3 I felt like I hit a wall, I learned that my body was transitioning into ketosis, where the body starts using it's own fats for energy.
Day 4/yesterday I could barely move. I stayed in bed most of the day. Just to walk to the bathroom and back made my heart jump out my chest, get sweaty and felt like I ran a marathon. It took all I had in me to braid Pookas hair. My left lower back hurt a little too. Forums taught me that was a normal part of the process. TMI, but I also had my first bowel movement yesterday and it was interesting to say the least, LOL. Around 9pm yesterday I felt a burst of energy and I couldn't sleep, so I managed to sanitize my tub and take a bath. I felt super good!
Day 5/today I woke up still feeling great! I got up, did my morning routine and thought everything was going to be great at work! Wrong! My endurance still sucks and by 2pm I had hit the wall again. All I wanted to do was lie down. My brain was with getting the work done, but my body was struggling! Right now I am a little better, but I am most likely going to bed after I post this. Izza tied! I definitely will do a water fast again, but maybe for a day or 2. Long term water fasting is not for people who have active jobs. If I still worked a desk job, I think I could go longer than 7 days. But the way my job is set up, it's not a good idea. According to the net, most people that do this take off from work and/or go to a retreat. I don't have that luxury.

I want my first juice to be Tamarind juice or cold pressed apple juice. I came across a cool non dairy ice cream that I eventually want to try and Amazon has a cute little ice cream maker coming my way soon, so I am looking forward to that once I am back to eating everyday. I've made homemade ice cream many times without a legit ice cream maker, but I want to step it up a little so I treated myself to one for 30 bucks. Amazon also has some sea moss and bladderwack coming my way. I've watched a few videos and read some articles on it and it is definitely something I want to try for myself.

Once I am back to eating solid foods everyday I have chosen the intermittent fast lifestyle which basically means you only eat during a certain window of the day. I've done it before and I know I can stick with that for the long term. I also know that if someone invites me somewhere after the window, I may have something and it's still all good to me. My body, my rules. I remember one day when I was losing all this weight and I had an entire Digorno's (sp) pizza by myself, late at night, and enjoyed every moment of it. No drastic weight gain from it and no regrets doing it.

I was going to go into my class reunion this weekend and my thoughts on it, but my body is reallllly telling me to log off and go to bed. So I will just say that I can't wait to see some of my high school folks face to face. Social media is nice, but it isn't the same as cutting up face to face :)

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