Intermittent Fasting: Day 13

1/13/18

Spring cleaning came early to the Gilbert household. It was not really by our choice, but it turned out to be a very productive day. The plumber had to come and cleaned roots out of our pipes in the back yard. There was an odor coming from the refrigerator that we could not find. So, we moved it to clean underneath, took everything out and washed every shelf and drawer. Then, we were in the back yard with the kids, and I used one of the kids' toys to get some big branches out of the gutter. Then, I had this bright idea for Calvin to earn tablet time by cleaning out the gutters. He was so excited to do it! Brandon got the ladder out and showed him and they took turns, and now my gutters are clean. :) Luke's job was to pick up pecans from our trees in the back yard, and he did an excellent job.

Breakfast: I made pancakes for the kids, but that doesn't really tempt me. I had scrambled eggs with avocado and green sauce.

Snack: I was at the parenting conference and had a little 100 calorie bag of pretzels.

Lunch: A pork chop and some asparagus.

Snack: Brandon was going to get a coke and brought me a diet green tea with blackberry from Sonic. I also had a KIND bar.

Dinner: Coconut crusted tilapia, sautéed garlic green beans, macaroni and cheese

Snack: Ramen noodles. I know this sounds weird and it's incredibly unhealthy. When I lived in Korea, ramen was a staple. It became a favorite for me, and every once in a while it's a comforting thing to have. So, I broke down and had some tonight. It wasn't very satisfying, and I find that's usually the case with comfort food. I enjoy it while I'm eating, but then I usually regret the decision. I really believe 'comfort food' is more tied to memories and the experience of enjoying it, smelling it, sharing it…than the actual food or how it satisfies us physically. Maybe that's just me. In the end, I wasn't thrilled with the ramen decision.

Craving. I think this goes along with the comfort food. If I am wanting a certain type of food from a certain place really badly (usually not-good-for-me food), it is rarely a choice I am happy with in he long run to fulfill those cravings in the moment.

However, when I struggle and end up making the difficult choice to order something or cook something that doesn't sound the best but I know it's a healthier choice/portion, I am happy with the decision every. time. Discipline and follow through are what it takes to regularly make these decisions and resist the temptations to choose otherwise.

I'll leave this thought here and say goodnight :)

Intermittent Fasting: Day 12

1/12/18

I had a plan for the day, and per usual, things did not go according to plan.

I had planned to take the kids to Chick fil a for dinner, and we were meeting friends there to play and it would be a good 'ol time. I did not plan on my almost 22 month old hurting her foot and needing x-rays at the urgent care clinic. I did not plan for the school nurse to call and tell me that my 7-year-old had a sore throat which might possibly develop into strep. I planned to attend a parenting conference at church tonight I was really excited about and had been looking forward to for a while. I like the way my mom put it: You get to be a good mom instead of going to learn how to be a better one. Plans change. They have to, and we have to be flexible and willing to make adjustments. It's what I tell my students, my clients, my children and myself all the time. It's true. But it's not easy.

I let myself be disappointed for a minute, but the thing about living gratefully is that you can't stay that way for long. Thoughts of all the blessings in my life and people and comforts and conveniences I have to be thankful for began to flood my mind. I let myself tear up in frustration momentarily, as I dialed the 5th number on my new insurance card trying to figure out where to take my baby girl to get help that was in network and could meet our needs. Immediately, I was thankful to have insurance, to have proximity to multiple places we could get to in minutes to see a doctor. Thankful for our school nurse and Mollie's teacher and my sweet co-workers and friends…even the grace shown to me by the student I had to cut a session short with to go pick up my kids and quickly change hats: counselor to mom. Thankful for the strength and clarity God provided to guide me through a crazy afternoon that I hadn't planned. Doesn't the bible say something about how God laughs when we make plans? No, that was Woody Allen. Proverbs says that 'Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.'

I think that's why food is hard for a lot of people. There are so many things in life that we cannot control. We can plan all we want, but we can't force, avoid or create circumstances. With eating, we can control how much or how little we eat. We can control when and how and with whom we eat. We can decide what types of things we choose to put into our body. In a world and a life where we have very little control, much of which is an illusion, what we eat is our choice alone. It's why one of the biggest battles with my kids is trying to get them to eat. Eat vegetables. Eat dinner. Eat less sugar. Eat anything. I can bribe them and beg them and give them consequences, but I can't force them to do it. I like this Eisenhower quote better. It helps me see this daily struggle as a battle and it motivates me to work hard to win the battle.

Plans and control go hand in hand. Since I knew we were going to eat at Chick fil a (and I wasn't getting a salad because I was using a receipt from a receipt day and getting our entire dinner FREE), I saved up enough calories to indulge a bit.

Breakfast: Oh yeah, I had Chick fil a for breakfast, too. Have you tried the Egg White Grill? Mmmmm. I refrained from the hash brown bites from heaven, as well as the 'super healthy' vanilla iced coffee. So, it was a grand total of 300 calories.

Lunch: I had a wrap with leftover fajita meat, black beans, tomatoes and green chiles and some banana chips. (When I got home for lunch, Brandon was eating an apple-yay! and a bowl of lucky charms-boo!)

Dinner: We still picked up Chick fil a after the urgent care clinic, and I had the spicy deluxe chicken sandwich, waffle fries and a large sweet tea. I was surprise to discover (after I ate it) that the amount of calories in Chick fil a sauce is 140 calories! Here's what Google says:

If you opt for sauce with your nuggets or chicken tenders, steer clear of the Chick-fil-A sauce—it has 140 calories and 13 grams of fat. Better choices include Buffalo sauce (10 calories, zero fat), barbecue sauce (45 calories, zero fat), and honey-mustard sauce (45 calories, zero fat).

Good to know. Anyway, I still was fine on calories, and it was a great meal after the day we had. I'm sure it was also not an accident that the very last verse of my reading today says this: "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." I'm working on it, Lord help me.

Intermittent Fasting: Day 11

1/11/2018

I had an internal debate going on this morning. I planned to fast, but I woke up so hungry my stomach hurt. I am such a creature of habit, so I assumed that if I fasted today, it would look like the other (2) days I fasted. The other two days I didn't eat until I was hungry, and I didn't get hungry until around 2pm. I was worried that if I ate breakfast, I would use too many calories and not make it through the day. I decided to go with it and listen to my body.

Breakfast: I ate two fried eggs on dry toast with green sauce (plus my usual coffee w/ almond creamer). Boom…300 calories-gone before 9am.

After I finished eating, I was reading my devotional and part of my reading was in Luke 4: The Temptation of Jesus. And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" Luke 4:1-4

So, I'm thinking this was no accident. I was encouraged as I thought about fasting for 40 days as opposed to 1 day. It seemed more doable. It was also a great reminder that, although one reason I am doing this is for a healthier lifestyle, I began to consider fasting in the New Year as a regular part of my week for spiritual reasons. It's about more than food and the physical. It's also about focus, perspective, clarity and discipline to overcome temptation by the Lord's strength. I'm incredibly thankful God provided reassurance through His Word in the exact moment I needed it.

I took a tuna/crackers pack to work (220 calories) and hoped for the best, knowing if I didn't make it fasting today I could always try again tomorrow. That's one of the things I love about this method: flexibility. I drank my lemon water consistently throughout the day. I even carried it with me into sessions, of course offering a water to my clients as well. It was like a visual aid…we are talking about goal-setting this time of year and I can share that one of my goals is to drink enough water each day.

Lunch/Snack: I ate my tuna and crackers about 3pm and felt like I might make it the rest of the day, knowing my calories were spent.

Dinner: I made the fam grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken noodle soup and an apple for dinner on this cold, windy day. Then, while they ate, I did the dishes to keep myself occupied.

I met a friend at Starbucks after the kids were in bed. I was tempted to order a sweet, hot drink to warm me up but was able to stick to a green tea…still hot but not sweet. I'm thankful I made it through today but also thankful it's over.

Intermittent Fasting: Day 10

1/10/18

I think the fear of having to give up things I love is what has made me wait this long to really totally commit to a healthier lifestyle. A big motivation for my personal journey is to prevent developing Type II Diabetes. I had gestational diabetes with all three of my pregnancies, and with each incident, the likelihood of developing it increases. I read about the things that I need to stay away from, like pasta and red meat and sugar, and I don't want to give them up. A lot of it has to do with my personality. I am an all-in kind of girl, so if I do something, I'm going to do it 110%. In my mind, that translates to "I can never have steak or a hamburger or pasta again." Today, I was thinking about the fact that I don't really miss those things, and I'm already beginning to crave really good things that I need to be eating. I also think that a healthy mindset/approach is one that has balance. It's ok, and even good, to enjoy the things we like from time to time, in moderation. This has been a struggle for me in the past. I don't 'enjoy in moderation'…I restrict completely, then give in and indulge and then give up and quit on my goals. Sounds effective, right? This time I'm trying to be consistent and make wise choices 95% of the time. I'm also trying to give myself grace and be realistic about what I can maintain indefinitely.

I drank 90 ounces of water today, 60 ounces with lemon in it!!!

Breakfast: I had a Chobani yogurt flip. I can't remember the cute name for it, but it's banana yogurt with dark chocolate. Dairy is one of the things I thought I would never want to consider going without, because I love love cheese and milk and all the dairy things. I recently realized that I haven't been eating much dairy, and I haven't missed it.

Lunch: I made a big salad: Spinach, Chicken, crispy jalepenos, avocado, candied pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. It was so delicious. I love salad and vegetables and all kinds of healthy food. I could eat a salad for lunch every day. I just have to have the good stuff to go in it and the time to prepare it.

Snack: Popcorn after school with my kids :)

Dinner: We had pork fajita meat on a bed of spinach and added black beans, tomatoes w/ green chiles and green sauce…really spicy green sauce. Brandon had avocado on his, and the kids had chips minus the beans, tomatoes w/ green chiles and green sauce, plus ranch.

At the end of the day, I still had over 900 calories left. We got a little treat from J's Creamery. I had a small lemon lush squeeze concrete and it was amazing. Enjoyable in moderation.

Fasting again tomorrow.

Intermittent Fasting: Day 9

1/9/2018

I weighed today, and there was zero change, which is sort of what I expected. I used a different scale and different type of scale and had on my chunky sweater, cords, shoes, vest, etc…but really, who's counting? :) Did you know you weigh less when there's a full moon? I think the next weigh day will be January 31st. There's a supermoon called Snow Moon that day.

Today was fasting day. Brandon had oatmeal for breakfast. He walked into the break room at work, had a temporary lapse of memory and ate a muffin. :) He snacked on an apple, a banana and some beef jerky throughout the day.

I had my coffee and almond creamer this morning. I blame my husband. He grinds the coffee and it smells so good. Then he makes it and just the aroma helps me become more alert. Then he offers me some (or makes it for me). He has turned me into an addict. On the mornings he doesn't make it or isn't here, I feel a little lost. Not enough to make it myself. And I'm the one who was a barista in a coffee shop when we met.

Moving on…I did not drink my water goal today. I aim for 100ish ounces, and I made it to 64 ounces.  Not so good. I do feel like I'm hydrated and I went to the bathroom frequently, so probably not too bad.

I ate about a third of a chicken breast and some green beans around 2:00. It's crazy how much you appreciate food when you're restricting it quite a bit. It tasted really good and satisfied me to get through the rest of my day (without my stomach growling during a counseling session, like it did earlier in the day). I went to a meeting and went to buy some groceries. I didn't realize it until I was at the store, but grocery shopping on fasting day may not be the easiest way to go.

For dinner, we (the adults) had vegetable tikka masala with basmati rice and some asparagus. The kids had chicken nuggets and asparagus. I turned around for two seconds and Mollie's asparagus was GONE. She gobbled it up. I totally bribed my boys with chocolate pudding to eat theirs.

The fasting days are not nearly as tough as I expected them to be. I'm considering doing another this week. We'll see.

When I went to 'complete my diary' on My Fitness Pal where I log my meals, I got reprimanded. It said that I am likely not eating enough and provided the National Institutes of Health for safe weight loss. It went on to tell me that completing my diary with fewer than the minimum recommended calories will not generate a news feed post for the day or show a five-week weight projection. Then, it tells me the risk and gives me advice to safely reach my goals.

I get it. And I'm glad it encourages safe practices. It just made me laugh. I have rarely, if ever, been told that I'm not eating enough. Not a common problem for me. The five week weight projection says something like 'if every day was like today, in 5 weeks you'd weigh: ___'. I don't want to know what I would weigh in 5 weeks if I ate 479 calories a day, because I don't want to even imagine only eating 479 calories every day. No thanks.

Intermittent Fasting: Day 8

1/8/2018

To start…I forgot to weigh. I honestly forgot, it was a busy day and I'll get it done tomorrow. I don't have a scale at home, because it isn't a healthy thing for me. I don't want to make my health all about my weight—good or bad, because it is so much more than that. I don't have a target weight or a certain number I want to lose. I have more of a range I want to be in and maintain. I will update tomorrow with any news of how the first 8 days have affected, if at all, my weight.

Today was a good first day back to work, work-wise and healthy living wise.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and coffee, while uploading grades and writing lesson plans.

Lunch: I went to Orlando's Italian Restaurant with co-workers and resisted ordering what I really wanted-green chile chicken fettuccine. Instead, I had a salad (with their amazing blue cheese dressing) and a half Italian sub. It was very good and satisfying. I drank a huge ice water with lemon.

Dinner: Salmon and garlic roasted green beans.

Snack: Kind bar

I was well under calories and feel the need to eat more with tomorrow being a fasting day. However, I'm going to ignore the 'obligation' to eat or the 'fear' of not having enough to make it through tomorrow. I'm choosing to listen to my body, which although tired, is physically satisfied with food. I am certain, barring my kids waking me up, I will have no problem sleeping soundly tonight.

Intermittent Fasting: Day 7

1/7/2018

I am not proud of the day, but I am pleased with the first week. Today was the first day I was hungry and just couldn't seem to get satisfied. I was thankful, at first, that I was prepared with some healthy snacks to munch on. However, as the day went on, my calories ran out and I gave in at the end of the day and resolved to start with a new day and new attitude tomorrow.

Breakfast: Scrambled egg with green sauce on dry whole grain toast & coffee with creamer.
Snack: Almonds-water
Lunch: Pepperoncini roast on roll ups with cheese and jalapeño kettle chips.
Snack: Beef Jerky-water
Dinner: Pad Thai w/ Chicken
Dessert: Big ol' bowl of ice cream

As for exercise, I spent a lot of time in the floor, scraping up carpet glue. I played outside with the kids. I moved a couch to a truck and then to a house. It was a busy day.

Tomorrow is a new day and a new week and I go back to work. The possibilities are endless.