100 Days of Fasting – Day 28

It was a cheesy poof kind of day.

It’s Day 28 and my intermittent fasting game is strong. But let me tell you, today has been a doozy. I have been having trouble getting paid from one of my jobs. I was in a big email exchange all morning and the person with whom I was interacting was just *not getting* what I was saying. I was intensely frustrated. That combined with a lack of patience (due to the arrival of my friend and yours, the Period) made for an irritating morning. And that upsets me even more because I pride myself in being patient. All this made me want to EAT! So let me tell you, when my alarm went off saying that my 16 hour fast had been completed, I dove right into some Cheetos cheesy poof things that were laying around the office. It’s probably the ultimate Frankenfood, but I don’t even feel bad. My eating window is open, I am letting myself have them, and I know I will get over it soon.

An old Juliana would have felt guilty about the cheesy poofs, and then she would have used her spare change to get chocolate bars from the vending machine, and then should would have stopped by McDonald’s on the way to job number two, and then should would have ordered a pizza when she got home late tonight, and then she would have eaten poorly the rest of the week because there was leftover pizza the next day, and then she would have eaten her way back to 366 pounds (my highest weight) before 2018 arrived. Exhausting, isn’t it?

But not today! Having the cheesy poofs is so mild in comparison to what the damage could be.

Since last checking in, I did another extended fast of almost 4 days this time! It was a great experience. I was empowered. I share more extensive details in my YouTube video. Take a look here! I can’t wait to plan for the next one. However, since I really should keep this 100 Days of Fasting experiment consistent, I will continue with Intermittent Fasting for a full 30 days before I try something else. That will take us to November 3rd.

In grocery news, there was a sale on grass fed beef at the grocery store the other day and I went NUTS and bought about 10 different cuts of meat. My social anxiety kicked up a notch when they weren’t ringing up correctly at the register, but another part of me was like, “You *will* sell this to me at the right price or I demand to speak to your manager!” Hahahaha – thankfully it didn’t get to that though and everything worked out just fine.

What have I been eating lately, you ask? Steak on salad, guacamole, handfuls of nuts, a yummy little mixture of almond butter and coconut oil at night (some times with a bit of cacao powder and stevia), dark chocolate squares with coconut oil, chicken thighs and cauliflower rice, pork rinds, a single serving of gelato with chocolate chips (not eating from the whole carton is big!), cucumber salad, sweet potatoes and butter, salmon steaks on salad, prosciutto wrapped around cheese, and more! Delicious, satisfying meals, all consumed within an 8-hour window or less.

I feel fabulous, friends. Oh, and I am down at least one size in pants! Let’s just get through this irritating day, huh? You all have a great one! I am going to finish my cheesy poofs.

Take care and Practice Peaceful Thinking,
justjuliana

100 Days of Fasting – Day 8

Photo Credit: itExotik via Deviant Art

Greetings, friends! I hope you are well. Time is just flying by and my Intermittent Fasting is going strong. One of the biggest things that attracts me to this way of eating is that it fits into my busy schedule quite effortlessly (except for Tuesdays. I’m sure I will talk about that later). I like to roll out of bed and be out the door. Not having to worry about waking up a little early for breakfast is incredibly liberating! I have been opening my window between 2:30 and 4pm. On days when I am out of the house, I only have to pack one meal. In the past, I would have to pack multiple meals and snacks to get me through the day. Those things add up and my lunch bag was really heavy (although there’s nothing wrong with building muscle, lol). On days when I am at home, I eat huge salads with bacon or salmon and enjoy almond butter right out of the far. Yummmmm. Like, look at this salad. Just *look* at it!

Bacon over fresh greens with Green Goddess dressing from Primal Kitchen and a small sweet potato with a nice pat o’ butter. I was simply delighted with this meal! 

The best part about opening my eating window late in the day shows itself on Saturdays. I work on Saturdays from 9am to 4:30pm and rarely get a break! I no longer have to feel guilty about skipping breakfast and I don’t have to rudely sneak in some bites of food between students. Honestly, on Saturdays when I am fasting I feel very energized and I am able to do more with my students and engage them in different ways. This is very exciting for me!

“Ok, Juliana, we’re glad your feeling great, but what the heck is Intermittent Fasting?”

Ah hah, yes. Ok, so. Intermittent Fasting is when you only eat within a certain time period. The rest of the time, you are not eating. Plain and simple. This is a tool that has helped people lose weight because they are able to access their body fat more efficiently. I plan on writing more about this soon.

This first portion of my 100 days is incorporating the 16:8 method. I fast for 16 hours a day (at least half of those hours are spent sleeping and I keep myself really busy during the other half) and I have the opportunity to eat 8 hours a day. Please note, I am not eating the *entire* 8 hours, though I suppose I could! Some days, because of my schedule, I may fast a little bit longer and my window will be a little smaller, and that’s ok.

I would say during that window, 90% of my food is nutrient dense, satisfying and full of flavor. I am consuming a lot of healthy fats (like avocado, olive oil, and butter) and veggies (covered in fat). I am trying to consume protein in moderation. This is actually pretty hard for me. I am an old Atkins “success” story and while the program really wasn’t about eating all the meat on the planet, it still was a lot, a lot, a lot of protein. I try to stay away from all grains (except the occasional emotion muffin – watch my YouTube video here). The other 10% of my food is sweet potatoes, dark chocolate, and full-fat dairy (not necessarily all together, but maybe…?). Nom, nom, nom.

THE BEST PART OF ALL THIS IS THAT I AM NOT COUNTING CALORIES. No calories. No points. No macros. I eat until I am satisfied. This… this is liberating. As a food and sugar addict, this is the best news I have ever heard. And so far, it has been sustainable.

Here are some great resources I would like to share with you:

Author and Intermittent Faster Gin Stephens wrote Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle. Her book summarizes all types of approaches to fasting and talks about her own success story. She never denies herself during her eating window and she has overcome many health struggles using Intermittent Fasting. Here is her website – http://www.ginstephens.com. There you can also find your way to Amazon to purchase the book if you are interested.

This is a great website if you would like to learn more about a Low-Carb, High-Fat (LCHF) diet. We are going against conventional wisdom here, folks. And it’s amazing – https://www.dietdoctor.com. Here you will find out why it’s beneficial and some fantastic recipes. It’s all free!

Here are some stats starting a Day 3. I look forward to seeing the outcome after 100 Days!

Weight – 341 (I am 25 pounds down from my highest weight!)
Right Arm – 22″
Right Leg – 34″
Hip – 62ish” (the measuring tape wasn’t long enough… -________- )
Waist – 48″
Bust – 55″
Underbust (is that a thing? Lol…) – 49″

Oh boy – It sure is hard to see these numbers and not tell myself I’m an awful, lazy, disgusting person. HOWEVER, that’s not fair, and frankly, it’s not true. LIES will not be tolerated here!

As always, thanks for reading! I hope to update in another week or so.

Take care and Practice Peaceful Thinking,
justjuliana