Normal Day 62 - 122.8

Mar 28; Normal Day 61 - 124.6
Mar 29; Fasting Day 62 - 125.8
Mar 30; Low Cal Day 5 - 124.4

Yesterday was supposed to be a normal eating day for me, however my boyfriend volunteered to do a fasting day with me. I cherish the opportunity to have a partner in misery, so I made yesterday a low calorie protein shake day instead.

We have been walking every day and we even went on a bike ride on Saturday. That was the first time I had been on a bike in about 10 years! I'm usually the person taking the photographs, but my boyfriend managed to sneak a shot of me from behind ... or "OF" my behind ... depending on your perspective (or his).

Just a Kiss for Luck

Fasting Day 61 - 125.6

I normally keep track of my daily food/exercise and then try to go back and write some little blurb before posting it to this blog, but lately I haven't felt like writing. I just went ahead and posted the past couple of days because I don't want to fall this far behind.

For the past few days, I've been considering maintaining my weight at 125 for a month or so. My body seems to want to stay at this weight anyway. Rather than fight against my body, why not go with it? It would be a good practice at learning how to do the maintenance phase. I will continue to do alternate day fasting. My goal instead of losing weight will be to maintain weight. Which should be really frickin easy because that is what my body WANTS to do anyway.

I know we all struggle with diet "plateaus" and fight against them. Maybe we should try accepting them and letting them 'just be' for awhile. My BMI is well within the normal healthy range for my height. It's not in the ideal range, but it is still healthy. It could possibly be healthier to just allow all the body systems to readjust for awhile. Maybe that is what a plateau is for. As long as our weight is already at a healthy point, why fight it? I'm going to continue fasting every other day, eating healthy foods on my normal days and exercising as often as I can on both.

I have a lot of emotional/mental work to do right now. I was so used to dieting not working for me that finding something that does work came as a surprise. I have a lot of sadness coming out right now from spending these past 10 years overweight. People can be cruel, but not as cruel as we can be to ourselves. A lot of issues are coming to the surface that were buried and hidden beneath the weight: shyness, social anxiety, insecurity, etc. I'm going to need to work on some of these issues if I want to keep the weight off, otherwise I'm concerned I would return to using food to build a fortess around myself.

Food:
1 scoop protein powder

Exercise:
Walk 1 hour

Normal Day 60 - 123.6

Food:
2 cups oatmeal
(with DHA soymilk, shredded unsweetened coconut, chopped raw almonds, splenda)
3 cups airpopped popcorn sprinkled with coconut oil & nutritional yeast
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 banana
1/3 pound lightly cooked asparagus
2 vegetarian tacos
(whole wheat tortillas, tvp, hot sauce, lettuce, sprouts, onion, black olives, avocado)
1 cup homemade tapioca pudding
(milk, splenda, tapioca, shredded unsweetened coconut, eggs)

Exercise:
Walk 45 minutes

Fasting Day 60 - 125.8

Food:
2 scoops protein powder

Exercise:
Walk 90 minutes
Run 30 minutes (15 minutes in morning & 15 in evening)

Normal Day 59 - 125.4

I went through the freezer and threw away the leftover birthday cakes, and the leftover mousse pie still sitting in there from Christmas (the dog wouldn't even touch it). Having had too many times in my life when there wasn't enough food to eat, it is now difficult for me to throw away food. It takes self control for me to make a dish that feeds 3 people rather than 10 people. I'm learning that purchasing the individual brownie from the bakery department might be more expensive than buying a whole 'costco' type flat of them, however the individual brownie is fresher, more delicious, and it can be cut in half to be shared with a friend. There also won't be any leftover tempting you to have "just one more".

Food:
2 cups oatmeal with 1 diced apple, cinnamon & splenda
8 oz milk
1 cup cottage cheese
4 oz red snapper
1 banana
2 cups homemade vegetarian chili
2 cups spring salad greens with onion & bell pepper
2 T ranch dressing
2 glasses champagne
1 Almond Joy chocolate coconut almond 'egg'

Exercise:
Walk 1 hour
Run 20 minutes

Fasting Day 59 - 127.4

It was difficult not to freak out today with the weight gain. Especially after the long hike yesterday, my calf muscles and butt are sore today. That was a good workout.

We went on two long walks today, one this morning and one in the afternoon. Then we went running this evening. By the end of the day my weight was back down to 126. So, apparently the weight gain has mostly been water from TTOTM (...that time of the month...). That is a relief.

Tonight was the final episode of this season's The L Word. I've heard that next season will be the final one and it will only have 8 episodes. The L Word is my all time favorite show (ok ... maybe it's tied with Doctor Who). No more weekly "Shane-FIX" for me. NOoooo! Can't some other network pick up the show?! Please... ?

Food:
1 scoop protein powder

Exercise:
Walk 2 hours
Run 20 minutes

Normal Day 58 - 123.4 (Day 120)

Today, we went on our first hike with one of the local hiking groups that I joined. We went up to some trails in the Julian Mountains and hiked for 3 hours. I miss the gorgeous trails in the Columbian Gorge in Oregon, but this was beautiful nonetheless. I was worried at first, because the trail was paved with asphalt. "Is this what they call 'hiking' in California?" I wondered. But we eventually left the pavement and started climbing, I had to stop and catch my breath quite a few times. It felt great and it was a wonderful workout. The group all went out to a local restaurant for pie afterwards. I declined the offer and went home. "Too Shy For Pie!" I was thinking. Maybe next time.

Okay, everyone seems to be in agreement that you need to eat more to lose weight. Well then, today and the past few eating days, I've certainly eaten enough to see if this holds true. After hiking, we were famished. We went to the store and got some fresh fish which my boyfriend grilled. I made a brown rice pilaf. We also bought some brownies from the bakery department and a box of ice-cream cones. We also have Easter candy in the house and I have PMS. uh oh...

Food:
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz milk

Sandwich
(made with 2 slices whole wheat & flax seed bread, fake salami, meunster cheese, lettuce, mayo)

handful of raw almonds
1 brownie
8 oz milk
4 oz red snapper
2 oz cheddar cheese
1/2 cup brown rice pilaf
(made with brown rice, broccoli, bell pepper, celery, mushroom, onions, wine, butter, bouillon)

1 ice-cream cone
the tail of a white chocolate bunny
handful of peanut m&m's

1/2 lemon drenched in sea-salt

Exercise:
hike 3 hours

Fasting Day 58 - 125.4

No more "Pants Off Dance Off" adventures for me, I bought a new pair of sweatpants today. I used to wear extra large bottoms; but I've lost weight, so I grabbed a few 'large' sweats in different styles off of the rack. Then I went to the dressing room to try them on -- they were HUGE -- no wonder my sweats were falling down last night. I went back and got some 'mediums' -- even they were a little on the loose side, but I picked out the pair I liked the best anyway. I prefer loose fitting comfortable clothes. Maybe wearing loose fitting clothing makes it easier to gain weight without noticing? You know... when you can still fit into the same size jeans you wore a few years ago -- its just that 'now' you'll rip the butt out if you bend over too quickly!

I went on two walks today, one early this afternoon and then again tonight with my boyfriend. An hour long walk is so easy now, it doesn't even feel like exercise anymore. It's too easy, time to add something more to my routine.

Food:
1 scoop protein powder

Exercise:
Walk - 2 hours

Normal Day 57 - 124.2

My boyfriend and I went jogging again this evening. My sweatpants & panties kept falling down because they don't fit me any more. I held the leash in one hand and did a little hop step every few feet so that I could pull my pants back up with the other. It's a good thing it was dark outside.

(It's the little things that nobody warns you about when you begin a diet.)


Food:
french toast
(made with 2 pieces whole wheat & flax seed bread, 2 eggs, butter, cinnamon, splenda)

4 oz red snapper
1/2 artichoke

2 cups of homemade tapioca pudding
(made with coconut milk, milk, splenda, eggs, tapioca & a splash of rum)

a raid on my son's easter candy - until he chased me from his room
4 hershey kisses
5 pastel coated peanut m&m's
1 mound's candy egg

** There's a candy-coated-sugar-binge-ogre standing on the sidelines and waving a big sign with my name on it. I'm trying to pretend I don't see him. Maybe he'll just go away.

Exercise:
Walk/Jog 45 minutes

Fasting Day 57 - 126.6

We decided to have the transmission in my car rebuilt after all. It's going to cost a couple of thousand dollars and the car isn't even worth that much as a trade in. My boyfriend is almost finished paying off his car. It will be much easier for us if my car can just keep running a little while longer. aaargh!

I joined a few local hiking groups. It sounds like a great way to get some exercise, meet new people and see the sites, all at the same time. We used to hike up in Oregon. There are some breathtakingly beautiful hiking trails up there -- especially when the wildflowers are in bloom.

Food:
1 scoop protein powder

Walk:
1 hour

Normal Day 56 - 124.8

Tonight my boyfriend and I went jogging. We walked whenever we got tired. He was surprised that I could keep up with him. Is that a compliment or a slight? Haven't yet decided. Anyway, it was fun and I would like to do that more often.

We bought the 2-disc edition of the movie, "I Am Legend". I liked the alternate ending much better than the theatrical version. Sometimes in my mind, I rewrite the ending of movies when I don't like how they end. This was one such movie that I rewrote in my mind. I was glad to see a more uplifting ending. The message was better too -- confront the monsters and you will see they aren't so evil after all. In the theatrical ending the evil monsters were too powerful and the solution was to run away from the problem.

Food:
2 eggs cooked in coconut oil
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp each chopped fresh tarragon, oregano & cilantro
1 green onion
1 T salsa
1 apple
1 T peanut butter
1 cup vanilla yogurt
20 raw almonds
4 oz Red Snapper marinated in Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 artichoke
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat couscous pilaf
(mushrooms, green onions, celery, garlic, red wine, bouillon & butter)
handful of easter candy

Exercise:
walk 1 hour
walk/run 30 minutes

Fasting Day 56 - 127

My weight has gone up 3 pounds today. I was fully anticipating the weight gain today after the dinner we had yesterday, but I still feel afraid and slightly discouraged. I'm getting impatient with reaching my goal weight and tired of having to resist certain foods on my eating day. I want a day to splurge on cheesecake and chocolates, but I know that I would only feel toxic and bloated the next day if I did.

I'm interested in seeing how quickly my body can rebound from yesterday's overindulgence. I would speculate that as long as people have walked upon this earth that there have been feasting days -- when the kill was good, or the catch, or whatever. In order to help things along, I went on two separate walks today of an hour each. Once in the early afternoon and again in the evening.

I walked over to our local library to see if they had Gary Taubes book, "Good Calories, Bad Calories". It wasn't on the shelf in the 'new books' section, so I went to the health section and looked at the other books for awhile. Then I decided to go look in their online card catalog to see if they even had the book (it is a very small library after all). It said that the book has just been returned. I rushed back over to the 'new books' section just as they were returning some books to the shelf. Yay! There it was and I grabbed it immediately -- my lucky day.

Food:
1/2 scoop protein powder

Walk
2 hours

Normal Day 55 - 124

Phew, we had quite a feast for dinner this evening. It was delicious. Is anyone else experiencing specific food cravings after alternate day or intermittent fasting? Maybe I always did, but I'm more aware of them now? I had been specifically craving lobster for many weeks now -- not seafood, but rather LOBSTER specifically. I cannot recall ever 'craving' lobster in my life. After dinner I wanted lemon liberally sprinkled with salt. Lemon and salt is something I've craved sporadically since I was a child. Hey, some kids eat dirt, others eat chipped paint -- for me it was lemons and salt. Not limes, not oranges, not tomatoes ... it had to be lemons.

Food:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
8 oz DHA soymilk
20 raw almonds
1 banana
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 nectarine
1/2 lobster tail
2 crab legs
melted butter
1 cup spring greens
1 T ranch dressing
1 cup brown rice pilaf with green onion & mushrooms
1 slice whole grain bread
1 glass chianti
2/3 of a chocolate brownie
8 oz milk
1/4 lemon dredged in sea salt

Exercise:
walk 30 minutes

Fasting Day 55 - 125.6

It is amazing how much further I must walk now to make it last an hour. It doesn't seem like I'm walking faster than before, but my walks now take me clear across town and back. They used to just be around my neighborhood and I got winded. Now I have plenty of energy -- it's the dog who is panting.

Food:
1/2 scoop protein powder


Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Normal Day 54 - 124.8

I keep getting more and more convinced that some kind of chemical is creating the obesity epidemic that is spreading across the earth. I know I mentioned this already in an earlier post. I was wondering, if it is a chemical ... say a fertilizer or pesticide or whatever... wouldn't the health problems show up in the people picking the crop? These are people who work 16 hours a day doing hard labor (by my standards) in the fields -- you would think they would be extraordinarily healthy. Yet, from what I have been able to research so far, the rate of Diabetes is quite high in immigrant farm workers. The irony is that American's aren't really hearing about it because of the way illegal immigrants are treated in this country and many of the workers do not have their citizenship. They are hesitant to get health care for fear of being deported.

Another group I wondered about is the people working in the factories that make these chemicals. Do they have insulin resistance problems? Yes, yes, yes they do! Several studies of factory workers exposed to chemicals have linked high dioxin levels in the blood with an increased risk of diabetes and insulin resistance.

Now the question to ask yourself, "Can you recall a time where you might have been exposed to a high concentration of chemicals?" At fist, nothing came to mind. But I wonder.... When we first moved to Oregon, the apt we rented was heavily flea infested. The fleas didn't bother my boyfriend, but me and my son and our cat were getting bit fiercely. I started bombing the apartment and even sprayed down the sheets on my side of the bed every night. I started developing a really weird acne and had to see a dermatologist who prescribed tetracycline and topical solutions and nothing worked to clear it up. I hadn't experienced acne since I was a teenager. This was all just a couple of months before my first sudden gain in weight -- 20 pounds in about 3 weeks! My weight had always been difficult to control, but suddenly it became impossible. My diet was exactly the same as it had always been.

I'm believing more and more that there is some kind of artificial chemical that is interfering with the insulin pathway in humans ... and its slowly spreading around the globe.

Food:
20 raw almonds
6 oz DHA soymilk
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
4 cups air-popped popcorn
2 tsp coconut oil
2 T nutritional yeast
1 whole wheat tortilla
1 T vegetarian taco filling
1 T grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped lettuce
1 T chopped cilantro
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 T peanut butter
4 milk chocolate kisses
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup yogurt raisins
1/2 cup tuna salad with mayo, celery & onion

Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Fasting Day 54 -126.6

Yes, measuring out 1 scoop of protein powder, stirring 1/2 tsp of it into the glass of water that I'm drinking, really does alleviate any hunger or weakness throughout the day. At days end, I didn't require an entire scoop -- something about that slow but steady stream of amino acids I guess. I could easily down 3 or 4 shakes on my fasting day when I mix the entire scoop into a glass of water; but that seems to be just enough calories to thwart the depression alleviating effects of this diet for me. I like to feel happy even if I'm barely losing any weight right now.

Food:
1/2 scoop protein powder 43.5 calories

Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Normal Day 53 - 125 (Day 110)

The shop said that my transmission is shot. They are going to see if they can locate a rebuilt one. Otherwise, I'll be shopping for a used car soon.

I picked up a bag of Buffalo Barley a couple of weeks ago at the health food store. It has been sitting on my countertop until I decided what to do with it. Today, I threw a bunch of things together that I had on hand and it was delicious and very filling. My boyfriend and I both ate several bowls of it. My 13 year old even had a bowl and liked it.

Black Bean & Buffalo Barley Broth

1 cup Buffalo Barley - rinsed
1 tsp coconut oil
inner leafy stalks of celery - chopped
1/2 large onion - diced
1 clove garlic - crushed
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Better Than Bouillon mushroom base
1 T nutritional yeast
2 T textured vegetable protein (TVP) granules
1 15 oz can black beans - drained and rinsed
1 28 oz can tomatoes (whole or chopped is fine)
freshly chopped herbs: tarragon or parsley is good
freshly grated parmesan

Cook the barley per package directions until done or nearly done. In a 2-3 quart pot, saute the chopped celery in coconut oil over medium heat until the celery begins to soften. Add the chopped onions and saute until translucent. Add the crushed garlic and saute for another minute. Toss in the bay leaf. Fill the pan with water about half way. Mix in the bouillon. Add the nutritional yeast, TVP granules, black beans and the cooked barley. When the mixture comes to a boil add the tomatoes and reduce to a slow simmer. Let the soup slowly cook over low heat until its the way you like it. The barley can soak up a lot of water, you can keep adding more water as desired or needed. To serve, top with freshly chopped herbs or grated cheese.

Food:
3 cups air popped popcorn - drizzled with 1 tsp coconut oil and nutritional yeast
4 bowls of Barley Soup (with fresh tarragon)
handful of yogurt candy coated raisins
tortilla chips with cheese sauce, salsa and veggie sausage
1 nectarine

Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Fasting Day 53 - 126.2

A special welcome to Christy. Good luck to you and I am really grateful to have you to chat with!

We took my car to the mechanic this evening. We waited until after dark when the traffic has subsided. The car wouldn't go into reverse, so we had to drive it through our back yard and out the back alley. I suppose we could have pushed it down the driveway. We are going to get an estimate to see if it is worth fixing. Bummer that I already paid for my son's golf lessons this month, since we can't get there. Maybe they will let me roll the payment over for next months lessons.

It seems that the lower my calorie intake on my fasting day the happier my mood is overall. I had less depression symptoms (actually, I would describe my moods as being ecstatic) when I didn't consume any protein on my fasting days. However, it is easier to get through the day if I have the protein shakes. Compromise. I measured out one scoop of protein and then add a pinch of it to each glass of water that I drink. This way I get a small boost of energy all day long.

Food:
1/2 of a protein & water shake 43.5 calories

Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Normal Day 52 - 126.4

I was going to make today a low calorie day and only drink shakes. Then I decided, "well if its low calorie -- then maybe I could eat some low calorie vegetables?" Mistake...once I started eating, I didn't stop. Therefore, today turned into a regular eating day. I still would like to do a few low calorie days (protein drinks only) while the weather is nice. It's become routine for me to fast one day, but when I try to go beyond that I start obsessing about food. This defeats the whole purpose, especially if its just going to trigger a binge. It's hard to find the patience when my weight hasn't been budging lately. Maybe I should just relax and trust that the weight will come off eventually? But ... I want results NOW...

Food:
2 protein/water shakes
1 cup cabbage
1 T apple cider vinegar
3 cups air popped popcorn
1 cup miso
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz dha soymilk
10 raw almonds
1/4 cup frozen raspberries

Exercise:
Walk - 1 hour

Fasting Day 52 - 127.6

My weight seems to have plateaued and its been bouncing around this number for the past few weeks. I'm thinking of doing a protein sparing fast for a few days and see if I can get the numbers to budge. As long as we continue to have this beautiful spring weather it should be fairly easy to do.

I found another good health site, http://www.sparkpeople.com/. They even have a group of people doing the Johnson Up Day Down Day diet -- which is very similar to what I am doing. If you are interested just go to the sparkpeople website and search for "Friends of Dr Johnson".

It would be nice to have the support of a group of people who can relate to my experiences. I've found that people who are dieting by cutting calories are kind of freaked out by fasting and people who are fasting get kind of freaked out by eating every other day. I don't really feel 'safe' posting my experiences on a diet or fasting site for fear of getting slammed with criticism. Therefore, I've been going this alone. Which is fine, but like I said, "it would be nice to have a support group".

Exercise:
Walk 1 hour

Normal Day 51 - 125

We drove around all day today looking at houses. We would like to find something closer to my boyfriend's work. The closer to his work we get, the higher the rent unfortunately. Why does everything have to be so bloody expensive?! I don't see how people can even afford to do anything anymore -- its crazy.

I went overboard eating this evening. I was great all day (only had a bowl of ceral and a bowl of miso) until we came home from looking at houses and then I tried to eat a little bit of everything in our house. I wasn't really hungry, just feeling anxious. Sometimes it seems like a part of me deliberately sabotages my diet. It's like I have some kind of mental block that I need to work through. I'm accustomed to thinking that nothing works and that I'll get fatter no matter what I do. I miss being able to eat for comfort. What do you replace that with? I guess we all have days like this and instead of berating ourselves we should count our blessings. I've had periods in my life where food was not available and I had no choice but to go hungry. I should be grateful that the food is so plentiful.

Food:
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz dha soymilk
1 organic banana
20 raw almonds chopped
1 T raw flax seeds
1 cup miso broth with fresh cilantro, onion & ginger
1 cup of chopped green & red organic cabbage
2 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 boca italian sausage
1 slice sprouted rye bread
2 oz swiss cheese
handful of yogurt candy coated raisins
1 cup oatmeal
whole bunch of pistachios

Fasting Day 51 - 125.8

Feeling kind of stranded now that my car broke down. I'll have to find a way to get it into the shop. If we still lived up in Oregon, I could have had a friend of mine look at it. He could probably have fixed it for me cheaper than a shop. Maybe its time to get a new car? Mine is 20 years old. I've been waiting for someone to introduce hybrid toy mini-truck on the market. I don't want a mid-size truck and I definitely don't want a big truck. It would be nice to be able to haul something the size of a small dresser once in a while. I thought those Subaru Baja's were pretty cute -- if something like that would come out as a hybrid -- that would be ideal.

I guess I'll get more walking in now. In addition to my normal hour long walk, I walked over to the grocery store to pick up some things. That was kind of creepy in the dark. Maybe being without a car will be a fitness boon.

Exercise:
Walk 1 hour

Normal Day 50 - 126.8

I had my follow up eye exam today. He said that I could resume wearing eye makeup and exercising. Oh joy...

I think my car's automatic transmission went out on the way home. The car suddenly wouldn't go any faster than about 5 mph, which was scary because I was in the fast lane and had to get across 6 lanes of traffic that were going about 80 mph. I pulled onto the shoulder to collect my wits for a moment. A cop drove by but didn't stop to help. I decided to nurse the car home with the flashers on. By their raised fists and honking horns as they veered around me, I could tell this decision was greatly appreciated by all. Luckily, I was only a few miles from our house.

The pain in my left ovary is gone today. I am relieved that it was most likely just the normal pain associated with ovulation -- mittelschmerz (or however it's spelled).

Food:
a few bites of a salad (it was nasty, mall food -- drenched in way too much Italian dressing -- I threw it out and went home to eat)
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz dha soymilk
1 organic banana
20 raw almonds chopped
1 protein/water shake

Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Fasting Day 50 - 128

The aminophylline cream cream arrived today. I ordered it online yesterday from VitaminDeal.com. That was fast! Plus, it was half the cost that drugstore.com charged for the exact same product. Here is the abstract from the article, "Topical Fat Reduction From The Waist", in the May, 2007 edition of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism:

Research methods and procedures: Fifty men and women who are 21–65 years of age with a BMI greater than 27 kg/m² and a waist to hip ratio ≥average were randomized in a 1 : 1 ratio to 0.5% aminophylline cream to the waist twice a day or no treatment to the waist. All subjects were instructed to follow a 1200 kcal balanced diet, participate in a walking program and return biweekly to encourage compliance. A theophylline level was drawn monthly, and the waist, BMI and waist to hip ratio were remeasured at 12 weeks.

Results: At week 12, there was a significant reduction in BMI from baseline that was not different between the groups. The reduction in waist circumference was 11 ± 1.0 cm in the aminophylline cream group and 5.0 ± 0.6 cm in the control group (p < 0.001). The reduction in waist circumference was significant for both women and men, but the women lost significantly more waist girth. The waist to hip ratio, a measure of fat distribution, declined. Aminophylline levels were undetectable, and there were no adverse events.

I applied it to my stomach and neck. I don't think your supposed to put it on your neck -- the skin is too thin. The lotion absorbed right through, I could taste it and it made my throat numb -- then I got really sleepy -- could hardly keep my eyes open. Haven't checked, but I bet one of the side effects of aminophylline (or some other ingredient in the lotion) is drowsiness. Better just stick with applying it to the abs for now. Even if it doesn't speed up fat loss -- at least it makes a nice lotion.

Exercise:
Walked - 1 hour

Normal Day 49 - 125.6

For those of you who are interested in more traditional fasting -- there is a supportive group of people over at the Curezone.com website. They have a couple of forums dedicated to fasting: Water Fasting Support Forum, and the Fasting For Weight Loss Support Forum. You might even be able to find a fasting buddy to help keep you motivated.

My son took his state writing test today. I promised to get him a new video game or a pizza (his choice -- but not both) after finishing his test. We went over to Fry's but he didn't see any games that he wanted -- or maybe he just really wanted pizza. I had a slice but couldn't bring myself to eat the white flour crust after all that I've been reading lately on refined carbohydrates. Like a little kid, I ate the topping and fed the crust to the dog. I don't really like white flour products anyway. I've always preferred heartier whole grains even as a kid. My boyfriend's dentist told him that whole grains wear down the teeth. Ack -- can we get any peace from all this conflicting advice?

It's all I can do to keep from binging on chocolate and candy today. I'm starting to notice a pattern of craving sweets right around the time I'm ovulating and again right at the end of my cycle. Is it possible that the female body might require more carbohydrates during these times? It seems to be typical that most women crave sweets at the end of their cycles. I haven't heard of craving it while ovulating though. I wasn't even aware that I did until tracking my eating habits through this blog. My left ovary is flaring up too -- I'm pretty sure that it is just ovulation and not the cysts returning.


Food:
1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal
6 oz dha soymilk
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 slice of bell pepper pizza without the crust
1 T peanut butter
1 stalk celery
10 pieces Junior Mint candy
1/2 cup tuna tofu spread
2 oz swiss cheese

Exercise:
walked/ran - 10 minutes (mostly ran--yay!)

Fasting Day 49 - 126.8

Tomorrow my son has his state testing for writing. In my opinion, the people who own the company that landed the government contract to provide the testing are the only ones who benefit from these tests. It stresses out the teachers, the schools, the students and the parents. It only proves whether a person is good at taking a test -- not how well they know a subject. I already know that my son is a good writer -- he knows that he is a good writer. He writes for fun. He took it upon himself to write his own third book for the Eragon series based upon what he imagined should happen next. It wasn't for school -- it was just because he felt like it.


Food:
2 protein/water shakes

Exercise:
walk 1 hour

Normal Day 48 - 125.6 (Day 100)

Today is the 100th day that I have been alternate day fasting. As of today, I've lost 29.4 pounds. That means I've lost an average of .294 pounds (or between 1/4 and 1/3 pounds) every day. Plus this lifestyle is really easy to do. I certainly wouldn't be able to fast for 100 days straight. Nor would I have been able to do a regular diet for that long. My metabolism has always been slow, I'm very short and in my 40's -- it's practically impossible for me to cut back on enough calories to lose a pound the old fashioned way. I couldn't imagine finding enough will power to stay on a regular diet for this long. I am still thrilled learning about alternate day fasting. I just wish that I would have discovered it about 10 years ago. Who would have thought the answer could be so simple?

Here is a promising new blog on intermittent fasting written by a certified personal trainer, Mike O'Donnell. He's interested in hearing other people's experiences and successes.

If you have a story to tell, please share it with others. I love reading about other peoples experiences with this lifestyle and have corresponded with a few of you who are trying some form of intermittent fasting or alternate day fasting. It would be wonderful to see this lifestyle blossom more in the mainstream. It is incredibily easy to do and has so many health benefits. Just as I wish that I would have heard about it 10 years ago -- I'm sure there are people who would be so grateful to learn about it. I used to curl up in a ball and cry because I couldn't understand why I couldn't stop gaining weight no matter what I did. I even got down on my knees and begged/pleaded for help. But I just kept putting on more weight, my health problems just kept compounding and I was in so much pain that I had to wear a TENS device all day long. Now, after living this lifestyle the pain is gone and my weight has returned to normal. If you are currently doing ADF or IF please share your experiences with others--get the word out about it. You just might have the solution to end someone's needless suffering.

Food:
1 cup dha soymilk
2 cups oatmeal
2 T raw sliced almonds
1 T raw flax seed
1 organic banana
1 T peanut butter
1/2 cup tuna tofu spread
1 cup cottage cheese
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 cup sliced organic cabbage
2 T lemon juice concentrate
1 tsp frozen buttercream frosting (slices of the birthday cake still exist - too much temptation - sigh)

Fasting Day 48 - 127.2

Still feeling queesy, but I started feeling better tonight. This is a new month, I'm not aware of any potentially diet sabotaging events coming up. Maybe I can get back on track now. My weight loss really slowed down this past month.

I went to a couple of different stores looking for aminophylline cream. Couldn't find any. I found several different types of 'cellulite cream' but none of them contained aminophylline. Drugstore.com sells it but they don't currently have any in stock. They charge an extra fee -- above and beyond the normal cost of the product and shipping -- to preorder or backorder an item. That is ludicrous -- they expect their customers to pay extra because THEY don't have it in stock. Most businesses give customers a discount or special benefit for preordering an item. Drugstore.com must be on drugs! I'll order it somewhere else!

Food:
3 protein/water shakes

Exercise:
walked 1 hour