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

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

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 44 - 130.2 (Day 90)

BBC Horizon recently aired an episode entitled, "How to Live to 101". It looked at the citizens of three different locations that have more centenarians than other places on earth: Okinawa, Sardinia, and Loma Linda. What is it that these people are doing differently than the rest of us?

Researchers found that Okinawan's eat 20% less than most people in Europe or America consume. They even have a saying, "Hara Hachi Bu", which basically means "Eat until your 80% full". (This corresponds with the research about longevity and calorie restricted diets. Alternate Day Fasting appears to confer the same benefits as a calorie restricted diet according to recent studies.) Their diet consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and soy protein/tofu. The researchers said that Okinawans eat more soy products than any other population on earth. They found that Okinawans age more slowly than the rest of us and their levels of the hormone DHEA declines at a slower rate.

Interestingly, the researchers also followed up on Okinawan's who moved to Hawaii. As their descendents developed a more westernized diet, they became even more unhealthy than westerners on the same diet. It is as if this group of people's bodies have adapted to require the calorie restricted, healthful diet of their ancestors.

The next group of long-lived people are located in the town of Ovoddo, Sardinia. Apparently this population's genetic lucky card was the result of inbreeding among the early population on this remote island town. (Yuck!) Inbreeding increases the odds of birth defects, but in this case the inherited defect was an advantage. The long-lived Sardinians are deficient in the enzyme G6PD. Researchers are hoping that by studying the Sardinian population they will be able to isolate which genes are beneficial for longevity.

The last group of people are in Loma Linda, California. This town has a high percentage of 7th Day Adventists. Their religion promotes a vegetarian lifestyle and prohibits smoking and alcohol consumption.

The documentary also briefly touched on the people of Glasgow, Scotland, whose aging is accelerated. The researchers hypothesis for this was interesting. They said that in the early to middle of the last century their were over a million people living in a few square miles. Childhood diseases ran rampant throughout the area. Some of the children developed heightened immune systems that protected them from infectious diseases -- a condition called inflammatory response. These children lived long enough to reproduce and thus people with this tendency for inflammatory response increased in the general population. This same overactive immune system is likely to turn on itself later in life and create inflammatory related diseases. Their descendents have inherited this heightened inflammatory response even though the conditions that originally created it are long gone. They are doing all the right things (lowering stress, eating healthy, etc.) but their bodies are still operating as if they are in the environment of their ancestors.

BBC News Magazine has an article, The Towns Where People Live The Longest, if you are interested in reading further.

***************
Exercise:
Walked - 40 minutes

Food:
2 protein/water shakes

Low Cal Day 3 - 129.0 (Day 80)

Okay, maybe these low calorie days are not so wonderful after all. The first couple of protein shakes are palatable and refreshing, but after that they left a sweet aftertaste that made me slightly nauseous. I managed to choke down 4 of them throughout the day. Perhaps having a couple of different brands and/or flavors to switch between would help?

Anyway, this low calorie day does work well as a switch over day. My son's birthday is on Thursday and he loves to eat delicious food -- so do I. Now his birthday coincides with my eating day.

I downloaded a couple of yoga and pilate videos to try out. Ah, there is nothing like starting a new exercise routine to make you feel like an ungraceful clod. I found myself comparing my body with the 20-something yoga instructor's lithe physique on the video. Not a wise thing to do. Instead of feeling good about losing 26 pounds and improving my endurance and strength, I felt like a big blob of blubber -- in tights. It made me really grateful that I didn't sign up for yoga classes yet. By first practicing at home, I can develop coordination and - hopefully - save some of my dignity the first day in yoga class.

While we were shopping at Target yesterday, a man walked up to me and told me that I had really beautiful hair. I was shocked and managed to stammer out the words, "thank you". I cannot even remember the last time a complete stranger gave me a compliment. It seemed that the more overweight I was -- the more invisible I became to other people. It was as if I no longer "counted" as a human being. I was easy to dismiss and ignore -- people didn't even notice me. So BLESS YOU kind stranger, whoever you are, you really made me day!

Food:
4 protein/water shakes (87 calories each)

Exercise:
Yoga 20 minutes

Normal Day 35 - 131.6 (Day 70)

Do you ever have one of those days when you can't stop eating? I kept craving something sweet today. Perhaps I overtrained for my current level of fitness and my body is trying to restore it's glycogen levels? Whatever it is, I really felt out of sorts today, not sick -- just tired and worn out. I think I am going to take it easy again today -- even if it means I will probably gain a little bit of weight from all that I ate today. If I feel better, I might go for a walk later this evening.

If I was eating daily, I would push myself through this funk and workout anyway. But since I am only replenishing calories every other day, I don't know how this affects my body's ability to repair itself after a strenuous workout. My level of fitness isn't all that great -- but it is definitely improving.

Food:

1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal
4 oz milk
1 banana
1 T Smart Balance Omega peanut butter (straight from the jar)
1 whole wheat tortilla
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup chopped lettuce
1 T chopped onion
hot sauce
1.5 x 1.5 square homemade vegetarian lasagna
1 bouillon cube
1/4 cup chopped cabbage
1/4 cup chopped cauliflower

Normal Day 30 -- 134.4 (Day 60)

I found a great weight loss community today, its called Calorie Count. I had really been wanting to find a site like this where I could correspond with other people who are also trying to lose weight. Friends and family get REALLY sick of hearing about my diet. I think in order to keep motivated it is important to have other people to talk to about losing weight. Without the support it is easy to lose the momentum and give up when things get frustrating. If you are going it alone -- like me -- and would like some additional backup, I recommend checking out the site.

Exercise:

Walked for an hour, did a few strength training exercises on the bench


Food:

1 cup oatmeal
12 dried cherries
2 tsp chopped walnuts
1 banana

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 whole wheat tortilla
1 cup chopped green leaf lettuce
1/8 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup black beans, fake meat strips, red and green bell peppers, onions
6 oz milk

1/4 tsp taste of my son's "fizzy" yogurt (He participated in a test marketing for this product about a year ago and loved it. Now it's available in stores.)

Normal Day 25 -- 137.6 (Day 50)

We have been informed that the people who own our house have decided to sell it. We went though that once before and found it inconvenient and annoying to have people coming over to look through our house with only a few minutes notice. We don't have any desire to go through that experience again, unless it's our own house that is being sold. This house was too small for us anyway, most of our belongings are stacked ground to ceiling in the garage. We only had a few hours to find a place when we first moved to S. California last year and this was the first place we found. So, we will begin the process of finding a new place to live. I'm a little concerned that the moving and packing will make it more difficult to fast every other day. Then again, maybe the weight will come off even faster.

I'm starting to see a pattern that I eat more when my boyfriend is home. Sometimes he has a tendency to be overly critical and judgmental and angry and I feel utterly drained sometimes. He is easily hurt if anyone tries to point his behavior out to him when he is being so "intense". Maybe that is one of the reasons why I've gained so much weight since I've been with him. I eat when I'm sad, angry, depressed, bored, etc. I have a tendency to use food for comfort. I crave sweet foods when he is around, like I'm trying to self-medicate. I also want to sleep more. He works a lot and I guess I would be a really grouchy person too. I guess it's easier for me to try and blame others than accept responsibility for myself.

Our dog has been really good since he began taking his doggy vitamins. However, he bit my boyfriend for the first time since he has been on them. He bit him hard and refused to even let go. My boyfriend didn't do anything to invoke the attack. I've had many dogs in my lifetime, but I've never had such an out of control, ill-tempered dog. I don't know what provokes his attacks -- its not just my boyfriend -- a stranger at the door, a person walking down the street minding their own business. He just loses control. We have to really keep an eye on him, lest we get sued oneday.

food:

1 cup raw cauliflower with 1 tablespoon ranch dressing
1 cup steamed cauliflower
2 cups lentil minestrone soup
small handful of dried cherries & dry roasted peanuts
1/2 oz mozzarella
1 bartlett pear
grilled salmon with teriyaki sauce, corn on the cob with scant 1/4 tsp butter, 10 tater tots
1/4 of a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie
8 oz milk

Normal Day 20 -- 141.2 (Day 40)

We took the dog to the beach yesterday and walked around because it was such a beautiful day. There is a beach over in Del Mar where people take their dogs and it gets quite rowdy with hundreds of dogs all barking and running and playing. Afterwards, we went to see the movie National Treasure 2 (whatever its called). It was okay, probably a little better than the first one.

Went on a short walk today probably about 20 minutes, and Im planning on riding the Nordic Track later this evening.

Breakfast: 2 cups brown rice with garlic, slivered almonds and soy sauce
Lunch: 1/2 cup cottage cheese and dried cherries
Dinner: slice of mozzarella cheese on fresh spinach

Normal Day 15 - 143 (Day 30)

Breakfast: bowl of organic lentil minestrone and a lowfat cornbread muffin

Lunch: another bowl of organic lentil minestrone and a lowfat cornbread muffin

Dinner: macaroni & cheese

Even though I'm at least 10 pounds heavier than I was 6 months ago I feel really good. For the first time in years, I'm beginning to feel beautiful again. I feel beautiful on the inside, like its only a matter of time before it shines on the outside too. I feel like I'm finally in control of my weight instead of it being in control of me.

We went for a walk today and it was glorious and sunny and warm outside. I'm sure it is miserable back in Oregon right now, I'm so glad to be in S. California. I love the blue sky.

** finished eating by 6pm

Normal Day 10 - 146 (Day 20)

Walked for about 1/2 an hour last night and about 45 minutes this evening. It's still really cold outside for S. Cal.

Breakfast: Health Valley Rice Crunch-Ems with milk/water and dried cherries

Lunch: Steamed Broccoli with melted cheese and whole wheat bulgur with onion and celery

Snack: a piece of Belgium milk chocolate (It's the holiday season after all!)

Dinner: another bowl of cereal with milk/water and dried cherries

What is milk/water? I frequently use a small splash of milk and then fill the rest of the glass or bowl with water. Sometimes I add water to the milk carton itself, but that annoys my boyfriend and son. I think of milk as being more of a flavoring than a beverage. The only time I ever want a glass of milk is when I have a cookie to dunk into it.

** stopped eating by 6pm

Normal Day 5 - 150.6 (Day 10)

I feel great today! The chill finally wore off in the middle of the night and I actually got too hot and slept with one leg out of the covers.

I had a dream where I got really angry and started hitting this creepy man in the chest and screaming at him, "I hate you ... I hate you". I screamed myself awake and realized that I have a great deal of suppressed anger, especially in regards to seeing innocent people suffering because of stupid rules or beliefs. I get infuriated by the injustice of it. I can't stand it when people get the attitude, "I'm just doing my job" or "The bible says so" or whatever. This doesn't condone their actions. It's really bad when you can tell they get a perverse pleasure out of doing it and they get that smirk on their face!

This diet is working for me!!! Its wonderful to know that I will lose weight even if I over indulge on my day off. I literally stuffed myself until I was sick and I still lost weight. Hopefully, I won't be doing that again any time soon. Let's see what happens when I eat normally.


Breakfast: 1 cup brown rice with soy sauce

Snack: 1/2 cup brown rice with a splash of milk, crushed cardamom pods and a pinch of raw organic sugar

Lunch: whole wheat tortilla with a scrambled egg, salsa, onion, black olive and organic lettuce

Dinner: brown rice and Szechuan shrimp 1 fortune cookie

** stopped eating by 8pm