Intermittent Fasting: Day 17 (Exercise)

Last night I randomly decided that today would be a great time to start my 5-minute morning exercises.  

As soon as I woke up and weighed myself, I turned on the TV, logged into YouTube and did the following exercise video:

 

My energy was VERY high after completing the video. 

I also started my monthly (spotting).  


TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 17 Hours

FOOD & ACTIVITY TRACKER

10:00am - All Day

• Sipped on Jasmine Tea w/ Rose water (not enough to taste)

11:30pm



• Made a salad using Persian leftovers: Romaine lettuce, beef kabob, roasted tomato/zucchini/onion, brown rice, tandoori sauce (cilantro, garlic, mint, jalapeno, water), Persian dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, S&P, Mint, Parsley), and artichoke hummus. 

• Ate a homemade ginger cookie

I ate the cookie in the middle of eating my salad.  I did this so that I could still enjoy the cookie within my allotted stomach space, and not risk overeating it after my meal.  I also didn't want to start with the cookie and have stomach be the macro breaking my fast. 

Maybe there really is something to this "eat dessert first" mentality of life! 
 

12:05pm

• 15 minute walk

12:45pm

• 8 minute walk

3:30pm

• 8 minute walk

3:45pm

• A few Large Gulps of Smoothie:   Blueberries, Banana, Collard Greens, raw cashew butter, almond milk, lavender buds

5:30pm

• Burritos:  Flour Tortilla, ground beef, corn, black beans, homemade organic taco seasoning, onions, sour cream, salsa, aged cheddar cheese

I ate one filled burrito (w/ fork and knife so that I ate slower), then had seconds of just meat, cheese, sour cream and salsa

NO SNACKS!!  


9:30pm
Bedtime - I was not able to fall asleep for HOURS.  My insides felt rather tingly, like everything was moving. 

RESULTS

Weight LOSS of 0.4 lbs! 

Intermittent Fasting: Day 16 (HIGH Energy)

My energy this morning was much higher than normal.  I got to sleep in due to snow on the ground causing a 2 hour school delay.  I felt not only more energetic, but much more positive. 

My energy continued at work where I felt extremely energetic and positive.  The energy maintained throughout the rest of the day and evening, where I chose to clean part of my house instead of watch TV.  This is very unusual for me, and I am very grateful to experience such a positive energy all day long. 

I felt very young today!


TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 17.5 Hours

FOOD & ACTIVITY TRACKER

10:00am - All Day

• Sipped on Jasmine Tea with Ginger & Rose water

11:30pm



• Made a salad using Persian leftovers: Romaine lettuce, beef kabob, roasted tomato/zucchini/onion, brown rice, tandoori sauce (cilantro, garlic, mint, jalapeno, water), Persian dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, S&P, Mint, Parsley), and artichoke hummus.  Sprinkled with ground Sumac
   

3:30pm

• A few Large Gulps of Smoothie:   Blueberries, Banana, Collard Greens, raw cashew butter, almond milk, lavender buds

5:30pm

• Pot roast cooked in InstantPot
• Roasted Carrots tossed with herbs and maple syrup (little)
• Roasted Beet with Plain goat cheese

NO SNACKS!!  


7:30pm - 8:30pm

My energy was so high, I turned off the TV and cleaned my side business room (bonus room above garage). 

In fact, my energy was so high that I had a hard time falling asleep.


10:00pm
Bedtime (although it took a bit longer before falling asleep)

RESULTS

Weight LOSS of 0.6 lbs! 

Intermittent Fasting: Day 15 (Large Loss)

Due to my natural eating habits of the past, and my issues of snacking after dinner, I decided to change my eating window from 12-8pm to 11-7pm.  This will allow me to break my fast earlier in the day, and reduce the possibility of snacking after dinner.  Fingers crossed this works, because the after dinner snacking is definitely an issue. 

I am going to order some herbal teas so that I can have a decaffeinated hot drink in the evenings, to help curb the bad habit of snacking. 



TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 15 Hours

FOOD & ACTIVITY TRACKER

8:00am - All Day

• Sipped on Jasmine Tea with Rose water

11:30pm



• Made a salad using Persian leftovers: Romaine lettuce, beef kabob, roasted tomato/zucchini/onion, brown rice, tandoori sauce (cilantro, garlic, mint, jalapeno, water), Persian dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, S&P, Mint, Parsley), and artichoke hummus.  Sprinkled with ground Sumac
   

2:30pm

• Organic Greek yogurt with date/fruit granola

I was hungry, and debated big time whether to wait until dinner, or go ahead and have a snack.  I took the snack route, and didn't feel like I overate, and actually felt better until dinner, where I was hungry again.  This decision worked out no problem. 


5:30pm

• Harissa Chili:  Ground beef, ground lamb, tomato, onion, garlic, harissa (hot pepper paste), red kidney beans
• Salad:  Romaine lettuce, olives, grated cheese, Persian dressing

I DID NOT SNACK!   Woo hoo!  This is a HUGE step towards health.  I did get a feeling of hunger that I ignored, and lo and behold - it passed within 30 minutes! 

 

RESULTS

 

Weight LOSS of 2.8 lbs! 

Intermittent Fasting: 2 Week Results

I am adjusting to the Intermittent Fasting (IF) lifestyle, albeit slowly.  

I have learned a few things about myself over the past two weeks, and I can't help but feel a little frustrated. 

• I am unable to walk away from a plate with food remaining.  
• If the food is exceptionally tasty, I can't stop eating it, for fear of never getting it again
• I am sometimes more comfortable feeling overly full and bloated, then I do hungry.  

I want to be the girl that can eat very slow, and feel comfortable leaving food on the plate.  

I did have a moment where I was completely mindful and ate slowly, chewed substantially, and stopped as soon as I felt full.  It was the night that I went to one of my favorite restaurants - Persian!  Their food is so good, and even healthy (except they use margarine).  Other than that, it is a guilt free food.  I even drink their in house iced tea, made with fruits and spices, but no sugar.  

That moment was huge for me, because I was able to just walk away with boxes of my dinner to enjoy for lunch (technically "break"fast) the next day.  And I reported a huge loss from that day.  So obviously that is what is needed to be done. 

Why can't I do that ALL of the time?  Why am I constantly feeling like I will miss out on something if it is not finished?

I know these are things I need to work on, but I can't help to feel envious of those others that do this without any thought at all.  I wish I could be like them.  I am hoping with a lot of work and patience with myself, I too can become one of them.   But honestly, I am feeling doubtful right now.  I feel like I will struggle as I am today, for the rest of my life.

RESULTS

Week 1 Results:   -3.2 pounds

Week 2 Results:   -1.6 pounds

Day 8:     + 0.2 

Day 9:     -  1.0 

Day 10:   -  1.8

Day 11:      0.0

Day 12:   + 0.2

Day 13:   + 0.2

Day 14:   + 0.6    

Total Loss To date:  4.8 pounds 

Day 14: Intermittent Fasting

I woke up today feeling less groggy, but I did sleep in until just before 8.  So maybe I got enough sleep to counteract those feelings. 

Stayed constantly moving most of the day.


TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 16 Hours

FOOD & ACTIVITY TRACKER

8:00am - 12:00pm

• Sipped on Jasmine Tea.  Later added Rose water

12:00pm



• Very large Salad:  Romaine Lettuce, Beets, goat cheese, oil, balsamic vinegar, jalapeno stuffed olives, capers, smoked salmon.
  Beanitos Chips - Honey Chipotle.  Probably about 2.5 servings.
  
  I am pretty sure I overate once I started eating the chips, maybe even with finishing most of the salad.  That should not have happened.   I still have no control over certain foods.  
  
  Within an hour or more after eating lunch, I had an insatiable thirst.  I am estimating I drank around 4 glasses of water over an hour period.  
   

6:15pm

• Grilled Persian Ground Beef kabobs (onions, spices)
• Salad:  Romaine, lettuce, cucumber
• Persian Dressing:  Oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, chopped fresh mint and parsley, salt and pepper
• Veggie Kabob:  onion, zucchini, tomato, shrooms
• Tandoori Sauce:  jalapeno, cilantro, mint, garlic, water
• White Jasmine Rice

 One thing to know here - I was NOT hungry when I ate dinner.  I am very disappointed in myself for not being able to just say no and save it for the next day.  Luckily, I did eat smaller portions than normal, but it was not appropriate for me to eat at all.  

7:30pm

• 3/4 Bottle of KT's Grape chia Seed kombucha.  

I had planned to only drink half the bottle (1 Serving), and of course, I was not able to control myself once more.  

RESULTS

Day 14 Results:  Weight GAIN of 0.6 LBS

Intermittent Fasting: Day 13

I woke up today, not much different than yesterday.  When my alarm clock went off, this was the first time I had woken since I fell asleep, and yet I felt as if I hadn't gone to sleep yet.  I felt very tired and groggy, hitting the snooze button over and over. 



TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 16 Hours

 

FOOD & ACTIVITY TRACKER

 

8:00am - 12:00pm

• Homebrewed Black Chai tea with minced ginger

 

 

12:00pm



• Leftover Indian Keem
• 1 Banana
• 1 Orange

 

 6:00pm

• Pad See Ew with Chicken.  I ate 2 Large plate fulls and did not feel like I overate at all.

7:30pm

• 8oz Lavender Love Kombucha

 

RESULTS

 

Weight GAIN of 0.2 LBS

I don't understand why I have failed to lose weight the last two days.  There are a few factors that remain culprit:  High sodium meals (soy sauce) and high carb meals (rice, noodles).   I'm not sure that it is the high carbs per se, as much as it is that because its high carbs, I am overeating.  The only thing that is peculiar about this, is that I lost weight eating the exact same amount of food the last time I ate pad see ew. 

Another thing that I need to remember is that I have been feeling off the past couple of days. I feel very tired in the morning and emotional throughout the day.

This could be a result of my monthly forthcoming.  In the past, I would gain a bit of weight, then have a large loss.  Fingers crossed the large loss is forthcoming.

But then again, I need to remind myself, I am not trying to lose weight, I am trying to maintain a 16:8 Intermittent Fasting schedule. 

 

 

 

Intermittent Fasting: Day 12

I felt very different today, and unfortunately, not in a good way.  I think it may be due to my monthly, but I am not sure, because my app had to be reloaded and I can't figure out my password to restore the data.  Go figure!

I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept, and this was the first time I hadn't woken for some reason or another in the night.  I felt very emotional and high anxiety (tightness in chest).  Later that night, laying in bed, I told my husband about my feelings of anxiety.  Great bedroom talk, right? 

Shortly after he fell asleep, I laid there thinking about it, when I suddenly had the wave rush over my body, and my anxiety completely disappeared!  The tightness in chest was gone, everything disappeared.  I was able to fall asleep.

I don't understand what happened, but it felt nothing short of a miracle to have that feeling disappear in time for me to sleep soundly. 

TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 16.5 Hours

 

FOOD & ACTIVITY TRACKER

 

10am - rest of day

• Homebrewed Green tea with peaches, lemon, cinnamon, cardamom pod

~ Starting to wonder if there are too many calories in my drink.  May need to reduce to spices (cinnamon) and no fruit. 

 

12:00pm



• 1 Banana & 1 Orange
• Leftover Thai Curry Beef Noodle soup with the addition of Spinach

 

 

2:00pm

• 1/2 bottle of Lavender Love Kombucha

6:00pm

     My husband made a wonderful Indian Dish called Keema - Recipe provided below. 

• 2 Full Plates of Indian Keema:  Brown rice, spices, tomato, onion, peas, ground beef, habanero, garlic, ginger, potatoes

     Too bad I didn't get a photo :(


7:30pm
I wasn't hungry, but just had to have something.  I can tell this will be the hardest habit to break - the evening snack.

• Organic Greek Yogurt w/ Oat based granola, and dates/fruit based granola

RESULTS

 

Weight GAIN of 0.2 LBS

 

 

ADDITIONAL

 

Indian Keema Recipe:

https://www.worthypause.com/blog/2013/01/keema-recipe

 



Intermittent Fasting: Day 11

TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 19+ Hours

FOOD & ACTIVITY LOG

8am - All Day

• Homebrewed Green tea with 1/4 lemon; cinnamon stick, goji berries

1:15pm

• Green Smoothie:  Banana, 1 Date, 1 Kiwi, collard greens, raw cashew butter, unsweetened almond milk
• Salad:  Romaine Lettuce, goat cheese, smoked salmon, beets, walnuts, sprouted pumpkin seeds, basil olive oil, balsamic vinegar
• 4 Pieces Hickory Farms White chocolate peppermint candy

     I definitely ate too much salad, or at least that's what I felt like happened.  I felt very bloated and my stomach didn't feel great for most of the remaining afternoon.  It is possible I ate my smoothie too fast, because I waited too long to eat. I was very, very hungry, and probably just ate faster than normal. 

6:00pm

• Roasted Cabbage with paprika, oregano, parmesan cheese
• Rice and Quinoa Mexican spiced mix
• Grilled pork Chops
• Homemade Peach Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce (sweet and spicy)

7:00pm

• Organic Greek yogurt with oat based granola, and sweet date based grain-free granola

 

RESULTS

Weigh In = 0.00 change

 

(Note:  I weigh in on the day after this post, and update the blog.  So the weight change is reporting the results of this day's eating)

 

Intermittent Fasting: Day 10

Today was a good day.  I went to the Indian restaurant's buffet, and enjoyed a sweet chai tea with NO guilt.  When I got home, I wasn't too hungry, but still decided to eat until I had that "this is enough" feeling, which I assumed would be a few bites in.  

I am VERY PROUD of myself.  After dinner, I wanted just something.  I told myself I was not hungry and to ignore it, even while I watched TV.  So I refrained from any post dinner snacking, although I do not think it would have hurt.  I would like to get out of that habit, except for the occasional treat.  

Overall, today was a very good day, with high energy and a positive mood.  


TOTAL FASTING HOURS: 

• From last night (30 minutes after last meal), until today's break = 16.5 Hours

FOOD & ACTIVITY LOG

8am - All Day

• Homebrewed Green tea with minced orange peel, cinnamon, ginger

12:15pm

• Local Owned Indian Restaurant Buffet:  
• Tandoori Chicken
• Rice
• Chutney(s)
• Bite of Samosa
• Salad
• Cucumber Sauce
• Chickpea stuff
• Yellow Sauce (?)
• Hot and Sweet Chai Tea

5:30pm

• Panang Curry Beef Noodle Soup x 1.5 bowls
• Beef, panang curry, wide rice noodles, butternut squash, broth, red pepper, shiitake mushrooms

This dish was really good.  The soup base was chicken stock and roasted butternut squash puree.  

RESULTS

Weight LOSS = 1.8 Lbs!