tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52395528754183572852024-03-20T19:24:15.058-07:00The Big Fat HurtTrying to figure myself out while I typeAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.comBlogger1016125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-1622640288645113932024-03-13T16:30:00.000-07:002024-03-13T16:30:42.536-07:00So closeMarch is going well for me so far. One absolutely wonderful thing is I weened myself off ibuprofen for some horrifically painful issue in Mt foot near where I had achilles tendon surgery. The best I can tell is I may have had some bursitis that did finally resolve. I am so grateful that there were mornings last week, as I was walking my dog and I just repeatedly said "thank you" to the universe for taking this pain away. Ibuprofen is really terrible for your kidneys and can cause permanent damage but it does work.
I am also really grateful for the warmer weather this spring. Typically March and April in Wisconsin tend to still be cold/snowy and icy, which makes it feel like spring weather will never arrive. This winter has been such a great departure from the normal below zero weather and mountains of snow! It does make my mood better. I dream of being a snowbird someday.
My eating has been on the straight and narrow, even on the weekend. I struggled with it the first week and weekend and my mind wasn't really focused on my goals but in the feeling of obligation, almost like fasting for labwork or before a surgery, I HAVE to, do it makes me feel deprived. Our family dinner last weekend was unstuffed peppers which is basically beef, bell peppers, tomatoes sauce and rice. I love beef and tomato dishes and love love me some stuffed peppers but I always eat it with rice. This time I served myself a bowl before adding the rice to the recipe. Despite it tasting good, I chose to focus on the fact that I didn't "get to" have rice like the rest of the family. When I finished my bowl, I was pleasantly full and realized I didn't need the rice, I was just allowing my mind to be a child. I reminded myself that if I needed more to eat, I could have a butter bite at any time.
This week I am finally getting into a better headspace. It's still a little strange not eating dinner. This week I am having some chicken broth with a pat of butter for dinner because butter bites are so rich. I am really hungry by the morning but it's nice to be able to eat early vs. other fasting schedules I've tried where I delay breakfast a bit. I did do a 24 hour fast on Friday and intended to do a longer fast on Saturday but Saturday morning I was so hungry I ate breakfast. I do wonder if I'm getting enough calories. Eating too few calories can cause metabolic issues which can make your body hold onto weight instead of burning it. I found myself hungry a lot the first week, but it's a little better this week. I am having chicken crust pizza for lunch and it is hearty.
My reward was seeing 151.4 on the scale today. That's a 6 pound loss in less than 2 weeks and a magical number I haven't seen since fall when I was being more strict. I'm so close to getting into the 140's, which would just feel so surreal. I haven't been in that range since I was in high school about 30 years ago!
I really started this latest quest for weightloss for my health,and I am healthier, but it's also to feel something I haven't felt many times in life, normal. To be a "normal" weight, to shop in the normal clothes section instead of the plus sized section, to look "normal" in clothes as opposed to being draped in loose fabrics in hopes that they hide my body I am so ashamed of. I used to dream of losing weight and imagine how great it would feel to be able to wear a pair of jeans without feeling as if they were cutting off circulation on my waist. Every time I had to slip between tables or desks in a classroom I envied people who didn't even question whether or not they would fit. There were times when I wondered how much longer I could go before I needed to buy a seatbelt extension for my car; my belly almost rubbing against the steering wheel because I had to sit close to the pedals being only 5 ft tall. I don't really look at what I'm gaining by losing weight, but I see it as reclaiming what being big took from me, a sense of worthiness and acceptance. If people ignore me now, I'm perfectly happy with it, because when I was big I felt like everyone noticed me and were passing silent judgment on me. Ultimately, I know my perception of that is only partially true, I probably judged myself harsher than any stranger would. I once thought I would never break the addiction to using food as a drug and now I know that getting off carbs makes my brain stop thinking like that and the struggles lessen greatly.
I may not have all the answers and I will never be 100% strict all of the time, but I'm grateful for finding what works for me and knowing that even when I get off track a bit, I just have to muscle through the first few days or a week, and then this way of life makes me FEEL so much better (physically but really importantly, mentally) that it becomes easy to continue.
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-16179661387116447882024-03-04T18:06:00.000-08:002024-03-04T18:06:02.511-08:00This TimeMy last post was a month ago, and I was aiming to keep February a little more on track on than December and January. The bad habits I leaned into during those months were non-keto meals on the weekends, some alcohol and snacking on peanuts in between meals, even when I was not physically hungry.
I would love to say February was way different. I still ate off-plan meals on the weekends and caved to snacking between meals, but I did mix it up and eat crispy pepperoni pieces or pork rinds, which are both a lot better choices on keto than peanuts.
Now that we are looking at the first Monday in March, I am ready to re-commit in preparation for my labwork at the end of the month and physical on April 1.
In addition to eating cleaner on the weekends (oh darn I have to eat steak) I am going to get back on track with fasting, which I had cut back to roughly 13 hours. I am moving toward 2 meals a day but for some reason it is messing with my head when other fasting, even longer fasts, doesn't. I did try it during PMS week and that was terrible timing and left me assuming I would be too hungry to make it work. So, in order to ease myself into making the switch, I am having browned butter bites as my replacement for dinner. It's literally a stick of butter browned and then cooled and cut into pieces. I added cinnamon to mine. It tastes ever so slightly like caramel. Pure fat does not spike glucose so it doesn't break a fast. So I will use it as a buffer to get me used to not eating dinner. I am having all kinds of mental whining today. I want tortilla chips and peanuts and after eating my butter bites tonight my mind wanted to have food to experience. I want flavors and I noticed that I want salt. Carbs make you retain water, so when you don't eat many carbs, your body flushes out the water and tales the electrolytes with it and this is partially responsible for my salt cravings. I am aware of it and I know it passes if I ignore it but if it keeps bugging me I do listen to my body and put a pinch of salt under my tongue or in my water.
My weight today is 157.2. I would love to be in the 140's for my appointment but getting out of the 150's seems to be elusive for me. I think I will need to be consistent for a long stretch in order to see that. Weekends have always been my challenge. Even when I originally lost this weight and began this blog, I got down to 151 and then I started having trouble keeping the weekends clean and then it was just an uphill battle until I gave up and went back on autopilot and regained it all. I have to keep that lesson in mind, I really don't want a repeat. So when I realized that the weekends were the beginning of the end last time, I knew that this wasn't just about a physical exam (though I'd be lying if I said that didn't motivate me) but it's about keeping my mind in a healthy place so I can keep my body in a healthy place for the long haul.
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-39462690945556539552024-01-29T17:24:00.000-08:002024-01-29T17:24:01.012-08:00Getting Back on TrackA sigh is a funny thing, no? For instance, being perimenopausal coupled with hypothyroidism and I sigh a lot. My husband thinks I'm mad when I sigh, but usually it's because being a woman is tiring, isn't it? The to-do list never seems to shrink, no matter how many things I cross off. And I sigh because sometimes I don't sleep great or am pushing through despite really wanting a nap in the evening. But I sighed really big recently as I thought about all the indulgences that started before the holidays and just sort of kept rolling. There were Christmas gatherings for pizza and then burgers and the tray of homemade cookies from my dad's wife and wine-oh so much wine over the past month! Besides just Christmas, there was a giant blizzard and then a week of below zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures, plans and weather messing with our schedules, and my progesterone phase striking when I was trying to do 2 meals a day and longer fasts.
Lets just say the weekends have been pure chaos and the week days saw me devouring peanuts in between meals which my brain told me I needed even when my stomach wasn't asking for them. I even started eating my candied ginger that I have stashed aside for when nausea strikes.
Needless to say, the scale was up after all the indulgences. Before all this I was hovering between 153-155. I actually got up to 159 over the weekend before dipping down to 158 today. I know it's not life and death here, but those were pounds that were hard-won and I am bummed I slid backwards. The even scarier part was how I felt I was losing grip on the reins and starting to not care. That was a combination of the carbs and progesterone talking. Believe it or not, eating carbs actually depresses my mood and not because I feel guilty for eating them, it's biochemical.
I made up my mind that my "holiday minset" was going to end by Sunday evening and I am going to try to stay clean for February, not just to celebrate better physically and when I step on the scale, but to help get my mind back to where it was before the Christmas festivities began. It's not that I was off plan the whole time, but the weekends were pretty loose and I was snacking on those nuts when I should have been giving my insulin a rest between meals. I didn't do so good with 2 meals a day, especially one day when I was shoveling snow for over an hour and even a few hours later, under multiple layers of clothes and blankets I couldn't warm up, and I finally figured out that I probably hadn't eaten enough to keep me warm. So I ended up not sticking to 2MAD. It was bad timing, and it led to me thinking about food way more than I ever do, which I haven't really struggled with since starting keto, other than progesterone phase (the week before the cycle starts). It always helps me to watch keto videos when I need to focus more, it inspires me because knowing the science of what sugars do in our bodies makes me want to better for my body, and learning about ketosis, fasting, and being metabolically healthy makes me want to keep trying to achieve that level of health!
Fortunately, my cycle came this month. I never in a million years would have dreamed I would count it as a fortune, but after the PMS progesterone phase, it's so nice to get a release from those feelings of extreme exhaustion and wanting to eat the entire universe. On the months when I don't get a cycle, it just feels like a month of PMS. So, I am happy to get a little boost of estrogen, it makes me feel like not only is anything possible but I have the energy to accomplish it.
I scheduled my annual physical today. I hage procrastinated scheduling it because the doctor I had last year was cold and I just know I can't build a rapport with her so I tried a few doctors who have great chart notes (I have the luxury of knowing since I'm a medical coder and look at charts all day long) but several are no longer taking new patients so I just took a newer doctor I don't know much about but his office is the closest to me so at least it's convenient. I'm going to discuss all the stuff I want to this time without being timid. I don't code for this doctor so there shouldn't be any weird feelings between us. Doctors knowing that I'm a medical coder can make them squirmy a litte because we basically make sure the doctors are only getting paid for what they documented they did, nothing more. A lot of doctors don't keep up on billing and coding rules so they get nervous that we're auditing them as they work. I'm not like that. Anyway, my physical is April 1 so that gives me 2 months to see what I can do with my weight. I'd love to be under 150 by then but I feel like that is a barrier that is so unobtainable so far. I am not sure what it's going to take but I am going to give it a try! I was 173 pounds at my last physical March 27,2023. I remember being so proud of my 33 pound loss at that time and the doctor didn't even acknowledge it. I remember thinking at the time, 'just you wait and see what I can do! Honestly, the fact that she didn't even acknowledge my weightloss is a huge reason I don't want to see her. Anyone who isn't willing to celebrate the wins isn't going to be very supportive when I hage a health issue either. I would think it would be easier for a doctor to congratulate a health victory than to have to scold people for not taking care of themselves. Anyway, I'll give the new guy a fair shake. I feel confident I can at least get back down to 153 by then, which is 20 extra pounds less than last year's physical.
I am not exercising. Starting in mid or late December I started getting really bad pains in my achilles tendon area/heel. This is the one I had surgery on and recovered so well from. It was virtually pain-free until that point, then it started feeling like it did when I tore it. It's really tight and painful in the morning which makes it hard to walk at first. I just don't want any more problems with this tendon. I am taking ibuprofen and it does help so I am hoping I can rehab it conservatively at home. If it gets worse or isn't better by my physical I'll have it looked at. It's not to say I can't do anything. I have done some strengthening with workout bands while standing at my desk a couple times. It's just going to be a bit before I am super active with this heel. Hopefully getting back to consistently low carbs will help resolve the inflammation.
My big street art project is finally in the works! I got this giant plastic fish that I am going to paint. It will be on display downtown in a neighboring high-traffic tourist town all summer, then it will be auctioned off and I get to keep half of what it auctions for! I have a good portion of one side done already and I have until May 6 to finish and turn it in. Here is the naked fish, and my progress so far.
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It will keep me busy and I'm looking forward to the excellent exposure!
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-28335974561823564812024-01-09T17:41:00.000-08:002024-01-09T17:42:09.173-08:00Mental energy Maybe its just the things I read and watch, but it seems like not many people made a resolution this year. Some of the Creators I watch have instead switched to "doing what makes me happiest" or "practicing consistency" instead of having a specific goal or focus. Maybe that's where a lot of people are right now, and that's OK. I wasn't super specific with my goals either.
I feel like I indulged a lot this holiday season. We had extra days off which meant more eating out, and I let my guard down with food, even at home. My birthday was on the Friday between Christmas and New Year's so I indulged then too. I did make myself a keto dessert that I dreamed up. I made a layer of crushed cashews with melted butter and sweetener, then added 4 boxes of sugar-free pudding (white chocolate and pistacio) and then topped it with sugar-free whipped cream. It was delicious!
After all the indulgences, I knew I couldn't jump straight into resolutions on Jan 1, so I gave myself a week to just get back to my keto basics and cut out the junk. I was craving junk food but was able to avoid eating it but snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds, or sometimes just putting a pinch of salt under my tongue because I tend to crave salty things but I wonder if my body is just telling me it needs more salt. Anyway, last week was fine and I indulged over the weekend again with my dad visiting for our Christmas celebration. This week I decided to jump abruptly into 2 meals a day. I eat my breakfast around 6AM then eat lunch at noon. I'm doing a chicken taco bowl with plenty of fat from cheese, sour cream and avocado for breakfast and for lunch I am having a 1/2 pound grass-fed beef cheeseburger patty with mayonnaise. So far, it's going well as far as not being physically hungry, but I must admit, it will take a little more time to get over the "mental munchies" after letting my guard down the past few weeks. If I can stay the course and not give in, I know this will eventually get easier. The way I have my eating scheduled,each week will have four 18-hour fasts, one 20 hour fast, one 24 hour fast and one 13 hour fast. I think this will be easier to maintain because I just don't have to think and plan it, the length will just be associated with the day of the week.
We do have our final Christmas celebration scheduled for January 19th, my husband's work party. It will make my fasting times change that weekend but I'm not worried about it. I aim for progress, not perfection!
My other thing I wanted to work on this year is refraining from giving unsolicited advice and I am finding this easier than I thought, I just have to scroll past something before I spend to much time crafting a response in my head, then I'm fine. sometimes I do really want to give advice and I will allow myself to craft a response in my head but not post it. It does make me feel better. Everyone is full of advice, but sometimes people say something just to express how they feel and not to be told what we think they should do. So I think I am doing more of a service but not interjecting my thoughts about a life that I don't live.
So all-in-all, things are going in the right direction. I'm not saying there aren't challenges but they are mental, not physical, so they can be overcome. I came to a realization today, when thinking about removing sweeteners from my fasting window again. You have to have the mental energy to commit to the idea of sacrificing something in order for you to be successful. What is sacrificed might be a food, a habit, a luxury such as time, or energy, etc, but whatever the case, if you don't have the mental energy to give to the withdrawal of that thing, it probably won't "stick". So for now, the sweeteners stay. Maybe once I get used to my new fasting schedule I will focus on that. As I said, I have a lot of things I want to change this year but I know better than to try and take on too many changes at once, it always backfires! When I have the mental energy and focus to tackle a goal, I'm nearly unstoppable, so they will all happen eventually.
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-21062773652746496682024-01-01T16:09:00.000-08:002024-01-01T16:09:35.325-08:00GoalsAh, January 1st! Feels good to have a fresh new year to look forward to, right? This is the first time in some time that I didn't come up with a dedicated New Year's goal to achieve. I have many things I want to make habits, but I didn't really feel like pinning them down. I always had my resolution in place for so many years: lose weight. Now that I am what I think will be my last 20 pounds to lose, it's a little odd not having that goal there. But not to worry, there are always things I can work on!
January 1st does always make me reflect on where I've been. I started Keto in November of 2021 at 206 pounds. January of 2022 I was 198 pounds. January of 2023 I was 185 pounds. My most recent weigh in was Friday afternoon and I weigh 153. That means I officially lost 53 pounds by my 51st birthday. As I've said before, I don't really have a number in mind where I will feel I am at my goal weight. I think my body will decode that for me when it stops dropping weight. I know if I'd been a little more strict I might weigh less by now, but I'm happy that things are still happening and I'm able to live what feels like a normal life that isn't always focused on keto.
Overall, 2023 taught me that many of the things I am sure I'm not interested in are things I eventually end of trying ans getting on board with. That's hoe keto itself was, then fasting, and time restricted eating. This echoes through my artwork too, techniques I never thought I'd want to take the time to learn I am now embracing. I'm learning that being outside my comfort zone isn't such a bad place to be!
So if i had to pin down some things that come to mind most frequently when I consider challenging myself or working toward change, these are the ones that come up for me.
1. TMAD or two meals a day. Right now I eat 3 meals a day and typically don't snack in between. Lately with progesterone week lasting longer and longer, it makes me want to eat everything in site so I have been snacking on nuts between breakfast and lunch. I usually am not physically hungry when I do this, I just haven't corrected the habit. Having more fat at breakfast would keep me satiated longer. I ultimately would like to move to two robust meals a day, which would mean my daily fast would be 18 hours instead of 15 or 16. TMAD would be less food prep and groceries, but the real benefit is in keeping the insulin low for longer, which helps cells renew and repair.
2. Listen more. Like, really be present in conversations, not half-listening while scrolling or thinking of my response instead of listening. This category includes giving less unsolicited advice. I have such a tendency to give advice and sometimes I think less is more. It's one thing if someone asks for advice but I give it even when people don't ask for it which isn't needed.
I have others that revolve around housecleaning habits and personal care things like moisturizing my face regularly and getting back into the consistent habit of flossing my teeth, and of couse my nemesis, working out, but it will take work to make measurable goals for those so for now I am going to focus on the first 2 and see where that leads me with everything else. I can add goals as I come up with them.
2023 was pretty fantastic for me, I can't wait to see what 2024 brings!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-45153410099743355222023-12-13T07:42:00.000-08:002023-12-13T07:42:02.984-08:00Unnecessary StressI am a planner. I suspect this is driven by anxiety and having a somewhat unpredictable emotional support/response from my mother as a child, but whatever the reason, I like to know what to expect. I try to plan things to the point that I overwhelm myself, and it doesn't help that I am not, by nature, a very organized person.
I have been overwhelming myself with my art side hustle /"business" since my husband first convinced me to try selling my art last summer. I have an Etsy shop, 2 social media pages and also do in-person vendor events. I am finding myself struggling with where to focus what little time I have to paint/create and prepare for the upcoming season so I have the appropriate display items and enough inventory, no matter where I am selling. Not to mention,learning about taxes, insurance, and how to make my Etsy shop successful.
Last week, as I found myself overwhelmed by it all, I realized that I tend to do this with my weightloss goals as well. In my last post I mentioned the idea of doing a year of month-long challenges and I started to plan out these challenges on paper and I quickly became overwhelmed by trying to time them in an appropriate order/month and I had too many at first, then I started to combine them and had too few and I just put my notebook away and became turned off by the idea altogether. Despite being motivated by challenges, the whole reason this keto lifestyle works for me is that I have kept it very uncomplicated. I don't track macros or calories, I simply eat things that are low carb and tasty and I continue to lose weight. Simple, and easy to stick to. When I start over-complicating things I just want to avoid challenging myself, especially when I'm already overwhelmed by my art business, there's not a lot of mental energy left for planning challenges.
So I looked at my goals and it became clear that the focus was on a shift in habits; exercise more, skin care, make an effort to stop negative thoughts and replace then with positive/gratitude, stand more during work, etc. So instead of having multiple habits to try to plan at once, I am going to try and pick just a few for 2024 and if I find myself crushing those goals, I can add on at any point.That feels less overwhelming and will likely lead to better results. In the coming weeks, I will reflect on these and decide what to prioritize in the new year.
My weight has dipped down to 150.0, but has mostly been fluctuating between 151-153. while I am excited to get into the 140's, I am happy to be at this place, as it took some time to arrive here. I am fully aware of how my body adjusts to new lower weights, lowering steadily for a few weeks, then holding for a month or two before it lowers again. I find the pattern fascinating, but really I think it's pretty normal. This pattern used to trip me up because I didn't understand it and thought I was doing something "wrong". Now I know that if I keep doing what I'm doing, my body will catch up with my actions, and stressing out, being impatient or making drastic changes isn't going to have a positive outcome, and in some cases, won't be sustainable long term. Slow and steady wins the race!
So I may challenge myself from time to time, or experiment with different things, but as far as my diet goes, I am not planning any drastic changes in 2024, just more of the same. I would imagine by my 3 year "ketoversarry" in November 2024,I will be at my goal weight just by staying the course. What is my goal weight? Whatever weight my body sets itself at. There will come a time when my body stops losing weight with the way I am currently living/eating. Every body is different on its caloric needs and I am listening to my body. I never feel deprived and I have a good amount of energy. If I never lost another pound, I admit I would be a little disappointed, but I feel so much better at 152 than at 206, so it's a huge win either way.
The overarching goal, I suppose, is to curb my self-created stress over things that don't need to be stressed about. This will fall into place in other areas of my life too, simply by being aware that I'm creating this so I also Hage the power to stop it. Life can be stressful enough without adding our own stress to it, right?
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-47332228881689483192023-12-03T13:51:00.000-08:002023-12-03T13:51:26.405-08:00Looking AheadAh, a fresh new month! I really like beginnings, Daybreak, Mondays, new month, new year, a new notebook with nothing inside...It's like the feeling of spring, as if anything is possible!
I don't love winter, the snow and ice and my anxiety through the roof, but I do think it helps me appreciate the other seasons more.
Last time I blogged, I was was considering doing a 72 hour fast before the end of the year. Honestly, after challenging myself in October, I really let loose a little in the beginning of November, as far as going back to having sugar-free sweeteners. So I decided I was going to work my way up to a 72 hour fast, and my plan was to do a 36 hour fast one week, 48 hours the next week, then dice into a 72 hour fast and celebrate my victory. In preparation for my 36 hour fast, I had my last meal on a Sunday evening around 6PM. I made it through 24 hours fine, because my body is somewhat used to it. When I woke the next day and should have eaten at 6AM to end the 36 hours, I wasn't really hungry and I had a bunch of energy, so I decided I was going to try for 48 hours, keeping in mind that if my hunger became unbearable I could stop whenever. I will say, the hunger came in remarkably short waves and was not bad. Because I am in ketosis, my body burns my stored fat for energy so I really felt fine. In the 48th hour, I started to get a dull headache, but I really came on just about a half hour shy of me breaking my fast, so I just ignored it, and it went away as soon as I ate. I eased back into eating with some broth, it helps prep your body for digestion before you give it harder tasks. That helps you avoid stomach discomfort after fasting. During my fast, I only drank plain water, unsweetened herbal tea, and had a pinch of salt a couple times to make sure my electrolytes were good. I felt really good about being able to do that and it wasn't super difficult, I just set my mind to it and made it happen. I have little doubt that a 72 hour fast would be similar, the struggle (but also the determination) comes from our thoughts.
I continued eating pretty similar to my normal, 100% on plan during the week, but planned on reigning my off-plan eating to once per weekend, if at all. I can't really recall how I did.I think I made family dinners at home some of those weekend days, which is usually not far off plan for me. For Thanksgiving, I kept it simple and got a pre-cooked, seasoned brisket that you warm in the oven, and I made microwavable corn and store bought mashed potatoes,then we had real pumpkin pie with full sugar whip cream on top. It is one of the few times I allow sweet sugars because pumpkin pie is one of my all time favorite foods. My weight during the month was really teetering between 156-157, sometimes dipping down to 155. I started to wonder if I really was going to make 51 pounds lost by my 51st birthday. I was really trying to focus on protein and I planned my meals around the protein. And I got really sick of meat! So the past two weeks I have been cutting back on heavy meat meals and eating more fat. I discovered these AMAZING cinnamon roll fat bombs that are divine. Cream cheese, butter, white sweetener, brown sweetener and cinnamon. Ooh it was exactly what I needed during PMS! And then I saw my weight going down a few pounds and finally settled at 154.0 on Friday night. I was excited and wanted to see 153 so I ate clean on Friday, but last night, we drove to a city a half hour away to go to a great burger spot, but it was closed for some reason, and being a small town, there's not a lot of other choices, so we went to a little bar and grill and after a bit we asked for menus and they said they only serve pizza. Sigh. I was hungry so I just shrugged and ate the pizza knowing that 153 might have to wait a little longer. Life goes on. It was a very friendly place and we had a good time, and that matters more than the scale!
I was watching one of my favorite YouTube channels recently (Serious Keto) and one of the videos was about an upcoming year and he said he was going to take each month of the coming year and make a 30-day challenge for each month. I got really inspired by the idea so I think I might do this for 2024. I didn't decide exactly what each month's goal would be, but by the end of December I will have it mapped out and I'll post it here in case anyone wants to join in.
I don't know if ill do a 72 hour fast this month or not. On one hand, if I do it I will have the satisfaction of having accomplished both my goals this year (the other was to be able to do 10 real push ups, which I accomplished in October), but on the other hand, if I don't do it this year I can use thar for one of my goals next year. I am a suckered for a challenge so I probably will, maybe next week. It would be better to do it before the holidays I think, then I can do my normal fasting split after. I just want to say that I did it. A doctor who I watch on YouTube does a 72 hour fast every week, so she only eats 4 days a week! It takes some mental fortitude to do that!
Anyway, I just wanted to check in and say, everything is going good. I am still losing weight and my face looks oddly thin which means more wrinkles, but it's a trade-off I am happy to take. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-523914756599467522023-11-08T16:45:00.000-08:002023-11-08T16:45:03.921-08:00What I learnedAs I mentioned in my last post, the last week of October didn't go as smoothly as I had planned. I headed into my week off with only 2 appointments scheduled, dental exam on Monday and Tuesday (Halloween) I scheduled a massage to use up a spa gift certificate I got for my birthday last year. I was looking forward to taking some time to paint. Monday morning I went to my dentist appointment and she didn't have time to clean my teeth after the exam so I had to schedule another appointment. Then I went to a neighboring town about 30 minutes away to pick up an adorable antique table that I'm going to paint. I did stop to shop in an art supply store while there, which always makes me happy.
Tuesday was Halloween, my favorite holiday! I had my massage booked well in advance and they changed the time which was fine. This appointment was in the same neighboring town about 30 minutes away, and the main highway is closed for construction, so I have to drive down a very hilly/curvy country road to get around. And it started snowing really hard on my way there. I started to have major anxiety but arrived at what I thought was a for good time for my massage. They informed me I was an hour late and had to reschedule. I am not sure who had the time wrong but I was so stressed out! I was able to book for Wednesday afternoon. The snow was way worse on the drive home and my mood was so not good. That night we had a special dinner for Halloween, chicken pot pie soup with buttery croissants and I used some of the apples from our tree to make a keto apple crumble but they didn't have sugar-free whipped cream at the store but I ate the sugary stuff anyway.
Wednesday morning I had to go back to the dentist for my cleaning, then drive back up there for my massage. The roads were still not fully cleared of snow and that stressed me out again. The massage was really nice. It was my first time getting one because I was always so self conscious about my body to do it before. I still have those feelings somewhat, but I was determined to put it out of my mind and enjoy the experience. When I was done, I was much more relaxed and the roads were mostly clear on the drive home, so it was a much better day for me.
My husband and I ate out 6 times (!) between Wednesday night and Saturday night. Ugh. I didn't restrict myself at all, and told myself Monday was back to normal eating. Some of the stuff I had was not that bad, a turkey wrap, a bowl of beef stew, and Sunday night I made spaghetti with what I call "fresca" topping, chopped tomatoes, fresh basil, onions, fresh garlic, a little olive oil and some Italian seasoning. We had focaccia bread with butter and garlic too. And for dessert I made apple butter from our apples. Definitely not low carb but so tastey on wheat bread. I felt so ready to clean up my diet by Sunday night! I can only be so excited about indulging when its that frequent.
I realized that a huge part of the reason I allowed myself to go off the rails was because by the time my progesterone kicked in at about the third week of the month, I started to see this less as a fun challenge and more as restrictive. That little difference between "I can't have that" and "I choose not to eat that" makes a huge difference when it comes to the mind. My weight on Monday was back up to 160 and since then, has only dropped to 159. So I undid some of the progress I made in October. That's life. I can only look ahead and plan better for next time. In the future, if I am going to do a whole month challenge, I will either start it after my cycle starts, so I end around the time the progesterone kicks in, or plan for better mental strategies to remind myself why I am doing it.
The exercise did not stick after the month ended, when I am not consciously challenging myself, my focus drifts so easily. I did make time for yoga today, and I have been back to clean eating all week. That part is easy for me, I generally like keto food. Fats and protein are tasty. I have not, in any way, restricted my use of liquid stevia, and I needed heavy whipping cream for my pot pie soup recipe, so I am still having it in my morning coffee. I do know that I have lost weight easier when I stop using cream in my coffee. I will likely be done with this container Friday at the latest and won't buy more. I am getting my 15 hour fasting in every day, that part is easy for me too. I haven't done a longer fast since October ended. I was recently reflecting on my two fitness goals I made at the beginning of the year and realizing, there's still time to try. One was to be able to do 10 real push ups. I realized during one of my workouts in October that I was already there. I did 12 push ups before I had to switch to doing the rest on my knees. That was a great moment when I realized I accomplished that. The other goal was to do a 72 hour fast. I have done a lot of 24-hour fasts and only one 36 hour. I would have to do anothe and 48 hour fast before I attempt a 72. 24 hour heals the gut, 36 hours gives you a metabolic reset, 48 hours resets dopamine receptors and 72 hours resets your entire immune system. The autophagy process cleans out old, defective cells and makes new ones. Also, while you are not eating, your body produces ketones which make you burn up stored fat for fuel. The hardest part of it wouldn't be the hunger, that passes and is not constant, for me the hardest part would be not having sweeteners for that long. But I know I shouldn't be having them while I'm fasting anyway. I think I will start eliminating sweeteners during my fasting window starting next week, in preparation for some longer fasts.
I do still feel confident that I can get back down to 155 before my birthday on December 29th, and hopefully I will have shed some more pounds and will have a 72 hour fast under my belt too. I have to have challenges to stay focused or I just go on autopilot. I am doing this to change and grow, none of which will happen if I don't challenge myself a little.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-71665382723773023842023-11-01T08:22:00.002-07:002023-11-01T08:22:37.463-07:00October Recap Rarely do I look forward to the start of November, but this year I am happy to see it arrive, because it marks the end of my October challenge.
And I did indeed get challenged, buy that's the point, right? If I always just kept doing things that make me comfortable, I would never have progress! I weighed in yesterday before ending my challenge with a special Halloween dinner, and the scale said 157. I was 162 at the beginning of October and dropped down to 155.0 at one point during the month, and since have hovered between 155-157. So I still consider that a nice win for the month at 5 pounds lost. I got 10 strength training sessions done in my Peleton app and consistently did yoga twice a week. I kept my diet squeaky clean all month and did my best with cutting way back on sugar-free drinks and gum, though that is the area that ended up tripping me up a bit as my cycle approached, and mentally, it was the thing that felt most restrictive. I did end up letting some of it back in this week. So maybe I could have maintained that 155 weight if I had continued to avoid the sweeteners (and not given into the temptation of having heavy cream in my coffee) but between the progress on the scale and the measuring tape, I am very pleased! Here are so progress photos. The first two are from 10/27/22 and the last two are from today. What a difference a year can make!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh8ZWB5pJx56Q0Sawg0NLC25dmQxqYstisxokAZQFyP24ibPTb3OBrC4Hvo26IG89De8dE36XE5MXW4_D2NcoUhS4HFT8ex0UEBWzfyHqYck1V9tiC_uW5gKpPJfxLQPFSfCxDsm0A2RDKPSCITR603d7Z2s3vyH7ShpAzZBSFu7puXM6rVNKf44zvAA/s3611/20221027_164306.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="3611" data-original-width="1915" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh8ZWB5pJx56Q0Sawg0NLC25dmQxqYstisxokAZQFyP24ibPTb3OBrC4Hvo26IG89De8dE36XE5MXW4_D2NcoUhS4HFT8ex0UEBWzfyHqYck1V9tiC_uW5gKpPJfxLQPFSfCxDsm0A2RDKPSCITR603d7Z2s3vyH7ShpAzZBSFu7puXM6rVNKf44zvAA/s320/20221027_164306.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZNxSMQdyoHSwLMlaA02V1jmGjwPffw0eYAIVcctfYHihGS0YXeHI5Rjwi7FreIsQIGFYNitLL0qogw6uFn4OjnLk4WnB-QlTdm12pMWO09o7ZoGr9yfKP8TX5Iyx2TdE24MjoAwQbdkLFHxCI5-CkLU-ywa_JFSaczc9WsSRWVf39gzHPz-WpLwbBBs/s4032/20221027_164350.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZNxSMQdyoHSwLMlaA02V1jmGjwPffw0eYAIVcctfYHihGS0YXeHI5Rjwi7FreIsQIGFYNitLL0qogw6uFn4OjnLk4WnB-QlTdm12pMWO09o7ZoGr9yfKP8TX5Iyx2TdE24MjoAwQbdkLFHxCI5-CkLU-ywa_JFSaczc9WsSRWVf39gzHPz-WpLwbBBs/s320/20221027_164350.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzp5q29iE7Q5qRD35PGcXnVAig8beQk2SwSvsFdzAMsXGFA6PFlBC5Jl4wN95JBrjXn44nUfp-FJqu7OOfKp1hSGhYh-5FXrIuKBMBwSVpex5c9weh6js4Z65OeNQTMy2lzx5ByUI3w-N-GwPpbMw0siwES1Ti1oMlTKTHV8x3BE5XpLyKPJdEOYsxBg/s4032/20231101_092752.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzp5q29iE7Q5qRD35PGcXnVAig8beQk2SwSvsFdzAMsXGFA6PFlBC5Jl4wN95JBrjXn44nUfp-FJqu7OOfKp1hSGhYh-5FXrIuKBMBwSVpex5c9weh6js4Z65OeNQTMy2lzx5ByUI3w-N-GwPpbMw0siwES1Ti1oMlTKTHV8x3BE5XpLyKPJdEOYsxBg/s320/20231101_092752.jpg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiQmqphknEtOJg7_mn8Z1L8zsKtcfH29PVfCYL03-C8FBEpRibn8auYt33SVRhPnf6CYo63P67je2caUVGXotH46_RP8bBg_ySR00MuRmEZOhV6r1VnfhkueNSCQwqh5u4rFoD7ke8Jl-DmGKn75Y-RKcDq_q2k5SJdDMMYWjcfDYQHnx_aCCj62Scw4/s4032/20231101_093046.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiQmqphknEtOJg7_mn8Z1L8zsKtcfH29PVfCYL03-C8FBEpRibn8auYt33SVRhPnf6CYo63P67je2caUVGXotH46_RP8bBg_ySR00MuRmEZOhV6r1VnfhkueNSCQwqh5u4rFoD7ke8Jl-DmGKn75Y-RKcDq_q2k5SJdDMMYWjcfDYQHnx_aCCj62Scw4/s320/20231101_093046.jpg"/></a></div>
I am off work this week and have some stress in wrong appointment times and extra things scheduled that I didn't plan on, and *UGH* snow! But one of the best non-scale victories happened this week too. I went to the dentist after a 2 year "vacation" from it. I don't do all the things you should and only got back into the habit of flossing this month. The dentist was floored by how great my teeth and gums were after not having any professional attention for 2 years. She said that there was so little tartar on my teeth that I only need cleaning once a year, and my teeth and roots are in such good shape that I only need x-rays every 2 years. She said it's rare for her to recommend this. Here's the deal, before I went keto, I hated cleanings because I felt like they were in there scraping forever and it was uncomfortable, whether it was with the tool or water and I bled a lot. They never told me I had really healthy teeth and gums and I always had to go back every 6 months. Today was a breeze! It may be total coincidence, but with keto reducing inflammation in the body, I think this is just one more awesome benefit of this way of life! To me, this NSV makes me just as happy as a lower number in the scale. I am taking care of me and it's starting to show in ways I never imagined. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-40484677042857438422023-10-25T18:12:00.003-07:002023-10-25T18:12:21.610-07:00Darn Hormones!Oh Progesterone, you are so fickle! I was having such a great month until that hormone arrived. It actually started to hit me the weekend before last, when ads about food- pizza and fries- were making me think about all those things. That Friday when we went to dinner I chose the place that had fresh fried pork rinds because that is the one chip-like thing that is keto friendly. I also had a cheeseburger patty on the side. Whew! crisis averted, temporarily.
I did fine last week until Friday. My husband left for a weekend event on Thursday night, so when I got done with work on Friday, (which is when we always go out to eat) I was a bit lost as to what to do for food, because I didn't remember I'd need a meal for Friday dinner when I meal prepped for the week. I ended up going to the grocery store and got some about-to-expire filet mignon at an amazing price, a bag of pork rinds and a jar of tomatilla salsa. During the day, I noticed my water bottle was getting funky so I also got 3 bottles of Powerade Zero because they were on sale 3 for $5 and my older son likes them too. I figured I could drink mine quickly with dinner then have the bottle to use for water. That went well. I still stayed on track with that meal and drinking that with a meal. My son started a new diet and stopped drinking Powerade, so they sat in the fridge taunting me, all cold and flavorful!
Saturday I did some shopping and got groceries. I was so hungry when I got home because we usually get lunch while we are out and I skipped it. I ate my cottage cheese lunch and had a few leftover pork rinds with it. I also had another Powerade with my lunch, but did finish it before I stopped eating.
Sunday I had the third one with dinner but I just couldn't finish it during my meal, so I had a little bit in my fasting window. I also chewed 2 pieces of gum at church on Sunday because I just keep thinking my breath smells bad.
The plain water really started bothering me by Monday. I tried adding lime juice to it and finally just gave in and added some liquid stevia to my water for two bottles worth.
The rest of the month, I have gotten by just fine, feeling driven instead of restricted, but the last week really got to me. I didn't work out Friday but did a tough one on Saturday. Sunday I chose to rest as I needed to get meal prep done before church. I skipped Monday's workout because I was running late. I did some squats at my desk, but it wasn't a great effort. Tuesday I woke up feeling horrible! I had a sinus headache and my joints ached and I was dizzy. I took the dog out in the rain and went straight to work. About the time I was pouring my second cup of coffee and wondering why I felt so bad, I realized I had forgotten to take my morning caffeine pill! OMG, what a difference it made when I took it.
Today I woke feeling like myself again, with good energy and strong mind. I had a great strength training session today and my mind felt much sharper. I have added heavy whipping cream into my coffee this week, for a little extra lift, but that means I have to wait to drink it until I break my fast. I'm OK with that. I haven't had any trouble drinking plain water today so all is good. The scale has been fluctuating between 155 and 157. I am happy to be solidly in the 150's but part of me wonders if my weight stopped dropping due to the extra heavy whipping cream. I am the type who likes a little coffee with my cream. I thought I would be able to cut back on how much I add to my coffee due to how bad it tastes black, but my brain is still hard-wired to want creamy coffee. I think I will have to eliminate it again and only use it as an occasional treat. I may just stop drinking coffee altogether. I was thinking of adding sugar-free drinks back into my eating window next month to see of my weight goes up. I may add stevia-sweetened coffee back into the mix next month, but I will eliminate the heavy cream.
I am still here, mostly on track, only a few small falters. I still feel great about the progress I am making.
I am doing a 24-hour fast tonight to give my gut a break and a reset! The rest of the week should be easy breezy and I'm off next week so I'm looking forward to the extra free time!
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-15765776968599190772023-10-18T16:56:00.002-07:002023-10-18T17:00:02.653-07:00What a Month!After 18 days into my little October challenge, I hit the weight goal I originally set as my end of year goal, 155, which means I have officially lost 51 pounds BEFORE my 51st birthday! For whatever reason, I am losing about 1 pound per day for the past several days. I was 162 on October 1, so I have lost 7 pounds so far this month, and there's almost 2 weeks left of the month. I can't imagine it will continue to fall off me like this, but I'm so pleased with the progress my determination has afforded me!
I have been staying on track with food, not drinking sugar-free things except with my weekend meals out (Diet 7Up or Diet Coke) and fasting on my 5-1-1 schedule. This week my longer fast was 18 hours. I missed a "real" strength workout on Monday. I was really sore from Saturday's workout(lots of squats and push ups) and my IT band syndrome was really flared up to the point where I felt like my shin and knee boned were rubbing together and pinching a nerve. I did roll on my foam roller a bunch and I did some squats, leg lifts and used my balance board at my desk in between charts, so I did make some effort, but not the same as a dedicated workout. I found myself wanting to skip my strength workout this morning too, and I really had to remind myself why I am avoiding it (it's challenging because I'm not strong/fit) and why I need to do it (to maintain functional movement as I age). So I did get my workout done today and I did fine.
The not having sweeteners or flavor in my water (and especially coffee) is still not something I love, and not chewing gum when I'm out and about has my worried about my breath, but I'm going to carry through at least until the end of the month. Then, I might try adding it back in during my eating window to see if it affects my weight negatively or not. Now that I'm having such good results, I am a little nervous to take the chance, but I won't know unless I experiment. The other factor that is different this month is that my fasting window is determined and I'm not having sweeteners in my fasting window, because they can spike insulin even though they are sugar-free.
I have thought about delaying my morning coffee to have it with my first meal, and adding heavy cream to it, instead of drinking it black, which tastes like I imagine licking an ashtray would taste.I still don't know if I want to eliminate coffee altogether or eliminate the morning caffeine pill and have coffee instead. It would require some thought and dedication to switch!
Overall, this has been a somewhat unbelievable experiment. After so many plateaus with my weight, I am finally moving the needle somewhat effortlessly. I need to get to 151 and keep going down in order to feel like I am past the curse of my past experience where I saw my lowest weight at 152 then it steadily went back up until I was over 200 pounds again. I haven't been in the 140's since I graduated high school 32 years ago!
My non-scale victory this week is that I bought some new fleece-lined leggings and the shop only had 2 sizes, M/L or XL, so I chose the smaller size because my current leggings in a different brand are saggy on me and they are XL. I worried all the way home that they would be too small but they actually fit well and they are warm! I don't think I am solidly in a size medium yet, but I can't remember a time I ever fit into a medium anything.
All the challenging moments have been worth it this month, and it was a great reminder that obstacles just give me the opportunity to come up with creative solutions! Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-2284506667673106382023-10-11T18:06:00.007-07:002023-10-11T18:06:53.661-07:00MagicI made through my 24 hour fast today and it wasn't super difficult. Because I maintain a ketogenic diet, my body is primed to burn fat (instead of carbs) for fuel when I'm not eating. The extra ketones I am creating by eating low carb and moderate fat are helping to prevent muscle wasting and glucose responses, while my body renews cells (autophagy). I ended up having a few episodes of growling stomach at the 17½ hour mark and again at the 18½ hour mark, but they passed quickly. I drank cold black coffee, plain water and unsweetened herbal tea. I broke my fast shortly after noon with my normal lunch, tuna with cream cheese wrapped in a sheet of seaweed. Yum! My body buzzed when I ate and I was perfectly satisfied with a normal sized meal.
This morning while walking my dog, I tripped on uneven sidewalk and fell on my hip and elbow. I was embarrassed because there were cars going past but this was well before sunrise so hopefully they didn't see me. I bounced back up quickly so as not to make a scene. Despite having 3 layers of clothes on (it was only 43 degrees F this morning) I managed to scape my elbow and my hip was hurting and snapping during the walk home. I get mad when I get hurt, as if the universe somehow wronged me, but today I just marveled at how lucky I was that I didn't get injured. If I hadn't gotten on this path to a healthier lifestyle, I can't imagine the damage a fall like that could have done to me! So today, I made a choice to focus on the positive because I have spent my whole life focusing on the negative.
Today was supposed to be a strength training day but I wasn't sure how it would go since my forearm, elbow and hip all felt swollen. But I remembered back to a Mindy Pelz video I'd watched recently that said if you lose weight slower it could be because cortisol is higher in the mornings. Besides delaying your morning coffee 1 hour (because caffeine also raises cortisol) she said one of the best ways to help burn off that cortisol is to exercise. I knew my adrenaline and cortisol were high after falling, so instead of not working out because of the fall, I decided to find a strength workout with no weight. I chose a pilates workout from my Peleton app. It's included in their strength training program so I still count it as such. There was a lot of focus on abs, and I tend to dread that but it's because my abs are weak. So I challenged myself to stay with it. After I finished my workout and went upstairs to start work, I realized that I hadn't even thought about my fall since I got home, and I wasn't sore anymore. The body is an amazing thing!
I regret not taking measurements at the beginning of the month but I did take measurements September 5 and have lost an inch in some areas in just one month. I have lost a total of 8 inches off my waist and 9 inches off my hips since I started this 2 years ago, and have lost a total of 47 pounds as of today's weigh in of 159.0. Today I did a BMI calculator just to see where I'm at for comparison. I don't put total faith in it as a measure of health, but before I started keto my BMI was 40.2, morbidly obese. Today it is 31.0, which is at the low end of obese. I figured out that I have to get to 153 pounds or less to just be "overweight". That's only 6 pounds away! I think I would have to get down to 124 to be considered a "normal weight" according to BMI. That sounds unrealistic to me, but I am eating this way as a lifestyle and don't plan to stop no matter what weight I am. Other than motivating myself with challenges, I don't really care how long it takes to get to my goal weight, whatever that may be. That time is going to pass whether I am losing weight or not, and eating this way makes me feel so much better than I did eating whatever foods numbed me.
There's no magic outside of yourself. I started keto when I didn't feel ready, and once the biochemical process of detoxing from sugars was complete, I stopped craving it. It makes my food issues all but disappear. What a fantastic sense of peace it brings to not obsess over food!
I am feeling really grateful lately, that I had the gumption to try keto, that I dove in when I was still partially rebelling against the idea of another "diet". I am grateful for the doctors who are sharing the knowledge on YouTube (Ken Berry, Annette Bosworth, Mindy Pelz, Jason Fung) so I can understand the science behind it and how to work that knowledge to my advantage. And grateful that keto is a way of life instead of a diet, and surrounded by an amazing community. After all these years of struggling I finally found what works for me, and I wish the same for everyone who has struggled to lose weight.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-52066356608809935192023-10-10T17:35:00.003-07:002023-10-10T17:35:19.308-07:00Still GoingWeek 2 of my October commitment, and things and things are going good! My weight is still teetering between 159 and 160.
I completed my 3 strength workouts and 2 yoga workouts last week. I has decided that my weekends would be my choice of activities or rest days. I decided to do some freestyle dance on Saturday. By Saturday evening, the symptoms of a cold were coming on and I felt pretty lousy on Sunday so I rested. Food and fasting have been going perfectly!
One thing I didn't account for until Friday, was that we go out a few times on the weekend. No big deal as far as food goes, I can always opt for salad or a protein without a bun. Then I realized that I almost always drink either a Diet Coke or Diet 7Up when we eat out. Up until that point, I had not had anything with sweeteners in them since I started this challenge Oct 1. I originally set the challenge to be that I was only allowed to have sugar-free sweeteners with a meal, but once I jumped in cold turkey without using them, I found it easier to skip them altogether than to taste that sometimes and then miss the sweetness all the rest of the time.
Friday night I had Diet 7Up with dinner (a burger without the bun and a side salad) and Saturday I had a Diet Coke with my lunch (Jimmy John's unwhich). I was really wanting more soda after that Diet Coke on Saturday, and it was harder to appreciate plain water after drinking that soda. I also became very aware of not chewing gum, as we were going grocery shopping after lunch and I wondered if my breath smelled bad. I'm so used to chewing gum in public! I survived all that, and a family dinner that was made with pasta with buttery croissants on the side. I made myself a heaping portion without pasta, but with extra cheese and bacon, and was plenty satisfied!
While the soda did make water a little less desirable, it did feel like a treat, thus taking the focus off the meal needing to be a treat, so that was an interesting trade-off. I may opt to continue to drink a couple sodas with my weekends meals out or I may try to change to water or unsweetened tea just to challenge myself. It will be a situational thing. I guess I am interested in seeing if I can get over my desire for sweet drinks. I am tolerating water and coffee without sweeteners but I would still rather have them, and gum is something I do miss. I have had some unsweetened herbal tea the past day or two as the sore throat and chalky temperatures make it so inviting.
I have been having a "tonic" of sorts in the mornings, of hot water with apple cider vinegar and salt and today I added a little cinnamon and ginger to it. Even without the additional spices, I like ACV and people who don't eat many carbs needed electrolytes because our bodies don't retain water like those who eat carbs. I typically have my cup of cold, black coffee after the ACV and lately I have been noticing that I can almost just do without the coffee. The warm drink feels good and the coffee tastes bitter to me. So, I might consider making it an occasional treat or switch out my drink seasonally. I can drink coffee black if it's cold, but I don't really enjoy it unless I have heavy whipping cream or sweetener. I can eliminate either one but I really don't love it when I eliminate both.
I did my strength workout yesterday and yoga today, despite being under the weather, and I didn't regret it one bit! I know the more I commit to doing the workouts, the less resistant my thoughts will become to the idea of working out. I am slowly adapting to starting and ending work 30 minutes later in order to exercise, so that's a huge help!
I am doing a 24 hour fast tonight, I stopped eating at noon and will go until noon tomorrow before I eat again. Honestly, I am not usually that hungry at dinnertime and I typically don't eat after 5 P.M. so tonight will be easy. I know I'll be hungry tomorrow morning, but hot tea works wonders to make you feel full. I have done a 24 hour fast multiple times and had no problems completing it. Mind over matter. It teaches me not to panic when my stomach growls. While my gut is resting, my cells are busy renewing themselves and getting rid of toxins!
So, its going great so far! I am excited to see how I feel at the end of the month!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-56325711199315059602023-10-05T17:09:00.002-07:002023-10-05T17:09:31.541-07:00This TimeToday I saw the scale dip down to 159.8. Yes, it's BARELY in the 150's but it that still counts! I haven't been in the 150's since 2011, so it feels so amazin, even if it doesn't immediately stick. My lowest weight I got down to during any weightloss effort in adulthood was 152, and that was in August, 2011 for my 20 year class reunion. For so many years that followed, I felt like I would never be able to see that kind of loss again, or even dream about exceeding that amount of weightloss. Last time I lost that weight I lost it in less than a year. November will mark my 2 year anniversary of starting the keto way of life and I'm just barely making it into the 160's. I did start at a higher weight this time (206 vs 192) and I have added hypothyroidism and perimenopause to my challenges, but this time I feel like I can sustain this indefinitely. I <i>identify</i>with the keto community and that feels really good to have a sense of belonging.
I am handling the plain water and black coffee fine. I usually get a desire for flavor in my water after lunch, a time where I used to habitually have a piece of sugar-free gum. That's when I add a splash of lime juice to my water, otherwise I drink it plain. I think if I continue to stay with plain water I might eventually be able to just switch. I haven't had to rely on tea this time like last time I gave up sweeteners. I do think it's easier abstaining altogether rather than allowing it during certain times of day but not others. It matters, mentally.
I am sore from my strength sessions yesterday, which was arms,core and legs. My abs are not my strongest muscles and they are definitely letting me know I used them! I did some knee push ups too, so I am pretty sore in my upper body too!
I have been keeping on top of the yoga too and getting longer walks with my dog in the morning. So it's all working together. Now that I have seen the 150's I have my eye on the prize and determination behind me to stay in the 150's and hopefully get beyond. This month, I think, will only be one more turning point on what has been a journey of small wins that add up to a big victory. I feel so much less worried about my health and how I look- isn't that ironic? I started keto while I was still addicted to carbs, and I wasn't ready, mentally, to let go. I only realized afterwards that all that glucose and insulin in my body were a huge culprit in why I felt so bad physically and mentally. My body was so used to using sweets as a drug that I couldn't tell how bad they made me feel until I stopped eating them.
I don't know what the future has in store for me, but even if I drift away from a more strict version of keto, I can't imagine ever going back to eating how I used to. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-31150066574561623322023-10-03T18:41:00.005-07:002023-10-03T18:41:35.612-07:00Check inQuick check in on Day 3. I stuck to all of my plans today. I did my very favorite yoga session, which is amazing if you have stiff hips or back from sitting a lot. I didn't add sweeteners to anything and didn't snack between meals. I made steak fajitas for our family dinner tonight and only are the meat and veggies with some cheese, sour cream and a little guacamole.
I am in the habit of weighing myself after work, just out of curiosity, and today I was 160.2. I am trying not to get too caught up in that number because I know how fickle the scale can be, especially when I am beginning to work out more, which should equate to more muscle.
Anyway, my challenge is going great so far. I am looking forward to seeing the changes as the month progresses.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-65054085001520796762023-10-02T17:19:00.007-07:002023-10-02T17:19:35.469-07:00RocktoberOctober is here and I'm doing my little challenge. One thing that was interesting about starting a challenge on the beginning of the month is it made me have to clean up my act on a Sunday instead of waiting until Monday like I normally do. I was ready for it though. I decided I was going to have pizza on Friday and we didn't go to my favorite pizza place but the pizza was OK. We had pretzel bites with nacho cheese while we waited for the pizza and I could only eat 2 pieces of pizza, it was so filling. I wasn't overly stuffed but I ended up getting sick overnight so I probably won't eat pizza at that place again! I told my husband jokingly, "My body rejected the carbs!" LOL
Saturday I had a sub with the bread and a grilled chicken sandwich with a cup of Chicken Booyah, and that was it for the day.
I had my last flavored drink Saturday evening,a Powerade Zero, then switched over to plain water in preparation for the start of the month on Sunday.
I am giving myself the option to have my sugar free sweetener in my drinks with meals, but I haven't done it yet because I just think it's going to make it much harder to not have it the rest of the time. I will say that I am doing much better without it than last time I tried to have less of it. That time, I was allowing it during my entire eating window, whether I was eating or not, and then not having any sweeteners when I was fasting, and it really got to me. I had a few drinks with the allowed apple cider vinegar, lemon or lime juice and I really can't taste the lemon or lime much so I have mostly just been drinking my coffee black and my water plain.
As far as exercise, my tentative goal is to do weight training Monday, Wednesday and Friday and yoga Tuesday and Thursday with the weekends free choice of exercise or rest. I joined a Peleton challenge that is to complete 5 strength training sessions in the app. If I stick to my goal of 3 a week, I should end up doing 13 strength classes this month. I'm hoping that will build the habit of working out again so I can keep it going indefinitely.
Today I did a glutes and leg workout and I definitely learned some new moves and can tell I will be sore. That's why I am leaving a day in between strength sessions, but I will train different body parts each of the 3 days.
Food has been good too. I am eating more protein with ground chicken taco bowls, tuna wrapped in seaweed and carnitas. I am making it work and the carb counts are staying low.
I fasted 18 hours yesterday and 15 today, so that is back in place. I am happy to discover that my body pretty much stayed adapted to my 15 hour fast, I can go 15 hours without any trouble. I already did my longer fast this week, but I may do a 24 or 36 hour fast in the coming weeks. I originally wanted to do a 72 hour fast this year but I am not sure I am ready for that yet. Maybe before the end of the year I will try 48 hours.
Anyway, the first 2 days are in the books and I feel good about it. My weigh in yesterday was 162.8 so I will be interested to see if I can get down under 160 this month. Even if I don't, overcoming challenges is much more powerful than a number on the scale!
Hope you are all ready to rock your October. Or, Rocktober, as it should be called!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-77676808690474708282023-09-28T18:15:00.003-07:002023-09-28T18:15:26.153-07:00October Hey, look at me not waiting an entire month in between blog posts! I am a firm believer in celebrating the small things in life so there's my mini celebration for today.
Either we are having a particularly lovely September here in Northeast Wisconsin, or I just don't recall September being so warm and nice in previous years. I tend to start dreading the oncoming snow by the time the sunlight changes in August and then I miss out on being in the moment with fall. I'm so glad this year I am able to truly appreciate this time. The tourism has dropped off dramatically so getting into restaurants and a spot on the beach for amazing fall sunsets is much easier. My morning walks with the dog are in the dark, but within just a few minutes we are downtown where shops are lit with displays and Halloween decorations. It really is such a nice time of year!
My hip is slowly starting to feel better and there is less snapping and pulling. I'm so grateful! This will be a big deal come next month when I refocus on exercise.
After 2 years of living in our house I think I have our boxes in the basement roughly 90% sorted and on shelves, the rest is either being donated or is comprised of items that aren't mine to decide to keep or not. This big project made space for me to have a small workout area. I have a nice stationary bike some dumbbells and bands so far. I typically do strength training with bodyweight only, but I'd like to get and use more weights and would love a treadmill at some point. For now, I'm happy to have a dedicated spot with foam panels down for extra impact resistance.
I am pleasantly surprised how my mind is beginning to positively prepare for October and the goals I have in mind. I have been keeping track of my fasting times this week to gauge how tough it will be to get back into consistent fasting. I habitually rarely eat after 4 PM or before 6 AM so that's 14 hours that I am used to. For the past month or so, I have gotten in the habit of eating right at 6 AM when I start work, so I was never getting a longer fast, whether I was genuinely hungry or not. So this week I am trying to go at least 15 hours because that used to be my typical fast. The longterm plan is to do 5-1-1, 5 days of a typical fast (15 to 16 hours), 1 day of a longer fast (more than 16 hours) and one day "without fasting". Since we're always fasting when we sleep, that's a bit of a misnomer, but for me it will simply mean I will not intentionally delay breakfast on that day, so it will likely still be a 14 hour fast but that's not stressful on my system.
I am going to try to focus on getting more protein in October,mostly from meat and eggs and maybe I'll cut back on dairy some. Probably the hardest part for me will be not having my liquid stevia drops in my water except when I'm eating. I'm so very hooked on it. I drink nearly 2 gallons of water a day and every last drop of it has that in it, even my coffee and iced tea. I am going to allow a splash oflemon or lime juice, apple cider vinegar, salt, black coffee and unsweetened tea-hot or cold. I honestly thought my mind would be fighting me on it by now, but I feel like I an up for the challenge. I would be over the moon if I could break through the 160's into the 150's once and for all. The scale said 164.2 today, up a little due to my wacky cycle finally starting this week. I have been hovering in the 163-162 range for a while and I am ready to move on but it's going to take some dedication on my part.
It will be October before we know it and I will be challenging myself to stick to these changes all month. I'll try to be better about blogging more often so you know how it's going, good or bad. What changes are you planning for October?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-3804220254240695132023-09-21T16:58:00.001-07:002023-09-21T16:58:14.808-07:00Where'd August go?Every year at this time, I find myself thinking, did August even happen? Did I sleep through it? It must be the month that flies by the fastest! Though for some reason I always equate the darker, cooler mornings with September, and every year I am surprised how suddenly the light changes.
I imagined a squeaky clean August and I will say I was pretty on-point for most of the month. My big event in the middle of the month was the only time I recall eating less-than-ideal. Then again, here it is a month later and I'm just now blogging. I did, at one point, see my weight dip down to 161 when I was consistently not eating junk on the weekends. I had other lofty goals like not using sweeteners in my water, coffee or not chewing gum. I didn't do that. I think mentally, I'm not ready to go that extreme. I also was going to get back to working out, I also have not consistently done that. Then there was the goal of spending at least half of my work day standing instead of sitting all day. After the 3rd day of standing 4 hours (in intervals, not all at once) I developed bad hip pain and what feels like my IT band tracking wrong which pulls from my butt down to my shin bone. I am still trying to work through this odd affliction.
In late August, one Sunday night, I got a call from my boss, saying that the computer systems were crashed and we wouldn't be able to work the next day. It's not just our group of clinics (more than 100 throughoutWisconsin) but our affiliated hospital systems as well- 14 hospitals in Wisconsin and Illinois. It turned out to be a cyber attack and it took more than 2 weeks to get access to our systems. Just our clinics saw about 35,000 visits during that time and the providers were hand-writing notes and sending them to us to put all the insurance codes on before they can get billed. It has been smoother than expected, but boy! I sure appreciate how smoothly everything works in the computer system! I have been having to drive 2 hours round trip to drop off and pick up paper charts, and my posture is totally different at my desk since I have to lean over and hand write all the information.
September has not been sqeaky clean but its still going pretty good. My weight is sticking anywhere between 162-165 depending on salt and hormones I suppose. I need to refocus. I was doing shorter fast while waiting for my cycle to start in August and it just never came. I have gotten too reliant on my cycle as my sign to switch gears and it is getting less predictable. So, I have decided that starting in October, no matter what my hormones are doing, I am going to do 5-1-1 fasting. 5 days of 16 hour fast, 1 day of a longer fast, and one day of less than 16 hours fasting. My focus has been drifting away from fasting lately and it honestly has been something that awakens my spirit of challenge. At the beginning of the year,one of my 2023 goals was to complete a 72 hour fast. It's been a few months since I have even done a 24-hour fast, and I have only ever done a 36 hour fast. When I'm properly fuelled and in the zone of fasting I feel good challenging myself to see how long I can go. It really teaches me that hunger is not a panic. Also, not thinking about food leaves room for focusing better on other things. So it will be good for me to get back into a fasting schedule. I know my issues with my lower body are from weak muscles pulling things out of alignment. I have to strengthen all my weak areas so I don't tear my hip or knee. So, I sound like a broken record but I need to be doing strength training. I'm just so stinking mentally resistant to it.
In the midst of all the computer issues, my work decided to start a Peleton contest, to do 300 minutes of Peleton classes in September. I joined late, on Sept 17 so I have been doing some longer interval walks, but that really irritates my hip. So I've done the meditation classed which are a little hokey with some over-dramatic whisper-voice instead of a calm soothing voice. They also offer low-impact cardio so I tried one class and knew it wasn't going to be great when the uber-fit instructor started warm up by hopping side to side. SMH. There are a lot of great classes on Peleton but there are some not great ones too. I shouldn't have trouble completing the 300 minutes by the end of the month, I have 120 minutes left to do. I plan to do some strength sessions before the challenge ends.
Food wise, I am working on increasing my protein intake. It's hard because I don't love meat but I'm slowly getting better at using meat instead of dairy as the core of my meals. I have been more aware of my draw to sweet tasting gum and drinks (stevia drops in my coffee amd water or diet sodas on occasion) and it is something I will cut back on when I start fasting again.
This week I have been craving chips so bad (my cycle is already supposed to have started but hasn't) I caved yesterday and today and ate some chips. I feel so bloated from it. I am happy that the cravings seem quieted by the bloated feeling. It makes me realize how often I used to walk around feeling kind of lousy but still stuck junkfood in my mouth to get the dopamine. Yuck. I am not wracked with guilt over it, but I also don't feel like doing it again anytime soon.I did pass on birthday cake (my son's) yesterday with ease, real sweets don't typically beckon to me anymore now that I don't eat them. Now if I could train myself to not want those sweeteners in my drinks I'd be downright unstoppable! Baby steps.
I guess this is a lot of words to say I'm still here and still doing mostly pretty good with food- probably about 90-95% clean this month. That's progress over the old days when I was only eating clean when my body became so sick of every fried food, sugary junk and multiple Diet Cokes per day. I knew that stuff didn't make me happy but I couldn't <i>feel</i> that it wasn't making me happy until I stopped doing it.
I am still hoping I can see 155 pounds (51 pounds lost) on the scale for my 51st birthday at the end of December, but even if I don't get there, I'm still much better off from having started this journey in the first place!
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-55491329736680192422023-08-21T17:29:00.002-07:002023-08-21T17:29:53.813-07:00Moving Forward I must admit, I sm falling short of my August goals, as there were many things I set out to accomplish in August. I am not at all off the rails, but I'm not doing a bunch of the other things I was aiming to do. Here's hoe things are going:
Eating: nearly 100% on plan except for the weekend of my even. I have opted for salad with grilled chicken on it when we eat out. I have even stopped adding cream to my coffee because I cannot control myself with it. That change has dramatically decreased the amount of coffee I am drinking too. Win-win! I am still not in a place where I can commit to letting go if the sugar-free things sweeteners in my iced tea and water. I honestly forgot about it. For instance, I am in the habit of having a water bottle with me 100% of the time and I always have it sweetened. I originally wanted to only have sweeteners during my eating window and drink unflavored water or a splash of either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in my water when fasting. But I'm so in the habit of toting my bottle around with sweeteners, I often woke up and took a big swig before realizing I was supposed to switch to non-flavored. I quickly gave up on the idea, especially when I was prepping for my event and got stressed out and just felt like it was one more thing I didn't have mental space for.
Exercise: I started doumg some exercise earlier in the month, strength training and some HIIT cardio, and then the week before my event I got a horrible pinched nerve/trapped tendon feeling in my buttock. Sciatica? Snapping hip? Oh did that feel terrible, every step hurt. I still had to walk my dog and get ready for the event so I was carrying 60 pound bags of tube sand that I used to make sand bag weights for my canopy. My husband couldn't make it to help me set up I had to put up my canopy and lug 4 30-pound sandbags and tabled, etc. So while I was busy and getting non-intentional exercise, I did not commit to exercise this month. Hangs head down. Sigh.
Standing at work more. I did one full week of standing 4 or more hours at work and thats when my pain started so I quickly let that goal slip away. I have increased the amount of time I stand during the workday, and am using that time to use my balance board, do some squats or stretches. I am still trying to work out the kinks in that snapping hip/butt thing.
Similar results for flossing my teeth (shame), and using the handrail less when going down my stairs. I did it for a bit then didn't make it a priority.
Still, I saw the scale dip to a new low of 163.4 on Friday and that absolutely kept my mind in the game when it came to eating out last weekend. I am getting excited about the prospect of moving into the 150's. Years ago, when I was in my 20's, I had a full body composition done at a fitness club I joined. The results showed that my ideal wight was 155 pounds due to how much muscle mass I had. This was way before BMI ever existed. I am only 5 ft tall so veimg 155 sounds insane to me because the BMI tables say I should be no heavier than 124 to be considered "normal" I don't know what my weight should really be but I do know that I've lost muscle as I have aged.
So I think having multiple things I'm working on in one month didn't go so well. I think one bigger goal I know I want to work on is to make exercise a habit. I want to gain back some of the muscle/strength I have lost. Something like opening up my pop up canopy on my own should not have taken 100% of my arm strength, I almost had to ask a stranger for help. I was sore for days after. when I went to pick up the tube sand from the hardware store, the ladies working wouldn't let me lift it because they are 60 pounds each. I was able to carry them myself but it wasn't like I was flinging them around with ease! Plus, I'm hoping if I build strength I will have less things popping and snapping in my lower body. So that is my big goal for the rest of this year. I still want to try to get my weight down to 155, for my 51 pounds lost by my 51st birthday at the end of December but if I gain strength instead of losing on the scale, I will consider that a victory! I know of I just keep eating low carb and fasting my body will reach it's ideal weight. I have made ketogenic eating a habit and I can do the same for exercise.
I recently looked back through some pictures I took this summer and came across this one of me from mid-July. I pulled a dress I never wear out of my closet and was amazed at how good it looks now that I'm 40-some pounds lighter, so I snapped a picture so I could be sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. My brain can't believe I'm not still the way I was. Whenever I have a bad day I look at this picture as testament to staying the course, and it helps me move forward. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JMWM6wI1KJ446mQt14JAOBAyY3Wg6ShhKBAmrKbD3DqD9wQ5A39jI0mk1eVennwmMobiGEY1Q8i9-nIVW4guF7pZFhTKExAskdIZbPNhvpGb1lQndx_GGzIpI2vSWeeyqWN2Z1MJpmwP6wEmKg3gqnxVIl_qla1SGYamvE4Z5TUyVPGAGpCwTb3YjJs/s4032/20230708_105720.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JMWM6wI1KJ446mQt14JAOBAyY3Wg6ShhKBAmrKbD3DqD9wQ5A39jI0mk1eVennwmMobiGEY1Q8i9-nIVW4guF7pZFhTKExAskdIZbPNhvpGb1lQndx_GGzIpI2vSWeeyqWN2Z1MJpmwP6wEmKg3gqnxVIl_qla1SGYamvE4Z5TUyVPGAGpCwTb3YjJs/s320/20230708_105720.jpg"/></a></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-89452800219181672912023-08-15T13:18:00.004-07:002023-08-15T13:18:26.061-07:00In the Books!Last weekend was the event I was working toward all summer. I put so much energy into making art so I would have enough to display foe this event. Getting all ready and set up was a big undertaking but when it came down to it, everything went pretty smoothly! I got a great shady spot with high foot traffic, and the parade went right by the street I was on so I had a great view. My husband and son were there off and on throughout the weekend, so I could go to the bathroom, but I didn't leave my booth much at all.
For convenience, there was a place delivering food to all the vendors. It was very limited choice, hamburger, hot dog or brat, choice of chips and a drink and they included a cookie. I ate the burger and drank the soda and gave the chips and cookie away. I also ate unclean leading up to the event and while my goal was to keep August clean, I anticipated this event causing a hiccup. I brought a huge bag of beef jerkey with me to the event but quickly discovered it was not the easier-to-chew kind and it was so steady busy with people coming to my booth that I was not comfortable gnawing on beef while they asked questions or admired my art. Here is how my booth looked:
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I sold quite a few items on the first day (Saturday) and a few things on Sunday, which was much quieter. I essentially made 3 times what my booth cost me, so I consider that a huge win! My bestie has also purchased a lot of things from my Etsy shop as well, so I have now sold over $600 of my art! It was so great meeting people and hearing their impressions or stories about how they tried this art and found it too hard, or if they were too intimidated to try it. I met people who found my painted rocks that I hid. One lives in Louisiana and vacations in my small harbor town in Wisconsin. He happened to be visiting again this weekend and stopped to say hello and let me know he found my rock and he still has it and loves it. That was so amazing! It felt really great that people liked my art and some will have it in their home! There had to be 100 craft booths there and I was the only one doing dot mandala art, and one couple who bought a piece of art said mine was the only booth they thought was worth shopping from. This was the piece they chose:
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All in all, I had a great time and will definitely do it again next year. It was a good chance to see what sells and figure out how much inventory to keep in hand.I just have one more time-sensitive birthday gift I am making before the end of the month then I can just have fun learning new patterns and techniques. And now that I'm taking the rest of the year off from events, I can re-focus on my weightloss journey. Somehow, with all the crazy lifting/carrying/ being on my feet for hours on end, despite eating less than optimal for a few days, my weight was down to 164.8 today. Last week I stayed really strict and my weight stayed up in the 166-167 range, then shot down to 164 on Thursday. Hopefully this will become a new setpoint now.
August is not over! I hope to continue losing. If 164 is a new setpoint, I will hope to get down to 162 by the end of the month. If 164 is a fluke and my weight goes back to 166-167, my goal will be to consistently be under 165. My clothes are seriously getting loose, I might have to get new leggings this fall. Not a bad problem to have!
Anyway, I'm here and still making things happen. Hope everyone is having memorable summer!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-70802193611780300502023-08-01T18:31:00.002-07:002023-08-01T18:31:21.573-07:00August Challenge July was OK I suppose. I finally got back down to 166 pounds, which represents 40 pounds lost. I am over the moon about it, but it seems like every few pounds lost becomes a sticking spot and it takes a long time to get the needle going down again. July was somewhat stressful and my cycle was off which led to me feeling like I had PMS most of the month. Gotta love perimenopause! I ended up not fasting very long and allowing extra keto snacks and the weekends included unclean meals.
So I decided to challenge myself to have a "clean" August. This is part of my larger goal to have lost 51 pounds by my 51st birthday on December 29.
Some of the things I will challenge myself with in August are things I previously focused on but let go of. One of them is to give up sweet tasting drinks (even zero calorie sweeteners) when I'm in my fasting window. That includes drinking my coffee black, which will easily help me cut down on my caffeine consumption, another goal of mine. I will also be limiting my non-keto meals on the weekends to one maximum per weekend, but only if I feel I need it. I admit I often eat non-keto meals when we go out because I get more food for a lower price; a burger typically comes with fries. When I eat clean I get the burger without a bun or ketchup and a salad on the side, which costs more and is less filling. It's a compromise. Anyway, I want to get more active in August too. Another thing I am challenging myself to do is to use my standing desk at least half of my work day (4 hours).
Today I met my goal of standing 4 hours during work. I split the time up because I don't think I could do 4 hours straight. There were times i wanted to sit but kind of like waiting a little longer while fasting, pushing myself a little more is somewhat gratifying. There's nothing like self-mastery to make you feel strong!
While I was standing I did some squats, leg lifts and stretching. When I sat the last 2 hours of the day I got so very sleepy that I almost dozed off during work! This is a challenge my brain is fighting against but hopefully with time I will get used to standing more and it won't feel like I want to rebel. Sitting is just soooo comfortable.
Anyway, I made some personal care goals too like using the fancy wrinkle lotions I love to buy and not use, and getting back into the habit of flossing my teeth, and not locking my knees when I stand and using the railing less when I go up and down the stairs. Whew! Wonder how many more things I can cram into one month?!
So my official weight today on start is 167.6. I want to get to 155 by December 29. That might sound like no big deal but man these pounds have been coming off so slowly! I do plan to take body measurements as well so I can tell if I'm losing inches instead of weight. Ultimately, whether I hit my goal by the end of the year or not, thus is the most successful I have been for a long time, and the longest I have stuck to any plan ever so I have already won. I really do like a challenge though so I'm really going to try!
My big sales event of the summer is only 11 days away and I am getting a little nervous about making it all come together in time. It will be a fun learning experience and I will hopeful sell some of my art! I will likely take the rest of the summer off of events because I really felt like I was working 2 jobs this summer having to paint every day to make sure I have enough inventory. My bestie bought a bunch of items from my Etsy shop so I had to make a bunch more to be sure I have a good variety.
Anyway, things are going good and I'm looking forward to "owning" August! Hope you all are getting after it out there. Summer's almost gone, make sure you enjoy what's left!
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-38602338137978809842023-07-24T17:23:00.005-07:002023-07-24T17:23:40.894-07:0051 by 51Well isn't July just flying by! I am still very focused on my painting, even more now that I will be selling my art at a street fair with thousands of shoppers the weekend of August 12th. I also made an Etsy shop and my bestie bought a whole bunch of items so now I'm a busy bee making more art so my booth can be nice and full next month.
In my last post I mentioned wanting to clean things up until a wedding we had July 15. I pre-planned to let loose that weekend because being a second wedding, the invites were nondescript about what the dinner was. So I did standard off-plan meals Friday and Sunday that weekend. As it turns out, the couple had an awesome pizza truck come make pizzas for everyone. It was wood-fired and oh so good! They had a wall of donuts for dessert, (how fun) and yes, I ate one and had a couple of free beers too.
I got back on track that Monday but we changed our family dinner night to be whenever my older son has a day off (so he doesn't miss out) and that happened to be Monday. I had some running errands after work so didn't get home until it was time to start dinner so I just ate pasta and bread with my family. It was all-too easy to shrug and say, 'meh, what's one more day?' The weekdays are otherwise on-track though I haven't been fasting and I have been allowing more snacks (keto-friendly) over the past two weeks because my monthly is so late again. I swear it's like 3 weeks of PMS cravings every other month! I'm so grateful these days when it comes because my sanity returns. So, progress, not perfection. I'm still roughly the same weight, despite the indulgences.
I did workout a handful of times when I had my clean eating streak. I started enjoying it again. But, I haven't done anything for the last couple weeks again. Sigh. I guess, of the two chronic issues (food or lack of exercise) food was always way way harder for me but now it's opposite. Still, I know if I put on some good music I can easily talk myself into it. Breaking my food addiction took a lot more work!
So, I'm looking forward to giving things a more serious effort again in August. The only days that I have something different to account for are the days I'm doing the street fair. I am planning on bringing some Keto Chow meal replacement shakes and beef jerkey or similar. There will be plenty of food booths but I think after smelling it all day I won't be tempted to eat it!
I think I will set some goals for myself for August or I may join a Peleton challenge for the month. Some ideas I have to challenge myself are to do at least 8 strength workouts in the month, work on using my standing desk more, I could do an overall workout goal (aim for 20+ workouts for the month) or maybe a daily step goal. I also got inspired to see if I can get my weight into the 150's by my birthday December 29. I wanted to lose 50 pounds by the time I turned 50 last December but I was not prepared for how slow the weight would come off BUT, if I cam get down to 156 that would mean I lost 50 pounds since starting keto in November 2021. OK, maybe the cherry on the top of the cake would be to get to 155 by my birthday, that would mean I would have lost 51 pounds by my 51st birthday. I think if I keep my weekends clean or limit myself to only 1 off-plan meal per week it should be doable. I know strength training has to play a part too,it's so much more effective at riding excess glucose from your body than cardio. So maybe it's time to remember my push ups goal too. I gave up on the Zumba goal. As much as I love Zumba, I know it doesn't push me physically like HIIT training or strength training.
It feels good to make myself focus on this again. I like having a goal/challenge in mind to help keep my focus. Last time I got on the scale I was 168 so 13 pounds in 4 months should be doable, I just have to keep my eye on the prize!
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-15837753261923445672023-06-23T19:01:00.008-07:002023-06-23T19:01:50.468-07:00Time OffToday is my last day of vacation for the week (if you don't count the weekend). My week off in June used to revolve around my kids being off school and we would do fun things like spending hours at the pool, art projects, going on little day-trips and one year we even built a shelf out of wooden crates that is still in use today. Now that my youngest just graduated high school, and my older son is working, this week off was just to get things done.
Here's what my time off included:
A trip to 3 different stores for art supplies.
driving to a different city to get my Shingles vaccine and submit my art for a polinator-themed contest.
Driving to a different city to get my eye exam and visit with former coworkers.
Some painting, but not nearly as much as I imagined.
So much weeding in my flowerbeds that i got blisters.
Trips to the beach.
A big cruise ship came to our harbor for the day so I went to see it and hide painted rocks with my Facebook art page on the back.
I did my first farmer's market selling my art.
3 alcoholic drinks with meals out, which were not clean or keto.
Every day except Thursday I had to drive to another city to get stuff done.
I had multiple days with over 10,000 steps. I was exhausted from the uncharacteristically hot days, despite the Lake Michigan breezes. I got sunburned and barely sold anything at the farmer's market. While I stayed on track with food most of the weekend and week, when I did eat out, I did it with the thought "I'm on vacation" and in my head that meant, even from my lifestyle I chose in order to heal my body. Today my husband and I went to Green Bay, where we used to live. It was almost 90 degrees Fahrenheit and my husband doesn't like to use his air conditioner in his car so we melted. We went to the mall to get him some new clothes, then we grabbed some lunch at one of our old favorite places with craft burgers. I actually had a take on a Cuban sandwich, it was a pork with ham and a slice of pineapple and a brie-like cheese, then aoli on a brioche bun. It was amazing! Where I live now, the food is pretty ordinary so to have different flavors was a treat! I had a blueberry mojito too. The heat driving back to our town was nearly unbearable so I made my husband stop at a local custard stand and I got a small carmel sundae. I had been fighting a craving for ice cream all week so the heat and vacation brain finally won. I enjoyed it far less than my mind told me I would. Of course, when I was craving ice cream, I wanted a scoop of black cherry on a waffle cone from our local bakery and soft serve/custard didn’t really hit the spot. Plus I was so full from my lunch that a few bites in, I was overwhelmed by the sweet and didn't think I could finish, even though it was a pretty small cup. I did finish it because I knew it would be a puddle of mess if I tried to bring it home. I was miserable after that, so full and bloated. We still had a 20-minute drive from there to our town. When we got into town we heard my father-in-law was at our beach. He drove over from Green Bay (about 50 minutes away) because the temperature was ten degrees cooler by the lake. We walked so much in the hot sun on the beach, while my stomach felt so uncomfortable and my hip was hurting. I was so happy to get home, out of the sun. Today was another day I got more than 10,000 steps.
I gave myself a pass thus week to relax a little with my food and the times I did eat something off-plan, I didn't feel great after. I know this about alcohol and usually avoid it, but lesson re-learned. I plan to get things back to normal Monday, if not sooner. I really don't crave fries or alcohol, I just consumed out of trying to make my vacation feel more vacationy, instead of feeling like hard work. I should have taken more time to relax but I have this character flaw where I always have the sense like I need to get productive in order to feel worth. Anyway, I did do my favorite yoga session this week (one day) because the Shingles vaccine made my whole body ache and I thought yoga might help. I was surprised at how less flexible I am in such a short time. It was eye-opening. I plan to get back to working out and fasting again next week too. I want to re-up on my plan and do it right. We have a wedding to go to July 15 and I am considering challenging myself to stay 100% clean eating until then. The food part is really not hard for me. Except this odd craving for ice cream this week, I really don't typically have cravings at all and when I am in ketosis, not eating is not torture. I think this week's craving was more a mental thing, because I was on vacation and it was so hot. The exercise is my biggest mental hurdle to overcome, so I have to make it a challenge. I haven't decided what that will be yet.
I haven't been on the scale all week. Last week I was steady at 169 all week. I was happy to finally stay out of the 170's but I imagine there will be some pounds to have to chase again since I indulged more this week. Actually, the last few weekends have been more lax so it's time to tighten the reins back up so I don't get too far astray.
I will try to not let it go so long before I post again. Everything is still being neglected due to painting, but with a shift back to my hralth, it will feel more natural to blog more.
I hope you are all well and having a great June!
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-4701475743718969742023-06-06T17:22:00.009-07:002023-06-06T17:29:04.357-07:00Focus ShiftI can't believe how far this blog got away from me; it feels like it was only a week ago that I wrote but it's been almost a month!
I guess there's not a ton different with me. I feel like I ended up having a more sensitive stomach for a while after my colonoscopy with polypectomy in early May, which wasn't easy to navigate sometimes, but things calmed down later in the month.
My husband's birthday was in May and I was in a really good place so I didn't eat cake or have any special foods, but I was still really happy and had a good time.
For Mother's Day, I made some gifts for my mom, sister and my Reverend at my church. It was a little stressful to get it all done on time. I cast round stones and tea light holders out of gypsum, then paint them. The drying time is what takes so long. Anyway, after working every day on it I finished in time and the gifts were enjoyed.
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Shortly after that, I decided to create a Facebook page for my art so I can start selling it. Whenever my sister shares some of my work her friends ask where they can buy it so I figured I might as well sell some. It took a while to stage all of it but I finally have a working page. I haven't shared it yet because I want to get Mt latest items on there.
I also decided I am going to try and sell some of my art at my local farmers market, so besides trying to get more art made for that, I also had to plan what is needed in order to display items in a pleasing way.
And while we were out buying plants at a local fundraising sale, I got a flier for a 4H art contest involving bees and flowers. Winners get a prize from the 4H but they also get exposure on social media so that could be good! So I created 4 pieces and chose my favorite to submit. I think I'll find out how I did later this month.
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So painting has been taking up so much of my time and focus that I have let a lot of stuff fall by the wayside (exercise, housework,blogging). My food during the week has been spot-on but the past two weekends I did enjoy extra carbs for no real reason. sometimes I get really frustrated at the extra cost of eating healthier at a restaurant. For example, the place we went Friday night was a new restaurant for us. They had a steak sandwich with mushrooms, onions and cheese which would be easy for me to make keto, but the only sides included were fries or chips. I would have had to order a side salad separately for $5 more if I wanted a healthier side. So I just decided to have a burger and fries. Saturday was lunch at Jimmy John's and they have plenty I can eat but I wanted to try their new jalapeño wrap and they had some sort of breading on the jalapeños but otherwise not too bad. Saturday night we were celebrating my son's high school graduation so we had pizza- his choice. Sunday we made steak and saffron rice. So, not keto on that weekend but I know is what we do most of the time that matters. I know changing up things came help your metabolism from time for time, I just need to make sure it's an exception instead of the rule.
At some point I know I need to get active again. I can tell any benefits of previous activities have long worn off, especially yoga! I am thinking about joining some Peleton challenges since my work doesn't have anything going on with that right now. It's all about focus and my focus has definitely been shifted lately. I know things can easily shift back with a little extra attention to what matters. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03500924758437763216noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5239552875418357285.post-51680272318974700272023-05-09T17:43:00.002-07:002023-05-09T17:43:43.857-07:00WalkingLast week went fast, didn't it? I was happy to get my colonoscopy out of the way and fortunately my polyps were benign/low risk so I don't need another one for 10 years.
One thing prepping for this taught me is that I have a tendency to stress out in advance and I almost think that's a bigger trigger for me than any stress I might currently be facing. If I'm having a bad day, I can reason with myself that it's momentary and it will pass, but when I'm worry about stuff that didn't happen yet, it is much harder for me to not react. I did some junk eating the weekend before my procedure and then again last weekend.
My resolve is low right now but I think its partially due to progesterone. This perimenopause stuff is for the birds! My cycle is never on time anymore, always late, sometimes more than 2 weeks late. That tends to put me in a holding pattern because I know progesterone needs low cortisol so you shouldn't do strenuous workouts or long fasts the week before your cycle starts. I try to watch it but when it's late, it means I'm going extended periods without fasting or a workout more than walking the dog. Then my mind gets out of the groove and I know from past experience that I need to re-up my attention by watching my favorite keto YouTube channels or, even better, weightloss success stories/shows. I also decided today that I am giving myself 1 week after my due date to refrain from longer fasts and working out, then I'm going to act as if my cycle started. Part of what trips me up is the indecision when it's not predictable so I made up my own rules. Take that, life!
Sigh. I haven't worked out for weeks. I have been really extending my walks with my dog now that the weather is a little nicer. so far for the Fit 2 be Cancer Free challenge (sponsored by American Cancer Society) I have walked 38.8 miles. They have pre-set everyone's goal at 70 miles from April 27 through May 18. I might make it but it will take work. My workplace set a company goal for 10 million steps. We had more than 600 people who signed up for it and we surpassed our goal in 2 days. My company donated $5,000 to ACS.
Sunday we got out and about in the nice weather and went to a lighthouse on an island in Lake Michigan. When the water is low enough, you can walk across the lake to the island. We went to the top, (all 97,narrow steps) and the view was totally worth it! I had just under 15,000 steps logged that day. So technically I am not just sedentary but walking cam only do so much. I want to be strong and have stamina and good balance.
My eating has been good this week so far. I actually did a 24 hour fast starting after my lunch yesterday, just to reset my body and mind and heal my gut after last week. It actually made me feel like I had clarity and even though my stomach was growling from 10 AM until I broke my fast at noon, I didn't obssess over food, I just looked forward to lunch.
I am finishing up some painting projects for Mother's Day gifts which is taking up my free time this week but I am thinking about getting back into working out next week. If I keep waiting for a week that's "less busy" I'll never start. I potentially have jury duty next week and I definitely have my husband's birthday next Friday so I have to go get him one more gift then I'll feel ready.
Anyway, just checking in. Here are some photos of the island lighthouse and Lake Michigan.
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