Family Visits

One of the hardest things about going on any reducing diet is going home to "Mom's cooking"!

This week, I did just that. My mother is a very good cook. She knows how to bring comfort into the home with a good meal. However, I couldn't get it through to her that I was not eating after 5:00 or before 12 noon. She still counted me when she got out eggs, sausage, potatoes, etc... for an early breakfast or a late supper.

I gave in at supper, twice eating after 8:00 p.m., but stayed with the before 12 noon fast-five plan. It was difficult with homemade biscuits and sausage and eggs, but I managed. As expected, Mother thought I was doing myself harm.

I'll know tonight how I did at the TOPS weigh-in. I did eat less than I would have pre-120 pounds (that's the goal I'm shooting for, and I'm trying to get that mind-set), so maybe it will show up on the scales as at least "no gain".

Since I didn't put up a new verse on Sunday, I'll put one up today (Thursday) and leave it 'til a week from this Saturday. I'll talk about it later...

Isaiah 55:2 - (nkjv)
"Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance."

Going Off

Yesterday, I ate beyond my five hour window of eating. I ate a full meal sometime around 6:30 and ate a breakfast and snacks before 12 noon. Last night I paid for it. I didn't sleep well and I had a mild headache, which continues this morning, and my insides just hurt during the night. The meal had a high content of salt, too.

These things, along with not drinking enough water must have all contributed to my disturbed sleep. Have I mentioned how soundly I've been sleeping since I began the fast-five diet again? It's been wonderful.

So, do I pay the price of miserable nights and go along with my Husband's eating schedule while he's home, or do I let him know what I'm doing and sleep soundly, lose weight and just generally feel better? I suppose I could adjust the five hours while he's home. No, I think I'll simply serve supper by 4:30, then let Husband and Daughter eat later after the meal if they like, while I drink water.

Take Your Time - Be Patient

Today, I put up a new verse of the week. Last week's was Proverbs 23:1-3, with emphasis on the third verse, "they are deceptive food". How often we eat food that is "deceptive" such as: diet foods that promise help with weight loss, but contain so much sodium or sugar that it sabotages itself. The Bible is full of truths, even when it comes to our own battles with weight.

Verse for this week: Isaiah 40:31 - "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Note: those who wait - while we are "waiting" to look like the beautiful people we know God means for us to be, we are renewing our strength. By waiting, we will be able to soar like an eagle; we shall be able run and not grow weary; we shall be able to walk and not faint.

God did not give Abraham and Sarah a child right away - they had to wait. What happened while they were waiting? God was teaching them to be good parents and to be obedient to Him. It takes time to lose weight, to gain strength, to get used to eating food close to the earth (raw). We need to be patient with ourselves and to keep at it.

Jump the Hurdle?

I have one big hurdle that is keeping me from doing the fast-five diet. It's my dear husband. He usually works away from home - out of state, even for sometimes months at a time. He's home now and every thing is for him. I'm not pushing my lifestyle of eating only five hours a day on him right now. He'd not understand. He hasn't seen the results. When the results become blatantly apparent, he'd get it and not question or put it down. I'm hoping.

So, for the next week or so, I'll do the best I can. I'm not strong enough to jump this hurdle. Someday, my strength will be able to handle it. I just have to keep going at it the best I can.

Losing Weight!

Thursday evening is the time of the week that I go to TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) to weigh in. I started with TOPS in October, and now weigh more than when I started. The good things about TOPS are the cost - very affordable, the accountability, the cheerful people in this particular chapter and the nearness to my house. The bad thing, which is actually a good thing too, is that you find your own way to lose the weight. Although they have a plan, and do ask you to keep a food diary, there is no certain way to lose weight. Everyone is free to choose what works for them. The only bad thing about this is, it's tempting to just "wing it" and weight is not lost. That was what I did, and it's what I heard another woman say this last meeting. Like the author of the Fast-Five book says, just cutting back or changing what we eat, but eating all day doesn't really work. At least not for me and others who are successful with this daily fasting type of diet.

I am glad to be free to use the Fast-Five diet plan. It's not for everyone and the nay-sayers will put it down in a heartbeat if they knew that this is the plan I've chosen. However, I have told a few about it.

Well, this past Thursday night was the first weigh-in since I began the Fast-Five again. I lost 3.6 pounds!!! Yay! Just wanted to tell the world. I didn't perfectly follow the diet plan, but I'm doing an A-, and I feel so much better. And BIG "Atta-Girl" to me --- I'm losing weight!!!

I Do Not Advise...

The "Fast-Five" diet book says that it's okay to drink unsweetened or artificially sweetened drinks during the 19 hour fasting time of this diet. So, this morning while I was out doing errands, I stopped and got a Diet Mt. Dew. I know they're not healthy for a person - everyone knows that. But, I thought I'd just have this to enjoy a "treat" rather than having plain water.

Since I've been doing this - this is my fourth day - I've not had any cravings during the fasting period. I'm amazed at that, but the book said that's the way it's going to be! I love this diet. However, as soon as I drank the soda pop, I felt hungry. Not just wanting a certain taste in my mouth, but my stomach started aching that hunger ache. I'm blaming the drink.

I had read that diet sodas actually can make a person gain weight because of several factors, and one of those factors is that it makes the brain want food. Hmm. I hope I don't make that mistake again. Deceptive food - if you can call a diet soda a "food", really.

Just wanting to warn you. I do not advise diet sodas during the fasting period.

I'm back on the Fast-Five diet! Best diet I've ever had - other than the raw food diet. That was very difficult for me, though.

I started this daily fasting (again) on Thursday, and this is Sunday morning. I've lost two-ish pounds already, and I'm feeling great!!!

This is a great diet. I feel good, I lose weight and I can feel a little pride when I can say I'm conquering this weight.

I'm 5'2.5" and weigh 242.2 as of this morning.