Saturday, March 31, 2012

Fat Fast - The End?

I did it. I really did it. I can't believe I did it - but I did. Three days of Fat Fast. I am so impressed with myself for sticking with it.

But... it was kind of all in vain. Why? Because the day after the Fat Fast ended, I got sick.

So, instead of going directly from Fat Fast to Induction to really kick that weight loss action into gear, I wasn't able to. My body simply could not look another protein in the eye.

I don't know about you, but when I'm sick my body does not want any protein. What it wants is oatmeal. And crackers. And split pea soup.

Luckily, I wasn't really hungry when I was sick - but when I was hungry, I had lots of carby goodness. It's been a week, and I'm just now getting my appetite back.

I did lose a pound - but I should have lost more. And I probably would have lost more, if I stayed away from the oats and grains and split pea soup.

Do I consider the Fat Fast a success? Yes and no. Yes, I did lose some weight - but is one pound really worth the sacrifice of a Fat Fast? My answer: probably not.

However, I can't really judge this Fat Fast fairly, as had I not gotten sick, this would be my first week back on Induction, and I may have lost more had I kept the momentum going.

I will wait a month to try this again. I think my body should recover completely from this cold or flu before I abuse it again. Because whether or not you agree, a Fat Fast is hard on the body - or maybe more on the psyche.

I read the blogs before I did it - people who've tried it claimed they were satisfied on the Fat Fast. Don't believe it - it's not satisfying. And at the end of the day I found myself counting the hours until I could eat again. I woke up hungry every single morning I was on it.

I will, however, try it one more time so I can do it correctly - without illness and cold medicine and carbs getting in the way. Should I happen to gain the weight back after that, I won't bother trying it again. After all, I'm not a spring chicken. Maybe I'll never be 127 and a size 8 again. Maybe I'm not supposed to be. So perhaps I just need to make peace with it and stop trying to get my body back to the way it used to be and embrace what it is now.

After all, it ain't that bad for an old lady!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Fat Fast

I've heard about the Fat Fast for years, and toyed with the idea of implementing it, but the strict caloric restrictions made it unappealing to me - that is, until I hit the world's longest weight loss stall.

I've been following the Atkins diet for years now with fairly consistent results. However, age and hormone depletion when added to a few major life stresses caused a bit of a weight gain.

I decided to ride that out until the new year - I mean, why ruin a perfectly fun holiday season with worries of weight gain, weight loss, counting carbs, etc.?

Come January 3rd, I went back on Induction. It's not a fun period, but I was prepared with the right foods and a "can do" mental attitude. It took me about a month, but the weight started finally falling off.

I lost about 8.5 pounds, and then I hit a stall. I wasn't worried - they normally don't last long.

And then this stall just wouldn't unstall. It kept going, and going, and going. There was no budge on the scale, no matter what I tried: carb cycling, back to induction, cutting out certain foods - nope. Didn't work. The scale stayed fairly steady.

It was time to entertain the Fat Fast.

I read up on it, and decided I couldn't do it. Yes, it was only for three days - but boy, what a long three days that could be. I nixed the idea... and the scale continued to mock me and my weight loss efforts.

Let's face it: no one likes a smart ass weight scale, so drastic moves had to be taken. Fat Fast it is. I bought the foods needed this weekend, and decided come Monday there would be no excuses. I would be on the Fat Fast for three days. I could do anything - well almost anything - for three days, right?

Maybe. We'll see. It's the beginning of Day 2, and I've had my first *cough* meal of the day: a 1/4th cup of macadamia nuts. Lots of calories and fat, no carbs.

Yesterday I went over my allotted caloric intake by probably 200 calories. Still, when I got on the scale today, I noticed the needle had moved a bit. I wouldn't say I lost a pound - but maybe a half a pound? (Is it time to get a digital scale?)

The mere fact that the needle moved more than it had in two months is enough for me to want to see this thing through. I can make it through today - let's see how I do tomorrow.

Keep tuned for progress...

Friday, March 16, 2012

The Friday Five

1) Our company recently introduced a mentoring program, and I signed up for it. Today is the official "meet and greet," where mentors will meet potential mentees (like me!).

2) I really hope someone picks me.

3) This process reminds me of grade school: Please like me. Please pick me. Please.

4) I'm surprised I haven't broken out in stress acne.

5) This meet and greet probably shouldn't be taking place while Mercury is in Retrograde; apparently, the powers that be don't consult the stars.

Thursday, March 08, 2012

It's Payday!

Ahhh, how I just love every other Thursday. Payday for me - and yes, I don't make much money, but I do feel liquid on payday. I always buy myself something as a reward for making it through another pay period.

Tonight I'll be going to Claim Jumper with a friend, and we'll be partaking of their $7 Happy Hour Widow Makers. I am counting the hours until we'll be chomping on our hard-earned money.

She gets off work an hour later than I do, so I'll be entertaining myself by running a few errands, and then walking aimlessly down the aisles of Cost Plus World Market. Ye gads, I love that place.

I can remember going to Cost Plus when I was a kid - way back when they sold chocolate covered ants and chocolate covered grasshoppers. It was such a treat to go - the closest one was in San Francisco, so it wasn't something we did that often. But when we went, my parents always made sure it was around allowance time, so we could buy ourselves something.

We almost always bought the same thing: Japanese Rice Candies. We loved that they came with toys, and that we could also eat the wrappers. But sometimes we bought other things, like Chinese Finger Traps. Way back when, Cost Plus really did have inexpensive items. Now, everything is overpriced. Still, it is fun to look.

I hope they still have those Irish Shortbread cookies. I know I shouldn't buy any... but if they have them, I won't be able to help myself. It's how I roll.

Monday, March 05, 2012

The Answer is Yes

As some of you know, I blog on LiveJournal. Unfortunately, due to online harassment from two different cyber stalkers, I had to lock the account down a few years ago. It's now "friends only" and I do still blog there as some of my friends are still there - communicating the not-so-old-fashioned way.

I posted an entry there today, and was prompted by LJ to check out some of their new features. I clicked on the link, and was brought to a modge podge of a page, with information such as who commented on my last blog to gifts for purchase to writing prompts to a poll.

Today's poll question: Have you ever made dinner for your parents? For me, the answer is yes - and then after thinking "yes," I started to cry.

I remember being in my first house, and the excitement that came with cooking them a meal there. I think my mom brought me flowers the first time, and I am sure I made something very simple, but my parents complimented my cooking as if they were eating a meal at a five star restaurant.

I loved having them over for dinner. My mom had a favorite meal that I cooked, so often I made that. She loved it, and it was something she wouldn't cook for herself. Even though I was in my 30's at the time, I felt like a real grown-up having my parents over for dinner in a house I owned and with food I bought and lovingly prepared.

While I still cook for my dad when he visits, it's not the same as when I was living in California, cooking for my parents in my very first home. I still remember feeling so pleased when I heard them drive up in my dad's truck, and smiling when they made the extra effort to use my "front" door. (For those of you who have never lived in a mobile home, visitors tend to go to the side door - which always bothered me, because the side entrance was where I kept the litter pan. I had decorated my front door area and wanted people to come in that way - where it was pretty!)

Even though it's been two years since she died, there are still times when I can't believe my mom is really gone. Thinking about those dinners brought that all up again.

So yes, I have cooked for my parents. And I encourage my friends who still have parents living to cook them a meal soon - because one day, you'll be glad you did when you still had the opportunity to do so.

Sunday, March 04, 2012

The Sunday Seven

1) Enjoyed a somewhat solitary day yesterday. Slept in.... until 9 a.m.! Did some light cleaning, ran a couple of errands, and made sure to be back by early afternoon - especially when I realized all the other people running errands were rude, loud, and not welcome in my Saturday.

2) Decided it was a shame to let the sun streaming through the windows go to waste, so instead of plopping myself in front of the computer, I picked up a book and read.

3) When the sun went down, I continued to read in the bathtub.

4) When I was tired of reading, I watched Hetty Wainthrop solve a couple of mysteries. It's so much fun seeing Dominic Monaghan in his *way* pre-Lost days.


5) Today I met a friend and we went for a walk along the Truckee.

6) We hit a cafe, had a fancy coffee drink (her), herbal tea (me), and two decadent desserts. Don't worry - we walked it all off on the way home.

7) Made a real dinner for myself tonight: beef brisket. I'm sorry to say it's not as good as the beef brisket I had at the cafe this week, but at least it was edible.