Intermittent Fasting Update with Photos

I will keep doing these updates simply because they might encourage someone else who wants to change up their eating habits. After all, I first learned about the Keto diet from seeing videos and blogs from those who had success with it. So... here's the latest:

This intermittent fasting is a life-changer. Here are the latest selfies. The older ones are here and here.

When you are losing weight, you tend to think of the numbers on the bathroom scale while your friends notice you. It was my brother who remarked first on how I was regaining my normal face shape.

This is what my face looked like when I was in Arizona for this past Thanksgiving:

with my 140lb sis-in-law...

Let me tell you, folks, the best motivation is results. I never thought that I would stick so diligently to a healthier way of eating. I mean, I can do alright for days or even weeks at a time, but this IF is the easiest dietary change I've ever attempted.

Because I felt so good after the last one, I plan to do another 24-hour fast. That first one back on the 25th of March... that was a rollercoaster ride of "I can do this, no problem" and "Oh, help me, Lord, I just want a sip of sweet tea". I made it and, in hindsight, it was a breeze. Okay, the caffeine jonesing was a serious test, but...

My next post here will cover the foods, snacks, and recipes that have become staples for me since starting IF. It's working for me and I want to share it with others who might be interested. Trust me, people, when you see what I eat in a day and am still losing weight at a healthy pace, you'll probably be amazed. (Oh, and just for fun, I'm going to share some photos from when I was on the high doses of prednisone and at my absolute heaviest.)

Peace
--Free

Saved by Ice Cream

Did I mention that I recently screwed up my 7 month smoke-free streak?

Yeah. When I eff up, I eff up with top marks.

So, now I am popping Chantix twice a day, which helps with the nicotine cravings but does not a damn thing for murder cravings. (I won't get on a rant about this, but my roommate makes me consider trading in the contents of my closet for a jumpsuit stamped "Property of County Jail.")

Anyway.

I'm such an oral person that if I'm stressed, I have to smoke a cigarette, chew a straw, drink anything fit for human consumption, or eat. Since I am finally getting my sexy back, I sure as hell don't want to go on an eating rampage. I don't even want to eat too many carrots or celery sticks because, eat enough of that negative-calorie stuff, a positive pound or two is going to slap itself onto my waist.

The thing is, when I stress, I don't crave salty the way I did when I was younger. Hormones or God's sense of humor has changed my body. Stress these days sends me running for the cookies, donuts or ice cream. The sight of a cookie turns me into a glutton. I don't do donuts in singles. Ice cream, though... Ice cream is a frenemy. I love it, but I have sensitive teeth so I can only do small amounts.

You don't know how happy I was to see this at Walmart a couple weeks ago:

This is the sh*t.  It's like Freezer-Aisle crack.

90 calories. It's just the right amount of heaven to keep me sane for a day. I swear, if I could, I'd marry one of these bars. Except that would make me one of those people who suffer from O.S. As if I don't have enough issues (that I told y'all about) to make someone resurrect Freud.

At any rate, I am trying to get my health act back together. Between the Chantix and the Snickers, I should be completely sane and mostly healthy within another month. So far, I'm still losing weight, and I'm hoping that my recent success with that doesn't slow down when the nicotine leaves my bloodstream. First-world problems, huh?

This is my life.

Peace
--Free