Julia’s daily journal

[Julia_Larrissa]

I’m Julia and I’m 26. I’ve struggled with my weight and eating my whole life. I was medically overweight by the age of 5 and obese by the following year. My parents and the doctors did everything they could and didn’t understand why such an active kid was uncontrollably gaining weight. I had sleep apnea even as a child. Parents always had me on a diet and as a kid you don’t understand so you binge on food you’re not allowed elsewhere. When I was 25 I weighed 365 lbs at 5’3. I became pre-diabetic, sleep apnea was severe enough for a machine, and I was just existed. I decided I wanted to live and I meant it so I started my journey and lost 226 lbs. I ended up gaining weight back and I constantly fluctuate. Which bring me to my why.

Why

I’m sick of the fluctuations. I want to reach goal and maintain. Not shoot back up 40 lbs.

I want to I’m increase the overall awareness of my body

short term goal

Lose at least 10 lbs with my current water fast and clear my recent breakout on my forehead lol

Long term goal

Get back down to a size 4/6. Not sure what weight that will be but my old clothes are waiting and getting dusty

daily affirmation

I’m going to start day 1 strong and end day 1 strong. My fasting muscle is already strong and I’m ready to increase it further.

[Compdude]

Hi Julia,

First if you are wondering how to keep all your entries in a single Journal thread, just hit the REPLY in the lower right hand corner.

Second, I was a T2 diabetic and had other metabolic ailments. I did my research and created a custom treatment protocol for myself that I began on Aug 9th last year. On Dec 13th after reviewing my latest lab results, blood pressure reading and result of the office weight scale I was declared “medication free”. Since then, except for a day or two (from Carb Gorging) I’ve kept my BGL at normal below 100.

Third, for the sleep apnea I’m going to tag @Yasemin since she solved hers.

Feel free to ask me any questions or if you need to for help!

[Julia_Larrissa]

Good job! Yes I was so happy to get my blood sugar stable and ditch my sleep apnea. I was 365 and now I’m 162 but my lowest weight was 139 lbs. thank you for your reply and support!

[Julia_Larrissa]

It’s the night of my first day water fasting and I’ve fought through temptation well. I aim to go 72 hours to start. I skipped going to watch the fights with my bf at his buddies house because it’s very good involved (last time I ate like 5 tacos). I’ve had a day indoors but went out for some peppermint tea around noon. Peppermint tea is my favorite when fasting. Well peppermint tea and coffee. I’m a huge coffee drinker during my fasts. So this no coffee thing is new to me. It’s 7:38 pm. I’m probably going to bed around 8-8:30 and onto day 2. The longest I can do a water fast convenience wise is 7 days because I would need to schedule a refeed before going out with my friend for her birthday. For her birthday she just wants to have lunch with me at a local health cafe. Every time she wants to eat with me I’m fasting so for her birthday I said I’d eat along side her instead of just sipping tea. At least it’s some place healthy but I don’t want to jump from extended fasting to having a meal there. My stomach would for sure rebel. In February I definitely want to try the 21 days or at least 14. Today was pretty good but my hormones made me a witch! I had to apologize for blowing up at my bf. PMS + caffeine detox just going haywire. Really want some chocolate but that’s my hormones talking. I’m aiming for more than a fleeting moment. Chocolate is produced in factories everyday. There’s no shortage lol

[Compdude]

For 7-days or less, I scheduled a Vegetable and Beef soup meal to wake my G.I. Tract up and then have my regular low-carb meal 2 hours later. Of course, I’m lucky I have a cast iron stomach.

A friend of mine on this forum completed a 30-day and broke her fast with a small meal of water enriched vegetables and then slowly increased the size of her meals always checking on how she felt.

Hope this info helps!

[Julia_Larrissa]

Yes very helpful! I was planning on having some broth with some boiled cabbage. Is the boiled cabbage too much?

[Compdude]

Its a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli and cauliflower, and can cause bloating, upset stomach and gas. I double-checked my friend’s journal and actually she broke her fast with some vegetable juice and then a couple of hours late some slices of cucumber as she wanted to avoid fiber rich vegetables.

Hope this helps!

[Julia_Larrissa]

I’m currently on day 2. I needed a couple hours extra of sleep this morning which I’m glad worship team practice was cancelled this morning because I would have been quite sleepy. I also forgot I needed to bring a snack this morning because food is the last thing on my mind. I’m just trying to get through a day at a time. I was reminded of the DC trip. We are taking the youth down to the life march in Washington DC and will be there Thursday to Sunday. We never go anywhere healthy ugh. The youth pastor always chooses pizza or McDonald’s to cut church cost. I hope we go some place with healthy options because I don’t want to go from all these health benefits to eating that crap. Also I have to eat because of my past issues they would be suspicious and concerned (not gonna open up about it out of fear of being shunned off the forum). I hope wherever we go there’s at least salad. Last trip we did a Chinese buffet, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut. But that’s not until Thursday and it’s only Sunday so I’m just going to focus on today. Day 2!

[Compdude]

When I began my journey last year, I faced skeptical family, friends and my primary physician. I recruited my pastor to be someone I could be accountable to on a weekly basis. We kept it confidential until my weight loss became obvious and then we went public.

[Julia_Larrissa]

People definitely see the benefits in my circle but in my case with my previous mental health issues they wouldn’t think I was doing to for health. They would think I was using it as an excuse to starve myself. Which that’s not my intention. My intention is to renew my diet and start eating healthy and balanced.

[Compdude]

Sounds like a perfect situation to share Yas’ 1st documentary YouTube with them!

[Julia_Larrissa]

Just got home. I’m about to take an afternoon nap. I need to take my last quiz and do my last assignment before 11:59 pm tonight but I’m just so tired. I feel I could just sleep and sleep and sleep. I have to be able to eat normally Thursday. So tomorrow night I’ll have some broth to start my refeed. I honestly can’t stay awake anymore. I made a salt water drink but I’m just detoxing from caffeine so I’m crashing hard. I’ll be able to have my coffee back later. I told my friend i was water fasting for 72 hours and she seemed a bit apprehensive. Good reason I know. I’ve ended up in the hospital multiple times for abusing my body and having a really negative view of food. I’ve felt many times I didn’t deserve to eat or i would be so afraid of food so I would put it aside and say “maybe tomorrow” and I would get by on Diet Coke, rice cakes, and veg while vigorously training 6 days a week. I get I don’t have the best record and to them I’m just relapsed but I’m labeling it something different. I’m trying to get out of my relapse. Honestly though, I’m doing this to heal my relationship with food. I feel this is a reset for me. It may not be recommended for people in my situation but I’m not my situation. I’m me. I can handle it. At the end of my fast I will be able to eat again and I’m excited about it. My hunger signals were so messed up that I only knew I was hungry if I would get dizzy or my blood sugar would drop. Even when that would happen I would refuse to eat to my death. I would have to be forced a tiny bite size piece of chicken. My stomach seized growling because it became so adapted to eating so little. Now I can feel hungry again! Actual stomach hunger. I’m interested in food again and I’m not afraid. I’m actually looking forward to my refeed. Water fasting is healing me mentally and physically.

[Rebecca_Hughes]

Hi Julia! Thank you for sharing your story here! Made me cry, I am very drawn to people that overcome the deepest, darkest places. And you my friend, have done that. Bless your heart. My younger sister flucatues between 365 and 380. I cry for her because I can see the pain of just existing. She was overweight as a child too, all of us kids were. However, she was always the heaviest. I know she wants to change, but I think for her it is facing the emotional demons. When I embarked on my weightloss journey 10 years ago, my goal was to show my mom and sister that we can overcome obesity. I did, hallelujah! It took a lot of time, and A LOT of fluctuating, but I have been able to maintain a healthy weight. For years. I am happy your here and you’ve overcome SO MUCH! I look forward to supporting each other to hit our ultimate goals.

[Julia_Larrissa]

Wow yeah many were crying for me as well. Good job maintaining! That’s the hard part for me. I’m great at losing weight but maintaining is difficult for me. I only know how to lose weight or gain weight. The doctors never taught me about maintenance. I hope when I get to goal I can maintain.

[Julia_Larrissa]

End of day 2. I ended up eating at hour 40/72. I’m gonna fast tomorrow. But my bf was so happy to see me eat! Lol he hasn’t seen me eat for a while, only take bites. I’m not going to beat myself up because condemnation isn’t a healthy path to take and I’m on a journey of health. Being rigid is what made me sick. I’m just gonna fast tomorrow. No biggie.

[Julia_Larrissa]

I haven’t died lol I’ve been deep in grad school and getting ready to head to Washington, DC for the March for life rally. I’ve been living a vegan lifestyle. Someone told me I can do vegan keto so going to do research and apply that to my lifestyle. I can’t have a food tracker life my fitness pal because it counts calories and im not allowed to count calories as it is a trigger for me. So tracking macros will be a bit tough but I’m going to do my best and try out another water fast for the month of February

[Compdude]

Actually I’ve been following the same approach of not counting calories since August 9th of last year. Since then I’ve become “medication free” and have dropped 71lbs. Actually, wait. I did kinda count calories to confirm I “accidentally” fell into doing an Alternate Fasting protocol. But once confirmed I just went with how it felt.

[Julia_Larrissa]

Seems like a long time but I think it’s only been a week. I ate a lot in DC. Even when I wasn’t even hungry. I just ate and ate and ate but I’m back on track since getting back. I’m trying my best to watch my carb intake and I’m lowering them bit by bit. Cutting them suddenly makes me grouchy so doing it in increments. I’m substituting for lower carb options. I’ve also been avoiding meat like the plague because I hate how it makes me feel. When I get my carbs down to 5% for a while, I’m thinking of trying another water fast. Right now my carbs average at about 10-12% of my overall calories. It’s difficult to not count calories when trying to monitor % of carbs. But I’m trying my best to do so in a way that is helpful and not harmful. I lowered my carbs before but after introducing them back into my diet I’m working my way down. Will get there

[Becky_Singleton]

Julia_
I made a YouTube playlist of worship songs with lyrics that I frequently use when I’m tempted to eat.

[Julia_Larrissa]

She’s back at it! I’m doing OMAD for 11 days and on the 16th I will begin my water fast. That’s the plan!