Wishing you all the best. I hope you feel able to come back and join us when you’re ready. Peace and happiness 
Kristy's Journal
Take your time Kristy but please come back as soon as you feel ready. I really enjoy your posts and your knowledge and of course the pictures of your sweet pups.
One of the things I do is visualize a shield around me (a bubble) of protection to not let negative energy or people’s words/emotions bother me too much. I’m sure you of all people are aware of doing that but I think you are so loving, kind and caring and you’ve so kindly mentioned that you spend time sending people loving energy and I think it may open a crack to having you pick up on whatever junk they are going through. (?)
I pray you find a way to block out the negative in the world but still keep your caring nature. We need more people like you in the world but you must protect your “bubble” from letting anything you don’t want in it. I’ve worked hard at this and it’s helped immensely. I don’t remember the last time I was offended, but I sure notice love and accepting people. Hugs to you sweet pea. 
Come back soon !! Ps. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and posts these past few months, I always enjoy/learn from them !!
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Take a break… respite is good. But definitely don’t go permanently. You are such a valuable voice here! Good luck on your rest and everything with your hubby. 
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I wish you the best and hope you come back soon. You are so kind and thoughtful in all of your posts. You radiate calm composure in your responses where I would have been…less civil and kind 
, lol!!
Hi Kristy,
Just read through your journal and you are doing an awesome job.
Made the executive decision of removing a few unsolicited posts from other authors in this journal, since this is your private journal, and not a place to receive unsolicited advice from others 
Come back when you are ready, you are doing a beautiful job, and you are strong and I have taken care of the rest, so you can feel free to post without unwanted criticism.
Reminder to everyone that this is a safe space and unsolicited advice is not acceptable!
If you have opinions, please keep them in your OWN personal daily journal and do not comment your opinions/advice on other people’s journals!
Keep it up gorgeous @Kristy
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Kristy, I wanted to add to this when I wrote it but wasn’t quite sure how… I most likely knew immediately which post was upsetting. It did come across aggressive and sorta shocking but I tried to hear the advise and apply it to my life (which I got something out of it at the expense of what what you were probably feeling, I’m sorry). That person not knowing you, I could understand the jarring feelings that would come up. I’ve seen 2 or 3 of them sent to different people and it came across the same for all. I’m sorry for my part if any I took to be hurtful. Hugs sweet pea!! Take care and come back soon!
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I think the most important thing is that we all keep unsolicited advice and our opinions in our own personal daily journals !!! That way if someone if in the mood to seek our opinions they can use the search bar to search 
Also if you guys ever see any posts that seem not to fit the « positivity & unsolicited advice » rules in our group please do a quick tag @Yasemin or send me a message to my inbox here, or just flag the post for review.
Doesn’t matter which opinions are right or wrong, all that matters is that we have a safe space in our personal daily journals to keep track of our progress!
I’m always a little tag away @Yasemin if you need anything and if I miss it, just email me anytime! fastforwardtohealth@gmail.com 
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Yes have taken care of unsolicited advice posts 
Make sure you guys let me know if anything ever could come across as hurtful (whether it’s intentional or not!!)
As you guys know I have a lot if comments, and posts, and groups and forums to manage as a part of our community and I manage them all by myself at the moment, so it’s our job to keep this community positive all together
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Not sure how you do it all Yasemin !?! Really … It’s a full time job to run this, personal emails and zoom calls and utube videos, etc. 
Thank you!! I can’t even put to words how amazing this forum is and how much I’ve learned about myself from posting my feelings outloud and other people’s posts and all the wins and tough days. I tried to do it on my own for years and have made more progress in my mind shift and health goals since August when I joined than years past ! I appreciate you as I’m sure we all do. All your hard work does not go unnoticed!! I’ve always planned when I reach my goals I’ll send you some kind of gift because you have helped me so much. Thank you 
.
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Thank you everyone for the well wishes. One of the reasons I was not coping well is that I’m really sick again. Waiting on COVID test to come back. Not pneumonia.
I ran a high fever yesterday ( I never ever run a fever). I don’t think it’s COVID but we’re quarantined for the moment. Just hoping this isn’t another 8 week bout with something I just can’t fight off. Happy fasting everyone
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Glad to see you back and sorry to hear you are under the weather… is it related to the bronchitis do you think?
Please rest up. Hope you feel better very soon!
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Thank you so much Stacia, means a lot And it’s okay!!! No gift necessary! Just want to see everyone succeed and live a healthier happier life because I remember how sad I used to be!!! Just pay it forward by being a kind person as you already are and supporting and encouraging others here and in your life
I will start posting YouTube videos again soon! Lots of things going on this year, so videos will be coming again in January 2021!
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Sorry Kristy, we have a few members dealing with covid right now, hopefully you don’t test positive but if you do everything will be okay!!!
Get yourself some Vitamin D3 (like 5,000 IU) and take some for a few days!!! That should help your body fight this off!!!
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Good to see you back. I hope you feel better very soon. Sending ‘healthy’ vibes to you
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Good you got the test done. Its just not worth it taking chances with this virus if you can afford to get tested. Most likely its something else taht you can fend off easily, but its good to make sure. And its great that you are back!!!
Hope you feel better quick - sending good vibes.
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COVID test was negative thank the gawd’s! Thanks everyone for their healing vibes! Fever broke and I’m slowly on the mend though I still have a cough and shortness of breath. Some body aches.
Not sure why but I’m absolutely ravenous. Chose to eat refined carbs yesterday as my thanksgiving. Especially to celebrate the negative COVID results. Ate: a grilled cheese on sprouted whole grain bread, a bean and cheese tamale (made from local corn!), and my last deep dish pizza frozen from Chicago.
Back on low carb for the moment. Still pretty hungry so I’m not worried about fasting or being in ketosis. Need to heal up. I’ve been on and off sick with this cough for 4 weeks now. Time and patience.
Hunkering down for the long haul. So many people are sick here and there aren’t any hospital beds available so we’re not going anywhere.
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I want everyone to know I’m looking in on their posts and sending “thoughts and prayers” “healing vibes” /whatever. Mostly these seem to be hollow sentiments used to placate but I read over each post and feel deeply for all of you. Right now the most support I can give all of you is to take care of myself. I want to engage with the community but this is as much as I’m capable of at the moment.
I haven’t gotten on a scale or checked ketones. After my carb fest (which I do not regret in the slightest) I am feeling bloated and kinda gross. My digestion since my fever/flu/who knows what has been all wonky and my period is totally out of sync. Working on getting back to as low car as possible but I’m still cellularly hungry most of the time. I have no designated eating window at this point. I’m waking up in the middle of the night ravenous and in physical pain.
All things are transient and ill health is part of the human condition. Healthcare workers are completely overwhelmed at this point and I feel as though I have fallen through the cracks of the system a bit. This isn’t anyone’s fault. I need to be more of an advocate for myself. I will be asking for a referral to an ear nose and throat dr and an allergist. I’ve had a major sinus surgery before and I think there is a likely probability that some pollops have grown back. Everything is transient, however, I am perpetuating my suffering (dukkha) through aversion to my chronic ill health and grasping at not being in pain. I’m reading a book on a Buddhist perspective to chronic illness for patients and their care givers. One practice I use is when the mindfulness bell rings I stop and take 3 deep breaths. Regardless, I am in a very vulnerable place and I am not able to always be present or accepting of the pain. I become a mindless hungry ghost consuming unwholesome media that also feeds my seeds of anger. One insight is that I am struggling to cultivate patience. I know all of this is ephemeral but I am getting caught up in a contrived future with the fantasy that doctors may help ease my suffering.
All of the conditions for happiness are right here right now and my attachment to “this pain is me” is something I need to sit with and love non judgmentally.
To be totally honest, I’m overwhelmed. That’s ok. Breathing deeply I feel my body. Exhaling I love my body.
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Releasing the Arrow
by Thich Nhat Hanh from No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering
There is a Buddhist teaching found in the Sallatha Sutta, known as The Arrow. It says if an arrow hits you, you will feel pain in that part of your body where the arrow hit; and then if a second arrow comes and strikes exactly at the same spot, the pain will not be only double, it will become at least ten times more intense.
The unwelcome things that sometimes happen in life—being rejected, losing a valuable object, failing a test, getting injured in an accident—are analogous to the first arrow. They cause some pain. The second arrow, fired by our own selves, is our reaction, our storyline, and our anxiety. All these things magnify the suffering. Many times, the ultimate disaster we’re ruminating upon hasn’t even happened. We may worry, for example, that we have cancer and that we’re going to die soon. We don’t know, and our fear of the unknown makes the pain grow even bigger.
The second arrow may take the form of judgment (“how could I have been so stupid?”), fear (“what if the pain doesn’t go away?”), or anger (“I hate that I’m in pain. I don’t deserve this!”). We can quickly conjure up a hell realm of negativity in our minds that multiplies the stress of the actual event, by ten times or even more. Part of the art of suffering well is learning not to magnify our pain by getting carried away in fear, anger, and despair. We build and maintain our energy reserves to handle the big sufferings; the little sufferings we can let go.
If you lose your job, of course it’s a normal response to feel fear and anxiety. It is true that in most cases to be out of work is a suffering; and there is real danger attached if you don’t have enough to eat or can’t afford necessary medicine. But you don’t need to make this suffering worse by spinning stories in your head that are much worse than the reality. Some people in this situation may think “I’m no good at this or that,” or ‘I’ll never get another job,” or ‘I failed my family.” It’s important to remember that everything is impermanent. A suffering can arise—or can work itself out—for anyone at any moment.
Instead of throwing good energy away on condemning yourself or obsessing over what catastrophes might be lurking around the corner, you can simply be present with the real suffering that is right in front of you, with what is happening right now. Mindfulness is recognizing what is there in the present moment. Suffering is there, yes; but what is also there is that you are still alive: “Breathing in, I know I’m alive.” Your eyes still work: “Breathing in, I’m aware of my eyes. Breathing out, I smile to my eyes.”
To have eyes in good condition is a wonderful thing. Because you have eyes in good condition, there’s a paradise of shapes and colors available to you at every moment.
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Beautifully written Kristy ! Thank you. You are in my thoughts and praying for healing for your pain and uncomfort. Thankfully everything is not permanent in times like these, balance is around the corner, I know it. 
. Have a wonderful day Kristy !
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It’s unfortunately human nature to fire the second arrow, learning not to do that is a difficult thing to do. But do it we must.
Thinking of you 
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