I’m so happy to hear that you woke without pain today!
I do the same thing by the way when driving or going for long hikes or walks with my dog- I listen to Buddhists lectures or audio books. Sometimes I listen to Alan Watts or someone else I enjoy. Such a good use of time and never bothered by sitting in traffic! I hope the visit with the specialist is helpful today.
I agree feeling stronger and pain free is really what matters.That is wonderful! 
@Faina_Gersh Alan Watts is so wonderful! I re-listen to his lectures all the time because they are just so funny, silly, and full of joy.
Did OMAD yesterday. However I had a tad bit of cream in my coffee in the morning and added a couple dashes of toasted sesame oil to my miso. I knew I’d need this to get through the long swim, 4 hour drive, and unpleasant dr visit. I drank 3+ liters of water within a couple hours of being awake. I probably drank 5-6 liters of fluid yesterday. Got rid of the 3 lbs of period puffiness.
I’m going to further restrict my sensory perception nutriments. This type of fasting is keystone and inter-is/ interdependent with food fasting. I believe one will ultimately sabotage their nutrition/weight loss goals if we don’t also restrict our unwholesome media consumption. I’ve already discontinued a majority of unwholesome media nutriments but now feel I need to filter these inputs even further. All things I consume either physically or with my sense perceptions must be wholesome, factual, and not perpetuate or glorify violence or seeds of mental suffering. To enact this practice I will be very selective of the news I read (and only read what I think is most important) and transition away from watching certain TV shows. My husband and I will spend more time together playing board/card games. I will also work to spend more time in nature.
After the unhelpful doctor’s visit yesterday I was angry and frustrated. I was able to look deeply into my pain and hold my anger tenderly. I wasn’t upset at the dr’s inability to help reduce my pain. The true root of my anger and frustration was fear, impatience, and consuming nutriments that watered my seeds of suffering. It is unfortunate that the main solution( besides reducing inflammation, losing weight to take pressure off my disks, and rebuilding strength) is strong medication. I will continue to work on what I can but must be mindful not to overdo it and cause further injury. The best medicine will be that intoxicating puppy love!
I did a delightful meditation yesterday and today. I focused on each part of my body (organs and sense organs) and did something like feeling my heart visualizing it while saying “thank you, I love you, I promise to take care of you”. This type of awareness, self love, and compassion makes mindful eating much easier- after all didn’t I just promise my liver that I would cherish and take care of it.
I’m not certain of all the factors but my period had a much shorter duration and a less heavy flow. However, PMS was debilitating and fasting/keto did not seem effect it except to reduce craving of sweets and carbs.
Today I plan on eating: cream with coffee, miso with or without sesame seed oil and an arugula salad with EVOO, pine nuts, goat cheese, tomatoes, kidney beans and parm crusted eggplant.
Kristy, I love the meditation of focusing and speaking to each body part … that’s such a great idea! I thank you. I hope you have a great day!
WAHHH, he’s so fluffy 
You need to make a thread with all of your amazing recipes, and it should be pinned at the top the forum. Just saying. 
This is easily one of my Top 3 favourite posts on here. Chockfull of information, just wow. I am shocked by the subliminal croissants. French culture is something of an obsession, so I’m thrilled to have learned this!
“My palette is too refined for this”… hmm. I’m going to try this out before I’m tempted to binge and share the results with you.
Taking a break today. I woke up achy from traveling, swimming, and my period so I am choosing to rest my body today so I don’t incur further injuries.
Have had to eat more than I pre-planned and am just barely in Ketosis but since I’m mostly eating a ton of veggies it’s worth it. Have been eating mindfully. Paying close attention to preparing my food. Eating each bite with chopsticks. Chewing each bite until it’s liquid in my mouth. Doing nothing but eating when I eat. I can be a mindless eater that consumes everything so quickly I am not truly nourished. So I’ve intentionally slowed down.
When I look at my food I feel so much joy. I can see the earth, air, and cosmos in my arugula. I know that eating these local and organic vegetables keeps money in my community and is good for the environment and her stewards’. I can feel the aired landscape in my EVOO and I know that the mountains where this salt was mined has be a place of kaihōgyō for thousands of years. These pine nuts came from endless fires.
I spent the morning lying in the grass playing with my puppies and enjoying our spectacular weather. I played some color matching logic game. Stopping and listening to the bell of mindfulness. Will fold laundry.
I haven’t posted in several days because I’m not sure what to do. I do not seem to be able to successfully fast while doing endurance training/swimming. I’ve been trying so hard but almost blacked out yesterday. I’ve been swimming, pretty intensely, about 1-2 hours at least 5 days a week. I only have 17 more days before we get our puppy, Data. I only have 16 days left of unadulterated pool time.
I’m not losing any weight, however, my body feels totally different. My scale only tells weight but I’m pretty sure I’ve done some serious body recomp. I am much stronger, I’ve swum the pain away, and I no longer pull my back out every time I sneeze. I’ve also been able to refocus my diet on some pretty healthy and super tasty foods. I think I will take my measurements and use that as a guide. Although I have not lost any weight my shorts are pulling a @Miramar and I now have to wear a sports bra under my swim suit or it starts to fall off.
After much contemplation I’ve decided to relish my last days of swimming and then focus on fasting after we get our new fur baby.
I think if the swimming/endurance is most important to you for wellness and strength, then that’s where your focus should be. Fasting and Exercise are both great habits to adopt and you don’t have to do them all at once. I can’t exercise when I fast… it’s too daunting physically.
Even though you’re not fasting right now, keep us updated on your journey. I really enjoy your posts!
OMG those puppies look like trouble lol. I already see them eating a leather strap on my flip flop. 
It’s difficult fasting and doing hard workouts at the same time. To be on the safe side I omitted all exercise so far
Trouble is a bit of an understatement! Porty’s are notoriously ornery. They’re giant counter surfers! We’re already so in love with him, though, and can’t wait for him to be a good baby brother for our two other two dogs! We’ve already signed up for obedience classes and with our experience with our other two dogs we’ve got a lot of experience under our belts. Doesn’t change the fact that they are sneaky buggers that do not feel an iota of guilt or shame when they do something bad… like eat mommy’s coconut oil… I shouldn’t have left it on the counter!- Walk away for two minutes!
I’ve always been an exercise fanatic. But my last bout of illness +medications knocked me out for almost two years. I really miss Chicago. I lived on the lake and was right on the big trail. I miss inline skating 14-24 miles everyday, paddle boarding/kayaking during the warm weather, and my crazy luxury gym that had anything a girl could want. Not like I could do much of that with covid, but still.
I think I am strong enough to start doing yoga again once we get Data. I’ll have to be extremely careful.
I’m coming up with a movement plan for when we get Data:
My “big why” really is only tangentially related to my weight. I want a body/mind resilient enough to withstand my next bout of “this is probably going to kill you.” I’ve made promises to my family that I’ll fight no matter how sick I get. And that means taking care of my body. I absolutely cannot die before my parents. I refuse to do that to them.
Fasted most of yesterday. Had some cream in my coffee and a scoop of nut butter pre swimming. Then ate some grilled tofu with ranch mayo and hot sauce and a cube of cheese before bed or I wouldn’t sleep. Sleep is the most important aspect of my health. Woke up completely out of my mind energized and swam until collapse. Maybe I’ll take a nap. Really replenishing my electrolytes.
Unfortunately my underwater ipod finally went kaput so I had a hard time managing/ being mindful while swimming. Mind was on overdrive. With each stroke I had the mantra: “arrived, here, solid”
I was in the pool with some pretty hard core swimmers (probably on the college’s swim team). Watching them was so amazing! They are beyond epic cool.
Every year my husband and I usually go to a few sci-fy and fantasy conventions. We’ve not been able to do this for the last several years. Usually we spend an absurd amount of money we don’t really have at these cons on custom geeky art. Or we’ll commission a a very special piece for one of our favorite famous actors/authors to sign.
Last night we decided that not being able to support the arts and participate with our fellow nerds has left a hole in our lives. So we found a bunch of awesome art online from some grass root artists that we’re going to buy. Since we’re stuck inside it’ll be nice to liven up the house even more. I’m thinking about commissioning an original piece from my favorite artist, James Hance (Relentlessly Cheerful Art).
Here is one of my new favorites!
I’m mildly allergic to avocados but never have any symptoms besides getting an itchy mouth. I haven’t had avocados in ages and I was craving sushi so I decided to make avocado hand rolls. my tummy is exploding! I only ate half an avocado…
Not being to eat avocados is potentially devastating! Note to self. Never break a fast with avocados ever again.
Shame @Kristy, hope your stomach feel better soon. 
My mouth too gets itchy when I eat peaches. It’s fine when I peel the peach, but I cannot eat the skin, my face and lips wells up and lose feeling 
Avo is on my list for ‘refeed’ too 
Was able to sleep in a bit today. Tummy is fine. I’m actually wondering if it was the tamari that upset my tummy… that much salt in a short period of time might have been the cause of the woosh.
@eddy That’s really unfortunate about the peaches! I wonder why it’s just the skin? Luckily you can at least eat them once they’re peeled.
PT today then swimming. Got extremely light headed yesterday, started seeing spots, and had that darkness like tunnel vision. I wasn’t particularity hungry but I ate a lot more than usual hoping that would let me fast longer today. It’s all a giant experiment! Listening to “The Fasting Lane” on audio book and really enjoying it.
NSV! It’s getting cold here finally and my favorite coat from when I was 138 lbs still fits! I’m also excited because it’s now cozy hat season!
I’m sweating today in my new shorts down in Florida .
I lived north for decades, and I do remember some fall shopping excursions.
Very stylish and cool! 
Yesterday was very weird. Because of my illness I only have a handful of memories from the age of 14-18. I’m ok with this. I was really really sick and not many of the memories would be pleasant from what my family has told me about that time in our lives. Yesterday, when I was swimming, the student workers were playing country music extremely loud (like you could hear it under the water). I don’t like this type of music but that’s ok and it wouldn’t have crossed my mind again. But yesterday I became physically uneasy the more I heard it. Not like a panic attack, fear, or anxiety. My body was just very uncomfortable. It was remembering something I have no memories of. It was probably something as simple as my dad listening to country music to pass the time during my coma or during the months where I wasn’t allowed to do anything but sleep, use the rest room, and eat. Regardless, the visceral feeling was impossible to sit with and I used someone else trying to share my lane in the pool as an excuse to leave and stop swimming after only an hour. I don’t mind that I have no memories but it does bother me when I don’t understand why I’m having a particular reaction.
No swimming today. I had to go run some errands in the opposite direction of the pool and didn’t want to have to spend and extra two hours in the car so it’s a resting/fasting day. Had some miso with a splash of sesame oil and coffee with cream. Will eat some nut butter before swimming tomorrow. I prefer to exercise in a fasted state but the pool hours are wonky now so It’s an afternoon appointment and there is no way I can focus on two hours of endurance training if my insides are screaming.
Celebrated all my recent successes with lots of cozy hats and buying months worth of spectacular tea for my husband and family. One of my brother’s is currently living in a pretty scary part of California right now and they’re not allowed to leave unless there is an official evacuation. So I’m coping with that by sending my sister-in-law all her favorite teas since she can no longer leave the house to stop by her local shops.
Have been keeping busy by puppy proofing the house. It doesn’t how much we prepare though, my new gentleman bastard will find something to ruin. I couldn’t be more excited about a teething puppy! Here are the little turkey’s doing the running of the bulls this morning.
I can relate to lack of childhood memories. It’s such a bizarre thing to not be able to recall those years.
Love the puppy posts!!
