MaryJoy's new Extended Fast

[schmidtsmia]

Greetings,
I have been M.I.A. for a loooong time.
I dropped, last year a total of 32 kg. of excess weight. Then 2021 came along, and I got seriously de-railed. And I mean big-time.
I went back to eating a daily habit of carbs, carbs and more carbs.
And now I weigh what I weighed (and even more than I did) when I started my journey last year. Big sigh…As of today, after having my last meal, I weighed 94.0 kg.
I have been fasting, regularly, but my problem has always been portion-control and a lack of good habits.
So, I am back at effing square one. I put my stickies up, and am rather afraid of being unable to commit. So, I will say the following out loud, “I, Mary Joy, am now willing to commit to an extended water fast of 42 days, and 14 days, afterwards, of a broth diet!”
There, I said it!! I got to get my shit together now and do this properly. I failed because I lacked a regular plan. So here I go again. I put up 42 days worth of fasting stickies. I got my mineral capsules, and sparkling water for Fasty-Fridays, and I am off. Scarrrrry…I got to push through these awful, first 5 days. I am so seriously praying. And, I want to also use this fasting to let go of anger issues I have had. I won’t go into the details here, but I want to offer the pain up, that is behind the anger, and will use prayer and meditation for this issue. I bought the App, EAT THIS MUCH, to help me afterwards, in planning my meals, as I need that help. One receives weekly menus, recipes, and grocery lists. But I will not look at this App until I am getting close to when I will be done. After 42 days of water fasting, Day 42 will be November 7th. I will then do 2 weeks of fasting using veggie broth, that I will have each day. Which will take me to November 21st. That is my plan. I am now 7 hours into my day 1, gulp. I wish us all continued success. Or in my case, “fail forward”. I will post each evening before bed. Bye for now.

Day 2: Sept.27th, 2021
Oh, I am soo tired, and of course, hungry. I am going to make my broth (500 hot ml H2O , with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and add cayanne powder to it, like a pinch).
I feel strong in my decision, and I ain’t backing down, I know this will be hard, but I am in it to win it. I taught two yoga classes, and my new puppy was alone for 4 hours, and did not destroy the house, hurray. I gotta work all day tomorrow. I am so tired. I drank up to 3 liters of water with electrolytes in the water (1/2 tsp. each of Magnesium and salt, and 1 tsp. each of baking soda and potassium, combined in 2 liters of water). Plus I take a mineral capsule and green tea. So, I am looking forward to day 5-7 when I won’t feel desperately hungry anymore. And I am watching alllll these videos about fasting to hype me up. I am doing it, hurray! I am not cocky yet, but it is sort of fun to pretend I am. See you all tomorrow. Happy Fasting.

[schmidtsmia]

Here I am on Day 3, heading onto day 4! I actualy started this fast on Sunday, at 5 p.m. and it feels odd. Nomally, in the past, I have started fasts, at 12 Midnight (and yes, I have really stuffed my face up to 12 midnight, in previous extended fasting). This time, my daughter was visiting and I had Miso Soup with veggies and rice noodles in it, and was just done with eating, so started at 5 pm. My tummy growling is still a thing, and the sounds woke me up, first time ever, in the middle of the night. LOL!!! Normally, I would have trouble sleeping during this adjustment phase, but this time, I am going to bed before 12 midnight, and sleeping great! But this could have to do with my new adorable, loving puppy, who has literally kept me in stitches, laughing over the last 12 days. Dog-Love is so wonderful. Yesterday, I found out my vet was leaving town and on Oct.1st!!! I almost cried and wanted to stuff my mouth, because it freaks me out. I have two ill, elderly dogs, in addition to the new puppy. And I just rode the waves, and proved to myself, that I do have some power over this unhealthy coping device of binging away my feelings. I got on the scale, (for the last time until the day 43) and I dropped 3 kg., since Sunday. No carbs=No excess water weight. That was motivating, but do not want to be a slave to the scale. I did take my measurements and put them in my yearly planner, diary, that Yasemin suggested we all get, to track our monthly progress. It is nice to have the info all in one place, and will do weekly measurements. I am not going to be overly confident about this fast yet. I know that brat inside me, who knows my weaknesses better than I do myself, is wanting to sabbotage my efforts, as it has done, in the last year, again and again, until I wanted to hide again and not show my face/body. So far so good, and I reaffirm that for today, I AM WATER FASTING! And I tell the inner brat to STFU! I made chocolate chip cookies for the peeps at the Catholic Adult Ed, where I give Yoga Classes, for thanking them for rearranging my schedule, so I could spend time with my new puppy. These guys do all the administrative crap, that I do not have to do. And in Germany, ain’t no goooooood American Choc.Chip cookies, so these folks do appreciate healthy, organic made-with-love, homemade cookies. Anyway, I was not even tempted to try the cookies, which told me, I MEAN BUSINESS! Wow, I felt empowered. So, if someone like me, who has failed at doing extended fasting, since June (I did a 7 day water fast in June), then you can, too. I KNOW it is just a mind set. I am 63 years young, and 30+ Kg. overweight, and I am doing it! I am a fasting guru, sexy-ass, juicy Yoga Instructor! Bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

Day 4
I am feeling rather hungry, and anxious. Often food and preparing food helped me to not feel so anxious, and well fasting is NOT easy. Do not be fooled by any of the hyperbole that one has soooo much energy, and one feels clear in the head, and so forth, like one is magically enlightened. No. I have done many extended fasts. In the last year alone I have done 6 and this is now my 7th extended fast. I have done in this year three 21 day fasts, one 54 day fast, two 7 day fasts, probably close to twenty 3 day fasts, and now I am doing a 42 (and maybe longer) fast. And they were NEVER easy-peasy. After some days fasting, my inner brat shuts up, and I just get on with it. But, every single fast took all my willpower to just even start them, and then continue the fast. Today, I feel anxious, nervous, a lot of emotions are coming up: mostly anger, and fear, and sadness. So, now I am praying. As to physical symptoms, I do have some very watery stools with no cramps, like water. Yuck. And I am annoyed at my stubborn puppy. I take her out, every hour. She does not like the rain, and it has been raining. She will pee, and then wants to come in. We come in and she poops in the house shortly afterwards. I try staying outside, and walking with her, after the pee, and she refuses to budge. I won’t drag her. So I come in, and shortly afterwards, she poops in the house.She did this twice yesterday. At night, I set my clock and get up twice to take the puppy out. Last night was the first night since I got her on the 17th of Sept. that she did not poop at night. Now it is 8:17 and she still has not pooped even though she ate, late last night and also this morning. WTF. I will try again, but it is annoying me, that is the truth. Babies!Sigh…
I can not wait for automatic pilot to set in. It has not yet. That is when ketosis sets in and one is no longer physically hungry. So far, that has yet to happen. After 2-3 weeks, my clothes will start to get loose. Hallalujah…
Bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

Day 5, heading into Day 6 in 6.5 hours…
Yesterday, I was very tired, drained and rather a lot of negative emotions came up.
Today, I feel much better. Yesterday, in Yoga, some yoga student, who happens to be a G.P. told me that I have acetone breath…Thank you! I had just brushed my teeth, so now I am including FREQUENT tongue scraping to my oral hygiene practice. I don’t want to gross anyone out. AND that means I am in Ketosis, hurray. Finally. My tummy is not happy. It feels almost like I got a rock sitting in my stomach.
And I still have the runs, but it is not biggie.
My attitude is lighter. I am praying a lot, while exercising myself and my 3 dogs, while we hike in the hills/woods where I live. Actually saying out loud, “Praise God”, helps me to feel more connected to my heart.
Today is Friday, and I am grateful for the weekend! My children are coming to visit me, hurray. I will prepare them food, and I will, thank Ketosis, not feel the need to partake. As Yasemin said recently, to remind us fasters, that we have our whole lives to eat, and we are choosing to fast, and it is not forever. A fasting-focused lifestyle helps build the discipline muscle. Fasting is almost 100% a mental discipline. Ketosis really helps! And the brain does thrive very well on Ketone Bodies.
I really enjoy taking off each stickie, representing a full day of being disciplined. And I just noticed, that my favourite zip-up sweatshirt is not so tight on me, anymore.
I forgot to take a photo yesterday, and will do so today. When I got on the scale a couple a days ago, it showed that I had already dropped 4 kg. (water-weight). And, it is weird, in a nice way, that I don’t feel the need to constantly get on the scale. Hurray. Oh, and I joined a FREE HEALTHY-WAGE contest, to be 6% less weight by the beginning of December. I might get a few bucks from it, LOL.
So, now I am going to check out Mike’s journal, and see what he is up to…I do have more confidence that I will actually go 42 days. When I get to the halfway mark, 21 days, I will be a lot more confident. In my heart, I know the worst is over now, Hump Day, and that means more and more automatic pilot is in gear. Bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

Day 7 has arrived, hurray.
Yesterday, I was dragging my butt. Today, I have done nothing, just relaxing and am now going into the bathtub.
Not much to say. I have not noticed a difference in my clothes. In the past, it took definitely 2.5-3 weeks to actually see a difference.
Imagine, I am toying with the idea of fasting for 60 days. I want to be under my goal weight of 58 kg. by the time I am done fasting. So nothing really to share. I am just relaxing and recouping, on this Saturday. I have not gone 7 days (of fasting) since June of this year. I am very pleased with myself!!! Bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

Day 8 and in 1 hour, I will be on heading into day 9. Today, the weakness continues although I took my minerals. I feel as though I have no strength to do anything. And my tummy is unhappy. I hope I get a surge of energy soon. I have already had 2 liters of water today. Gonna drink more. And I will take photos today, too. I checked my measurements, and oh, they were showing a decrease: My neck went down by 1 cm., My upper arm went down by 2 cm., my bust went down by 2 cm. My waist went down by 3 cm., my hips went down by 5 cm., and lastly, my upper thigh went down by 1 cm. I took the original measurements 7 days ago. Not bad. I should be feeling looseness in my clothes, soon. Not much more to report. I wish us all happy fasting.
Bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

In 4 hours, I begin day 9 of this 42 day water fast. Today, I feel more rested, and have more energy. I did not sleep so good for the first time since starting the fast, and I had this weird lower back pain. I got up, made a hot cup of non-sweetened, therefore very sauer Magnesium hot drink. It worked! I actually went right to sleep. I watched a very well presented YT video about how to break a fast. It is over 30 minutes, and well worth anyone’s time, who is doing extended fasting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3L_118IIgE
I do take minerals, and am adding a pinch of kelp powder to my “broth”. Tastes fishy, but gave me an added boost of energy. I got on the scale today, and in one week I dropped 6 kg. in one week, which is 13.2 lbs. Not bad, huh? I still gotta take that photo. I have yet to do this.
Not much more to report.
Bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

I am on day 10. I was sooooo tired today. And it lasted until I had to go to teach 2 yoga classes. Now it is almost 11 pm and I am like awake! I will soon take a magnesium drink.
Not much to report. I tried on some clothes…still too tight, and I have the rubber tire around my waist.Sigh.
I hope tomorrow is better. Good Night.

[schmidtsmia]

Day 15
I noticed on my walks today, that my legs are feeling weak. It is something I know and it is not a big deal. I will get on the scale tomorrow. I have dropped a lot of cm. in my measurements. Since I began fasting 15 days ago, I have dropped 2 cm. from my neck, 3 cm. from my upper arms, 2.5 cm. from my bust, 9 cm. from my waist, 6 cm. from my hips and 1.5 cm. from thights.
It is working, and it is hard…gotta go now.
bye for now.

[schmidtsmia]

Day 25
Oops, I was going to write every day, but I am kinda boring…Nothing really to report. I am now just cruising. I drink two magnesium drinks (no sweetener of any kind in it, so it is very sour), and allow one cup of coffee that I never finish, lol. I drink about 2 liters of water, and take minerals. If my legs feel too weak I make a “broth”, which is hot water with salt/potassium salt in it, I have dropped a lot of cm. from my weekly measurements. And I have dropped 14 kg., which is 30 lbs. I decided to add broth as of the 43 day, and will do 2 cups of homemade broth a day for two weeks, and after the two weeks, I will add cooked veggies to my soup. And will slowly wake up my intestines, stomach enzymes, etc So, there you have it.
Bye for now.