Riallyst Daily Journal

Kristy · December 14, 2020, 6:34pm

I’m a chef, I went school, paid tens of thousands of dollars to learn how to cook and I still HATE cooking for myself! I enjoy cooking for others but nuts and bolts I don’t ever want to eat anything I make for myself. You are not alone!

Like anything cooking requires practice and discipline. Start small. You listed a ton of stuff in your post and big lists can be overwhelming! I pull out my trusty timer and force myself to make food in whatever time I set. Also sometimes the most simple delicious foods can be the hardest to make! Most people don’t like veggies because they just don’t know how to cook them properly. If you ever want any cooking ideas or advice I’m always here!

I didn’t want to cook lunch so I just ate avocado with soy sauce. Sometimes easy is best!

riallyst · December 15, 2020, 2:03am

Thanks so much for your supportive post Kristy! I think now that the novelty is wearing off, it’s starting to feel like drudgery. I’m fasting today but I will definitely reach out if I think of any questions!

riallyst · December 15, 2020, 11:50pm

I’m feeling very accomplished today! I fasted for 39 hours and finally got in the kitchen and made a giant pot of chili.

I feel really full and would guess that I’m well over my calorie target for the day, but for two days I’m probably fine. My goal now is to avoid sugar for the rest of the evening despite the cravings to keep cropping up.

I have a very special meal planned for Christmas and I’m trying to keep that at the front of my mind while I sip flavored sparkling water with lemon juice.

riallyst · December 16, 2020, 10:05pm

I’ve been fasting for 22 hours today. Not sure if I’m going to fast until lunch tomorrow or eat dinner later tonight.

I’m basically back to my plateau weight and haven’t exceeded it by more than about 5 lbs since September. That feels great especially considering I:
-haven’t done any fasts longer than about 48 hours
-have been overeating on a regular basis
-have been eating sugar/carbs at most meals
-haven’t exercised at all

I would really, really love to lose 7 lbs and get out of the 150s. I could a 10 day fast, but I know I would gain it right back. I think eliminating the constant doses of added sugar is a much higher priority. I know it will make me healthier, plus I’m sure it will automatically get me out of my plateau once I can get the sugar out.

riallyst · December 17, 2020, 11:45pm

Forgot to use my timer, but still doing OMAD so I’m sure I’ve fasted for more than 20 hours today.

I had a big salad yesterday and a veggie bowl today. An issue that I haven’t taken seriously enough is that eating too healthy too quickly is delicious but also really hard on my oversensitive stomach. I didn’t sleep well and my mood has plummeted.

I could fast for a bit with broth and tea, but I really want over-processed, easy to digest, comfort food right now to soothe myself.

riallyst · December 19, 2020, 6:51pm

Still dealing with GI discomfort. I did not stay within my eating window and ate in excess yesterday. Nothing too horrible since I don’t keep any prepackaged junk food in the house anymore just basic ingredients. I realize that I am always way too aggressive with these switches to “healthy” foods and it always backfires. It’s hard to go slowly when I feel like I’m so close to my goal.

I think I will fast until this evening, have something I know I can easily digest and then restart again more gradually.

Kristy · December 19, 2020, 8:54pm

I can soo empathize with the GI discomfort when eating more whole food. Are you taking any digestive enzymes supplements? I hope you feel better soon and adjust to eating all the yummy things! Sometimes probiotics help me too.

Cate_Alexandra · December 20, 2020, 1:42am

It might be worth looking into Lowfodmap portions of whole foods, stick to it for a few weeks and then slowly increase the amount.

riallyst · December 20, 2020, 4:31pm

Great minds think alike @Cate_Alexandra! I actually bought the “official” low FODMAP app some time ago

How were you able to follow it successfully? I realized after reading it in detail that there were several foods/additives that I already limited/avoided because of their clear effect on me (I gave up on “sugar-free” foods ages ago because of this).

However, doing the whole systematic elimination and sequential 3 day reintroduction process has been impossible for me to execute thus far. How did it work for you?

riallyst · December 20, 2020, 4:46pm

Hi @Kristy, yes I have been taking a very simple digestive enzyme supplement I found and it’s been a godsend (when I remember to take it); however, I may need to look at switching to something more comprehensive. Also, I think I may have to look into interactions with other supplements like magnesium or calcium?

Kristy · December 20, 2020, 6:18pm

I don’t know about any interactions but you know what is best for your body! The enzyme one I take does have a lot of stuff including bitters. However, everyone reacts differently. Like I’m kinda allergic to certain foods but find I can have them once in a while if I eat them with certain things. Bodies are crazy!

riallyst · January 2, 2021, 8:28pm

I took a break from fasting (and posting) as I realized I was getting overwhelmed. I am up to 162lbs from eating too much processed food. I will be doing a 36 hour fast to nudge myself back towards my current set point of 155.5lbs. Some of the weight gain is just water retention from muscle soreness, so it will melt off quickly.

Despite the weight gain and massive cravings, it was nice to have a settled stomach. I really underestimated how draining it is to deal with GI distress all the time. I was able to actually do a ton of cooking which has built my confidence. I will be reintroducing these foods into my diet at a drastically slower pace. Also slowly adding exercise.

riallyst · January 3, 2021, 7:08pm

Failed to complete a 36 hour fast yesterday, so I’m trying again today. I have 24 hours to go.

I’m a bit sore from working out, but I’m so happy to finally be incorporating exercise after so many months of doing absolutely nothing. My appetite has definitely increased so I am working on finding more distractions for myself to keep me busy.

riallyst · January 4, 2021, 5:57pm

34 hours down, 2 more to go Sitting in front of the TV last night without snacking was a real challenge.

It also reminded me that doing sudoku puzzles was a big part of my success on longer fasts. I plan to do OMAD today and then one more 36-42 hour fast this week.

riallyst · January 5, 2021, 6:15pm

I am 16 hours into a 42 hour fast. The scale is moving in the right direction and I have freezer meals ready to go.

riallyst · January 6, 2021, 5:36am

Broke my fast at 19 hours. It was for anxiety relief instead of actual hunger. Sad to say, but it did give me a short boost so I could function temporarily, but also gave me stomach problems that have lasted for several hours now.

I think my next 42 hour fast will have to wait until the weekend.

riallyst · January 7, 2021, 10:17pm

Abandoned my eating window yesterday while glued to the TV news; however, I lost weight (which I assume is 100% water weight). Now that I have started working out, my weight seems to be fluctuating more. As long as my clothes continue to fit well, I’m not worried about the small changes on the scale at all.

Fasting is going well today. I may end up skipping OMAD today and doing a 40 hour fast instead.

riallyst · January 8, 2021, 6:30pm

Broke my fast after about 28 hours with some peanut butter so I could turn off my brain and get some sleep. Reflecting back on it now, maybe some herbal tea would have been a wiser choice.

Nevertheless, the holiday weight is still coming off steadily and I don’t have to cook or grocery shop for at least a few more days. Just reheating some homemade soup and adding a small amount of fresh veggies to it.

Small steps.

riallyst · January 12, 2021, 6:26am

Still stuck on OMAD. I have been wanting to do more alternate day fasting but my sugar cravings have been off the charts the past few days.

I am going to try and be happy with my slow progress and patiently wait for my system to balance out a bit.

riallyst · January 18, 2021, 12:46am

Yay! My patience paid off and my fasting muscle is back! I am finally back to fasting for more than just 18 or 20 hours. The past 2 days have not been perfect. I have had a few handfuls of nuts and a cup of broth, but my cravings are manageable again. I am out of the 160s and super grateful for that.

I feel like there are a lot of factors that are all simultaneously working in my favor to make extended fasting possible for me: hormone levels, longer days, mindfulness, exercise, not over-working, whole foods, etc., but I think being patient and persistent with OMAD even when the scale wasn’t budging made it possible for me to catch the wave once my circumstances improved.

I plan to take it one day at a time. I skipped grocery shopping this week, so there isn’t much to eat without extensive prep work. The next few hours are going to be the most difficult time of the day. I also know that my sleep might suffer because my brain will be on overdrive. I plan to stay busy and mentally challenged until bedtime.