Sarah's Journal - water fasting/OMAD

#1

I’m so grateful for this platform! Thanks Yasmin and all who helped to make it happen as well as all those who support in one or another this amazing fasting lifestyle.

Okay so, I’m trying to garner enough motivation to finally tackle my weight. I’m haven’t been satisfied with my body in a very long time and I’m just recently realized that I have the tools it takes to do something about it rather than just resigning myself to the fact that “I don’t have the best genes”.

My tentative plan is to start water fasting in September and use that entire month to focus on my relationship with food, water fast and kick start my transformation.

I also have a husband who is quite overweight who I have been trying to motivate as well, who is half way in but not really. I know being motivated and seeing results with prior fasts and keto meals and other initiatives to get healthier and look better did motivate him a lot and once he is motivated there is usually no stopping him.

I am 5ft 6 and about 170 lbs, most of it in my midsection (true skinny fat). My goal would be 130-135 lbs then build muscle (I’m okay being around 140 lbs if I am toned, loving to challenge my body, active and just embrace life to the fullest)
He is 5 ft 11 and over 330lbs (a lot of it muscle, wrapped in fat, he used to be very fit), but most of it in the midsection as well. His goal is around 220 lbs.

Hopefully, for once in my life, I can be and stay consistent with journaling and actually starting and continuing. I have water fasted before for 3 days a few times and 7 days once but it was mostly for spiritual reasons (which is much easier for me because my motivation is truly outside of me and bigger than myself).
I have never successfully water fasting for weight/health reasons. We both have done OMAD mostly with keto for months at a time but not seeing results quick enough, as well as having to cook daily for a large household and other major stresses ate away at my stamina and of course hubby fell off the wagon once I did.

Alright, hopefully I can update in a couple of weeks once September starts.

Thanks for reading!

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#2

Hello Sarah ! You can do it ! I am on day 6 and going strong and trust me, no one turns to food like me to deal with life … this forum is making all the difference!! :slightly_smiling_face::four_leaf_clover:

#3

You got this. Just come to the forum for inspiration!!!

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#4

Stacia! You’re awesome!! Day 6!!! I am heading over to your journal…

#5

Bretta!! Thank you so much!!! At last, this is a place I can run to when I am feeling tempted!

#6

@Bretta Thanks so much!!!I’ll be on here daily as i will really need the motivation…

#7

Okay so, as you may have read, I have done 1 spiritual 7 day fast which was not easy because it was my first time and I was cooking every single day for my family and for a family friend who had lost her mom then. But I feel like it was definitely easier because I had specific reasons for that fast, and my connection with God spurred with on and carried me through it.

I have attempted many water fasts intending for them to last 7 days at least but have always failed. I would love to do an extended fast and although that is a tentative goal for this month of September, I believe I will break in down in baby goals for later in the year and see where that leads me.

My husband who has about 120 lbs to lose has decided to join me (I’m so excited!! He has resisted this in the past and that’s the first time he non only agrees to do it but shows self-motivation and excitement for it). Last week we fasted 4 days and broke the fast on thursday, feasted on week end and we are starting over today.

The plan is to water fast Mo-Fri and feast on the weekend for the entire month of September.
My secret hope is that I can muster enough determination to skip the feasting of the first weekend at least and continue into the following week for a total of at least 10 days - at most 21 days. But I honestly do not have a strong motive to do that very protocol right now.

So I will stick to the plan with hubby so we can both encourage one another.

My motivations:

1- One of the motivations is definitely health mainly for my husband who used to be fit. He has developed a prominent belly (that makes him uncomfortable), accompanied with sleep apnea (very loud snoring and just very uncomfortable looking when he sleeps- not usually fully rested), joint pains that were not there and some other things that occasionally come and go.
Deep down I often anxiously wonder what else (disease process) could be lurking on the inside that we can’t see.

2 - We have 2 small kids (7 and 2 yo boys) and want to have more kids. We long to be able to both be fit and strong and lead our kids into an active outdoorsy lifestyle, where they will love challenging themselves body and mind and learn to love fitness and discipline both mental and physical.

3 - We want to look good. Who doesn’t? My hubby is cute and losing the weight will turn him back into the charming man I met 10 years ago. I want to look good and give him back his sexy wife. We’re just too young to be just best friends (LOL) and the spice and attraction part of our marriage could really use some help.

4 - Related to #4. Next year will be our 10 year anniversary. We are brainstorming some great adventures that we can plan for each other in celebration of that, things we have never done or never thought of, provided we make it to our fitness goals.

Our stats (will update only weight weekly - will update inches monthly)

Me: 164.8 lbs - 40 inch waist, 34 inch back (bra line)

Hubby: 333 lbs - 53 inch waist, 47inch chest

Our ultimate goals

Me: 135 lbs, fit and toned, 27 in waist or smaller
Hubby: 220 lbs - 36-38 inch waist

The plan for September:

Week 1
Monday 31 - water
Tuesday 1 - water
Wednesday 2 - water
Thursday 3 - water
Friday 4 - break the fast at dinner time
Saturday 5 - feast
Sunday 6 - feast

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#8

We ate tons this past weekend. Not as much as we used too but definitely more than we normally would. We had a wedding (I coordinated some of it) in our family and after working tirelessly to help get it planned, we enjoyed ourselves with lots of feasting and dancing.

I am still very tired from the weekend and my stomach is rumbling and cramping (like running stomach noises and slight cramping). Although it’s uncomfortable, I do like that it wants to empty itself for whatever reason…

I got into a habit of drinking 5 glasses of water very soon after I wake up but I have been doing terrible with it. And also drinking lots of water increases makes me uncomfortable on top of the discomfort I’m experiencing now. So I haven’t drank a sip of water today yet and it is 3:20pm.

Motivation is still strong, no food cravings, I do feel hungry, but listen, food is just not what we are doing today is what I tell my mind to tell my stomach.

#9

Sarah! I’ll add you guys to my prayer list! I know you both can complete your goals you set out to do, especially with the help of eachother and this group! I am learning to be ok a little in the grey area (not so black and white) so I can remind myself it’s ok if I ate a large pizza on my feasting day, just get back up and keep going ! It’s such a mind shift from my usual “oh well, I blew it, let’s binge for a week”… I too am fasting all week, refueling on Sundays so I’ll be watching you guys for motivation ! We got this and yaaaa for us being healthy for our kids to be active and great examples… we can do this ! :slight_smile::four_leaf_clover:

#10

This is so thorough and well thought out! I think you have put a lot of time, thought, and determination to making realistic goals and very strong “why’s”. Do you have a religious group you can also recruit as an ally?

Keep us posted!

#11

Awww… Thanks Stacia!! Particularly for the prayer list! I have to get on with mine, I have been slacking and doing just the minimum…

I think you are absolutely right regarding not being so strict all the time. The whole point of life is to enjoy it and we enjoy it best in my opinion when we develop the skillful art of balance.

That can look as different and unique as each individual is but finding our own balance (discipline, rigor at times, mental courage and determination, along with embracing adventures to their fullest, loving deeply -God, self and others-, giving abundantly, sacrificing without reserve, being spontaneous and laid back at the same time and knowing when to do all of these things and when to pull back and veer in the other direction) and constantly recalibrating makes life fun as we grow and change.

Those things sound or look opposite (being rigorous and disciplined vs being spontaneous) or contrary at times but if we think about it, they are not at odds. They are exactly complimentary just like summer needs winter and night needs day and inhaling needs exhaling.

So please!! Enjoy your large pizza! Maybe find an easy whole wheat, keto fathead or cauli crust pizza recipe that you can quickly make at home and splurge on your favorite toppings, then enjoy without guilt (so long as you have a plan for tomorrow).

I hear you completely with the “I already messed up, what’s the point of stopping now?” attitude. It’s just a mind thing. I have accepted that messing up is part of the game and I try to leave room for it. You can’t get back up if you haven’t fallen…

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#12

Kristy!!! LOL thanks for the compliment, but listen, I am a planner at heart. I had my 8 semesters of college mapped out down to the very classes when I got there as a freshman. I take so much time and effort to plan and I can picture it but… the follow through often times can leave a lot to be desired…

Which is why this platform is so amazing… Thanks for your support and kind words. I don’t specifically have or belong to a religious group, but I have been on the Life fasting app which has social circles or fasting groups that have different purposes including spiritual.

Usually my spiritual fasts have for purpose to abstain from food to focus on God and my relationship with Him (rely on His spirit to sustain me rather than food). Basically I would focus on “spiritual food” if that makes sense. My reliance on Him makes the fast a breeze mentally (no food cravings, no mind tricks, I have never even weight myself or measured anything before, during or after a spiritual fast) - but not necessarily physically.

Since this fast is purely for health/weight loss, it is a little harder for me to find that strong spiritual/mental footing. But I believe it will be a great learning experience in that respect, along with strengthening fasting muscles which is I believe mental first?

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#13

So today is Day 2. It’s 9:58 am. I am still really tired from the wedding. Myself and my aunt had to bring tables and various boxes that contained decorations up 2 flights on stairs, decoration and set up took over 3 hours, not counting the many days of preparing centerpieces before that. I coordinated the reception which was quite stressful.

We had an outdoor party planned until a couple days before when thunderstorms and lots of rain were announced for our area (hurricane Marco I believe). We searched high and low for a suitable venue the minute we realized the backyard we had rented was going to be soaked and muddy and it would rain all day Saturday. We finally secured the new venue Friday at 7pm for the wedding Saturday. It was CRAZY stressful!! But it was a beautiful party and no one could have figured out all what we went through to make it happen.

So anyways, I am super tired with lots of back aches, even a little weak, and had mother nature arrive for her monthly visit.
Still mentally strong though, but just want to lay down all day and do nothing. Kids are playing quietly next to me. I love hearing them play nicely and share.

I have to think about dinner early (I usually have a biweekly menu and groceries shopped accordingly but we fell off the wagon with my cousin’s wedding prep). I’ll spice the chicken, throw it in the oven, make a little sauce to go with it and have my sister (who lives with us) take care of the Korean yams.

I also have to go to Costco. I wish I had Instacart… anyone knows how much is it for the year? The irony is that I am an occasional shopper for Instacart for extra money and swore I would never pay for grocery delivery…

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#14

Hello Sarah ! Thank you for the thoughtful response. Besides the 9 day fast and the 5 day fast that I did right after, what I’m learning the most is to listen to myself and not try and do what has worked for others as it hasn’t worked for years now ! :slight_smile:… I’m learning to do what will work for me and one of those things is to forgive the little grey area slips I do and get back on track right after! It’s so freeing! :slightly_smiling_face:. I’ll be rooting for you everyday! Have a wonderful day!

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#15

Thanks Stacia!! It’s such a daily learning experience isn’t? So long as we can be somewhat consistent and work with our body, I’m sure we will get there sooner than we think :grinning: :grinning: :grinning:

#16

Alright so updating today after over a week of no posts.

I thought of posting on here but I have been soooo busy and really needed to focus on the home, the kids and the little time I had, focus on myself (inner/spiritual life).

So let me quickly recap what happened over the past 11 days.

When writing my last post I was on day 2 of 4-day water fast. Well, that didn’t go well. I cheated and cheated and cheated and gave in the towel altogether. I was disappointed in myself and thought you know what?! Although, I did not tell my hubby for fear that he would get discouraged as well. So I basically cheated, kept going half-in, half-out, and kept cheering him up. That was pretty bad… I really wasn’t proud of myself but I’m glad I didn’t tell him anything.

As I said before, I really need to focus on God regardless of my reasons for fasting. When I focus only my whys, it just doesn’t seem to be enough to motivate me when things get tough, but when I put God at the center, it’s so much more easier mentally and much much much less of a fight against self/flesh/carnal desires.
So that’s what I decided I would do. I am always (almost always, sometimes I lose my focus and don’t put Him first) working on getting closer to Him so any excuse to focus on Him is a good excuse. I drafted a spiritual plan and decided to focus on that for the next week and I was able to finally get through the 3 of the 4 days we had planned for this week, after trying soooo many times to get through a 3-day (which I have done several times in the past).

So here is a summary (in bold is what actually happened)

The plan for September:
Week 1
Me: 164.8 lbs
Hubby: 335 lbs
Monday 31 - water - water
Tuesday 1 - water - cheated, hubby stuck to it
Wednesday 2 - water - cheated, hubby stuck to it
Thursday 3 - water - cheated, hubby stuck to it then we both ended the fast
Friday 4 - break the fast at dinner time - OMAD
Saturday 5 - feast
Sunday 6 - feast
Notes: difficult week mental stamina-wise, I couldn’t believe I couldn’t resist pieces of food I’m not even a big fan of from my kids plates (thinking this will go to waste). Disappointed in myself but proud of hubby.

Week 2
Me: 163 lbs
Hubby: 327.6 lbs
Monday 7 (Labor Day) - feast
Tuesday 8 - fast - dry fasted
Wednesday 9 - fast - fasted
Thursday 10 - fast - fasted - ended the fast in the evening
Friday 11 - fast - feasted
Saturday 12 - feast
Sunday 13 - feast
Notes: Mentally- Overall much much much easier, spiritual focus, mental focus, little to no cravings, enjoyed the fast. Physically- much harder on day 2, lots of hunger and a strong headache both lasting all day, a breeze on day 3. Generalized physical pain, aches and soreness at the end of day 1, much worse on day 2, almost gone on day 3. Water with apple cider vinegar, some Himalayan pink salt.

Me: weigh-in tomorrow
Hubby: weigh-in tomorrow
Monday 14 - fast
Tuesday 15 - fast
Wednesday 16 - refeed in the evening
Thursday 17 - fast
Friday 18 - refeed in the evening
Saturday 19 - feast
Sunday 20 - fast

The goal is to try to stick to next week’s plan as closely as possible which is why we have amended our protocol a little bit. We feel like making it somewhat easier and achieving it may motivate us pushing harder. Hubby mentioned we should do a 7-day water fast which is unbelievable coming from him.

I will keep you all posted and hopefully this inspires someone somehow!

#17

Ohh I also forgot to outline our weight loss mini goals:

Me: 164.8 lbs

September - under 160 lbs
October - under 155 lbs
November - under 150 lbs
December - under 145 lbs
January - under 140 lbs
February - 135 lbs or under
March to August 2021 - switch to measurement and fitness goals

Hubby: 335 lbs
September - under 325 lbs
October - under 315 lbs
November - under 305 lbs
December - under 295 lbs
January - under 285 lbs
February - under 275 lbs
March - under 265 lbs
April - under 255 lbs
May - under 245 lbs
June - under 235 lbs
July - under 225 lbs
August 2021 - Goal weight of 220 lbs and switch to fitness goals

We may both decide to switch to fitness goals but I realized in the past that it’s best to focus on one thing at a time. Weight loss/health is more important to us right at this moment; as we get closer to our goal we may decide to change things up sooner but it’s not worth it if we cannot develop consistency with whatever we decide. Plus, we have intentionally decided on small mini-goals because we really want fasting to be part of our daily lives especially as we get older, not only for spiritual discipline but also for health benefits.

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#18

It’s absolutely heart warming that you are choosing to focus your fast on your faith. It is the same with me. The closer I am to my faith the easier it is to do or not do just about anything.

I hope this is not too personal but I find it easier to eat mindfully when I think solely about the food I’m eating and it’s place in the divine world. Eating is this way, saying a prayer with every bite, makes eating a sacred experience that will bring you closer to your faith.

I also find that gratitude when eating connects me with the inter-connectivity of everything and it’s divine nature. This helps me love all my fellow people so much more and also makes me want to take care of our planet more because it is sacred. When I eat I get to know the farmers, the land, all the people that worked to bring the food to me.

I also know that the more I focus on my faith and how it relates to what and how I consume (not just food but through all my sense organs) the more joy, kindness, and abundance I bring to those around me.

You might like this article. It’s about a Catholic Priest that now lives in a Zen Buddhist monastery. He talks about how mindfullness brings him closer to living in God’s light and following the path of the holy spirit.

#20

Kristy!! I did find the Catholic priest article interesting. And I absolutely agree with being intentionally mindful of where our food comes from while we are eating it. We are so disconnected from our food sources and in certain ways I believe that’s why we have become a “gluttonic”, wasteful and spoiled society. I would watch some of this food documentary where we see over 40% of food wasted because it does not look esthetically pleasing to the eyes of the customers. I had a older man tell me he would give eggs to his neighbors (he has chickens and couldn’t eat all the eggs their produced) for free. Some new neighbors moved in and the young lady was appalled at the fact that the dozen eggs she was looking at were not all the same color.
Growing produce is a beautiful, humbling job and so is raising cattle, and you are absolutely right, taking the time to savor, expressing gratefulness for the labor of so many men and animals (and nature) is really a beautiful way to appreciate the food that we eat - a privilege considering millions who go hungry on this planet.
I used to follow this lady (some homesteading blogger) who had kids and moved to the country. Once they starting raising chickens, she just naturally adjusted servings sizes and discovered ways to stretch eating one chicken (using different parts for different meals) so that they would not waste the precious time, effort and love as well as the life of the chicken. She said that if one put time and effort growing something with love, it would be hard to be gluttonous and hateful.

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#21

Good evening readers, here is my update

The plan for September:
Week 1
Me: 164.8 lbs
Hubby: 335 lbs
Monday 31 - water - water
Tuesday 1 - water - cheated, hubby stuck to it
Wednesday 2 - water - cheated, hubby stuck to it
Thursday 3 - water - cheated, hubby stuck to it then we both ended the fast
Friday 4 - break the fast at dinner time - OMAD
Saturday 5 - feast
Sunday 6 - feast
Notes: difficult week mental stamina-wise, I couldn’t believe I couldn’t resist pieces of food I’m not even a big fan of from my kids plates (thinking this will go to waste). Disappointed in myself but proud of hubby.

Week 2
Me: 163 lbs
Hubby: 327.6 lbs
Monday 7 (Labor Day) - feast
Tuesday 8 - fast - dry fasted
Wednesday 9 - fast - fasted
Thursday 10 - fast - fasted - ended the fast in the evening
Friday 11 - fast - feasted
Saturday 12 - feast
Sunday 13 - feast
Notes: Mentally- Overall much much much easier, spiritual focus, mental focus, little to no cravings, enjoyed the fast. Physically- much harder on day 2, lots of hunger and a strong headache both lasting all day, a breeze on day 3. Generalized physical pain, aches and soreness at the end of day 1, much worse on day 2, almost gone on day 3. Water with apple cider vinegar, some Himalayan pink salt.

Week 3
Me: 160.2 lbs
Hubby: 323 lbs
Monday 14 - fast
Tuesday 15 - fast for hubby, OMAD for me
Wednesday 16 - refeed in the evening
Thursday 17 - OMAD - went away on a short weekend vacation
Friday 18 - Feast
Saturday 19 - Feast
Sunday 20 - Feast
Went on an amazing weekend away and enjoyed ourselves very much, did and tried a lot of new things. And of course indulged… without regret. Ate mostly fresh, some carbs but no desserts or cakes or breads, but good healthy yummy carbs, just ate a lot, at least 2 meals a day which we aren’t used to anymore.

Week 4
*Me: Scared to weigh in after indulging so much during our weekend away
Hubby: 327 lbs
Monday 21 - fast
Tuesday 22 - fast for hubby, OMAD for me
Wednesday 23 - fast and refeed for hubby, OMAD for me
Thursday 24 - OMAD
Friday 25 - OMAD
Saturday 26 - IFeast
Sunday 27 - IFeast

October 2020
Me: weigh in on Sunday
Hubby: weigh in on Sunday
Monday 28 - Hubby’s birthday- He is OFF, we shall feast!
Tuesday 29 - OMAD
Wednesday 30 - OMAD
Thursday 1 - Starting a 14-day water fast (hubby is down for 7 days)
Friday 2 - fast
Saturday 3 - fast
Sunday 4 - fast

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