Yep. Like that. I remember going out for chinese food was a huuuuge deal. It was like a dark restaurant with beautiful lights…felt fancy to me as a kid. My mom would let me order a Shirley Temple. It was all a big deal to me
Terry's 30 day + water fast journal
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Weight Entry:228.2 lb
Lost so far:53.8 lb
Still to go:28.2 lb
Day 2 of my fast & .8 lb down. Happy to solidly break through 230 on the way to 220! Keto test strip was quite dark purple to the point I moved my weekly test from Thursdays to Monday. I’m at 3.2 up from 2.9 so its all good.
Yesterday was pretty much a perfect day. Started the day with a walk & then the lady shuttered in with COPD & allergy issues reached out to me and asked if I was available to help her with some errands. By the time I was done & on the way to deliver some sterile wipes to my kids mom, it was 5 o’clock. Had a visit with her & my son, a sparking water with rehydrator (I was so busy I did not drink enough water yesterday) got home at 8 & watched tv for an hour, had more water & collapsed into bed? wiped out. If every day could be like that, the fasting would probably be much easier.
I feel good this morning. Woke up at briefly at some point with a very dry mouth, but not uncommon. Only disappointment is I got less than 5 hours sleep. I was hoping for 7 or 8 but thats a rare beast.
No food hunger persay this morning but I do have that empty stomach feeling. Time for some water!
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Makes such a difference staying busy. My mind keeps wandering to my day off this Week, I’ve had a few moments where I’ve let my thoughts enter a dangerous path of ‘well I will probably fail because I will get bored.’ Have to remind myself of my boredom list.
It’s nice of you to help people out, gives you a good feeling while going through everything , not working etc. Hope something comes up for you.
Not looking forward to lack of sleep. I need 8 or 9 usually. I won’t be using as much energy while fasting so maybe will be ok with less sleep. Im not running, only walking daily. Not sure how you operatate on less than 5?
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Thank you. Yeah, I don’t know how I function on 4 or 5 hours either…God knows I can nap if I get the chance later!
Some differences I’ve notice day 1 & 2 of this fast to last fast.
-Last time, the keto flu for 4 days. So far day 2 just a minor headache occasionally. (May be resolved by more electrolytes shortly. I’ll get to that)
- Felt weak the last time all through it, strength last 2 days feels fine.
-Now the most interesting thing. Feels like my body is saying hurry up & lets get the housecleaning done! Last time I seem to recall the first week had about 3 days AB constipation at the start then a number of solid bowel movements for days then days and days of loose stool an ultimately total diarrhea but I was also on laxatives well before and during the fast so that was certainly a factor.
This time I had a lot of diarrhea yesterday. I chalked it up to going from solids to two days of pretty much liquid having nothing but smoothies. Plus I was very active and in the hot sun for two to three hours yesterday doing stuff.
Today no diarrhea but mucho bowel movements. It’s like noon my time and I’m sure I’ve had 8… all pretty solid and my bowel system feels like it’s been beaten up. I hope I have nothing more to give it today LOL. While this is a downside from a pain standpoint… I see it as an upside like my system is in some kind of overdrive. At least I hope it’s a good thing in the end. Otherwise halfway through day 2 I feel pretty darn good
Every time you fast the body learns and acclimates faster to the transition as your body moves from being “metabolically inflexible” to “metabolically flexible”.
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The body is an amazing thing!! especially how different everyone’s experience is. Funny how you can have so many BM whilst fasting, doesn’t seem right? Goes to show how much is in your intestines lol. I know I usually have very loose stools around day 3 or 4 and have to be very careful if I feel the urge to pass wind, just in case!!!
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Or waking up in the middle of night and its about 5 seconds too late!
(Did I say that out loud?) 
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Bahaha!! Thats funny
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Weight Entry:226.8 lb
Lost so far:55.2 lb
Still to go:26.8 lb
1.4lb drop to 226.8 as I’m 1 hour into day 3 of my fast. Aside from dry mouth waking me up a few hours ago, I feel pretty good. Last fast I remember well waking up every morning with such an achy stomach so so far, this is very much an improvement. Hopefully my bowel adventures of the past few days are settled down. What I am doing is starting & ending the day with electrolyte mix in my water. In the morning to start the day when dehydrated & to end the day knowing I will get dehydrated over night. Also the Vega hydrator I use is quite strong to drink if I were to use a full scoop in one glass.
Otherwise, did some running around in box stores, hooked up some new computer equipment & lazed around after a super busy Sunday. And I had some leftover celery so took my keto sesame chicken with celery recipe & made & froze a meal of it with top sirloin steak instead. I think I have 5 refeed meals prepped right now.
Today will hopefully be busier as I’ve got a bunch of errands today. My favorite way to get my walking in!
In terms of how long I will fast, assuming I feel as I do I could see myself getting to june 10th, the latest I can go before refeed into my son’s birthday. The one thing that could derail it is if my GERD acts up & causes intolerable heartburn. Aside from electrolytes I am ingesting nothing but water. I do not want to take anything for acid reflux just to gain extra days, but I’ll be an optimist. Focusing on 5 day stretches is definitely the right thing for me, anyway.
Full steam ahead!
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I’m jealous, I’m stuck in day 2. The time is going backwards.
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Weight Entry:225.8 lb
Lost so far:56.2 lb
Still to go:25.8 lb
Started fast day 4 and it’s a weight “hold” day. As I’m never thrilled at them, I’ve had enough of them that I shouldn’t be surprised by now. They just seem to be part of the process. Even so it may add weight to the idea that at this point, I’m happy with a 5 day fast length. There need be no heroes here. Everyone’s motivations & journeys are different & our job as a community is simply to support each other. I will finish 5 for sure but I’m not feeling a burning desire at the moment to “beat my last fast!!!”. Maybe its because my last fast was so recent that I’m just not feeling an extended fast right now? I do believe a minimum 5 days is a good idea for autophagy. I reserve the right to continue on😄
Otherwise day 3 consisted of:
-A busier day than expected & I pushed myself to cram a lot into it. Shopping for masks as I help out an old gal who deathly fears Covid 19, helping her follow thu on her decision & emotions as she had decided she had to surrender her only companion, her cat due to allergies, breathing problems & the mountain of cat food, new & used litter, toys, containers, a big cat tree. In the meantime I squeezed in a scheduled dr appt for me & rather than wait a day for a drop in xray for my back, I squeezed that in too & dropping off a package at the post office. Somedays I wonder why I do this to myself. Lol.
Physical things I’m feeling:
Before I went to bed felt fluish & some burps. Toxins cleansing on day 3 into 4 I believe
Stomach growling
Went from 2 days of frequent bowel movements to none on day 3.
Thats it, thats all! Made a big grocery list for tomorrow!
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Oh yes! I’m saving the shrimp cake recipe! Thanks! 
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They are so yummy!
Weight Entry:224.4 lb
Lost so far:57.6 lb
Still to go:24.4 lb
1.4 lb down today. 1 lb per day in the last 6 so very pleased and excited to break 220…soon. After 4 days & change I broke my fast. I have no regrets. Life throws what it throws at us & we adjust as we need to, right? I ran headlong into many unforeseen complications with…well think of Driving Miss Daisy meeting Mommy Dearest which has left my tank of balance, calm & giving pretty empty this week. I also started a journey to look into what constitutes a disability claim…with mixed emotions. I LIKE to work. At the very least part time…but I keep running into the wall of applying for jobs I don’t have the experience for or am physically not able to do. Nothing seems to affect my mood negatively more than applying for jobs. Hopeful when I apply…the depression that follows when I feel rejection at not even getting a response. I try to remind myself that its nothing personal…its just the way things are in this electronic submission world these days…but I can’t help but relive those feelings of it taking 5 years to get the last job I had. I’m almost 59 and if it were to take another 5 years, god knows where I’ll be at physically. Anyhow…one step at a time…and weight loss is a big step for me. And important mentally for me to have this big thing in my destiny that I can take control of in this crazy world!
Back to weight. I just realized I’m exactly 40lb down from April 2nd…exactly 7 weeks from the day I started my fasting & proper eating lifestyle journey. Pretty wild when I think about it.
Lastly…a new recipe I made last night (I try to find a new one at least 3x per week. Unfortunately I’m still finding I have ingredients I have to buy for the cupboard but no regrets as I see it simply giving me more options. So today its keto mongolian beef:
The only modification I made was used Swerve for the sweetener, I didn’t have red chili flakes and I added toasted sesame seeds. I’ll just eat 2 servings as a meal itself, but you can make the cauliflower “rice” as it talks about if desired. I did sample a little before I froze it & its delicious!!!
Here’s a suggestion that’s worked for me and others I’ve mentored in the past. List companies and people who you want to work for or with. Research to find out what is their #1 problem and come up with a solution. Then book a meeting fo pitch your proposed solution.
When I was in Seattle, I landed my 1st job as a software engineer despite having a history degree and 8 years of corporate IT experience. I did it by finding a company (ADT) who had a problem (possibly losing their #1 corporate account, Boeing). Me and a buddy built a software prototype that addressed the issue using new technology from Microsoft, NCR and a small company. The project was written up by Microsoft as a Case Study in Innovation. The ADT gig didn’t last beyond 6 months but having that Microsoft Case Study helped me land my 1st software engineer gig.
Here’s another example. A young college graduate had a degree in physics and couldn’t crack into the tech industry in Seattle. I was volunteering with a non-profit that wanted to build a marketing database. The non-profit got one of their patrons to donate a pc and I got Microsoft to donate their Access DB software. I gave it to the college grad to do. She got experience that helped land her 1st job in the tech industry.
Companies will always hire problem solvers. They will create find the budget or create the job to do so.
Hope this helps!
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@Tenax - they look really good. Actually, a lot of the recipes from that site look great. Thanks for posting.
And I really enjoyed reading your journal the other night. It was too late for me to do much except hit a few Like buttons - my brain was kinda fried - but it’s been a great journey for you so far. I look forward to reading more 
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Feeling glum today. The woman I’m helping out who has COPD and other serious medical issues including allergies & had asked me more than once what I would do/thought she should do about her medical problems. (she struggles with doctors including her own. Doesn’t feel she’s taken seriously & maybe she’s right. I don’t know). I said I’m no doctor but if it were me, I’d not have a cat & litter around, I’d quit smoking, I would stop taking PPI’s because I’ve read they can be bad for you taken long term (I believe she said she’s taken them for 10 years) and I would see if I could find a patient advocate to help work with doctors on your behalf. And left it at that.
And then on Tuesday she contacts me and says can you come help me? I’m getting rid of the cat & everything else. I say whatever you need. And of course getting rid of the cat was emotional for her. I understand that & she said she would be sad for days. I would expect that. It was a difficult decision I’m sure. So we take care of surrendering the cat etc. Then on Wed she had an appointment to see an allergist and after says it turns out she has no allergies! So she says and I got rid of the cat! (And it sounded like she was blaming me?) Kind of going from that to but with my condition & having to go to the hospital & no one to take care of her etc it was the right thing to do right? (She’s the type of person who seeks outside validation for her actions) so I say I think it was the right thing to do. I can’t believe if you have severe COPD & stuck in a small enclosed environment with cat hair & dander can be good for you. We yak a bit, I say I have to go & if you need me tomorrow let me know as she said she needed a ride to another appt. She says as she has more than once “you’re a good guy”. Heck she says “bless you for your help” and wants to shake my hand (gloves on of course) as I leave which I thought was odd given how contact careful she is, not surprisingly.
So yesterday I expected to hear from her about the ride for an appt. I heard nothing but not unusual as if she feels really sick her plans to do things or for me to do something for her can change quickly. So I wasn’t concerned. I was really tired last night & went to bed at 7pm! And woke up to this txt message which I thought she had sent to me in error?
"You are a psycho path and stay far away from . And if I were you I ’ d watch my back "
So I’m reading this & totally confused. I’ve treated her with nothing but kindness and made myself available to her on short notice, listened to her issues, given her my thoughts when she’s asked for advice, commiserated about her medical issues & family issues. I was tempted not to say anything back at all. But right or wrong saying nothing didn’t feel right to me so I sincerely responded;
"I’m sorry, (name) if you think I’ve done something to offend you. I hope you find relief and feel better. Take care.
I know it may be inviting a response but I’m not a cold uncaring person.
In hindsight, I wish I had simply kept things to what do you need me to help you with. Which it was until I met her in person & then she wanted me to come in, sit down and listen to her…a lot. She had called me on the weekend and yakked for 2 hours about her issues until I told her I needed to get out for a walk, enjoy the nice afternoon. She had said “ok I won’t bother you again”, which I felt was unfair but I said nothing. After, I reminded myself this woman is lonely, very sick, shut in, has fallen out with her family, so I need to have some patience & try to gently create some distance and try to do it without hurting her feelings, knowing as well this could be a challenge. But, she’s an intelligent woman, I will be kind to her even if its frustrating at times.
Anyway thanks for reading. I’m still trying to suss out where her txt message came from? We parted on good terms I thought. The only thing I can think is this is a lash out at me over the grief of surrendering her cat and she’s blaming me for it?
Did I do something wrong here? I made it abundantly clear I’m no expert or a health practioner. She knows what I used to do for a living so no misunderstandings there…I suggested more than once she take her time in making the decision, never pressed any of “advice” that I gave. And the topic of as she put it “3 things she should do” was only discussed when she brought it up.
And I still believe if it were me, with her conditions I would do give myself the same advice.
My only mistake I think was getting sucked further into this beyond simply running some errands for her. I won’t reach out to her any further. If she responds to me in a respectful way, I would like to say I would say nothing further to her but I don’t want to be rude. If she lashes out further, I do feel at this point I likely would just be going around in circles with her.
PS Btw, the other day when she was expressing anger about her doctor (she’s also racist in my mind…makes she says things like these african doctors, my dr is nigerian…is your dr white or something else? Anyway she said something that shocked me in relation to getting some help from her Dr or something. She said “I’ll file a sexual assault charge at that f-cker”. I thought…whoooaa. Her anger & hate rose so quickly & over something I don’t recall being a big thing. It definitely wasn’t about actually being sexually assaulted. It sounded like being vindictive to me.
Sorry a lot here. I felt a need to share and open to any thoughts how I proceed? Should I have zero communication with her going forward & ignore her no matter her response? Be prepared to talk it out with her if she wants to? I’m a bit lost. And I don’t like the implied threat in her txt to me.
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Wow! @Tenax, it’s a hard lesson. You didn’t do anything wrong, she asked what you would do if you were in her position and you told her. You have to keep your distance otherwise she will accuse you of something else further down the road. Hurting people hurt others. She needs professional help hence why she is lashing out and blaming you and also blaming her doctors. Be very careful And leave her alone please for your own sanity. Wow! You help her and now she is abusing you. If she contacts you again, wish her the best and leave her alone. Also, she told you to watch your back…she is threatening you. Leave her alone please.
IMHO, you did everything with good intentions. How the other person reacts is out of your control. I’d go with zero communication and move on. Lessons learned from getting involved with a few psycho girlfriends in my life! LOL
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