12/26/14 Weigh-In 12/28/2014

I really wasn’t sure what to expect at this weigh-in. I had gone to the doctor’s office two weeks before and it said that I was eight pounds more than I weighed at home two weeks before, which is a big difference, even though it’s a different scale, I was wearing boots, and it was in the afternoon.

I have been eating three meals a day regularly instead of sometimes only two, like I was doing the month before. I wasn’t sure if eating more, smaller meals would help my weight or not, but I knew I would feel better physically if I didn’t eat so much at my meals and I would feel better mentally if I was eating more often (after all, I do fast for 16 hours a day anyway).

I exercised intensely in the beginning of the month, but then I got sick and that slowed down my workouts. However, I did do more running and I ran a race. I’ve also been stretching more often and I looked into doing yoga at home by streaming YouTube videos to my TV, instead of going to exercise classes, including a yoga class, which is where I believe I caught the cold that I had in the beginning of the month.

So the results of my weigh-in were a loss of 1.4 pounds, 0.5 inches, and 0.2% body fat. I’m exactly the lowest weight I’ve been since doing Paleo/Intermittent Fasting. Maybe I’m on a downward trend and will continue to lose a little more weight in the coming months. It would just be great to lose this belly fat! I’ve been working with my holistic doctor about it, which I’ll save for my next post.

I’m happy about the weigh-in and I’m happy with my weight. In fact, I don’t care whether I lose more weight or not. I will just continue my lifestyle and see where it takes me. To continue to improve my health and wellness is my goal.

How are you in your health journey? Have you made any improvements/changes lately? Or are you stuck? Stay strong!

11/29/14 Weigh-In 12/10/2014

Hello, everyone! I hope you’re having a good week so far. I meant to write this post sooner, but I’ve been busy with work and weekend responsibilities. I’ve had a lot of posts I’ve wanted to write, so I’m catching up with them slowly 🙂

November 29th’s weigh-in is very special to me, which is why I want to write about it even though it happened 1.5 weeks ago. I lost 1.4 pounds, 2.5 inches, and 0.4% body fat. I had gained weight at my weigh-in last month, so I am very happy to be losing weight again and getting back down to my lowest weight – only 1.4 pounds to go! 🙂

During the last month, I ate less and amped up my workouts. I skipped meals when I didn’t feel like eating (which is okay for me because I’m doing intermittent fasting and I know the benefits of fasting), began going to a boot camp class twice a week, and running (I even ran a race!). All of that activity and less food helped me to lose weight, inches, and body fat 🙂

To recap, I’m still doing a modified version of the Paleo Diet (Paleo minus fruit/berries, nuts/seeds, and starchy vegetables, due to my doctor’s advice and my personal preference), and intermittent fasting, like I just mentioned. I’ve been fasting for longer periods (18-20 hours, instead of 16), and working out five days a week, consistently, doing the workouts I’ve already mentioned, plus a yoga class once a week. I really do like the balance of my workouts 🙂

I’ve actually been feeling a little sick this last week, so I’ve cut back on my workouts until I recover. And from running every day, due to some December fitness challenges I’m doing (highly recommended for those in need of motivation), I hurt my hip a little, so I’ve been resting it. Now it’s better, so I will resume running soon!

Lately I’ve felt like I haven’t been eating often enough, and that, plus not relaxing enough, is why I think I got this cold. My body is trying to tell me something! Plus, I was eating really large meals when I did eat, eating past fullness.

So I’ve decided to go back to three smaller meals a day so that I won’t be overeating at my meals, and my body will have nutrients more often. I think I can improve my health in this way when it comes to weight loss, because I’ll be listening to my body more and that will allow me to eat just what my body needs.

Yes, I’m still trying to lose weight, and fitness is going to be a big part of it. I’d like to lose 10 pounds, but more importantly, get fitter (cardiovascular and strength-wise) to lose body fat. Losing body fat will be more important to me than losing weight.

I also intend on relaxing more, meditating, and continuing to do my yoga. I’ve already cut back on my workload so that I will be less stressed 🙂

How has your health journey been going? What have you been doing for your health lately?

My Eating Plan, Part Two: Intermittent Fasting 11/26/2014

The second part of my eating plan is intermittent fasting. The reason I began intermittent fasting, and why I continue to do it, is because I researched fasting when I did my 4-day water fast, and I discovered that there were many benefits to occasional fasting, and it does not slow the metabolism (in fact, it does the opposite – it helps the metabolism and is very good for fat burning). Also, my new PCP (primary care physician) advocates intermittent fasting, so I know it is safe and healthy.

Going from an extended fast to intermittent fasting was easy. The extended fast allowed me to be okay with being hungry. So going only 4 hours in the evening and 4 hours in the morning without eating is not difficult. And I know that my body needs time after eating dinner to digest my food before going to bed, because the body heals at night, and if it’s digesting food while I’m sleeping, it is not able to heal the body.

In fact, a couple of times, I felt a cold coming on, but the symptoms only lasted for a short time (less than one day), and I believe this is because of the fasting that I do. My body is able to heal itself quickly, because I’m not constantly eating. The reason for this is because digestion takes the most energy from the body, so the body is not able to attend to other parts of the body when its attention is focused on digesting food. But when the GI tract is clear and digestion isn’t happening, the body is able to work on other issues that it is experiencing.

Typically, I eat 2-3 meals a day during my 8-hour eating window. If I’m not hungry in the morning, my first meal of the day is lunch. I don’t eat when I’m not hungry. And I know my body is not starving when I don’t feed it constantly, because I have plenty of fat stores it can tap into when my food intake is not enough to provide energy at the moment. Body fat is a very good fuel for the body, and I have more energy and mental clarity when I’m in fat-burning mode.

Proof of this is how you feel after eating a big meal, like during the holidays. You feel tired, lack motivation, and can’t concentrate. This is what is called a “food coma.”

So that is why I do intermittent fasting. It is good for fat burning and is healthy (allows the body to heal).

Have you tried fasting before? What were your experiences?

In my next post, I’ll discuss my exercise plan 🙂

GI Health, the Paleo Diet, & Intermittent Fasting 11/21/2014

Hello, all!

An update is definitely in order. Sorry it’s been so long. I’ll explain everything…as concisely as possible.

At the end of August, I went to a new doctor – who is now my primary care physician and who practices functional medicine, which is like a holistic doctor – about my hair loss. I’ve been losing more hair than what is normal for the last 10+ years, and I discussed it with three other doctors during that time. I wasn’t about to give up!

It was a good thing I didn’t. My PCP questioned me about my health and gave me a comprehensive survey about symptoms of bad health. He determined that I have a gastrointestinal problem (candidiasis) and an adrenal problem (adrenal fatigue).

He prescribed a water fast to cleanse my GI system, which I did for four days. Then I began the Paleo Diet and taking supplements to heal my GI tract and rebuild my adrenal glands. He also suggested that I incorporate spiritual thinking, social interaction, and meditation into my lifestyle.

After the water fast, I decided to incorporate daily 16:8 intermittent fasting into my lifestyle. That means that I fast for 16 hours a day (the majority is while I’m sleeping) and eat during an 8-hour window. I usually fast from 5:30 pm (after dinner) until 9:30 am, which really isn’t hard to do. It just means that I don’t eat after dinner (which is a good habit for everyone) and I eat a somewhat late breakfast.

Supposedly, I’ll be taking the supplements for at least six months, and then I’ll be weaned off of them. In the 2.5 months that I’ve been taking the supplements, I’ve notice significant improvements already:

Nails: My nails are stronger and healthier.

Hair: Less hair loss and healthier-looking hair.

Tongue: Almost no coating on it anymore (a yellowed coating on the tongue is a sign of a candida yeast problem).

Mental: Mental clarity, more energy, less preoccupation with food, and less appetite.

Weight: I lost 10 pounds after not being able to lose any more weight (and I reached my goal weight!).

GI Health: I rarely have stomach pains after eating anymore (before, I was getting sharp stomach pains after every meal).

And I’m sure there are more! I’m looking forward to my continued progress with my new eating lifestyle.

I started going to yoga classes and meditating, as well as being more involved in social activities. The spiritual part I haven’t worked on much yet, but I intend to.

I was told that the GI tract involves more than just our digestive system. It affects other organs, such as the brain and the skin (yes, the skin is an organ), and our muscles and bones.

If you suspect that you have a GI issue, please talk with your doctor. And please keep in mind that pharmaceuticals are not necessarily needed for a healthy GI tract. I am not taking any prescription medications to improve mine, only a healthy diet and supplements (temporarily for the latter).

Please consider this: Nutrition can heal you or hurt you. Nutrition is medicine. You are what you eat.

In my next post, I’ll share my current diet and exercise regimen with you 🙂

Until then, please consider these words: Get healthy, Be healthy. What do they mean for you?