Junk in thee trunk's Journal, 20 January 2018

I’m new to the site and this is my first journal entry although I am not new to the Journey. In my first entry it seems appropriate to provide some history.
I’ve been struggling with my weight for years. My highest Recorded weight was 192 lbs about 5 or 6 years ago. I went from a size 4/6 to a size 16/18 in just a few years. I looked terrible and felt worse. When I saw the 192 on the scale I stopped weighing myself for a while as if not looking would help. My closet was packed with clothing from a size 4 at one end progressing all the way up to 18 at the other end. I didn’t want to add a size 20 to the collection and I didn’t want to cross the 200lb threshold, so I started my weight loss journey in earnest. I ordered a set of weight loss coaching DVDs that proved to be very educational and motivational. I listened to them every day for 21 days and began losing weight consistently and I felt good. Then the lessons ended and I soon stopped losing pounds. I plateaued at 175. I decided to start exercising and consulted my doctor about my weight. I struggled with exercise. My feet and legs were in agony when I walked more than a couple blocks and to make matters worse I was stuck in a bad relationship. But I plugged on learned more about the body, nutrition and exercise and weight loss. I lost another 15 lbs and got down to 160. I spent about a year bouncing up and down between 160 and 170. I changed jobs, adopted a paleo diet, felt reenergized and dropped to 150. I then spent about a year bouncing between 150 and 160. The bouncing is me backsliding on the plan pure and simple. I finally ended the bad relationship and moved on. I was about 155. I stuck to that weight for the first 9 months and then really started feeling good about myself and started exercising regularly. I Even started running and signed up for a couple of races. I got down to 145. I felt great and thought I had turned a corner when all of a sudden a brief encounter with my ex sent me spiraling into depression and a horrific carb binge that lasted 4-5 months. I lost my mojo and by thanksgiving the only clothing that fit (every time I lost a size I purged my closet) were yoga pants, t-shirts and hoodies. My closet was down to size 8 and I literally couldn’t fit in my clothes. I was over 160 lbs again. I bought a couple of outfits in a size 10 and then resolved that I would not buy any more. I would get my mojo back.

I stopped binging on carbs but I spent two more months in yoga pants beating myself up and not doing much else. After Christmas I made a half hearted attempt at a ketogenic diet with little success. Then I saw a BBC documentary on fasting and the health benefits associated with it. I started researching it more and decided I wanted to give it a try. At first I was going to do alternate day fasting combined with 16:8 but decided I wanted to try a 21 day fast to kick start my weight loss and regerative effects.

last week I got motivated and began the fast prep week where I increased fluids (64 oz water daily plus tea, broth and a 24oz vitamin/mineral drink) and ate fruits and veggies the first half of the week and veggies only the second half of the week. Mid week I had headaches and felt lethargic much like the keto flu. During the prep week you increase fluid intake and progressively shrink your meal sizes as well as eliminate most fat and all protein. My only fat was two tbsp of coconut oil orr olive oil per day. Yesterday was the last prep day and I felt great. I had a ton of energy. I was able to take my dogs on a 2 mile walk and get in a 30 min treadmill fat burn workout.

Today is day one of the 21 day fast. I am hungry but it’s not over powering. I think I would feel better if I had gotten a good nights sleep but I was up and down all night with a sick dog, unbeknownst to me he devoured an entire bag of organic fertilizer while I was out. After waking me up several times for water and trips outside he finally vomited it up in the middle of the bedroom floor.

I think I’m tired because of no sleep. I also needed to cook for the dog this morning because he needed to give his digestive track a break and that really triggered the hunger pains. I think they would have been less severe otherwise. They are tolerable. I also feel a little bit of light headedness when I stand up from a kneeling position or bending over to pick something up from the ground. From what I’ve read I should stop feeling hunger altogether around day 3 or 4 and the lightheadedness should also subside by then.

The headaches and lethargy have not returned which was part of the reason for the prep week. I’m using ketogenic strips to monitor my ketones and so far I am in ketosis at a safe level. I weighed 156 yesterday. And I weights the same today. I think that is water retention and I think the lack of sleep played a role in it. I also may have had more sodium yesterday. I’m looking forward to the scale tomorrow.