grrlAthlete

Hi Oldgirl!!! WOWWWWW GOOD FOR YOU!!! Thats AWESOME progress and AWESOME success in a few short fasts. At first glance, I read that as your 7th fast this week...I about feel off of my bed! hah. I think one of the best things about fasting is that you just learn soooooo much about your body and that you really learn to tune yourself in. You're so great. Keep it up, you're awesome!!

OK, so as far as Moi....I must apologize for my absence....I was pummeled by the worst flu I've ever had for the past week. Today is the first day since Sunday that I was able to get out of bed for more than 5 minutes at a time. I literally had to take breaks walking down one flight of stairs, thats how nasty this bug was. I must say, as I was laying in bed all I could think about were the poor people in the world who struggle with illness on a daily basis, as excruciating as my legs/back aches were with this flu (and I'm an athlete, I have a pretty high tolerance for pain), it was still just the flu....I could only imagine what poor, ill people struggle with, again, on a daily basis. So that lead me to feeling extremely grateful for my health and ability to exercise, and move around and diet and follow meal plans as I desire. Often in the hustle and bustle of "life" I tend to take for granted the little blessings. With that said, I am soooo happy to be in the recuperation phase of this horrible bug!

As far as fasting....I've had ZERO appetite since I've been sick. I did however, sip on Gatorade to avoid serious dehydration, Theraflu to ease the aches and pains, and eat the odd piece of dry toast or orzo to ease the nausea.....so although I was barely eating and had no desire to, I didn't go a full 24 hours without any calories.

Today I was well enough to go back to work and the nausea has subsided, but the appetite is still completely gone...I didn't feel like eating anything while at work in fear that my tummy couldn't handle it yet. Honestly, it didn't phase me, I wasn't a bit hungry (If only THAT side effect would last!!). I started to feel sick again (run down and icky...NOT hungry) around 3. I ate when I got home from work but got full very quickly. I made sure to make nutritious food choices, veggie soup, a couple of bites of turkey breast, and some fruit salad sprinkled w/ a few nuts to try to get in vitamins and EFA's, unfortunately, my fish oil is at work, or I would have had it instead!!

Interestingly, while I was sick, my brother made a comment that my face looked very "sucked out," I explained that I was very dehydrated and I hadn't eaten more than a slice of dry toast and some pastina in a couple of days. My brother is very versed in health/fitness/nutrition and one of the most intelligent people I know. With out a second of hesitation, he said "wow, your poor metabolism, you must be wreaking havoc by not eating, its probably SHOT." Isn't it SO interesting how we all just believe(d) and preach(ed) things day in and day out just because we read the same "fact" over and over again. I didn't have energy to continue the conversation.

Anyhooo...I'm not a huge fan of New Year's resolutions but I really would like to try to break myself of my sugar fixation. I'm going to try really hard to avoid eating sugar (that does not include fruit) on the weekdays. For now, I'm going to try to save "treats" (refined sugar) for the weekends. If I have to tighten that up later, I will. and of course, nothing is set in stone, if I have something special going I am not going to be overly restricting, but its a goal I'd like to work towards. My diet isn't horrible, but there is certainly room for improvements without overdoing it (burning myself out) as I have in the past. I really want to focus on that and break myself of my mindless sugar habit.

Oh I'm down to 132 from being sick. I'm sure its gonna go back up to the 134-136 mark where i've been hovering shortly. I'm starting to look a little "soft" I have to get my circuit training back to par and my cardio next week when I am 100%. And I've had my share of bugs in 07.....2008 will be a well year for me

fasted on friday. it went smoothly. one thing I've discovered....i can't drink black tea when i fast or it makes me really sick to my stomach. i can drink all the coffee and green tea i want but something about black tea doesn't agree with me - -i feel really sick to my stomach - -kinda that same nauseous feeling when taking vitamins on an empty stomach. and i feel a funny light headed feeling. every time I've tried it while I've been fasting...i feel awful. bizarre?? interesting to me.

I think we all have our own little idiosyncrasies with ESE. I've been drinking green tea for over 10 years and I average 3-5 cups a day. I really expected it to help me through the fasts but, for some reason, when I get into the second half of the 24 hours, it seems to make feel hungrier.

I thought that maybe it was the half-pack of Sweet & Low I use in it (yes, I still use Sweet & Low). OTOH, a can of Diet Coke (which I had previously cut back on) quells my hunger, although it might be mostly the carbonation.

Mixxster wrote:I think we all have our own little idiosyncrasies with ESE. .

oh def. AGREED!!

fasting at 7

VERY bad with fasting....i have had the WORST pms (of my entire life, i think!) and as much as i tried i don't think i completed one full 24 hour fast this week. i literally am up TEN POUNDS on the scale since last friday BUT i know a lot is hormonal bloat but that number is just SOOO scary....i worked so hard to get that weight off and i feel like I look like i am back to my watery, soft, bloated, fat rebounding body. My clothes are fitting icky and i just look so puffy!

Sorry just a little mental breakdown i feel and look nasty right now.

just being a whiny girl!!!!

Hey there. I'm sorry your having such a bummer of a week. I have the same type of results when I'm having an especially hormonal week. Don't forget, there's always next week, & maybe the craving for chocolate or whatever your weakness is, won't be as bad as soon as this passes. Until next month, that is. Just a fact of life for a woman. Take it out on your workouts. hehe
Denise

dmarie710 wrote:Hey there. I'm sorry your having such a bummer of a week. I have the same type of results when I'm having an especially hormonal week. Don't forget, there's always next week, & maybe the craving for chocolate or whatever your weakness is, won't be as bad as soon as this passes. Until next month, that is. Just a fact of life for a woman. Take it out on your workouts. hehe
Denise

THANK YOU, sweetie!!! Its so nice to have support of other girlies who go through it too. sometimes i feel like im 1 step forward 2 steps back when i get PMS...i just have to be better at controlling my cravings. Chocolate and anything sweet are my downfalls. I was in the habit of grabbing a piece of fruit when i was craving sweet but this month it all went out the window.

Thanks for your support...think i'm gonna go run stairs now!!! haha.

Afraid to get on the scale but I took some dandilion root yesterday and started to look better w/ in a few hours. Today i'm still slightly bloated but nothing like the past few breakdown days...at least I could open my eye lids when i woke up..tee hee.

Thanks, DM for your sweet, kind words!!! Gonna start my first fast for the week tonight at 5

had an AWESOME workout w/ one of my best girlfriends...it was a quick in and out/ no bs intense session...really like this gym that we're going to on a trial basis till march. the classes and cardio equipment are AWESOME in comparison to my rinky dink gym...so hopefully it will be enough motivation to kick my booty back into gear.

12 minutes left to the 24 hour mark. Not hungry in the least!

i think as awful as that "breakdown" was, I needed it in order to get my booty back into gear. I fasted Tues with no problem. I ate an extremely healthy meal (chicken w/ OO, sw pot, greens) after my fast and was completely satisfied. Started Fasting again at 7 pm. Had an AMAZING work out (using TT workouts and HIIT intervals...LOVE IT!!!) Kicked my butt into gear on the Stepmill and I feel great today. Wasn't even hungry after the training session.

noon....slightly hungry but nothing bad. i think i'll be perfectly fine. More thirsty than hungry today...gotta get back into the habit of re-hydrating properly after intense sweat filled cardio sessions.

Dropped back to closer to "normal" weight. Got 2 pound to drop to be back to where I was maintaining for a while. Then I'd like to ultimately lose around 10 to be where I want to be. But i don't mind if my body comp changes and I drop bf% over pounds - -so we'll just have to play it by ear.... well, eye would be more accurate to say but doesn't fit my cliche...haha

Thanks for the encouragement, Clem. Sorry it took me so long to reply. I’ve been busy and then out of town for the past week.

It sounds like you had a nasty experience with the flu. Sorry about the PMS, too. I no longer have that problem...I’m old and I’ve been spayed! It’s great!

I’m fasting again tomorrow. It’s been over a week so we’ll see how it goes.

What do you guys do to stay motivated to workout in the winter? I have no problem in the spring, summer and early fall, but once it gets dark early and the weather is lousy I don’t want to do anything. It’s probably been a month since I did any weights. It's frustrating and then I berate myself which makes it worse.

oldgrrl wrote:Thanks for the encouragement, Clem. Sorry it took me so long to reply. I’ve been busy and then out of town for the past week.

It sounds like you had a nasty experience with the flu. Sorry about the PMS, too. I no longer have that problem...I’m old and I’ve been spayed! It’s great!

I’m fasting again tomorrow. It’s been over a week so we’ll see how it goes.

What do you guys do to stay motivated to workout in the winter? I have no problem in the spring, summer and early fall, but once it gets dark early and the weather is lousy I don’t want to do anything. It’s probably been a month since I did any weights. It's frustrating and then I berate myself which makes it worse.

Hi Sweet!! DO NOT berate yourself!!! You're only human and we all get into ruts and down in the winter. Its difficult to get yourself motivated in the cold winter months when all you want to do is curl up under a blanket!!! What I've been doing...20 min HIIT intervals on the stepmill (love/hate relationship w that machine!) i feel like intervals are like a mini-challenge every minute or 30/90 seconds, whatever you do. makes the gym more fun.

Also, like you, my main thing is once i get there, i'm great, its getting myself to go that gets cumbersome. Sooooooooo I do things like keep my gym bag in the car and go straight from work, OR I'll go to "waste time" during my last few fasting hours. OR I'll get my workouts in during the weekdays so i have my weekends free. Remember you don't have to go seven days to start out with (or ever, for that matter) maybe get yourself back into it by going once or twice a week then when u hit that goal add another day or so...whatever your goal may be.

Also, I just read an article today that said that women who keep their gym shoes in an attractive looking basket by the front door have a much higher success rate at going to the gym. Another HUGE help for me, is i have Nike Ipod Plus...which literally counts your pace, distance, miles, calories burnt, there's even a motivational song that you can program and a "trainer" who talks you through and encourages you at points. I've also told clients when I personal trained on the side a few yrs ago to save things like magazines or a really good book that you are into and ONLY let yourself read them at the gym...during cardio, between sets etc. +

Lastly, you don't just have to leave your house and train AT THE GYM...i run stairs at the highschool and do pushups/body weight stuff when i'm sick of the monotony. OR i try to take fun cardio classes...i did a latin dancing one. yoga and boot camp classes are fun. i'm currently looking for a fun hip hop dance class and also looking for a cardio strip class. one of my friends loves fencing and also does belly dancing. Something you can "look forward to" and have FUN with to keep the winter blues away.

ALSO if i'm really not feeling like getting in the car and going, i keep resistance bands in my house for lifting. bodyweight training is easy in your house too. I am a HUGE fan of Turbulence Training style work outs and they have an entire ebook on bodyweight training that yo can do right at home. I actually think they are running a 3day trial membership right now on the site....which i don't know off the top of my head, but you can google it. For Cardio at home: I've ran a 5K in place in my room (thanks to the handy dandy ipod that counts pace for me). I've run up and down the stairs and around my basement. Put the music WAY up and danced around my bedroom. Done yoga in my living room. Walked/jogged in place while watching TV. Literally made up my own "step class" in my bedroom or in front of the TV. I guess you just have to get creative and keep it interesting and fun.

another HUGE help when i don't want to leave my house is www.exercisetv.tv. I found it when i was doing work outs On Demand once. they have really fun wk outs that you can follow along to and you don't have to leave the house.

BUT do not beat yourself up!!!! We all go through it. Maybe it was a well needed/deserved rest. After I tore my hamstring last June, I did not pick up a single weight for over 6 months!!! I was BURNT OUT and the thought of going to the gym made me nausceous. Once you force yourself to go back there, it'll all come back and you'll be back at it in no time. Just remember don't overkill, slow and steady wins the race. SMILE!!!!!!

Good luck with your fast!!!!

My update: I'm still chugging along. Did 3/week for the past 2 weeks in order to make up for that freak out. Saw some people that I haven't seen in a few months and everyone was asking me if I am training for another show b/c I am leaning out so nicely. Honestly, its painless and the longer I've been doing it the more my appetite stays under control.

had a stomach bug over the weekend. started fasting last night at 730...perfect timing b/c going to a basketball game tonight...in a box w/ included food and drinks starting at 7 .

up 5 from pms....see a pattern? haha. fasting today till 7. so far so good. keeps me away from the v day chocolates.

hi guys!!! still chugging away. first fast this week...tonight at 6. increased appetite last week (not pms week) BUT fasting helped me keep my weight stable. Gonna hit the gym hard this week to make up for the extras but overall I think it was just more painful mentally than physically thanks to fasting keeping weight gain at bay. Happy fasting, all!

i couldn't figure out why i was starving today...started fasting at 6 last night and by 10 am i was ready to give in. thankfully its almost 5 and i'm still hanging in. I DID train VERY hard last night...more than usual...ran stairs for 30 min w/ my little sister (hardcore HIIT) and then walked w my friend we were just catching up and chit chatting and didn't realize we were goingfor over 2 hours. Maybe the culprit. Maybe hormonal as well. Either way, I'm chugging. As of Monday morning I was up 3 lbs and my pants were SNUG..but i was making HORRIFIC food choices over the weekend...so I'm sure by the end of the week i'll be evened out.