Following My Heart: January 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Some TLC!

We have been trying to give the yard and house some tender TLC. We want our home to be inviting and we want to have BBQ's and get togethers. As the weather has been kinda warm and stuff is still dead from the winter, we have been trying to clean out all the extra and get ready for the stuff to bloom......hopefully!!! We did spend about $3.00 on some paint and painted the grill and Brian added a new board to it to make it look semi new. All we have left is we need to buy a new rack for the inside and then we will be ready for those hot dogs and hamburgers!!

Last Day!!!

Its the last day of the 21 days fast and the end to my 5 day no food. The past 2 days have been more difficult, just because I know mentally soon I will be eating. It has taken a toll on my body. I am weak, get dizzy and have had 2 meltdowns of boohooing. Here it is 11pm and you would think we would have an hour, but really we have till 2am, because that was our last meal cause we work nights. We did go out and buy Wingstop as our first meal and we have it here at home. We are trying to kill time so we don't think about it too much, but I know my body wants it.

I have been able to function and not feel too bad. The more I smelled food is the worst it got. Its like the smell triggered my stomach and then it would be reminded that it needed food. The past couple of days, I haven't been drinking as much as I should and its been killing my back.

Tomorrow we are going to treat ourselves and take a day out of the town and eat some good food and shop to say congratulations to us that we did it. It was a struggle that we did together and I honestly feel like it brought us closer to each other, because when one person wanted to give up or didn't feel good, the other one helped and encouraged. I think it was Brian more consoling me more, just because it makes me sick to not eat, I'm blessed to have hi
m in my life. I am surprised at how well Brian did, but I know hes ready to dig into some meat.

We both lost some weight with this, well Brian lost more, but we also leaned on God during this time. Some days were worst than the other and some days went by fast. I would recommend everyone to do this, just because its very rewarding. Alot of people say they cant do it, but its all mental and what we allow to defeat us.

So, cheers to everyone, we are about to get some grub on in a couple of hours!!!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Day 4 of my 5 day fast

This definitely hasn't been fun or easy. First day, my stomach did growl more than normal, but it wasn't too bad.
Second day was actually easy.
Third day was hard, I was going on 3 hours of sleep and a 15 hour work day and I know I felt weak and exhausted. Not eating dosent give me energy and then not having my normal energy from sleeping just wore me out. What I have been doing though is making 1 smoothie a day.
Fourth day is today and I woke up fine, plenty of sleep. Brian and I went the store to get a few things and when we got back started doing some yard work that was left over. While I was helping Brian with the fence I felt so weak and couldn't hold it for him. I instantly started crying. I knew that it was because I was weak and this is a mental thing. I also realized that bending over alot will make me dizzy and feel like I'm about to pass out. I do have one more day and I am off of work so I know that I can relax and take it easy. We do plan on going out of town after all of this an treating ourselves.

My goal for the year is to build my body back up with some grilled chicken and healthy foods and eat more times a day with smaller portions. I also need to watch my portion control and I want to start working out a couple of times a week to get toned.

Smoothie:

I blended
banana
an orange
2 kiwis
frozen pineapple
fresh spinach
some ice

You don't taste the spinach, but you still are getting the protein. I realized when I have banana and pineapple that's what you taste the most. Today I ran out of bananas so I put 2 oranges in there instead and it tasted like all orange. It wont look like it....Brian calls it baby poop, but its good.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Day 17 of 21 day fasting

For the past 17 days, Brian and I have been doing the Daniel Fasting. Brian wanted to try and do it to draw closer to God and I thought it would be good to do it together. We started on January 10th and I have to admit the first day or so was the most difficult, but the more we studied and figured out what we could make to eat, the easier it got. We even made it fun in the kitchen, trying to come up with our own recipes, with the ingredients we had. I did figure out that popcorn cooked on the stove with extra virgin olive oil is better than bag popcorn in taste and in health. Brian has said he feels better, but I don't feel a difference. He told me its because I already ate like that anyways for the most part, but I wanted to feel more and to see maybe a weight difference. So that's why Ive chosen to go the next 5 days without food. I do plan on making a smoothie maybe once a day for nutrition and for energy, but it will be strictly a liquid diet. I haven't really struggled all that much during these past 17 days for me to lean on God like I wanted too, because I do love fruits and veggies so much. I need to watch my health, as I have one kidney, and I have perfect numbers in health wise, so I don't want to ruin that. Also, last year I went to the hospital for gallstones, which I need my gallbladder out, so I'm really hoping this doesn't trigger it again.

I want to lose 50 pounds before my wedding and so after this fasting, I do plan on working out and eating better, but I'm not going to be like last year and go strictly all healthy, because then I wanted bad foods. I will "treat" myself or if I have this outrageous craving, I will go ahead and eat it. Around one week a month I crave cheese like no other, so I will keep eating my cheese!!!

Last night I was sick at my stomach and so I woke up late today. My stomach still hurts a little bit today, but I do know that the next 5 days is going to be a struggle and hard, which makes me even want to conquer it more. I do know if I feel sick or weak, I will eat before going to the hospital. I think this is when I will need Gods strength and me meditating more than ever. This is also when I will be taking my mind off of unnecessary worries and stress and soley focus on God to get me by. I want to draw closer to Him and need His help more than ever. This is what fasting really is about to me and now that we are approaching the end and I feel like I'm going to the extreme, is when I will surrender more.