Day 13 ---- Busy, busy, busy

Day 13  ---  Too busy to be thinking about solid food

Today was a day where I was going non-stop all day.  I was on the computer buying airplane tickets, renting cars, and trying to book hotels.  I was productive during the day and close by to my 3 crock pots filled with really good tasting broth.

Right now, I have revisited the Italian sausage, peppers, and onions (with one jalapeno and some chili flakes.  In crock-pot number two I had ham and carrots in a vegetable broth.  And in crock-pot number three, I have my BLT (bacon, leeks, and tomatoes).  All three are very good and provide a nice variety of flavors.

Today I had some ginger tea and some ice water with lemon.  Both were enjoyable especially for the unfamiliar flavors.  Soup is wonderful and certainly I have had a wide variety of it.  But it's nice to have something different.  The tea was nice and the bitter lemon in the water was a fun contrast.

Someone recommended that I chew on ice.  Not a bad idea I think.  I might give that a try on the next hot day.

More people are telling me that I look thinner. And my wife says that I "look great".  Now that alone makes this all worth while.  It is such a great feeling to know that your spouse thinks that you look good. It warms my heart, boosts my spirits, and boosts me to work harder.

I would like to add more exercise.  Tomorrow is day 14.  It seems like a good place to add some stomach crunches.  Also, tomorrow is the day that I step back on the scale for a two week weigh in.  I'm excited to see the progress.  As you may remember, I started this fast just shy of 180 pounds.  Tomorrow, I'll get up and see what two weeks of fasting has done.  Stay tuned for the big weigh-in tomorrow.

13 days down, and here's the link to day 14...Not the best tomorrow...

http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_17_archive.html

All my best,

Mike

Day 12 -– Fighting the Urge

Day 12 and I've been fighting the urge to eat.

Today is Sunday so I got up and went to church. It was a wonderful time. There were some people there who knew about this fast were interested to hear how it was going.  

Right after the church service, just outside the doors on the porch, there was a large feast waiting for the congregation. This is pretty common for this church. They really want to develop a sense of community and what better way would there be but through food?  So each week they place some sort of food out on the tables on the patio. Everyone comes by and has at least a little bit of something.  

I haven't been to this church in a month because I have been in the Northeast working with schools, my profession. Consequently, there were lots of people that I was looking forward to seeing again. The conversations started and they just kept going. There were probably four different families with whom I really needed to speak.  All of this was great except for the fact that every one of them talked with me while holding a plate of food.  They were eating the most delicious looking taco salad and beautiful pieces of cut fruit, melons, grapes, cantaloupe, etc.  I found myself really wanting to eat any of what I saw. I think a lot of it was I just wanted to eat something that went crunch in my mouth.  The doctor has told me that I can have nuts or seeds or a small amount of carrots or celery. But I am planning on doing that only in an emergency, in a situation where I could not get to my broth.

After this we went back home. And a short time later we were at my mother-in-law's house watching the football game. How many times have I watched football games at her beautiful home with a table full of appetizers and snacks in front of us, and a cold beer or glass of champagne to wash it down? Again, I found myself wishing for snacks and perhaps a beer.  

We left her house during the first quarter of the game and drove down to the beach and a lovely local hotel called the Biltmore to take portraits of her. Being that she is a humble person, it is a rare opportunity for us to be able to do such things. So we embraced it fully in thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I felt like we should celebrate the photo shoot with a glass of champagne in their beautiful restaurant or lounge.  Again, it was an internal struggle for me.  But I was not about to give in, perhaps a carrot but definitely not alcohol.

When we returned to her house with the football game still on and being that Suzy and her mom were both super hungry they had pizza and salad. They asked me if I would feel okay with them eating. I felt sure that I would be just fine as I had plenty of soup broth with me. However, I did find it but challenge. And yet again, for the fourth time in the same day I found myself really wishing that I was not on this diet of soup broth.

But overall, it really was just fine. I just needed to realize that I was doing this for a period of time, not forever. The results I have seen so far have been wonderful, and as the doctor tells me I will be even better on the other side of these 30 days. So I stand fast.  It is a small sacrifice to pay for great health.  Besides, what is my option? I could take a pill for diabetes, a pill for my high cholesterol, a pill for my depression, a pill, a pill, a pill.  And then there are the side effects of those pills. Many of us are familiar with the side effects of antidepressants. Usually it involves weight gain and a complete loss of libido. I never quite understood treatment that was supposed to battle depression but added 20 pounds of weight and a severe reduction in libido was supposed to be helpful.  Oh but they do have a pill for low libido as well I guess. 

So although today and yesterday were both days filled with temptation, I am happy to say that I did not give in. I'm happy that I did not fail.  I made it.  So for now, I press onward toward the prize.

Here's the link to day 13...WOW!! 12 days so far!!
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-13-busy-busy-busy.html