Day 16 --- Officially half way there

Day 16  ---  More than half way there

I weighed myself this morning.  If you have been following this blog, you might remember that on day zero, I weighed 180 pounds, give or take a few ounces.  Today I stepped on the scale to find that my weight has dropped to 162.  Well, 162.4 to be exact.  I was pretty stoked.  That was a loss of about 18 pounds in 15 full days.  Not bad I thought.

So, I dressed in my "skinny jeans" or jeans cut to be a bit form fitting around the legs (the latest style that my wife likes).  I put on my black button up shirt with thin pin striped white lines and tucked it in.  I went over to the school where my wife works and walked into the short morning meeting and devotional that the staff has every morning before school starts.  After the day was ready and started, Suzy gave me a big hug, told me that I looked great and said that she liked how I feel in her arms.  Wow, not a bad way to start the day.

I ran off to a meeting at a local coffee shop and spent the day taking care of things related to the motorhome.  All day it seemed, I ran back and forth to the store to buy little bits and pieces that I needed.

The great reward was at the end of the day.  We were to visit our dear friends Alex and Oz and their sweet new baby daughter.  It was a lovely time, as always with them.  They served us tea with mine being fennel tea.  I had never heard of such a thing but knew that it was a safe choice.  They assured me that it was delicious and of course they were right.  These two friends are so especially dear to us.  I always feel completely comfortable around them.  We all realized that it had been far too long since we hung out and made plans for meals together when I have finished this fast. It was motivational for me.

The tea was great, but not substantially satisfying.  I should have had more broth before I arrived.  That is two days in a row that I made the same mistake.  You'd think I'd learn.  Hopefully I'll do better tomorrow.

Well, for you foodies, I made two more soups, both new to the list.  One was a tri-tip AKA bottom sirloin.  It is delicious and a hugely popular meat here in Santa Barbara.  Perhaps one of our most famous dishes served here typically at barbecues.  It's very reasonably priced in the rest of the country, and world, but here they tend to jack the price up to meet the demand.  I added onion, carrots, spices, salt, tomatoes, and celery.  Should be yummy.  The second cock pot that we started is cooked chicken, leeks, basil, cilantro, and celery.  

I'm looking forward to both of these.  I might add some coconut oil to the chicken soup broth in each mug.  It doesn't stay mixed to I stir the heck out of it and drink quickly.  Pause and then repeat until finished.  A bit of effort but tasty.

That's all for now.  I would love to hear from some of you.   

Here is the latest count.  In total over 1000

United States	786
United Kingdom	163
Australia	15
Hong Kong	12
South Korea	11
Germany	7
Russia	5
Netherlands	4
Canada	3
Denmark Mexico	3 1

It's funny to read this post again.  I had 1000 views at this time...as of today June 1, 2016 it's over 44,000!!!
Here's part 1 of 2 posts for tomorrow...I guess there's a bonus post coming up.

Go here to read it  >>>>>>

http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/beginning-of-day-17-morning-post.html

Day 15 --- Pretty normal day

Day 15 --  A pretty normal day

Today day 15 came and went without much fan fare.

I was up early after a good night sleep.  I spent the day working on different things, emails, some mild car stuff, and working on the motorhome.

As much as we love our motorhome, or caravan for our UK friends, it has been treated badly at the mechanic who was supposed to fix it.  They truly did much more harm than good.  I've been fighting with the water pump that they either put 24 volts through, or tried to run on 6 volts.  Neither is correct. I need to look at the pictures to calculate the voltage to know for sure.

I felt fine, albeit a bit tired yesterday.  I had some decaf espresso in the morning and my BLT (bacon, leek, and tomato) soup broth.  A great combination.

I noticed that I wasn't particularly hungry during the day, so I turned to water for most of the day.  That seemed to be just fine.  But in the latter part of the day, about 5:30 or 6:00 PM, I left to do a bit of parts finding at the store and also to do some grocery shopping as well.  I was doing pretty well and then all of a sudden, I started getting really hungry.  I was in the hardware store and bought a bottle of water to tide me over until I got home.  That seem to quench it pretty well.

But then came the grocery store.  Perhaps I should have seen it coming but I didn't.  Much of the food looked fascinating to me.  I looked at much of it a bit perplexed, like seeing a picture of an old friend.  I found myself remembering the flavors and textures of each item as one would remember experiences from days gone by with an old roommate.

Then it hit.  Wow, did it ever.  I was really crazy hungry.  I was feeling a bit light headed too.  I decided to treat myself to a cold sparkling mineral water.  But there was none.  What were they thinking not stocking this is the refrigerated section?  UK friends, you have to remember that I was raised in a country where every beverage is hot or cold, with the only exception being red wine, and perhaps some whiskeys and tequilas.  I found what seemed like the most exotic cold water that I could find.  It sounded amazing.  From the Big Island of Hawaii, where we have spent some good times.  Rain water rushing down the slopes of Maunaloa by the town of Hilo.  It sounded splendid.  I remembered the sweet smell of plumeria and the smiling, tan faces of locals.  I opened the square shaped, extra large bottle and was ready to feel it satisfy my hunger.  But sadly, it didn't taste like Hawaii.  It tasted like water.  Regular water.  I drank heartily to fill my stomach be assured that I would be fine.  But I wasn't.

I drove home, at least 20 minutes, perhaps more, famished.  I walked in super light headed.  My sweet bride was there to greet me and she quickly served me some broth that I had warm and ready to serve.  It was "red hot" sausages, (not really red hot at all), cooked with rainbow chard, onions, and carrots.  I didn't really matter what it was.  It was warm sustenance.  I drank it down and still did not feel well.  Suzy served another mug to me and finally after about 30 minutes, the nutrients hit my blood stream.  I was finally feeling better.  Thanks be to God.

I went to bed early and slept well throughout the night.

HEY!! This is the half-way mark!!
Here's tomorrow's post...
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-16-officially-half-way-there.html

 

Day 14 --- Tired and Blue

Day 14 -- Tired and Blue

After having a good day yesterday, I expected more of the same.  But sadly, I was wrong.  I woke up very tired even after sleeping quite well.  I went back to sleep mid morning and was in and out of sleep much of the day.

I found myself unusually tired all day.  In addition, I found myself depressed and blue.  There was not really anything that set this off, other than perhaps the fast, but perhaps that had nothing to do with it.

Today, I had my soups.  Bacon, leek, tomato and ham and carrot with vegetable broth, and the Italian sausage with red peppers and onions.  I will give away the extra, the main part really, tomorrow.

I'm super tired, again and still, so I'm going to sign off for now.

Tomorrow's post is worth reading, a bit more uplifting...here it is:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-15-pretty-normal-day.html

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

Day 11 -- Celebrated a Friend's New Home in Heaven

Day 11 --  Celebrated a Friend's New Home in Heaven

Today was certainly not about me.  Nor did I have much time to be concerned about how I was feeling, and if I did, it paled in comparison to the weight that others were carrying.

A dear and sweet friend's life was celebrated on a beach nearby today.  She was far too young, still in her third decade.  She led an amazing life.  She was a morally straight and very healthy woman who lived a life everyday, the queen of celebration.  She was the mom of 5 children, 3 of her own and 2 through marriage, but you would never hear her describe them that way.  To her, they were all her own and she took great care in living that out moment by moment.  She was very, very dear to us.

So, the day revolved around this.  Up and at 'em first thing, we dashed out the door to help our friends prepare for a difficult day.  We were there to do whatever we could.  We helped with all kinds of big and small details.  My wife was holding children, helping in the kitchen, whatever it took.  I was doing what I could from handing out parking passes to fixing a shower.  The morning seemed to fly by but reluctantly, we finally could no longer be buried in the busyness of the day.  It was time for the memorial service.  We joined friends and family on the beach.  The service was beautiful punctuated with laughter and tears, culminating in the release of many balloons sent heavenward with messages attached.

After the service, we all walked back to their home for a busy reception.  When we arrived, there was more food than would be needed to feed everyone twice over.  Some of those present knew of my fast and apologized and sympathized with my situation.  But it was not about me.  Personally, I remember thinking how much I would have loved to not been fasting that day.  I love champagne, and there was plenty in excellent quality.  If I could pick food that I would want to see at a party, well it was all there.  And here I found myself in the kitchen loading food on trays, and staring at the vast array of extras waiting to go out when there would be room available on the tables.  So, I drank water and focused on the dishes and contemplated on the much greater issues for so many here including a windowed husband of 5 children ranging from barely 4 to 14.

I knew that this would a tough day physically for me.  So I came prepared with two travel mugs of soup and a container of more that I could heat or drink cool.  We were there from early until about mid-afternoon.  We returned home, a mile away, and walked in to hear our neighbors having a huge, and very loud, children's party, not really what either of us wanted to hear.  My stomach was growling for more food and I was trying to keep my attitude from doing the same.  Suzy came up with an ingenious idea.  She warmed a large cup of broth, in a cast iron pan hoping that it would give me more iron for my blood, squeezed a couple of Key Limes into the cup and led me off to the solace of our motor home.

There it was peaceful and quiet.  We were surrounded with a beautiful walnut interior and snuggled up on the bed to rest.  The soup tasted marvelous in my mouth.  The contrast of the citrus against the familiar and traditional chicken soup was perfect.  Suzy fell asleep and I reflected on the day...that was yet to be finished.

Two hours flew by, along with another cup of broth, and we were back at the reception where we had volunteered for cleanup.  By this point the party had thinned and those still around were clearly in higher spirits. We went to town on cleanup.  I stayed stationed at the sink washing dishes.  I wanted to have a toast with everyone else but knew that I had made a commitment to this diet.  But not to be left out, I grabbed a glass and poured into it fully some bubbly to join in the festivities.  It tasted great.  The unfamiliar carbonation fizzled in my mouth.  Yes, I had the best.  Italian, like my wife, bottled in the Province of Bergamo in Lombardy, Italy, I poured out of the frigid green bottle of San Pellegrino the world's finest mineral water.  The bubbles looked beautiful, I felt like I was "drinking stars".

After finishing the dishes, packaging food, and consuming a good amount of sparkling mineral water, we said out farewells and wished Godspeed to the remaining friends and family.

By the time we got home, it was dark and the raucous children's party had disbanded.  Finally some quiet.  But my work wasn't finished for I was nearly out of broth.  The importance of always having some ready cannot be understated.  If there is none ready, well, what would I eat?  There is the emergency organic vegetable bullion but that was not something that I was looking forward to opening.  So, with three empty crock pots, and plenty of familiarity with a kitchen today, we set off to work.

If you've been following along, you might remember that I'm not a big breakfast guy.  I've been thinking of a soup that would have some breakfasty type flavors. Here was my solution.  A BLT in a pot.  Bacon, leaks, and tomato soup. I'm looking forward to trying it in the morning.  Also, a ham and carrot soup, hopefully imitating a soup that one might make with the leftover ham bone at Easter.  Finally, I went with a re-creation of one of my favorites, the spicy Italian sausage and red bell pepper and onions with some chili pepper flakes, but this time I added one jalapeno for good measure.

There was out day, after a quick clean of the kitchen, Suzy and I went back out to our motor home, lit some candles, and had a restful and quiet evening talking about where we would like to go camping.

I hope that you all take time to share your love and warmth with the important people in your life.  One thing that I learned today is life can be very short even for the healthiest, like our dear friend.

Here's the link to day 12...
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-12-fighting-urge.html

Day 10 -- Feeling fine again

Day 10 -- I'm feeling fine again

Today was a pretty decent day. Overall, I really can't complain.  I was a little bit tired at times but even with a traditional diet, these days happen.

After yesterday being a bit of a downer, I decided to be more proactive and stay on top of my caloric intake.  In retrospect, it probably isn't much of a surprise that yesterday was only so-so given how little I consumed.  Armed with that experience, I drank more broth from the early part of the day.  I didn't really "feel" like having any in the morning, but I did.  Perhaps it is because I've never been a big breakfast guy, or small breakfast guy for that matter.  I was trying to think of what flavors sound good to me in the morning.  I thought perhaps I could make a soup that resembled those flavors.  However, all that I can come up with is chocolate.  A chocolate croissant for breakfast with a straight double espresso always sounds good.  Alas, you see why I am on this program.  I'm thinking that I might try to do something with bacon.  That might lean  more toward breakfast, it certainly won't be anything with egg flavor, although that said, I'm sure that some would like that, like the Chinese "egg drop soup".  Eggs are just not my thing.

Anyway, what I did that seemed to help was, whenever I found myself having even a tinge of hunger, I had soup.  I may have only had half a cup (mug) but I believed that it really helped.  I found myself with a cup of soup, tea (not caffeinated), or water in my hand or very close by most of the day.  Overall, a successful day.

Actually, I was pretty productive.  I made a bunch of phone calls for work, and since I work from home, I was able to give the house that thorough cleaning that we all need from time to time.  I had good motivation for doing this. Suzy's very best friend for thirty years now was coming to visit later in the evening.  Her name is Connie and she is such a dear. Super crazy intelligent and kind, kind, kind, she is a mother of 5 and home schools all of them.  I don't know how she does it.  But the motivation really came from the desire to be sweet to my wife who has been especially supportive to me through this entire process.  But that was no surprise because Suzy is always supportive of me.  That makes it so easy to love her so much.  So, off I went, albeit not at the fastest pace, and I juiced a ton of carrots, not for me but for Suzy and Connie.  I cleaned the kitchen properly, vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathroom thoroughly, touched up things, etc.  Suzy was not expecting this so when she came home she found a spotless house with candles lit and everything looking nice for our guest.  She was happy and it made me feel good to do something kind for her.

As a note about the language of love, it is important to know what dialect your spouse speaks.  For Suzy, it is "acts of service".  How do I know?  She told me.  Why did she tell me?  Because I asked her.  There's a hint there. Knowing that bringing her flowers is always nice, but she would much rather know that I washed and cleaned her car, or did some laundry.  So, I knew that she would be happy with seeing the house cleaned and she was.  Which of course made me happy to see her joy.

Well, that is probably way more than enough for one day.

I hope that all of you are well.
Follow this link to the next post:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_15_archive.html