Day 10b -- Dear Friends & Great Soup

Day 10b  ----- Dear friends and great soup

Last night was an awesome night with our dear friends, Scott and Leslie. We were excited to see them again. And Leslie offered to make some soup. She is a great cook and made a chicken soup. Wow, that seems so inadequate of a description.  I loved the flavor. I wasn't traditional and had a great bite. 

To make things even better, we watched the World Series and the Red Sox won!! All of us are fans of Boston and were happy to see them win.  Over all it was a great night.

I just got back home this morning and I have to say that regarding this broth fast, I'm just cruising along smoothly.  It really isn't an issue.  People ask me, "Don't you get hungry?" I say yes I do.  Multiple times a day.  But don't you?  Don't you get hungry in the morning or around noon time?  Of course they do too.  We all do.  But it isn't as though I cannot satisfy my hunger.  I can and I do.  The difference is that I consume delicious and flavorful and healthy organic, homemade, soup broth, and they open a candy bar or run to their favorite fast food establishment.  I guess that sounds pretty callous. Perhaps they eat very healthy food and I'll join them in a few more days. 

In about a week, I need to leave for Chicago and then the Northeast. I'm hoping to break this fast with my favorite dinner date, Suzy...my sweet wife. 

I'm not sure where I'll be weight wise on that day. If I'm low enough, I'll stop then and start the translation period of strictly veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. And that is it, for only two days. After that, I can eat healthfully. 

Day 9b ---- Big treat for me

Day 9b  ---- Big treat for me

Today is Wednesday and the 9th day of part two of my fast.

Today started early with great news from our son David.  I awoke to a text message shortly after 6AM. He completed one of his mid-terms and received his grade.  He earned a 98.5%, we are so proud of him.  He has worked so hard and we think that he is just great.

I was up and out the door by 6:45 on my way to the weekly Christian Business Men's breakfast out on beautiful Stearn's Wharf in Santa Barbara.  I felt really good about myself, not the most familiar feeling for me.  I was wearing a dress shirt that would have been far too small to wear only 2 months ago, along with a suit coat that I was about to discard, again too small.  But these clothes did not look too small.  They looked just right.  They could have even been smaller.  What a difference. This has improved my self image dramatically.

I have never been one that liked looking in the mirror.  I would look at myself only one time each day.  When I was out of the shower and wet, I would brush off the foggy mirror well enough to see that I got the part in my hair straight, and that was it.  I didn't like what I saw, so why would I stand around and look at the image?  Certainly it was more than my weight, but looking fit again certainly helped things.  THe truth is that after many years filled with negative comments about nearly every part of my life, I have developed a very poor self image with the manifestation being an attitude of negativity.  I was critical and condemning.  I don't really know how my sweet wife stuck by me but I am very thankful that she did and I will never, ever forget that.  I'm still far from being Mr. Sunshine all of the time, but I am improving and the weight loss has been an enormous help.  It appears to me that it is not just the loss of weight but also "input" of healthy food.

Back to the Men's breakfast, I really enjoy this group of gentlemen who have always been kind and supportive to me.  I haven't been for about a month and when I arrived there was none of the common, "where have you been"? It was more like, "Mike!! We're glad that you are back!"  They said that they had been praying for me and for the mission of our organization to "Improve and strengthen Christian schools around the US and beyond".  They all wanted an update and I was happy to share about the great success that we were having.  Furthermore and since I wasn't eating, they asked if I would read an article sent to us for encouragement from the parent organization, CBMC.  Gulp, me read? Out loud? In a group?  I'll speak in front of thousands and not blink an eye, but to read out loud in front of even a couple of good friends is….well, far outside of my comfort zone.  Each week we typically pass around an article similar to this and we each read one very short paragraph, more like 2 or 3 sentences.  To prepare for this, I count the paragraphs and ignore all that is being said so that I can re-read my little section in advance.  You see, I have dyslexia.  This makes reading "silently" a challenge.   Also, it means that I am a VERY slow reader.  But aloud?  Now that become quite difficult.  I paused part way through sentences and sometimes after every couple of words.  It is truly a challenge.

But, I was apparently called to read this and I have felt that anything that our good Lord calls me to do, I will do without "fear and trembling".  This was definitely an event that would test my faith and my self confidence.  So, I accepted the task and opened with a short caveat.  I told the group, of some of Santa Barbara's most successful men, that I have dyslexia and reading aloud is a challenge for me.  I asked them to bear with me if I stumble.  With that, I glanced at the full text, type written and over a page in length.

I am very happy to report that, and thanks be to God, that I was able to read the entirety without much stumbling at all.  Furthermore, the text was as if it were hand picked for me, perhaps it was.

I don't know if anyone heard what I read while I was reading, but I did.  And it hit home like a master carpenter drives a nail into freshly a freshly milled board.

I have changed.  I have changed for sure.  It is a gift to me and to my sweet wife, Suzy and to our son David.

Day 8b ---- Good weight loss numbers for the week

Day 8b  ----  Good weight loss numbers for the week

Today is day 8 and I got up this morning and weighed myself.  I was very happy to see that I lost a total of over 10 pounds for the week!!  I was pretty excited about that.  It's amazing to think that for the first time in many, many years I weigh under 150.  Now before some of you start freaking out that I only weigh less than 150, you should know my height and body size.  I'm all of 5' 7", that's 170cm for you friends across the water.  That means in metric, I weighed 82KG and now weigh 67.5KG.  Boy those numbers look weird.  But it is also important to know that I'm not a big boned guy either.  I've never been big.  Consequently, the weight that I had put on over the last several years really showed a lot.

I just finished watching a great movie called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead".  There were a significant number of similarities between the story and what I am doing.  It was very motivational for me.  Actually, I just now finished watching it and immediately felt the need to write.

I hope that this blog that I'm writing is helpful to you. I know that this movie was helpful to me for sure.  The movie that gave me a big kick start was called "Food Matters".  Suzy and I watched it very slowly, well we watched it at regular speed, but we stopped it and rewound it several times.  We would also pause it and discuss its contents.  It made a strong impression on both of us.

Most of the day was spent working on things that were directly or indirectly related to a local preschool.  I had promised that I would return to the industrial kitchen there to make our annual bottled "Rosemary Olive Oil" and 'Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrette".  These are products that I have been making for the school for the last 3 years, so here's to year four.  It is a small fundraiser for the school.  We bottle it and then sell it for only $10 per bottle.  We made custom labels that are typically declared "cute".  We will sell them just before Thanksgiving so that people can bring them to homes for the Holiday.  Also, we will sell them at Christmas with the same intent.  I have to say, they do taste very good.

Well, although I have not been feeling badly on this second stage of the broth fast, I've noticed that yesterday and today, I feel a bit grouchy and irritated.  And today, I was a bit tired at times.  I have just wanted to be alone.  I love my wife very much.  It's just that I feel grumpy and sound negative and grumpy and that ends up having a negative effect on her.  I'd rather be alone so that I don't say anything that I will regret to anyone, especially Suzy.

That's enough for today.  Good health to all of you.

Day 7b --- on the road

Day 7b ---  on the road

Today is the beginning of day seven. I am on the road for most of the entire day. I will be driving out to the beautiful town of Ridgecrest California. If you have never been there, don't worry you will be fine without going there. But knowing that I'm going to be gone for probably eight hours, I needed to go well prepared.

So before I left, I drank a large mug of broth and packed up three stainless steel coffee mugs that work like a thermos. I pre-warmed each of these with plenty of hot water. Then I got the broth fully boiling and poured it in. I find that this is very effective in keeping the soup pot. Sometimes it is really too effective. Yesterday I brought A stainless steel thermos to church. My thought was that after the service while everyone is having snacks, which is very common at our church, I could at least drink my broth. I poured a cup and could see it steaming significantly. It was delicious for sure. But it was very hot. Since I'm on a roll with this I might as well say that the plastic cups do not do a very good job at all of keeping anything warm for any extended period of time. The cops that have stainless steel on the inside or outside and plastic on the opposite side are not very impressive either. The very best ones are lined with stainless steel on both the inside in the outside. This makes an enormous difference in keeping the beverages hot.

Anyway, enough about that. I am feeling quite well. I have been a bit grouchy but I am not sure that all of it is directly related to the fast.  I hate to make a prediction before 10 AM about what my day is going to be like. But in judging from what it was like yesterday and how I feel right now, I'm expecting smooth sailing.

Tomorrow will be my official seven day weigh-in. I'm excited to see how much weight I've lost in seven days. Until then, I send you my best.

Mike

Day 5b & 6b. --- it's the weekend. For good or for bad

Day 5b & 6b. ---  it's the weekend. For good or for bad

Well day five and six Kane and as you can imagine I was dreading these two days. Last time I was completely miserable. I was lying on my couch covered in a blanket and shivering. I was fighting a horrible headache for at least a couple of days. I even got a cold sore on my lip. It could not of gotten much worse. But really, two days? That really wouldn't be so bad. I think most of us would go through two days of illness to lose a significant amount of weight. 

But this time it was completely different. I had no ill feelings. I had no headache. I really wasn't even that lethargic. I felt The same as I did on day 25, or so, last time. A mild hunger from time to time always satisfied with some broth or water.  Quite honestly, this really isn't that difficult. I have had friends and others contact me to say that what I am doing is so amazing and that it must take incredible willpower. I'm not sure that is so. Quite honestly, I think it is much much harder to try to cut back on foods and exercise like crazy every day for four months and months to lose 30 pounds. I'm just taking the easy route. 

My wife Suzy has always talked with me about the importance of making little things a celebration. I remember she read a book that talked about how to take dreary and dull tasks and make them fun and special.  The first example I remember her using was with regard to paying the bills. I remember she said that she has a special pan that she likes. She only uses it when she writes the bills hence making the task a little bit more enjoyable. She will recommend that when we have to talk about business items that we go to a beautiful hotel and sit in their lounge, or have a picnic at the beach and talk business by the seashore.  Well I guess I did learn a thing or two from her. I have looked for special things to consume that are within my diet right now. I found that one of the things that I can have is Ashwaganda tea. It has a very rich flavor. No it does not taste like coffee, nor does it taste like att that I've ever had. But it does have a roasty sort of flavor. I would put it in the same camp with coffee, but again it doesn't taste like coffee. But it is a treat for me.  

I mentioned that my friend Cody at the Montecito wine bistro made a "cocktail" for me. It really didn't matter what it was. It just was a treat. I came back in and he said he had been thinking about a drink that you could make for me. He asked if he could push the limits by adding two small raspberries. I was feeling wild and crazy so I said yes. Please don't tell Dr. Saunders. I'll include a picture of it. Another celebratory beverage for me is mineral water. It is kind of funny that I can actually tell the difference between Perrier and other sparkling waters. Sometimes I had a line, sometimes I had a lemon, sometimes I add ice. All of this just makes for a little extra celebration in my life.

Day 4b – Friday

Day 4b – Friday

Today is Friday, the fourth day of the second part of my fast. Today was much easier with regard to having a strong desire to eat solid foods. I spent the vast majority of the day helping my mother-in-law. It is a bit odd to make food for someone and not be able to have any. So to make things easier, I made sure that I had a big mug of soup before I started cooking, and then one next to me on the counter while I made meals.

I have found this time that I'm less interested in soup broth and wanting just water. But I know I must eat the soup broth. That is critical. The doctor has told me that drinking nothing but water can be quite problematic for fasting. Is told me that the body needs the salts in the nutrients that come through the broth. Many people ask me about adding salt to the broth thinking that might be a bad thing. But the doctor has assured me that not only is it okay but that I should be careful to remember to add salt to the broth. Of course I am no nutritional expert, but he is and another nutritionist that I spoke to said the same. 

But when I do drink water, I want to be careful to drink water that is good for me. So I spend the money to buy bottled water and I have been getting the plain water that has electrolytes added to it. It tastes like, well it taste like water. But it is far healthier. I also gave that to my mother-in-law while she was in bed. Gatorade and other products have lots of electrolytes, and potassium, but they also have a bunch of sugar. As you may remember, I cannot have the sugar.

Overall the day was really very uneventful with regard to my fast. It wasn't so difficult but I'm dreading tomorrow. What I remember from the first time that I did this was that day four and five were really quite a challenge for me. If you have been reading this from the beginning you might remember that on those days I felt very sick. Not really sick to my stomach, I was running a fever and feeling completely blown out. In talking with the doctor, he had said that was because my body was getting rid of all the toxins. It will be interesting to see if that's what happens again tomorrow or if my healthy eating since the last fast has prevented those toxins from reentering my system. I'll know in a couple of days I guess. 

At least I made it through this day.  I am not sure if tomorrow is going to mimic the first time or not. Today I did have a little bit of lethargy, but really not that much. So far so good. But I am waiting for the other shoe to drop as they say

Day 3b --- not so bad for me

Day 3b  ---  Not a bad day for me

Day 3 was pretty decent.  I found that I was a bit hungry at times, but every time that I was hungry, I eliminated that hunger with a cup of broth.  I would find that I was extra hungry around traditional meal times but not always.  Sometimes a would get extra hungry at night.  But during those times I was always able to quench and squelch this mild annoyance.

Side note:  I love those two words "quench" and "squelch".  My sister Kathy and I had a friend in college who thought some words have a funny sound to them.  She said that they just make her laugh when she hears them.  Her name is Brenda and she always had us laughing.  So we had to know.  What were these words?  Her list included, but not limited to, Scooter, Kitty Litter, Ointment, and Scissors.  I wish that I could remember more but we always got a kick out of those.  I'm sure that she would like Quench and Squelch.

Back to when I am really hungry, I have a mug of broth, then if I wait another 20-30 minutes and have a second, I am good for a few hours at least.  So, really I never experience hunger that cannot be addressed easily.  Even plain water helps, especially after fasting on broth for a while.

On the personal side, I spent the day with my dear mother-in-law helping her with her recovery.  I care about her greatly.  She is very fit and always eats well and has for decades.  She is sharper than most people half her age.  She is strong and it is rare to see her sick and needing anything.  So really it was a treat to care for her.  All I did was make things like toast, honey, and tea, and make some soups for her.  Like I wasn't going to be making the soup anyway? And I found out that she really loves the solids of the soup more than broth anyway.  Perfect.

At the end of the day I watched my Red Sox lose in game two of the World Series. So now the Series is tied 1 to 1.  Go Boston!!