Day 6 of Post Water Fast by Sacristia Blog entry

Blog: My Health Journey
by Sacristia

Day 6 of Post Water Fast

My daily Journey to a healthier life style

Date: 1/27/2011 3:58:50 PM ( 13 y ) ... viewed 16201 times

January 26, 2010

I felt really good when I woke up. I was wide awake and wondering what the day would bring me. I have been feeling very good about things lately. I can't say that anything has really changed, other then I am talking to my Dad again. I think that eating well, as given me a sense of calm and relaxation, as well as I am talking to God again.

I know that I am sleeping better then I was in the past, as well as since I am not water fasting, I can sleep better and I feel warmer then I did. That is the only thing I really dislike about water fasting, is how the lowering of my metabolism makes me feel colder. It is hard during the wintertime when anytime of the year.

I went to the grocery store after work to see what they had on sale. I found two packages of stuffer mushrooms, which I thought it would be nice to make some stuffed mushrooms, using the spinach that I picked up the other day. I was going to make stuffed spinach salmon, but since I don't know how to cut the salmon so I could stuff it with spinach, I decided to just eat the spinach in other ways. I picked up some Jarlsberg cheese dip, as a month of so ago, one of the cashiers said it was great with stuffed mushrooms. So I am planning on making a couple with a little bit of that cheese and spinach. I picked up another filet of salmon. LOL At least I can say that I am getting my protein, my iodine and my Omega 3's by eating it.

I haven't really been eating my beans yet. Not as often as I was before my last water fast. I am sure I will, as soon as I finish eating my salmon. I don't think I will be eating it as often as I have, and switch to beans, which is just as good for me (just minus the iodine and Omega 3's and other nutrients). I was reading about Salmon the other day and I found out that it is considered a super food, as it has excellent sources for Tryptophan ( which is helps with various issues such as Depression, Anxiety, Irritability, Insomnia and other issues) Vitamin D, Omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, protein, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B 12, Phosphorus, magnesium, and Vitamin B6.

I have been feeling much thinner then I have in ages (at least a year and a half). I decided to test my body fat to see if it has went down.

These are the calculation I did on December 22, 2010

At the navel: 33.5 inches
Narrowest at the waist: 31.5 inches
Widest at the hips: 40 inches
My neck: 12.5 inches

The Navy body fat formula says that I have a fat percentage of 35.84%
The YMCA formula says that I have a fat percentage of 38.27%

This is what it is today, January 26, 2011 (a little over a month)

At the navel: 32.5 inches
Narrowest at the waist: 31.5 inches
Widest at the hips: 35.5 inches
My neck: 12.5 inches

The Navy body fat formula says that I have a fat percentage of 30.45%
The YMCA formula says that I have a fat percentage of 36.85%

I lost an inch at my navel (which means that my fat is whittling away!) and I lost 4 ½ inches off my hip area where a lot of my fat is sitting (just below my navel) From the Navy body fat formula I have lost 5.39% of my fat. And only 1.42% by the YMCA formula!

I am just happy that I can see a difference in the numbers. Wow, 4 ½ inches is really great over 36 days. I am sure that 14 days of water fasting/ juicing really helped as well. It means that my fatty pouch is really getting smaller.

November 3, 2010, my Body Mass Index (BMI) was 29.3, which I was just on the edge of being obese, as I was very overweight by those standards. I was 155 pounds and only 5”1'. Today my weight is 129 pounds at 5”1' and my Body Mass Index (BMI) is 24.4. That is a 4.9 difference between the two. Between that time, I have under gone three short water fasts to help whittle away the excess fat on my body, as well as reset my body to a more healthier eating as well. During all this time, I have had to relearn what my body really needs and wants and override the man-made addictions to foods high in fat, and high in sugar. I realized that I was probably malnourished and almost obese at the same time.

I am very happy where I am at right now. The change that I have went through is nothing but miraculous, as it has changed me in so many ways. I realize how important it is to eat healthy in order to maintain a healthy body as well as healthy mental outlook as well as spiritually one. If my body is suffering, then I am going to suffer mentally and I won't even be strong enough to deal with things spiritually either. You can say that I have matured in that aspect, because I have changed my diet and ate healthier before, but I honestly believe the seriousness of it and affects really have taught me something deeper this time then it ever did before. I learned things from past water fasts and diet changes, but nothing has really sunk in as deep as this current journey that I have undertaken. I think it is because I am older, and as you get older, you mature in different ways, as well, as I have been doing a lot of reading about how various things affect the human body. I have been doing a lot of reading about the foods that I am eating. Such as Asparagus, which I have been eating a bit of lately. It is high in potassium, as well its very good for a healthy gut flora.

I am finding out eating good, fresh veggies and fruits are far better for me then all the processed crap that I could be eating. I guess that is where I find out that I probably was slightly malnourished, as my body wasn't getting the vitamins and nutrients that it really needed. I feel great right now with what I am doing and what I am eating. I feel that my body is much happier now then it has been in many, many years. And I am going to keep it that way. LOL

My evening was pretty slow, so I cooked dinner, watched a movie and read some of my book. I didn't play the Wii as I thought I might, but I am really going to try and do it tomorrow, possible even do a little bit of Tae-Bo, as I am feeling really good and strong to do so. I hope that my muscles can take it. LOL. I want to start burning fat off my body with exercise.

I haven't thought much about water fasting again quite yet, but I am sure that I am doing to undertake at least two more if possible. They will probably be short ones between 10 -15 days. I think I might schedule another one after my birthday in February. Probably starting February 13, 2011 so that my tenth day will fall during the short week, I will have at the office due to President's day. Maybe I can last until the last day in February, which will give me 16 days. I will just have to see how it goes and work from there. I don't seem to have a problem maintaining my weight after my water fast, as I have proved that during the month of December. I think I won't ever have much of a problem, as long as I keep to eating fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, beans and fish and stay away from large amounts of high fattening foods like red meat, cheeses and other processed stuff. I think the test will be seen throughout the year on how I deal with my eating habits and what I end up consuming.

I think I have more of a handle on what I rather put in my body then I have ever did before. It definitely has been a learning process. If it is high fattening like cheese, it is all in moderation and not every day. I guess that is what makes it more like a treat, and less likely as a staple.

As I said before, I will just have to see how I conduct myself and my eating habits over growing new year. So far so good.

FOOD INTAKE:

BREAKFAST : A small bunch of grapes, and a quarter of a granny smith apple

DRINK: 12 ounces of Oolong Tea (consumed over 3 hour period)

SNACK: Quarter of a granny smith apple

LUNCH: 1 cup of steamed veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, baby corn and diced orange squash) and 1 cup of mushroom, onion barley and lentil stew (I am still calling this barley and lentil, even though I accidentally added split peas instead of lentils)

DRINK: Water

SNACK: Two Wasa Crackers with Jarlsberg cheese dip

DINNER: A serving size of steamed Salmon with cup of veggies (diced orange squash, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, green and red peppers, three Brussels sprouts and 3 stalks of asparagus.

EXERICISE: Walked 1.75 Miles

WATER INTAKE: about 6 ounces of water.

WEIGHT: 129 pounds