********************************************************************
CLICK HERE to see previous journal entries
********************************************************************
Self-Love Journal 7/7/16
Per Louise Hay, Self-love is having respect for ourselves and gratitude for our body and mind. What does gratitude for my body and mind look like?
I think gratitude for my body is making sure I get enough sleep and exercising regularly. Doing more yoga. Eating clean whole foods as often as possible. Foods that nourish my body and that don’t make it work overtime processing and eliminating them. Having gratitude for my mind would include all of the above including meditation.
Of course, this is all easier said than done but I am getting better at treating my body and mind with more respect. A lot better than I was 9 months ago. 🙂
Self-Love Journal 7/8/16
I have been slacking on my Self Love Journal. The days turn into weeks and before I know it is month(s). However, I have been continuing my journey even though I have not been writing it down.
I feel that I have made great strides in my personal relationship with myself and with others. I have lost at least 7 of the 10 lbs that I have gained since starting this journey 9 months ago, and I have confidence that I actually can reach a weight that I like and is healthy for me at 47 years old.
I am still working out regularly and feel stronger and more fit than I have in many years. I look forward to continuing this journey and to setting some milestones that I would like to reach by age 50. 🙂
So what am I doing for myself these days?
- I am doing more walks/runs
- More calisthenics
- More weights
- More yoga
- I have been using my fitness pal to log my exercise, food, and water since June 6th.
- Intermittent fasting 5-6 days per week
- Weighing myself
- Trying to eat earlier
The biggest reason for my weight loss has been logging in my food to fitness pal. This has helped me realize a few things. Even though I feel like I eat healthily, I still have room for improvement. I struggle to eat enough lean protein. I tend to eat too much red meat. Even though I eat mainly healthy fats, I eat too many calories of these. All in all, I eat more calories if I don’t keep track. I am guessing I probably was eating 300-800 calories per day more than I do now. Right now I am eating on average 1200 net calories. This is my calorie intake after using whatever exercise calories I may have had.
I am also intermittent fasting most days. So I eat during an 8 hr window and fast for 16 hrs. I will write more on this later.
I have begun weighing myself more, and I think I will cut this back to only once per week. However, it has been more motivating lately to see some progress and know that I actually can lose weight. Since my weight does still fluctuate, I know it is a fine line that I walk and that I can be demoralizing as well.
I have to head into my office early today but I am.glad that I have started this journal again
Self-Love Journal 7/9/16
There have been a lot of articles and research regarding the benefits of intermittent fasting. At first, I was leary about this because we have been taught that breakfast is the most important part of the day and that you should eat within the first hour of waking.
However in order for me to do an intermittent fast, I can’t eat until after 11:30 am most days and sometimes as late as 1 pm.
It is extremely hard with Garys and my work schedule to eat before 8 at night. Sometimes we get a meal in by 7 and sometimes it is as late as 9.
We cook from scratch almost every meal, and we buy our foods fresh most days. I got off work at 5:15 tonight and went grocery shopping quickly, and it is now 6:45 and dinner still has at least 15 minutes to finish cooking. Tonight will be an early night because it is one of the few nights that I won’t wait for Gary to get home since he won’t be home til 10 pm. However, because we both get enjoyment from preparing meals together most of our meals do not begin to be made until between 6:30 and 7:30 at night
I realize now that this is probably the biggest reason for my weight gain since I have met Gary. I eat as healthy or even healthier in many aspects. I am as active and maybe even more active than I and yet I struggle with my weight.
The good news is that my workouts are paying off and even though I am heavier I am also feeling stronger and more fit. Plus with the intermittent fasting and the calorie counting I can enjoy my food and occasional glass of wine or beer and still lose weight.
I am happy for the first time in a long time with what I am doing and how my body looks. Don’t get me wrong I am still not ready to flaunt a bikini in front of a camera, but I do feel world’s better about myself and my self-image.
Other reasons on why I decided to try intermittent fasting is the reduced risk of cancer, the balancing of insulin levels, anti-aging benefits and the reduced Alzheimer’s and other brain benefits.
I no longer get crazy hungry super early in the day and most days fasting until lunch time is not a problem.
It also makes it easier to keep within a reduced calorie diet and eat foods I enjoy because I typically eat only 2 meals per day with 1 snack.
