Year One, Week Seven- Maintaining My Energy

The past week has been an energy roller coaster. I've been going full tilt or completely in hibernation mode. I can't tell you how many times I cat-napped in the middle of the day. Part of me really wonders what the heck my body is up to!

One minute I'm running like a rabbit, the next, I'm snoring like a bear. And nighttime is fraught with insomnia or waking up every few hours to release the dam. Either way, I'm awake when everyone else is in dreamland.

We worked on many things in the house, including bringing in our freezer from the store and reorganizing it. Now that I know what we have, I can keep better track of my eating habits. Most of what we're eating now are meals I made way before the move (yes, we're still eating food I made months ago!) I'm so glad I pre-prepped! We finally unburied all of it, and it's all organized and sitting where it needs to be in the freezer for easy access. 

The oven still hasn't been replaced due to a postponement of our propane. We have the new range for the house sitting in the store, but it won't work without propane. So no baking just yet. I hope we get it hooked up before Thanksgiving! Kinda hard to crockpot a turkey...

No worries- we do have an electric roaster- just in case. Somewhere.

The crockpots are still packed, but I have a mission this week to find them so we can do more than frozen foods (even if they are homemade) and breakfast tortilla sandwiches. 

I also bit the bullet and bought a scale.

Yes, I know- don't look at me like that! I know it's not all about the numbers. This scale reads BMI and several other neato things to figure out what's going on in my body. But, unfortunately, doing measurements isn't encouraging me enough- I'm one of those people that needs to see the scale numbers to stay on track. At least until I get closer to my last goal. 

My daughter, who gained a lot of weight these past few years, is also using it. She weighed as much as I did when I got married and is already down seventeen pounds. She, too, is encouraged by the numbers on the scale.

I, however, won't weigh myself until next week. It's tempting, but after looking at my pear-shaped numbers last month, I want another week to maintain my composure- and my energy. 

We should be done unpacking in the next few weeks, and then it's off to clean out the store and transform it into our bakery cafe. I'll be getting plenty of exercise during the winter!

Year One, Week Six: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Hello, Internet- It's me, Beth. I've missed you!

Unfortunately, this is a drive-by meetup. We still don't have the internet at the house and had to find an alternative. I'm in a Starbucks about an hour from home.

(Hugs EVERYONE)

The new place is shaping up, and my IF windows are leveling out. OMADs haven't happened at all this week, but the meals themselves have been smaller. They're also getting a little healthier.

I should definitely be eating more greens, but the farms are nearly done harvesting, and not many have fresh greens left, so I have to wait until I get to a store. Since the closest one is seven miles away, daily trips are becoming a nuisance. It's also time to stock up on goods since we have no idea what the winters are like. 

The new oven arrived yesterday, but the propane to run the stovetop won't be in for a week. So we've decided to stick to using the old stove for now, since the electric burners still work. Either that or we hook up the new one and only do baking. Not gonna happen. Sigh.

Hunger pangs have been weird lately. Sometimes I get them really early in the morning, and other times not a peep. Either that or I'm just too busy to hear them! 

I'm happy to report that I didn't eat a lot the other day, and the next day my energy was back! I've missed being energetic for so long (probably because I spent it during the move) that after a good rest and light meal, I was good to go, go, go!

Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay 

Okay, my go-go is the pace of a tortoise, but I'm still moving in the right direction. After all, that amphibian beat a hare, so any movement towards the finish line is a good move!

Year One, Week Five: Keep Moving Forward

(postdated Tuesday, October 26, 2021)

This weekend, we moved our last load of boxes from storage into the house. Sort of- most of them went into the store since it’s conveniently attached to the house and is nearly empty.

Now, all we must do is sort everything. Like that’s a small job! Most of the unpacking will be done by me because my husband is working on repairs, improvements, and painting. My daughter will be helping us both when we need it. Poor kid.

The eating windows have varied in a good way this week, but the weekend was a mess because of the final moving of all our junk- I mean valuable merchandise. Only one day went by where my window was open an insane amount- thirteen hours- and I felt like a slug the entire day. Can you guess which day that was?

Maybe I’m still in a ‘diet’ mindset. Eat when you can, where you can really doesn’t work well for me, and I wonder if I should have made days like those into complete fasts instead.

I learn and I keep moving forward.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

Surprisingly enough, I took two days to do some canning. Tomato season is over, and I’m surrounded by farmers, and all of them were practically giving away their produce by the days’ end. I wound up with about six gallons of tomato base with peppers and onions. Yum!

When we were in Philly getting our stuff from storage, I took a side journey to get a load of fresh ginger, thyme, and rosemary. I’m going to be making a huge batch of my cold and flu-killing tea ice cubes today as well- hopefully, these will last for the next six months to a year. 83 cubes to be exact!

I hope I can find someone who grows ginger here, otherwise, I might have to start ordering it! As for the rosemary and thyme? I can grow that myself if no one around grows it. Maybe the ginger too. My husband is building a mini greenhouse in one of the upstairs bedrooms, so there’s a good possibility I can do a little self-sustaining gardening.

The biggest hurdle is not eating when my family does in the mornings. It was so much easier when my husband and daughter worked out of the house, but now they’re here full-time, and it’s difficult to not eat with them. Eating is the only time we really socialize because the rest of the day is filled with things to do.

One habit we’ve started is in the evenings when the work is done. Instead of watching something (since the internet is out still), we settle in my sewing room and read, sip our favorite drinks (mine is water, they usually have tea), and read, chatting about our day.

We found the DVD player the other day and I admit, it was like sitting in a movie theatre when we watched a movie. Before we moved, the TV was packed, and we watched shows on my husbands’ small laptop. Our TV screen feels enormous now!

However, we still prefer that quiet time as the sun sets just to be together, enjoying our books. I’m working on moving the furniture around in my sewing space a little, so we have a family reading nook that won’t interfere with my sewing. Tea spills and fabrics don’t mix!

Each day a little more progress is made in both the house and my IFF journey. I get farther every day. The weight took decades to put on, and it will take a lot fewer years to get it off. I just need to be patient with myself, and keep moving forward!

Year One, Week Four- Going Pear-Shaped

 (postdated Monday, Oct. 18^th 2021)

It’s measurement time!

Luckily for me, I found my IFF notepad, so I can at least figure out how well I did this month. The downside is we still don’t have internet access and no phone service because our phone upgrades are still somewhere in the postal system. Thanks a lot, pandemic!

Let’s look at the numbers:

 Original numbers:      4 weeks ago:          Now:              Difference:       

Weight 363 lbs.                ?                       ?                       ?                  

Biceps- 23"                   21"                      20"                    -1"               

Chest- 61-1/2"              59-1/2"             58-1/4"               -3/4"                 

Waist- 58"                    54-1/2"              55-1/2"                +1"           

Hips- 69-1/2"                  62"                 62-1/2"                +1/2"              

Thigh- 32"                   29-3/4"                 30"                   +1/4"          

Neck- 18"                    17-1/2"               17-1/2"                same             

My top is getting smaller, and my bottom is getting bigger. Egad, I’m going pear-shaped!

 Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay 

This month was a series of events that created a lot of chaos- eating windows were too short, or too long, too much food versus OMAD, and a lot of ‘eat it before it goes bad/gets packed/gets tossed’ moments. Moving wasn’t good for me during my IF journey, despite my plans. But a lot has changed this week that surprised me.

Good stuff.

I find out here in the country, I’m not as famished as I was in the city. I’m a lot more mobile (unpacking a massive amount of cra-…er, I mean valuable belongings does a body good, except for the cramps from muscles long since unused to such expenditures.

Move it or lose it, indeed!

The water here is all well water, and I must say it is the best water I’ve ever tasted! Straight from the rocks; the locals told us they would show us the origin of our spring when we’re more settled. We used to filter our water in the city, and even then, it smelled faintly of chlorine. Ugh.

As for eating, mostly everything we’ve had so far has been from our freezer or from the local restaurants or diners. Eating out allowed us to do double duty- One, take a break from moving in, and two, check out the competition for our own business when we get started.

But that’s another blog post for another day.

Unfortunately, the current stovetop oven doesn't work well, and only the burners are functioning. The oven door doesn't shut properly, which is good for making jerky in the winter, but not much else. I have no plans to use it at all. Our new oven should be here in a week or two.

My family usually has a big breakfast in the early morning, and I usually don’t eat with them because that’s just too early to start my eating window. Even mid-morning was too early because once I ate, I felt more than a bit sluggish. Not good when you need to work all day unpacking. 

One great thing about country life is there’s lots of peace and quiet to hear your body talk!

After some experimentation, I found myself much happier and more energetic if I eat a light breakfast (aka half of what I normally eat) around 11:00 to Noonish and eat again before 5:00 or 6:00. I’ve eaten after that time on occasion because there just wasn’t time to eat at that point, but for the most part, this has been my eating routine give or take an OMAD that wasn’t scheduled.

I’ve decided on days that I start eating after 2:00 or 3:00, that will be my OMAD instead. I’m not planning them anymore, but I’m going by just how hungry I am instead. And no two OMADs in a row if I can help it.

Mobility has always been an issue, but I can honestly say this move had been the best (if painful) thing I could do for my body. I ache like crazy at the end of the day, but not overly so; it’s something I can work through. The feet swelling has been gone since the move, and the previous owners left behind a recliner that I use after the day is done.

After removing my husband, daughter, and cats from it, that is!

All in all, despite my pear-shaped beginnings, I think this move was the best thing I could do not only for my health but for the health of my family. I hope to report smaller numbers next month!

Year One, Week Three- Changin’ and Rearrangin’

(postdated Tuesday, Oct 12^th 2021)

We moved into our new home this weekend!

There were a lot of hiccups. A lot of stress. My eating windows were practically non-existent. We had to eat when food was available, and where food can be found.

What do I mean by that, you ask?

When food was available- that means out here in the mountains, there aren’t any fast-food places. No franchises of any kind. And diners are few and far between. Most are only open a few days a week.

Where food could be found? Well, because of those lovely hiccups, time was running out and the unloading crew put all the boxes in one spot in the store- including our fresh food. We’re still trying to find most of it.

So we ate when we could, when we found it, be it a diner or food box.

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay 

At the time of this post (which will be post-dated due to no internet service), we have most of our stuff here and are planning to move the rest in a few weeks.

There’s also a lot more to fix than we thought, so stress levels are still high, but hopeful.

Things should settle soon so I can get back to Intermittent Fasting full-time. Because the eating schedule is so odd, it’s hard to listen to my body tell me what it needs. But there’s some good come from all of this; being out here in the country is just what we all needed.

I don’t feel the excessive need to eat, despite the stress. I find myself sleeping a lot more instead. Unfortunately, my allergies are running full throttle, and sinus headaches are putting me off from eating as much as I normally would.

We have an electric stove. I used to use one as a teen, but when we switched to gas that was a huge game-changer concerning cooking! There are no gas lines up here, but there is propane- though it’s expensive, we plan to buy an electric/propane hybrid so we can cook with flame on the stovetop, while we use the electric oven for baking. It should be in by the end of October.

However, the propane to use the stovetop won't be in until late the first week of November.

I’m looking forward to buying produce, meats, cheeses, and milk from the locals. Talk about fresh! Most of the food up here is naturally organic, and we can get milk in its raw state- not something that’s allowed in the city.

Next week is measurement week. Good thing I know where my measuring tape is! However, my little notepad with my previous measurements is buried somewhere, so if I don’t find it in time, I’ll just post them as is in my notes and compare them later.

I'll keep you posted as much as I can!

Year One, Week Two- Up, Up, and Away!

These three Philly birds are ready to fly the coop!

Image by burtamus from Pixabay 

We're days away from moving to the mountains. Lots to do, lots to pack, lots of last-minute monkey wrenches. Because this week is so chaotic, I've opened my windows wider during the weekdays and nixed the down days entirely- but just for this week. I'll get back to my regular feeding schedule when we can actually have a schedule!

We measured all of the furniture. Later this week, we'll be going to the new place to measure the rooms. I'll have half of a day to figure out what furniture goes where, and what will stay and what will go. Unfortunately, one of our friends with a truck had to cancel, so we're down to two-thirds packing capacity.

There was a slight possibility that we might take everything, but that chance has also flown the coop. As a result, our mini convoy can only take so much in one trip, so the rest of our things will have to stay in storage for a few weeks until we can fetch them.

Stress levels aren't as high as I thought they'd be, but for someone who eats when stressed, it's high enough that I need to open my eating windows or start gnawing on the furniture we intend to keep.

My son moved out last weekend and has already started a new job as of yesterday. His first steps into becoming completely independent have begun, and I couldn't be prouder.

My daughter already made a few calls for employment opportunities close to the new house and has a job lined up in her expertise as a horse therapy trainer. I think they want us moved almost as much as we do!

Lots of changes, most of them good. There are still a few hiccups that need tending, but God's got us covered. He's cool like that.

I know many of my recent posts have been more about events happening than my actual fasting journey. However, significant life changes are a part of how and when I eat, especially when stressed, and I want people to see the good and the bad in the background, not just what I ate for the week. It all matters because I'm an emotional eater trying to train myself into a better, healthier lifestyle.

At least after this move is finished.

Maybe you agree with my decision; perhaps you're thinking I'm slacking. Either is okay. We're all different, and I need to make the changes I feel are better for my well-being. That's why I love the IF lifestyle so much. It's adjustable. Perfection can be left at the fridge door. Why? Because I'm human and stressed, so I'm changing my eating windows without guilt this week.

And next week, there will be a whole new set of challenges. But Intermittent Fasting won't be one of them!

Year One, Week One- Beginnings

There's a lot of fresh starts happening at home. And only one of them is IF-related.

For example, we're supposed to be moving on October ninth. My son, however, moved out yesterday. So he's flown the nest.

Image by minka2507 from Pixabay 

Not to college, not to a friends' house, but moved out on his own to start a new life just like us, in a small town about two hours away from our hometown. He needed to move, and we needed him to move- That doesn't mean we won't miss him bunches and bunches! He'll also be about two hours from our new place, so at least we'll get to see him once in a while.

As for my fasting, the week went well, and I did even better this weekend. Perhaps because we were too busy sending off our elder child. Maybe because I've been incredibly distracted from eating by doing research for the new business and writing my butt off.

Sometimes I just plain forgot to eat my evening meal. Sometimes my window closed while I was busy, and projects took longer than my eating window allowed.

I also ate lighter for the most part, and I found myself feeling much better when I did. Bad habits and a bit of nutritional paranoia can wreck a perfectly good fast.

My biggest hurdle is a fear of not getting enough nutrition, so I make sure I eat more than enough to compensate. The tarnished side of this coin is that I overeat. We eat almost everything from scratch, so there isn't really a nutrition issue, but as of late, meals have been more carby than they should, and veggies haven't been a major food group in weeks. We're still living out of the freezer and fridge until the move.

So this week, I bought extra carrots and some broccoli and plan to make at least one giant vat of soup and two casseroles. All the extras can be frozen for the near future or after the move, whichever comes first. I also made some yummy chicken salad with fresh purple onion and celery. Crunchy munchy!

The foot swelling has gone down a lot, but I don't know if it's because the heatwaves have given way to cooler weather, or I've been eating less salt. Maybe a combination of both. Either way, it's nice waking up to see 'skinny' feet!

Oh, I forgot- two more significant changes are happening this week! First, my daughters' last day at work is Friday, and second, my husband is leaving his job of almost thirty years this Friday as well.

New beginnings, indeed.

Next week, we'll be gearing up for the move, hopefully settling on this house and the new one and packing up the essentials. It's going to be a crazy fantastic week!