Yeah...yeah...I know...I said this year I wasn't going to worry about my weight...or actively participate in weight-loss.
I lied.
When...in the past 25 years...have I...NOT...tried to lose weight?
Introduced January in the UK...the FAST does not mean expedient. It means "fasting". And although I am a practising Buddhist, and have been for six years...old habits die hard...and that Pentecostal background immediately conjures images of Moses wandering in the wilderness.
"Honeyed Locust...er...no thanks, John...I'll pass...."
"No seriously,...they're so crunchy!"
Currently 30 pounds heavier than my IBW and having lost the same 25 pounds like a dieter's version of PONG from year to year...I noticed an article in the glossies on The Fast Diet this week.
The gist of it is a 5:2 plan. Two days of the week you fast...consuming only 500 calories (women) or 600 calories (men) each day.
The rest of the week you can eat pretty much anything as long as you limit yourself to 1500-2000 calories a day.
Sounds reasonable. More of a lifestyle change.
I modified the Rules a bit...my version goes like this:
An Every Other Day fast until I reach my IBW.
During the fast days (...which I have re-dubbed Health Days...) I will also work out twice a day...morning and evening...and consume healthy choices to make up the 500 calories. I will add a bottle of Zero (Vitamin Water) on these days as well.
On the alternate days I will eat whatever I like...staying at 1500 calories for the day. (...a girlfriend of mine called this The Cupcake Diet part of the programme...) I kind of like it. ~laughing~
Yesterday was my first "fast" day. It went surprisingly well. One of the things I immediately noticed was I do a lot of mindless grazing in the course of a day. Hundred calorie bites that add up. Half the pizza because...well it is sitting there.
Since my oldest was up for a visit from Florida we started the day with coffee and chat. And a couple of Pim's. Pim's are amazing soft shortbread biscuits (cookies) imported from England. They have a wonderful orange marmalade center and are dipped in a light coat of dark chocolate. The relative size of an Eisenhower silver dollar they sport 50 calories each. With the dash of creamer in my morning cup...and two Pims...instantly I am at 110 calories.
...this may take some planning...
I finish my morning work out...reps of 20...all major muscle groups thanks to PT...and grab a banana before I head out for my day. (100 calories)
Where I encounter my first "temptation".
"Do you want to go to lunch this afternoon" Loretta casually asks. We often do this together on market day. She mentions Marvin's. Renowned for its Garlic Cheeseburger...Amazing Battered Onion rings (dripping with grease) a fountain Coke...oh an maybe a slice of that Magnificent Turtle Pecan Cheesecake. (...a 1400 calorie meal...)
"Hell yes!" (...my stomach answers without a pause...)
"Fine." (...my inner nag sighs...) "Maybe at this rate we can lose that 30 pounds in...oh...maybe the next 20 years or so..."
You know how some people have inner goddesses...I have an inner nag...did I mention she's somewhat of a Bitch?
So I suck it up and ask for a rain-date. A non-fast day when this is all I am going to eat. For the whole day. Sometimes it's worth it.
A happy coincidence that my first "fast" falls on market day, though. It encourages me to buy healthy...veggies...fruits...yogurts...sliced deli turkey...bottled water and such. Oh...and a cupcake for Saturday's non-fast breakfast with milk...lol. At checkout I encounter another pleasant surprise as healthy foods are much less expensive than pre-packaged treats. With the surplus I pick up the large glass hummingbird feeder and solution I've been wanting and a few more seed packets.
Usually on market day I lunch out. Most of the time it is Subway...where a 6 inch sandwich, a bag of chips or cookies, and a fountain Coke can easily run 800 calories and $7.50.
On this day...I opt for a container of Yoplait Lite (90 calories) and Pineapple Upside Down Cake flavoured...only .59 cents and it is like Ambrosia from the gods.
A gardening and "kitties" chat with Tess...2 hours of writing/editing...and a bit of time relaxing in fresh air with a good novel by the flowerbeds. Tucker-cat joins me. Purr Therapy. For the first time I am feeling really hungry.
The thin sliced turkey is only 50 calories per 2 ounce portion. I take 4 ounces. I fix wraps...only instead of flat-bread I use lettuce. Mustard as a condiment. It makes two nice sized rolls and I enjoy the Zero Water with it. The calories of the lettuce and mustard are negligible. The meat adds another 100 to my daily total.
An evening workout.
I feel great!
Later I enjoy Argo and have a cup of unsweetened tea with two final Pim's (100 calories)...realize how absolutely hooked I am on them...and finish out my allotted 500 for the day.
I can DO this!
For additional information on the Fast Diet check out:
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/
And although today was "Cupcake and Milk Morning"...leaving me effectively with only about 1000 calories to work with for the remains of the day...I am already looking forward to tomorrow's "fast"!
Postscript:
In 2009, a nearly anorexic Kate Moss made the statement
"Nothing Tastes As Good As Skinny Feels"
Obviously Kate had never tasted a fresh dark chocolate fudge bakery-fresh cupcake with sprinkles...lol...
I'm just sayin'
