My mistakes after breaking a prolonged Dry Fast

After few failed attempts I finally found the strengths to start a new prolonged Dry Fast. I managed my refeeding process very poorly last week after completing my 6 days with no food and no water. In my defense I have to say that I broke my Dry Fast as planned, drinking Coconut Water, Bone Broth and I had 2 soups and 2 mud puddings to go easy with my digestive system. Even Coconut water was giving me diarrhea so I couldn’t eat anything solid anyway.
Unfortunately the long weekend out of the country came by and all my good intentions were out of the window, sabotaged also by my man and his food obsession. I started to eat whatever I wanted from the menus, without not even thinking that my metabolism was too slow to manage all that food. My boyfriend started also to ask me if I wanted an ice-cream, a chocolate bar or anything sweet every five minutes! It was exhausting, he knew I didn’t want to fall back into my dirty habits, but this didn’t stop him to keep on buying me junk food in any occasion. At some point I felt he was doing it in purpose so I can gain weight and eat more than him, so he wouldn’t feel guilty with his food pleasures.
Although I broke my Dry Fast on Wednesday morning, I felt that I was still detoxing on Saturday and partially also Sunday. I had lots of BMs, due also to the pudding I guess but I certainly noticed a difference. Still today, my digestive tract is efficient, and I’m eating very bad in the past few days – just to mention yesterday I had a big Toblerone with crunchy almonds, a full bag of praline Pecans, 2 double OH!Henry and 2 Hershey white chocolate big bars, not to mention 4 McDonalds English Muffin sandwiches and a wrap, oh I also had some Coconut Water and my mud pudding at the end of the day. I know - I am ashamed of myself.
Today I was thinking that it’s been months since I didn’t go to a store to do grocery, since last time I cooked something for myself, like a salad or one of my favourite Raw Vegan sauces. I’m always struggling to stay away from food and then I see my man and I’m off the wagon again. I don’t want to stay on diet forever, I want a healthy relationship with food and, although I believe keeping Fasting as part of my life, it’s not easy doing a prolonged Fast, days feel like weeks, weeks feel like months when not eating or drinking anything. Yesterday I even thought of breaking up with my boyfriend, because his way of sabotaging my efforts on losing weight and stay away from sugar. I know he means well but he’s not stupid, he should understand that buying me chocolate bars is only damaging me, not making me happy. In the car eating all those chocolate bars, I was sad and happy at the same time, because I could see on my body already, those few days of eating so much what had done, my metabolism was too slow to handle.
If you Dry Fast for a prolonged period of time, remember your body will take at least 7/10 days to get back to normal, don’t eat too much of anything, or you’ll regret it – as I did.

Back in Ketosis

Here I am again, after almost 1 year since I started my Dr. Bernstein Diet Journey for the very first time. I guess it's not a surprise saying that I gained back all that I lost in my previous tentative with the Diet…..and some more!

Some updates: I joined a gym since December 2014, I'm trying to go regularly, but some weeks are better than others I would say, even though I always enjoy going and the after-feeling is rewarding every time.

I'm back on the strict since 2 weeks now; I did not lose much so far, maybe 3/4 pounds I guess. This time around I've lots of difficulties to give up my coffee addiction and all those cream, half and half, fat milk that go with it.

I learned that going on and off from the Diet makes you lose faith in the Diet itself, so I would not suggest doing that when possible. It's a strict and expensive Diet, it must to be taken seriously - otherwise it's just a waste of money, time and stress for the body.

I figured now how to be in ketosis easier, just removing completely the carbs from my daily food. No bread, no crackers….not that I ever had a lot anyway.

Being in Ketosis is a fundamental thing in this Diet; never ever underestimate the importance to be in Ketosis during this treatment.

If you follow the Diet, eating small amounts of food as prescribed, but you're not in Ketosis, sure as hell your metabolism is going to drop instantly – and there's nothing worse than a slow metabolism for whom is struggling to lose weight….or maintain it for that matter.

Being in a Ketogenic status means that your body is burning fat – which is what everyone wants – not only that, it guarantees you that your metabolism is running. In a very similar way, when you have lots of muscles your body burns fat even when you're sleeping, your metabolism is high and you don't gain weight.

A slow metabolism has opposite outcome…

It is for this reason that first thing in this Diet is: being in Ketosis. If you're not in Ketosis I would suggest you to try to remove all the carbs, change type of vegetables, don't eat sugar in any form (included fruits). This should not being seen as a punishment or anything – it is extremely important to guarantee that your body burns every day of your Diet, even if it's just a little.

This will be easier to understand when you will be off from the strict Diet and even an extra apple will make you gain weight. I had to pay (in many senses) this situation on my own skin, my metabolism is messed up and losing even 1 single pound is a struggle. Maintenance is a dream for now!

Monday - weigh in Day

With an average of 500 Calories per day I am still not able to lose a single pound! I can't explain myself what could be. The nurse this morning was telling me that it could be normal, due to water retention…well nothing else, she actually did not give me any other logical explanation to that.

Their scale said I lost some weight from Friday; but I don't find it relevant for the daily food intake that I'm having. Tomorrow I've my first visit with a doctor at the Dr Bernstein clinic, I will mention to him this thing as well, and I'd like to see his suggestions too.

 Yesterday I skipped 1 serving of fruit and 1 serving of vegetables, I was starving when I went to bed, I even had 3L of water and I was working all day around the house as well as shopping here and there, however this morning my scale displayed the exact amount as yesterday. I regretted not eating all my servings though, this will slow down my metabolism and a slow metabolism is not good, ever!

One thing that I decided to buy is the Ketone sticks (Ketostix), I did a research online and they are available in any pharmacy for few bucks and no prescription required, I'll try monitoring my ketones during the days that I don't go to the clinic and between evening and morning to see if I'm burning fat or not.

Today I also decided to take a different approach with my food, spreading all that I eat during the day, even if I'm still enjoying what I'm eating and I'm not full at all, I'll stop and save something for later, I'll try to plan to eat every 2 hours or so if I can, like with a piece of fruit, a raw vegetable or simply some of the Goldfish that I like so much. Maybe pushing my metabolism higher is the key!

I had another abdominal injection this morning and strangely – well at least for me – the nurse asked me if I had already started to do some exercises to improve my abdominal muscles. Although it made perfect sense for me this question, I was surprised, definitely I felt ashamed of my lack of exercise but eager to have a different answer next time someone will ask me this same question.

I've to say that they do not suggest doing any weight lifting, only simple exercises and low-cardio workout, I did went to a Yoga class on Saturday!

Injections in the abdomen hurt like hell, why deny it, but I'm hoping to lose my stubborn fat in that area, so far I had 3 injections on my belly and, apart from the first time, I did not see any improvement, most probably I'll go back on doing injections in my butt; they're definitely less painful and I've lots to lose there too.

One thing that I'm noticing with this Dr. Bernstein Diet is that really the food becomes an obsession, only I can think now is cooking, Dieting, extra kilos on my body and injections. I'm not going crazy, or at least is not Diet's fault if I am, but the privation of such an innate pleasure really gives you internal frustration. I would go all day without eating if I was working hard and not even noticing, even more if I was out shopping. But with this diet you look at food differently, you're tempted by EVERYTHING. Lately one of my cravings is nachos with guacamole, who could ever tell?! Me, a chocaholic that is craving for chips? I never liked chips but now, every time I see a commercial or a sign showing nachos I think about my avocados and how I'd love to dip into a big bowl of guacamole! Crazy yes.