Weight loss challenge...

Almost three weeks ago now, I embarked on a weight loss challenge with a friend from church. The goal is to lose 40 pounds first and the challenge has incentives and penalties at various points along the way.

I spent the first two weeks doing nothing but juice fasting (drinking the juice of fresh fruits and vegetables and not eating any solid foods). Starting this third week I have been eating again, largely because I was at a conference and the logistics of continuing on would have been more difficult.

It is interesting how eating again, causes such a huge fluctuation, as this morning my scale told me I was at 27 pounds lost and tonight it said I was at 21...and while I drank tons of water I had not eaten that much and certainly nothing unhealthy (I bet/hope I am back to 26-27 again in the morning).

Let me say one more thing before I make a few observations...I know that the first thing I have to say could be extremely offensive...so please hear it through the lens of me speaking of only a glimpse and not of full understanding.

1. Ending My Fast Was Harder Than Keeping It! For my first meal I had a piece of grilled salmon, some green beans, some yellow beans, and some broccoli. I ate half the vegetables and two bites of salmon before I was stuffed. The black pepper used to season the vegetables burned on my tongue as it was surprised by spices it had usually taken for granted. Not only did I feel full and have a hard time eating (here is the potentially offensive thing) I also had a difficult time emotionally, and for the first time in my life understood why someone would choose the patterns of an eating disorder. After a few veggies I felt "fat" and would have preferred it out!

2. Keeping My Fast Was A Piece Of Cake! There were rough moments and even a rough day or two, but they had nothing to do with me being hungry or weak. Those moments were me being confronted with the reality that I was utterly addicted to the taste of food (and especially unhealthy food). The worst part of my fast was not the fast, it was the scores of people who have never done an extended fast telling me how dangerous and unhealthy my actions were (funny how the many I spoke with who have experienced extended fasting said no such thing). The one part of this that was huge motivation for me was one friend who fasts all 40 days each lent, telling me "the reason people think it is dangerous is because so few people in our culture truly understand sacrifice and giving something up". The entire second week I had tons of energy, amazing clarity and felt healthier than I have my entire adult life! Not only would I do this again I am planning to do an extended fast (one month) every year for the rest of my life as the physical and spiritual advantages I experienced in just two weeks were undeniable!

3. Now that I am done with this fasting phase of the challenge, the hard part is upon me! I am eating food again (and doing well with portion control, selection, and cooking method). I am also walking, running, swimming, cycling to try and live each day in a significantly different way. 98% of everything I now drink is pure, crisp, water. Funny how cutting everything out was easy and now adding only the right things back, and sustaining that, is the true test of how successful I will or will not be.

One final note for now...as much as I push against some of these changes, the benefits have been so good that my entire being wants to keep moving in this direction and not return (please remind me of this if you see me falling off the wagon). My feet don't hurt at the end of the day like they have for as long as I can remember. My knees no longer hurt. After only one week I could already start to see and feel changes in my body composition. And perhaps the coolest thing was while trying on some jeans I discovered that my, for what seems like forever, 42 waist was now a 38!