Fasting

   "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will  admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair, and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18

  So, there's no extended fasting required in the Gina Livy program. Apparently, it's one of the worst things we can do to lose weight because it fools the body into thinking it needs to keep fat reserves for the lean times ahead. 

  Although, not having dessert is a kind of fast isn't it?

  As for looking disheveled and miserable, to be honest, I haven't felt so physically and mentally well since, well, ever. My energy levels are way above "normal." I am sleeping better. Each day is greeted with a level of excitement and anticipation totally unfamiliar to the way life has been up to this point.

  These are what Gina calls non-scale victories and are just as important as weight loss.

  About dessert...I don't want it. Yes, me, who has been an avid sweets connoisseur since I could crawl, does not want it!! It is utterly unappealing.

  That's another non-scale victory. I am hearing what my body wants or does not want. Yesterday it was sauerkraut and pickled beets...just writing about them makes me want more. There must be something in them that my body needs. Sauerkraut, since it's a fermented pickle, is actually very good for you. I have jars of homemade pickled beets in the pantry so it's a no brainer to use them instead of hanging on to them as a treat or for when company comes.

  Each day does incorporate a break from food. Nothing to eat after supper until break fast in the morning. I never realized the benefits. But then, because I was skipping meals and not drinking enough water the nighttime munchies were a little out of control.

  Fasting according to the body's natural rhythms has a slew of benefits. 

  I find the further along we go, the less I want bread or sugary goodies. Although, I do start the day with an egg wrap stuffed with vegies and other nutritious foods. Even those commercials for waffles with butter oozing and maple syrup pools holds zero attraction. It's like my body is thanking me for finally listening to it! 

  All it took for my body to become my willing partner in all this is to have the discipline to follow Gina's recommendations. She is simply guiding us into health through a program developed over thirty years of helping people.

  With all the beneficial changes that have happened only three weeks into the program, I am fully committed to see what wonderful things lay ahead. 

  And I give thanks to the Lord for leading us to this drastically different approach to healthy, not fast, weight loss.