Lean & Strong Phase 2, Day 5

Good morning!  I woke up really early this morning and because it was still dark out, I thought it was still the middle of the night, but when I looked at my phone I saw that it was 6:30.  Sadly, the days are getting shorter.

I just wanted to check in and give an update on how the intermittent fasting is going.  I have to confess that this week hasn’t been the greatest as far as staying on track with healthy eating and working out.  It has been a bit stressful and there were days when my regular routine was thrown out the window and I felt a bit out of sorts.  However, I have stayed within my 8-hour eating window so I can give you some honest feedback on how that’s going.

The first couple of days were a struggle, trying to figure out when I was going to eat and what I was going to eat.  I always pack a lunch and snacks when I go to work and trying to decide what I was going to pack in my lunchbox was a bit of a struggle.  However, after a couple of days I figured it out.

I’ve decided that 10:30a.m.-6:30p.m. is the eating window that is going to work best for me.  Since I normally eat breakfast before I leave for work, there were mornings when I felt a bit shaky and foggy from skipping breakfast, but that has improved.  I was also struggling with digestive issues after eating my first meal of the day.  I wasn’t eating too quickly or anything, so I’m not sure what that was about, but again, that problem has improved.

Yesterday I worked out in the morning after having a cup of coffee, then I did some housework and ate some breakfast at 10:30.  The hubby and I went out for lunch around 1:30 and for the first time in a while, I enjoyed a craft beer.  I also had a fabulous fried edamame wrap with a side of fries and I. WAS. STUFFED.  And I didn’t eat anything for the rest of the day because I was still full when my 6:30 eating window closed.  Of course, shortly after that I was hungry.  But I didn’t eat!  Instead I drank a cup of herbal tea.

I only worked out 3 days this week due to scheduling conflicts. I wish I was a morning person and could get my workouts done first thing, but this is a habit I’ve never been able to develop (perhaps a phase 3 experiment?) I’ve been more consistent when I work out when I get home from work. This works well most of the time, but this past week was busier than usual and so my workout routine suffered.

Despite the struggles, I lost another pound this week!  Most importantly, since starting my experiments, my pants aren’t feeling as tight around the waist.  Hallelujah!

The kids are coming over for brunch this morning; it has been a while since we’ve had the entire family together, so I’m super excited (it’s probably why I woke up so early this morning!)

Have a great day!