Happy Friday, dear reader! I am currently in Week #5 of the Fast Burn Challenge and at the halfway point of the challenge. Even though there are guidelines to follow this week, it is less restrictive. On Monday morning, I weighed in at 155 pounds. I lost another .5 pounds with a total loss of 6.5 pounds. This week’s weigh-in followed another Mother’s Day celebration. My hubby, youngest son, and I took my mother-in-law out to lunch at Murphy’s Seafood Restaurant to celebrate Mrs. Billie, and YES, I made another wise choice. I thought this would be harder than last week since my favorite meal and the only one that I order at Murphy’s is Eggplant Sarah (fried eggplant medallions over angel hair pasta topped with crawfish cream sauce). Instead, I ordered Grilled Catfish with a baked Sweet Potato which was quite tasty. I only ate one piece of catfish and my entire sweet potato and saved the other piece of catfish for dinner with veggies on Sunday. Except for this meal, I followed all my guidelines outlined for that day. Planning and moderation working well together.
Kudos to Me for…
- meeting my daily water intake goal.
- meeting my TRF 12:12 goal.
- trying the Blustery Banana Shake. Yummo!
- trying the Knockout Brussels Sprouts. Delicious!
- continuing to eat more veggies.
- meeting my daily exercise goals.
- planning my meals and snacks for the week.
- choosing wisely when eating at a restaurant.
This week, Dr. Ian allowed you to choose your IF schedule, so I went back to the 12:12. It is my last week to report to school before breaking for the summer, and the 12:12 schedule allows me to eat breakfast before leaving for work which is more convenient for me. Since this week is less restrictive, I ordered a Michelle Roll for dinner on Monday evening. It consists of snow crab, crabstick, boiled shrimp, avocado, asparagus, and cucumber wrapped in soybean paper with NO rice. I had a serving of the Knockout Brussels Sprouts left over from Sunday night’s dinner, so I ate that as well.
It’s a good thing that I am in this less restrictive week because I ate out again on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate my friend and co-worker’s retirement with my team. We went to a Mexican restaurant where I consumed a few chips with salsa, a scoop of guacamole, and a shrimp quesadilla. The only stumbling block is I ate the entire quesadilla. I should have eaten half and taken the other half home because I felt a little uncomfortable. Thankfully, we ate earlier in the evening, and I walked when I got home, so by the time I retired for the night, I felt much better. However, I did have a little tummy trouble the next morning. I suspect the salsa may have been the culprit.
Challenges
My only challenge this week is managing my stress. I’ve been a bit overwhelmed at work trying to wrap up my duties before summer break, and feeling a bit overwhelmed at home dealing with my geriatric dog Sophie. She is not sleeping well at night which is causing me to not sleep well. When I’m tired, stressed or feeling overwhelmed, I want to eat all the wrong foods. I have been VERY good and have not caved, but it has not been easy. I keep reminding myself that this is temporary and will pass. I keep reminding myself NOT to undo my progress. I keep reminding myself that the bad food choices will only make me feel better for a moment, and then immediately afterwards, make me feel worse. Therefore, I feel my feelings until the overwhelming moment passes. I’ve also had to take quite a few deep breaths and drink more water.
All in all, dear reader, I am proud of how far I have come on this Fast Burn journey. I am making progress, eating better, and exercising more. I really think being a part of the Facebook Fast Burn community has helped me stay on track. The people in the group, along with Dr. Ian, provide so much valuable information, support, and inspiration. My summer break officially starts this afternoon, so I am looking forward to stepping it up a notch in the exercise department and finishing this challenge on a high note. Happiness!
“At the end of the day, the rule of moderation is still the cord that can tether us to a food life that is well lived and positive, a vital part of who we are.” ~ Ian K. Smith, M.D., Mind Over Weight
The Kat Files 
You’ve hit the midway point on a high note too. You’re doing great, including riding the stress til you get past it. You may well know these breathing techniques but I find them quite helpful: box breathing (breathe in on a count of 4, hold for 4 and out for 4, etc); or the 4/6 (in for 4 and out for 6). You’re smashing this though, so give yourself a most excellent midway pat on the back!
Thank you! You are the loveliest person. I did not know about the box breathing technique, but I will incorporate it the next time I feel stressed which could very well be on Tuesday when I have to go into New Orleans for an all-day teacher leader conference. I appreciate your encouragement. Patting my back right now. 🙂