The Road Back To Ketosis

New beginnings

Good morning all. I awoke early again and I am sipping my coffee, waiting for the snow to come. Christmas is over and frankly I'm exhausted. This is mostly emotional fatigue, for as you know this has been a very, very difficult month for me. I am resuming the full fast today, and I will not see my in-laws again until Friday evening. They depart early the next day. No more family dinners to stress about, no more cookies and cakes and pies and an onslaught of highly caloric holiday food items. It is finally, blessedly over.

With the coming snow storm and hazardous traveling alerts, I will not be going to the clinic today for my weigh-in. I've got mixed feelings about this. At my weigh-in last week, I was 164 lbs. and according to my scale at home, I am hovering around 159 - 160 lbs. Tacking on a little more weight to accommodate the clinic scale calibration, I am probably about 162 lbs. That would be a weekly loss. Obviously, I'm now completely wrapped up in the number and this is causing deep concern for me. Weather permitting, I can get to one of the other Optifast clinics tomorrow and speak with a dietitian about it. I also have a talk therapy appointment lined up. So I have supports available.

(For those who have just found my blog, I started my Optifast journey in late March, weighing 239 lbs. I am 5' 6. I set a goal of 160 lbs. I have been on the program for nine months, adhering almost completely to a full fast only, and decided about six weeks ago to reset my goal to 150 lbs. At my last weigh-in on December 19, I weighed 164 lbs. For most of this past Christmas week, I have been having products here and there, but mostly eating "real" food. This is not in my plan. There have been binges, and eating some meals high in carbs, sugars, and fats.)

The only other recent memory I have of my stress level being this high is a few years back when we had to move out of the house for several months while our kitchen was ripped out and remodeled. That was truly tough, and I don't think I'll ever go through something like that again. (Those who have survived remodeling projects will know what I'm talking about!) I am absolutely spent, and fortunately I have this week off from work and do not have to be back in the office until January 2. So I have days to decompress and begin climbing the hill back to ketosis.

Ah yes, ketosis. This is the chemical process that makes weight loss through the Optifast program possible. You consume low-calorie products stripped of carbs, sugar and fat -- instead high in protein -- and ketosis kicks in, whereby your body begins burning fat for energy and you shed inches and weight. Once you reach ketosis, your hunger goes away and you really start to feel great. Your whole body "de-toxes." It's a great feeling.

The only problem is surviving the 3+ days it takes to get there.

Those just starting the Optifast program will be going through exactly what I will face in the days to come. Hunger. Growling stomach. Possible dizziness and a need to exert great caution while driving. A drop in energy. Fatigue. And then the cravings. Oh, the cravings. For something, anything to make the growling go away. Although this is relatively just a short amount of time you have to "suffer," it can be truly challenging physically, mentally and emotionally. This I know from experience.

You can combat hunger and cravings by drinking lots of water, chewing gum, spacing your products 2-3 hours apart, adding more water to your shakes and soups, and adding in 1 cup of sugar-free jello a day to your routine. If any food around your house becomes too tempting, leave for a bit. Take a walk around the block. Remember that cravings only last about 20-25 minutes, and are quite different from actual hunger.

Mentally and emotionally, journaling/blogging extensively, going to places like the Facebook Optifast Chat Support page and connecting with others, taking hot baths, and of course meditating and resting helps so much. Gather your friends and family around for support. You do not have to be alone. Importantly, you will get through this. And once in ketosis, it's wonderful.

I've gone through this before and I can do it again. One Day At A Time. I am looking outside and the snow is starting to really come down now. It's beautiful. Today I start anew. And I can do it.