The Decision for a Lifestyle change Part 2

In my last post I said told about how I became sick and started fasting to clear my body of toxins that were causing the illness. This post I will tell how after two weeks I discontinued the fast and was able to continue losing weight.

I have read that the best way to come off of a fast was to come off it slowly so that's what I did. When my appetite began to return I started eating fresh fruits and vegetables for several days. When I became hungry again I knew that I needed to add protein to my diet so I started eating chicken and fish in small quantities along with the fruits and vegetables. I started eating oatmeal for breakfast. Not just oatmeal but oatmeal with honey or molasses and almonds or walnuts. I avoided eating anything white--white sugar, white flour, white rice, milk and even potatoes. I also avoided eating anything that contained wheat for about a month.

About the time I started eating protein again I started yoga. I opted for yoga for several reasons. First of all, I've got some very stiff joints because I have osteoarthritis. The yoga helps me loosen up without damaging or jarring my joints. I ease my body every morning out of the pain in the joints and in the process and lengthening and strengthening my muscles.

I do the yoga aswana type of yoga which is the type that uses physical poses.

Yoga has helped me become more aware of my body's signals. My body tells me when I need to be especially sensitive around a joint. It tells me when the pain that I'm feeling should be worked through and when the pain needs to be heeded and I need to stop in order to avoid injury. I have learned through the yoga that I need to discipline myself and I need to be patient with myself and this has stretched into other areas of my life.

I have started a journal. I haven't started a food journal because I don't want that kind of relationship with food. The relationship I want with food is one of mutual respect. Food is meant to nourish me that is all. It was not designed to be comfort to me. The journal is helping me deal with my real issues that I have buried under these layers of fat. As the weight comes off, I go deeper and deeper into what is really going on and what I really have to get rid of along with the extra pounds. Again it is a process that I must be disciplined in and be patient with.

I am not on a diet. I am changing my lifestyle to benefit me over the long term. So far the decision to change my lifestyle has resulted in my being 24 pounds lighter. Daily I continue to grow in discipline and patience.