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March 17, 2006
Sixteenth Day of The Fast
Well, the fast has been going well for me this year. There have been some rough spots: my afternoons were excrutiating for a little while. My energy level would plummet and my brain would turn off. Once I even took a nap at work - helped a lot as I was able to be productive after that. Since I'm paid for my hours, and not just a little bit, I felt like I had a responsibility to my client to be effective. So I looked for ways to do that without breaking the Fast. One thing that has helped a bit is going for a mid-afternoon walk. Another thing is chewing gum (which probably isn't quite proper, but since it's litterally 1 or 2 Calories, I figure it's probably still within the spirit of the Fast).
Another good thing: my weight has actually continued to drop. I'm now at 201. I haven't been that low for at least a year. Last year for the Fast I didn't lose any weight at all. I figure that in the few days remaining, I'll definitely get down to 200, and maybe 199. After that, I'm going to have to work really hard to keep my weight down.
I've also started doing regular morning exercise. It's light, but it's better than nothing. I do the "Five Tibetan Rites" which are very similar to some yoga exercises. They seem to be helping my back a bit, although I find doing sit-ups is much more effective. Problem is I often forget to do sit-ups in the evening which is when I like to do them. Oh well.
Posted by mishkin at 01:40 PM
March 07, 2006
Sixth Day of the Fast
Ug. My weight is up to 208 today. I over-ate yesterday while travelling. Today I'm also not fasting but I am only drinking water. I need to kick the illness that is still hanging onto me. Hopefully some good rest and healthy food will help.
Posted by mishkin at 11:49 AM
March 05, 2006
Fourth Day of the Fast
Dad and Anna left this morning. They're going to Fort McMurray via Toronto. I could have left with them; caught the same flight, but Anna wanted to visit with Dad :-) I'm going to Toronto this afternoon for a 1/2 day training session I'm delivering.
The weight thing: well, I'm at 206 again. No loss, no gain. Last night was a big meal. We had Ghormeh Sabzi (a Persian dish made with parsley, cilantro and leeks), rice and then apple crisp for desert. I ate quite well.
Posted by mishkin at 01:45 PM
March 04, 2006
Third Day of the Fast
I've started the third day. I woke up before sunrise and drank some water as usual. However, now that it's 9:30am, I feel like I didn't get enough. The bedroom was very dry last night and this morning. My weight is down a little: I'm at 206 now. I've created a weight burndown spreadsheet to encourage myself. I'm still sick with a cough: I'm going to go to Target this morning to their medical clinic. I'm not sure if I'll get medication, but I really need to be better on Monday for my presentation to CapitalOne.
Melanie is weaning Verity. She started on the first day of the Fast. Verity had more trouble with it last night than usual. But still, Verity is adjusting. She's been drinking more water and juice and hopefully will start eating more solid foods too.
Posted by mishkin at 11:07 AM
March 03, 2006
My Brother Benja the Flash Maniac
My brother Benja does flash animation. He just sent out an email announcing a bunch of new stuff. WARNING: violent, gorey and offensive material!!! (But also really really hilarious!) Here it is: Benja's Flash Site.
Posted by mishkin at 01:25 PM
Second Day of the Fast
Well, this morning I was at 207. A reasonable decrease. I managed to fast the whole day yesterday: started the morning with a class of water, then broke my fast also with a glass of water. I ate a fair amount that evening, but not too much. Melanie made a fantastic chicken curry soup.
Posted by mishkin at 01:22 PM
March 02, 2006
First Day of the Fast
I'm still sick with a sore throat and stuffed up head, but I'm fasting today (so far). I have a few goals for this Fast: dawn prayers every day, lose ten pounds to get down to 200, and finish reading the letters of Shoghi Effendi that we were asked to read for the current five-year plan.
Dad and Anna are visiting us in Maryland. We're staying in corporate housing in a town North of Baltimore. It's nice to have them around. I just wish we had even more time with them.
Posted by mishkin at 03:53 PM