January 2019, I am closing the books on you. Fasting is nearly over, and February is on the horizon. What a ride it was!
I surprised myself by actually enjoying Alternate Day Fasting (ADF). To be honest, the most vexing problem I had was that even on my fasting days, I still had to cook for my family. I found it challenging to keep my emotions in check. I’d find myself feeling grumpy and resentful and sorry for myself while cooking something delicious for someone else. (So much for being a selfless mother — or for even being emotionally mature, for that matter).
Then, there was the inconvenience. There were times when I had to change lunch or dinner plans with friends in order to accommodate my fasting schedule, which led me to wonder whether the plan was ridiculously restrictive. Shouldn’t I be enjoying life to the fullest? That’s clearly a valid argument for some. But you know what I discovered? It wasn’t that hard to rearrange plans. I still got to see friends, just on a different day. If I had to do another month of fasting, I would simply schedule lunches or dinners on eating days.
Best of all, I discovered that some cheating didn’t hurt. Even if I stuffed a handful of bell pepper in my face while resentfully cooking spaghetti sauce, or if I sampled a couple of spoonfuls while the sauce was simmering, it didn’t matter. I still kept succeeding. Overall, I had more energy, I felt creatively invigorated and I cranked out a blog post every day since this challenge started. I’m declaring “Life in the Fasting Lane” a win. Onward!
Wow!! What a success! As usual your insights about the whole experience are even more meaningful than the experience itself! I love how you explore your failings along the way to declare success and victory! You start from the idea that we are all human, imperfect by definition, and so what is mostly good is 100% pure success. I love this attitude 100% with my imperfect heart and soul !! Your writing is fun and creative and impeccable as usual! I am a fan.