Hello sweet friends! How has it already been two weeks?! So before we dive right in, I want to quickly address that last week I skipped posting due to allowing space for myself to listen and learn and also make way for all the voices deserved to be heard! I am so grateful for the seeds of change currently being sown in my own heart, in my neighborhood, city and world and like always am so grateful for this space to grow with so many of you!

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned the past few years, is that when we don’t take care of ourselves…we can’t take care of the ones we love, the community we’re in and the world we live in. You can’t pour from an empty cup and all that. For me, learning my body, evolving with it and committing to small positive changes (that eventually lead to big, wonderful changes!), always proves to me why taking the time to care for my well being…mind, body & spirit is so very important! And I am so proud of all of you who have decided to join in this 40 day challenge. In case you missed it, or are just joining along, you can read the first post here. And please know, of course I’m no doctor, I don’t believe in one size fits all diagnosing and what I’m here to remind and inspire you, is that if I can make changes…big, small, in-between…so CAN YOU!!! So again, while I’m choosing to get back to Intermittent Fasting (you can read my first journey with it at the beginning of the year, starting with this post)…please be reminded that your 40 day Challenge may look entirely different from mine! And what matters most, is that you’re doing this for YOU, no one else, and you’re making choices that benefit your health!!

Ok, let’s dive in.

Week 1

My Week 1 Goal was to simply stick with my fasting windows. My fasting windows were from 5pm-9am No diet changes…just sticking to the time I set for myself. Check, done, great! Truth be told, I always find the first 24-48 hours hardest, while my body adjusts to a new schedule. And like always, emotional eater me, mentally (not physically) craves all the bad junk food items after 8pm. So for me, I always do best when my last meal is eaten earlier in the evening. Week 1, I intentionally drank a lot of water, ate well balanced meals and quickly lost a lot of water weight and bloat (a huge side effect of PCOS). So, with that I lost 5lbs in Week 1. And while I’m committed to being overlay transparent and honest with you, please remember numbers on the scale are not what matter most. Healthy is the new skinny. For me, this is and has been about getting healthy. Feeling better, having more energy, lowering my high blood pressure, getting me out of the pre-diabetic zone. All that gross stuff, that I don’t want to have in my life. And I also want to point out for me living with PCOS, I’m constantly holding on to a ton of water weight & inflammation. That inflammation and bloat then leads to me not being able to “tell” when I’m full, or when I’m actually hungry. The hormone influxes that go along with PCOS always make me crave all the processed, sugary, salty, cheesy, carbs! And all that food does, is contribute to my inflammation, energy loss and the viscous cycle repeats itself. So, weight gain is typically a huge side effect for those living with PCOS. So for me, while weight loss isn’t my main goal, the hope is to lose the weight that is contributing to all of this negative stuff! So, while 5 lbs in one week is not recommended for healthy, long term weight loss, for me, it really comes down to bloat and inflammation. And while we’re keeping it very real here. Starting weight was 152…after Week 1, down to 147.

Week 2

With so much happening in the world (& all long overdue and needed <3)…I found myself focused on so many other, more important things. And like life can easily do, the food and things I was putting into my body were not as intentional as I wished they had been. Frankly speaking…I just wasn’t paying attention. But another lesson I’ve learned with my health, is that it’s a journey. For me personally, moderation is more my game. And “restricting” certain items never ends well for me. lol. So, instead, I’ve learned to give myself grace during those moments of time, and try to get myself back to better intentions sooner than later. So, what did that look like for me in Week 2. For one, some late night dinners crept back into my life. Not a huge deal, I pushed back my eating window the following day. But again, for me personally, no good food choices are made after 8. There were processed deli meats…cheesy sandwiches on bread I don’t typically eat and…goodness, can’t believing I’m sharing all this silly stuff….CHEETO PUFFS!. Not cheetos, but those crazy amazing, middle school favorite of mine, THE PUFFS! Oh and cupcakes and cookies and yeah, a whole lot more portion wise than I should be consuming! But ya know what! I savored that junk! Enjoyed it and by the weekend, said enough already! ( And that migraine headache I got, also did a great job at motivating me to stop eating junk.) So…for those of you struggling or not following through to your own commitments…it’s OK! I think the worst thing is to have guilt over the challenging times. Rather, give yourself grace and gently remind yourself of your WHY. Why are you doing this?! More energy to play with your kids?! To live a long, prosperous life?! To fit into that favorite outfit of yours hanging in the closet? (I get that! It’s a confidence booster!). If you’re having a hard time getting started or having a hard time staying motivated, re-invest in your WHY! So for me, Week 2 brought on no additional weight loss. However I did maintain, right at 147.

Thought it would be more inspiring to share this Squash Blossom Pizza I shared on Instagram last week, vs a photo of a bowl of Cheeto Puffs…..hahahaha

Week 3 Goals

Ok, so for Week 3. Back to my strict eating windows 5pm-9am. Re-introducing herbal teas to my nighttime routine. And being intentional with the food I consume. I’m also hoping to share more of the foods that make me feel best! For a quick cliffnotes version, that’s avocado, lots of leafy greens, high fiber foods, broccoli, cauliflower. Salmon for all the amazing omegas…my Sheet Pan Salmon recipe is a family favorite!

Ok…so that was a whole lot about me…what about YOU!!! How are weeks 1 & 2 going?! What are your week 3 goals! You know I love hearing from you in the comments below!!