What are you reading? (Ladies forum)

[starlight]

I was gifted the book "Lessons in Chemistry" but I couldn't make it past the first page... "I was faster than all the boys but held myself back to not hurt their feelings..." <eyes rolling back into my head> I was actually given two different copies of the same book by two different people... I'll try to force myself to read it... someday. Or they might make great regifts in the future...

Reading "The Silent Patient" at the moment and it's a pretty captivating read so far about a psychoanalyst and an alleged murderess who's been committed to a psych hospital and his attempt to treat her.

Also, casually reading "The Mountains of California" by John Muir over the summer, which is a beautiful and informational prose about California.

 

[Mrs TexasJenn]

I just started reading "Fast Like a Girl" with a friend. We both want to slim down a little and get healthier. I'm starting her 30-day fasting reset soon, at the start of my next cycle, which incorporates two 24-hour fasts along with intermittent fasting on most of the other days.

She explains the science behind why it's not a good idea for pre-menopausal women to fast for about the 10 days before their menstrual cycle begins. During this time, your body is building progesterone, and you need a good amount of healthy carbs to do that. Without it, you tend to get all those icky PMS symptoms - irritability, fatigue, brain fog, cravings, etc.

Not only is fasting good for weight loss - it's also good for myriad health benefits and whole-system detoxing. I've just been dabbling into it with one meal a day sometime in the afternoon, and am already feeling a lot of better and slimming down a bit.

 

[starlight]

I just started reading "Fast Like a Girl" with a friend. We both want to slim down a little and get healthier. I'm starting her 30-day fasting reset soon, at the start of my next cycle, which incorporates two 24-hour fasts along with intermittent fasting on most of the other days.

She explains the science behind why it's not a good idea for pre-menopausal women to fast for about the 10 days before their menstrual cycle begins. During this time, your body is building progesterone, and you need a good amount of healthy carbs to do that. Without it, you tend to get all those icky PMS symptoms - irritability, fatigue, brain fog, cravings, etc.

Not only is fasting good for weight loss - it's also good for myriad health benefits and whole-system detoxing. I've just been dabbling into it with one meal a day sometime in the afternoon, and am already feeling a lot of better and slimming down a bit.

Thanks for sharing. I'm going to look into this book! I've been intermittent fasting (basically OMAD with nuts/fruit/dairy for a snack if I'm feeling really hungry) for a while now and the best I've ever felt was after a three day fast. I'm glad the stigma against fasting has dissipated over the years.

 

[Mrs TexasJenn]

Thanks for sharing. I'm going to look into this book! I've been intermittent fasting (basically OMAD with nuts/fruit/dairy for a snack if I'm feeling really hungry) for a while now and the best I've ever felt was after a three day fast. I'm glad the stigma against fasting has dissipated over the years.

Nice! I'm curious about the longer fasts and want to try one eventually, maybe in the near future. That's motivating to hear you did do well with it.

I've read advice from many wise people throughout the ages who say the key to better health is eating less or not eating at all for certain time periods.

The author has an active YouTube channel - Mindy Pelz. She's kind of intense, but the content is good.

 

[starlight]

Nice! I'm curious about the longer fasts and want to try one eventually, maybe in the near future. That's motivating to hear you did do well with it.

I've read advice from many wise people throughout the ages who say the key to better health is eating less or not eating at all for certain time periods.

The author has an active YouTube channel - Mindy Pelz. She's kind of intense, but the content is good.

For long fasts, 3+ days, I'd definitely suggest using an electrolyte supplement like "liquid IV" (which I have used and like) or some similar product starting during the second day if you feel like you need it.

Also, and probably most importantly, fasting days are not exercise days. I know sometimes we think (I use to think this) "eat nothing and workout for 3 days and get trim!" No no no, fasting is the time for your body to rest and repair. It's a great mental discipline in mind over body and by the third day there is so much mental clarity and mood boost that I actually look forward to my next fasts. It's a great time for prayer and introspection.

The biggest hangup for my long fasts is my husband's bbq... breaks my fast every time.

 

[Mrs TexasJenn]

Also, and probably most importantly, fasting days are not exercise days. I know sometimes we think (I use to think this) "eat nothing and workout for 3 days and get trim!" No no no, fasting is the time for your body to rest and repair.

Good tips, thank you!

I've been doing one meal a day for the past 7-10 days. I'm an active tennis player and have been playing about 4 times a week lately, often at high intensity for 2-3 hours. I usually have my meal in the afternoon, a few hours before tennis in the evening. The other night, I thought, let me try playing tennis and then having my meal in the evening afterward. This was about a 24-hour fast. I made it through the 2 hours of tennis, but I was really losing steam toward the end and it became clear this wasn't a good idea.

I just got Dr. Berg's electrolytes and it's made a big difference. I'm back in a hot, humid climate now (love it) and was getting headaches after every time playing in the heat, in spite of drinking a lot of water. The electrolytes fixed that immediately.

 

[starlight]

Good tips, thank you!

I've been doing one meal a day for the past 7-10 days. I'm an active tennis player and have been playing about 4 times a week lately, often at high intensity for 2-3 hours. I usually have my meal in the afternoon, a few hours before tennis in the evening. The other night, I thought, let me try playing tennis and then having my meal in the evening afterward. This was about a 24-hour fast. I made it through the 2 hours of tennis, but I was really losing steam toward the end and it became clear this wasn't a good idea.

I just got Dr. Berg's electrolytes and it's made a big difference. I'm back in a hot, humid climate now (love it) and was getting headaches after every time playing in the heat, in spite of drinking a lot of water. The electrolytes fixed that immediately.

I live in a very hot dry climate (which I love too ha) but I only noticed the need for electrolyte supplements when I was doing a multi-day fast, not just a regular OMAD. If you're trying to do a long fast, you can't be physical like that... The point of a fast is to let your body rest...