This flu stuff is ridiculous!    So this thing has been kicking me for over a week now.   I’m fairly certain that it hit me so hard because I didn’t fully get my probiotics built back up after the fast.

 

Unfortunately, that part of this is a difficult science and I can’t find enough information to determine how much is enough. I drank some stuff for a good week after the fast and because I was feeling pretty good I thought everything was okay.   However this flu hit me way too hard leading me to believe otherwise.

 

Regardless, I’m starting to feel a lot better and hopefully can start getting back to some sort of a training regiment.   I really have done next to nothing for the past week.   Fortunately, there is one silver lining I haven’t gained back anything.   I have been bouncing between 175.2 and 175.8 for almost 5 days now.   Ideally I should be able to get in a small run on Sunday and get back to the ½ marathon preparation.

 

Food has been relatively easy as I haven’t had much of an appetite at all.   Here is the latest plan:

 

Eat 5 – 7 times a day with about 200-300 calories per meal.   Additionally I am looking to have some sort of protein with each meal. This should be somewhat easy to establish as the food preparations on Sundays seems to be working fairly well.

 

Joel has been doing awesome with this type of program.   He does about an hour workout each morning training on his elliptical and training his Kenpo (Forms, sets and techniques).   He started the fast when I did and finished after 3 days.   He then went to the meal plan that I stated earlier.

 

He currently is down from 193 to 172.2.   So he is down a good 21 lbs in about a month.   We both are working to get back into the 160’s by the end of the year and at his current average he should hit the 160’s by the end of October and then work his way to the lower 160’s by Thanksgiving. Me- I’m hoping increased running should get me down to the 160’s by the 10^th of November. It’s only 5 more pounds but I’m sure my system is going to go back up a little when this flu stuff is finally done.

 

Both of us have decided to see what another 3 day fast will do to the system and have agreed to fast the weekend before Thanksgiving. Yes, starting on that fun loved “Cold Turkey” day. Just for us it will have a different significance.     Last meal on Wednesday, the 18^th and first meal back on Saturday evening or Sunday morning.

 

I know, I know “Didn’t you say the flu hit so hard because you didn’t replace your probiotics?” Yes, I did and “No” I don’t think another fast will zap my system again for two reasons; 1. I’m only going to do 3 days and 2. I will be more disciplined with replacing them.

 

No, I am not pushing fasting on anyone.   I think this is a personal choice. I will admit that it really helps my system take a nice break. Also, in today’s economy it’s kind of nice on the pocketbook. Heck the “No Caffeine” thing has been huge as Jea and I haven’t visited Starbuck’s in quite a while now.   It’s unbelievable how much that stuff adds up.