Hello lovely ladies!

It's been a while since I checked in with you all. I'm still alive and kicking...barely! LOL

So it's been an interesting month, I had what was I thought was a kidney infection, was on antibiotics, went to Las Vegas for a work conference, came home, found out I actually have a kidney stone big enough it needs surgery, my kid's school got cancelled for the rest of the year, I got sick and had to quarantine, and due to our lovely pandemic all elective surgeries have been cancelled so I'm waiting who knows how long or until my kidney stone is urgent to get it removed.

Needless to say, it's been a stressful month. I've eaten a pizza in one sitting, eaten chocolate, candy and chips. All things I typically never do. I haven't done a fast over 24 hours in weeks, I haven't even been walking (any intense exercise is off the table with my kidney stone kicking around). I have been avoiding the scale assuming the worst.

Yesterday I woke up and my mindset shifted, and got on the scale, determined to undo the damage of the last few weeks of worry and bad behaviour. When I got on the scale I was only a pound from my lowest weight in recent history.

So then I objectively evaluated my last few weeks. Every day I did at least 18:6, and a lot of days were OMAD. Yes, I've made more poor food choices than usual but I also ate low carb between these poor choices. So while things were (and are) stressful I forgot the biggest lesson I've learned, which is to be kind to yourself. No one is perfect, we all have poor days, and stressful weeks, that's what life's about.

And out of this, I have one huge victory. While I've successfully lost weight before, I've never successfully been able to maintain that loss without extreme diligence. Any small set back, and I'd be up 10 pounds, and then have to work just as hard to lose them all over again. I personally think fasting has changed my hormones. I really hope that my body no longer has that rebound weight gain that has made losing and maintaining weight so difficult in the past. So now I'm determined to get a longer fast in this week and start finding new lows again!

I really hope everyone is staying safe and well in these unprecedented times. Fast on, and much love!

Hi all!

Things are good here. Still sticking to my six hour eating window and liking it! Almost lunch time - yummy!!

Snuck out to the grocery store and Trader Joe's this AM, to try and beat the "rush". It worked. We got everything on our list and the fridge is packed!

@mamainthekitchen thanks! I think it is the Keto WOE that is helping me stay satisfied longer and not climbing the walls and hungry. Yes, we do have treats. Almost done with our low carb cheesecake and bought ingredients to make another!

@KateNkognito we are doing the same thing - everything we can do to stay healthy in this crazy virus pandemic. Sending healthy vibes!

Congrats on your low @A_Dabauer - YOU GOT THIS! And I hope you feel better!

Tomorrow is weigh in day for me! Feeling good! Definitely going to take a walk tonight and hopefully tomorrow night too. Sunny and in the 50's F here. Woo hoo!

See you all soon.

Hey everyone...sorry for the absence. Sixty or so posts I've missed. I hope all of you are faring well.

We now have 6 people in the house (I was on the road for 16 hours yesterday, but our son is finally home from college...so 3 people here doing online courses now)...we will never be able to stock enough food ...getting the whole house on a fasting regimen could prove beneficial ($$) Everyone is healthy. My wife is essential personnel (as if we didn't know) so she's been trekking back and forth to work daily. We are in a rural area of New Orleans (yes, that exists ) on the west bank of the river, so we're safer than other sections of the city.

Seems like a year ago, but my brother had a heart attack (life saved by the person who saw him fall off the couch when his heart stopped) about a month ago. He was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. I stayed up in ICU for about 10 hours and could see that there was something starting to happen (as far as the virus goes.) Lots of coughing and some patients that were going to need extensive help...so I'm sure the virus was already here weeks (if not months) before reported...which means it propagated heavily throughout the Mardi Gras season (and those visiting brought it back home.) They sent him home right after they started a "no visitor" policy at the hospital (about a week after he arrived)...too soon in my opinion, but the hospital staff was already showing signs of stress and beds were getting hard to come by. It may be a good thing he got outta there.

My wife also has aging parents who have underling conditions...so she is trying to manage 3 locations where she is deemed essential (work, home, parents'), so we are trying to create at least one stress free environment ...I said we're trying!

OK, trying to go back a few posts...

@KateNkognito thank you for the shout out! I completely understand the stress eating...6 people here (including me) are hoarding snacks in their rooms I'm about to strap my kids up and send them out foraging.

@mamainthekitchen Back away from the paste lady! The apocalypse is a bad time to form new addictions Sounds like a good way to workout...without the brain noticing (until it starts to hurts.)

@Meghan509 Wow You are a machine...to maintain during this stressful time really shows how much this has become your new way of life. Congratulations...and still able to shed the pounds like that <applause> I think I'm going to design a new t-shirt..."Be Like Meghan!"

@A_Dabauer Ouch! ...kidney stones. I'm sure it's difficult...especially with the way things are today. Congrats on your long fast; getting it done with these extra "factors" is an exceptional feat.

Stay safe everyone!

In closing...we now have 7 chicks. We've been talking about doing this for years...now seems like the right time. One is limping, she hurt her leg. Hope she pulls through.

Hi all,

Nice to see you guys checking in and posting, etc. over the weekend!

First, thanks for the kind remarks about my progress!

@mamainthekitchen hope all is well in your neck of the woods! Planning to make another one of my low carb cheesecakes tonight, this time with lemon extract instead of vanilla extract. Will let you know how it comes out!

@A_Dabauer congrats on your 24 hour fast! Hope all went well. Love your profile pic - you look awesome!

@orlcam it is nice to see you! OMG chickens!! Stay healthy and sane with that full house of yours. Bet you are glad to have the kids back from college and stuff. Stay well!

@KateNkognito hope all is well and those boys are not eating you out of house and home. LOL

Things are crazy with this virus, over here in south western Connecticut. We are following our Governor's orders and President Trump's orders and are staying put. Only going out for walks and grocery shopping trips. Still working remotely. Hoping that can continue until we get back to work in person. Scary times for sure. Buckling down on spending and just trying to stay low key. Only thing I bought recently was via Amazon and it was vitamins.

In the mean time, I guess me sticking pretty hard to Keto is my way of staying in control with this all of this Coronavirus and uncertainty with the US economy taking place. Trying to turn this stressful time in to a positive thing - me taking care of myself and getting closer to goal.

Over the weekend I stuck to my WOE but didn't do intermittent fasting as long. Today since it is Monday I am back to my six hour eating window or from 3:00pm to 9:00pm give or take. Last few days have been cool and rainy, so no walking since Friday afternoon. Hoping tomorrow and Wednesday are good and we can get out after work. I really enjoy it, for sure.

Sending you all positive healthy vibes.