Fast 5 Diary Four Week Summary March 1st - April 1st: Plateau!

Interesting fasting days in March. I hit a plateau late in February that lasted through March, and I am hoping I make progress in April.

Summary:

Fasting during the day has definitely reinforced my belief that I eat out of boredom.  At work, I find that I *think* about reaching for a snack almost immediately when I am frustrated or perplexed.  Nothing to do with hunger---It's almost like an autonomic response.  Why do I respond to frustration or anxiety with wanting to eat?

I still like feeling hungry around 3:00 in the afternoon.

I still enjoy letting down my guard a bit during dinner, but I suspect that I have let it down a bit too much since my average weight for March went up compared to January and February.

Also, I had a physical in mid March.  It's good to get a physical, but I was motivated by a friend who expressed concern for my health when I told him I was trying Fast 5.  I knew I felt fine, but decided it was reasonable to see if Fast 5 would affect my blood work.  The answer is no.  It seems to have had no effect.  Blood work looks exactly like it always has looked.  Everything was just like it was the last time I had a physical.

Pros:

1. I look forward to dinner for a few reasons because I eat what I want.  As I've discovered, maybe too much of what I want.

2. I like feeling hungry at 3:00ish in the afternoon.

Cons:

1. It is a still a little awkward not to eat when I eat lunch with folks.  Last week I tried to switch my window from evening to lunch so I could eat lunch w/friends, but I am not disciplined at night.
2. Still not convinced it will help me to have less belly fat but time will tell.

Measurements

1. Am I losing any weight?  average up in March; down 1.5 from 2011 average but up from average since Jan. 2, 2012
2. Is my waist shrinking?  Not last month
3. Can I sustain this?  Time will tell; so far so good
4. Does it suck the joy out of my life? No!
5. Does it bring any joy to my life? Yes.  One of my favorite things is making dinner, and it makes making dinner more fun!
6. Is it working for my family? I think so.  I think they enjoy the dinners I am making, and other than that should not affect them.
7. How do my my clothes fit?  Mostly the same.