21 Day FAST.....Halfway Point!

If you are doing the 21 day fast, CELEBRATE! You are halfway there! By now you should have settled into a routine. The hangriness should be gone. I personally decided against doing the Daniel Fast or The Daniel Plan for my 21 Day Fast. I am saving that for Lent. I may do the Daniel Fast Friday through Sunday to end my 21 day Fast, but that is depending on if I feel led.

I decided to give up Meat, Soda, Fast Food, and Sweets for this fast. I have a HUGE addiction to Fast Food and Soda to the point to where it is gluttonous so giving up those items is big for me. Being a single mom, sometimes I rely on fast food to feed my family. It's cheap and easy. It also shows on my rear end and love handles. I have noticed my son getting a little bit pudgier than normal. I know it is because of how we eat. I decided this year we were going to start eating healthier. I refuse to call it a resolution because I never keep my resolutions and this is something we have to change.

If you mess up on your fast, just pick back up and keep going. You are going to be tempted. This past Sunday I was watching the Playoff's at my Dad's house and he had gotten a huge sackful of Krystal's and I had to watch everyone eat them while I forced down my salad. I would have loved to cheat and eat those Krystal's but I knew the remorse would be worse than the deliciousness. Also have you noticed the food commercials? I think food commercials should be banned. My stomach was eating itself by the time I left my Dad's house.

I enjoy eating healthy my problem is my big appetite so it take a lot of green stuff to keep me full. Also again, being a Single Mom on a fixed income food is expensive, allergy free food is even more expensive, and buying healthy food for myself is sometimes not an option. I have just found ALDI. I will definitely be going back there for my healthy food. It is food at half the cost of regular grocery stores. You can find some really good deals there so as I get accommodated to shopping there hopefully I will be able to give you some pointers.

For my daily devotions I found a really great plan on my YouVersion Bible app. It is called the 21 Day Fast. I have really enjoyed reading it every day. I did not do the bible journaling for this fast. I will be doing it for Lent. I tend to do more for Lent than I do for the 21 Day Fast. I sort of use the 21 Day Fast to prepare myself for Lent since they are close together.

Someone in my Sunday School class mentioned wanting to fast more often and I think that is a great idea. It would be nice to fast when I feel led to and by myself when no one is doing it with me. Also to do so in secret. Just God and I knowing about it. This year for me is all about taking care of my body so I can serve others better and drawing closer to God. Always working on our intimacy, just like a marriage so it doesn't become stagnant.

More about the 21 Day Fast http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/join-fastingmovement/

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The 21 day fast

Mm Every year a small group of us at church do the 21 day fast. It starts on the first Sunday in January. I enjoy fasting. I usually do the 21 day fast and then I do Lent. In the beginning it was too much about the fast itself and I really struggled with it. I was so focused on what I was given up and it left me empty in my stomach and my heart. Then one Lent season I decided to keep a scripture journal. With lent there are certain scriptures you read every day. I would write them and then write what that scripture meant to me or how I interpreted it. After that, my fasts became more fruitful. I began to focus on what I was gaining instead of losing. Instead of simply giving up things I added things to my life, like the scripture journaling. It can be as simple as reading the word every morning or becoming more involved in church.

More about the 21 day fast

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fasting/

It's no secret that I have a problem with my weight. This year, and years past, I made the resolution to lose weight. This year I hope will be more successful since I have a goal. I'm going to Haiti in June with my church. I want to be in shape so I can keep up with my much more healthy compadres. I have a feeling we will be doing a lot of walking so I don't want to be left behind breathless. I want to be healthy so I can serve to the best of my abilities. 

I'm using this years 21 day fast as a starting point for my weight loss journey. I've used The Daniel Plan before for fasting and I really like it. I usually reverted to my old eating habits as soon as the fast was over, but this year I plan on sticking with it to help with my lifestyle change. 

The Daniel Plan is pretty simple, if it's natural you can eat it. It cuts out everything processed. Now don't be like me and focus on what you can't have because you will quit without a second thought. Think about what you CAN have. I was just on Pinterest doing some research for this post and some of the recipes that popped up left me salivating. Something I'm going to try this year to make it more of a successful fast is planning out my meals in advance. That way I'm not bored or left hungry. I've pinned some great new recipes that I am dying to try like Pineapple Whip and Minestrone soup. I'm also partial to fajitas and lots of Mexican food which is something I can have. 

What's the difference between The Daniel Plan and The Daniel Fast? The Daniel Plan allows you to have lean meats, The Daniel Fast does not. You can also have some whole wheat grains. Anyone who can do the whole 21 days on The Daniel Fast is my hero. I'm just not there yet. I may try to do the last few days just on The Daniel Fast.

Differences in The Daniel Plan and The Daniel Fast

Don't focus on the food!

Food for me is a drug. It's how I cope with my emotions. I have to relearn how to love myself that does not involve shoving deep fried food in my mouth. During a fast the main focus should be your relationship with God. If you're hung up on the food part then you aren't going to accomplish what the fast is about. I will be posting more about Fasting and lifestyle changes in the days to come. There are a lot of things that I am going to be focusing on this fast. Mainly prayers for my son and his future, his relationship with his heavenly father, and prayer for guidance.

Links:

The Daniel Plan

https://danielplan.com/start/

The Daniel Fast

http://daniel-fast.com/