And I am done

I am one day past being finished with the Daniel Diet, 5 day fast, and I have learned several things.
First, let me rewind to my eating for day 5.

Breakfast: oatmeal bars
Lunch: Blackbean burger patty and oven fries
Dinner: Rice bowl
Snack: rice cakes, trail mix and oatmeal bars
Nothing spectacular about Day 5, as we are mostly just trying to use up all of our ingredients.

So far, the blackbean burgers and oven fries have been the most successful meal. It tastes like you are being a little naughty, but everything follows the plan (ok, I might have been a little heavy handed with the olive oil on the potatoes, but I wasn't measuring so we just had to roll with it.

Yesterday we traveled to Dallas for my nieces birthday party and I decided it was a day to eat whatever was around..so i had chili dogs, chocolate cake, and a small burger and fries from Wendy's. Today, I was ready to revert to a little healthier fare, especially since Matt is still fasting and we still have "good" food to eat.

Was I ready to get off the fast though? Yes, I actually was getting a headache because I don't think I was eating well the last day or two (I blame being at home and never getting around to finding something to eat). With my blood sugar history, I felt that 5 days would sufficiently test my reserve, and it did. Now is the time to get back to a little more protein and a little less carbs-although I may see a snickers in my future! I have continued my committment to no sodas of the caffeinated variety, despite my less than stellar eating yesterday. Mind you, I was tempted, but I had to have some hold out lest I loose all momentum!

So, this morning I countinued with eating oatmeal with fresh fruit but added in just a pinch of brown sugar and not quite so natural peanut butter. And for lunch we continued our bean and rice bowls, but I had one chicken tenderloin added in to mine.

Tomorrow, I think I will eat however I want for breakfast and lunch, and go Daniel for dinner with matt...we are having a spinach-zucchini casserole over whole wheat pasta with veggies and salad. I may thaw some vinison meatballs for the kids, since I know they like that, and make a kind of speghatti and meatballs.

Also up this week: Artichoke Flatbread Pizza and Spinach-Tofu Dip.


Now, I have mostly been using this blog as a means to keep up with the food I have been eating in case I want to do the diet again later. That being said, I haven't mentioned a lot about the spiritual side of the fast. Although it is a gruelling diet on its own rite (Matt has lost about 10 lbs in 5 days) there is a reason behind the maddness as well. I quit drinking caffeinated sodas in an effort to really take some control over what I am putting in my body. This was another attempt at the same goal. But also, this test of resolve has a very spiritual aspect to it as well.

The discipline I have shown with my eating I have tried to model in my prayer/Bible reading life as well. For the first time (consistently) since I have had kids, I have been trying to get up early-5:30 is early for me-to read my Bible and pray. I am going through 2 different Bible studies and getting up to read has been great. Now, one day, Annabelle beat me up, but I came home during lunch while the kids were at school and had some quiet time. It was great.

As with the eating, I am hoping some of these habits will continue on despite having completed the diet!

Stay tuned for the completion of Matt's fast...