I wasn’t going to post anything about this until toward the end of the month, but I had an experience this morning that I wanted to share, and besides, I could always use some accountability. I’m doing a modified fast for three weeks, which began Jan. 1. The reason is two-fold: 1) Against my better judgment, I’ve managed to rediscover about half of the weight I lost in 2011, and I’m disappointed in myself for letting that happen; and 2) I’ve been in a funk emotionally & spiritually, and I need a fresh perspective. It isn’t a resolution, per se, but I guess I would just call it a benchmark for the new year, where I focus on making positive improvements.

I’m generally following the Daniel Fast protocol, which is based on the passage of Scripture in Daniel 1 about giving up choice foods and drink. The modern interpretation includes avoiding sugars, meat, leavened bread, dairy, caffeine and alcohol. I’ve joked before that if I had enough recipes for hummus, eggplant and tofu, then I could become a vegetarian with no problem. Now, I like meat as much as the next Texan, but that was one of the easiest things for me to axe for a few weeks.

Reincorporating sugars and bread into my diet is what caused all this weight to find its way back to my gut, in the first place, so those are things I’ve been needing to avoid for a long while and just have slacked off about it. The first three days weren’t bad; in fact, I [re]discovered a few things that were really yummy — like oatmeal naturally sweetened with finely chopped dates and warm corn tortillas with salsa.

I wanted a glass of wine last night, but I poured myself a glass of water, instead. I do drink a few (4-5?) servings of caffeinated drinks (diet soda, iced tea) every day, so I was a little concerned that I might have caffeine withdrawal. I started getting a headache yesterday (Day 3) afternoon, and although I took ibuprofen, it still lingered this morning. The weather here has been a roller coaster of typical Texas winter craziness, so it’s hard to say if the headache is from no caffeine or just allergies. At any rate, I hope it goes away soon. I don’t drink coffee every day; in fact, I have it primarily on cold days. I really wanted some on this cold & drizzly morning, so I had a cup of decaf — black. I was prepared to pour it down the drain if it was gross, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it wasn’t terrible. It’s like unsweetened hot tea (which I happen to enjoy), only more earthy, if that makes sense. I will say that the half-cup that I drank before eating my oatmeal was decent, but the first sip after eating the oatmeal was blech. I guess the sweetness of the oatmeal was just enough to make the “earthiness” of the coffee taste like dirt. Note to self on that.

All that is to say, I’m regaining some control over what I allow my body to consume, and I’m focusing on getting my head & heart back inline with the Lord. I understand that fasting is supposed to be a personal endeavor (Matthew 6:16-18), and I’m not aiming for any pats on the back, but I do think that we can (and should) encourage one another. So, if there’s something that you are committing to change (whether as a New Year’s resolution or otherwise), let me know, and I’ll join you in prayer & return the encouragement.