How Many More Birthdays Do You Want?

It's now May, but I am still thinking about how impactful my 40th birthday has been since March 1st.

In my life, as you may have already heard or read, there have been many deaths and losses that happened much sooner than they genuinely needed to, and maybe you have, too.

I have learned from these experiences that we must understand that our time here is finite.

Understanding the impermanence of our lives can be very scary and paralyzing for some, and believe me, I've been there.

Initially, I felt dread and lots of anxiety about this specific upcoming birthday because of the early age of my mother's passing at 36 years old, but I have been thinking and reflecting quite a bit recently.

I am very grateful for every aspect of my life, and you should be, too. My past influences every bit of who I am, including all the beauty and pain.

Your life is happening FOR you, not TO you! This is an important thing to remember without judgment or self-ridicule.

Do you find yourself pausing to take opportunities to show gratitude for everything in your life?

I understand it may be hard to practice initially, but it's not impossible.

Try this: The next time you're in the restroom or can see yourself in a mirror, take a moment (at least 1 minute), look yourself in the eyes, and think:

Thank you for this body.

Thank you for this breath.

I am so thankful for this beautiful life.

I love you.

It may feel weird and disingenuous at first, but I promise you that if you keep this practice up on your journey, it will get easier.

It can be a tremendously impactful practice as your mindset shifts towards self-compassion and empathy for who you are becoming.

Like I tell many of my fasting clients, your mindset is everything on this weight loss journey with fasting because your lifestyle tool allows you to realize that this process is so much deeper than just an attempt to lose weight. Practicing that awareness regularly can make a tremendous difference, not just on your journey, but has the potential to influence the rest of your life (and maybe many around you as well).

I have carefully crafted my mindset like my permanent and wearable trophy. It allows me to see through the hardships as opportunities for moments of gratitude and not take the blissful moments in life for granted.

My deepest passion is that you understand that you are also JUST AS CAPABLE of achieving the same unique level of loving gratitude for the body you own and the life you lead.

None of us are promised tomorrow; I am sure we all know and understand this. But with all the deaths and losses I’ve experienced, I now know the value of making the most of the time we have in this life. I find purpose in helping others like you uncover this meaningful component on their journeys.

I will passionately continue making a difference in this world, being the change I wish to see in others who need it.

You must know that you deserve to have as many birthdays as possible.

Many folks know they need to improve their health but don’t yet see the urgency that life can be mercilessly short.

If this is you, I want to tell you that time will pass whether we take action or not.

The time you have left in this life is completely in your control. But also remember that your weight loss journey shouldn't be something you rush through or wish to be "done with already."

Please trust me when I tell you your hardships, stressors, and subsequent stress-eating habits can be improved. You aren't stuck and do not need to keep the labels or judgments others have unwittingly placed on you.

I encourage you to trust your body's innate and instinctual ability to thrive on your fasting journey, but you don't have to travel this path alone.

If you haven't yet had a chance to meet with me for a virtual fasting consult but would like to, I have a treat for you.

My gift to you is a $40 discount on my 6-month subscription plan.

(Use code: VICKIIS40 at checkout)

Again, I wish to help YOU live your longest, healthiest life with fasting as your lifestyle tool, and I am confident with every cell in my (now 40-year-old) body that YOU CAN DO THIS because, as I always say, I believe in YOU, even if you don’t.

Let's get your after,

Vicki

Where Have I Been? Where Am I Going? And How Does This Relate To You?

Where have I been?

I had the best intentions for this post, I really did. I started writing it in the Orlando International Airport and had plenty of time to prepare, I had it all mapped out in my mind and in my notes.

But as you can see below, the post remained unfinished until today.

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(I initially started this post on 3/5/24)

Currently, I am typing this from the Orlando International Airport. I am touching base with some fasters while I have time before I go to my gate to board.

For those that missed my update, I am currently en route to Ikaria, Greece, to visit this Blue Zone again, as a more in-depth visit, similar to my last trip there in the summer of 2022.

Today, before I go into my update, I wanted to genuinely give a tremendous extension of gratitude to you all first and foremost for having patience with me as I have been navigating this challenging part of my life.

Letting any of my podcast and regular communication slip was not an intention, but a temporary need to maintain my health and wellness as well as authenticity. I knew if I made any attempts to put together an episode or blog content with what I was currently having to handle, the quality would be less than what I have come to expect from myself.

So I focused on the bigger picture instead of getting hung up on the day-to-day details. I also found tremendous opportunities to pare down and simplify many things. Even after 4 years of being a great tenant to our landlords in our rental home, the owner decided he wanted to sell the house instead of renting, and I was not in any position to purchase, so we are moving.

Major unexpected life changes and challenges were a big contribution to my previous weight before my success with my fasting lifestyle.

There were so many quick abrupt and out of nowhere changes that happened throughout my life. I grasped the victim card as my identity from a very early age, not letting go until I started having success with my fasting lifestyle.

This is something that I see in various forms in my fasting clients, and it always prompts me to give a generous virtual hug, because I know what it's like to feel stuck and broken for so long. But I will always remind my folks that those small careful, deliberate steps can and will take you in the right direction for yourself and your future.

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Where Am I Going?

Today, over a month later...

I am home from this trip and I am ready to catch everyone up! (I did share my daily sort of photo check-ins on my Facebook page (if you found me from here).

I am happy to say that I am back to a regular podcasting schedule again! :) (Thanks again for your patience and understanding!)

With the new podcast episode, I finally took actionable steps to attach this week's podcast episode to this blog post like I have always wanted to do, and I am proud.

Later this week, however, I will go back to Greece again to figure out the next set of plans for my family's future. But I want to let you all know that unlike last time, I will not be blocking off my calendar for my fasting consults, instead, I will be only closing off the ability to book same-day consults. I am still always eagerly ready to continue to support you! :)

I am thankful that despite the challenges I face, there are elements in my present that I can think about with gratitude instead of succumbing to a victim, frozen mindset as I have previously done so often.

Like the ability to travel, I have ALWAYS loved the hustle and bustle of the airport.

I LOVE people-watching, seeing folks from all around the world, from little kids to the elderly. It's incredibly fascinating to me and yet I am also reminded about how my present situation is also a poignant reminder of our weight loss attempts with fasting as a lifestyle tool.

I LOVE how the concept of traveling allows us to go where we want to go with minimal travel supplies with us. This has taught me incredible flexibility, empathy, and patience for being okay with having and living with less. This understanding has been incredibly helpful to tap into while the entire contents of my rental home were picked through and sold off to people I had never met before, at prices I never knew I would have to assign.

I LOVE how the moments here and there are available for me to observe my current environment with indescribable gratitude. I get to explore and experience my upcoming adventures in big life changes, no matter how new and potentially scary they may feel at times.

Traveling, no matter if just up the road, or across the world, always seems to bring me a sense of peace and appreciation for the world we live in. I love embracing the adventurous spirit that traveling allows me.

What about you? Have you also had any exciting adventures or big life changes recently? Email me, vicki@thefastingfocusedlifestyle.com

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As always, big virtual hugs to you, and please remember,

I believe in you, even if you don't.

Will 2024 Be The Last Year You Aim To Lose Weight?

What if weight loss was never another New Year's resolution?

For many years, I remember imagining myself finally having my "ish" together enough to fix my weight for the upcoming year. I thought about how "this year felt different," and it might just be "my year." This also meant I would have bought into or set up some insane dietary plan or program that was radically different and way more challenging than I initially realized.

Sound familiar?

None of these radical attempts ever held long-term permanence, until fasting.

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Now, looking back with the understanding of this lifestyle to what weight loss attempts I made, I understand WHY all the methods I tried, became failures.

The actual process of intentionally shedding, burning, or eliminating excess body weight is something, I feel, is extremely overcomplicated by our society. We are constantly led to believe that this process has to come from severely punishing, limiting, and restricting ourselves. We are told to use our focus, discipline, or willpower, but those will only take us so far.

Society tells us we have to make drastic changes to our way of life, our eating habits, and our activity level. They tell us we have to use a formula, a regimen, or a list of acceptable foods or products to be successful. They tell us we need to use products to trick and confuse our body to suppress our appetite, increase our energy, or improve how we "burn fat." Conventional diet culture intends to lead you to believe that you can't fix your weight unless you buy into a product, fad, gimmick, powder, drink, or other quick fix.

All of this, I feel, leads to a massive amount of confusion, misinformation, and an incredible disservice to the way your body can improve itself when the conditions are right.

Through a fasting lifestyle, I realized how important it was to truly LOVE your journey.

How many other conventional weight loss methods are out there where people can truly, honestly, and sincerely say they love the process?

Off the top of my head, none come to mind.

I can confidently say, I love my fasting lifestyle, and I want the same for you.

But again, many others will try to overcomplicate this process of deep healing and balance, and by doing so, it can cause feelings of disappointment where you abandon this method altogether.

This is where I emphasize consistency and simplicity on your journey from the start.

Yes, there will be many ups, downs, "plateaus," and moments where you'll feel tested in your efforts.

But think about this, if you've ever been in a strong relationship or had a great best friend... would you let little hiccups or bumps in the road deter you from what you know is a truly incredible and valuable part of your life? Hopefully not.

This is why I've always said fasting is not a diet. Fasting is an incredibly flexible tool that can be integrated into any lifestyle, with patience and lots of self-compassion.

While it can be wonderful in your intentions to want to overhaul everything at the start of the new year in trying to integrate fasting into your life, I would instead like to challenge you to skip the overhaul. Start small and simple with this lifestyle. If you find that you're unhappy with how you are eating all day long, fasting can help, but don't overcomplicate this process. Be gentle and kind to yourself on this journey, and let the healing happen in your timeline. Avoid societal influences that dictate how long it should take to reach your goal. Keep an open mind in this process for what healing and balance can (and will) happen.

Remember, fasting is the OLDEST healing modality in recorded human history. We are NOT meant to be eating constantly from sun up to sun down.

Remember too, that you don't have to do this alone, I am ready to help!

I Believe In You, Even If You Don't!

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If you are ready to get started on your journey, I am STILL offering my special

BLACK FRIDAY SALE - ONLY UNTIL 1/31/24:

30-Day Fasting Support Sale:

• (4) 30-minute consults

• "The Fasting Focused Lifestyle Official Handbook"

• FREE Group Support Plan: (6) Online Group Sessions

(Originally $200 USD together), now only $98.95 USD

And for those who need support, but don't quite need the full consultation services, I am still running a subscriber promotional sale on my handbook:

"The Fasting Focused Lifestyle Official Handbook" Sale: (Originally $34.95) now only $19.95 (*must be a subscriber to my email list to get promotional code!)

Big virtual hugs to you!

You got this! Now go get your after! 😉