Progress Report of Richard (user:evergreen)
Name: Evergreen
Fasting For:1) Spiritual 2) Health Cleanse 3) Weight Loss
Email: Evergreenpacific@gmail.com
Fasting For:1) Spiritual 2) Health Cleanse 3) Weight Loss
Intended Length of Fast: 10 days would be great
First Name: Richard
(Optional) Last Name:
Site User Name: Evergreen
City, State and Country: Seattle WA USA
Sex: Male
Weight: 270
Height: 6 foot
Proposed Fasting Method: WATER ONLY
Past Fasting Experience: 3 days water/juice
Present Diet: Mainly protein and Vegis – though I crave Carbs –Cheetos and breads and so on.
Relevant Medical History: Blood pressure due to lack of excersize. Managed by a pill and so very normal now.
Present Medical Problems: None
State of Mind: Encouraged and Optimistic
Limitations: None – Except in my own mind and the willingness to live undisciplined.
I live alone so am not accountable to anyone beside myself and I live to spoil and treat myself like a spoilt child. I am really looking forward to be able to email or touch base with others starting a water fast and know I am not alone and there is meaning to this.
These are the days in the year that the Israelites approached Sinai. A time of Spiritual ascent and a desert experiance. I would like to copy that and in my own home break the habits that do not serve me well.
Being single I find it far easier to go out and eat or stop by a drive through out of sheer boredom at times. Nothing to do with hunger. Taking a time out and reflecting on what is important would be nice.
Cindy Pa-ac 
Amy Seery 
Totes Boots 
Grace Fawoye 
Clay Lapre 
Day 1 – I wanted the followup to be on the page so I could remind myself and track my progress. Nothing to report – I feel sleepy but encouraged at the notes and others success. Drinking water has filled me up – so no hunger pangs. Two folks emailed me and good to know this fast is not a solo trip but done in community. As a role model where I volunteer in chaplain duties this fast is a way to do and lead by example. This is a new beginning on many fronts…for out of this success will come confidence.
Day 4 – Yesterday was the worst because I went to a friends house who happens to be a chef. Watching him cook – was not good. I think fasting should be a quiet time and withdrawal from meetings where coffee and cookies are the standard fare. Today I know those three difficult days are behind me. Weight loss is 10 lbs so that tells me –I can really get rid of excess weight.
Been walking to stimulate the Lymphatic system as it is also a cleansing mechanism driven by deep breathing and some activity. I did notice some pains in muscles as the activity allowed toxins ot leave the muscles.
A Thank-you = The key to any success has been the 3 “Fasting buddies” who email back and forth with morning and evening observations and has been an encouragement. More and more I have come to realize –If I can make to bedtime –Tomorrow is a better day. The encouragement from this – is motivating me to look at other areas of my life.
So today is day 4 and almost over and the cravings and the hunger has left. Fresh filtered water is freely available and I try and drink 3 quarts a day. Anyhow now the good benefits will really start and my system can take a break from food and clean out toxins and repair what it needs to.
Day 7
Been uneventful. Some sleep disturbance and dry mouth despite the water. Been good to get emails and realize I am not alone…
Do not know how work is going to fare as feeling tired despite good sleep. I really thought i would be able to walk more but that is not in the cards.The weight drop is good…was able to get a ring off my finger that was too tight. I feel tired —so I will just plan to go till sleep. Tomorrow i will think about eating. A little light headed. It is truly a 100% honest water fast —and never slipped up. It feels good. I guess 7 days was a week and that is type of milestone i have not often hit — so there is a temptation to call it good. I will sleep on it. Undecided. No ill effects except weariness and loss of energy. I wish I had spent more time on the spiritual and less forced to be busy.
Day 9
Uneventful – Psychologically want to eat — cause huge stress at work but not hungry. Loosing about a 1LB+ a day and drinking lots of water. Energy levels are higher which is good. Discouraging to read the real benefit comes after 21 days relating to the brain. 21 days – are you kidding? Any how I am thinking if I stop this at day 10 which is a Friday – I will eat vegis for a day or so and then get back and start another….now that victory feels so good. Maybe set some different goals. I will not eat today and think about that tomorrow. Have a Long term vision but live day at a time. Anyone on earth can fast till bedtime. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Again I want to thank those I got emails from to encourage and share a common goal. Without them I doubt this would have gone so well.
Hi Richard,
I always recommend a long term approach to fasting. To me fasting has opened a door and has become a lifetime journey.
Hello Tom
I think this is but a first step. This time was about weight and immediate stress at work. The next one is for far more important reasons. I never would have believed the quiet after those first 3 days..the hunger left and cruise control set in. Your article says 21 days is the time needed to benefit the brain ..got me curious..Hopefully this page stays here so I start another in a few days when this is done….. Regards.
Progress reports are permanent on the site and only deleted on request. It is great to have a long term record.
DAY 1
Monday May 3rd – A new day – A new week – Will start now. Juice today and water only starting tomorrow. Lots to deal with, especially as it relates to work to the lack thereof. Stress leads to depression and eating junk. This is an opportunity to really snap out of it and to challenge long held beliefs about everything especially weight and health and exercise. Want my friend to join me, as he gives fasting great lipservice but not ready. It is 20 days from Pentecost and the next three weeks are a time reflect, as this too is a desert experience.
Tuesday May 13th – A few days to Pentecost. A small group of believers awaited that day in Jerusalem some 1980 years ago. Will start a new fast now that social commitments are over. No ending date set but feel this is the right time for all the right reasons. Life is getting more complex not easier…and in the rush we become more frantic. This is a good time to calm down and relax and focus on the finding the stillness of the desert when the body quiets down and stops demanding food and carbs and sugars and caffeine. I really wonder what if feels like to break the 21 day threshold and enter that special place ….so few of us go? Anyhow to new beginnings and to celebration of the harvest and Feast of First Fruits. Had my last meal for a while and to celebrate the rewards of saying NO to self once in a while.
Anew Fast. Today is day 5 …Truth is I probably started half a dozen fasts and bailed on the 2nd or 3rd day. So now I only start writing on the the 5th day – once I get through the first 3 days when hunger and cravings call. too many false starts would be discouraging. I write today because I feel really weak. This fast is about a birthday coming up and wanting more out of life.Very discouraged with my physical surroundings and my lot in life, so seeking solace in the spiritual. The fast Tom has talked about is a 21 day –where real spiritual changes can happen. That is my goal but today is not a day for me to project out that far. A spiritual breakthrough would be amazing….but it is not up to me. I noticed back in May I wondered what that 21 day breakthrough would feel like, but only got 1/2 way there.
There are great longings in my heart for change – Not something I want to write about…but the grief and sadness overwhelms. Anyhow here is to one day at a time and I only have to fast till bedtime. Tomorrow is a new day. Thank you Tom for this service and the opportunity to do this. I doubt I would have been as motivated otherwise, but reviewing the benefits really helped. God bless you all. Regards. Richard.
Hi Richard,
I’m new here and it’s the third day of my juice fast. I read your blog and wanted to tell you a few important things.
1. 1/2 way is not “only”. It is a big success and you can be proud of it. Getting half way through means you ARE able to do this, it’s just your mind that tries to stick to habits that it knows. Think about it as an absolute revolution for your mind. For all those years you learnt it the routine of eating and now you want to change the rules. It needs your support, your assurance that it’s ok. It needs to know that you want to enter a new part of your life and you can do it only if you work together. I know it may sound strange, but if you think about your mind as a child, that for several years was told to behave in certain ways, it’s easier to imagine that it needs time and support to accomodate to the new situation.
2. A spiritual breakthrough may not be up to you but getting to the point where it is more possible is totally up to you – just believe it 🙂
Marianna
Day 8 – Been drinking tea….and water only — no-milk no sugar. Need the caffiene. Decided to switch to only filtered water starting today. Weight loss has been good …weakness comes and goes…but I just remember I only have to make it to bedtime. In the morning I wake up not hungry and with a new frame of mind. I am hoping I can do the 21 day as Tom talked about some re: spiritual insight and do some soul searching to give up the idols/sins in my life. Strange how we go down in strength and energy to go up in peace and serenity. To enter the desert experience.
Hi Richard! Hang in there!!
We all find our own path to the Spirit. Fasting is a wonderful gift the Lord has bestowed upon us. It was day 14 of my first 30 day fast that it “began” for me. And it only gets better! Your time will come, because you want it! And you keep trying! That is the key. The Lord is blessing, and guiding you!
You, and your intentions are in my prayers. Ron
Friday Oct 8th A new fast -Today is Day 7 and it has been lots of water only. This was motivated by a flaring up of gout in one foot then the other. Been miserable as I supplement water with a little Apple cider vinegar in the morning and evening. Considering this fast is about a cleanse and breaking some habits which are symptoms of an undisciplined life. Nothing like painful feet so tender is keeps you awake to act like aversion therapy against the high protein unbalanced diet that got me in this predicament. 🙂 Thank goodness no hunger to date at all – but the fire in my feet reminds me that it was food that put me in this spot. I am looking forward to choosing a whole new diet when I recover from this. Today is the start of the 8th month on the Hebrew calendar and has huge significance as the planting season of sowing and reaping and breaking up fallow ground. Fasting is the right thing to do to start this month. Glad this site is here and glad to see others are focused on their spirituality and health and seeking freedom trough fasting. I will pray that this easy start of a fast will motivate me to push me through the easy start and hang in there till the miracle happens. They say the spiritual breakthrough shows up after 14 or 21 days. Do I believe that enough to act on it?
Hi Richard,
If you had said you had a flair up of gout before the fast I would have given you some direction. We discovered, in treating severe gout at the hospital that the uric acid crystals can be released 5 to 10 days into the fast and cause a burning sensation, muscle pain, and intense discomfort. You should have lots of lemon or lime juice and supplementation.
Gout is a common type of arthritis that occurs when an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood, tissues and urine crystallizes in the joints. People who have gout are unable to break down and excrete uric acid, a byproduct of digesting certain foods.
In people with gout, the body does not have enough of the digestive enzyme uricase, and, as a result, uric acid builds up and crystallizes.
To simplify, stop eating meat and eat more citrus.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIMENTATION
B complex One to three 50 mg tablets of the complete B complex daily, plus 500 mg of pantothenic acid (B5) in divided doses to assist the body’s conversion of uric acid into harmless compounds.
Bromelain 500 mg twice daily as an anti-inflammatory.
Fish oil Take 2 grams of fish oil capsules 2x a day to reduce the chances of gouty inflammation.
L-glutamine 500 mg four times daily on an empty stomach – is an antacid.
L-glutathione 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach – increases renal cleansing of uric acid.
L-glycine 500 mg four times daily between meals – acts as an antacid.
L-methionine 250 mg twice daily on an empty stomach – detoxifies purines.
Magnesium citrate 400 mg three times a day – an antispasmodic to relieve pain.
Shark cartilage used on a daily basis of 3-6 capsules/day can make the pain disappear and allow you to eat previously forbidden foods within one week without experiencing pain in the affected joint. After approximately one month of continuous use, you may stop taking the cartilage until the pain reoccurs. At this point you will probably only need to take the cartilage (3-6 capsules) for a week or two. You may continue this on/off cycle as needed. Your uric acid level may return to normal, but even if it doesn’t, the pain will go away.
Tissue salts To prevent the formation of uric acid crystals, take two tablets of 6X Silicea three times a day. During a gout attack, increase the dosage to three tablets and add an equal amount of Nat. Phos. and Nat. Sulph.
Vitamin C 1,000 mg per hour at the very outset of a gout attack, then reduce to 500-3,000 mg daily for maintenance. Vitamin C helps lower serum uric acid levels.
Vitamin E Low-purine diets are low in vitamin E and fried foods deplete it, so supplementation will be necessary as a deficiency can contribute to the formation of excess uric acid. Begin with 100 IU of natural vitamin E, and slowly increase to 6-800 IU daily.
Hi Richard,
If you had said you had a flair up of gout before the fast I would have given you some direction. Water fasting is not recommended. We discovered, in treating severe gout with juice fasting, at the hospital that the uric acid crystals can be released 5 to 10 days into the fast and cause a burning sensation, muscle pain, and intense discomfort. You should have lots of lemon or lime juice and supplementation.
Gout is a common type of arthritis that occurs when an excessive amount of uric acid in the blood, tissues and urine crystallizes in the joints. People who have gout are unable to break down and excrete uric acid, a byproduct of digesting certain foods.
In people with gout, the body does not have enough of the digestive enzyme uricase, and, as a result, uric acid builds up and crystallizes.
To simplify, stop eating meat and eat more citrus.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIMENTATION
B complex One to three 50 mg tablets of the complete B complex daily, plus 500 mg of pantothenic acid (B5) in divided doses to assist the body’s conversion of uric acid into harmless compounds.
Bromelain 500 mg twice daily as an anti-inflammatory.
Fish oil Take 2 grams of fish oil capsules 2x a day to reduce the chances of gouty inflammation.
L-glutamine 500 mg four times daily on an empty stomach – is an antacid.
L-glutathione 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach – increases renal cleansing of uric acid.
L-glycine 500 mg four times daily between meals – acts as an antacid.
L-methionine 250 mg twice daily on an empty stomach – detoxifies purines.
Magnesium citrate 400 mg three times a day – an antispasmodic to relieve pain.
Shark cartilage used on a daily basis of 3-6 capsules/day can make the pain disappear and allow you to eat previously forbidden foods within one week without experiencing pain in the affected joint. After approximately one month of continuous use, you may stop taking the cartilage until the pain reoccurs. At this point you will probably only need to take the cartilage (3-6 capsules) for a week or two. You may continue this on/off cycle as needed. Your uric acid level may return to normal, but even if it doesn’t, the pain will go away.
Tissue salts To prevent the formation of uric acid crystals, take two tablets of 6X Silicea three times a day. During a gout attack, increase the dosage to three tablets and add an equal amount of Nat. Phos. and Nat. Sulph.
Vitamin C 1,000 mg per hour at the very outset of a gout attack, then reduce to 500-3,000 mg daily for maintenance. Vitamin C helps lower serum uric acid levels.
Vitamin E Low-purine diets are low in vitamin E and fried foods deplete it, so supplementation will be necessary as a deficiency can contribute to the formation of excess uric acid. Begin with 100 IU of natural vitamin E, and slowly increase to 6-800 IU daily.
New Day – New Purpose…..I notice it has been years since I fasted….Starting a new fast…..The year is closing on Hebrew Calendar. 2013 has got to be different than 2012. Food to me represents and symbolizes a life out of control and compulsive actions without thought. Discipline and self mastery must start here. The benefits I look for will be First Spiritual followed by weight loss and a cleanse and body rest. The song by Third Day seems appropriate….Lord, I need a miracle…. 🙂
Hi Richard! Welcome back! This is a wonderful time of year to fast! The Holy Spirit is very busy! God’s Blessings, and I’ll pray for your miracle! Ron
New Year – New Goals….Day 5 of a water only. I don not write till day three or later cause I start and quit too many times….It was good to read the benefits of a spiritual fast on this website again. Pentecost coming up on Sunday – 5 days from now….and I wonder what they did as they waiting out those 10 days …Peter – now very humbled still recovering from his crash and burn 40 days prior and the group outnumbered and leaderless with the small task of evangelizing the world. This site is good place to be right now….to see all the good examples around me. Thank you community.