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Fasting Club Jan 2009

January 6, 2009 | | 3,125 Views

fasting-club-200 We are all fasting. Please post your fasts here. The fasting club is a place to share and care with other fasters. I am starting my big fast of the year. So this will also keep me honest. Even the fasting gurus can have a hard time getting started.

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105 Responses to “Fasting Club Jan 2009”

Tom Coghill

07 Jan 2009 at 10:26 pm

Day 2, I woke up weak but got some energy after some juice. It is cold here in the mountains of the Philippines but it is starting to warm up. Trying to do some yoga daily to loose up my body and stay young. Looks like it is going to be a great year. We have 5 cancer patients in the hospital juicing and more coming. The books are being upgraded. We just moved into a new place. Big changes for me and all are good.
Cat

08 Jan 2009 at 2:35 pm

Oh wow you live in the phillipines awesome. Im waiting for this dizzy feeling to go away so i can work out its 50below up in fairbanks alaska. so we stay inside. i thought this fast was gonna be easier, its so hard i hope i start feeling better soon, just been crying all day and its the only 3rd day. Sorry if im being annoying this is my 1st time and i just wanna make sue im doing everything right.
Tom Coghill

08 Jan 2009 at 3:16 pm

Hi Cat
The climate here ranges between 60F and 75F. If you need a break a few thousand dollars can last a year here. As to how much to drink… follow your body.
Cat

08 Jan 2009 at 3:27 pm

my husband when to the phillipines last febuary for a month with the army to train he brought home beautiful pictures really beautiful! He had a good time there he said it was a really nice place. Ive lived in Anchorage Alaska until i was 18 and then we went to Fort Campbell kentucky with the army, were back in fairbanks alaska now and its just cold. He goes alot of dif places though out of country hes been to Iraq twice hes there now, and to the Phillipines.
Tom Coghill

08 Jan 2009 at 3:47 pm

Hi Cat,
I have a nice 3 bedroom apartment with cable TV and water inclusive for $60 a month and my high speed internet is $20. My electricity is about $16 monthly. The climate is perfect and it is safe and beautiful. The hospital is a 5 minute walk. Life is good here and what money that I make selling books covers what I need to live.
Cat

08 Jan 2009 at 5:09 pm

wow that is crazy! the military takes out $1700 for rent where we live i cannot believe that! Alaska is expensive living wise anyways. but dang. i thought you were a doctor? ive been reading alot on here i thought i read you were one. i am feeling better have more energy down cleaning downstairs so im so thankful i am feeling better, i prayed which i havent done in a long time… i will def start doing it more though.
Tom Coghill

09 Jan 2009 at 7:07 pm

Hi Cat,
Wow this is indeed expensive. This place for $60 monthly is as nice a place as I have been. Pine floors are amazing. No I am not a doctor. It is a bit of a learning curve to work in a hospital and guide a program but the doctors are quick to fill me in. Day 2 of my fast and I am dry fasting. This is bad. I have a cold from the cold mountain air that I am not used to. Moving is always and event. This needs to be a long fast.
Cat

09 Jan 2009 at 7:22 pm

the phillipines sounds amazing. well i wish you luck on your fast and i hope you get better soon. Do you just deal with cancer patients at the hospital?
Al

13 Jan 2009 at 1:09 pm

Hi there. On my first major water fast. Have done a few small ones before, but, I really need to detox after the 2 hit combo of Thanksgiving and Xmas. Last food meal I had was on 12/26 at lunch, then I got really drunk the next day so I wouldn’t really care about the hunger pangs, and was completely hungover the next so no hunger pangs then, And its been smooth sailing to today. Sitting in the lunch room at work while everyone else is eating is the worst. Hope to make it thru the month, mabye next month too. Hope things are going as well for you as it is for me
Joshua

17 Jan 2009 at 9:05 am

josh, age 16 here. Ive been distancing myself from my parents beliefs for about a year, not to be defiant or because I don’t agree, but just to find out what I believe in, and not just be a product of my parents in following years.
I became a vegetarian last year despite my parents red meat and dorritos diet.I also began studying transcendental meditation in brief, among other states of consciousness.
Day one of a few day water fast now. I know teens shouldn’t fast, but I’m six foot and haven’t grown in almost a year, so I’m cautious, but not too worried about fasting affecting my growth. I’ve done about two days before, and I’m going to try three or four now and hopefully, by the time I’m in college I’ll be able to do two to three weeks. My parents don’t know I’m fasting, my dad already thinks I’m flakey enough, I don’t need to worsen it.
I find it helps to write or listen to music during a fast. I stay away from tv because of food ads that are tempting.
Joshua

17 Jan 2009 at 1:50 pm

its getting a little tougher as the day goes on. I took a nap and read part of hemmingways the sun also rises. Day one is usually harder than day two.
Tom Coghill

18 Jan 2009 at 5:37 am

Hi Joshua,
We had a 9 year old boy do 30 days with ease at home to be healed of multiple lung conditions. He said it was easy. I also went your route. I was fasting and searching for meaning and by 17, I was traveling. I guess I never stopped. I always recommend juice fasting to start.
Al

18 Jan 2009 at 4:27 pm

on day 23 here, and its sorta getting rough. stomach has been getting increasingly more and more upset as the last 2 days have gone on. Always had this problem in the morning, where I want to vomit when I wake up, but generally it goes away within an hr or so. not sure if I am getting sick or not, or the fasting is turning my stomach towards rebellion. any advice?
Al

20 Jan 2009 at 7:55 pm

Day 25…. Just vomited, Hope this will calm the stomach down a bit
Fawn

21 Jan 2009 at 10:31 am

So depressed over a death and suicidal thoughts are jamming my senses. I googled fasting then tried to find some books,this site popped up. I didn’t know fasting could help depression but am willing to try this. Today is day 1. I feel okay right now and it’s 11:30 am Colorado time. I have a tiny juicer.I’m juicing what I have…cucumbers,kale(ewwww,it’s for my birds!),celery. 2-8 pm will be hard for me as it gets busy here. Food everywhere.
Thanks for this site and for those posting,helps to read about your fasts too.Good Luck-Fawn
Tom Coghill

22 Jan 2009 at 2:05 am

Hi Fawn,
To fight depression forces yourself to think, shout or say. I am happy. My life is good. I am blessed. I am successful. Make a list and keep saying it for hours every day until you believe it. And with fasting your life will be transformed.
Tom Coghill

22 Jan 2009 at 2:07 am

Al
It is strange to vomit after fasting so long. Are you on juice or water? Were there any other symptoms? Do you have any previous stomach conditions.
Al

22 Jan 2009 at 5:20 am

Hi tom,
This is a straight water fast, And the only symptoms before that was increasing nausea. No previous stomach conditions. I switched from tapwater to spring water yesterday, but I vomited last night again. Seeing as I feel that vomiting on a regular basis is rather unhealthy as it is, I will begin breaking the fast this afternoon, Starting with straight juice, then on to a raw vegan for a few days
Tom Coghill

22 Jan 2009 at 9:08 am

Hi Al
Breaking the fast is good. If there were other signs other that the body was detoxifying then one or two days of vomiting would be acceptable but prolonged vomiting may lead to dehydration and/or dangerous electrolyte imbalances and may be an indicator of kidney failure.
rhet

22 Jan 2009 at 12:40 pm

Al, try Glaceau SmartWater–it’s delicious and has electrolytes, but nothing that would cause you to officially break your fast.

See if the smaller steps you are taking stabilize you, before returning to food, if you had wanted to fast longer.
JJ

22 Jan 2009 at 5:49 pm

I have a couple questions…one of my friends is juice fasting and he would like to know if not having his gallbladder wil affect the detox process.

Also he chews tobacco and wonders how that will also affect the detoxing process

Thanks
destiny

22 Jan 2009 at 9:55 pm

Hi,
I’m new to this site. I am starting my fast tomorrow. I will go for as long as I comfortably can. Because it is my first fast I am not setting high goals. I will be happy with 2 days. Does anyone have any tips or advice they can offer? Thanks.
Destiny
Tom Coghill

23 Jan 2009 at 2:11 pm

Hi JJ
The gallbladder stores bile, which is released when food containing fat enters the digestive tract to emulsify fats and neutralizes acids in partly digested food. Since you are not eating bile is not needed. Gall bladder removal will not affect the detoxification. Chewing tobacco is a serious negative in detoxification. Juice fasting is recommended.
Tom Coghill

23 Jan 2009 at 2:23 pm

destiny welcome, for advice…. read study, believe and control your thoughts on a juice fast.
Fawn

23 Jan 2009 at 6:36 pm

day 3 for me…almost bedtime as i am weak but feel in control. i’m reading alot,staying away from tv. i also bought some books on fasting and took a long walk in the rain.
i can do this. i am not as hungry today,just thirsty yet not really drinking as much as i want. best of luck everyone.
Rhet

24 Jan 2009 at 9:41 am

Hi all,

Am on the second day of an open-ended fast. I am suspecting some pretty dire things wrong with my health, but can’t get into the doctor for tests for several weeks. Also, my insurance is not great. So, I am praying and de-toxifying as much as possible beforehand.

My longest fast before was 19 days a few years ago, with occasional vegetable broth. This time I am doing a weak concentration of squeezed lemon and lime in water, and that’s it, because I’d like some pretty aggressive cleansing to be done. I may use SmartWater at some point to restore some electrolytes.

I’m feeling ok, but I had been low-carbing for several weeks beforehand, so I’m not having the sugar/carb withdrawal that can make fasting so harsh.

Often in the past, on the 3rd or 4th day I would get so horribly nauseous that I would retch and get a terrible headache. I’m curious to see if that happens this time, but I am bracing for it.

Does anyone else find that you are more restless when you fast, and need to stave off really insecure and negative thinking? I get so vulnerable when I fast that I basically have to tell myself not to pay attention to my mind if it’s conjuring up something negative, because it’s likely that my preceptions are quite off.

How are the rest of you doing?
JJ

24 Jan 2009 at 1:53 pm

Hi Tom

Thanks for answering my questions…I have another one…So if a person still chews tobacco do they benefit from fasting and will any detoxing happen..will energy increase?

Thanks
Fawn

24 Jan 2009 at 5:12 pm

This comment is for Rhet-I am very restless,trouble sleeping but actually feeling good. I only a severee headache the first night. I find myself crying,and then get things outand go on with the moment. I think emotions run high when we fast. I am on day 4. I am juicing and water both. I have energy popping up and dont know what to do with myself. Praying that you feel God right beside you. Call on Him,I have done this a few times today.
Tom Coghill

26 Jan 2009 at 5:24 am

Hi Rhet,
Fasting opens a can of worms. All the junk from the past want to wriggle out. Yes you get more vulnerable. But if you go with it your life will be transformed. The second day can be the worst so it may be just a matter of hanging on.
Tom Coghill

26 Jan 2009 at 5:32 am

Hi JJ
You will be the first to fast and chew tobacco so let us know.
healing and fasting

26 Jan 2009 at 9:30 am

Hey there,

I’m about to start some sort of water fast. I tried the other night and when I woke up in the morning I was so on edge and felt pretty anxious. I’m doing it to detox and promote relaxation eventually. I pray to god I will get through it because I have been on an extremely low carb diet with pretty good results, but I know I need to detox more so my gut and digestion will improve. I’m praying the anxiety will subside eventually. I’d love to find a buddy to detox/fast with. Email me @ actualize81#gmail

Steve
Rhet

27 Jan 2009 at 12:37 pm

Tom and Fawn, thanks so much for your wise words of encouragement.

I stumbled, but am back in the saddle, starting at Day 1 again. When the intense nausea and pulse-racing hit, I panicked and ate. It’s amazing how powerful those waves of sickness and uncertainty are. It’s like the mind is almost irresistibly programmed to con us into eating. The “just one bite” or “just enough to stop the nausea” gets me every time.

Also, I found that I have a hard time resisting peoples’ guilt trips (I live with a few other people) if they’ve cooked a meal and I refuse to eat it. Unfortunately I live with people who don’t understand or appreciate fasting.

This time, I’m being proactive. I’m telling my house members in the morning that I won’t be eating dinner. I’m adjusting my schedule to plan for the predictable bouts of nausea.

Because of my health problems, I need to keep reminding myself that my life may ultimately depend on my steadfastness. I also need to tell myself that this fast should be my #1 priority, and if something else has to wait for me to get through it, then it must wait. Also, it’s possible I may not be able to do this under my own power, but as the prayer says, Someone else has power to do All things, and I need to frequently seek Divine help.

Thank you for this resource. This time I am committing to posting here more frequently, to take advantage of the sacred witness, and the community of support.
HB

27 Jan 2009 at 5:54 pm

Hello,
I’ve had an interest in fasting for several years, but have never intentionally started one. My interest stems from some strange illness i had a couple of years ago. it came and went for several months about once every one or two months. My thoughts are that it is very much stress-induced, because it happened when i was traveling. however, I’m in college now and am pretty stressed out, but haven’t experienced anything like it for nearly a year. The first time it happened, i was at a restaurant in Baja, Mexico and suddenly felt incredibly full even though i hadn’t eaten much all day and had just begun my meal. i almost vomited leaving and became extremely cold for the rest of the night, wanting to throw up the whole time until i fell asleep. this was coupled with an intense shivering. The next morning i was fine and ate a good breakfast. The next time it happened, it went on for a week and i lost between 10 and 15 lbs. I couldn’t force myself to eat a piece of toast or drink much of anything, because i just knew how terrible i’d feel 30 minutes after.

That experience still makes me wonder. Now, I’m more interested in a fast that i would have control over, instead of imagining that i was terminally ill. I did a two day fast last week and am just sort of dabbling in this because i am very curious about self control and willpower and how faith plays a role. Hopefully i will progress to a week-long fast later this spring when i have fewer obligations and more time to read. This website has been a wealth of information on a subject where most people don’t know too much about. Thank you for helping me out through this resource.
Amanda

28 Jan 2009 at 8:19 am

Hello all- I googled “fasting properly” and ended up here. I’m not currently fasting, but doing my research to prepare myself. Cheesey as it may be, my new year’s resolution (like those of many others) is to improve my health. I have successfully quit smoking cigarettes and drinking. Only one month strong at this point, but I’m feeling hopeful.
Essentially, I’m here for advice from people who know about fasting. What should I have in my house to be prepared? After reading these posts I am sure that I will need a juicer. How should I prepare my body for fasting? How long should this preparation last? How long should my first fast last? How do I bring my body back after fasting? And what are the best juices/tastiest things to juice while fasting?
I know I have a lot of questions, and response to any of them would be appreciated. Thanks so much, and good luck to all of you.
Rhet

28 Jan 2009 at 12:33 pm

Amanda, congrats on your interest in fasting. Read all the links on this site, I think virtually all of your questions get answered there.

How are we all doing out there? Are you fasters still on the wagon, as it were?

I discovered an interesting thing, which veteran fasters must already know quite well. Hunger pangs come in waves, and when you’re in the middle of one, you can think that harsh twinge will be with you every moment of the fast, tormenting you. It’s easy to think–”There’s no way I can do this for hours, let alone weeks! I’m out!”

But here’s the thing. It’s a mind-trick. It’s a convincing trick, but don’t believe it! It’s like when the fasting Buddha would say to his temptors and frightening visions: “I see you, Maya [illusion, devil], and I am NOT afraid!” Or how Jesus would say “Get thee behind me!”

I learned that the pangs do LEAVE. They go as fast as they’ve come, and then you feel as if you’ve eaten. That is, you feel NO hunger. Yes, eating can kill a hunger pang the fastest, but if you can hold out for 30 minutes or an hour without eating, it goes away ANYWAY. (Sometimes I command my body to feast upon the substances in my body that I need to get rid of, if it’s really that hungry.)

So it’s really just about keeping food out of your hands until the wave of pangs pass. Yes, the pangs will return (just like they would if you HAD eaten), but practicing the same kind of patience does work. I find I have almost the same rhythms of hunger and “satiety” when fasting as I do when I am eating.

I also discovered that my not-eating makes other people very concerned and uncomfortable. Anyone else have that in your life? They comment, want to know why, they keep track. It’s a lot of pressure! Maybe I’m sensitive because I was always taught to be grateful for food and to the cook. I do hate missing the social and “familial” aspect of mealtimes (as mentioned, I live in a kind of ‘urban tribe’ setting, so we’re family of sorts). But sometimes I don’t FEEL like explaining why I’m fasting to people, or even telling them that I am. I don’t want people questioning my reasons or the wisdom of my choice.

So, when all else fails, I use a little sleight-of-hand that I remember from parties when I was a young adult. If I hold a glass of red wine at a meal and tip it once in awhile without actually taking any in, people don’t bug me to eat.(I don’t love alcohol or cigarettes, hence the “sleight,” I sometimes carried a beer at parties but never actually drank it, or would accept a cigarette without inhaling..it’s cowardly, I know, but I want the social “peace pipe” aspect of the ritual without the substance itself).

Anyway, people seem to accept “drinking your dinner” a lot easier than they understand fasting. (Dogs are also great for “sharing” dinner.) It’s the same as if I keep a little loud bag of (untempting) candy or nuts that I happen to dislike in my pocket. I can share them, rattle them, and nobody bothers me about not-eating. (A tack that may be too risky or silly for most other people.)

This is a long, sad treatise on deception, but it’s one strategy I use I protect my psyche from doubters and questioners.. it’s hard enough to protect myself from my own doubt!

Anyone else want to share their strategies for getting by while fasting, either internally or socially?

Thanks–

Rhet
Tom Coghill

28 Jan 2009 at 7:41 pm

Hi Amanda,
Welcome, just enjoy learning and take a week to read and get excited about fasting. All your questions are answered on this site.
beaches

30 Jan 2009 at 2:24 pm

Hello I am new to this forum but find it very interesting. Years ago my husband and I changed our diets because our children were always sick. We swore off fast food and went to fruits and veggies and fresh juice every morning. Our children thrived and we did too. We went through lots of ‘dumping’. My one daughter that had been on tons of antibiotics went thru the toughest time but became fully cured…she even got the mumps and I was told it was her vaccine coming out. (another controversy -We chose not to vaccinate out other children). We have 5 children. Now that they are grown (the youngest is 20) we have found ourselves back to the same old garbage (for about the last 5 years) and have gained weight..me especially.
I decided in December to practice what I’ve been preaching and planned to start a juice fast in January.
Please note we have always had our fresh glass of juice in the morning or we would probably be dead:) last summer we were binging so bad I ended up in the emergency room with high blood pressure peak of 210/105 and they immediately put me on bp pills…I knew the cause but even after a week of juice fasting then i went right back to eating stupid.
So as of Jan. 1st 2009 I have been doing fresh juice. I first had to have a complete mental evaluation with myself to decide that for once and for all I was going to get healthy and the time was now so I could enjoy life again. I had ballooned to 250 lbs and was totally unhappy with myself and it showed. I searched the internet and found excerpts from different place, printed them off and use them as my inspiration and information. I have to tell myself every day that this is the beginning and I will be over with the fast as soon as I get myself in good shape. I make a plan every week and go a day at a time. I have fallen two days and eaten something..altho little it was eating..I then started back the next day and called it day 1. I write in a journal every day..nothing great,,just how I feel and what I want out of life. That has helped tremendously. Also my husband is a cheerleader and if there is one bit of advice I can give you is to share what you are doing with someone. This is the first time I have actually told him what I weigh and have been completely honest with him. He has made a huge difference. I am now at Jan 30th and feel so great…as I write this I believe I am going thru a little ketoacidosis..super weak and backache and all the signs but I know it will be gone in hours or tomorrow. I have a 16oz glass of carrot, beet and celery juice every morning. (I also use green and red pepper and cucumber - all organic) Because I’ve been so cold I then have hot water with a fresh lemon…sometimes lots of cups! Not every day but some days I have another glass of juice in the afternoon. I just listen to my body to see what I need. At first I had fruit juices too but found out for me they make me crave food. After I stayed with vegetables I am never really hungry. My addiction to food comes out and I am trying to realize that this is a lifestyle change so I visualize what I will eat again and I think of only healthy food. I have some weeks planned with a few fruits because of things we have going. I find the key is planning and deliberately dealing with food so there are no passionate binges.
Now for the good part…I have lost 35 lbs this month (and I am a person that holds weight). I walk on a treadmill whenever I have the energy because my secondary goal is to lose weight and some exercise helps that end.
I am fitting into lots of clothes and have decided to extend my fast until I get to the weight and health I want. I have weeks planned to break the fast (like Easter) but like i said PLANNED menus. I plan on going until the end of april and then start my new life and lifestyle. I tell people I am 57 going on 40. My skin is clearing up, wrinkles are going and it appears there will be hardly if any loose skin. That I will have to see to believe! I apologize for taking up so much space. I hope my story will help someone. I struggle everyday but as you get through the first week or so you will get motivated. I would be happy to be a fasting partner to anyone out there…my email is rebeckyann@gmail.com. Good luck to all of you and like my motto is (from the Biggest Loser) SHUT THE … UP AND DO IT! No offense intended to everyone but it sure hit home with me!!!
1. Sorry forgot to tell you I am going in on Monday to get my BP pills reduced for a week or two and then taken off of them…my BP has been low since the first week of the fast…..again good luck to all of you. there is so much information out there. After my 99.9% fasting journey is through I will still have juice every day and plan on doing a 1-3 day fast every week to stay healthy. Planning is the key and I never have done that before. Thanks for the forum to get all kinds of good info! PS my husband is not fasting but we have added juice 2 times a day instead of one and lots more veggies to his diet and of course he loses 10 pounds right away and his bp has gone down…but he didn’t do as much private bingeing as I did so he started out healthier

Well here I go again…There’s so many things that come into play with a juice fast. Just a couple of tips when you just have to have a bite of something…. Make a pot of fresh vegetable soup - no salt just some seasonings….then have a cup of broth…I did that the first two weeks. Now when I want something I cut a very fresh organic sweet orange into smaller pieces and suck the juice out of each piece. It’s faster than running it thru the juicer and is a quick fix so you don’t grab something else. It also helps any nausea or blood sugar low. You will find out that you’re never hungry just old habits coming into play…be ready and you will succeed…thanks for listening
Aram

02 Feb 2009 at 8:02 am

I feel in a heavy state of inertia….My creativity….something that I never felt could escape me feels dry…I have been thinking of fasting for some time..I will start with juice and herbal tea..and keep posting on this site for the motivation and outlet. I am twenty now.
Oli

02 Feb 2009 at 9:30 am

Thanks for your post..i’m struggling with my weight,and I’m trying but not succeeding..binges cravings the list goes on. What i really desire is to have a healthy attitude towards food and manage my weight so i stay at an acceptable level. I am starting a fast tonight initially for 7 days to enable me reflect on how and why i got my self to the state i’m in. Hopefully neutralise my cravings…I hope this website helps me get some perpective
Kari

02 Feb 2009 at 11:15 am

I need some input. I’m on day seven of a 30 day juice fast and I’ve actually gained weight over the past three days. I lost eight pounds in the first four days, then increased by a half a pound every day after that. I walk 45 minutes every day and I’ve done two salt water flushes, followed by drinking vegetable broth with onions because I read somewhere that you need to replace the good bacteria the the flush eliminates and onions help do that. I drink between 12oz to 24oz of juice, herbal tea, green tea sometimes and water. I’m a 37 year old female, 5′5″ and stuck and 176 now. Has anyone else experienced this?
Liz

02 Feb 2009 at 9:24 pm

I am nearing the end of day 1 of my fast. I have had periods of low food intake, but have never been on a full out fast, so I am starting with 3-4 days. My stomach is growling so loudly! I am trying to keep myself distracted. I am trying to lose 7 pounds in two weeks, so I am planning on doing two monday-thursday fasts and breaking (slowly) on the weekends. I am drinking mostly water, but enjoy tea more, so thats what i think I will be living off of. I love this site and am hoping to use it to keep me going strong.
aram

03 Feb 2009 at 8:34 am

And Day Two Begins…Have not wanted food at all yet. sipping tea and water…and have more energy then expected…why didn’t I do this sooner? ……..the journey goes onward…….Hope you all are doing well I send my love and support.
Aram

03 Feb 2009 at 9:36 pm

Realizing everyday habits…that I don’t need. Energy more subtle. I can see my body more/feel it more. feel lighter and more in love with my life and what is here. Ending day two…well am I? Maybe not until rest and rising with the el sol. Goodnight
Fawn

04 Feb 2009 at 9:52 am

I just completed a 10 day fast and have been on raw vegetables,fruit for 5 days. All my depression and sadness have lifted. My weight loss is 29 lbs. With that i am healthy and ready for a new way of eating. I certainly will be doing this more often. I hope to find someone to fast with in March. I am reaching for a 7 day water fast. I did juice,now I want to take it further.
Good Luck Everyone. Peace.. Rhett-how are you doing?? Post!
rhet

04 Feb 2009 at 10:09 am

Fawn, thanks for shouting out to me! Congrats on your amazing accomplishment! It feels so good to know someone is out there, reading. I bet your water fast will now be so much easier, having been on the juice and veggies. Let me know when you start it, we’ll check in.

I’ve been having this weird experience where I suddenly go pale, start sweating, and my stomach does such a violent flip-flop that I’m certain I will lose it within seconds. It actually makes it hard for me to go places, because I’m so afraid I’ll suddenly throw up (bile, mostly). I’ve been carrying a plastic baggie in my pocket even when I drive, it’s embarrassing! I also have to fight the feeling that I’m actually going to die from this nausea, that it’s indicative of a heart attack or something (I turn into such a hypo when fasting).

I’ve fallen off the wagon 3 times with regard to coffee/caffeine, which may explain the nausea and sweating, though they don’t often happen within the same 5 hours. Who would have ever thought that coffee is such a tempting demon? Not the sweets, not the bagels, not the pizza. I’ve decided not to send myself back to “Day 1″ for the infraction, but if I do it again, Day 1 it is.

I’ve discovered that food grounds me, gives me a sense of stability and ok-ness with the moment. Without food, I am so often edgy, restless, and my mind is very harsh about my life choices and the way I spend time. It’s like food has been a drug in more ways than one. I can’t tell which mind-state is the sane one.

I’m also very touchy. I really need to watch what I say to people, and how I read situations and statements. I’m normally so kick-back, joking and easy-going, it’s a strange personality shift. Stripping down, stripping down. It’s humbling.

Thinking of you all!

Rhet
Aram

04 Feb 2009 at 4:35 pm

nearing the end of day three! I sipped on aloe juice today. Heal. heal . healing.
Sky

04 Feb 2009 at 10:00 pm

Hello, I will be starting my first fast tomorrow. Can anyone give me some advice..? I’ve never done this before.
Fawn

05 Feb 2009 at 8:51 am

HI. First Rhett I am worried and hope Tom comes in to advise us because I wonder if you’re okay here. The bile thing scares me alot. I would not know what to do if that started with me. Are you near fainting? I did feel very weak,at times light headed but I got down on one knee. I also did that thing where I got up slowly…I did get pale. I never really did as long a fast though as you.You’re on water yet. Are you eating today??? I slept alot while fasting but it was always during the day when I felt so tired. Night time for me was not good. I could not sleep.Are you sleeping????

Sky,just read all the stuff posted. I took resting to heart when I fasted.I also drank something as soon as I felt weak. It passes! Don’t let headaches and rumbly tummys make you break it. Tom stops in and advises us alot. Look for his posts.
I also wanted to say good job to Aram 3rd day. Keep going.
Kari

05 Feb 2009 at 10:11 am

Hi Sky, I can’t say I’m an official authority on fasting, but I can say that I have completed 10 days of a 30 day juice fast so far. The biggest piece of advice I would give is to realize that the fast is a mental challenge much more than a physical one. In other words, when your brain is telling you to EAT, just respond to it politely by saying, “I heard you, but no thanks.” The reason I’m fasting is to overcome an alcohol addiction and the biggest gift its given me so far is to realize the art of choosing what my health wants instead of my mind (and all the tricky pitfalls it throws at me). The other thing I would suggest is to literally set your goal fast at completing one day at a time. Lastly, whatever your reason for fasting, realize that no matter what you do to achieve your goal, the fasted way to that end is the hardest way. In other words, you gotta walk through it, not around it. Good luck and remember you’re stronger than whatever you’re trying to overcome.
tamara

05 Feb 2009 at 3:48 pm

Today was my first of my fast and i could honestly say that i thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was. I find the hardest part is what my brain is telling me, its worse than what my stomach is telling me, i just hope i make it through the night…. if there’s any words of wisdom out there i’m will be more than happy to hear them.
tamara

05 Feb 2009 at 3:49 pm

My time on top says 3:48 pm but it is 6:48 pm here
fawn

05 Feb 2009 at 7:37 pm

since ya wont post my responses am moving on~~~
Tom Coghill

05 Feb 2009 at 8:29 pm

Hi Fawn,
Due to spam any posts with links are held for approval.
Please be patient.
Rhet

06 Feb 2009 at 12:21 pm

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your concern, Fawn. I think the vomiting is a detox-reaction. I took in some veggie juice off and on until those nausea episodes slacked off. I just got too scared about what my heart seemed to be doing on top of it. Now I’m back on water.

Hopefully the little bit of juice was enough to get me over the hump, as it were. How are you all doing?

I feel like I’ve been fasting for a thousand years. Man, time slows down. And my extremities get cold a lot. I’ve been hot-tubbing to deal with the cold, but some people say that’s a bad idea, what with the chemicals and unusual heat. Tom, do you have an opinion about this?

Thanks!

Rhet
Tom Coghill

06 Feb 2009 at 3:14 pm

Vomiting is part of water fasting if your body is toxic. For that reason I recommend juice fasting for 3 days before going to water. Sure take a hot bath if you are cold or a hot shower. Cold extremities is normal also.
Rhet

06 Feb 2009 at 7:02 pm

Thanks, Tom. Fawn, yes, I get insomnia a lot since fasting. I just watch TV or read, or sometimes I get up and play with the dogs.

I must have a really slow metabolism, because I’m not dropping weight very fast. My body must have adjusted to the shift. Since the first few days, I’ve lost a pound about every 3 or 4 days. I sure hope this detox works. Fasting is harsh for me.

Best,

Rhet
rachel

07 Feb 2009 at 9:09 am

Hi all! I’m just ending the sixth week of an intermittent fasting program, and my body keeps wanting more and more abstinence from food. For weeks I ate in a five to four hour window at night. I experienced better sleep, energy during the day, no cravings, better breathing, mental clarity ect. Over the last week, when I feel no hunger at the beginning of my eating window, I put faith to the test and skip my eating window until the following night. I’ve done this twice this week and I feel so light and happy. Fasting, even briefly certianly gives you the sense of control and freedom being chained to food never did. I intend on skipping my window every third night until my body feels its ready for more fasting. You do get better and better at listening to your bodys clues as you get more and more clean. Thanks for the great website. I really hope this goes mainstream someday, to the chagrin of resturants and donought shops alike!
mark

07 Feb 2009 at 11:52 am

tom i am already drinking 10 egg whites a day but not getting that good pump i used to in the gym will spirulina help and how much should i take? thanks
Nikki

07 Feb 2009 at 12:42 pm

rhet,
thanks so much for your “sleight of hand” post you are a genius! my boyfriend seems to think i’m going to die from fasting. he keeps cooking all my favorite foods & insisting that i just try a little something. i think your ideas will help me immensely! thanx again!
Rhet

07 Feb 2009 at 1:31 pm

Hey Nikki, glad the “sleights” were useful, I was feeling a little embarrassed about having shared all that. But boy, they really have helped me socially. Last night I had “wine” with friends at a concert (once friends have emptied one or 2, they are happy to let you switch glasses with them–grin!). Eating the ice out of drinks at meals or at clubs also keeps people off my back.

Just this morning the dogs helped me to “share” a super-nice breakfast someone in the house fixed. (Thank goodness feeding dogs from the table isn’t taboo in our house).

People are also happy to help me with little bags of M&M’s or almonds or cashews I carry in my pocket (sometimes I cheat and lick the salt off my fingers). I know, the whole thing is mildly insane.

It’s true that the Bible says not to advertise it when we fast, but my “sleights” are likely taking it too far. But it’s how I get by. I can’t take on the hunger and weakness AND everyone telling me how I’m endangering my life. I need as little disruption in my routine as possible, and having everybody interrogating me about my fast at every meal and social gathering (or talking about it behind my back if I tell them to MYOB) is just too much for me to handle.

Today I squeezed a couple of lemons into my water, and sweetened it with Stevia (a non-caloric natural sweetener). It felt like I had a 7-course meal. My body sure appreciates any little bit I toss it.

How’s everyone doing?

Rhet
Jessica

07 Feb 2009 at 10:07 pm

Hi I’ve been thinking of fasting for a while. I always feel backed up inside and irregular. But I am a runner and was wondering if fasting would affect my performance?
Rhet

08 Feb 2009 at 7:02 am

Jessica,

You bet fasting will affect your performance–at least, water fasting will. I’ve found that even juice fasting slows me down. I also have to watch out for strange bowel activity, especially at first. It’s not so important if you’re just training, but are you racing frequently?

Rhet
Jessica

08 Feb 2009 at 11:27 am

I have competitions usually at the end of the week, usually fridays. but my season is just about over and I have championships at the end of this week coming up. so maybe I should wait till after so that I can perform at my best.
jen

08 Feb 2009 at 3:40 pm

hello, I am a new vegetarian who has been battling my weight my entire life, I have decided to get myself under control and just be thin already, I’m training for a 1/2 marathon in April but I need to rid myself of my old relationship with food, clear my head and focus on how to achieve my goals, Rachel’s way of just eating a small meal in a narrow window of time and then skipping it every few days sounds like something I can do, I worry about screwing up my metabolism but I need to cleanse and redirect my focus so I’m starting my “fast” today is 4:33 and I wont eat again until tomorrow at 7:00 pm when I’ll have a veggie burger and water. and I’ll try to keep that up for 7 days then start narrowing down my window. I’m going to be thin and healthy this year. I’ll keep you up to date with how I do
jen

08 Feb 2009 at 4:41 pm

rhet how long is your fast? and what motivated you to start and when are you going to be done, how long will you wait before you do another one….
Tom Coghill

09 Feb 2009 at 6:07 am

Hi Mark,
You will feel weaker in the gym and have to push more but the cuts will come and muscle gain if you and press through. Yes spirulina is good but you need a few tablespoons if you want a protein boost. There are some high end whey supplements that are nominally mucus-forming but you still have to take less than recommended. It also take about a week for you body to adjust to juicing with eggwhites and you get days of energy and days of being totally dragged out especially on the first week. And the hunger can be really intense after a workout. I did 30 days. Other than me you are the only person to try this. LOL.
rachel

09 Feb 2009 at 11:35 am

jen, i admire your endeavors. i’m sure you’ll be very successful. i would like to impress upon you, however, that a one small, raw veggie salad before your breakfast would do wonders for the elimination process. during your fast you will be cleansings and depositing much toxins, mucoids ect. to the colon for elimination. eating the raw salad prior to any high energy foods (carbs/fats/proteins) assists the colon in a ‘broomlike’ way. a friend of mine has a child with a diseased liver, no treatements available, but the doctor prescribed one raw salad a day to assist the liver in its daily cleansing chores. the boy started to feel better immediately and has grown to love his salads, crave them even. imagine that, a child who craves raw veggies! happy cleansing!
jen

09 Feb 2009 at 12:29 pm

ok day two, so last night I had a fruit shake with strawberries, grapes, blueberries and soymilk, I had the same this morning. I didn’t run because I’m feeling really sick (separate issue my husband gave me a severe cold) but I’m trying not to eat so that my body can focus on killing the virus and not breaking down food I’m drinking hot tea which kills the appetite so, so far so good.
jen

09 Feb 2009 at 5:28 pm

got a little hungry drank my hot tea my cold isn’t as bad as i thought it would be, going home is going to be a challenge but ill just go to bed early. one more rich soymilk shake tonight if im hungry but tomarow I’ll switch to pure processes fruits and veggies. check in with us rhet ive been thinking about you
Missouriman

10 Feb 2009 at 7:16 am

Hi Tom,

By the way, great site! I just found it today.

I’m a 6’1” 54-year old healthy male. I was 181 pounds when I began my fast so I’m not overweight. This is day 25 of a 40-day juice fast. Tried a water-only fast about 15 years ago. Was so weak and wiped out I couldn’t even get off the living room floor to answer the door!

My current experience is much different which I attribute to the fact that I am drinking juice. My basic question is “What constitutes ‘juice’?” Does broth from boiled vegetables “qualify”? Is “juice” only that which comes from a juicer machine?

Some of the store-bought “no sugar added” juice I drink (I don’t have a juicer…yet) appears clear. But some of the drinks (with carrot, for example) seem a little “pulpy”. Also I am drinking broth prepared at home from carrots, celery, spinach, and potatoes.

It seems that the potato give is a thicker, more substantive quality. Somehow I feel this is little more than liquefied vegetable stew and does not truly constitute “juice”. Sometimes I think of it as solid food and thus feel like I’m “cheating”.

Am I being too technical or picky or should I discontinue ingesting the stuff which has this pulpier” quality?

By the way, are you a Christian? Just curious.
Rhet

10 Feb 2009 at 9:19 am

Hey Jen, et al.

I’ve been fasting because I’m suspecting some health problems I don’t want to name just yet because I haven’t had the appropriate tests–they are still several weeks away (love this stupid PPO Plan).

Suffice to say, if I test positive, I’m up a creek (it’s not HIV). I don’t have the money or insurance for the treatment I’d have to get. And I won’t put my family members in the poorhouse. I’m not even going to tell them.

I’ve read here and other places that certain kinds of ailments can be slowed or reversed by fasting for some people. So, I’ve been fasting ahead of my tests.

All that said, I completely, utterly blew it yesterday! I don’t know what happened, but I got hungrier than a starved tiger and just about ate the family dogs! Anyway, I royally imploded, ate complex stuff, and totally infuriated my system, of course. I was like a junkie on a heroin binge. I have no idea what came over me. I wasn’t myself. I was infected by the Hunger Demon, and God help anyone between me and the fridge. The one thing I didn’t eat was sugar or wheat/flour products, because the condition I’m suspecting I have is significantly worsened with sugar and things most easily turned into sugar.

I paid for the lapse with many agonized hours on the porcelain throne. I was completely humiliated, I even sobbed. (An odd and fairly gross side-note, for as long and profligately as I occupied the bathroom, it didn’t really smell. Might I have murdered all my intestinal bacteria?)

They say break a fast slowly, and boy, they mean it. My system was so enraged, I even had heart palpitations. Boys and girls, if you’ve been fasting for over a week, do NOT go nuts and eat like a werewolf in winter.

So, here I am, the prodigal, wayward idiot, back at the end of the line, back at Day 1. I’m pretty sure I caused myself enough misery to never break a fast that way again. I hate this, because I’m reminding myself of wrestling friends I had, who would go days without eating to make weight, who would weigh in and go binge. They inevitably made themselves sick–it was a total eating disorder brought on my the pressure to fall into the appropriate weight class.

I don’t want an eating disorder, I just want the benefits of fasting! Ack, so, hopefully I haven’t just negated every good thing I was doing for myself.

Hopefully you guys will take me back. I started my day with water with a squirt of fresh lemon. My system was relieved.

Fasting’s hard.

–rhet
rachel

10 Feb 2009 at 9:51 am

not to worry rhet, just use the experience to help maintain better control next time. i doubt you undid a entire weeks worth of fasting in one binge session, but i see you learned a valuable lession. its fantastic you veered clear of wheat products and sugar. one thing i would if you feel yourself losing control and cant maintain is quicky make a big salad, or just grab fresh veggies and eat them raw, as slowly as possible. this has allowed me to gently get on a one day on, one day off program. i feel im getting more and more cleansed by the day, but without the intensity and exhaustion of a straight fast. i used to white knuckle it through weeks long fasting as a youth. now decades later, overweight, with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, estrogen dominance, you name it, im easing into the fasting slowly and gently. after i eat in a five hour window one night, the next night my body is very yeilding to the forty three hour break from foods. im enjoying fruits and veggies i used to choke down very sporadically. chin up my friend. each and everyday is new day!
Rhet

10 Feb 2009 at 11:32 am

Rachel, thanks for the encouragement.

Your advice is really good. You sound like a veteran faster.

Hey, sorry to go off-topic, but with regard to the e-dominance, a person in my house has that. Maybe you already know about this, but she found amazing success with natural topical progesterone cream (made from soy, usually) together with Wild Yam capsules taken orally. (It was the combo that really did it for her.) She dropped weight, got regularized periods, gentler cycles.

Anyhoo, sounds like you are really off and running on your fast, and have found a workable balance.

Is anyone out there doing the bentonite cleanse?

Thanks

rhet
jen

10 Feb 2009 at 12:29 pm

what is this day three for me? I’m gonna call it day three, so the cold I have that everyone around me has been suffering with for weeks is fading and fading after only three days. I feel like I know a new healing power no one else knows, I ran two miles today, drank a fruit infused juice this morning its mega pulpy so I don’t think we would call it a juice per say but fresh full of vitamins blended and easy on the plumbing, I made a spinach celery carrot apple combo for mid day to sip on and as reward for my work the scale says I’ve lost 3 lbs which is very exiting. with juice or liquid salad ill call it I can see going on a 7-10 day fast. my goal is seven but if my body doesn’t tell me to eat after that time ill go longer. Rhet I hope your test come back in your favor or you find the healing power that will make you better.
rachel

11 Feb 2009 at 10:41 am

thanks for the advice rhet. ill look into that. its strange how i can have no cramps all morning, but as soon as i get my walk/lifing in, i have mild cramps. i was told the body fat im burning off is dumping estrogen as it burns. i bet the cream would help a lot. ive fasting in my youth, long wonderful juice fasts, but was ignorant about how horrible sugar is, thus i never stayed thin, never ate properly after my fast. i didnt realize that if you are insulin insensitive, any old cracker or piece of toast can send you on a craving/exhuastion cycle for the rest of your day. now that i fast every single day during the day until my evening feeds, im keeping my eating under control easily. hopefully avoiding the diabetes that runs in my family. fingers crossed. whatever the test results are, you are way ahead of the game than most folks, since you understand how fasting and nourising principles work!
Jessica

13 Feb 2009 at 4:17 am

Okay well, I’m starting a 3 day juice fast to ease into a water fast. I’m not really doing this fast to lose weight, more so to see if I can actually control my hunger because I have a problem when it comes to eating when i’m actually hungry instead of eating when i’m bored. I find myself on a binge 24/7 so I want to try and control myself better and eat when I need to. I hope that I will hold the power at the end of my fast instead of my stomach
jen

13 Feb 2009 at 12:13 pm

ok its Friday I’ve been running and exercising and drinking hot tea I got my juicer working so one big glass of diluted juice a day, I ate a spinach salad on Wednesday I over exerted myself at the gym and thought I was going to pass out so I caved. but like I said I’m following Rachel’s regime more then anything so I eat every third day if necessary but guys I’m not hungry. I look through cheetos, past egg rolls and am not even tempted by fruity cocktails that used to consume my days. I feel like the master of my domain, But I am noticing that people are not to keen on the non eaters, they say things like that’s not good for you while shoveling processed fatty food out of a bag in to their mouths its kind of ironic. my husbands been really supportive so that helps, but he’s quite the foodie and does want to take me out for valentines day, id rather go roller skating then out to dinner but we shall see. I’m holding out till Monday or Wednesday, 7-10 fast what if I can do more?
rachel

13 Feb 2009 at 9:14 pm

sounds like you’re very centered and in tune with your body jen! i was new to exercise with fasting, and i sprinted and then knocked down some kettlebell complexes, and whoshhhhh,,,tingling all over my body , my mouth , my lips. come to find out it was low blood sugar. intense exercise can sometimes knock you into it when exercising in a fasted state. now that my body is more attuned, i can pretty much lift a few dumbells and sprint some without trouble,,,but it took a bit to get here, and im still careful. i did one day on and one day off for two weeks,,, and im still doing my window, but for the next two weeks i am going to try a two day a week window skip. my workouts did suffer with the water fasting. i may just two day it three weeks out of the month, then water fast every other day the first week of the month. im learning how to tweak my cleansing cycles so they dont prevent my training, but careful not to suspend the cleansing all together. keep up the excellent work board!!
Jessica

14 Feb 2009 at 8:59 am

Alright well day 2. feeling pretty good this morning. Going to do a light 2-3 mile run. hopefully i wont be dead at the end
Cindy

16 Feb 2009 at 12:11 am

Depressed and having a difficult time sticking to any of my raw food protocols. Feel lethargic after quitting coffee and hydroxy cut (work out type pills).

I expected I would need to heal from all the stimulants but it’s just harder than I thought it would be.

So, after overeating huge bowls of salad today with all the trimmings plus making raw cacao/espresso concoctions, I’m stuffed and ready to just go ahead and do a fast.

I have a bag of lemons. I don’t have stevia but have maple syrup and cayenne. Tomorrow I can start with master cleanse but also take apple juice with psyllium to clear out my system.

*deep breath*

Been trying to do the 80-10-10 and felt great for four days but then couldn’t take the weight gain. I gained up to 7 pounds since quitting coffee and diet-type pills and supplements. I’m not exercising then I’d eat huge bowls of fruit.

I have to say my digestion felt better on the 80-10-10 but with the caffeine withdrawal (tho I’m still using green tea) the lethargy and getting plugged up along with stress, I just caved.

So, I just discovered this site and I’m going to try it out. Looks like a few people are checking in here and fasting. I’ve fasted before I think i’ve made it up to 3 weeks before and have done 7 to 10-days many times over the past three decades. Lately I’ve been able to prepare for the fasts and also break them wisely.

But right now, I normally wouldn’t start a fast after eating such a large salad with dairy in it etc. But it’s just to the point where it’s been so hard to get started on anything that it’s better to just get started from where I’m at. I’m sure my body will thank me and so will my despair and depression.

I’m still figuring out if there’s a moderator etc. Thanks for reading!
Tom Coghill

17 Feb 2009 at 1:39 am

Hi Cindy
Your body will need some down time. Juice fasting is the best for that. It can reset your metabolism within about 10 days. You may sleep a lot. Moderator,,, mmm, looks like Rhet is maintaining that roll. We never seem to get anything bad or offensive. But is sure would be good to have a team. The site is growing it is hard to keep track of all the people.
jen

17 Feb 2009 at 8:01 pm

ok so valentines we went to a Mexican restaurant, I had a lettuce salad with salsa no chips which is awesome for me. then I come home no ones looking and I go to town on my fridge, guys I ate a pork chop, ok I’m a vegetarian what the heck?!?!?! well whatever I was intoxicated and my self control didn’t stand a chance but I learned I can do it, so today is Monday I ate fish and a salad at 4 which is my food window and tomorrow I’m back on the tea and juice, I’ve got to say I’ve kicked my butt in the gym for months and haven’t had the same weight loss results as I did from not eating for 4 days absolutely amazing. I just need to do it guys, I’ve been a slave to a size 14 for to long, and I’m not going to be called the heavy girl, no ones going to suggest lap band surgery, or say oh well you have such a pretty face. I’m so motivated, I learned a few key points I’ll share with you, I won’t work out till exhaustion while fasting cuz that doesn’t work, I wont be intoxicated while fasting because that weakens my will, and if I don’t like a juice I’ve made for myself that day I will toss it (beets ew) and make something else because not having juice effects my success as well. see I’m learning I hope these observations help. cuz I know they will help me. Going back to day 1 of a ten day fast tomorrow im exited,
Missouriman

17 Feb 2009 at 10:36 pm

Tom,

I can imagine the difficulty of trying to reply to everyone. When/if you get a sec could you take a look at my Feb.10th post? Thanks.
rachel

18 Feb 2009 at 10:16 am

true story: i’ve gone from a size 22 to a size 18 in TWO MONTHS. daily fasts of 19 to 22 hours. then two weeks of everyother day water fasts. symptoms aleviated by my two weeks of more intense waters fast include - disappearance of tingling sensation i would get after every workout (feet, hands mostly). low blood pressure or low blood sugar whichever it was the fasting cured it. also, every since starting my warrior diet styled fasting, i suffered pretty annoying pms like cramps, just about every day. a doctor said it was most likely estrogen being dumped from my fat stores as i burned them up in my post-glycogen depletion workouts. well, as well, this cleared up since i embarked on my intermittent water fasts. ive been doing my daily fasts now, and have had trouble getting anymore over night fasts in this week. im just working out so wonderfully and my muscles are sore and hungry. i do eat in a small window, mostly clean supportive foods. but i know ill do my week or two of daily fasts and then embark on more waterfasting. even intermittantly they are very agressive and beneficial.
Tom Coghill

19 Feb 2009 at 1:30 am

Hi Rachel
That is an encouragement. The cramps was a strange one to me. The doctors concept sound good to me. Those are great improvements to health and fitness. This just goes to show that detoxification can be successfully customized to fit your needs, time restraints and psycology.
Tom Coghill

19 Feb 2009 at 1:39 am

Hi Missouriman,
Sorry, but I did respond the computer crashed and I forget to see if it went through. So here goes again.
Juice can be anything that is fruits or veggies juiced. It can be store bought but a juicer is what brings the health improvements. Herbal tea, lemon aid is good. Potato is good from a juicer but throw away the starch that settles. Cooked potato juice is to mucus-forming. Yes I am a Bible believing Christian. It is best to strain the juice as the pulp builds up in the intestine and causes hunger as it is still digesting. So it is a choice. You way will work it is just slower than juicing fresh veggies. Also on store bought stuff you do not get the fasting “high” and exileration that come after prolonged juice fasting.
Your patience paid off. You got a better response than the first one that died in cyberland.
Tom Coghill

19 Feb 2009 at 1:40 am

Hi Missouriman,
Ok you have a response I posted under the first post.
Tom Coghill

19 Feb 2009 at 1:43 am

Hi Jen,
Your post has a clear message. “fasting has a learning curve with many mistakes to teach you.” Most of us fail before succeeding.
AnN

20 Feb 2009 at 10:18 am

Hi everyone, I am so so glad that I found this website. I have an extremely important event coming up which is my bachelor graduation. I have been trying to complete a 21 days fast. But the more I try, the more I fail. I cannot even pass the first day. I know its a bad excuse but I live with my boyfriend and he is a food-lover. He eats alot but never gains weigh. Anyway, I know I have to help myself because my boyfriend has already given up helping me. Do you have any good advice how to achieve 21 days fast? I am an active person and I either play golf or do fitness everyday. I have exactly 3 weeks before my graduation. Please give me some advice. I will be very grateful. Thank you.

AnN
Rhet

20 Feb 2009 at 12:34 pm

Hey Ann,

The following has worked best for me:

If people ask, tell them you’re preparing for Lent and give them a boring lecture about sacrifice and appreciation. If they argue with you, accuse them of not respecting your religious principles (I’m joking. Sort of

1) Juice for at least 3 days. I know, you want a speedier result than that, but juicing gets your body accustomed to what’s coming. If you want, you can use things like spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, cabbage, spiralina and a little bit of carrot rather than fruit, which are more alkaline and won’t sugar you up. This will ease your body into the fast without the cruel shock of water fasting. If you don’t have a juicer, use a blender and a strainer. Walk a lot, do yoga, etc.

2) When and if you switch to water, juice lemons and/or limes into a pitcher of distilled water, and if you like, sweeten it with the natural sweetener stevia (NuNaturals has a white powder stevia with no bitter aftertaste. They even have a NoCarb blend cut with eurithrytol or something. Look for it at your local natural food store. Don’t use aspartame or splenda or Ace-K or Saccharin, they’ll make you nauseous. Plus they are kind of toxic). Drink herbal teas.

3) Identify your most vulnerable times and triggers, and PLAN what you are going to do when confronted with them. Don’t let them sneak up on you.

4) Realize that your reptilian brain is going to do everything in its power to get you to eat–it will play on guilt, make you feel wasteful, convince you you’re sick or starving, make you nauseous and weak, tell you you can “start tomorrow,” tell you you can make an exception for salad or booze or an apple.. then you’re lost. Set your boundaries when you’re NOT going through a hunger pang period.

5) Avoid coffee, gum, tobacco and diet soft drinks. They slow down detox, cause hunger and nausea.

6) If you’re absolutely miserable and can’t handle the water fast, go back to the vegetable juice until you’re stabilized. Alternate between the water/lemon and veggie juice through your fasting period.

7) Keep walking.

Come here when you need strength!
Tom Coghill

20 Feb 2009 at 2:51 pm

Hi Rhet,
You make is so simple.
Tom Coghill

20 Feb 2009 at 2:53 pm

Hi Ann,
Getting started can be the harderst if you are surrounded by food. After day one fasting gets easier.
My trick is to use the enema the morning I decide to fast. After that I lose all desire for food.
The second it to drink gallons of fresh juice on the first day and that will stop the hunger.
Heather

20 Feb 2009 at 11:02 pm

Hello, all, my bf and I are want to start fasting for the first time on the first of next month. We are kinda confused as to what to do?.. just water? just liquids? for how long? can anyone help me out? thanks and god bless
Tom Coghill

21 Feb 2009 at 1:04 am

Hi Heather,
Buy a juice and do a few days first on the juices you enjoy then try water.
Tom
AnN

21 Feb 2009 at 6:58 am

Thank you, Rhet and Tom. I will try my very best this time. Fasting will start tomorrow, which is Sunday 22th. I also have a golf tournament tomorrow but will try not to eat. Wining is important but achieving the fast this time will mean much more to me. I will keep on updating. Thank you and have a nice day.

Ann
Rhet

21 Feb 2009 at 7:14 am

Ann, take your juice with you on the course. Stay hydrated, stay energized.
AnN

21 Feb 2009 at 10:10 am

Hi Rhet,

Do you know what is the best way to avoid food when you are hungry? I know when I get home I will be very hungry and want to eat. I always fail because I have to cook dinner for my bf. Do you have any tips? I really scare that I cannot pass the first day.

Ann
Rhet

21 Feb 2009 at 12:24 pm

Ann,

I mentioned strategies for this in some previous posts, if you want to scroll back up.

Are you juicing? If you are making vegetable juice, you should drink as much of that as you want on your first day, if you’re really hungry.

Hunger pangs DO pass. They really do. I try to think of the fasting process like childbirth (what I’ve seen of it). When hunger pangs come, I think of them like contractions.. they are part of the process of bringing forth the result I want, and I just need to breathe through them until they pass (and they do pass).

Practice being stubborn–don’t let your monkey mind take your opportunity away from you. Get away from the food as fast as you politely can, and take a walk or go to bed until the hunger passes.

Or come and post on the board! You’ve got a lot of people here going through the same thing.

We believe in you!
Pastor Jim Hollingsworth

21 Feb 2009 at 8:19 pm

All, On day 5 of a fast. I did my first 40 day juice fast 11 years ago after I heard Dr. Bill Bright call for Christians to fast and pray 40 days for America. I had no information or knowledge of the subject. All I knew was Jesus, Moses, and Bill Bright had fasted 40 days and lived to tell of it. It was frighting as 45 years of toxins came to the surface. I did see my doctor half way through to make sure I was o.k.. I continue to do a 40 day fast in January or Febuary each year to tune up my relation with God (God’s doing o.k., it’s just me that needs some adjustments). I drink only apple juice and water. I struggle getting the water down and drink all my juice warm.
As for food, I cook 3 meals a day for my family for the 40 days. Family loves it when I fast for this reason. There is something within me that desires to cook and serve all meals.
I have absolutely no desire to eat during the fast.
I love to fast yet hate it. The benifits out weigh the downside for me.
Bless all,
Pastor Jim
Cher

21 Feb 2009 at 9:40 pm

Hello I’m Cher, I’m 17, all year I have been wanting to fast for a whole week. In the summer I juice fasted for a whole 6 days, but stopped on the seventh day because I had my driving test and I was afraid I wouldn’t do well without food in my stomach.

I’ve never fasted for more than 3 days during the school year, because im afraid I won’t be able to concentrate in class, and the stomach sounds are embarrassing.
I also have fitness class in school everyday… im not sure if I should fast? I would really like to and I believe I have the willpower. But Im also afraid I will get too tired. Any advice would be awesome

Also since lent is coming up, I was thinking I could just tell people I was fasting for lent if my stomach freaks out during class. I definately don’t think I can fast for the whole 40 days though. ..If you fast during lent, do you eat only on sundays? (I’m a christian but I don’t attend church often)
Hart

21 Feb 2009 at 10:05 pm

Oh man….I start my fasting on the 22nd….and I’m a bit nervous. I’m shooting for three weeks. Wish me luck.
Cher

21 Feb 2009 at 10:26 pm

**I meant to say I’ve been wanting to fast for 7 days for a long time
AnN

22 Feb 2009 at 6:29 am

I am sorry, Rhet. I failed again today. When I reached to the golf course, I felt weak and I ate a pie. So the whole thing was ruined from the moment I ate that pie. My bf said he would help me tomorrow. But it would be useless if I dont help myself. I dont even know what I am doing.. Only three weeks from my graduation and I always come up with some excuses to allow myself to eat.

I was thinking of doing honey and lemon fast. They taste quite nice. But is it better to drink only water? Can I drink tea instead because I dont like water much? I am sorry but will I ever success? Thank you.

Ann
Rhet

22 Feb 2009 at 7:12 am

Ann,

It’s okay. Everyone fails when they try this. It’s like jumping the buildings in the Matrix. I have never met anyone who didn’t fall short of fasting goals their first try. It’s taken me about 10 false starts and “losing it” within the first 5 days before I finally got some momentum. We are robotically programmed to eat when we’re really hungry.

Check out the Master Cleanse fast (just google it). I’m not huge on plain water either, which is why I suggested juicing the lemons/limes into water and using Stevia as sweetener (it’s basically sugarless but sweet lemonade). I personally don’t use honey or maple syrup (as the Master Cleanse suggests), because they make me really hungry, but it may be just the thing for you. Yes, tea is great.

Did you try juicing the first few days, like Tom suggests?

Anyway, if you’re still interested in fasting, just climb back in the saddle and try again. For me, building the skills to cope with hunger has taken a lot of trial and error.

We’re with you in your successes and your struggles.

rhet
Kristina

22 Feb 2009 at 12:32 pm

Hi there!

I am on a mostly water and (minimal) juice fast…not sure for how long yet, but I am now on day 7. I will continue at least until day ten.

I am 5`6″ and upon starting this fast I weighed 157 lbs…after 7 days I weigh 146. My goal weight is 130-135. So far, so good.

I have some questions that I am hoping one of you more experienced fasters will be able to help with!

1) I am experiencing bloating periodically. Has anyone else experienced this? What did you do about it? Does anyone know why it happens?

2) So my weight loss is good…10 pounds in 7 days. But my measurements (waist, hips, etc) are all the same as my pre-fast measurements. Am I losing muscle??? How can I lose 10 pounds yet have all of my measurements be the same?

Thanks!!
Kristina

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