Transformation - water fasting

[Sabu]

I have made the decision to commit to a water fast. I have fasted before a few times, the longest being 4 days. My main reason for this is to break my emotional dependance on food. I eat for so many other reasons than for nutrition. I also am fasting for a spiritual reason and mental clarity. A jump start on weight loss is the third reason I am water fasting.

Today is day 2 of the fast and I feel pretty good. I have had the nasty taste and icky feeling tongue since last night and it seems to only be getting worse. Slight head achy as well, although that can be contributed to caffeine withdrawals. My mood is really good. Energy level is about normal if not slightly increased.

I want to try and post everyday so I record my journey and track my feeling and physical reactions.

[ginkgo]

The reason for your tongue being the way that it is, is because your mouth has become an organ of elimination! When you start eating again it will no longer be an organ of elimination. It will then be an organ to make you obese and cause premature death possibly!

[Sabu]

Day 3

Serious "ketosis" taste going on in my mouth! My tongue also feels thick and pasty. Its coated with a white almost yellowish substance. I still have a slight head ache which I am hoping will go away before Tuesday when I go back to work. Overall my body feels a little achy, kind of like the beginning stages of the flu. I'm reminding myself that I am detoxing and that is a good thing.

On the plus side, I am not that hungry. Emotionally I want to eat, but physically I am not that hungry. My husband and I enjoy eating out together and I am missing that this weekend.

I thought a lot about food this morning. In my heart, I am a Vegan. My beliefs, both morally, ethically, and from a nutrition stand point, are in alignment with a Vegan lifestyle but I have failed in my behavior. My goal for this fast is to change my behaviors and have them finally match my belief system. My eternal struggle for balance in my life.

[Sabu]

Day 4

I'm feeling good today. I woke up to no headache and the icky feeling/taste in my mouth is much less. The body aches I had yesterday are almost all gone. My mood is fantastic! I see a difference in my skin this morning. The dark circles under my eyes that I am normally always plagued with are noticeably less visible and the overall color and tone of my skin looks good, more healthy.

I really have no hunger for food at all. Last night I was out with my husband and daughter and she had a veggie burger and fries. I experienced a strong desire to eat for a few moments, but then realized it wasn't a physical need at all but a social and emotional habit. After I was home I kind of explored that feeling in my head and realized for me that so much of food and eating is wrapped up in nurturing, especially when my kids are around. Its part of how I love and feel loved. That's about as far as I got with the deep thinking on that one, lol.

The last day and a half my thought processes are a little bit introspective. I find myself losing myself in my brain often, thinking about the balance and connections I am working towards. Not sure if this due to the fasting, or just my current commitment to make the shift in my behaviors. Probably a little bit of both.

[jn15]

Very inspiring. I've never been able to make it past 40 hours with water only (sad but true). Your fast is definitely motivating me to change that. How many days are you shooting for?

[lycan]

I wonder if the icky taste people get might not be caused by neglecting oral hygiene. Just because you didn't eat doesn't mean it's not a good idea to brush your teeth. Just a thought.

[Sabu]

jn15 - Although the research I have read really advises setting a time frame for the fast, I have decided to take it one day at a time.

lycan - Normally I brush three times a day and floss two times a day. Since I started the fast I am brushing four - six times a day, still flossing twice a day, and yesterday and today, in the morning, I really gave my tongue a good brushing. The icky taste is most likely acetone from the ketones being produced when the body switches from glucose to fat for fuel during a fast.

[lycan]

Originally Posted by Sabu

Normally I brush three times a day and floss two times a day. Since I started the fast I am brushing four - six times a day, still flossing twice a day, and yesterday and today, in the morning, I really gave my tongue a good brushing.

Wait... you're supposed to brush more than once a week? Don't get me wrong, I admire your hygiene, but you would need to put a gun to my head to get me to floss twice a day.

[Sabu]

Day 5

I'm feeling super. Today I am back at work for the first time since I started the fast and I was a little worried about how I would hold up. It's honestly easier at work than it is at home. Staying busy helps. No feelings of hunger whatsoever. My mind isn't foggy like I was expecting and I actually have accomplished a lot at work today. My mood is great!

[Sabu]

Day 5 continued

I'm home from working a full day and feel really good. Usually I take a nap when I get home but I am not in the least bit tired. I am reading a fantastic book called, "The Fasting Path, The Way to Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Enlightenment" by Steven Buher. The details in the book regarding what your body does during a fast is fascinating. The chapters on emotional enlightenment have really struck a chord with me and has helped me to organize my thoughts and put them into a perspective that is meaningful to me. I am finding that I am more and more introspective the last couple of days. I'm thinking a lot about why I think the way I do, if that makes sense. The book suggests that when a person uses food to sooth and self-comfort when stressed or emotionally injured, often times the absence of food will let these feelings come through to be dealt with. I am finding this to be true for myself. What an interesting journey I am on.

A few thoughts on the physical affects of fasting to date: I no longer have a headache which is awesome. The tone of my skin continues to look good although I feel like I look tired. I had the beginning of an age mark on the left upper side of my forehead near my hair line...and its gone! Completely gone. Very weird. But a happy weird. The whites of my eyes are definitely whiter and brighter, my husband commented that I had sparkly eyes last night I also feel like my teeth are whiter and I was telling my husband how weird that was and how in the world could fasting make my teeth whiter?? He said its not the fasting, you've been brushing them every hour for the last 5 days!!! ha ha This taste in my mouth is the worst thing about the fast. Its not really a bad taste anymore, just constant and annoying. My sense of smell and taste are becoming very sensitive. My husband made popcorn last night and the smell was so strong and over powering to me I had to leave the room. I also tried to suck on a cough drop at work to get some relief from the taste in my mouth and it tasted way too strong, it was almost painful, like extremely strong mouth wash. I had to spit it out. My stomach is noticeably flatter and when I weighed myself this morning I was surprised to see an 11.5 loss. Cool Beans

[Sabu]

Day 6

I had a long day at work and I am glad to be home. I thought I was going to need a nap when I got home but I am feeling not so tired. No hunger still, although I had weird food dreams last night and every once in a while throughout the day I get cravings for very specific foods, like oatmeal with raisins and bananas.

I didn't sleep well last night, took forever to fall asleep. Not sure if that is due to the fasting or some excitement I'm feeling over some plans I'm making. I have a lot of homework to finish tonight, so its looking like I will have two nights in a row with little sleep. In addition to working 40 hours a week I'm also in Graduate school. I really would love to complete a fasting retreat in the future.

[justmee]

good luck im super jelaous. always cheat on a fast like put food into my mouth which isnt good. youre doig fab i could never work on a fast.

[Sabu]

Hi justmee Thanks for your support!

Day 7

Just got home from work. Energy a little low right now but it was a long day at work. Still no hunger. In general I am feeling really good physically except I seem to need less sleep. I go to bed and it takes me forever to fall asleep. I fell asleep at 3:30 last night, woke up at 6:00 and was wide awake, not tired or groggy at all. Emotionally, it was very weird last night. I've read about the emotions that are not dealt with, the ones I tend to mask with food instead of dealing with, will resurface when fasting. Not sure if that is what happened last night, but SOMETHING certainly happened. I was overcome with feeling of insecurities and anxiety. I was laying in bed doing some homework and the feelings just overwhelmed me. I can't think of anything external that could have triggered them. The feelings were very intense and last quite a while, a few hours at least. I was a wreck. Very interesting and very strange. Today I have been feeling fantastic. Great mood and feeling very good about myself.

[Sabu]

Day 8

Today was full of ups and downs as far as my mood and energy. I'm looking forward to this weekend when I can just laze around and let my body rest. I have a lot of reading home work to get done so I can lay in bed reading all weekend and still feel like I am accomplishing something! I've lost 16 pounds and people are starting to notice. Besides my kids and husband I have not told anyone that I am water fasting. I know from previous fasts that the negative reactions I get do not help me. I went grocery shopping for dinners for my husband this weekend (he works out of town during the week and is only home on the weekends) and I happy to discover that the foods that looked good to me was all the fresh fruit. Man the colors and smells looked so good. The junk food and bakery didn't even phase me. That's way different than a week ago

[justmee]

well op were you overweight initially? thats fab for 8 days!

[Sabu]

Hi justmee - yes, I am overweight.

Day 10

I accidentally forgot to post yesterday (day 9). It was a good day. Got a lot of home work done. The last couple of days I am getting a lot of enjoyment cooking for other people. Its not bothering me at all to be around food. For some reason its really satisfying right now to cook a great meal for someone. Usually when I cook I'm tasting and sampling so much that by the time its ready to eat I am stuffed...then I go ahead ahead and eat the meal anyway and make myself miserably stuffed! The last couple of days I think I have broken that habit.

I feel like I am getting into a grove right now, the fasting has been getting easier the last two days as far as the icky taste in my mouth and low energy levels, etc. I've read that ketosis peaks around day 7 - day 10 and then levels off, maybe that is where I am at right now. I think its also easier when I am not working. I'm losing about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds a day, which I am thrilled about. Sometimes I think about when I should break the fast but it just doesn't feel like the right time yet.

[MightySunTzu]

Originally Posted by Sabu

Day 10...

I feel like I am getting into a grove right now, the fasting has been getting easier the last two days...

Hi Sabu. Great to hear and very nice job getting this deep into your fast.

Originally Posted by Sabu

I think its also easier when I am not working.

This makes a nice difference for me too. The freedom to completely relax whenever i want is such a welcome gift.

Originally Posted by Sabu

Sometimes I think about when I should break the fast but it just doesn't feel like the right time yet.

Great that you seem to be surrendered to the process and allowing yourself to be guided. All the best to you Sabu, outstanding work .

[Sabu]

Thanks for your encouragement and support mightysuntzu!

Day 11

I'm dragging a bit this morning. Energy is low. I think I might be detoxing at a deeper level. My nose is running and I don't have any symptoms of catching a cold. My muscles are aching pretty bad this morning. Who knows, maybe it is a cold. I have an out of town training on the 29th so I have decided to break the fast on the 25th and do to days of juicing, followed by a day of fruits, a day of fruits and veggies, and then during the traing when everyone goes to lunch and dinner I will be ok to have a salad and fruit.

[justmee]

wots the body like in terms of weight loss do u notice any difference