• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist

Fasting

Glad to see some interest and thank you all for the kind words!

@addictivepersonality
If you've only completed two days of water fasting before, jumping to a dozen could be pretty hard. I guess you can see how you do on your upcoming four day fast and decide where to go on from there. In general I find with fasting it shouldn't be something you are really struggling to complete. It is of course a test of willpower and inner-strength, but it shouldn't be horribly painful or something that you go into wondering if you will finish. The worst case scenario is trying a fast you aren't cut out for and feeling physically wretched trying to tough it out, before quitting and feeling mentally wretched for not achieving your goal. If you are in doubt about 12 days of water then I'd suggesting you set a fixed decreasing schedule of something like 3 days raw food, 3 days juice, 6 days water over the 12 days. It is important to set challenges for yourself, but you will feel a lot better about striving for and achieving a set of difficult but obtainable goals throughout the week rather then just throwing yourself in the deep end and seeing how long you can swim before you drown.

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Ahaha what a morbid way to end a post!
I just don't want to see anybody drown right before spring. :D

Good luck on your 4 day fast. Keep us updated in The Fasting Thread and I'll keep my eyes open and tag along in there. I'm sure you'll swim like a dolphin!

Ahaha, that was a morbid way to end a post, but I love that analogy (though I am a fan of analogies :P)! The last time I set out on a fast, I was going to go at least three days. The reason I ended it sooner was because I got wicked insomnia and just could not sleep, so I ate, hoping I could fall asleep (it worked). I've come to find out that insomnia is a pretty normal occurrence during fasting, so I won't be surprised this time. I didn't find it unbearable at all. But yeah, I don't plan on just jumpin' in to the deep end with weights tied around my legs and seein' how long I can swim. Definitely doing my homework and might do something along the lines of what you suggested with easing into it. Thanks for the helpful words. :)
 
Somewhat off topic:

Mom asked if I wanted any food. I said I was doing a fast. She asks how long. I say four days. She gives me the look that says "you can't go four days without food. you'll die!"

Then I mention this twelve day fast. She looks a bit disgusted. Oh well. Hahah.

I also like the idea of easing into a fast, it might be something different to try in the future instead of a "last supper" kind of fast.
 
Awesome! I was just talking to friends about doing this, I'm very happy to read this.

Born into the Catholic faith, I would love to have had (over the years) a quiet place to meditate during Lent, to practise a fast that has cultural rooting and a context that is understood in a holistic way. Everyone always tries to make excuses to avoid fasting during Lent, even priests give more exemptions so as not to alienate those who do not want to join. As you know, mainstream Catholicism has moved very faraway from its holistic and mystical roots, so it's a lot of dogma and words. I'd like to rediscover its rituals through fasting.

Here's to general cleaning and finding relevance in religions you once rejected ;) I'm in! I'll probably be doing a juice fast with a light, small serving of legumes for lunch.
 
I'd prefer not to turn this into a debate on whether fasting is healthy for you or not as well.

There is need to debate it, I think the answer is pretty clear (and making this little disclaimer doesn't make it any healthier.)
 
if Jesus did it for 40 days (with no water, none the less), I think we can all last for 12...
 
I also like the idea of easing into a fast, it might be something different to try in the future instead of a "last supper" kind of fast.

YEs, what you don't want to do is eat a big meal before starting your fast. I did that the last time and learned it is a huge mistake. You want to ease into the fast over a day or two. With lighter and lighter foods and then smoothies/juices as you go.

Mom asked if I wanted any food. I said I was doing a fast. She asks how long. I say four days. She gives me the look that says "you can't go four days without food. you'll die!"

Then I mention this twelve day fast. She looks a bit disgusted. Oh well. Hahah.

It's ridiculous, isn't it? Especially when you can show them examples of people who've fasted 30, 60, 90+ days or even more and come out of looking great, strong and healthy. But no... all those people are liars right? lol

People just can't seem to break the mentality they've been taught that we need food all the time. It scares them seeing us do things like this because they themselves probably feel deep down inside they wouldn't have the strength to do it themselves. So they attack it, over and over no matter how much you try and show them the light. Examples of that are right in this thread. You asked for no debate and certain souls still can't seem to contain their attacks on this lifestyle... it's kind of funny.

I truly hope I will be able to do this with you all when the time comes. If not I will be here for support. Let's keep this thread on the first page so no one forgets. :)
 
YEs, what you don't want to do is eat a big meal before starting your fast. I did that the last time and learned it is a huge mistake. You want to ease into the fast over a day or two. With lighter and lighter foods and then smoothies/juices as you go.



It's ridiculous, isn't it? Especially when you can show them examples of people who've fasted 30, 60, 90+ days or even more and come out of looking great, strong and healthy. But no... all those people are liars right? lol

People just can't seem to break the mentality they've been taught that we need food all the time. It scares them seeing us do things like this because they themselves probably feel deep down inside they wouldn't have the strength to do it themselves. So they attack it, over and over no matter how much you try and show them the light. Examples of that are right in this thread. You asked for no debate and certain souls still can't seem to contain their attacks on this lifestyle... it's kind of funny.

I truly hope I will be able to do this with you all when the time comes. If not I will be here for support. Let's keep this thread on the first page so no one forgets. :)

As a courtesy to the others posting in this thread, I've quoted you and placed my response in the appropriate fasting megathread. I'm sure everyone would appreciate you placing these types of responses there as well.
 
added this to first post
edit2:
Please note:
As dokomo was kind enough to point out below, just because I put in a little disclaimer about not discussing the healthiness of fasting, it doesn't change the fact that the medical science regarding fasting and health is dubious at best. That being said many people do practice fasting, and in the end find it a rewarding experience; whether in mind, body, or soul. If you do happen to be new to all of this, please ensure you are aware of all the risk and benefits, and are comfortable with what you are getting your body into.
Is that disclaimer at least a little bit better dokomo :D
 
As a courtesy to the others posting in this thread, I've quoted you and placed my response in the appropriate fasting megathread. I'm sure everyone would appreciate you placing these types of responses there as well.

Thanks, but if the other thread is turning into a debate I will stay far away. No desire to argue with people who've already made up their minds. :)
 
Starting one month away from today comrades!

Bloody eh its almost spring haha. I love how you can come out of work at 5pm and it's not pitch black out anymore. In other news if you didn't hear Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so has predicted an early spring. I think he gets it correct less than 50 percent of the time so flipping a coin would be a better indicator, but hey here's to hoping.
 
Starting one month away from today comrades!

Bloody eh its almost spring haha. I love how you can come out of work at 5pm and it's not pitch black out anymore. In other news if you didn't hear Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow so has predicted an early spring. I think he gets it correct less than 50 percent of the time so flipping a coin would be a better indicator, but hey here's to hoping.

That fucker better not have gotten things wrong this time... I'm praying for any temperatures above 15 (that's Fahrenheit, not Centigrade) and a cessation of this snow.

Really, I don't know if I'm going to be able to hold onto my sanity until spring, when I can finally move to California or Oregon and live in a reasonable goddamn climate.

/psychotic rant
 
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Seriously, I'm so ready for spring. Woke up to another layer of snow this morning. :( I hope the weather gets warm and sunny for the fast. It makes it harder to fast when you want hot food.
 
I'm pretty excited for this fast. :)

GAH, sorry for the million posts! Kept getting 404 errors and timeouts and it never posted! Apparently it did a ton of times...
 
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Ahhh a million posts! lol

I'm not sure I will be joining you guys. :( I'm building a lot now and my intuition says it might be better to wait until later in summer to do another fast.
 
^ Building a lot? Construction? You don't have to do a water / juice fast. Listen to your body, it'll tell you what's right, even if it's a fruit veggie fast. If you need the energy, you need the energy. :)

^^ I am very excited too, but perhaps not THAT excited. Haha.

Update: depending on how I feel during the first few days of the fast, it might be switched to a fruits and veggies fast. Anything to cleanse out the body.
 
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Whole grain fast? lolwat ???

I don't eat grains at all and that sounds like it would seriously make you ill. Grains are very acidic. I already eat high raw/all organic/no grain so there isn't much further I could go toward a cleansing diet without fasting. :)

By "building" I mean I am in a building phase. A lot of exercise, a lot of food, putting on weight, etc. I alternate between cleansing phases and building phases. Break down, clean out, then rebuild stronger... then repeat. I did a lot of intense cleansing earlier this winter.

But really. Whole grain fast!??? NO! Don't do that! The last thing you'd ever want to do to your body is load up on grains. That does NOT clean out your system at all, if anything it is hard on your system and very acidic. Grains are no good, some people can tolerate them a little but they feed candida and mess up the blood sugar/alkalinity of the body and are a huge negative for anyone with any sort of gut problems. Yes, even rice.

Read about the specific carb diet, candida diets, etc. There are so many reasons to be grain free. I've only been 100% grain free for two months now and the health improvements I've had in this time are unbelievable. Bye bye skin breakouts, hello energy. Big HELLO to better digestion.

Like I said, I'm not saying that there aren't people with perfect digestion who can handle a little bit of grains. Some people can handle anything but it certainly isn't an ideal food and DEFINITELY not a "cleansing" food...
 
I see the point of a fast is to cleanse out the body, but when you're not sitting on your butt meditating all day, you get really weak. Therefore, keeping some slow moving form of energy going is a good idea for me. Granted, you're right, I can't call it a "fast", but I'm under a lot of stress from school / work and am fearful of passing out from a combination of those.
 
Well, you won't pass out from lack of grain, I promise. It's so the opposite! Tons more energy!

A good cleanse but not "fast" would just be to do all raw and living foods for a little while. I challenge you to ditch the grains and replace all that cooked stuff with raw greens and more importantly SPROUTS-just for a few weeks or something and see how you feel. When I did this the energy I felt was so surprising. I'd always thought food like rice gave me energy *which it does, somewhat, I mean anything gives you energy, but it also takes away energy and makes you sluggish at the same time* but sprouts... wow.

I eat mung, lentil, clover, radish, broccoli, and alfalfa sprouts. Throw some other living foods like kimchi in there and wowwwww. :)
 
Haha sprouts. I an just picture deer or something grazing on the first tender green sprouts pushing up out of the ground during spring. Now I'm going to go have a big bowl of porridge to deal with this bloody snowfall. Now that fills up your belly mmmmmm.
 
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