Day 4 Friday 9.5 lbs
Seems like weight lose should be more. Not really hungry, but want to eat- it's a drug for sure. At Joey's today and there was an empty pizza box in the trash, luckily no pizza - yes I checked- trash and fridge! So I may make it through today after all- don't think I would have with pizza around.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Days 4-7: Full-blown Cleansing!
Fat, tumors, diseased cells, scar tissue, etc are being broken down and purged from the body. Hunger should have subsided by now. The body embraces the fast and the digestive system is able to take a much-needed rest, focusing all of its energies on cleansing organs, and the immune system and lungs are in the process of being repaired.
Symptoms you may experience:
Low blood pressure (get up SLOWLY), impressive weight loss, difficulty sleeping (due to lack of needing extra hours since you are not digesting foods. Quality of sleep improves over quantity), skin eruptions, headache, overall lack of energy and mental fog, disappearance of hunger. You may experience discomforts in places that you have had a previous injury, for example, if you pulled a muscle in your arm several years ago and took tylenol for it the injury was never actually healed- you may feel the work of the cleanse cleaning out the scar tissue and ACTUALLY healing the injury. Or you may have a wart on your hand that you've had a hard time getting rid of and it will just fall off on its own.
Symptoms you may experience:
Low blood pressure (get up SLOWLY), impressive weight loss, difficulty sleeping (due to lack of needing extra hours since you are not digesting foods. Quality of sleep improves over quantity), skin eruptions, headache, overall lack of energy and mental fog, disappearance of hunger. You may experience discomforts in places that you have had a previous injury, for example, if you pulled a muscle in your arm several years ago and took tylenol for it the injury was never actually healed- you may feel the work of the cleanse cleaning out the scar tissue and ACTUALLY healing the injury. Or you may have a wart on your hand that you've had a hard time getting rid of and it will just fall off on its own.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
10 minutes until 24 hours on the fast! Lost .5 lb since morning. that's making it through Dad eating tacos in the car and then stopping at Aldi and eating eclairs in the car. He'll be going to a meeting tonight, so there won't be any temptations after he leaves. I am drinking a cup of warm water w/a cinnamon stick in it.
Day 3: This is the day you've been waiting for!
What to expect:
Day 3 is when your body becomes a furnace; burning off your fat, old scar tissue, and dead cells that junk up your body! Yay for eliminating toxins!!
As this switch occurs, your hunger should subside but may become psychological- so stay strong!
Days 3-7 are the most cleansing days, so let that be your motivation. Weigh-in often (if weight loss is your goal), note the mucus being purged from your body (in your urine, from your sinuses, or even coming out of your pores). This is a great sign of detoxing!
My sidebar:
I'm expecting a rash breakout within the next few days. My previous 8-day fast was most cleansing on days 4-5, so I'm waiting to see what my body decides to do this time. Overall, I feel much more energetic than I did my previous fast (I didn't believe I would be one of those people who found fasting becomes easier, but I'm a believer now)! I feel elated and happy most of the time, even though I am constantly fantasizing about food. I couldn't sleep last night from 1am to 6am, so I spent that time creating an in-depth menu of how I'm going to break my fast. I'm very excited about it!
Day 3 is when your body becomes a furnace; burning off your fat, old scar tissue, and dead cells that junk up your body! Yay for eliminating toxins!!
As this switch occurs, your hunger should subside but may become psychological- so stay strong!
Days 3-7 are the most cleansing days, so let that be your motivation. Weigh-in often (if weight loss is your goal), note the mucus being purged from your body (in your urine, from your sinuses, or even coming out of your pores). This is a great sign of detoxing!
My sidebar:
I'm expecting a rash breakout within the next few days. My previous 8-day fast was most cleansing on days 4-5, so I'm waiting to see what my body decides to do this time. Overall, I feel much more energetic than I did my previous fast (I didn't believe I would be one of those people who found fasting becomes easier, but I'm a believer now)! I feel elated and happy most of the time, even though I am constantly fantasizing about food. I couldn't sleep last night from 1am to 6am, so I spent that time creating an in-depth menu of how I'm going to break my fast. I'm very excited about it!
Day 1-- 4/9/13 Tues of Fast
Started fast around 4 PM Monday, so this is still day 1 until 4. Went to bed around 10 last night. Got up around 8 AM, was dizzy, but am sure its the air pressure (30.09) as I am randomly dizzy in the morning and it goes away in an hour or two (and mostly has now but won't know for sure until I get up again). Not especially hungry, but a warm cup of water tastes good! Temperature supposed to get to high 80s today and we may go downtown DC to see cherry blossoms. Started prefast on Sun and Mon until 4, I have lost 5.5 lbs.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Days 1-2: Let the Fasting Begin...
Day 1-2: Physiological Changes and what to expect:
Physiological Changes:
On the first day of fasting, the blood sugar level drops below 70mg/dl. To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is enough for a half day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is reduced. Glycogen is pulled from the muscle causing some weakness.
Physiological Changes:
On the first day of fasting, the blood sugar level drops below 70mg/dl. To restore the blood to the normal glucose level, liver glycogen is converted to glucose and released into the blood. This reserve is enough for a half day. The body then reduces the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The rate of internal chemical activity in resting tissue is lowered to conserve energy. The heart slows and blood pressure is reduced. Glycogen is pulled from the muscle causing some weakness.
Acidosis, usually begins a couple of days after the last meal and lasts about one week. During acidosis the body vigorously throws off acid waste products. Most people starting a fast begin with an overly acid blood pH from the Standard American Diet (SAD) that contains a predominance of acid-forming foods. Switching over to burning fat for fuel triggers the release of even more acidic substances.
As the body nears the end of its cleansing process the tongue will clear and hunger returns (unmistakable feeling in the throat, not the stomach). This is when you should begin to re-introduce liquids and eventually solids, gradually.
What to Expect:
The first wave of cleansing is usually the worst. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period.
The second stage, psychological hunger, usually is felt as an intense desire for food. This passes within a few days of not eating anything. Psychological hunger usually begins with the first missed meal.
Acidosis is usually accompanied by fatigue, blurred vision, and possibly dizziness. The breath smells very bad, the tongue is coated with bad-tasting mucus, and the urine may be concentrated and foul unless a good deal of water is taken daily. Two to three quarts a day is a reasonable amount.
Warning Signs to End the Fast:
Stop your water fast immediately if you experience any severe physical side effects, such as fainting spells, intense muscle pain that doesn't pass (potassium deficiency), or heart palpitations.The first wave of cleansing is usually the worst. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, bad breath, glazed eyes and a heavily coated tongue are signs of the first stage of cleansing. Hunger can be the most intense in this period.
The second stage, psychological hunger, usually is felt as an intense desire for food. This passes within a few days of not eating anything. Psychological hunger usually begins with the first missed meal.
Acidosis is usually accompanied by fatigue, blurred vision, and possibly dizziness. The breath smells very bad, the tongue is coated with bad-tasting mucus, and the urine may be concentrated and foul unless a good deal of water is taken daily. Two to three quarts a day is a reasonable amount.
Warning Signs to End the Fast:
As the body nears the end of its cleansing process the tongue will clear and hunger returns (unmistakable feeling in the throat, not the stomach). This is when you should begin to re-introduce liquids and eventually solids, gradually.
Leading Up to the Fast
If you have never fasted before, you undoubtedly have many questions about it. But since fasting is not yet a regular part of medical practice, it may be difficult for you to seriously consider it. This is unfortunate because fasting can have a powerful effect in reversing pathology and establishing a foundation for health. Fasting is not an all-encompassing solution to every health problem, but it has great promise to bolster the recovery process for many ailing people.
In order to make an intelligent decision about fasting, you need reliable information that is accurate, factual, and scientific. It is good to talk to people who have fasted and to doctors who are experienced in the use of fasting. Dr. Herbert Shelton (1895-1985), who was one of the founders of the American Natural Hygiene Society, probably had more experience with fasting than anyone else who ever lived.
Think twice before accepting condemnations of fasting from those who know nothing about it and have no experience with it, whether they a physicians or lay persons. if you objectively look at the evidence about fasting, you will see that it has improved health and life for countless people under a broad range of circumstances.
Benefits of fasting
Like when you go to sleep at night, your body immediately goes about the tasks of repair and recovery from the wear and tear of the day's activities. This period of digestive rest allows your body to devote more of its energy to its nightly repairs and restoration. When fasting is combined with rest, your body treats it as an extended period of renovation and renewal.
During fasting, your senses become more acute, including taste, smell, and hearing. Your body naturally begins to normalize itself from years of abuse.
More specifically than an overall normalization of the body, fasting promotes detoxification, resolves inflammatory response, reduces blood sugar, increases fat break down, promotes weight loss, lowers blood pressure, promotes the return of a healthy pallet/diet, helps overcome addictions, and boosts immunity.
Absence of hunger
Your next question might be, "won't I be hungry all the time?" The surprising fact is that after one or a few days of fasting, most people experience little or no desire for food.
The desire to eat is dictated by a combination of physiological and psychological factors. It is thought that hunger is triggered by the activity of certain brain cells within the "appetite center" of the hypothalamus which respond to the blood glucose level.
During fasting, the body begins to burn fat as a fuel, and the appetite center becomes temporarily desensitized to blood glucose. This makes it possible to fast without a gnawing hunger.
Most people report little desire for food while fasting. They do not have a powerful, overwhelming urge to eat. This helps make it possible for most people to fast comfortably for several weeks or longer.
Fasting, NOT starving
There is an important difference between fasting and starving. Fasting is a period of abstinence from food during which the body's nutrient reserves are adequate to meet the body's nutritional needs. Starvation can occur only if you abstain from food beyond the point where you have sufficient nutrient reserves.
The differences between fasting and starving are unmistakable.
Will I experience discomfort?
While fasting, everyone tends to experience some "locomotor weakness," which refers to the withdrawal of energy from the muscular system as the body tries to conserve energy.
In general, those who are large tend to remain more energetic than those who are smaller. The body enforces an earlier slowdown of caloric expenditure in those who have the least reserves.
Symptoms may arise during fasting, such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin eruptions.These all are related to the increase in your body's eliminative activities during the fast, and they are considered to be constructive. Dr. Shelton used the term "orthopatbic," which means "right suffering," to describe these events. Nevertheless, they can be uncomfortable and distressing.
The vast majority of people are able to fast for a sufficient period of time without major discomfort.The most frequent complaint from people who are fasting is that they are bored. But, if you take it just one day at a time (and don't decide ahead of time how many days you will fast), you can get through your first fast without too much difficulty.
Keep in mind the basic steps of Water Fasting:
In order to make an intelligent decision about fasting, you need reliable information that is accurate, factual, and scientific. It is good to talk to people who have fasted and to doctors who are experienced in the use of fasting. Dr. Herbert Shelton (1895-1985), who was one of the founders of the American Natural Hygiene Society, probably had more experience with fasting than anyone else who ever lived.
Think twice before accepting condemnations of fasting from those who know nothing about it and have no experience with it, whether they a physicians or lay persons. if you objectively look at the evidence about fasting, you will see that it has improved health and life for countless people under a broad range of circumstances.
Benefits of fasting
Like when you go to sleep at night, your body immediately goes about the tasks of repair and recovery from the wear and tear of the day's activities. This period of digestive rest allows your body to devote more of its energy to its nightly repairs and restoration. When fasting is combined with rest, your body treats it as an extended period of renovation and renewal.
During fasting, your senses become more acute, including taste, smell, and hearing. Your body naturally begins to normalize itself from years of abuse.
More specifically than an overall normalization of the body, fasting promotes detoxification, resolves inflammatory response, reduces blood sugar, increases fat break down, promotes weight loss, lowers blood pressure, promotes the return of a healthy pallet/diet, helps overcome addictions, and boosts immunity.
Absence of hunger
Your next question might be, "won't I be hungry all the time?" The surprising fact is that after one or a few days of fasting, most people experience little or no desire for food.
The desire to eat is dictated by a combination of physiological and psychological factors. It is thought that hunger is triggered by the activity of certain brain cells within the "appetite center" of the hypothalamus which respond to the blood glucose level.
During fasting, the body begins to burn fat as a fuel, and the appetite center becomes temporarily desensitized to blood glucose. This makes it possible to fast without a gnawing hunger.
Most people report little desire for food while fasting. They do not have a powerful, overwhelming urge to eat. This helps make it possible for most people to fast comfortably for several weeks or longer.
Fasting, NOT starving
There is an important difference between fasting and starving. Fasting is a period of abstinence from food during which the body's nutrient reserves are adequate to meet the body's nutritional needs. Starvation can occur only if you abstain from food beyond the point where you have sufficient nutrient reserves.
The differences between fasting and starving are unmistakable.
Will I experience discomfort?
While fasting, everyone tends to experience some "locomotor weakness," which refers to the withdrawal of energy from the muscular system as the body tries to conserve energy.
In general, those who are large tend to remain more energetic than those who are smaller. The body enforces an earlier slowdown of caloric expenditure in those who have the least reserves.
Symptoms may arise during fasting, such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin eruptions.These all are related to the increase in your body's eliminative activities during the fast, and they are considered to be constructive. Dr. Shelton used the term "orthopatbic," which means "right suffering," to describe these events. Nevertheless, they can be uncomfortable and distressing.
The vast majority of people are able to fast for a sufficient period of time without major discomfort.The most frequent complaint from people who are fasting is that they are bored. But, if you take it just one day at a time (and don't decide ahead of time how many days you will fast), you can get through your first fast without too much difficulty.
Keep in mind the basic steps of Water Fasting:
1. Preparation: You must be mentally and emotionally prepared. Know that it will be highly beneficial and enter the fast without fear or anxiety. Use the buddy system or be in daily contact with an experienced faster.
2. Rest: Reduce mental, sensory and physical activity to a minimum to conserve energy and expedite toxin release.
3. Activity: You may enjoy walking in a leisurely pace but other than that keep activity to the bare minimum.
4. Warmth- The faster’s resistance to cold is lower in most cases than when they are eating. Chilling inhibits elimination, so it is important to keep warm- especially the feet.
5. Water- Drink soft spring, rain, filtered or distilled water only and only when you are thirsty . This allows the kidneys to rest. Do not drink the water iced. This also slows the elimination process down by chilling the system.
6. Bathing- To be performed daily or as often as needed. It should be of short duration and neither too hot or too cold. If the faster is too weak to bathe, a sponge bath may be taken.
7. Sunbathing- Sunshine is an essential nutrient factor in both the plant and animal nutrition and is helpful while fasting. Do not overdo this. Keep the sunbathing short to begin with–5 minutes each front and back and each day work up one extra minute per side to a maximum of 30 minutes. If the fast continues past 21 days cut the time to 8 minutes/side.
3. Activity: You may enjoy walking in a leisurely pace but other than that keep activity to the bare minimum.
4. Warmth- The faster’s resistance to cold is lower in most cases than when they are eating. Chilling inhibits elimination, so it is important to keep warm- especially the feet.
5. Water- Drink soft spring, rain, filtered or distilled water only and only when you are thirsty . This allows the kidneys to rest. Do not drink the water iced. This also slows the elimination process down by chilling the system.
6. Bathing- To be performed daily or as often as needed. It should be of short duration and neither too hot or too cold. If the faster is too weak to bathe, a sponge bath may be taken.
7. Sunbathing- Sunshine is an essential nutrient factor in both the plant and animal nutrition and is helpful while fasting. Do not overdo this. Keep the sunbathing short to begin with–5 minutes each front and back and each day work up one extra minute per side to a maximum of 30 minutes. If the fast continues past 21 days cut the time to 8 minutes/side.
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