ending my food addiction: beginning a fast

[heatherjoy]

hi everyone,

i've been on this site before. in fact, i first started reading and writing here about a year ago. since then, i've gained 45 pounds and a whole lot of headaches, literal and figurative. i've been binging, an activity that had ceased for about five years, but came back with a vengeance last year when i left my job in order to get help for major clinical depression.

my dream: to eat foods that truly nourish my body, to have peace around food and peace in my heart. i thought, and still think, that eating raw can be very helpful in achieving this dream. however, right now and for eight months prior to this moment, the monkey is on my back. i can't get food out of my head - or my mouth. when i eat certain foods, even raw, that are high in sugar - albeit natural sugar - or fat, i feel crazy. i want more and more and more. i don't know how to turn it off. i've tried so many things. last week, i went to vermont and spent a couple of thousand dollars of my hard-earned money seeing a medical intuitive for treatment of my problems with food. i felt peace for three days and then...gone.

i've done a lot of reserach regarding fasting. i believe in the healing potential there, that the body can heal itself if given a chance.

so, as of this moment, i am beginning a water fast, in which NOTHING will go into my body except water for the next...i'm not sure how many days yet, but i will see adoctor and have bloodwork down ocassionally to make sure it is safe to continue the fast.

i work with babies and i see everyday how bodies should work. they eat when they are hungry and until they are full. later, they have a bowel movement. my body has not worked like this in a LONG time. i can't remember it ever working like this, but i do believe it is possible.

i am not starting this thread for advice, but rather for support in the form of encouragement and to find out if there is anyone interested, particularly those who have struggled with binging like me, in joining me on the water fast.

thanks for listening. much love to all,
heatherjoy

[rawnpawgirl]

heatherjoy,

a group of us are starting a fast beginning January 1st-- many for the entire month. I am one of those fasters! I would love it if you would join our thread for support and encouragement! Go to the fasting thread area and check it out if you'd like!

You are so right-- fasting can really help that binge mentality, which BTW, I have had since the end of October into and though the holidays. Before this, I never realized how much food controls my thinking. Before October, I had been 95% raw for almost all of 2006, with some slips here and there. I was never 100% and that is my goal after the fast.

I would love you to join us.

Raw blessings to you

[PreciousLight]

Hello Heatherjoy. I have had much success with fasting over the years in order to change habits. Food habits do change if you put yourself in the right mental and emotional environment. If you want to change you can. And what better time than now! welcome! :)

[heatherjoy]

thanks ladies. i am feeling hopeful about finally ending the relationship i have with food and starting a new one.

today is the start of my second day of water fasting. yesterday was wonderful. it felt like such a relief without food and knowing that soon my body will be thoroughly cleaning itself out.

much love,
heatherjoy

[Stina]

Hey, I'm just starting my three-day juice fast to give my committment to raw food some momentum and to break my cooked-food/junk food addiction. I've fasted before and know a fast is the barometer of my health. If I'm clean and healthy, I can fast with no discomfort. It's when I've been abusing my body with junk that I'll feel lousy on a fast. So, I do expect to kinda suffer but I need to feel that, the real price I'm paying for what I've done to my body. I'm doing a kind fast too, juicing carrots, apple and ginger. I don't consider that too hardcore. I don't want to overwhelm myself with detoxing too fast. Plus I'll be doing some gentle walking and yoga to keep my system going. Thanks everyone for the group support on fasting. The synergy is great! Happy New Year's to my Beautiful Raw Friends!

[michelle allene]

hi everyone,

i've been on this site before. in fact, i first started reading and writing here about a year ago. since then, i've gained 45 pounds and a whole lot of headaches, literal and figurative. i've been binging, an activity that had ceased for about five years, but came back with a vengeance last year when i left my job in order to get help for major clinical depression.

my dream: to eat foods that truly nourish my body, to have peace around food and peace in my heart. i thought, and still think, that eating raw can be very helpful in achieving this dream. however, right now and for eight months prior to this moment, the monkey is on my back. i can't get food out of my head - or my mouth. when i eat certain foods, even raw, that are high in sugar - albeit natural sugar - or fat, i feel crazy. i want more and more and more. i don't know how to turn it off. i've tried so many things. last week, i went to vermont and spent a couple of thousand dollars of my hard-earned money seeing a medical intuitive for treatment of my problems with food. i felt peace for three days and then...gone.

i've done a lot of reserach regarding fasting. i believe in the healing potential there, that the body can heal itself if given a chance.

so, as of this moment, i am beginning a water fast, in which NOTHING will go into my body except water for the next...i'm not sure how many days yet, but i will see adoctor and have bloodwork down ocassionally to make sure it is safe to continue the fast.

i work with babies and i see everyday how bodies should work. they eat when they are hungry and until they are full. later, they have a bowel movement. my body has not worked like this in a LONG time. i can't remember it ever working like this, but i do believe it is possible.

i am not starting this thread for advice, but rather for support in the form of encouragement and to find out if there is anyone interested, particularly those who have struggled with binging like me, in joining me on the water fast.

thanks for listening. much love to all,
heatherjoy
I am with you sista!! :) I have/had, am getting over a binge eating prob. I went straight into a 40 day juice fast. For physical and emotional healing. On day 10 now. I thought of food every second for the first 9 days, but now I seem to not be hungry and I am turning to juice and water for comfort. And digging into my music. You can do it!!! :D

[sar]

I had enough of food addiction too, Iam new here but on Day 4 fast. I tried every diet in this planet, I lost some and gain some been in yo yo all my life. I do not think there is a day where I never thought about my weight all my life. Iam either on diet feeling good about myself, or eating junk and hating myself. When I was a teen I decided to fast and that was my first experience with fating I did 5 days fast and lost 11pounds, everyone was complementing me on my new loss and some thought I took some miracle pill but I was too young and did not have the right knowledge I think I did not even drink enough water. Iam glad the internet is around now, there is amazing information you can gather and people in the same boat to talk to. I have always told my friends what is my new diet but now I decided to keep it secret until I succeed, that mean not going to lunch with them and iam a bit anti social now days but iam determine to fast for a month at least and change my eating habit totally and going raw.

[konmai]

heatherjoy!!! that's a great name. Now that you're fasting, I'm sure you will be able to access more joy!!!!

I'm on my third one right now... might be more than a week or so. Forgot to keep count! :o I'll have to go onto Linda's & Path's fasting page to find out. :rolleyes:

My second time fasting a long time ago and then eatting raw was fantastic!!!! I felt so clear-headed and focused! I still go to school. So being able to read 200+ pages of material in 2 hours while listening to an audio book kicks as***. It's wonderful the focus you'll get. Less things buzzing in the mind!

In my experience, it was great thinking about the feeling of the outcome of fasting and becoming all raw. The best thing I've gained which was my intention was focus and time(since I eat simply. RAW does save mucho time!)

Happy fasting!

[soulshine78]

Heatherjoy, just wondering for an update on your fast and how it went? I definitely have a problem with food, I just can't get rid of this addiction. I definitely would like to fast and try to grow some tough skin and get this out of my system.