To all you juice fasters...

[Yammy]

How do you:

1) get your motivation
2) and keep it?

I thought I had big enough WHYs for a juice fast but I can't even get through one day! May be hypoglycemia, but I think the BELIEF that I will fail is holding me back. I am going to try again tomorrow! Any advice?

[Stina]

Read Paul Bragg's book on fasting. Like the joys of fasting or something like that. Highly recommend it. I don't know for a fact that he was strictly raw but at least high high raw, mostly fruits and vegetables-fresh, plus he was majorly into fasting. Amazingly, he drowned surfing at age 96! (hope I got that story right) Love, Stina on the Oregon Coast

[Elizabeth]

Hi Yammy...

I agree that reading about fasting helps..and I love the Bragg books! Also thinking about why you want to fast..even writing down the reasons, and why you think fasting is the answer. Then, when you do make the decision to do it, you have these resources and reminders of why you are doing it, what you expect to gain..

I have some very specific goals/desired results in my mind..things I have spent a long time thinking about and struggling with..and I find that if I imagine my results...and keep that in my mind during the hard times, it carries me through....

Also..once you really make up your mind, arrange everything to maximize success!! If it is really important, then make it the center piece around which everything else is arranged, as much as possible...

these are just a few things that seem to help me.. I hope they help.. :-)

[RawCutter]

My first day was easy. I think part of it is that I wasn't trying. Before i knew it, the day was over. Then, i didn't set a time or weight loss goals or have any expectations. It was gonna end when it ended. This way i will never fail. Third is I have fun with it. I love going to the farmers market every week. I dig finding the bargains and the best stuff. I also like experimenting with different recipes mostly making a mess of the kitchen. The biggest problem I have had is this site ... I HATE THAT DAMN PICTURE THREAD! Those damn EATERS!


So I guess my advice is, DON'T LOOK AT THE RECIPE FORUM ESPECIALLY THE PHOTOS THREAD!

damn that stuff looks yummy

[Elizabeth]

I HATE THAT DAMN PICTURE THREAD! Those damn EATERS!


So I guess my advice is, DON'T LOOK AT THE RECIPE FORUM ESPECIALLY THE PHOTOS THREAD!

damn that stuff looks yummy

LOL!!!!!!!!!! I Love The Pictures!!!!! So many fabulous ideas ...for, regardless of how things may seem right now..I Will Eat Again!!!!!

I would love to have a live meeting of all the fasters..when we get into the "crazy zone!" It would be fun, I think... It is so funny how the perception of "eaters" changes...so surreal to see alll the eatin' going on...

[RawCutter]

LOL!!!!!!!!!! I Love The Pictures!!!!! So many fabulous ideas ...for, regardless of how things may seem right now..I Will Eat Again!!!!!

I would love to have a live meeting of all the fasters..when we get into the "crazy zone!" It would be fun, I think... It is so funny how the perception of "eaters" changes...so surreal to see alll the eatin' going on...


It could be fun. Which reminds me ... celery juice. Have you ever had it in large quantities? It was one of my first drinks and um ... I thought I was tripping or something. It was really weird. To experiment I made some and took it to work. I gave some to a co-worker and a few minutes later ... I hear from the other side of the office ... a faint voice ...

"my head feels funny"

reminded me of Ralph Wiggum

[RawCutter]

... and yes those pics do look good and I can't wait to have a raw dinner party.


but just not right now dang it!



but maybe tomorrow

[Elizabeth]

I have some celery in the fridge. I will make some juice tomorrow and let you know if it has any psychotropic effects..LOL.. we can start a thread for
"tripping on raw"..LOL...

Just was thinking that one thing that helps me stay on the juice is that I just feel so Good!! It is difficult at times..but, when I think through the process of eating, the initial bites..the tastes..and realize that it will all be over so soon..and I would have lost the wonderful feeling and benefits I am experiencing from my fast..well..it makes it easier to stick to my plan...

[Yammy]

Elizabeth, I finished my list and then saw that you recommended I make one! This is helping. My list includes...but is not limited to the following! So here's what I've got so far. I'm only 24, and this seems like a pretty long list!

1. Get rid of arthritis in big toes
2. Get rid of arthritis in ankles
3. Get that totally slim, sexy body that I deserve...and go shopping!!!!
4. Get rid of painful swollen lymph nodes in neck/back of head
5. Get rid of eczema on hands for good!
6. Get rid of nasal polyp
7. Get rid of mucus in intestines/throat/respiratory tract
8. Get rid of sinus infection
9. Death to yeast infections
10. Get rid of hypoglycemia
11. Improve absorption
12. Have radiant, glowing skin
13. Abolish my food addiction
14. Build lots of lean muscle
15. Improve mental clarity
16. Improve energy level
17. Improve vision
18. Improve cardiovascular capacity for hockey!

[Elizabeth]

What a great List of motivations!!

I read somewhere before that we need reasons which resonate emotionally for us..that those are the reasons that will carry us through the hard times. The things that are connected to strong emotions..like maybe the sexy body.. :-) the feeling of empowerment and purpose..the ability to choose and make your dreams come true..focus on whatever has that strong emotional component and put up pictures, a bulletin board with quotes, photos of dream outfits, dream anythings...vacation spots...whatever connects in your mind/heart with the you that you visualize emerging out of your fasting/raw food journey....

hehehehe..I think I am going to take my own advice and do a bulletin board.. :-)

this morning I got out some Tony Robbins CD's I had started working with before... I am going to avail myself of every available resource to follow through. Also..I love my Eckhart Tolle CDs... helping me to stay present.....

[Yammy]

All such good advice. Thank you so much for sharing. I will focus on all the positives of fasting, and how I feel.

I went for a run tonight and had such pain in my feet that fasting seemed like the only answer for quick recovery...and then the above list took form. I hung up a dress that I want to wear for my birthday (April 22) in the hallway so that I will see it every day. And I'm going to print off my list and attach it to the fridge as well as the inside of my eyeballs. hehe.

I will search for that book tomorrow after work too!

[Yammy]

oooh, I am going to see Tony Robbins next weekend here in Toronto! I think he's lecturing for 3 hours. And I just started reading the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. So good! I think I have a meditation CD by him too..I will dig it out! Yay for more motivation.

I'm going to get started on a bulletin board as well!

[RawCutter]

as far as exercise, don't push too hard to where you don't want to do it anymore. build up to something.

have patience

[Elizabeth]

:o I am excited for you!!!! (sounds funny to some maybe to say it in the context of fasting..but for me it is so-o-o-o- important to have fun!! and to enjoy the process and the learning... )

have a good night!

[misslinda]

How do you:

1) get your motivation
2) and keep it?

I thought I had big enough WHYs for a juice fast but I can't even get through one day! May be hypoglycemia, but I think the BELIEF that I will fail is holding me back. I am going to try again tomorrow! Any advice?


I think most of us if not all of ushave been there Yammy. The first time I evern attempted to do a "juice fast" in 2004 after discovering raw, it was for weight reasons--that's all it meant to me. The more I read about the inner depths of fasting, the more curious I was in wanting to experience it all......

There is a purity and sacredness of fasting and when I say fasting, I am not talking about broths soups,smoothies or juice feasts, I'm talking about all water or fasting on limited juices that allows your whole mind,body and soul to do that it simply cannot while digesting food/eating.

It's a very emotional process that you get to actually step outside yourself and hold yourself b/c that "part" of you starts to free up...........it is such a GRAND experience......I think alot of fasters understand what I am talking about without much description.....

Anyway, I am motivated by my "wanting/needing" to care about me,my body mind and soul.....it's my selfish time AWAY from the world of clutter which involves eating as well. It's a refreshing purification processs........I quit viewing fasting like some kind of jail sentence as if I wa never gonna be able to eat again........I use to think OMG, I can't eat for several days??????? such foolish thinking and extreme irrational.

;)

[mercystreet]

I've done one 30 day (Aug-Sept '06) and one 21 day juice fast (Jan '07).
To keep myself motivated at the start of the first one (30 days), I didn't really let myself call it a 30 day fast. I said 'just one day', and when I'd finished the day I said '3 days', at the end of the 3 days, I told myself 'a week', and so on.
By day 11 I was fully committed to going the 30.

Also, at the beginning of that one I kept telling myself that the food would still be there when I was finished, that it wasn't going anywhere and I could have it when I finished. That really worked actually. It should be noted that I was eating cooked food at the time of my first fast (albeit quite healthy cooked food).

Another thing that helped was to keep reminding myself constantly that any negative feeling - any craving, any negative emotion, any tiredness, any feeling of weakness, physical or mental - meant that it was working and I was detoxing. I would be disappointed if I went a few days without obvious signs of detox :p .

Sadly, forgetting this point was my undoing after 21 days of my second fast. I had planned it to be 40 days. I developed a 'cold' and I felt so sick that I forgot about detox and got scared that I would get 'sicker' if I didn't eat something (I grew up with 'feed a cold, starve a fever'). When I examined the situation afterwards, I realised that it was in response to some heavy emotional detoxing that was on it's way, as I'd just started to work with a healer.

So be aware, the mind can play tricks when it gets uncomfortable.

Another thing I would suggest is to get some support - blog, or join a thread here. I was going great and checking in here until my internet connection went down, and I had no way of checking in here - I think if I'd been able to keep accountable and talk to people when I felt bad it would have helped a lot.

Hope this helps! :)

[Yammy]

My first day went very well. I focused on the now and my level of hunger and had lots of yummy juice. The only time I really felt hungry was in the morning between when I had my lemon water and my first juice at 10am. I had a 2 hour nap because I had a headache but woke up feeling clear and alert. I'm back to feeling a little tired though so it's early to bed I think.

1 L lemon water
1 L celery/carrot/apple
0.5 L swiss chard/yam/calery
1.5 L water

I also ordered my blessed herbs colon cleansing kit! Yay.

[RawCutter]

My first day went very well. I focused on the now and my level of hunger and had lots of yummy juice. The only time I really felt hungry was in the morning between when I had my lemon water and my first juice at 10am. I had a 2 hour nap because I had a headache but woke up feeling clear and alert. I'm back to feeling a little tired though so it's early to bed I think.

1 L lemon water
1 L celery/carrot/apple
0.5 L swiss chard/yam/celery
1.5 L water

I also ordered my blessed herbs colon cleansing kit! Yay.

awesome!





...

[Elizabeth]

Sounds like you had a great first day, Yammy!!! Great Job!! :D

[Yammy]

Thanks for the encouragement!

Today the eczema on my hands was so out of control that I had to wear bandaids to cover it up! And I had such a bad headache that I ate when I got home from work to slow down the detox. I think tomorrow I will just go straight to bed when I get home to avoid the urge to eat. Ususally I'll wake up feeling much better. Also, my lymph nodes are swelling even more...which I love. It means things are moving along. I'm actually looking forward to the challenge of another migraine-like headache. Bring it on baby!

[RawCutter]

good for you. keep pumping that water too! flush it out

[Yammy]

Today was a great fasting day! I'm finding that I can't tolerate juice with too much carrot/apple/fruit because it's too sweet. I couldn't finish my "dinner" drink (celery/squash/swiss chard/garlic/ginger) because of this, instead opting for lemon water. The worst part of today: itchy all over!! Especially my hands. You would think drinking 4+ litres of fluid a day would help this...just takes time I guess since we heal from the inside out. My eczema is a little better than yesterday except for the itch factor. Looking forward to sleeping through my mild headache and waking refreshed.

[RawCutter]

Today was a great fasting day! I'm finding that I can't tolerate juice with too much carrot/apple/fruit because it's too sweet. I couldn't finish my "dinner" drink (celery/squash/swiss chard/garlic/ginger) because of this, instead opting for lemon water. The worst part of today: itchy all over!! Especially my hands. You would think drinking 4+ litres of fluid a day would help this...just takes time I guess since we heal from the inside out. My eczema is a little better than yesterday except for the itch factor. Looking forward to sleeping through my mild headache and waking refreshed.

My skin freaked out when I first started my fast but I found that hemp oil or udo 3-6-9 oil added to a juice helped. I also found a couple palm fiber brushes. At first it kinda hurt but now I'm addicted to brushing.

and you headache will go away too. Hang in there.

[Elizabeth]

My eczema is a little better than yesterday except for the itch factor. Looking forward to sleeping through my mild headache and waking refreshed.

I have been using rosa mosqueta oil on my face for dryness and minor flaking..( I feel like a snake shedding its skin..lol.) I was thinking that I have read somewhere that raw coconut oil is good for eczema. Also, I agree that the internal use of hemp or flax is a good idea...

Great Job!!!!

[Yammy]

My skin freaked out when I first started my fast but I found that hemp oil or udo 3-6-9 oil added to a juice helped. I also found a couple palm fiber brushes. At first it kinda hurt but now I'm addicted to brushing.

and you headache will go away too. Hang in there.

I will pick up some more flax oil tomorrow. And possibly some hemp for variety!

I had a great workout at the gym this morning. I love the burn!

I also learned a very good lesson today. Do not watch the food network while fasting! I have to confess, it led me to eat...which led to an hour of diarrhea :eek: Lesson learned. I am continuing on the fast. I am so determined not to let these little bumps deter me on my journey.

Hope this helps anyone else on their journey as well. Go for the ride, wherever it leads. I am having so much fun learning about my body. Thanks so much for the support. :) You know who you are! You all are making this such a great experience. I lasted over 48 hours this time! Time to set a new goal: 4 days. Baby steps work best for me.

I'm going to go for a run tomorrow morning by the lake to see the sunrise. :)