Am I setting myself up for failure?

[SekhemNefer]

The Master Cleanse is my first cleanse/fast ever. The first week, I did it for 4 days and it drove me nuts, because I wanted to have variety in my meals as for taste buds, although I was never hungry. So I broke the fast for a day before resuming. This is day 3 of restarting, and although I am not hungry I am having food cravings. All i can think of is veggie sushi.

I think what I did wrong was use the Master Cleanse as an excuse to lose weight. And I was writing a weight loss goals where I would reward myself with treats. Most of my rewards are foods...THAT I AM CRAVING NOW, BECAUSE I am focused on losing weight in order to eat those foods.

Should I just break my fast, eat those foods for the next 2 days and restart with a new focus besides losing weight in order to eat foods?

I feel like I am depriving myself of food and it is driving myself nuts. I know it is mental. I am trying to improve myself overall, but I didn't realize how food obsessed I am. I just feel like I am breaking down emotionally. The fast isn't a total failure, since I learned that my world is based around food on an emotional level.

Or should my fasting be short for a few days and I work on making the Master Cleanse for 10 to 4 days? Am I expecting to much for my first fast?

[shashibala]

I wasn't able to fast until I had been raw for almost 6 months. I kind of wanted to, but it made me very upset emotionally to deprive myself of food. I waited and happily ate raw foods. My obsession with food lessened as I lost my addiction to grains and dairy. Then one day I was ready and I fasted easily for 11 days. I felt like I was giving the fast to myself rather than taking food away. It was good. It wasn't very long, and when i feel the time is right, I may do a longer fast. My personal opinion is that a raw foods diet is very cleansing and will do you good even without fasting. When the time is right it won't be such a struggle. Best wishes with whatever you decide!

[EZ rider]

although I am not hungry I am having food cravings. All i can think of is veggie sushi.

Isn't it something the way a craving will focus on one food and just sit there like a stuck record playing the same craving over and over until you either yield to it or find a way to get past it. I have found that for me what works best to remedy the craving is exercise. I find that about 10 minutes of fairly easy and enjoyable exercise does the trick for me. My favorites are riding my bike, taking a brisk walk or rebounding. Everyones different so it may be different for you but I find that its not about the intensity of the exercise but its about just doing some.

[Aleesha Sattva]

For me... in my experience... the first thing I had to overcome to fast/feast was to get over my addiction to putting food into my mouth! First thing. I was amazed at just how addicted I was to that action.

I started my raw journey with fasting... and I have fasted throughout my experience. Personally I have to tell you that breaking a fast to indulge in a craving quickly becomes a very unhealthy binge into foods I didn't really want in my body in the first place.

I suggest you ride it out. Try to go at least two more days and then make a decision as to what you want to do. You may find that your craving will pass by then.

I also suggest you consider changing to a juice fast/feast instead of a M/C. This way you can make some yummy juices to assist you with moving through these cravings.

Tomato/red pepper/cayenne/chili/curry/kelp with basil is amazing.
Pineapple/strawberry is beyond yummy
Cantaloupe alone is breathtaking
Apple with cinnamon is DEVINE

You can always go back to M/C in a few days... and switching it up to juices isn't breaking your fast... just changing it. Your body will thank you!

[Gittel]

Day 20 of the Master Cleanse has just come to an end for me. I find that, even though I still have certain food cravings periodically (especially when I prepare food for my family), they have become much less intense and much less frequent as the days pass.

I have also recognized that I often reach for food (or want to reach for food) when I am either bored or not willing to begin a task right away.

Best of luck with the Master Cleanse! The results will be worth the first few days of difficulty.

Gittel

[SekhemNefer]

Okay, I am confused by what some of you are telling me. Contrasting p.o.v. on this. Okay, I did cave in to my cravings for sushi tonight. Good or bad, I got the temptation out of me and I tore up my weightloss treats list where there is nothing but food as my rewards.

I am starting afresh tomorrow (sunday). And I look forward to it, because I didn't have a big meal at all, yet my stomach feel so full and "yucky". I don't feel sick. I just have gotten used to my stomach being empty on the MC that I don't like the full feeling at all. My stomach feels so heavy.

Here is what I am confused about. Some of you say that I can alternate between the MC recipe and juicing and my body will still detox and cleanse itself just as well as just being on the MC alone?

If so, I can reasonably alternate the MC and Juicing every 3days week for a month. I don't even want to make smoothies. The first time I broke from the MC was when all I wanted was an apple and pear in a half a gallon of water and only had that all day long. And I was extremely happy with that and wasn't hungry at all.

Would alternating like this be just as effective as doing the MC straight?

[Aleesha Sattva]

as effective? who really knows... and does it really matter? isn't it more effective for YOU to feel good about what you're doing? bottom line... fasting can be whatever you want it to be. create your own... you don't have to follow someone else's 'plan' or 'way'.

and next time you break a fast... please consider doing it more gently. taking a sleeping system and filling it with white rice etc is not healthy... in fact, it's harmful for ya. (((hugs))) for me... breaking a fast in a healthy way really does take time, practice/experience to master... i'm still working on mastering it. ;)

[SekhemNefer]

Thank I am new to this. Yeah, the rice felt like lead pellets in my stomach. I didn't think it would be that bad because I though that whatever I ate would be okay as long as it was clean and healthy.

Maybe I will research on the board on what to consume when getting off of a fast. I am not really juicing in the pure sense of using a juicer. I am making fiberous juices using a Vitamix. I thought people purely using a juicer would have more issues transitioning into eating since their beverages has no fiber content.

[lizzyrose]

For me... in my experience... the first thing I had to overcome to fast/feast was to get over my addiction to putting food into my mouth! First thing. I was amazed at just how addicted I was to that action.


Aleesha, thank you for saying this... It really hit home with me.
I'm at my worst in the morning when I first get to work. this morning, I had a yummy glass of carrot/apple/ginger/cucumber juice (although it was a bad apple and for some reason had waaayyy too much pulp and not enough juice) but, anyway, I wasn't the least bit hungry, but I still, out of habit, took out my nut mix that I brought with me and ate the whole thing!! It was supposed to be for later and now it's gone -- and I feel sick!
I find myself doing this a lot at work. I eat because the food is there and stress brings on the need to put something in my mouth and chew.

I may have to try the juice feast and see if it helps.
thanks!

[Aleesha Sattva]

lizzyrose, glad my words were of assistance to ya.


I am not really juicing in the pure sense of using a juicer. I am making fiberous juices using a Vitamix. I thought people purely using a juicer would have more issues transitioning into eating since their beverages has no fiber content.

you aren't fasting then... you are "smoothie feasting"... and the transition would still be difficult choosing a SAD meal over a raw one. i would still have chosen something like fruit coming from a smoothie feast like you are doing.

i suggest... from all your posts on this forum that i've read/responded to... that you stop, do some research, figure out what it is you want to achieve... and then create a fast/feast for you - to meet your needs. cause jumping all over the place is not good for your body.

how about getting some books on fasting, reading as many websites, blogs and threads on fasting that you can find... and then... moving forward?