fasting and bingeing

[lahandrews]

I have found that trying to eat vegan and mostly raw has caused me to binge at night once or twice a week. Afterwards I try to fast so my body can digest the food but this just sets me up to binge again on breads, cookies, chocolate, etc. How can I fast or detox once a week and remain balanced? I am also conflicted about eating breakfast. Is eating 2-4 hours after you wake up considered a normal breakfast or should one drink juice upon arising?

[tracyinfo]

Why not wait on the fasting? Get some good "raw" experience first. I always go ahead with my binges - as long as they are raw. I try to always have different kinds of foods ready to roll in the refrigerator.

I've been basically raw for 9 months and yet have to do a fast. I am scared to do a fast, because I think it will be more like the traditional "diet" of the SAD eating people. I have been on diets since a teen.

So for now, I basically eat what I want, and when I want. I am in such better health now.

[lahandrews]

Thanks for your quick reply!
So do you eat 100% raw. I am going to try to eat all raw and have cooked vegetables and brown rice or sprouted bread or tempeh at dinner.
When you binge, is it all fruits and vegetables? Since bingeing on nuts, dried fruit, and dehydrated foods is very calorie dense.
without any fasting(juice or water), do you find that your body is detoxing? Have you tried just eating fruit for a few days as a cleanse?

[tracyinfo]

Thanks for your quick reply!
So do you eat 100% raw.

Basically, about once a month (only 12 x year), I will eat a cooked meal.


When you binge, is it all fruits and vegetables? Since bingeing on nuts, dried fruit, and dehydrated foods is very calorie dense.
without any fasting(juice or water), do you find that your body is detoxing? Have you tried just eating fruit for a few days as a cleanse?

I binge on anything raw, meaning desserts, prepared entrees, fruit, cut-up veggies, nuts, as long as it is raw. So far, even though the food maybe calorie dense, I don't usually consider how many calories it contains. I have lost 40 pounds over the last 9 months. I feel as if I have reached a plateau, as far as the weight loss goes, but I feel GREAT!

As far as the juice cleanse, I tried a watermelon cleanse for about half a day, before I caved in and at prepared raw food! Perhaps some other day.

Blessings.

[veggie]

I've had the same experience since trying to go raw/vegan. It leads to bingeing for me. Whereas before, I never had that problem. Maybe my body just isn't cut out for raw. I'll be interested to read other responses...

[askcassyfirst]

I have been eating raw since spring, 2003. I was 100% in the beginning, but then transitioned back to about 80-85% most days. At the moment, I am not 100% raw vegan, so I can't really answer your question really. However, when I did do 100% raw vegan, I noticed that I needed the richer foods like coconut, and avocados, and lots of seeds to satiate me. I didn't consider it bad to eat them in quanity.

Since going down to 80-85% raw I find that I eat a bit less. Whereas I used to eat BOWLS of fruit, now, I will eat a few pieces and be ok. When I eat raw dairy, it helps me even more. Thats just the place I am in right now. I am me though, and not you, and my transition, may be different than others. I consider myself trying to live the Bragg Healthy Lifestyle way, which means periodic fasting and cleansing, exercise, fresh air, and HIGH raw, with the occasional bit of cooked and or organic clean animal product. I don't really binge on junk food, as I am not a pastry or cookie lover...(although I do like things liked mashed potatoes with butter, or toast with feta cheese and tomatoes.)

HOwever, I think that what you are asking is how to transition from a fast back to regular eating habits? Interestingly, I do find that after a fast such as the master cleanse I do want to eat more. I don't think it is healthy to binge after a fast, as that takes a toll on one's metabolism. That's not to say that it is easy to prevent the binge...I have found, that I will often take time to consider the fact that I will have to watch what I eat after I do the master cleanse...This was the reason I decided to not do one in late spring as I have done the last two years.

It is all about becoming more intuitive I think. And so, if you are not sure you are ready yet to fast, then don't push yourself. Also, some need transition time to get to 100% raw. Perhaps you fit in that box. On the other hand, BOXES are something we shouldn't think ourselves in...So, perhaps just shooting for the 30 day challenge, taking it day by day is best...

I am just blathering now, so forgive me...

Cassy

[Sharon in Colorado]

I agree with you - when I was fasting on a regular basis, often I'd stop and binge, because I wasn't eating too healthy the other times. It may be easier if you were already eating raw or a cleaner diet (don't know how your diet is now) and when your body/appetite is used to this way of eating, go ahead and start fasting.

In the book Fasting to Freedom the authors suggested doing a 30 day raw/30 day juice fast/30 day raw program. This does make sense to me, to start out with the raw. I once went on a 14 day fast and I didn't break it well either. I'm sure had I already been eating raw it may have helped me break it properly. There really is no logic in fasting if you can't break your fast and continue to eat cleanly, it almost defeats the purpose of cleansing your system in the first place.

It may be a good idea to have a goal of, say 7 days 100% raw, then you can do a 24 hour juice or water fast, then 7 more days of raw. The fast would be like a reward to yourself for doing raw that long. Then you can increase the fast according to the days you are 100% raw until you reach your own specific goal.

[livenraw]

I used to fast and then go on a binge the next day and wonder why I felt so blah. I don't do that anymore. I also used to drink lattes or steamers made with soy milk on fasting days just so my body would feel like it had something in it. I don't do that anymore, either.

Now I fast one day a week (I took this from the Bragg Healthy Lifestyle in their book 'the miracle of fasting') and then once a month, I will do a 3 day fast. And on those days, I drink only pure water, herbal tea and green tea. And sometimes, I might have hot lemon water with a pinch of cayenne thrown in. I found that by doing this and eating 100% raw, I don't binge the following day at all. Nor do I binge at all. Yesterday was a fasting day for me, so today, I am eating...however, all I've had today had been 1/4 of a banana and that's it. The one thing I do remember is that after a fasting day, you shouldn't eat to nourish the body. You should eat to get things moving along (I think that's the way it goes if I remember correctly) And I'm not even hungry today.

I have found that eating at 100% raw makes my fasting days much, much, much easier and more beneficial. I know there are people out there who fast to lose weight and then they will lose 2 to 3 lbs overnight and wonder why they gain it back so quickly when they start eating again. It's because they overeat. The secret to not gaining that weight back is to not overeat the next day (in other words, don't binge)