Transitioning from Fasting and Maintaining Weight Loss

[jhodi]

I am starting this thread as a preemptive strike. I have found that while fasting is hard, breaking and transitioning to a healthy lifestyle is much much harder.

SO.....I am on Day 4 of a 30 day attempt but want to stay focused on transitioning because it is so vital. Crucial. As in, I fasted 9 days a few months ago and blew all my hard work via a failed transition.

Any and all input/support/tips/suggestions/caveats/ etc are welcome.

To our health,

:juicy:

[jhodi]

Here is a tip I just found on one of Aleesha's threads; thought I would repost it here.


How should I break the fast?

Correctly ending a fast is extremely important. Since the stomach and digestive system have been taking a well-deserved rest, you have to start them up gently. Vegetable juices are fine, followed by small portions of raw foods over the next days. If you avoid sugar (fruits) for one week after a fast you should not develop the ravenous appetite that so easily can undo achieved weight loss. Note: serious (even life-threatening) problems can develop if you stuff yourself after a fast, especially with cooked foods.

[jhodi]

And a Re-post from Miss Linda


Breaking the Fast

Breaking an extended fast can be difficult. You will quickly discover that breaking the fast is harder than fasting. A slumbering digestive system is sensitive, and although you might want to try every food on the planet, you cannot because your system needs time to get back to speed. The longer the fast the more time is needed for breaking the fast. Water fasting demands the longest time to break. The longer the fast the more difficult it is to break correctly. Here is an email to show just how bad it can be.

When it came down to actually breaking my fast, I had no idea how difficult it would be. The moment I put anything inside my body, I lost that natural euphoric high I'd had during the fast, and that feeling of losing control caused me to overeat until I was sick. I ate like a pig and even smoked! I was sure I would never have the desire to smoke again. I'm also feeling a bit ill. I feel like I felt before fasting: tired, frustrated, bloated and achy. Everything looks messy and out of control right now. I feel like I want to cry all the time. I don't understand it! I had such discipline during the fast! What happened? Do you have any insights for me? Thank you for being there!! Love, Mia

If you are a compulsive eater, breaking a fast can be exceedingly difficult. During the fast, you are free from the bondage of food, but as soon as you eat, the battle engulfs you at full intensity. There is a nervous anxiety about eating. Part of you wants to enjoy the food and part of you is fearful of losing control. Reading the book, Eating In Freedom, during your fast will have prepared you for victory.

There are erroneous beliefs that will destroy your discipline and healthy breaking of the fast. One is that I have deprived myself; now, I get to enjoy food. The other trap is the newness of the experience. Flavors and textures of food will be enhanced by super-clean nasal passages. Eating will be a brand new experience. There is a desire to try every food just to see how it tastes. A bite of this and that leads to a belly full of an indigestible mixture.

If you have dreamed of eating pizza after a fast, the first thing you will eat after breaking the fast will be pizza, because you have programmed your mind for the event. Be careful not to lust after food during a fast.

When you break a fast and start to eat, do not expect that the food will give you energy. Often, it is just the opposite; after fasting, the digestion of food can stir up more toxins. The first few meals move through the intestine like a broom that pushes ahead of it loosening waste from 30 feet of intestine. You can actually go from feeling great to feeling toxic after eating one small salad. Losing that exhilarating feeling and clear-mindedness, experienced on the fast, can be depressing. Don't worry if this happens, it will pass in a few hours. A healthy diet high in raw food, can maintain the benefits of fasting.

Eating small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables for the first five or six days will allow the body to gently wake up the digestive system. Once you have eaten, wait till you feel hungry. Do not eat according to the clock or because you feel you should be eating more. When breaking a fast, overloading the digestive system causes feelings of apathy, depression or sluggishness. However, if you do overeat, the effect can be remedied by fasting until hunger returns, and then continue to break the fast. One of the tricks I have learned on breaking a fast is to pretend I am still fasting but eat the occasional fruit.

[qwerty988]

Wow -- thanks so much for starting this thread and thanks for the great information as well!!!

After reading all this, I'm thinking of cutting my juice fast 5 days short and using those last 5 days to gradually introduce fruits and vegetables while still mostly-juicing.

I don't know if I'd have the discipline to just eat very little fruit or vegetables for 5 or 6 more days otherwise.....

Again, thanks so much for this!! I'll be sure and post any info I come across too.

[jhodi]

another gem I found:

Q: Please share how you break this prolonged 31-day juice fast?

I haven't done any research of my own on how to break a fast, I simply rely on my best friend's research and experience. We take as long to break our fast as we were on the fast, adding foods back in gradually over that time. So, it takes 31 days to break a 31 day fast. A two-week fast takes two weeks to break. This routine is spread out evenly over whatever number of days I'm taking to break the fast.

I start with fruit--one type per day. I usually eat about half an apple over the course of the first day. It takes several days for my hunger to come back, so I don't eat much at all in the first few days. Each day I add another fruit. After that I add raw vegetables. Again, one per day. After that....I pay close attention to my body each day, after each meal, to make sure that it's doing OK. Adding things too early....before my body is ready to cope with them, can really give me a stomachache! I also use, in the first few days, something to help get my digestive tract moving again--like psyllium husk or other fiber supplements.

[MysticTree]

Possibly not the best idea to talk about introducing non-vegan products or cooked veggies on the forum.

[jhodi]

good catch. i will edit.

[qwerty988]

Here's a re-post of my earlier post on the fasting thread:


So, spent much time discussing transitioning back with my bf (a mostly-raw vegan) and I've decided to use the remainder of my 30 days to do a gradual transition.

I think because I'm so firmly committed to sticking to the 30 days, I won't mess up this transition because in my mind I'm continuing my fast but just adding a little fruit for the final week.

I feel good about the decision because mentally and physically I'm in such a great place with this fast. I reached my weight loss goal, am enjoying the process and not feeling hungry or even craving food at all anymore!

So I didn't think I was quitting out of frustration or hunger or boredom, but rather making a plan for safely transitioning back that I can actually DO.

So last night, on Day 24, I had a small bowl of grapes! I was careful to go very slowly and chew them extra well.... I think it took me an hour just to eat the handful! A few grumblings in the stomach, but no pains or other reaction.

This morning so far I've just had lemon water and some honeydew-watermelon juice. I've got some prunes soaking (I'll have those for dinner) and plan on having green juice followed by a few fresh apricots for lunch.

I've also bought 2 cantelopes that I'll be slowly eating over the next few days along with my juice.

I'm excited because I was SO SO worried about not having the willpower to handle the transition in a sane way.... but this feels very right to me.

I'll continue to post here throughout this next week -- happy juicing all!!!"



To this I will add....

I'm really shocked that on today, Day 25, I'm actually having to FORCE myself to eat a few apricots. I'm just not hungry. I put it off until now thinking I'd get hungry at some point but I'm just not wanting anything but juice!!

Think I'm going to let them be and see if I can rouse myself for some prunes tonight..... if not, it's watermelon and cantalope tomorrow, that might seem more appetizing....

[jhodi]

wow, that is so interesting. I will be following your transition closely and I thank you so much for sharing your journey.

[jhodi]

I broke my 10 day fast this evening with cucumber, tomato, carrot and red pepper. Now the plan is to continue with nothing but juice during the day and fruits and veggies for dinner. Will do this for three-four days, then add other raw foods. And I am supplementing with Allegheny Nutrition enzymes.

[Hanneke]

Hi there! For me it is transitioning time too! I probably won't be here much since I am going on a trip Friday and have lots to do before that.
Today is day 10 of my fast and I will most likely start eating something later this afternoon or this evening. I like my juicing mornings. Even when I don't fast I usually don't eat before noon, just usually a green juice in the morning. I guess I am going to eat some fresh fruit since there is so much in season right now.

Jhodi you did great! I hope you can do what you planned to do during transition

:heart

[jhodi]

Hanneke thank you for posting on this thread! Congratulations on your 10 days also. I am going to juice all day, then have a small raw veggie dinner.

SO nervous about getting this right.

[Hanneke]

Don't stress it Jhodi, that is only going to make it worse. Try not to think in an 'all or nothing' way.

I broke my fast with an avocado at lunch. I thought it would be a bit much but actually I was really hungry and ate the whole thing. Later I ate 3 prunes and a few hours later 2 plums. Tonight I am going to eat some light tomato soup, more like a juice and that should be it for today.

[qwerty988]

Good morning all!

Great to see people here-- I'm so grateful for this thread!

Yesterday went really well (I think), it looked like this:

breakfast:

watermelon juice
chunks of cantalope

lunch:

green juice
grapes


dinner:

spicy tomato-based juice
2 bananas


Later: chunks of canary melon


That was my third day of transitioning and it felt GREAT. I still feel light but am for now completely satisfied with just fruit and my juice. Also my appetite's returning and I was actually wanting the fruit and enjoying it, which is a relief.

I'm planning for today to be basically a repeat of yesterday. I MIGHT get myself an avocado (LOVE THEM!!) if I'm feeling extra-hungry.....

So: so far, so good!

Tomorrow's Friday though and my bf's been waiting all month to make me dinner; I know he'll keep it raw and simple, but I'm nervous!!

Also, once I'm fully transitioned, I've decided to make juice fasting a regular routine and do it for one day each week. I just love it!!

[jhodi]

Hanneke and Qwerty you are rockin right along.

I had a quart of juice yesterday and a large raw salad spread over two meals.

Today will be the same. Prefer veggies to fruit. My band plays a club tonight so I will b tempted to have a glass of wine...

[qwerty988]

I hope things went well for you last night Jhodi!

Yesterday I ate A LOT. I ate so much that I found myself getting sleepy from it -- actually fell asleep at the wheel of my (parked) car while waiting to pick up my son after school.

The day looked like this:

Morning: watermelon juice. One banana.

Mid-morning: Spicy tomato-based juice.

Lunch: Green juice followed by my first salad!!!!!!!!!!!!! This consisted of chopped spinach and romaine with shredded carrot and diced cucumber. I mashed an avocado and used that, lemon juice and salt for a dressing. IT WAS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!

I was so in love with that salad that I spent the next several hours just WAITING to get hungry again so I could eat more of it.

In fact, so great was my love that I vowed right then and there to have it every day for lunch for the rest of my life! (We'll see.)

Anyhow, I had the salad again for dinner. Then a few grapes before bedtime.


I went to bed feeling HEAVY, like I had over-eaten..... which I probably did.... and that I didn't drink enough juice. I worked out, but didn't feel like I lost more weight yesterday.

How can something as light and delicious and healthy as that salad seem so heavy????????

Today I'm going to stick to just fruit and juices..... and then dinner tonight with my bf. I'm still nervous about that, if we eat out I'm not sure I'll have the willpower to stay 100% raw!

Overall, though, I'm proud of myself. This was my first ever fast and I think I did a great job, lost a lot of extra weight, cleaned out my system and got some perspective on eating that's really going to help me continue my new commitment to veganism.

I'm just feeling READY to be eating my normal foods again!!! But I will continue to take it slow, continue with fruits, salads and juices through the weekend.....

[qwerty988]

WOW..... just to update, my transition went super-smooth and I've been maintaining around an 80% raw food diet!

I'm really excited about this new lifestyle and feel I owe it all to this juice fast.... before the fast, I had transitioned to vegan but I never knew how much energy and positivity comes from switching to mostly raw!

Ironically, I haven't juiced AT ALL since transitioning back to solid foods. This is mostly because I've been so excited about discovering how to eat raw that I've just been concentrating on that.... I think when I settle on my favorite recipes I'll be able to incorporate daily juicing again, though.

For now, there's just too much new food to try... I'm not even thinking about weight loss anymore because I know that whatever excess I have left will just naturally melt away in time.

Anyhow.... thanks everyone for your awesome support!! This board rules. :heart

[oraham]

This thread popped up at a good time for me. Today is the last day of my 9-week juice fast. I have spent so much of these last weeks thinking of ways to eat healthy, and believe that I can go forward on a 70% raw diet.

My appetite during the last week or so has been really down. I have had maybe 1/2 the normal volume of juice that I was drinking prior. I am excited about tomorrow, but also have a lot of the concern expressed by others here.

I have been reading books on raw foods, vegan lifestyle, etc. I was especially excited reading Kapoor's "How to Cook Indian".

For a lifelong meat and potatoes guy, this will definitely be a challenge. Some have asked me "So, what's different about this time?" The answer, to me, has to do with what is a minor miracle of juicing. For nearly the last 30 years, I have had a chronic anti-immune condition affecting chiefly my hands and feet (very dry, cracked, painful skin). As I type this, I am 90% clear, and have been for weeks. This is the LONGEST extended period that I have had where I feel normal. Terrific.

So, tomorrow will be some raw fruit and vegetable in the morning, and we will see how it goes from there.

[qwerty988]

This thread popped up at a good time for me. Today is the last day of my 9-week juice fast. I have spent so much of these last weeks thinking of ways to eat healthy, and believe that I can go forward on a 70% raw diet.

My appetite during the last week or so has been really down. I have had maybe 1/2 the normal volume of juice that I was drinking prior. I am excited about tomorrow, but also have a lot of the concern expressed by others here.

I have been reading books on raw foods, vegan lifestyle, etc. I was especially excited reading Kapoor's "How to Cook Indian".

For a lifelong meat and potatoes guy, this will definitely be a challenge. Some have asked me "So, what's different about this time?" The answer, to me, has to do with what is a minor miracle of juicing. For nearly the last 30 years, I have had a chronic anti-immune condition affecting chiefly my hands and feet (very dry, cracked, painful skin). As I type this, I am 90% clear, and have been for weeks. This is the LONGEST extended period that I have had where I feel normal. Terrific.

So, tomorrow will be some raw fruit and vegetable in the morning, and we will see how it goes from there.


oraham, how is it going?

Since my almost-30-day juice fast I've been sticking to a higher and higher percentage of raw every day.... honestly, while before the fast I was struggling to adapt to my new vegan diet, since the fast it's been hard for me to eat anything EXCEPT very high raw every day.

I'm loving this new way of eating!

For me, once I ended the fast, I found myself missing the high level of energy I had.... I really enjoy raw foods and dont have a problem adapting to this diet. It FEELS like a permanent life change, but then.... who knows?

Anyhow, just checking in and wondering how my fellow fasters are doing! :throwhearts:

-Q