November 2011 Fasting Thread... come fast with us!!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

PLEASE... feel free to join this thread any time ... we loooove having new friends to fast with!!!

Here's are the 'rules' of this thread:

Please do not discuss specific food. Feel free to share "My hubby was eating and it was hard for me." Please don't share "My hubby was eating X, Y and Z..."

The reason we do this is so no one ends up getting a craving from a fasting thread. As a faster we can choose to click on a thread which discusses food but we need the safety within this thread to know food is not discussed. Juices are shared, M/C is shared, green smoothie recipes are shared... but not 'chewable' food.

Please join us... by listening to our theme song (http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741). We all come together... from around the world to fast together and support each other. Please join us!

There is a great deal of info in this stickie (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=62026). Please take a moment to read it.

And here is a thread (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=61603) where we share our favourite recipes. If you haven't contributed yours, please do!

Here's my commitment (when I'm fasting):

I'm here to fast. I'm not here to eat. I will fast until I choose to stop but I will NOT stop my fast on a bad day, at night or today. I can choose to break my fast tomorrow in the morning but not today.

I'm here to gain health.
I'm here to gift my body the time and energy to bring my body to a state of health.
I'm here to release - whatever needs to be released. Physical, emotional, conscious or unconscious out-moded things... I'm here to release them all.
I'm here to bring a greater depth to my spirituality.
I'm here to support myself and others.
I am here to continue to be mindful - focusing on this moment and not anticipating the next one.
I am here to share my experience and gain knowledge from what others share.
I'm here to feel whole. I'm here to give my beautiful, cherished body a break from digesting food!!!

This is the "Fellowship of the Fasters" - unlike the LOTRs fellowship of nine, we are a fellowship of many. We welcome newcomers daily and embrace everyone no matter what they are fasting on or their personal beliefs.

Yes you can prefer green juices to fruit. Yes you can use agave instead of maple syrup or raw honey. Yes you can juice in your Vita-Mix and use a nut mylk bag to extract your juices.

We don't care how you fast... we want to support you... and in turn, we ourselves get supported... so please... join us!!!

Come on everyone.. join in the fun and grab your Elf, Dwarf, Hobbit or Human names for our "Fellowship of the Fasters"... you just make them up, it isn't from the book/movie. (if you want to participate) and put it in your signature line!

Ever wonder how the Fellowship began?

Back when I first began fasting there were the Fasting Bandits. This was a group of amazing people who fasted together all the time. The 'theme' was a convoy of truckers. I was the water tanker! :throwhearts: Over time the Fasting Bandits moved on with their lives and weren't around much at all. A few of the members are still here... but seldom fasting anymore.

I was missing the camaraderie of the FB and was always hoping to find a new group to fast with, find support with and to support myself. The Fellowship of Fasters began because Cathy and I watch the movie Lord of the Rings a LOT and we fast together a LOT as well. We began speaking to each other as though we were Golum - and our juice was our precious.

And then the Fellowship of Fasters was born!

So to be a member... you simply need to choose a name, put it in your signature line and love fasting. You can become a life-time member or one for a short time... it's up to you.

I'm here for the long haul. My water tanker is here beside me - because I'll always be a Fasting Bandit... but now my precious walks beside on a slower path than the truckers... enjoying the grass at my feet and the flowers growing out of the cracks and crevices in the rocks around me.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Starting October 31st I'm going to do a short 3 day green smoothie feast... mmmmm can't wait!!! All stocked up and ready to go since I enjoy a delicious green smoothie every morning anyway...

This is going to be great. I have been wanting to fast and I just feel soooooooooo compelled to start one - which is great I haven't had the urge in awhile.

Hope there's other fasters/feasters out there to enjoy the precious with.

[IgnitionDee]

Hey, Ive lurked on this site ever since I got my juicer a few months ago.. its a really stressful time in my life but im embarking on a 2 week juice fast tomorrow... so very excited to be here and that this site exists!

[Aleesha Sattva]

We will begin together!!! (((hugs)))

[GoodCat]

Yes...yes.. we must have the precious together... You knows we wants it... you knows we needs it... we will have the precious...

Cathy :throwhearts:

[IgnitionDee]

I actually have become inspired to go from two weeks to thirty days... just made my vision board and thank you:throwhearts:

[thenewamanda]

I'm in too - still waiting for my juicer to be delivered but once I have it I will join in and want to do a 60-day juice fast! Thank you for this forum! :excited:

[Aleesha Sattva]

yipppie!!!! i love new fasting faces. and thirty days.... NICE fast!!! what a gift for your body and spirit.

this morning i made (and am consuming while i type) a green smoothie consisting of:

a handful of huge red grapes
water
hemp hearts (as they are called in canada... shelled hemp seeds in USA)
maca
spirulina
coconut oil
2 gala apples
1 orange
2 kiwis (one regular and one australian)
2 frozen bananas
a whole lot of kale!!!!!
and... some rose water and 7 herb water (from a persian market)

ohhhhhhhh it is nice. sweet and gooooooooood.

i found i couldn't drink green smoothies anymore but once i started sweetening it up a bit more, making it more watered down than i was (they were super thick before) and adding in the rose water... my body begged for more. now i put so many greens in (usually kale and/or swiss chard) that my vita mix is almost overflowing with goodness!!! (literally and figuratively)

let the fast BEGIN!!!

oh and my lovely man is doing it with me. it's his first fast EVER so i'm excited to see how he likes it!!! if this one goes well... perhaps he'll join me again this month for another. i'd love to get a fast in before yule/christmas.

of course my beautiful sister aredhel is joining me in jan for a nice extended fast!!!

[GoodCat]

Oh yeah....oh yeah.... lol....

[Aleesha Sattva]

i feel goooooooood.
you knew that i would.
i feeeeeeel goooooood.

i knew that i would.

so good.
so good.
i've got YOU!!!

[Aleesha Sattva]

second smoothie of the day:

handful of almonds (not soaked)
chia seeds
hemp butter
bananas
water

ohhhhh mama.... thick and rich and yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy!!!

[kiln]

Hi,

I started a juice fast Oct 27, and currently am on my 4th day(had a little mishap on the 2nd day, ate a cracker). This will be my 2nd juice fast, I did a 5 day one several weeks ago. I want to do a 60 day juice fast, this time. I know it will be a struggle but I think it would be a
good change in my life.

[Aleesha Sattva]

nice fast kiln!

we decided to postpone our fast/feast until another time. something came up and we realized this is not the time to be less than 100% - nice thing is we can always fast another day.

(((hugs)))

[yumm]

a very inspiring thread,good luck.Aleesha I love your beliefs,very powerful,you inspire me greatly x

[Tguch]

Hello fellowship of the fasters! I kicked-off a super juice feast today. Day 1 is always the hardest day for me - so far so good! Really happy, as always, to have this fantastic forum for support and camaraderie. :heart:

This feast (16 cups a day) is a bit different for me because I am adding in superpowders! Spirulina, MSM, maca, lucuma, chlorella, and maybe even green.... in the past I did not do this, but I am curious to see if there is a difference. So here we go!!

See you all on Day 2! xx

[Aleesha Sattva]

Do let us know if you feel different and what the differences are. (((hugs)))

[Aleesha Sattva]

Parz and I water fasted today. It's so nice having someone to fast with IRL. What a treat today was!!!

I may be fasting again on Monday... we'll see how I feel then.

[IgnitionDee]

Hey all!! Im mad at myself that I havent been on like I wanted to.. I litereally had the best and worst week of my life simultaneously! what a week to kick off a fast my goodness... But just as an update.. on day 5 of a 30 day juice fast.. rough going.. stress+fasting=a LONG road... hope everyone is doing good tho!

[Aleesha Sattva]

Contemplating a water fast for tomorrow... hmmmmm

[Hanneke]

After doing quite a few juice fasts over the summer I decided to water fast every week for 40 hrs. I chose Sunday evening until Tuesday morning or around noon. I love it, it feels good and I will be able to make this a habit. I hope it will get me through the winter, I like to keep on restricting my calories but that's not easy in a cold winter.

Until now it's been real easy!

[IgnitionDee]

HEY guys! Just checking in to see how everyone is doing! Hope all is well and the wills are strong..

I am on day 10.. I feel great.. this is the first time I have ever fasted so long..

I made a yummy juice with mangoes, blue berries, fresh cranberries, kale, spinach, carrots and an apple... mmmmmmm

Also took spirulina tabs and my CoQ10.... On fire today!

[Shel]

I'll be back here starting tomorrow through Friday for my weekly, 2 day juice fast! Woo hoooo! :)

[NYC Elerunner]

Hi Everyone! So happy to find this awesome group again! I'm on Day 3 of an Organic Avenue 4 day juice cleanse. It's so much easier when I don't need to prepare the juices myself, however this is a very rare treat! We have been starting each morning with a coconut water and ending each day with a coconut milk or cashew-hemp milk! These delicious additions are a brilliant idea and it definitely helps to keep me enjoying the cleanse - plus a thicker milk/smoothie at night helps curb the morning hunger. I'm definitely going to incorporate this into my own juice cleanses. I am going to try to do a weekly juice/smoothie/soup fast Tuesdays-Fridays to keep me on track. I start my marathon training next week so hopefully I will keep with it. I shouldn't be too low on energy if I add almond butter, avocados, hemp and chia seeds and coconut milk to my smoothies. Does anyone have any other ideas? I've trained before being mostly raw and have felt amazing!!

[ZombieDawn]

THAT IS AMAZING!! Man, I wish I'd read this sooner! I could really use having someone on the same page as I am! I am starting a juice fast.... Here's to us!

[CathyA.]

Day 2 for me. I just made some amazingly bad juice. Brocoli and apple. I drank it, but I did not enjoy it. Kind of tasted like how dirty feet smell.

[RieRieLiz]

Hi all.

I started my Juicing/Raw Foods fast this past Tuesday... Yesterday, day 3, was definitely the hardest day (why yes, that was me posting on the forum that I was ready to Q-U-I-T!) -- I took a nap, and woke up the Grandma cooking chicken in the crock pot, and baking some corn bread... I was seriously done. My mouth was salivating. I was THIS CLOSE --- to eating non-raw food.

Sigh. But I cried (yes. cried. emotions seem to run high when you think you're starving to death) and talked to a couple friends, and vented on the forum... And then I went downstairs and made an apple cranberry ginger.

Day 4 I wasn't even hungry until early afternoon -- I can see the light. I hope. I mean. Grandmas quiche sure smelled delicious when I walked in the house... She's killing me!

Right now, I'm eating raw and juicing. I actually bought some Naked juice today because I just didn't feel like peeling, de-seeding, and chopping everything.

The hardest part? The hunger. Smelling delicious food. Taking time to prepare and juice.

I haven't weighed in the past 2 days, but day one and day two I lost about 2 pounds/day... And since I have about 200 (ugh) pounds to lose, I guess it's a good start.

To juicing!

(plan= to juice until 11/20, and then start incorporating rice/beans (micronutrients) and probably some chicken. My birthday is the 21st and I definitely want a treat. Also, my family is big into Thanksgiving, so I'll be partaking in dinner. I plan on juicing as much as possible throughout, and eating mostly raw, just with some chicken/rice/beans and a treat or two until 11/25 when i'll pick up all raw again)

How's everyone else doing??

[RieRieLiz]

Day 2 for me. I just made some amazingly bad juice. Brocoli and apple. I drank it, but I did not enjoy it. Kind of tasted like how dirty feet smell.

EWWWW! LOL. I'm on day FOUR (my god, how did I make it to day FOUR?!) and I'm drinking mostly fruits.

My go to veggie for beginning is carrots. Carrots and apples? OMG so good! I try adding a little bit of spinach but I just can't handle it yet. Hoping to incorporate more veggie juice next week (I'm juicing and eating all raw).

Good luck! Days 2-3 were the hardest for me :)

[RieRieLiz]

THAT IS AMAZING!! Man, I wish I'd read this sooner! I could really use having someone on the same page as I am! I am starting a juice fast.... Here's to us!

Hey Zomb -- I'm on day 4. Let me know if you need some support!! Days 2-3 were the absolute hardest for me, but if you can power through them, day 4 is awesome :)

[RieRieLiz]

I'll be back here starting tomorrow through Friday for my weekly, 2 day juice fast! Woo hoooo! :)

Wooo! How'd it go?!

[ZombieDawn]

Hey thanks for the support! I'm just closing on day 1 and I feel great about the decision to start now. I've been gearing up for it for a few weeks!

[Hanneke]

Anybody still here?

I am waterfasting for 40 hrs like every start of the week. Have a great week and keep strong!!

[RieRieLiz]

Anybody still here?

I am waterfasting for 40 hrs like every start of the week. Have a great week and keep strong!!

I'm here! Not many others though :( 1 week tomorrow of juicing and 100% raw foods :D

[RieRieLiz]

Hey thanks for the support! I'm just closing on day 1 and I feel great about the decision to start now. I've been gearing up for it for a few weeks!

Awesome!!

[ZombieDawn]

I'm still going strong! Closing on day 4, and I'm feelin good!

[OCGirl]

Yesterday was pretty good - mostly ate raw phudge (very high in fat due to nuts and coconut). Found bananas on sale, which i LOVE to put in my shakes! Starting the day off with an oj, 2 banana shake, some nutritional yeast sprinkled in for good measure. Goal for the day: focusing on success, not the slipups.

[thenewamanda]

I'm on day 11 of my juice fast and feeling okay, it's easier than I thought it would be as I'm not physically hungry but my mental state is a whole other issue ... slipped up yesterday but I'm not going to let that stop me! Yesterday was my 3 month anniversary of raw and I am down 50 pounds! Yay me!

Planning to do a big grocery shop today as I am out of a few things - apples, carrots, etc - and am hoping I can find some things that will inspire me to keep going.

Hope everyone has a fantastic day!

[Bihaku]

This is day 1 for me for fasting on apple cider and drinking unsweetened Yogi Detox tea.

[BitchHoliday]

I would like to juice fast to deepen my yoga practice, but I have never been successful with fasting. By the end of the day, regardless of how much wonderful juice I've enjoyed, I always crack and eat a hot meal then feel horrible for not reaching my goal and swear I will never try again. I don't want to do a very long fast, I thought three to five days would be beneficial, but I find it so very difficult. The moment I declare to myself I am fasting, I start to feel a twinge of panic and self doubt. I'm also worried that the end of the fast would set me into a binge if I have felt deprived. Is it possible that I'm not cut out for fasting? Or could this be precisely why I need to fast? I read so many great things about it, and many yogis do it, but I just feel...fear. I'm afraid to go without food, I think, and I'm afraid I'll fail. Has anyone else ever experienced these feelings? Is it a sign I'm not ready?

[michigan roman]

was a big drama for me at first too , theres a whole bunch of alarms going off in back of mind that you must eat 3 times a day or your going to pass out - get weak / skinny .
plus its obviously physical too as bodies used to the 3 meal per day schedule . what ive gravitated into doing these days is a 24 hour water fast every week , when im feeling it i go further . if i was a fasting beginer again thats how ide start , taking a few months to get into the 24 per week mode . in proccess getting more comfortable with it . then go longer when ready . once you get several weeks in a row of 24 hours your confidence shall build . its like when a baby we want to jump up and run out the door for miles but we stumble several steps and crash ;-) build up to it

[michigan roman]

hanneke i just noticed your doing near same as me . every 6pm sunday i start at minimum 24 hours water , go longer when feeling it .
i call it THE MONDAY FASTING CLUB in effort to get some of my family / friends to join in to improve health . over past 6 years ive done 30 some longer term fasts up to 20 some days with juicing involved , 10 on water my best water only . and now on the weekly fasts its become easy / enjoyable to go 48 water and i sort of regret eating every week feeling as though its healthier for me here at age 53 to eat way less per week than i did when younger . being that til going vegan age 35 i ate the common meat / potato / junk food american diet i feel as though ive severe deep cell pollution to attempt flushing out and am thusly always looking to become more fasting advanced

[BitchHoliday]

Thanks to both responses, both are helpful. I'm not sure I am ready for a water only day. I know it is only one day, but it seems like fresh juice (only) for one day would be easier for a beginner...
But I do like the idea of doing a water fast once a week. It seems like a great cleansing ritual to prepare for the week. (I am also vegan). :op

[GreginND]

I am currently on Day 7 of a short juice fast. I will fast one more day then start easing smoothies and bananas back on on Monday. The last time I broke my juice fast I ate a big salad and it did not do good things for my stomach. I plan to enjoy a nice thanksgiving raw meal so I want to ease my digestive system back into operation before then. I will start juice only again on the day after Thanksgiving.

[michigan roman]

yes bh build up to it , juicing for 24 is a great step . im moving back toward longer fasts with my monday fasts little steps im taking

[BitchHoliday]

Okay, so it is still early-ish in the day, but I have managed to stick to my juice feast,
so far. The night hours will be toughest, they always are. If it gets tough, at least I know I can come back here and find support. I'm thinking a green monster will make for a good dinner.

[michigan roman]

fastings a habit of the wise bh , keep working at it . it doesnt hurt a thing trying , and working at it improves health and confidence once you get to point where you realize your not under the burden of having to eat 3 times a day . feels good to have that power over your appetite

[OCGirl]

Hey all. I have avoided this thread for a looong time, but have a major event coming up next year that I'd like to look REALLY good for! :)) Have lost about 45 pounds, still have a good 20 or 30 to go, and feel like for psychological and physical healing reasons, juice fasting is a good idea.

But I'm nervous about it. Sometimes my blood sugar gets wonky, am not diabetic, more hypoglycemic.

Any thoughts about how I can gently start a juice fast? Have wondered about water fasting for a couple days, then add juice as I go.

[Shel]

Hi all,

I'm not sure what to tell you OC. Go with your intuition maybe? I do know water fasting is hard and that's not to knock down your thoughts. Maybe even working slowly up to it by incorporating juices in with your regular eating then just jump into juicing a day hee and there. I don't know.

Anyway, wow, nobody is here still? I can't believe it! I bet in December sometime it's going to pick up as people begin to feel toxic from holidays eats and going overboard. I'm on day two of an herbal tea fast. It was supposed to be a juice fast, but I having warm herbal teas are the only thing I want right now. ***sniffle Ok, I'm over that, lol!

So, starving this cold feels absolutely wonderful too. I'm just rolling with it. The symptoms aren't taking me down, but they're surely there. TEA up! *exits the room as her voice continues to echo due to no people being in this forum

;)) :ROFL:

[michigan roman]

*exits the room as her voice continues to echo due to no people being in this forum = lmbo

oc ide just pick a time each week , like ive chosen 6pm sunday , to start a fast . i can always make it
to 24 hr easy , then try to push to 48 and beyond . but even if only get to 18 its just pick it up
the next week and push it again . its just like working out , no matter how little you do each session
just maintain the habit of a certain time for the behavior . then eventually if you keep that starting
time habit you improve at what your doing then

im on around hour 40 of this weeks water fast and feel nice and empty gutted , i like doing wind sprints (a supeirior exercise to me as i can still increase endurance by doing many , but unlike jogging im also working explosive and quick muscle development , plus becoming more hard bodied / athletic than joggong makes one) and ive found when im on a fast that after 2 / 3 days when gut gets empty i can FLY . i love sprinting on an empty gut because its like im just a heart pumping legs with no dead weight gut in between . sprinting after 48 hours on water fast is something i truly look forward to . plus sit ups on empty gut feel great too

hail fasting bandits ;-)

[rawmom2006]

I am still water fasting. I had about a week of juices because I took a second job, but I am back on just water. I plan to stay on water till December 20th. Had lots of energy yesterday. I will try to get back to this thread more but it has been crazy busy here. I have not weighed myself through this whole fast. I actually plan to weigh myself on December 1st. eyes are nice and clear again.

[rawmom2006]

Still water fasting feeling good. Had a nice sleep last night, which is was great. Wow looks like no one is on this thread. I will keep posting because I like to keep track. I am glad I am not weighing myself every day this fast. Skin broke out last week but cleared up this week.

[Verve]

I am starting a juice fast tomorrow and my focus will to detoxify my lymphatic system. My fast will consist of mono fruit juices, mainly grape, possibly some orange for the mornings.

I have 160 pounds to lose, and recently found out that I am hypoglycemic with acidosis - so this should help clean out my lymph system and get the thyroid functioning.

Verve.

[michigan roman]

congrats on the tough water fast work rawmom

[Saria]

It seems extra hard to do this stuff with stressed (at least for me) I've had two very successful fasts at home but messed up after both of them because I went to the parents house for a few days !! So this time I'm doing it when I'll be home for a few weeks!

[Bihaku]

I am I am back to juice fasting/smoothie feasting again. Thanksgiving was so tough for me emotionally, because I was spending it alone, therefore I began to emotionally eat SAD days before Thanksgiving. Then on Thanksgiving Day, I realized that it wasn't so bad being alone and that holiday is just another day and I felt bad for emotionally working myself up to a depressed frenzy. I am so over it, therefore I am re-staring my fast today Sunday. I want to detox my body, since my co-workers claimed that I had bad body odor since I ate SAD food on Thanksgiving. Therefore, I will be drinking apple-parsley-date juice Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I had some today, Saturday.

[michigan roman]

this weeks fast im going to juice greens / parsley out of my garden as winter approaches here in detroit so i want to get my greens blast before garden seasons done .
ive got a ton of parsley to juice and also dry , along with bunch o red russian kale . i dry kale / spinach / parslet for a green powder super food out of garden

[Traceyraw]

I am going to have 2 juices.
1. Kale, celery, apple, and lemon.
2. Orange, cranberry, and apple.

This is my first fast so I am very excited. I am doing fruit mono meals today to prepare with plenty of water. My goal is to work my way up in the fasting days. 3,5,7 then 30 days. This is my goal for next year.

I would appreciate any tips from you veteran fasters.