I finally got to read up on some of your blogs that I've been missing! I feel awful for being such a bad blogger and it has definitely hurt my weight loss efforts. Ugh. I've gained almost four pounds over the last like four days. How ridiculous is that?! I can say that some of it could be from water weight since I started eating again, but now I feel more determined to get back on track. As excited as I am about Valentine's Day, I sort of wish it wasn't coming up. I hate to have to eat now, but I'm determined not to let my weight loss obsession ruin this perfect romantic day.
So I'm on day two of my three day water fast. Yesterday was easy because I was doing a million different things and really didn't have any free time. I love being busy, it's awesome for fasting. Unfortunately, my roommate has class until 8:30 tonight and I have nothing to do except think about how hungry my stomach is and all the food sitting in the frig. Ugh. But reading blogs and typing here is such a big help to me. I have to type a paper though and I tend to want to snack when I'm doing boring homework. It's a really bad habit.
Jenna mentioned that her problem with fasting is caused by some serious headaches, so I thought I would attempt to outline some of the stuff your body goes through during a fast. Everyone's body is different and will feel different things, but it's good to be prepared for what can happen because it can be really uncomfortable at times.
Once you start on a fast your body will start an intense detox. Our bodies detox regularly without fasting, but since we're always adding more food the body isn't able to do it as seriously as it does when we fast. The whole process of digesting food and sending it all the way through the body is a pretty big job. When the digestive system gets a break, our bodies have more time to devote to cleaning up. Plus we aren't adding new toxins, so it's a much deeper clean.
One side effect of the detox thing that seems to happen to everyone is bad breath and a weird sort of white coating all over the tongue. You know how when you wake up in the morning your breath isn't ever very fresh even though you brush your teeth really well. I think most people think this is because of rotting food, but if you're doing a good job on your teeth and flossing! there shouldn't be any food left. It's actually your body doing a detox while you sleep. Let's say you eat dinner at six then nothing before you go to bed, it could easily be twelve, fourteen hours that you've gone without food. This is long enough for your body to be in a sort of mini fast and start detoxing. This was my least favorite thing that happened during my long fast. I was soooo self concious about it and terrified of kissing my boyfriend. But still, it's worth the weight loss.
Light headiness will be another side effect that's bound to happen. The only thing you can do is try to stand up slowly and if you feel faint, sit down right away. You don't want to bring attention to yourself by passing out.
I had some headaches while I was on the fast, but nothing too bad. From what I've read this seems like a pretty come side effect though. I did have a ton of stomach aches and it was miserable. It's hard to feel nauseous and sick for weeks at a time. Just have to focus on the amazing feeling of control and the pounds falling off. At least nausea helps to kill an appetite.
I've read about people getting more pimples and sores, but my face was actually totally clear while I fasted. I live in a very dry climate so I struggled to keep myself hydrated on water alone. We actually absorb most of our water through food because it sits in our stomachs longer so our bodies can actually make use of it. When we're just drinking water it can sort of go right through us, so dehydration can be a problem. I had a lot of issues sleeping. I would wake up and my mouth would be so dry and my throat would feel like it was cracking. It was pretty painful, but that was well into maybe the third week of my fast.
I would reccomend that everyone do their own research on fasting. Luck favors the prepared, right? I've been focusing on the bad, but there are tons of benefits beside weight loss. Anyway, I hope this was helpful to everyone and especially to Jenna. Unfortunately there isn't much you can do about this crappy stuff that happens, I wouldn't really recommend trying pain killers on an empty stomach.
Thanks for the well wishes, Kat! The encouragment feels so great right now. And R Harlow B, I'm glad you stopped by!
Lots of <3s to all of you! Think thin!
<3
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Quickie!
I only have about twenty minutes until I have to run off to my next class and then I'll be heading straight to my boyfriend's afterwards. I hate feeling so rushed! But I really wanted to post a response to Jenna who has asked me for advice on fasting a few times now and I haven't really given her anything. I love love love the support you girls give me, so I definitely want to give back when someone asks for it.
The amazing thing about doing an extended fast is that your body stops getting hungry pretty quickly. The first day of a fast, if you start in the morning, you probably won't start to feel too hungry until the afternoon. Your metabolism will have slown down as you slept and skipping breakfast will keep it at that slow pace. Your stomach won't stop whining until later. I find that starting a fast at the beginning of a busy week is perfect. As long as you stay busy and distracted, the stomach pains don't bother me very much.
Everyone's body is different. The slower your metabolism is, the easier it will be to fast. A fast metabolism will lose weight a lot faster, but it definitely seems like you'd be less likely to stick it out for the long haul. An extended fast is a miracle for weight loss. You will lose weight, no matter what size you start at or what sort of exercize you do.
After the first three or four days of a fast, again this will depend on your body, you will no longer feel hunger pains. Your body sort of accepts that there isn't any food coming in and starts worrying about other sources of energy such as FAT! One pound of fat can supply your body with 3,500 calories, so there is no chance of starvation as long as you have fat on your body. Our bodies were meant to survive through famine, so a fast is actually a natural thing. Abuse of fasting can lead to problems, of course. But there is so much information on all the good things it can do for you, besides the weight loss.
Jenna said she was having trouble getting her fast to extend past a few days. I do have a lot of tips you can try, but I think learning about our own food triggers and what to avoid is the most important thing. Learning how to deprive our bodies may just take practice. Don't give up! Keep encouraging yourself and keep trying. It may be better to start with small fasting goals and work your way up. Just don't let yourself get too discouraged.
So. Just because our bodies don't physically feel hungry, doesn't mean it's going to be easy not to eat. Food is such a part of lives and a lot of us have so emotional dependency on it, so giving it up cold turkey can be just as hard as any other addiction.
I find that I eat when I'm by myself and I think that's true for a lot of us. It's so much easier to be strong and say no when people are watching. Makes sense to surround yourself with people then, at least for me. Being by myself in a room with a fridge is usually a bad thing for me. And I'm pretty good at avoiding going out or buying food, since I have the excuse of being a poor college student. This unfortunately doesn't work with my boyfriend, who pays for everything, so I have to avoid him a bit when I fast. I hate that part.
One thing that really really helped me when I first started my 30 day fast was to research fasting. I read and read and read about it. There's so much positive info about it, it's really hard to want to eat when you're reading about how amazing you're going to be when you don't, plus it's something that takes up time I might otherwise spend eating or obsessing over food. Posting in this blog and reading all of yours is another great way to not eat.
I also brush my teeth a lot. Any time I really feel like eating something, I just go and brush my teeth. Food will taste gross after that and it will give me time to weigh the pros and cons of whatever food I'm thinking about. The pros of thin always win out. I also wear my retainer a lot more when I'm trying not to eat. It's just one more step seperating me from the food. Every little bit helps.
I definitely think distractions are the key. And keeping track of your progress. Even if it's only the first day of your fast and you've only made it through the afternoon, keep encouraging yourself. Reward yourself for every victory, every piece of food you decline. I also tend to think it's a good idea not to get obsessed with the numbers on the scale. I try to weigh about once a week at the same time (mornings I tend to think are best). Your body can do a lot of adjusting in a very short period of time, so this should give you the most accurate picture of how you're progressing over time. I like to keep a calendar and cross out every day I go without food and give myself a star for the days I just did water and track my weight loss. Seeing this like this is super encouraging for me. I absolutely have to keep positive or I end up really sabotaging myself.
To answer Jena's (Violet) question. I have lost 43 pounds in all. But only 23 since I started the fast. Most of that weight is what I gained last year (gross!) but I'm still so happy about it. I want to lose a lot more, but I already feel like a new person. My face is more angular and pretty. My neck bones seem so much more prominent and I love the way my hip bones feel. And I move better now. I feel more graceful and flexible. I absolutely love it. I'll be weighing again tomorrow and I'm hoping that I haven't gained anything from my binge. I want to lose about 7 more pounds before I go home on the 26th, we'll see if I can.
Okay, totally going to be late for class.
<3 I really can't wait to read up on everyone's blogs. I missed you all soooo much!
The amazing thing about doing an extended fast is that your body stops getting hungry pretty quickly. The first day of a fast, if you start in the morning, you probably won't start to feel too hungry until the afternoon. Your metabolism will have slown down as you slept and skipping breakfast will keep it at that slow pace. Your stomach won't stop whining until later. I find that starting a fast at the beginning of a busy week is perfect. As long as you stay busy and distracted, the stomach pains don't bother me very much.
Everyone's body is different. The slower your metabolism is, the easier it will be to fast. A fast metabolism will lose weight a lot faster, but it definitely seems like you'd be less likely to stick it out for the long haul. An extended fast is a miracle for weight loss. You will lose weight, no matter what size you start at or what sort of exercize you do.
After the first three or four days of a fast, again this will depend on your body, you will no longer feel hunger pains. Your body sort of accepts that there isn't any food coming in and starts worrying about other sources of energy such as FAT! One pound of fat can supply your body with 3,500 calories, so there is no chance of starvation as long as you have fat on your body. Our bodies were meant to survive through famine, so a fast is actually a natural thing. Abuse of fasting can lead to problems, of course. But there is so much information on all the good things it can do for you, besides the weight loss.
Jenna said she was having trouble getting her fast to extend past a few days. I do have a lot of tips you can try, but I think learning about our own food triggers and what to avoid is the most important thing. Learning how to deprive our bodies may just take practice. Don't give up! Keep encouraging yourself and keep trying. It may be better to start with small fasting goals and work your way up. Just don't let yourself get too discouraged.
So. Just because our bodies don't physically feel hungry, doesn't mean it's going to be easy not to eat. Food is such a part of lives and a lot of us have so emotional dependency on it, so giving it up cold turkey can be just as hard as any other addiction.
I find that I eat when I'm by myself and I think that's true for a lot of us. It's so much easier to be strong and say no when people are watching. Makes sense to surround yourself with people then, at least for me. Being by myself in a room with a fridge is usually a bad thing for me. And I'm pretty good at avoiding going out or buying food, since I have the excuse of being a poor college student. This unfortunately doesn't work with my boyfriend, who pays for everything, so I have to avoid him a bit when I fast. I hate that part.
One thing that really really helped me when I first started my 30 day fast was to research fasting. I read and read and read about it. There's so much positive info about it, it's really hard to want to eat when you're reading about how amazing you're going to be when you don't, plus it's something that takes up time I might otherwise spend eating or obsessing over food. Posting in this blog and reading all of yours is another great way to not eat.
I also brush my teeth a lot. Any time I really feel like eating something, I just go and brush my teeth. Food will taste gross after that and it will give me time to weigh the pros and cons of whatever food I'm thinking about. The pros of thin always win out. I also wear my retainer a lot more when I'm trying not to eat. It's just one more step seperating me from the food. Every little bit helps.
I definitely think distractions are the key. And keeping track of your progress. Even if it's only the first day of your fast and you've only made it through the afternoon, keep encouraging yourself. Reward yourself for every victory, every piece of food you decline. I also tend to think it's a good idea not to get obsessed with the numbers on the scale. I try to weigh about once a week at the same time (mornings I tend to think are best). Your body can do a lot of adjusting in a very short period of time, so this should give you the most accurate picture of how you're progressing over time. I like to keep a calendar and cross out every day I go without food and give myself a star for the days I just did water and track my weight loss. Seeing this like this is super encouraging for me. I absolutely have to keep positive or I end up really sabotaging myself.
To answer Jena's (Violet) question. I have lost 43 pounds in all. But only 23 since I started the fast. Most of that weight is what I gained last year (gross!) but I'm still so happy about it. I want to lose a lot more, but I already feel like a new person. My face is more angular and pretty. My neck bones seem so much more prominent and I love the way my hip bones feel. And I move better now. I feel more graceful and flexible. I absolutely love it. I'll be weighing again tomorrow and I'm hoping that I haven't gained anything from my binge. I want to lose about 7 more pounds before I go home on the 26th, we'll see if I can.
Okay, totally going to be late for class.
<3 I really can't wait to read up on everyone's blogs. I missed you all soooo much!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Still Struggling
Yesterday I fasted. It felt good. Easy. But today didn't go so well. I let myself justify food. Even if I should be eating, I don't like breaking plans I make. So I'm going to extend my fast through Friday and just start eating on Saturday. It's only three days, so I don't think it should upset my stomach.
I have to keep posting. I think not posting is really killing my motivation. I'm so close to meeting my goal for my trip home. I can't let myself ruin it now.
So this morning I let myself have a couple spoonfulls of soup broth. Once I allow myself a little bit of slack, I always end up taking too much. But I am going to fix this. I had a half of a sandwhich when I got back to class. Ugh. It's not horrible, but I'm still going to have to make up for it.
My plan for the rest of the month is to fast next week from Monday to Friday and eat as little as possible on the weekends. Now that I live with a roommate, it's pretty much impossible for me to fast over the weekends, plus this way I can still go out with my boyfriend.
I have a big project due tomorrow, so gotta go work. I promise to catch up on everyone's blogs as soon as I can!
<3
I have to keep posting. I think not posting is really killing my motivation. I'm so close to meeting my goal for my trip home. I can't let myself ruin it now.
So this morning I let myself have a couple spoonfulls of soup broth. Once I allow myself a little bit of slack, I always end up taking too much. But I am going to fix this. I had a half of a sandwhich when I got back to class. Ugh. It's not horrible, but I'm still going to have to make up for it.
My plan for the rest of the month is to fast next week from Monday to Friday and eat as little as possible on the weekends. Now that I live with a roommate, it's pretty much impossible for me to fast over the weekends, plus this way I can still go out with my boyfriend.
I have a big project due tomorrow, so gotta go work. I promise to catch up on everyone's blogs as soon as I can!
<3
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Gross
OMG OMG OMG. I've been eating so much the last hour. GOD. DAMN. IT.
I can't believe this. Everything was perfect. I started eating on Thursday. A couple of bites of applesauce in the morning. Four carrots over the course of the day. More applesauce for dinner. Same sort of thing on Friday. Saturday I did have a half a plain turkey sandwhich for lunch, but I think that was good since I had my big dinner with the boyfriend that night. And it was fabulous. I ate a little more than I planned, but I let it go, still lost a pound and a half that week. Pretty good for taking my body out of starvation mode.
Today started out great. Had an english muffin thingy with egg for breakfast, but I ate it super slowly, so it was kind of lunch and breakfast. Then had a tiny portion of rice and veggie stuff my roommate made. I'm not sure how many calories it was, but she's on a diet so I know nothing too bad was in it.
BUT THEN I HAD TO GO AND MESS EVERYTHING UP. I just feel so dumb and horrible and gross. I had like a bowl of split pea soup and a few more bites of that rice shit. Half of a ham and turkey wrap with cheese and mustard. About a fourth of a cup of disgusting sugary cereal. And a yuck greasy meatball. Just typing all of that out is so embarrassing. I think I'm going to cry imagining all of that food sitting in my stomach. I want to go puke so badly, but I can't let myself get back into doing that.
I finally was able to stop myself. I threw the other meatball down the garbage disposal and said out loud "I will not be ruled by food!" over and over.
This wasn't the worst binge I've ever had. And if it had been spread out over the course of the day, I would have been disappointed, but okay with it. But now I just feel like I failed after an entire month of eating nothing. It feels so bad.
Tomorrow I am launching myself into another fast. I'll do juice tomorrow but the rest of the week is going to be strictly water fasting. I don't give a shit if I make myself sick on food for Valentine's day or if I just have to tell my boyfriend I have the flu. Nothing matters but thin and I will not lose control of myself again. I still have eight pounds to lose by the 26th. And I probably will gain from today. Just saw my roommate coming back. Gotta quick writing.
I love you girls. I need you so much. <3
I can't believe this. Everything was perfect. I started eating on Thursday. A couple of bites of applesauce in the morning. Four carrots over the course of the day. More applesauce for dinner. Same sort of thing on Friday. Saturday I did have a half a plain turkey sandwhich for lunch, but I think that was good since I had my big dinner with the boyfriend that night. And it was fabulous. I ate a little more than I planned, but I let it go, still lost a pound and a half that week. Pretty good for taking my body out of starvation mode.
Today started out great. Had an english muffin thingy with egg for breakfast, but I ate it super slowly, so it was kind of lunch and breakfast. Then had a tiny portion of rice and veggie stuff my roommate made. I'm not sure how many calories it was, but she's on a diet so I know nothing too bad was in it.
BUT THEN I HAD TO GO AND MESS EVERYTHING UP. I just feel so dumb and horrible and gross. I had like a bowl of split pea soup and a few more bites of that rice shit. Half of a ham and turkey wrap with cheese and mustard. About a fourth of a cup of disgusting sugary cereal. And a yuck greasy meatball. Just typing all of that out is so embarrassing. I think I'm going to cry imagining all of that food sitting in my stomach. I want to go puke so badly, but I can't let myself get back into doing that.
I finally was able to stop myself. I threw the other meatball down the garbage disposal and said out loud "I will not be ruled by food!" over and over.
This wasn't the worst binge I've ever had. And if it had been spread out over the course of the day, I would have been disappointed, but okay with it. But now I just feel like I failed after an entire month of eating nothing. It feels so bad.
Tomorrow I am launching myself into another fast. I'll do juice tomorrow but the rest of the week is going to be strictly water fasting. I don't give a shit if I make myself sick on food for Valentine's day or if I just have to tell my boyfriend I have the flu. Nothing matters but thin and I will not lose control of myself again. I still have eight pounds to lose by the 26th. And I probably will gain from today. Just saw my roommate coming back. Gotta quick writing.
I love you girls. I need you so much. <3
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Twenty Seven
It's amazing that it's been so long since I've eaten. I haven't had a single bite of food since I started this blog. I definitely would say that you gals are a big motivator for me! Thank you.
Today is the 27th day of juice fasting.
I had originally planned to fast through Friday, the 6th. But my boyfriend and I have a dinner date on Saturday. I've been avoiding him so much lately, he's even commented on how I seem distant. I think my boyfriend is even more important to me than starving, so I can't get out of this. We're having sushi, so I think it will be a pretty good first meal, since I can order a roll that is very light and hopefully won't upset my stomach. But I want to take Friday to try to prepare my body for food. It will have actually been 32 days on Friday since I had that three day water fast right before I started on juice.
They sell these smoothie drinks in the campus store that I might try on Thursday. Give my stomach some actual fiber to digest. Then on Friday I'll start with a tiny bit of applesauce first thing, that should be pretty easy and maybe an orange or something for dinner. I just really really don't want to make myself sick. I've been feeling sick for way too long. After this weekend I think I'll do like a 500 calorie a day limit. I want my body to get out of starvation mode before my Valentine's Day dinner because I know that's going to be sooo many calories and fat. Maybe I should even go higher than 500? I don't really know.
I'm going to try to catch up on everyone's blogs while I have some free time. I moved in with a friend of mine who lives on campus, so a secret move in. It's made it really hard to post on here. I have to use her computer for everything and I just can't risk anyone discovering this. I will just try to do the best I can.
I love all you gals. Even when I can't post, I'm still thinking about everyone and just knowing you're here is such a huge support for me. You rock!
<3
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