H2O LETS GO!

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I have always been familiar with the term ‘fast’ and it’s meaning, but for those of you who aren’t, in short, it can be defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a certain time, usually a period of 24 hours or longer. An extended fast, from what I understand, is 3 days or more.

Personally I don’t think anyone should try going without any food or liquids for more than like 3 hours! I know I couldn’t. That’s why fasting can also be partially restrictive, limiting only particular foods or substances. Which means you can decide what it is you want to cut out of your diet for whatever period of time. It can be alcohol, sodas, red meats, all meats, dairy etc. I wouldn’t recommend cutting out any fruit or vegetables from your diet…EVER!, except of course in the case of what I’m doing.

I’ve decided to water fast, in other words, I cut out all foods and liquids except water for 7 days straight. I have done some research on water fasting and came across a guy who watermelon fasted and according to him that is also a great way to go. I’ll be sure to try it in the future and let you in on that experience as well.

So why the hell would someone fast and how is this beneficial for your body? Some people fast for religious reasons or health reasons, including weight loss. I’m fasting for both religious and health purposes. Here’s some You Tube videos that I’ve watched explaining what fasting does to your body:

If you’re interested in water fasting, I recommend to also watch videos by people who tell their story about their water fasts, to help you understand the process and what to expect.

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My Fasting Experience:

DAY 1_

It’s my very first time fasting and I’ve been wanting to fast for a while now, so mentally I’ve been preparing myself. It was only a few days ago that I decided to actually commit and do it this week. Last night, realising that I’m going ‘water only’ for a whole week, startled me bit, but now sitting here, day one already on the go, I’m feeling quite good about myself for not breaking the fast by 9 o’clock this morning. It is quite tempting to open the fridge and peek inside and then quite disappointing to realise my bottle of water is all I’ll be having for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It is a weird feeling not to eat all day, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it by day 3. I haven’t noticed any symptoms, like headaches, nausea, lower back pain or neck stiffness, aside from the fact that I have to go to the bathroom like every 20 minutes. What happens in the bathroom, stays in the bathroom! I mean it’s bad, really bad, but good. It’s a good feeling to know that my body is clearing out and getting rid of all the bad toxins and getting time to heal itself after all it’s been through for 19 years.

DAY 2_

5 Days to go and I’m actually still feeling pretty good. I started reading an amazing book about prayer and almost finished it, besides that I’ve been keeping myself entertained by watching movies. Good advice, take it easy on yourself if you would like to try this, don’t try any exercising or anything that can possibly put your body through too much. Water is definitely not enough to support all that! I’ve experienced some tummy rumbles and a bit of hunger nausea during the day, but nothing serious. The more I do nothing, the harder it is to do something and I have a good feeling that it may continue throughout this journey. Over all, I’ve had a pretty good day!

DAY 3_

Day three and food smells absolutely divine!! No, I haven’t eaten anything, but damn it’s hard avoiding food. Specially if my household is still enjoying their delicious meals three times a day. I mean, my tummy growls just looking at pictures of food! But, I’m staying committed to my water-only diet for the next couple of days. Besides, my boyfriend said if I can make it till the last day, he’ll treat me to any restaurant of my choice. This means, I now at least have something, that’s going to be WONDERFUL, to work towards! Mentally I’m A-OK, but physically, I can feel my body is starting to slow me down in terms of being productive. At least I don’t have anything to do since I’m still on holiday. Which by the way, I think, is the best time to water fast. I definitely wouldn’t even consider doing it for this period of time during the semester. Okay, maybe two days if I’m not that busy, but that’s highly unlikely. I’m still happy with the way I’m feeling and confident that I’ll reach day 7.

DAY 4_

So today  was quite a game changer. I’m talking about dizziness if I get up to fast, a bit of mood swings and just over all I felt down and not up for much. The smell of food is absolutely amazing and it’s hard not to think about it, but not enough to convince me to quit. Today was by far the hardest day I’ve had so far, but there’s only 3 more to go!

DAY 5_

The taste of water is really not that great anymore and it’s getting harder to drink a fair  amount each day. After getting some good advice, I’ve decided to give it a little flavor, by adding some fresh watermelon and cucumbers. It definitely helped a lot! I’m still getting some stomach aches, dizziness and if I talk too much I’m out of breath. But I think that’s just a sign of being unfit.. If things start to get to rough for me I’ll strongly consider adding ONLY watermelon to this strange diet. That is also very important. You have to be careful and watch yourself so that something that is supposed to be good for you, doesn’t turn into something that’s bad for you. There is a fine line between just giving up because it feels like you can’t carry on and stopping because you REALLY can’t carry on. You have to listen to and understand your body. I think that’s the catch with this whole process. Each day is a bit more of a challenge than the previous, but with only two days left, I’m dedicated to finish without eating at all. Besides it’s going to be far more rewarding!

DAY 6_

I cannot tell you how excited I am about finishing this fast! I now it’s good for you, but I can’t wait to eat again and in a way start a new healthy lifestyle. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would go without food for 6 days and still be able to walk. Today was much better than yesterday as I spent the entire day collecting healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, protein packed vegetarian and of course healthy treats recipes. I’ll definitely share my favourites with you! Physically I’m all good, well mostly, apart from this random pain that I get in my chest if I take a deep breath or lay down on my back. This only started this afternoon and I’m not going to let a silly pain stop me from reaching my goal. I only have one day left!

DAY 7 !!!

I made it!! I am really so proud of myself for doing this and pushing myself to the finish line. If my calculations are correct, I lost about 5kg during this process, now standing on 49kg. I actually feel really confident about that number, because as soon as I get my strength back I’m going to start exercising. And as soon as tomorrow I’m going to start eating healthy, drinking a lot of water and overall putting  a little more effort into my diet. I’m so excited about ‘starting over’ and stepping into a healthier lifestyle.

Credit for support have to go to my father and my boyfriend. My father, who was with me through the whole process and kept an eye on me just to make sure that I’m still breathing and my boyfriend for motivating me to stay focused and push myself to reach this goal.

Thanks guys, much love!

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Leave a reply and let me know your views on fasting, have you done it before or would you try it?