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Celes · 04-25-2011 09:27 AM

Hey Hannah!

Thanks a lot for your advice regarding iron supplements! I've noted it down and will check out the supplements at the local health stores later this week. Will keep you posted on how things go.

Hannah Wrote:Do you find that this fast was a bit harder than the last one in terms of detox?

Not at all actually! I can't say it's exactly comparable since the first one is 21-days and I'm only at the 6th day now of the 2nd fast (and intending to go 7 days). In terms of detox, the 21-day fast will definitely be far deeper than any shorter length fast. If I just compare the first 7 days of my first fast with this fast, I still don't find anything significantly different in the detox department. In terms of ease of the fast though, this is definitely much easier, largely cause it's the 2nd fast I think. (not that the first fast was difficult in the first 7 days - in fact it was the easiest part of the 3 week fast!)

Day 6 update - I just woke up for the day and it's morning now. Did a weigh-in and I'm at 52.7kg now. Feeling a little of the detox at work - feel a little queasy in the stomach and very, very slight feeling of nausea in the throat. No serious bitter taste in the tongue though. I've been thinking whether to drop by the local mall later to grab a pair of shoes, because it's the last day of sale. Probably not though because I think resting is more important now.

Have an online coaching session later and looking forward to it.

Celes · 04-26-2011 04:27 AM

Day 7 update (last day of fast):

I ended up visiting the mall yesterday and bought quite a number of stuff, cause everything was priced very low. Plus it was the perfect time for me to buy new clothes due to my weight loss post fast (first and 2nd). I realized I'm now now wearing shorts between US size 6-8 (depends on the cutting and fit), whereas in the past (pre-fast) I was wearing US size 11.

Slept on/off throughout the evening, and I can't sleep anymore so decided to get up and get some stuff done. It's day 7 now, 3:21am.

I went to weigh myself just now and it's 52.8kg right now. Will weigh myself towards the end of the day later.

Detox-wise, all is going well. I plan to break my fast with apples on Day 8 morning.

hannah · 04-26-2011 12:53 PM

Hi Celes!

Just wanted to drop in quickly and say congratulations on nearly finishing your fast!! You did an awesome job. I really hope your re-feeding goes well this time and doesn't give you any problems. :hug:

Celes · 04-26-2011 08:03 PM

Hannah, thanks so much! I appreciate you dropping by and offering your support and positive encouragement :hug:

Hope all's going well with your exam preparation!! How is it going so far?

Day 7 update - It's now the end of Day 7. I'll be breaking the fast in a few hours. Did a weigh-in just now and I'm at 62.4kg. I'll be breaking the fast with apples - I just realized it's not as juicy as watermelon or papaya (more fibrous I think), so hopefully it wouldn't be an issue. Will report back shortly!

Almo · 04-26-2011 11:24 PM

Wow, you're cheeky Celes! I can't believe you sneaked in a 7 day fast while having so much going on. I only got a chance to look at other threads now that BIB is over! I've been wanting to go on a water fast every since your 21day one which really got my attention.

Do you think the pre-fast, day before doing a water fast is important now that you've done it twice? I know in your first fast you mentioned to eat just veges or fruit/juice the day(s) before commencement... ideally I'd like to start tomorrow maybe a short 3-day or 7-day fast (you make it seem so easy!!!!), but today I ate as per normal, is it vital to have transition days into the fast?

Celes · 04-27-2011 12:10 AM

Hey Almo, welcome here!

I think some people would recommend having a transition day pre-fast, but IMO it doesn't matter at all. In both fasts, I ate a lot on the pre-fast days and wasn't specifically eating clean food as well. The reason why I feel it doesn't matter is because excess food gets stored as glycogen in our liver (for a few days), and during the fast you end up burning them anyway. For the people who eat lesser on pre-fast days, what happens is just that they are easing into their fast sooner (since their lower caloric uptake on the pre-fast days means their body will start burning the glycogen in their liver). In fact you can just start tomorrow if you want, and post a fast journal here!

I know for sure that there'll be me/several members here to support you in that!

Celes · 04-27-2011 03:16 AM

Ok, post fast update! It's 2 hours since the end of my fast, and I've broken my fast by eating an apple. All's good so far! I think with a 7-day fast, the digestive system doesn't go into such a deep slumber as a 21-day fast, so it seems to be adapting well. No KO's (i.e. being knocked into a deep sleep 30 mins after eating) unlike my 21-day fast.

Anyway, in the interest of pushing boundaries, I ate some rice and cooked vegetables/mushrooms/carrots (clean food, no excess oil/salt/etc), and everything seems fine so far o_O. But can't say the same for later. Will post an update later in the day. I've a face-to-face coaching session later as well as an online Skype session in the afternoon, which shouldn't issues as far as my fast is concerned.

As with every fast, it's important to set new guidelines at the end of it, since fasting is meant to reset your habits/practices (esp surrounding food/eating/attitudes towards eating). Not setting these guidelines or thinking this through will only go about reversing every single benefit we've gained during the fast. For me, these are my personal resolutions post the 2nd fast (on top of what I've set in the first fast)

2nd Fast - 3 key guidelines which I'll follow:

Once again, only vegan food – no milk, cheese, butter, etc. I've followed this to a very high degree after my first fast, actually. However, there have been a couple of times after my first fast (in the span of 2 months) where I ate food with slight milk content, either because there was nothing else available in the situation, or because I didn't realize until later on (for example, I bought a Heinz soup which said 3% cream in the ingredients list, and it was only after consuming it and doing research that I realized cream is actually milk/dairy).

One problem I faced in the past month is that my friends don't seem very sensitive/aware of my dietary options - there was a time when they went to a restaurant for dinner (this was before I reached). After I reached the restaurant, I realized there were only vegetarian options, but no vegan options. Hence, I could only make-do by selecting the best vegetarian option I could find (pumpkin soup, which I gather has minimal cream/milk), which then led to me consuming whatever quantities of non-vegan ingredients that was inside the dish. I'm not exactly sure how such a situation can be rectified, other than ensuring I'll always be present when restaurant discussions are made and perhaps ordering out from another restaurant if there are no vegan options available.
No food with oil, salt, msg, etc - or very minimal quantities of that. This guideline will apply for when I'm at home and able to prepare/control my food options (i.e. I'll not eat my mom's cooking anymore because she tends to cook with a lot of oil, even though I've told her many times not to do so). If I'm eating out, what I'll do is to select the healthiest/healthier options within the context of the situation.
Prepare my food plan for the day, before it unfolds - I find that it's very helpful to prevent overeating/eating food that are not my top options. My food plan, as per what I wrote in my first fast, will be guided by the caloric and nutritional contents of the food.

Ish · 04-27-2011 04:22 AM

Hi Celes!
I'm just catching up with the forums. I think it's awesome you've attempted a second fast. Congratulations on the success. :dance:

As I said before , I am very tempted with fasting, but have a hectic work / home life and I am a little concerned with being unable to function normally. I also have low BP and tend to get weak easily, even on my normal (veg) diet.
Another problem is the opinion of others, specially at home. Whenever I've mentioned your fasts, I've had very strong negative opinions, both from my husband and from my mother in law.

I am thinking of a liquid juice or soup fast - maybe not as effective as a water fast, but it will have some benefits, while at the same time allowing me to continue with my normal life.

hannah · 04-27-2011 05:01 AM

I am happy your refeeding is going well so far. Also,I think your new guidelines for post-fast are very well thought out. I know what it feels like to have friends that dont sympathize with your dietary options- my old friends were the same. However if you continue to be a shining example of health they are not going to help but notice your energy, how great you look, ext and they will want to do exactly what you are doing

Do you have a specific plan on how you are going to maintain your weight ( ie- counting cals)?
My exam prep is going alright, thank you for asking!

I just have alot of other stuff on my mind so I am having difficulties concentrating.

Ish, how low is your blood pressure? After my fast (and now) my BP was measured at 90/60... that is considered very low compared to normal standards. I know from my classes that low BP isnt necessarily bad- as long as you aren't fainting or anything. My doctor doesn't think its bad either

keep us posted on your refeeding Celes! :hug:

Almo · 04-27-2011 06:38 AM

Guys, you've inspired me to start my water fast today!
I set up a thread just now... and I guess I should go and store my grocery shopping from yesterday, whatever I can salvage...

thanks for inspiring me to go on this on such short notice

Celes · 04-27-2011 07:35 AM

(04-27-2011 04:22 AM)Ish Wrote: Hi Celes!
I'm just catching up with the forums. I think it's awesome you've attempted a second fast. Congratulations on the success.

Thanks Ish! It was great fun, and very effortless :mrgreen:

(04-27-2011 04:22 AM)Ish Wrote: I also have low BP and tend to get weak easily, even on my normal (veg) diet.

I've the same question as Hannah - what's your BP? My BP is 90, which is considered the lower end of the healthy blood pressure range. I've consulted a doctor before and he told me that even if it may seem like the lower end, it's still okay. Also the good thing about fasting is that it basically lets our body do its healing and restores our original body conditions - which includes increasing low blood pressure and decreasing high blood pressure to a normal state..

(04-27-2011 04:22 AM)Ish Wrote: Another problem is the opinion of others, specially at home. Whenever I've mentioned your fasts, I've had very strong negative opinions, both from my husband and from my mother in law.

Hey Ish, to be honest, my personal take in such situations (and you can ignore this too if you don't agree) is just not to discuss with them actually, especially if you already know they've pre-existing staunch beliefs in them. I'm really sure they come from a good place and all, but at the same time they've not had access to the same materials and knowledge as you have about fasting itself. I'm not sure if you've ever read my article on dealing with naysayers Ish? You can take a read - there might be relevant parts in there for your situation.

I never mentioned about my fast(s) to any of my friends/family before/during my fast - and to be honest if I did, I don't think I'd ever have been able to complete the fast and get all the revelations I did (which were really life changing for me. I think if I had to get their agreements or approvals, I'd never be able to move on with my life. Even having completed my fast successfully (make it 2 now), I still don't talk about fasting openly with others because they'll never understand. The last time I talked about it to this guy who is in some health/skin supplement company (a friend's friend), he kept trying to shoot it down and label it as a "starvation" technique, when it totally isn't at all. I just closed the conversation loop after several minutes of trying to discuss it with him. People who don't know what it's about will just make it out to be something to do with anorexia, or that it's dangerous, or some religious mambo-jumbo, and so on. I think it's okay to agree to disagree, and it's not necessary to get an agreement or an alignment to move forward with certain decisions sometimes. (else we'll never be able to make progress in our lives/goals)

(04-27-2011 04:22 AM)Ish Wrote: I am thinking of a liquid juice or soup fast - maybe not as effective as a water fast, but it will have some benefits, while at the same time allowing me to continue with my normal life.

How about a fruit/veg juice fast? That might be better. Soup fast - depends on what soup you're thinking of. If it's processed soup, I don't think it'll be useful as there'll be a lot of salt/msg/additives inside which is a large cause of health issues to begin with. Normally I wouldn't have thought they amount to anything, but after the fast, I really did notice some changes when I reintroduced soup (namely processed soup) into my diet. I started getting zits, my skin lost part of the radiance I had during the fast, and I could feel my face was slightly more puffy than during the fast. (Nothing serious, and most of the time people would deem this as normal. But as I was starting from a completely blank slate post-fast and slowly adding things back in to see the impact of the food on my body, I could see the effects of the food I ate very clearly)

Hannah Wrote:However if you continue to be a shining example of health they are not going to help but notice your energy, how great you look, ext and they will want to do exactly what you are doing

You're right Hannah!

I had a friend visit from Hongkong a few weeks ago, and he was amazed by the amount of weight I lost. I mentioned in passing about my fast, after which he kept asking more. Anyway, as it turned out, he started on his own 17 day fast after he returned to HK! I was totally amazed as I thought he was just asking for fun, and didn't imagine him to take it so seriously! But it just goes to show that when you just do your thing and walk the talk, people who do want to make a change in their lives will follow suit too!

Hannah Wrote:Do you have a specific plan on how you are going to maintain your weight ( ie- counting cals)?

You're absolutely right Hannah!

It'll be the same plan as after my first fast, which is to prepare my meal plan in advance and count the calories. Overall my goal is to stay in line with the 1,200 calorie mark. And since I'll be reintroducing exercise into my plan, I'll be evaluating if there's a need to increase it or not. But first I've to go get a weighing scale that measures fat % and muscle mass!

Almo Wrote:Guys, you've inspired me to start my water fast today!
I set up a thread just now... and I guess I should go and store my grocery shopping from yesterday, whatever I can salvage...

thanks for inspiring me to go on this on such short notice

Almo, welcome to the fasting club! LOL. I'm so excited that you're joining in! We'll all be supporting you all the way! :dance:

hannah · 04-27-2011 11:06 AM

Ish, I have to agree with Celes on not discussing your fasts with anyone. Sometimes its better off not telling your close ones about things like this... people are so conditioned nowadays that they don't stop and do their own research before opening their mouths. They just say whatever first comes into their mind so they can conform to society. Tell someone you are going to go vegan and 90% will say "where will you get your protein!?" Tell someone you are going to fast for 5 days and they will say "but wont you die?"... ext ext.
When I first did raw food my friends thought I was crazy, my family just laughed it off. I did it anyways, but the second timeI didn't tell anyone. After several months on the diet I looked great, I felt amazing, and suddenly my friends started to ask me what I was doing. My mom started to notice too and now she eats TONS of fruits and veggies... the way my whole family eats has changed. Celes what does your family think about the way you eat now? That is amazing that you influenced your friend to fast!! Great job celes

You are changing many people's lives simply by taking charge of your own.

Celes · 04-27-2011 08:42 PM

Post fast update for Day 1

Everything's going well! Ate a mix of both cooked and raw fruits/veg today - all clean foods though. No issues at all. Total calories consumed - about 1060 cal. It's a few hours away before the day ends and don't anticipate eating anything else.

The next clearance test would be the bowel movement to see if all's good. That was one of my key obstacles after my first fast (after the difficulty in breaking fast). If I have a normal bowel movement, then I'd declare the fast to be all clear and over.

hannah · 04-28-2011 04:04 AM

Hi Celes!
I think it is safe to say that your bowl movements wont give you that much trouble. Before my 21 day fast I had done a 6 day fast (it was months before however) and I didn't get pianfful bowel movements when i broke the fast. but I will say that it was (sorry for this graphic everyone haha) almost-diarrhea like.
I am glad you didn't throw up any food this time! :hugs:

Celes · 04-28-2011 04:16 AM

Quick update - Had a bowel movement before the end of Day 1, and all's good! It's perfectly normal - nothing abnormal at all. I guess this concludes the end of the fast

I will continue to track/share my weight for the next 2 weeks or so.

My weight this morning was 52.8kg by the way. I anticipate it going to about 54kg in the next few days, and should stabilize at that point thereafter.

Ish · 04-29-2011 04:07 AM

Hi Celes, Hannah,
Thanks for the encouragement

Also for the information and the inspiration !!
I've always had low BP (around 9-10), so any change downwards can get me to feel weak or rather like "floating" feeling , e.g. I cannot eat too much garlic or pineapples. I would also feel like that if I go for some time without salt e.g. when I last tried a fruit fast

Celes Wrote:Soup fast - depends on what soup you're thinking of. If it's processed soup, I don't think it'll be useful as there'll be a lot of salt/msg/additives inside which is a large cause of health issues to begin with

I usually make my own soups so they are quite healthy - usually I pressure cook a combination of yellow, white and green veggies and blend - any mix of carrots, cabbage, zucchini, pumpkin, chayote, green beans, leeks, leafy veg etc

Hannah Wrote:Ish, I have to agree with Celes on not discussing your fasts with anyone. Sometimes its better off not telling your close ones about things like this...

I will think of something, but it's not easy when you live in the same house. Usually when I come from work, I have some tea and a sandwich in my mother in law's kitchen. It's also some time we spend together and talk about the day's events. As I am changing my habits, I skipped this meal two days in a row and she was asking me today why I am not eating anything after work, and getting worried in case I am sick. :blush:

Like you said in your earlier posts, there is a social dimension to eating as well.

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