Fast – Day 1
Over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of study about various topics from meditation, to internet marketing, to health. In the area of health I have been learning an incredible amount about nutrition and the benefits of fasting. I have always know that it’s important to watch what we put into our bodies and minds, but I like to indulge in things that I know aren’t good for me.
The more I read, the more I knew it was time for a change. The funny thing is, I didn’t just know it academically, my whole body just knew. I kind of started testing the water unconsciously, skipping meals, eating less, and watching much more closely that I ever have how I was fuelling my body.
After talking about it with my wife Sandra for nearly the last 2 weeks, last night we both decided to make a start. We have decided to fast on nothing but water with a pinch of rock salt here and there as required. We don’t have a goal as to how long the fasting will last, we want to try to let our bodies decide when it’s time to start eating again. From what we’ve read, we’ll know it’s enough when our breath is fresh, our tongues are pink and our skin is clear. I’m not really the expert so I’ll follow this advice which I have seen echoed by a number of “experts”.
I have heard that the first 4-5 days can be really tough both emotionally and physically, but so far so good. I’ve been drinking lots of water and it’s been quite a hot day. On top of that this week we are running a series of Day Camps for kids in the school holidays at our karate school, so there was a bit of physical activity this morning and again this evening with the regular classes.  It was incredibly hot and humid this morning, so it made it easy to keep the fluids up, but I still don’t think I had enough.
Probably the one thing that I’ve noticed so far, is that I just seem to have so much more time, just by not thinking about meals. But I have to admit it’s a bit strange trying to make sure that our kids are well taken care of in the nutrition department when you aren’t eating anything yourself. I guess if anything it’s helping to take a closer look at some of the bad habits we have been creating for them. Being only 2 and 4 years old, I just wonder how it will take them to realise that we aren’t eating anything.
To be honest I’m a bit aprehensive about how we’re going to go, with two of us fasting at the same time. Both of us for the first time. The potential emotional roller coaster. Balancing business, kids and our own ups and downs along the way. I’m sure there’s going to be a few, but so far it’s been pretty uneventful.
It’s funny I don’t really know why I’m doing this, I just know that I have a really strong pull in this direction and I know that it’s important right now and the right thing for me to do.
Just before I sign off, a few key areas that I might use at the start of each post from here on.
Emotions – Feeling good, nothing out of the ordinary. Was a little bit short with Sandra a couple of times, but realised quickly and sorted it out.
Hunger – Haven’t really been any more hungy that I would first thing in the morning.
Mental Focus – Feeling a little more focussed than usual, but not significiantly different.
Physical Changes – Nothing to report. My starting weight was around 93kg. According to Wii Fit, just slightly overweight with a body mass index of ~25.7 if my memory servs me correctly.
Weight loss isn’t a motivator for wanting to fast, but it would be nice to drop a few kgs and keep it off. I’ve heard that fasting and then reverting to old eating habits is a surefire way to increase your weight in the long term, so I might have a bit of reprogramming to do when I start eating again.
That’s all for now I’m off to bed to do some study, MP3 audio program in case you’re wondering.