To be honest I didn't really know what to expect when I got myself on this journey.
Seven days fast. I have the tendency to use food as comfort so when food is taken away, what will happened ?
Aurélie, greedy as with a sweet tendency, chronic gut inflammation and very little goodwill when it comes to 'restrictions'. I really thought I would not even make a day.
Not eating ? me ?
I got really clear about my intention: I wanted to heal my relationship with food, bring more mindfulness about my choices and listen to my body.
It went much easier than expected. I felt at ease, calm and trustful about the whole process. I felt held and I felt safe. The conditions truly helped, the group was amazing, the surrounding just epic and the team very supportive. The days flew by. We could take part in all activities ( morning movement and meditation, walks, spa, massage, drawing...) or we could do nothing.
A good balance between freedom and support.
Some questions kept coming back so I've listed them for you:
Were you hungry?
No, the feeling of hunger disappear really fast. I had a hard time believing that when heard this before but turns out to be true, in fact I felt full from all the water, infusions and broth I drank.
Were you not tired?
Yes, mostly, some days I felt very energised which were probably the most challenging days as we need to stay away from over stimulation and rest. Being tired is a good thing as it's easier then to slow down to allow the body to process it's big clean.
Do you need to prepare ?
Yes. For a week fast it's usually a week preparation where you gradually remove food from your diet, and same afterwards, you reincorporate the food slowly in your system.
How much weight did you loose?
During the entire process I've lost six kilo. This vary so much from one another. In my group people lost between three and nine kilo ( from what I know of ). If loosing weight is your first motivation, keep in mind that you will put some weight back on as soon as you start eating again, what will help you on this journey are the new habits you can incorporate in your life.
Last but not least, Why do you fast ?
Fasting is giving space and rest to your body and your mind. The reset it deserves.
Our body need to be at rest to process, clean, recycle, create, release... so does our mind.
Fasting is a beautiful, organic way of allowing that and comes with many health benefits.
About two months have passed since the fast, two month into a new habit is not very long, I know, it's just the beginning but it has changed a lot for me already. I eat more mindfully and am naturally drawn to healthier choices. I don't feel drawn to sugar as much, I stopped meat and dairy completely (not that it's what you should do but what worked for me). My gut feels rested or barely. I feel at peace with my choices and find it easier to listen to my body.
The recovery week meant to be the hardest, personally I found it easy. Maybe because I was very clear about my intention and prepared myself for this step, I don't know, but the new habits flowed in easy. Few things that helps are:
- chewing, silly but essential to bring mindfulness and start the digestion process
- use a smaller plate, it helps if you tend to overeat
- get creative with your food, vary, put on some colours, make it enjoyable to eat
Here are some food inspiration during my prepare and recovery weeks, I like to eat nice and colourful food and hope it will inspire you.
Thank you for reading me,
I hope this has been useful.
Aurélie
I link the company I went with here if you are interested
https://jeune-bienetre.fr ( it is a french company ), please note
that your experience will very much depends on your health condition, your lifestyle, the type of fast you do, your preparation and intention. Fasting is not for everyone, so make sure you check with a health practitioner before you embark yourself into it.
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