Yep… just water for 5 whole days. If you would have told me that I could eat nothing for 5 days, I would have laughed in your face while eating a salty piece of string cheese. But the truth is, I needed it so badly. Water fasting kept coming up in conversations, on social media and just in my day to day. When The Universe brings things into my life continuously, I know it is something I need to look at, so I did. In addition to the signs I was receiving on the daily, my digestion felt so off. I was always bloated and gained a lot of weight during quarantine which was blocking my mental clarity too.
Moving to Puerto Rico didn’t help the weight gain because we eat a ton of rice, beans, dairy and your girl loves a beer on the beach. Since moving to PR, I also started to develop a sacred relationship with water, so I was very interested in what it may be like to only have a relationship with beautiful H20 for a few days. I went into it seeking mental clarity, weight loss and insights on my relationship with food.
So yeah, I needed a reset and I consulted with my friend who is in the nutritional world. I shared that my intuition was guiding me toward some kind of fast and she helped me with a plan. ****This is probably the time I should put a disclaimer out there: I am not a doctor, nor am I providing medical advice here. This blog is meant to share my personal experience with the fast, not serve as a guide to anyone else. ******** Okay. So yes back to my intuition, I felt called to start with a two day fast but was led to actually extend it based on checking in with myself and seeing what my mind, body, and spirit were needing.
Alright, here is my journey, sprinkled in with lessons I learned, how it all felt and of course… my end results.
Day 0 (Saturday)
They say it’s a good idea to prep for the fast by cutting down on junk food the week prior so the fast can go smoother for you. Welp- I decided to rebel and do the opposite mostly because I was in a pattern of eating what was around me which was lots of junk. At the time, I was cooking for a group of college students that volunteered in Puerto Rico, so the house was filled with lots of cereal, pasta and cheese. I also was going through an emotional time like 99% of the world and I tend to emotionally eat so I wasn’t exactly chasing after the carrot sticks.
The night before the fast I ate a pizza. The whole thing. Yeahhhh…perfect example of why I wanted to realign my relationship with food.
Then I binge watched youtube videos about other people’s experiences and many of them did not prep for the fast so I felt a little better. Side note: Youtube was one of my best friends on the fast. Seeing other people’s journeys with fasting made me feel less alone in it and I actually learned a lot.
The Prep
Some ways I actually did prep though were:
Renting an Airbnb for a week to do this all in. I know that I have a huge privilege in being able to do that and being an entrepreneur working from home made that possible too. It was such a sweet spot on the beach and supported me through my fasting journey. If you don’t have the option of skipping away to a place on the beach, then your place will work just fine! Just be mindful of making your environment as comfortable and conducive to fasting as possible(maybe not having a ton of delicious snacks around)
Water supply. If you have access to fresh spring water-amazing! I did not. I did buy a water filter to take with me to the airbnb. I blessed the water with prayers of health and cleansing each time I drank it though which can improve the energy of it! I suggest filling up extra gallons of clean water if using a filter just in case you go out and about and need an extra supply. I drank herbal tea while on the fast so get pick up your favorites if you decide to do one. Make sure there are no additives or sugar though! Some people are hardcore and say water only. My body wanted tea so we gave her the tea. Some suggest electrolytes to stay hydrated.Here is an article about fasting and electrolytes. Again, not a doctor so consult with one before doing this if you feel called, especially if you risk dehydration often.
I bought a planner and new journal for the experience because I wanted to document how I felt, how much water I was drinking etc. I recommend this if you are a visual person like me!
Write out your “why” statement. I wrote about my intention so I could always come back to it when I was feeling ridiculous for doing a fast. It could be like “ My intention for the water fast is to gain mental clarity to write my book” (that was just one of my intentions)
If you are alone, I recommend telling at least 1 person you are on the fast so they can check in on you.
Before photos: I didn’t have a scale and since I love seeing progress, I decided to take “before photos and videos” to compare on my last day of fasting.
Here’s What Went Down:
Day 1 ( Sunday)
I woke up feeling pretty full from the pizza-crazy right? Along with my water fasting, I decided to do a social media fast, and make the following part of my daily routine:
Yoga,
Oil pulling,
Shamanic journeying/meditation
Tongue scraping,
Swim in the ocean
Detoxifying facial mask
Self massage
Journaling
I was going for it! Also I thought I could use a little structure to keep my mind off of food.
Each time I would do something on the list I would write it in my planner. It felt like a true accomplishment!
Today I felt motivated yet very emotional. I ended up having an “empowered eating” coaching session with a friend as part of my intention of gaining more insight on my relationship to food. The session had me in tears throughout as I uncovered realizations about my eating patterns and what had happened over the last few months to cause weight gain.
I won’t go into all the deep details, but I basically realized I had not allowed myself to be hungry in months or maybe years? I eat before I am even hungry because that is what society says to do or someone cooked for me or I don’t want people to think I am trying to lose weight. I also grew up in poverty with 4 brothers so when I see food, I generally eat it because of a pattern in my mind of “not having enough.”
I realized I was having all these internal pressures around eating and it caused me to actually eat when I wasn’t hungry. I realized food serves as a protection for me too. It insulates my body so I can protect myself from love and of course pain. I noticed in the last year I had so much love pouring into me from friends, family, My Guides, my partner and it honestly, subconsciously freaked me the eff out, so I turned to food for comfort.
Food kept me safe from pain, or so I thought. Yet it also served as a barrier for me to truly allow love in. It got deep y’all.
Anyway, I cried it out and wrote a ton that day, no longer seeing the fast as a form of discipline, but a sacred offering to Spirit and myself. I saw the fast as a way to love myself more deeply. It is not a “good” or “bad” thing to be hungry. It just is. And to me, hunger was a conduit for me to gain clarity around my inspirations, my work, my relationships. It may not be the case for everyone, as everyone is unique in their needs, but for me, hunger could actually be a healthy teacher. So I was even more ready to lean into hunger. Also, because I am an Ancestral Healer, I wanted to lean into what my Ancestors likely felt often: hunger. Through my hunger I felt even more connected to them.
This day felt so blissful after my coaching session. I went swimming, danced, played, just sat in my own energy. I truly felt like I worshipped myself on this day. I took a shower, massaged myself and spoke loving words into all my body parts. I spent more time naked in my stripped down presence, appreciating my body. The lack of food and social media distractions made me feel less rushed. Everything felt like a sacred ritual today.
Day 2 (Monday)
Yoga felt so much better on an empty stomach. I slept soooooo good last night, opposed to the night before waking up every couple hours. I felt super focused doing work on my computer and had less brain fog. I went for a five mile walk on the beach and felt like I could do another 5 miles. This surprised me as I thought with zero calories in me I would be wiped out but it was the opposite. Some call this the “ fasting high,” It’s a thing. I felt a ton of joy walking on the beach. My energy and mood felt so consistent.
There were definitely times today where my stomach was rumbling but it served as a reminder for me to drink more water, then it instantly went away. I did feel a little more sleepy in the afternoon but I wasn’t called to take a nap. I just leaned into the slower movements and decided to meditate and rest in bed for a bit. Afterward I felt motivated to write-yay!
No cravings, it probably helps that I don’t have any food in the house and haven’t been online to accidentally run into gorgeous food pics.
Day 3 (Tuesday)
Today I woke up and did not really want to leave bed. I felt intuitively this would be a harder day. I felt weak and slow. I definitely felt dehydrated so I started the morning with my oil pulling because fasting can lead to some bad breath as you detox. I found oil pulling and brushing my teeth a few times a day helped. I would oil pull for 20 minutes while journaling. Then I drink my hot water. Sometimes I added a little fresh lime juice to my hot water for an extra boost. After this, I did some Kundalini yoga which felt like a chore as well. My body needed an extra slow day. I drank some electrolytes and felt better almost instantly.
I went for a nice beach walk and got a lot of work done the rest of the day before doing some bed time yoga. Overall, not a bad day. I did end up looking at food on Pinterest and oddly enough it made me feel better. Everything looked delicious so I ended up pinning a ton of new recipes. Soooo excited to try them when I’m done fasting.
Day 4 (Wednesday)
I woke up today feeling a little more energized than yesterday. After my morning hot water, I took a walk on the beach but I noticed my heart beating faster than usual(apparently this is common) and I felt like my body was walking through quicksand. I ended up just doing a mile and heading back to my place. Taking a cold shower and giving myself a massage felt great even though it felt like it took all my effort. Today I actually got dressed and put on make up so I feel like a million bucks. Also I am getting a TON of work done on the computer. As long as I’m not moving around a lot, I’m able to sustain my energy today.
I had an energy healing session today with Jessa Lin and felt so relaxed during it. I felt more open to releasing toxic energy. Afterward, I felt amazing. I may be a little biased hare, but if you do decide to fast, receiving energy healing or other holistic healing seems truly beneficial.
Day 5 (Thursday)
Yikes I did not sleep well at all last night. I woke up at 2 a.m. with tons of energy and felt like running yet my physical body felt totally depleted. A weird combo for sure. I then woke up at 3a.m. with a cramp in my leg and major pain in a place in my lower back that I’ve experienced multiple injuries. I read that prolonged fasting can bring up joint pain and past injuries. I woke up at 6 and did some lower back pain yoga which seemed to help a bit.
While journaling today I wrote that I can’t believe I made it 5 days with 0 food. Our bodies are truly resilient. I wrote a plan to keep my health in alignment after my fast. My plan is to break the fast at 6p.m. tonight since the last time I ate was 6p.m. on Saturday. Then the next few days I will slowly integrate food, mostly smoothies at first.
I broke my fast! OMG food tastes amazing! I broke the fast by first having a glass of warm lemon and apple cider vinegar water. I read this helps with the digestion of your first meal and soaks up nutrients more effectively. My smoothie was made of water, mango, strawberries and blueberries.
I kept it simple for my first meal and sipped the smoothie super slow. There is something called refeeding syndrome you want to avoid and do not want to shock your system. I’m happy to share that I didn’t have any pain or digestive issues after eating it! It’s incredible how much more aware of the different flavors I was then before the fast. I appreciated the food in a way I never had before. Wow. I’m going to sleep with not a full tummy, but a happy one :)
Day 1 Post Fast (Friday)
I woke up today feeling less weak than while on the fast yet not bloated or super hungry like I normally do when I am I ate a meal the night prior. I am sticking with my morning routine and checking in with my body when it wants to eat. Normally I would eat right away in the morning because that's what I’m used to doing but I’m learning to really check in and ask “why am I eating right now: for comfort, for nutrients, for entertainment?” It’s currently 10:30am and I’m not hungry so I’m waiting until my body is ready for the next smoothie.
Biggest lesson in this all: listen to your body! Don’t eat if you’re not hungry. Your body is your friend and will tell you what it needs.
Day 1 fast and day 5 fast photos: Wow, this one is hard for me to look at because I look so bloated in picture 1. I even look a little pregnant but I know it’s from all the stress and emotions that sit in that part of my body. Growing up, I started getting a bigger belly, around age 7 when cortisol from trauma took over my body. It is the hardest place for me to lose weight but through these new ways I have learned, I trust in the process and am leaning into health of my beautiful belly.
Results:
So you’re probably wondering how much weight I lost. Again, I didn’t have a scale but just by knowing my body, I feel I lost 8-10lbs which is wild. Although I can’t see a hugeeee difference in the photos, I do feel changes in my body. Everyone loses weight in different places first. For me it’s my legs and face. I can definitely see a difference and more definition in both.
My skin also feels so much better as if it’s glowing. I feel happier. We all have negative thoughts that creep in but mine feel less and less frequent now. My mind is more clear and it’s easier to focus on my work. I’m an intuitive healer so I also found tapping into the energetic field much easier without all the junk in my body to pass through first.
Libido: also definitely felt that increasing during the fast. We know that how we feel about our bodies can impact sex drive, so it could have been that or the fact that I was so intentional about my time on the fast that I actual had mental space to think about intimacy versus feeling so weighed down by my body and social media before.
Would I do it again?
Totally, if I felt called too and had the right environment again. I am so grateful for the lessons this fast taught me and the reset I now feel. I feel more motivated than ever to be more intentional with my routines, especially regarding social media + food. I see myself fasting one day a week and experimenting with intermittent fasting now. I also feel closer to water more than ever before and am so excited to keep writing my book on water + ancestral healing.
If you made it this far, thank you for being on the journey with me. I appreciate you and would love to know if this blog brought anything up for you! I you have questions, email me! While I can’t provide medical advice, I’m happy to share more about my experience.
Love,
Cleansed + Cleared April
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional. These are my personal experiences, not intended as medical advice.