“What is Mind Fasting???”
Since many of you are asking me what is “Mind Fasting” here’s a small “how-to” about it. But first some news about my 19 days water fast I finished a week ago. My re-feeding weight is now stabilized and I was seriously dehydrated. I had lost 10 pounds of water in the first few days, and now these are back in place. So the final result is that I burned 15 pounds of fat reserve in 19 days. I feel good about this.
So what is “Mind Fasting”? In the same way that “water fasting” is a misnomer since you are constantly feeding on your fat reserves; “Mind Fasting” is giving up “Mind Control” and feeding according to your “reserve of beliefs”. Forget OMAD, 5-2, Intermittent Fasting or any other form of mind control and eat what you want, how much as you want and when you want, everyday for 7 days! Scary???? This is “Mind Fasting”!
You can keep a simple journal of your morning weight, what you eat, when you eat, are you getting cravings, what was happening at these moments? How does it feel when you indulge in your “wanting”? I had an off day this week so I got a beer and a bag of chips! The first few sips were amazing, so is the snack, but then I didn’t enjoy the numbness I felt, eventually I threw away the unfinished beer and chips. Same thing with a donut… Now I think about it twice before reaching out for those!
I get that my beliefs about food aren’t mine, they’re from my upbringing and environment, and they exist even if I “Mind Control” over them. I’m better off getting to know them; they’ll lose their hold and I can enjoy life according to my body’s preference, and not according to some rules. Try it, even just for a few days; I look forward to read about your experiences!
Have an amazing super day, and Happy Fasting!
Take care xxxx Guy
“Fasting the Mind”
After taking care of my body, 19 days water fasting, losing 27 pounds, I’ve learned many things. First: trust the process: it has many stages and if I am patient I can see myself go through them. Second: hunger comes and goes; it feels it’s going to last forever, but like the tide is predictable and eventually fades away. Third: we as humans have the capacity to fast! So I let go of my beliefs and trust our ancestors!
Which is why I feel I am entering a new stage: “Fasting the Mind!” What other self-limiting beliefs am I carrying? Fasting or as I call it: “The Unstimulated Life” takes away comfort foods and sugar high and crashes: I feel serene. I first experienced this wonderful state of calmness and inner peace during my first ever fast 10 years ago; What a bliss!
Six years ago I dared a scary leap of faith: left the rat race to volunteer as a humanitarian clown. I experienced peace giving love to the world, but not much serenity; 19 days of fasting finally makes me understand why: I have the “Perfection Performer” belief constantly pushing me. Like Dad, I am a “Workaholic and a High Achiever!”
This morning, as I weight in, I find even more proof that I’m mentally pushing myself. During the first fasting week I lost 2 pounds a day, then none for a few days, finally, a regular daily loss of 1 pound sets in. Now since breaking the fast I’ve gained 4 pounds each day! This is what happens when I no longer push: “Normal comes back howling!”
Now that my bodily fast is over I accept the challenges of the “Mental Fast”: moderate “Pushing”, “Perfection Performer”, “Workaholic” and “High Achiever” the same way one would moderate fried foods, empty carbs and sugary drinks. First on the list, finish my book “Love’s Healing Journey”! For the rest: nothing, do nothing, be nothing, the total opposite of my hyperactive beliefs.
If a friend asks me what I am doing for the day, I’ll answer: “Nothing, I am mind fasting!”
Take care xxxx Guy
Top reason to break my fast! I love you all and keep going strong!! Guy Giard
19 Days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”! 19 days 7 hours, or 463 hours as I end my 2019 fast! What a beautiful gift! In 2009 I fasted 9 days for my 50th birthday, and now in 2019 I fast 19 days for my 60th birthday! I love life’s poetic soul!
I discover another body buried under the 27 pounds lost. “Yes, this is more like me, the real me, where I want to go in life! I love it!” I fasted my body and fasted my mind: “I am carrying all this excess baggage: baggage of self-doubt, self-criticism and of not standing up for myself, no more!” Eating was my way to hide those hurtful thoughts.
“Putting myself out there” makes it obvious that the time has come to finish and publish my manuscript. This is why I choose to transition to eating on Day 19; I no longer want to think about fasting. I want to focus on “Love’s Healing Journey”: my book on helping survivors of childhood abuse heal their past and create a loving life.
As I sit outside in the morning sun writing these words, I think of you who have been part of this fantastic fasting journey. Thank you for your presence, your questions and your support. You’ve made my fasting success possible, and I look forward to celebrate your successes too! Have a great day xxx Guy.
Day 19 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”; Look at these soon to be ready wild grapes!!! They grow a few streets away by the canal; my summer treats! This is time of the year for corn on the cob, fresh garden tomatoes and loads tasty salads and vegetables. I was afraid I was missing out on my favorite food season of the year!
I generally feel good. I sense the energy connection when I am in full detox, then I feel sluggish and my tongue heavy. Still, I have enough fat to go beyond the 21 days, let’s say 30 days, but I feel what happens after this fast is more important than extending it: Will I be able to maintain my weight? Can I build up muscle to fuel my body? Can I release my beliefs that make me run to food for comfort?
I’d love your suggestions for my re-feeding, what would you do? I know I will go very slowly the first few days. I’m thinking of water melon, but don’t really want to go into carbs right away. I just walked by the market and saw my plump red garden tomato, how about that, just alone? And yogurt, either cow or goat, for the gut flora? What have you done that has worked well for you?
Thank you for your suggestions, your support has been AMAZING in my journey! You guys rock!!!! Thanks again for being there and I’ll see you tomorrow for day 20! Have a great day everyone xxx Guy.
Day 18 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”; There are good days and there are bad days. Yesterday was a “Blahhhh!” bad day! Just look at the grass and compare it to the green one of Day 5! Told you we were having a heat wave, and no rain to boot… This is how I felt: “Blahhhh!”
I hardly slept with the hot humid air and also entered a detox day: my energy is low and my acid breath could set afire the yellow grass! I also received some bad news that spins my head around. My reaction? Reach for coffee, donuts and chocolate. I waited, waited, took deep breaths; “I am fasting, I can’t” eventually the feeling went away!
“Isn’t this why I am fasting? Because instead of facing my emotions I eat them?” That’s hard to swallow, pun intended, and I know it’s true. Fasting burns away at my reserve, but in its ashes I uncover toxic habits. “If I don’t get rid of these my reserves will be full again pretty fast!”
I sit outside on a park bench, hoping to catch a cool breeze: “This is just a bad day, and these are just bad habits” fasting shouldn’t be done outside the challenges of everyday life, but as part of them. So I’m thankful for this day, I made it through, and look forward to tomorrow.
Thanks again for being there and I’ll see you tomorrow for day 19! Have a great day everyone xxx Guy.
Day 17 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”; Wow, I can’t believe I’ve made it this far, just a few days left! It seems I’m back losing weight again, around a pound a day. Symptoms? Just 2: Dry mouth; however much I drink my mouth is always dry; and the other is a white deposit on my tongue, which corresponds to classic detox.
The challenge at this point is not physical but a mental one. With no more food stimulation I am left to myself: “What do I really want out of life?” In the past bad choices made me homeless, penniless and living on friends couches. I followed workshops, built confidence and rebuilt a life, but is it my life? I gave up the rat race 5 years ago to volunteer in humanitarian work, this made more sense.
Today I have only one desire: to spend every breath I take helping others find their true self. I believe that if each one of us live their true potential we will be living in a world of peace. Yes, I am a dreamer, my inspiration is that if you aim for the stars, you might reach the moon and beyond, but if you just aim for the moon, the best you’ll ever get is the moon.
In fasting, I am birthing a new life in a new body. The dawn of a new age: I look at the setting sun of my old life and dream of the new one. It’s sill a question of faith, but sharing with you is one step further to believe that it is possible! Thanks again for being there and I’ll see you tomorrow for day 18! Have a great day everyone xxx Guy.
All of my posts on this 21 day fasting journey can be found here: http://bit.ly/2MReGBR
Day 16 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”; and I feel wonderful! I don’t even feel I am fasting anymore. I sleep well, have no discomforts, and after 4 days of not losing any weight, surprise, I am down one pound this morning!
Yesterday I trekked for 3 hours in the woods! It was so beautiful; to breathe full lungs open, connect with nature and be one with it all. My energy is way up, walked up these huge staircases with no pounding heart or dizziness. Sitting at the top, I took out my manuscript out started editing. I no longer feel pudding brain or unable to finish my thoughts! This is awesome, and I’m still not eating!!!
I get it now: rediscovering the forgotten processes of my body. I wasn’t aware of their existence until I called upon them! It doesn’t mean they didn’t exist! Like a caveman I eat food and my body transforms it into building blocks, energy and stocks the extra as reserves. That my food comes from a dinner plate or my reserves doesn’t make much difference; I am always eating!
Still my biggest hurdle in fasting is living the unstimulated life. I am constantly eating the same meal every day: no sugar highs or crashes, no comfort food for my feelings and no nervous eating. I never had so much free time to fill! Luckily I’m back on track with my book, and in stage 4 the mind supposedly becomes even sharper! I can’t wait to find if this is also true!!!!
I’ll see you tomorrow for day 17! Have a great day everyone xxx Guy.
Day 15 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. There are no words to describe how I feel!!! After 15 days of not eating I feel great! I don’t feel I am fasting at all! My energy levels are back up, I breathe deeply and sleep well. No dizziness or heart pumping a riot in my chest. How can this be?
Last night there was a barbecue next door and I could taste the roasted fumes. I was also in a restaurant and enjoyed looking at my friends’ plates and take in the aromas. I didn’t feel deprived: “It’s going to be soooo good when I start eating again, mmmmm, Boy am I lucky!” It’s like going of on a vacation to an exotic beach; you look so much forward to it! What a feast am I going to celebrate with!
And what is really crazy is that I haven’t lost any weight in the last 4 days! How is this possible? Either I was really dehydrated and I’m catching up, or I’ve turned into a plant! I weigh myself as a reference point but most of all look in the mirror: where is the fat? A bit of tummy, most of it is in my thighs! I’ve got loads of reserve to go on for a couple of weeks more! I’m turning a leaf into my life and ready to start a new chapter.
It’s time for a new challenge: after 40 years of journaling, and the last 2 writing for my book it’s time to finish and get it published! This is it, the perfect timing! Beside blogging my daily fasting report to you guys, I am committing to finishing and have it published in 2020. This just feels right! What a day!
I see you tomorrow for day 16! Have a great day everyone xxx Guy.
Day 14 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. Amazing, 2 weeks, I’ve reached 2 weeks!!!! I’m so happy to have pushed through the doubts and pains! Thank you for sticking around; here’s a very special story close to my heart to celebrate!
5 Years ago I choose to celebrate my 55th birthday by doing some humanitarian clown volunteering in Vellore, India. For 3 weeks I saw a beautiful country with amazing people, but I also saw poverty, homelessness and diseases as I never experienced before. As a group we clowned for orphans, mental and hospital patients, and at shelters where abandoned souls lived their last months with a minimum of dignity. (You can view on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lscnEU_IX7Y)
And then I met “Maria” ; begging in a staircase of a traffic overpass. Her hands and feet were covered with blood stained bandages, she had been amputated due to leprosy. My friend and I went to the market and bought her flowers, food, water and a garland of jasmine flowers. We sat with her, sang songs, and as I held her in my arms, she gave the most beautiful smile, thanked and prayed for us as I prayed with her. (You can read the full story here: https://citizenclown.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/17-maria )
So next November for my 60th birthday I want to go back and do some more volunteer work. Join Giri Dharan of Third Hand and help bring food, clothes and care to the homeless of Vellore. This is one of the reasons why I am fasting, to inspire myself and others that it is possible to have a choice and act on it. From Mom who orders me to stop, to friends who are worried and strangers who say “they read I’m going to drop dead”, I want to experience the choice myself .
You are amazing, you have the power of choice! Don’t let anyone tell you you don’t have choice! Listen to your body, respect your body and the world is yours! I see you tomorrow for day 15! Have a great day everyone xxx Guy.
Day 13 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. WOWowWOWowWOW I FEEL AMAZING! Sorry I had to write it in capitals but after these 3 nightmarish nights and days this is such a relief! I had a wonderful sleep, I can breathe deeply and I can’t believe I am still fasting! I just had to put on colorful colors to radiate my homecoming back to life!
I kept the faith, for myself, but mostly for all the kids that were bullied at school, and later intimidated at work. I was that kid that was punched, insulted and always picked last for the team. I cried at my mothers bedside that I didn’t want to return, but there was no choice. I survived through junior and high school, until I started to smoke; then I became cool and the bullying stopped. It took me another 25 years to quit that bad habit. Yes so it’s for all of us I am fasting!
I guess this is how I got my resilience and to be able to push through. What helps me today beside facebook groups is this description of all the phases: https://wanderlustrevolution.org/2018/05/24/what-a-30-day-water-fast-did-to-me. It describes 5 different phases fasters usually goes through, and it helps me to keep hope and my faith in the wisdom of the body! I am presently at stage 3: normalization, and this is what it really feels like. I even had last night my first dream of food as it predicted!!!
So if this is really true and more energy returns, I’ll go trekking on the mountain. Tomorrow it’s time for a celebration as it will mark my 2 weeks of fasting; so I am preparing a very special post for you about India. See you there, and thanks for your support! Have a great day xxx Guy
Day 12 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. WOW, I’ve reached the halfway point of my 21 days, and after the hardest 3 days where I felt like giving up multiples times! Insomnia, headaches, heart pounding in my chest, but I told myself,”OK, just one more hour, one more afternoon, let’s just see, there’s a next phase coming so they say, just hang on!”
And today I feel great! Like something changed within me. The heat wave is over, even with the headache I was able to sleep a bit, I’m totally rehydrated and I was able to walk downtown to write this. Montreal, because of its harsh winters has a hidden underground city: combined, there are 32 kilometres (20 mi) of tunnels over 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi) connecting shopping malls with subway and businesses. This is where I find refuge when the heat is unbearable.
So what changed? Maybe it’s the rehydration, maybe it’s the cycle of 3 days a symptom usually stays for, or maybe it’s the supplements I started taking, or all 3! I’ve noticed that as much unbearable the discomforts appears: leg pain, mouth and gum burning, sore throat, rashes, they usually come and go by themselves; and for the supplements, I feel that each of us has a different life story entering into a fast, I cannot see a one size fits all approach to it, it is too intimate to our body.
I see in fasting the same process as in giving birth. Millions of women give birth every day and each with a unique experience. There are so many factors to calculate: nutrition, lifestyle, age, stress, is she alone, does she feel loved? Fasting can be traumatic as an actual operation we undertake on ourselves and sadly often in an unsupportive environment. In fasting you are giving birth to yourself, so please do take care of yourself; and like Captain America says in Endgame: “Whatever it takes!” You are worth it!
So what’s for today? More research on night headaches and see if there’s anything I can do about them. Thank everyone for being there part of my journey! Have a great day! Xxx Guy
Day 11 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. AMAZING, I can’t believe! 20 pounds in 10 days (9 kilos) How is that even possible, it represent 2 blocks of butter each day! Where did they come from, my belly, my thighs, my buttocks? I still can’t believe it, and I love butter!!!
Thank you everyone for your concerned messages. Yesterdays post worried many, and I pulled through. I realize today that I made 2 big mistakes, first we were in a heat wave, so even non-fasting people have to drink more than usual, which I didn’t. And second, taking a hot bath was a really really bad idea. I know this sounds counter logic but actually a warm bath dehydrates! You see, our skin is a wonderful organ that protects us, is also impermeable, when it rains you don’t absorb water, but, and a big but here, a warm bath makes you sweat, so you are actually losing water! Oh my, I was already dehydrated, and then I sweat myself even more dry! Insane!
Today I feel much better as I’ve re-hydrated myself fully and I am careful to keep the water coming. I feel stronger and last night the heatwave stopped so I was able to have a better rest. Thank you! Yesterday was filled with Rodney Dangerfield, Chris Rock, Richard Pryor and my favorite George Carlin. The healing power of humor. I also finished the series “The Boys” about bad superheroes, Stranger Things season 3, and The Dark season 2.
So what’s up for today: research! This might be the last post you read of mine in this group as there is a good chance I get dis-membered. You see after these last days misgivings I’ve decided to look into other things you might add to a water fast, dare I say the word… no I won’t, but I vowed myself to honesty and to share with you my full experience, for the growth of humanity. So if you don’t hear from me don’t worry you can see the posts on my facebook page or on my blog where I add them: https://guythehealthypaleoguy.wordpress.com/9-days-water-fasting-2009/
So thank everyone, this is a great journey, tomorrow day 12, I wish to persevere and go the full 21! Wish me luck! Love you all xxxx Guy
Day 10 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. What a horrible night! Yesterday I woke up with a mild headache, after 2 nights restless sleep. My mouth burned and my gums were screaming. So yesterday I decided to take it easy, listen to meditations and do nothing. This went fine, but the headache stayed. “I’ll take a warm bath” which usually works. More meditation and deep breathing in the water, all fine, until I tried to stand up from the bathtub. I COULDN’T! I felt dizzy, so for safety’s sake I waited that all the water drained away.
My heart thumped like a jackhammer and as I laid down to sleep I felt on a construction site. My forehead was burning, so got a cold washcloth, tried some more breathing exercises: the thumping just wouldn’t go away! After 3 hours, with a fan full on my face, my fever finally calmed down, and I rejoice in just having pure insomnia again. At least my mouth and gums weren’t burning anymore, my body had done it’s work. Lovely body!
I did feel like giving up, but I had finally reached Day 10! I was opening the door to Autolysis: the destruction of cells, and Autophagy: the ordered and purposeful digestion of cellular components. It’s basically the way a cell can deal with unused or poorly folded proteins. This is my “Holy Grail of Water Fasting” and the reason I am on this journey and sharing with you! I now await the next step: the Nirvana burst of energy as the body normalizes to the fasting conditions, I hope this one is also true!!!!
So what’s for today, Day 10? HUMOR: doctor heal thyself! I’m actually a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader: yes there is such a thing as Laughter Yoga! Brought together about 20 years ago it is now spread out throughout the planet! You can feel what it looks by joining in this workshop I gave (it’s in french but you’ll get it!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP_wbkJzxNM . So today my rehab is listening to stand up comics and watching funny movies. Giving up control and just enjoying life, one day at a time! Hope you can do this too!
I wish you an amazing day and see you tomorrow for Day 11! Take care xxx Guy
Day 9 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. These 2 pictures are from 2003 and 2009. In the first one I weighed 230 pounds and developed sleep apnea so changed my nutrition and started an exercise program. The reward was that a few months afterwards my wife got pregnant! The second photo I weighed 165 and is at the end of my first water fast, and there are a lot of similarities with my current one!
You see, yesterday I almost broke my fast, and it was exactly on the same day as in 2009, the eight day! Coincidence, I think not! Then I blogged: “I decided last night to end my fast, because it was my second night of insomnia. Furthermore yesterday I had a rise of bile, my liver was overloaded. In brief I was in less physical health than I anticipated.” You can read the whole 9 days report on my blog: https://guythehealthypaleoguy.wordpress.com/9-days-water-fasting-2009/
But yesterday something different happened: at midday day I searched youtube for guided body relaxation exercises, played one and the magic took place! I relaxed and felt my body; the fast was no longer a struggle! It seems I was fighting the fast, or trying to prove something. I had just made a mental shift!
Fasting is a choice. If I had a broken leg or an operation I would be forced to rest, but a fast is a major self-imposed operation, and forgot the resting part. So far I lost about 18 pounds, amazing, and apart from some minor discomfort now with the tool of relaxation I feel confident to go forward with your help and support. I feel I have now entered Phase 2 of fasting: ‘The Mental Fast” where I get rid of old beliefs, habits and conditionings. What do you think; did you go through such a “mental fasting phase” yourself?
Tomorrow Day 10: a new day, a new life! I look forward to share it with you. Take care everyone xxx Guy
Day 8 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. Last night was a horrible: I barely slept 2 hours, continuously awoke to a burning mouth and aching legs, and dreamed of the apocalypse, but I don’t think it has to do with having lunch with mom!
After a week I lost 16 pounds/7 kilos. Awesome, but I‘m not in it so much for the weight-loss, still the daily weigh-ins helps as motivation: “I am achieving something!” I am really fasting for the natural healing powers of the body. Think about it, from one single cell it’s able to build a whole human being, that’s incredible! Even more, it breakdowns our stomach mush to reassemble proteins and create organs. This is my faith, if it can do this, then it makes sense that it can break down our old diseased tissues and build healthy new ones. This is the faith I am trying to hold on to. Still after last night I feel like giving up.
At Day 6 I started to crash, my energy levels were way down, and Day 7 even more. In a way it’s not surprising as I entered a deep detox phase: my tongue became heavily coated with grey stuff, my teeth, gums and whole mouth felt as if they were on fire, my legs hurt and I could barely walk. I ended the day buying a special treat: an ice cold bottle of carbonated spring water! This morning I awoke with a headache and a bowel movement. Somehow I lost 3 pounds in one day, my body was doing some major house cleaning!
So how was lunch with mom? Well I told her before we made our way to the dining room! She was shocked: “How can you this! That’s bad! I read one article a while ago telling it was bad, you must stop!” I just politely smiled, understanding her reactions. “Break you fast!” she ordered. “No, thank you” I gently answered and opened the door. Not a word was spoken about it anymore. I watched her eat and the other guests and didn’t feel tempted. I wasn’t fasting; I was having my own meal, simply eating my reserves. Still I started to make a mental list of all the things I would eat after my fast: bake beans, bacon, spicy Indian chicken Tikka, Senegalese fish “T’Cheb”. This made me smile and feel content! “Love you mom!” as we parted and gave her a hug.
So what’s up for today? Still finding refuge from the heatwave in shopping malls to write this, and later at home, I will splurge watching TV and just veg out, which I never do! I’m listening to my body, keeping the faith that tomorrow might be better and not give up! See you then and have a great day everyone xxx Guy
Day 7 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. One week! Thank you for being there and helping me achieve this milestone! I wish to celebrate by sharing a very special story that has a connection with fasting: restoring trust and faith.
5 years ago almost to the date I was in Iquitos, a small town next to the amazon river in Peru. I wasn’t there on vacation but as a volunteer for Dr “Patch” Adams as a humanitarian clown. Dr “Patch” Adams is a medical doctor who introduced clowning in the hospitals of the USA; there was even a movie about him played by Robin Williams!
Now I am not a professional clown, not even a clown, but I had done one mission with him before, so this was still totally new for me; way out of my comfort zone! A humanitarian clown brings joy, humor and respite to the children and their parents, and we volunteered in a small suburbs of Iquitos called Belen. Many of the houses were built on stilts because of the inundations, and they have no electricity nor running water. The kids would run barefoot in the mosquito infested stagnating pools, mud, garbage and dog feces.
We played games with them, taught them hollahoop, dancing and music, and just had silly fun. And then I noticed something amazing: I would see 8 years old holding babies, standing next to the 6 years old hand in hand with 4 and 2 years old! There was so much family love, smiles and their eyes where shinning!!! Just look at them, they glow! I thought “this is what humanity is really like, there is so much love here, togetherness and belonging” At that moment my heart opened and it restored my faith in humanity.
You see, as a child I was abused and lost all faith in humanity. I saw the poverty, violence and wars, had no trust and couldn’t belong. It took this experience in Belen to reopen my heart. I think fasting is the same, I am filled with false beliefs about my body, it’s potential and possibilities. I have to use trust to go on to reach the long term benefits I keep reading about. Faith is the only way I keep going, the same faith I finally found back in Belen.
Fasting is a struggle if I don’t have trust and faith. I see those kids who live in awful conditions, yet they glow with life. They inspire me that I also can do without the permanent food, stimulation and luxuries of my rich North American lifestyle. I think this is part of the long term fasting journey: to let go of my old beliefs, and I hope to find the courage to reach it!
So thanks everyone for being there. Today I’m having lunch with mom, and she still doesn’t know I’ve been fasting for a week! I’ll tell you what happened tomorrow! Have a great day! Xxx Guy
Day 6 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body’s Healing Gift”. How are you doing today? Yesterday as I promised I went to discover Verdun’s new beach! It was wonderful to discover this watery breath of fresh air in our city! I bathed knee deep but felt already exhausted. It may have been the overbearing heat, or the 15 minutes bike ride to get there.
Actually biking there back and forth became an exploit; quite a difference from Day 2 when I cycled more than 2 hours throughout the city!! Then I still had my prefast food left as energy, as well as glycogen in my muscles. Now these were gone and I felt it, my bicycle stays locked away until energy returns! With the heat I decided find refuge in the cold climates of shopping malls. One hour away, walking on the shadow side of the streets, I stopped along the way in fast food joints for a pit stop of cold air, water and bathroom breaks.
Returning home my stomach rumbled for the first time!!! I find my hardest hours are between 4 and 8pm, when my zombie like mental fog reaches its lowest point and then I can’t avoid feeling an overall discomfort. I slept average, woke up for 1 hour in the middle of the night, more rumbling, going back to bed my knees and lower leg hurted. Morning came and was surprised by a bowel movement!!!! I just had to look at this magical child of mine! Small, short and compact it had the perfect form! I was proud of this performance!
Joke aside, today I am taking a day off from my “I have to be active” attitude to be more attentive to the messages from my body. I was using a kind of “mind over matter” towards fasting, unwittingly using the line “we are spiritual beings in a material world”. Now I think more of body first and my spirit is like its shadow. One way or the other, it’s all about working together in love and respect: Love my body and love myself!
It gets harder to keep the fast going, but I think of the endgame, to reach the stages of body self healing. This is a work of trust and faith, that the discomfort is just part of the road to recovery from years of neglect! Tomorrow, to celebrate my first week of fasting, I will have a very special post for you. I look forward to share it! See you then! xxx Guy
Day 5 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting” of our “Body Healing Gift”. When was the last time you stopped everything and walked barefoot in the grass? or if you’re so lucky on a sandy beach? It’s so great to step out of the rat race!
Yesterday my body started it’s detox, I had to blow my nose, sneezed a few times, spit, and my foul breath, oh my, flies would fall to the ground!!! my poor girlfriend who was nice enough to tell me about it!!!! So I brush my teeth and swish water in my mouth more often then not. Luckily I slept averagly well and have no headaches, but I remember my first water fast 10 years ago, torture with back pains, dizziness headaches and insomnia. I stopped after 9 days: I had 50 years of a toxic life to cleanse. Afterwards my relationship with food totally changed. I used to be mostly vegetarian, than vegan, and more recently paleo, now mostly fresh food and meats and generally avoid processed foods, so I’m less toxic this time around.
But the rat race itself can be toxic, with alcool, caffeine, pastries and sweets to make it till the end of the week, or the day!!! And the stress, lack of sleep and high cortisol levels. My father was of the generation where the wife stayed at home and the husband was the money maker, so I learned from him too well that work work work is the only value in life, and so I did. Only 6 years ago I stopped this madness and made a carreer move. This is why today as a speaker I aim to inspire others to take care of their life, because I didn’t take care of mine. And this is why I share my fasting experience with everyone, to inspire others that it is possible, and to love oneself.
Empowerment, this is what is about; fasting means taking back charge of your choices in life, and letting go and trust! Sometimes I do feel to give up, but with your feedback and support, I too want to get my life back! So I thank you for being there!
What’s up for day 5? More walking, more deep breathing, maybe try some meditation. There’s a new beach just a bicycle ride away in Verdun. Haven’t been there yet, and it’s a first to have a beach in our city, so I’m going to check it out! Tomorrow a photo I promise! See you there! xxx Guy Giard
Day 4 of 21 of water fasting, or as I like to call it Fat Feasting! Today I’m going hiking on our small Montreal mountain called ‘Le Mont-Royal’. I love the peacefulness of the trails and the contact with nature. It’s more of a meditative walk listening to the birds, watching the trees and the butterflies. I wish my fast to be an active one.
I slept maybe 3 hours last night, woke up often, had some pains in my legs. Got out of bed to do some work, drank some hot water sitting on the balcony in the fresh 3 am air, and went back to lay down, then all sorts of short crazy dreams followed. Still while I laid down sleepless I though about my journey: “4 days in and I’m not hungry! What a fascinating discovery about my body” I felt connected with our ancestors hunter gatherers. “It makes sense that our body can do this!”
Our body! Yesterday I read an article on all the different stage it goes through while fasting, from detoxing to undoing diseased tissues to create new healthy cells. “It’s not about not eating, it’s about healing!!! Eureka!!!” I don’t want to put the focus on the ‘not eating’ part but actually on the healing gift. It’s like going to our favorite rock concert, let’s say the Stones, and only talking about how we are getting there! “Yes I’m driving a car, that’s right” instead on being excited of “Yes, I’M going to see the STONES!!!! So forget the fasting, I’m excited because I’m using my body to get healthy again! Yeah!!!
Thanks everyone for your support, have a great day today xxx Guy Giard Dream-Creator
Day 3 of 21 days of water fasting, or as I call it “Fat Feasting”! Last night I had my first dream of food: eggs, grits and bacon!!! and then waking up to ‘Oh yes I’m fasting, darn!!!” hihihihi, jokes on me, seems my unconscious is playing games with me. Are you having food dreams?
So yesterday I cycled a lot which was fine, then I went to the pool for a swim, and strangely enough didn’t enjoy it, the water felt cold, maybe because my system as slowed down, I will try again next week. I do not feel so much hunger, I do feel my tummy but no grumbling hunger. 10 years ago when I reached 50 I decided to give myself a gift of health with a first ever water fast, it lasted 9 days. I got sick and dizzy, back pains and headaches then, and insomnia, but got through it.
In the last 2 years I’ve quit caffeine, gone really low carb, high fat, so I think my body is already used to use fat as ressource, which may be why it’s much easier this time around. lost 7 pounds already. I also found my purpose in life after quitting my job, so I am much more serene and grounded now.
So for today more walks and cycling, it’s beautiful outside! I hope today my stomach shuts down so I’ll have more energy, and watch out for dizzy spells, getting up to fast during the transition. On Sunday I am visiting mom for lunch and haven’t told her about my fast! She’ll freak out!! How is you family reacting?
Have a great day everyone xxx Guy Giard
Day 2 of my 21 day water fasting, or as I like to call it “Fat Feasting!” Today is much easier than I thought, yesterday I was hungry, today barely! I actually feel hyper and need to move, spend energy! I have many errands to do so I’m biking throughout the city. My heart beats harder and takes more time to go back to rest, but nothing more then biking a steep hill usely does. I have a thermos filled of ice cold water and am carefull of dehydration, the day is beautifully warm and sunny in Montréal, ideal summer weather!!!
Why am I fasting? For autophagy and health reasons, I’ll be 60 in a few months and want to reboot to a long healthy life, there are so many beautiful things to share in life, it is such an amazing gift!!!! I also lost 2 pounds already, I have a good ketosis I think.
Have a great day everyone, and keep on!!! xxx Guy Giard
#1 This is it, day 1 of a life altering journey, 21 days of water only fasting, or as I like to call it Fat Feasting since I will be nourishing on my own body reserves. I’ll be regularly posting update of my experience, so tag along for the possibilities! I love you all xxxx Guy Giard Dream-Creator.
Ps this morning I did a last session of High Intensity Training which most likely I won’t attempt till much later. (Pps consult your doctors and do your research before attempting any fasting!)
Guy Giard
Guy Giard 