Introduction: Before the Fast

It's disappointing to find myself back on this blog almost 3 years later - and a lifetime away from the dedication I had when I completed the 21-Day Cleanse. I'm ten pounds heavier than when I started the Cleanse and ready to refocus and try something new.

I'm preparing for my first juice fast. I'm approaching this experiment with an intention of compassion. There is no strict timeline, because I have no idea how my body will react and I want to honor whatever happens. I hope to go at least 7 days and would love to go as many as 60. I won't be eating anything - just drinking juice that I make myself from fruits and vegetables.

In preparation for the fast, I bought a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The cheapest juicer they had was a Sharper Image, but I read bad reviews about that one. This one was just a little more expensive and people have said good things about it.

I also stepped foot inside my first Farmer's Market - which is amazing because I've been a vegetarian for 8 years. I bought 3 bags of apples, 5 bags of carrots, a bag of oranges, lots of celery, broccoli, spinach, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, ginger, sweet potatoes, grapes, lemons, and limes. And I only paid $60! I have no idea how long my produce will last. The juicer came with a little booklet of recipes, so to start I'm going to try some of those and I bought the fruits and veggies I would need for that.

Chuck and I tested out the juicer today by juicing lots of veggies and turning the juice and the pulp into a soup. It was good, but the texture of the pulp was a little too rough for me. Today I'm existing on soup and soymilk to prepare for my first day of the fast which is tomorrow.

I'm used to eating whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm used to eating to regulate my state of mind. If I'm too happy, too sad, too angry, too nervous - too anything - food is the regulator that brings me back to equilibrium. So soup and soymilk is already leaving me feeling hungry - and nervous about how I'm going to cope with life in general.

But I'm excited for this. I was driving home from yoga this morning relieved that I didn't have to make choices about food today. I don't have to feel guilty today. I don't have to justify my actions today. I don't have to compromise or regret or rationalize or analyze. For as long as this lasts.

So, just like I did with the Cleanse - in the name of science - I'm starting the fast at 260 pounds.

Here we go!

(Inspiration for the fast came from Gary Gibson's program, The Vegan Effect, and his recommendation that I watch the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.