Water Fasting Tips

Water fasting is not an easy job. You need to prepare yourself both mentally and physically to be able to fast successfully. No matter if you are water fasting for weight loss or for religious purposes, the biggest pro as well as the biggest con in water fasting is preparation, both mentally and physically! And it is due to this preparation and strong mindset that regular fasters can continue with water fasting for as long as 40 days! If you are a beginner don't push yourself! Start with experimenting and check how long can you continue with it! It is only when you are fully prepared with a set mindset, the desired results would show. Otherwise, you will always find excuses within yourself to let go of the fast, even if it's once in a day. The tips mentioned below will help you go through the entire process with a little ease by creating a supportive environment around you.

Helpful Tips to Follow During Water Fasting

You need to set this thing in mind that it's not just a change in what you are consuming, it's a change of your entire lifestyle! You need to understand that these fasting tips and tricks will just help you to fight against temptations and stick to your lifestyle change. So before you start reading further, be stubborn that you will complete what you start! Also keep in mind that the environment plays a very important role in the success of fasting. It will be comparatively easy if you have others in the family to do the household work, like cooking, dishes, cleaning, etc. If all these things depend on you, then it would be very difficult for you to start and go through water fasting. Go through the following tips and tricks to find out if you will be able to manage what it takes!

100% Commitment

If you were on a liquid diet, you would have options of soups, fruit juices, water, etc. But when it comes to water fasting, you would be solely dependent on killing your hunger with water! Therefore, water fasting requires 100% commitment on your part. Consume at least 8-10 glasses of distilled water everyday. You will have to do this by mentally and physically preparing yourself. This includes,

• Clearing all your doubts related to water fasting beforehand.
• Be mentally prepared that your lifestyle would change.
• Start going on a liquid diet at least 3 days before you actually start water fasting
• Be prepared of physical discomforts like hunger pains, bad breath, body odor and headaches, at least for a first few days.
• Avoid or remove anything around you that will tempt you to break your water fasting.

Don't Exert Yourself

Since you body will be consuming only water for the days you are fasting, try not to exert yourself, or not to do much of physical exercises that can make you tired and provoke hunger! If you plan to do this while doing your 9-5 job, it would be a little difficult for you to carry on the fast successfully, unless, you work around people who are supportive and helpful towards your endeavor! Relax and take as much of rest as you can for a longer and successful fasting duration.

Keep Yourself Busy

Once you are into water fasting, you will be amazed how much time you have to spend with yourself when you are not eating! You don't need to cook, or clean the dishes, or think what to eat at lunch or dinner! For the first 3 days, you just have to fight with your mind who will give you all the signals to go and eat something. This is the time when you need to distract your mind and keep yourself busy in order to avoid temptation. Try the following for the same.

• Maintain a fasting journal and keep a record of your achievements, the moments when you feel weak, what is going through your mind and consequently divert your mind to how you will feel when you achieve your water fasting results successfully!
• Focus on your long left hobbies and interests..., not anything physical, but you can start painting, reading, writing, listening music, etc. Anything that diverts your mind from craving from food!
• Take care of your body from the outside as you are already going through a inner 'cleansing process'! Get a spa done, keep your body moisturized, go for some facial massages, etc.
• You can also do some mild yoga, meditation, stretching, and breathing exercises. They will help keep your body and mind active.
• If you are religious, then you would know how effective is the combination of fasting and prayer. You can also spend some time reading The Holy Bible, or your religious scripture and fell the peace of mind.

Keep a Support Center

Yes, it is very important to keep a support center for back-up, especially when you are struggling through the 'weak moments' in your fasting period! It is always advisable to discuss your goals and the purpose behind water fasting with one of your loved ones. This really helps, because when you just need to be motivated again, you can always call that person, who in turn can remind you why you got into water fasting in the first place! A word of motivation can help you sail through the storm of negative thoughts and temptation! As for me, i always remind myself of how Jesus fasted for 40 days and how he overcome all the temptations that came on his way! You can also Read motivational books and write ups, or follow the examples of people who have done this in the past.

Some Additional Tips

Consider the period of water fasting as a period of 'inner cleansing, and self healing', which are the main benefits of fasting! Most people give up in the first few days, thinking that it is just too hard! It's not their fault! It's human tendency to rebel against anything that leads to discomfort. Here are some things you can do to make this whole experience interesting and exciting.

• Get a fancy water goblet made of crystal or anything that looks fancy to you to use while you are water fasting.
• Get a nice effective water purifier, the more purified is the water, the better would be the troubles.
• Also get some effective body sprays and mouth fresheners to spray while you fast. This is because the body is cleansing itself from within, therefore releasing toxins which may lead to bad breath and body odor.
• Whenever you feel it difficult to continue with the fast, think of how you would feel when you have successfully completed it, especially if you are water fasting to lose weight. Experience all the discomforts that you are going through as a means to enlighten yourself spiritually. This is how the monks and saints do it!

If you have any health issues, before you start, consult your doctor first to check if it's OK for you do go ahead with the fast. Another important thing to keep in mind is that once your fasting is over, you need to slowly start eating solid meals. So go for fruit juices one day after the fast has ended, start eating raw fruits and vegetables on day 2 and day 3, and then slowly move towards full-fledged meals. Never ever think of the water fasting process as a punishment! Consider this as a chance to experience greater personal awareness and expansion. Fasting is a spiritual and enlightening journey, and every person has his/her own experience. The more you fast, the more proficient you become in becoming strong willed. There is no greater joy in doing something which at one point, felt impossible to do, and the aforementioned tips will help you achieve the same. All the best!