Entering day two of my attempted 30-day fast, it’s apparent that each day is going to be different. It’s about 4:00 pm and the hunger pangs have just started. Today, I woke up with a bit of a stomach growl and I found myself thinking of food. I was a little surprised by this because I don’t usually wake up hungry. After a glass of water and coffee, I no longer felt “hungry.”
“Hungry”
An amazing thing happened yesterday, day one of my fast. I drank some decaf espresso around 3:00 pm which temporarily took away the “hunger” I was feeling, but by 4:00 pm, I was starting to waver. I felt like I wanted to eat. Instead of succumbing to this “hunger”, I went to meditate for 20 minutes. As soon as I got situated and sat down, I was no longer hungry. I noticed that right away. This is why I have put hunger in quotes. Not only did I no longer feel hunger in that moment, after I finished mediating, I still did not feel hungry or get hunger pangs. Miss Cleo may have, as she came to meow at the door shortly after I closed it.
Last night for dinner, I made Tom Kha soup and tacos. Normally, I would go find food as soon as possible, but I cooked which probably took an hour. While making the food, I did not feel huger pangs. I did not crave food, nor did I feel like making myself a cocktail or pouring myself a glass of wine. I felt clear-headed, focused, and purposeful of everything I was doing. It was amazing. My mantra for that meditation was Strength, Determination, Discipline, Restraint.
Restraint
I made soup and had two tacos. I thought I would have three, but after eating two of them, I decided I had enough and would maybe come back to the last one later. I never went back for the last one. I felt satiated rather than full and decided that if I didn’t feel hungry before bed, I would not have the other taco. Having restraint from a taco may not sound like a big deal, and it really isn’t, but I did that knowing I would not have food again until 6:00 pm the following day. The thought crossed my mind to just stuff myself so that the next day, maybe I wouldn’t be so hungry but that did not happen. Growth!
As I type this now, I am having hunger pangs. I have removed myself from the temptation of having food (I’m on the rooftop getting the last bit of summer sun) and I will be doing a 20-min meditation after finishing this journal entry. I am hoping I will have the same results as I did yesterday. I noticed my hunger pangs yesterday started around 2:00 pm and today it’s 4:00 pm. I won’t think too much into this, as I know each day will be different, but it’s worth observation.
Tomorrow, I will be in the office and must participate in a business lunch. I’ll need to work out how I am going to handle that. My inclination is to just eat at lunch and skip dinner, making the time when I get to eat again much longer.
I have a headache coming on, so I’ll end this post here. Feeling encouraged and eager to report back.
