Breaking An Extended Fast
Breaking an extended fast can be difficult. You will quickly discover that breaking the fast is harder than fasting. A slumbering digestive system is sensitive, and although you might want to try every food on the planet, you cannot because your system needs time to get back to speed. The longer the fast the more time is needed for breaking the fast. Water fasting demands the longest time to break. The longer the fast the more difficult it is to break correctly. Here is an email that shows just how bad it can be.
When it came down to actually breaking my fast, I had no idea how difficult it would be. The moment I put anything inside my body, I lost that natural euphoric high I’d had during the fast, and that feeling of losing control caused me to overeat until I was sick. I ate like a pig and even smoked! I was sure I would never have the desire to smoke again. I’m also feeling a bit ill. I feel like I felt before fasting: tired, frustrated, bloated and achy. Everything looks messy and out of control right now. I feel like I want to cry all the time. I don’t understand it! I had such discipline during the fast! What happened? Do you have any insights for me? Thank you for being there!! Love, Mia
If you are a compulsive eater, breaking a fast can be exceedingly difficult. During the fast, you are free from the bondage of food, but as soon as you eat, the battle engulfs you at full intensity. There is a nervous anxiety about eating. Part of you wants to enjoy the food and part of you is fearful of losing control.
There are erroneous beliefs that will destroy your discipline and healthy breaking of the fast. One is that I have deprived myself; now, I get to enjoy food. The other trap is the newness of the experience. Flavors and textures of food will be enhanced by super-clean nasal passages. Eating will be a brand new experience. There is a desire to try every food just to see how it tastes. A bite of this and that leads to a belly full of an indigestible mixture.
If you have dreamed of eating pizza after a fast, the first thing you will eat after breaking the fast will be pizza, because you have programmed your mind for the event. Be careful not to lust after food during a fast.
When you break a fast and start to eat, do not expect that the food will give you energy. Often, it is just the opposite; after fasting, the digestion of food can stir up more toxins. The first few meals move through the intestine like a broom that pushes ahead of it loosening waste from 30 feet of intestine. You can actually go from feeling great to feeling toxic after eating one small salad. Losing that exhilarating feeling and clear-mindedness, experienced on the fast, can be depressing. Don’t worry if this happens, it will pass in a few hours. A healthy diet high in raw food, can maintain the benefits of fasting.
Eating small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables for the first five or six days will allow the body to gently wake up the digestive system. Once you have eaten, wait till you feel hungry. Do not eat according to the clock or because you feel you should be eating more. When breaking a fast, overloading the digestive system causes feelings of apathy, depression or sluggishness. However, if you do overeat, the effect can be remedied by fasting until hunger returns, and then continue to break the fast. One of the tricks I have learned on breaking a fast is to pretend I am still fasting but eat the occasional fruit.
By Tom Coghill of Fasting.ws Articles may be copied or reproduced as long as the back links to fasting.ws are intact and the author’s name is included.
I broke my fast yeaterday evening. And I had no idea the FLOOD of emotions that went along with that..its like my will power just went out the window and was extreemely hard to control. I ate some fruits and veggies and soup brothy soup. Well in the middle of the night my stomach said wait a minute its not time for a party…and I had to run to the bathroom mulitple times. Maybe I ate too much at once or too many varieties. Today I will take it slower and chew conciuosly and taste consiously.
Tom if Im interested in another fast how long do you recommend before starting another one.
Thanks
Jess
Hi Jess,
Fasting is like flying far above conficting emotions. The moment you break the conflicting emotions return. It is a shock as you have felt free as if they would never return.
There is a powerfulpsycological effect based on wanting reward after being deprived. Any thoughts during the fast of being deprived now erupt. How you think during the fast has a huge impact on the emotions at the end of the fast. Keep in mind that it is like a wave that will pass but if you get it right you can surf it and that is amaizng.
Tom
Thanks so much for your encouraging words. Its so nice to have someone to share with that understanding EXACTLY how people feel when going through the whole process!
I am fortunate to have your help and encouragement!
Jess
so far i am 12 days into what i hope to be a 60 day fast. from what i’ve heard it is inevitable to afterward gain back the weight that you’ve lost after breaking the fast. is this true? is there any way around gaining back the weight?
Hi Crystal,
Is that a juice or water fast? Could you document your fast?
You will not gain the weight back if you eat a diet with lots of salads, fruits and veggies. Bread, fried foods, refined flours and no exercise is the problem. The psychology of eating is important. Read http://compulsive.ws
Tom,
My wife and I just finished a 28 day juice fast with some pure water fasting tossed in the middle. Today we both had an apple, some juice and some raw veggie salad. However, my wife fixed a rice and cheese casserole for dinner for our children and she eight about 10 spoonfulls. Needless to say, after 3 trips to the bathroom with loose bowels, she is currently writhing in pain on the couch. Is there anything she can do to ease the pain?
Hi Eric,
Use a stomach anti acid and you may need it over the next few days until the stomach heals. The mucus lining of the stomach is very thin after a fast and take about 5 days to get back to normal. The stomach acid needed to digest the rice and cheese casserole penetrated the stomach lining. Go back to juice fasting for 3 days then come off it with soft fruits and salads. Wait 5 days for cooked food or proteins.
I am about to finish a 3 day “dry” fast (no food or liquid) How should I transition in the week to follow. I’ve had problem in the past ( a 10day water fast in the beginning of this year) where I ate EVEERYTHING in sight. It was a mess. I want to finish this right, my mind is set. So what would be best. And when can I eat peanut butter and whole wheat crackers. Also, I am an avid runner, so I workout regulary and have a strong body. 6′2” 190lbs as of today. I just what to get this right. Thanks in advance!
Hello,
I am just coming to the end of a 30 day water fast, I did this for a number of reasons, getting closer to God & healing however. Also one of the added bonuses I hoped for was to get down to a healthy weight but I lost weight in the first week and then stayed the same throughout the next 3 weeks! I can’t believe this is possible, its like a reverse miracle, have you heard of such a thing?
Hi Leyla,
It depends on metabolism and how much juice you drink. Many will a slow metabolism do not lose weight on a juice fast and end up water fasting.
Leyla, I know your comment was months ago, but I am on an extended fast on my second week and this is the first day that my weight didnt change from one day to the next. So I ofcourse started to think that maybe the same thing may happen to me. Did you ever try another fast that worked better? May I ask what your beginning and ending weight was?
Hi Stef
There are a lot of things come into play here, {BMI] Hight waight to start with. Age ?
Sometimes people dont loose weight towards the end and some loose it at the start.
its almost like shocking the system into loosing the waight, If your weight loss stops” then go on to a 3 day juice fast then go back to water fasting.
when the body gets into a cycle for so long it tends to adapt and waight haults for 2-3 days.
When your waight loss halts on a long water fast then its time to juice fast.
Regards Keith.
Hi Tom!
I have a questions about food after fasting. I love raw fruits and vegetables and am looking forward to eating them by Sunday. I have not heard much mention of whole grains though. What is your take on whole grains. I mentioned before that I make my own whole wheat bread (honey, water, yeast, applesauce are main ingredients). How long should I wait to introduce that back into my diet?
Also what about legumes? I love black beans sprinkled on salad! Is the whole wheat bread and black beans too starchy to eat for a while?
Before starting my fast I ate an average (I kept a food journal for three months prior) of 1500 calories. How much should I cut that back once I introduce foods back into my diet and how long will it take me to get back to eating that amount while maintaining the benefits the fast has given me? I am 5′2″ and currently (as of today) 130 lb. I weight lift regularly and teach aerobic classes so I am pretty active,
Thanks in advance!
Hi Liv
It is good to wait about 5 days after breaking a fast to eat, beans and grain. They feel heavy in the stomach if you eat them too soon.
Hi.
I’m on day 4 of my 14/21 days water fast.
I don’t have a juicer and won’t be able to get one by the end of my fast. What fruits should I use to make a juice(in a blender, so I don’t know if I can use vegetables) and how long should I wait before start consuming solid food? Also, what kind of food should I eat before I start my new “normal” diet?
Thank you Tom.
Hi twspol,
You do not need a laxative after the fast as your body will explode…. Yes you could eat that as a laxative during the fast. Senna tea or prune juice also work. Blenders are useless for juice fasting. Great for healthy eating. When you break a fast is it more about eating small amounts. You could have a salad on day one but I recommend fruits like bananas and mangos. You made it to day 4 so you are past the worst and you probably have a slow metabolism so water fasting will be easy, or you have fasted before and your diet is good.
Thanks, I’m not having headaches anymore and blackouts are ceasing too, so I think I’m past that first stage.
What I was worried about is the post-fast stage but with some more discipline I think I can avoid putting the weight back and losing the other benefits.
Tom,
what would you say about bringing meat back into the picture.
I’ve read alot up on it–and the more I read the more I’m convinced that its very unhealthy. Although I was wondering if “in moderation” would be still okay. EX: Instead of the main dish being with red meat–maybe incorporate more fish & chicken…and trying a leaner turkey meat.??
as well as portion sizes playing a huge roll for a future change.
what are your thoughts on foods other than fruits & vegetables.
*I do have other plans in motion as to what changes I’m making but I’m thinking in terms of long wondering okay…should I never eat pizza again.
Thanks,
Hi Charity2009
Small portions of meat are not bad for you . Eating meat daily can be bad for you and fried meat is very unhealthy. You can have a healthy diet with small amounts of meat. And you do not have to restrict pizza. If your eat good 98% of the time and splurge occasionally you will have a diet you can stick to. I enjoy pizza but it is a treat and not part of my daily diet.
Tom, thank you for great website and all the information. I am am about to break my 30 day water fast. I am planning to return my high protein diet as I would like to put up more muscle. I do have a very sensitive liver. How long should I wait until I return to high protein diet? thank you for your help in advance
HI Mem
As your water fast was for 30 days, ease gently back onto solids, start with watered down juice for the first couple of days, then move onto organic soups for a coupple of days then slowly intriduce small pieces of meat in a salad, test your body to see how it reacts to what you feed it.
I finished a 30 day water fast a few months ago. You will be surprized how fast you put the muscles back on as i trained at the gym 4 days a week to,
Tom is busy at the moment at the Sagada Hospital but i hope this helps you for now.
Regards Keith. Site Admin.
Hi Tom,
I’m 55 and I’m currently on day 17 of a 21+ day water fast. I say 21+ because I want to wait for natural hunger to return, what I’m not completely clear on is how will I know when natural hunger returns? I need to lose 170 lbs which will bring my weight down to 215. I’m 6′2″ and large framed. So far I’ve lost 29 lbs. My intention is to take on the healthy diet of a vegetarian. I’m confident that meat will not be a temptation because of the cleansing process of fasting for this long. Also a vegetarian diet will be an excellent way to continue to drop the LBs. When I do break the fast, I plan to do organic juices for the first day. Then I will add some soft fruit on day 2. Day 3 will have broth added in with some raw vegetables. That’s as far as I’ve come. When should I have my first vegetarian cooked meal? Day4?Day5? I’ll wait for your response.
Thanks,
Mike
Hi musicpuppet
You will know when natural hunger returns.
When this happens your body starts going into starvation mode, meaning when the body has used up its fat reserves, it starts to use muscle tissues to survive, although slight muscle loss will occur due to the body s needs for amino acids to feed the brain and internal organs, when the fat reserves are gone then the body feeds on the internal organs.
A 7% body fat ratio is ultra lean.
Try not to go below this unless you are a pro bodybuilder,
Best wishes on your fast Mike,
Regards Keith.
Hi Tom,
I am on a 14 day juice fast and the last day is tomorrow…I plan to do a partial fast for the next week of only fruits and veggies…when I do start eating on Monday, is a vegetable soup okay? And how about apples, grapes, raspberries, and strawberries for fruits? Please let me know what is and is not good to eat after a 2 week fast. Also what about soy yogurt? Is that okay to eat? ANd will I put any weight back on if I continue eating healthy? Sorry so many questions but I want to make sure I do this right after putting forth so much effort to not eat for 2 weeks
Hi JocelynSousa
It takes about 5 days to get the digestive system back to normal after a 14 day juice fast. Sure a veggie soup is good. The key is mostly raw, small amounts and chew your food. The weight will stay of if you exercise. Wait 5 days before eating the soy yogurt.
Hi JocelynSousa
Your idea on breaking your fast sounds fine, i can’t foresee any problems with your list of soups and fruits, use organic soups, most people do put on initial weight after breaking their fasts, around 2-4 pounds, but the body does adapt to healthy eating, keeping the weight of means that you have to keep up the healthy eating, also we allways recomend an exersice program, when your fasting is over, remember it is calories in, versus calories out to keep the weight at bay.
Long walks, the gym, even a swim at your local pool 3 x a week will keep the weight of and speed up your metabolism, hence keeping your body in balance.
Blessings Keith.
Thank you Keith and Tom,
A few more questions… I had some rasperries, n rasins for breakfast, a tangerine n dried dates for lunch n some rasins n vegetable soup for dinner….but my stomach hurts…is that too much? I took a probiotic vitamin to help digestion but I feel as if my discipline is gone should I go back to juicing? And when can I work out again? Please get back to me when u can and thanks for your help your awesome!!
We set up the audios on the front page. Did anyone have trouble accessing the site yesterday????
Soory but too busy to answer right now as the site is first priority and I am off on a trip.
Hi JocelynSousa,
Sorry for the late reply. Yes, if your stomach hurts that is too much food. Dried fruit is not good to break a fast. Yes just go back to juicing for a day and that will solve the problem. Yes workout as hard as you can. Feel the PAIN. LOL
Tom the site is working fine now.
I could not access the front page for 2 days, but all is fine now
Keith,
Did you give a listen to the audios? I am going to try to set up for a skype audio input then we could have a talk on the phone and I could record it. If you recorded your end and sent the mp3 we could sink it up. Then we would have perfect audio. I just got and usb audio recorder for $60 on ebay. 2 tracks in.
Tom
I have listened to every Audio, lol.
Great to listen to and great for the site, the sound quality is amazing. I did try to download Skype a few months ago, but with no luck, now that i am on broadband then surely this should be a piece of cake now lol.
I have downloaded google chrome now and things seem to be fine, surly others must be having the same problems accessing the front page?
Regards Keith.
Hi Keith,
If you accessed with one browser but not the other suggests the problem may have been the browser.
Thanks for the feedback. I think it would be cool if we did a few audios together. With high speed it should be clear.
Hey Tom
Your now famous in my family, they have all heard the audio’s, they thought it is great for the site, all we need now is videos with the audio’s, you will be signing autographs before you know it LOL.
When i come over maybe we can do a video together.
Regards Keith.
Hi Keith
Yea I am so pumped. We are upgrading to 4 track inputs so that each person will have a separate track. That is much easier to edit.
The videos should also be going up this week. Then the chat with the same code that facebook uses. We put in a combo gas solar water heater. OOHHHH so nice. A black coil on the roof is heated by the sun and if it is cloudy we use the gas heater. 2 more people are coming to the retreat and one volunteer is here that wants to help with the research. As you can here on the audios we are having a blast. And the weather is perfect every day. Lots of juice fun company, and healthy living. Can life possibly get better??????????? Actually, in the past I did sign thousands of autographs per week. But that was another life many years ago. I would rather be happy than famous or rich.
Hi guys – thanks for all the great advice to us all. I finished a 19 day fast about 10 dyas ago. I am eating mostly raw veggies and fruit. When can I fast again? I have lost 21 lbs but have 60 to go. Thanks and blessings
Hi Dan
Was it a water fast, or raw veg/fruit fasting that you have completed?
If it was raw veg/fruit fasting, then you can continue on your fast until you have met your desired weight, without any problems.
Blessings Keith.
Keith – I drank one glass (8 oz) of store-bought orange juice and a cup of broth each day during the 19 days. So, I guess it was water + a bit. Once your digestive track is detoxed, is there a reason to juice fruit and vegatables instead of just eating them? If I do raw/veg and fruit for a long period, what about protein? Since I broke the fast, I have been eating about 800 cal a day in fruit and raw vega and my protein consumption is runing about 10-12% of food, or about 36 grams per day. Is that OK for an extended period? Thanks. dan
Hi Dan
Detox is a little more complex than you think?
If you were adding broth,veg, then your body takes longer to Detox, as opposed to a straight water fast.
Enemas, or the [SWF] will aid the process of Detox faster.
You can take protein on a juice fast, but not on water.
ie…take protein with your juice fasting to stop the breakdown of muscle tissue whilst on your fast.
The GDA amount of protein is 45 grams a day.
Blessings Keith.
Keith: Thanks for your replies. Just so I understand, having 8 oz of orange juice and 8 oz of broth a day is closer to a juice fast than a water fast. If I consume these items, I can fast as long as I want. (I understand that I may not be detoxing very well). Did I get it right?
On the protein question, after I fast and I am eating again, is 36 grams of protein a day a reasonable level or do I need to alter my diet to include more protein?
The third question was about juicing after I am finished fasting. Is there a benefit to using a juicer once I am eating normally again, verses just eating the veggies and fruit?
Sorry I did not make them more clear initially. Thanks so much.
Hi Dan
Yeah you are juice fasting, not water fasting.
Yes you can stay on that diet as long as you like, make sure you get the proper nutrients into your juice fast.
You can add protein into your juice fast.
JUICERS, ARE THE BEES KNEES.
Blessings Keith.
Hi there. I don’t really know what I’m doing, I’m new to this and I don’t even know if I am posting this in the right place.
Anyway, My husband is just finishing a 40 day fast today. Througout the 40 days he did 10 days of juice fasting, some water fasting, and finished it off with doing 10 days of the “master cleanse”. I’ve been trying to find information online about the proper way to break an extended fast, but it seems that almost everyone says something different or has their own oppinion about things. I am looking for some answers so he can break his fast correctly this time around. This is his third 40 day fast in 3 years. We both know that breaking the fast is the most imporant part… he just needs help knowing how.
I have read in a couple places that for however many days that you fast, you should eat that many meals of just raw fruits and veggies. So a 40 day fast would = 40 meals of just the raw fruits and veggies. Is this correct? Is that something you would recommend?
Other than that.. I’m not sure what he should do after that? When can he start bringing other things into his diet. Grains, dairy, meat, eggs… I know people have their oppinions about those things too, about making sure you stay away from dairy and meat… but if you were to start bringing those things back into your diet… how many days after a 40 day should you wait??
If you could answer any of these questions that would be GREAT.
Thanks so much
Hi Squint,
Breaking a 40 day water fast is serious. And yes there are many opinions on how to do it. Eating raw for 40 meals would be good. But the problem is that any overeating can overload the system. I recommend 3 days on juice. Then add some banana and mango shakes for two days in addition to the juice. The a salad, with shakes and juice for 2 days. Then You would be ready for some cooked veggies and a small amount of protein. If you feel stuffed, of heavy go to juice for a few hours until hunger comes back. If you overeat, go to juicing until you feel normal. I always state, “listen to your body” as it will guide you on how to break a fast.
Hi Tom. I just finished a 40 day fast, (just water), when I came off I had potato soup, home made wheat flat bread drenched in honey. Don’t forget the soy milk!. In the morning I had some oatmeal, and a hard boiled egg! Then I had an urge to use the restroom- what happen next, was the most unbearable PAIN I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! IT ALMOST BROUGHT THIS 46 YR. OLD MAN TO TEARS! So I thought, well, guts must be awake now, no more pain! That day I stuck to chicken noodle soup, 2 cans, until the evening when I had just a little more potato soup right before a tasty salmon steak on top of spinach lettuce and a side of Spanish rice! The next day, oatmeal and two hard-boiled eggs in the morning, then cottage cheese ’bout 1030, then at 1230, big sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard sandwich. At 330, protein shake. Oh by the way, something different today- no bowel movement!, its gets better! I know, I’ll push it out! I went to a buffet! PAIN, PRESSURE! Finally I got a double shot espresso latte, caffeine caused some flow, a breakthrough, diarrhea of course. Thought it was over. Continued to eat as day before, and you guessed it, another buffet, oh but this time, w/a huge piece of German chocolate cake, cherries jubilee, chocolate cheese cake, reeses peanut butter cup. Both buffets were Chinese, have to get my MSG’s ya know. Both buffets were not in the plan. One was a birthday, the other was a Valentines dinner. that all started Tues. night at 2pm. Now its Saturday, and me and my wife are celebrating our 14th anniversary. Oatmeal in the morning, two hard-boiled eggs. Got the worst Heartburn I ever had! Took two tablets of Pepcid AD, wasn’t sufficient, so I took some Pepto Bismol. Then to a Chinese restaurant for dim sum. After that, a trip to the herb store,where I purchased some Pshylimn husks to make a tea to hopefully get my bowels moving. But it was to no avail. Still I have yet to see any input of food I’ve eaten become output! My wife surfed and found your site. I’m now going to start doing what you prescribed in your column. Is this enough to rectify my problem of constipation, ( no pun intended ). I thought about getting that salt solution from my doctor to cleanse my colon, or will doing your 10 day fast breaking process be enough for the 40 day fast I did ? Signed Scared and feeling stupid . P.S. I wish I would have seen your article before I broke the fast. I feel stupid, cause I ignored what I now know was God telling me to research breaking a fast of such a length. Am I in serious danger?