Re: 3 weeks post fast observations

Hi 3rdday, thanks for the great post!

I will begin with my refeeding. I lost 20 pounds during my fast, .. cut it to 17...  However, I made a HUGE mistake. On the 17th, I made a full grocery shopping. I had spent so many days fantazising about what foods to make that when I got to Harris Teeter instead of getting just juices I bought all types of vegetables, fruits, cashew butter, spices...and that same night, I was unable to resist. I went straight to the fridge and broke my 17 day wate fast with solid foods (sun dried tomatoes and cashew butter).
The next day I made myself a vegetable soup which i fully finished. All of it. But I respected the no meat rule at least. I feasted on fruits and veggies.

Everything seemed all right except the bloating of my tummy, not just the stomach area, but all of it. Granted I was eating tons and tons of soup so I thought it was normal. I had not gone to the bathroom once during my fast, but now i was oing everyday.

Bloating is a classic symptom of eating foods that our body was not ready for or eating too much of them.  Not just the stomach, but the entire intestinal tract needs to be gently nurtured back to full capacity after shutting down and going into a deep slumber for 17 days.  Even whole vegetables can be too much 1 day after breaking a long fast... (especially if we have a lot of them) and sometimes even whole fruits also depending on the quantity.  Your plan to juice for 4 days was an excellent one :). 

Just to give you an idea of what i think would be ideal after 17 days of water only:

juice for about 4 days (in agreeance with you, ideally an awesome variety of fresh juiced organic produce) and maybe cautious nibbles of small amounts of whole fruit in this time, especially a fruit as digestively simple as watermelon.  This is great if we are confident we can keep the whole fruits very limited and otherwise we are better off sticking to juice alone.

Day 5 we should be quite ready for moderate amounts of whole fruits as well as continued juices.

Day 6 raw vegetables. 

Day 7 would be my vitamixed veggie soup day... and yes i would have been excitedly anticipating this :). 

Then one night, about 10 days after the fast, I woke up several times due to a pain in my lower abdomen. I was so scared it might be appendicitis. The next day the pain had worsened. I kept passing gas for 20 hours non stop! And then, well, during the day I used the bathroom, no kidding, about 8 consistent times. My stomach was Hiroshima. But thankfully the pain went away after that. Passing gas continued for 2 days. Very strange.

Even if we believe we are ready for more digestively challenging foods before the above time frame, so often we are not.  To say it another way, our desires are at their peak but our digestive system is still gradually returning to normal after it's long slumber.  I strongly believe that by following the protocol that you originally planned, your system would have been able to gradually work it's way back towards full capacity and the bloating, pain in abdomen, gas, Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima and the 4th of July all would have been avoided :).

I had a similar experience after a 30 day fast (if memory serves) where i had a fairly good quantity of "split peas" around 7 days after breaking.  I believe i needed to hold back until about day 14 for that.  If i had a very small quantity it would likely have been fine, but when we get a taste for something and love it... and our appetite is raging, it's harder to ration ourselves than to avoid that particular food type entirely, until our body is ready for it.   

As of today, my digestive system works like new, with too much energy. I mean, I HAVE TO go to the bathroom 2 to 3 times a day! But I´m happy because I know that this is because it´s healthier than ever. It´s like brand new! Hopefully all my organs hav been renewed like that.

This is fantastic to hear!  People get used to eliminating once a day or even less than this and begin to believe it's normal.  [disclaimer: for people eating only once per day this is fine :) ]  While it might be normal or average because so many people have that same issue,  if we are functioning optimally our bowels should be moving as yours are now.

Now, on to the weight... I had put 13 pounds back on 15 days after my fast. And this, eating healthy, but in great amounts. Fruits, veggies, whole wheat in the mornings, cashews and nuts, and beans.

13 pounds in 15 days is very comparable to what i generally put back on with healthful and moderate eating. The temporary water and the intestinal content can only be tricked into staying off longer, but eventually it will return with sensible (non starvational) eating.  You definately burned some long term fat too, probably about 7 pounds which can be added to the long list of amazing benefits you received.

The good news is that now that I am strictly following Dr. Fuhrman´s nutritarian guidelines, I am losing weight. This past week I have lost 3 pounds. I eat plentifully, but the right foods I mentioned above. Sometimes I even overdo the nuts but it dosn´t seem to matter.

Truly excellent :).  Dr. Fuhrman inspired me to make vitamixed soups with kale, collards, swiss chard and/or other vegetables which is a great staple both coming off a long fast (after a few days with even greater digestive simplicity) and in normal daily life.

Basically I have found ways to enjoy Dr. Fuhrman´s diet and I am in shock, as I like my new diet more than the old one.

I so know this feeling.  I have come to absolutely love the way healthy foods taste and have been enjoying them almost exclusively for about 2 years now.  I will allow myself a cheat day about once a month, but often i don't use it :).  I also loved coffee and replaced it with healthy teas, green and otherwise.

I was addicted to salt, coffee, cheese, oil...and now look at me! I am convinced this is thanks to my fast.  I couldn´t have done this without it. It made me so aware of everything.

Yes i wholeheartedly agree.  The fast realigns our desire to eat wholesome healthy foods... and our part is to keep it that way by continuing to eat them.  I saw a commercial for "toaster strudels" last night and i'm looking at them shaking my head thinking how two short years ago i considered that to be a perfectly acceptable "food" to put into my body... But last night i was picking them apart in my mind, thinking of all the crap they are made of... refined flour and sugar, artificial flavors and coloring, preservatives and God knows what else... all the while hating the manufacturer : ).  Truly my desires have been transformed and fasting gets almost all of the credit.

I feel healthier than ever, more pleased with food than ever, less hungry than ever, and losing weight!! and i´m not even working out at all now.

Fantastic to all :).   Great job 3rdday and thanks again for your excellent update! :).