Hiya Mojo!
Thanks for asking, here are some answers:
"1.) What was your daily routine like? Did you go to work, workout, drive, run errands?"
I'm a stay at home wife while my hubby works but I handle all the housework, chores, cooking, shopping, bill paying and all that stuff.
I kept up with this for the most part but the first few days were rough and I fell behind. Also I really HATED cooking during this fast so I left my man with frozen dinners and easy to prepare snacks. He survived. =)
My daily workout routine consisted of 30 minutes on my stationary bike per day at moderate intensity. I actually think exercise is very beneficial during a fast, but be careful not to overdo it.
"2.) What were you drinking & how much?"
40-80
oz. of filtered tap water per day. Along with zero calorie seltzer and Powerade Zero for electrolytes when needed. I basically let myself drink whatever I wanted as long as it contained no calories per serving.
"3.) How do you plan to maintain the loss?"
I'm crawling my way slowly back to eating solid foods but right now I only take juice. I know some of the weight will creep back on, given my height I'll be happy to stay in the 180-190 lb range.
I don't see the need for another fast in the near future so maintaining with a strict diet will be key. I've lost my desire for junk food and the thought of it makes me feel sick. I am craving fresh fruits and veggies all the time now.
"4.) Are you planning another fast in the future?"
Not at the moment. But never say never! If I regain more weight then I want to then I will definitely consider it.
"5.) Any advice for a beginning faster, someone who's never gone more than 5 days?"
I offer this wisdom: I was like you once. I would try and fail, try and fail again in an endless loop. You have to tell yourself ENOUGH! And just DO IT! Learn to accept that you will be surrounded by food and pressured to eat, EVERY DAY! And you have to learn to say NO. It's okay and it does get better. Fall into a routine where you can stop thinking about the fast itself and just live your daily life as the days tick by. If you obsess over fasting time, passes slowly, you will become discouraged, and you will not succeed.
If I, the queen of procrastination and failure can go 40 days, you can too! And probably longer!
Take care!
Icy