Re: New to fasting and in need of support.
Hi Piperloo,
If your aim is to break a
Sugar addiction, i believe there is no better way than through a water fast... and that's the great news. I believe you will be 100 times stronger in your ability to resist a gummy bear than you are today. The less good news is that, though the addiction will have been broken, you will still need to exercise moments of discipline to keep it that way, though i strongly believe that if you never have the first piece, it is quite a bit easier.
I have (i had!) issues with
Sugar too as well as coffee and the
Sugar in coffee, which i feel for me is a gateway "food" into handfuls of chocolates and such. I just finished a 10 day
Water Fast a few days ago and decided throughout that i would not have that first cup of coffee nor the first piece of candy (in the past, i thought i would be able to have coffee in moderation, but i was wrong). I have come to not trust myself to be able to have just one, but i am actually quite strong in my ability to have none and keep it that way. Perhaps you are the same way, or perhaps we are different. But addiction, to me implies that we had best avoid it all together.
If you have a relationship with God, i believe praying each day for this addiction to be broken would be powerful, and if you don't pray, then some kind of substitute (ie: positive thinking, affirmations...).
With regard to your daughter, you will make the best decision as to whether to share it with her, but it might be challenging to pretend you are eating as you will seem (and feel) different physically. Then you have to ask yourself if you really want to weave the web of little white lies which would become necessary.
Personally i would want to share it with her, but that's just me... and if you decide to do so, i would recommend encouraging her with some very good articles on water fasting, such as:
http://www.falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm#What%20is
(This one is quite excellent and thorough).
http://www.gaianstudies.org/articles4.htm
http://fasting.ygoy.com/benefits-of-water-fasting/
http://www.besteverarticles.com/articles/5/1/Water-Fasting/Page1.html
The information could go a long way in breaking her misconceptions which have no doubt already been established and to help her to see fasting as something wonderful. You might even then have her in your corner for support. You have probably read this kind of material, but it should serve to re-inspire you as well as it does me each time i fast.
I wish you the best piperloo, please keep us posted.