Chomping on Cashews!

I've finally cracked!

Its the 16th day of the "fast , otherwise known as the "lemonade" cleanse, and Ive finally cracked! Im sitting here, chomping my way through a jar of raw cashew nuts!!

Follow your instincts

"What happened to your resolve?" I hear you ask, or maybe like most of my friends, you think that its about time that I stopped this fast. To be honest, it felt as though my body was saying "enough is enough!" Last night I felt cold, tired and not at all well. I put it down to a new herbal laxative tea that Id tried and which was having a noticeable effect on my insides! It wasnt funny, I can tell you! So last night I followed my instincts and I treated myself to a hot bath and a couple of small bowls of homemade chicken broth (from the freezer)...and I felt much better.

Comfort Food

This morning, after a good nights sleep, I thought that I was feeling OK. Then I burst into tears at the words of a beautiful email , and have felt exhausted for most of the day. I had my usual "lemonade " for lunch. Then this afternoon I succumbed to chicken stock/soup. Delicious!
And now Ive simply given in to the lure of the raw cashew nut! It will be interesting to see if I feel better or worse as a result. Clearly, I needed some food to "comfort" myself.

Emotional Detox

Of course, Im not really telling the whole story here. Whilst I was clearing the "clutter" in my body, I 've also been exploring my emotional balance. Ive been working with an amazing lady called Josephine Airns. Josephine does Resonance Repatterning. In other words, she looks for the conscious and unconscious blocks to my natural abundant vibration and then we work together to clear them.

It is powerful and emotional work,and I have made amazing and very fast progress, no doubt we reckon to the detox in my body. I have literally cleared the space within for the transformation without. Of course, with any transformation there can be a "wobbly" transition period. Think of the poor caterpillar that becomes liquid before he can transform into a beautiful butterfly! The last couple of days could be described as me "wobbling", as I clear old beliefs and blockages that up to now, have been buried by food.

Benefits of Fasting

This fortnight of fasting has achieved a huge amount in my life. I have been more focused on my goals, had higher levels of concentration and gained greater clarity about what is really important. I have also lost nearly a stone in weight and can fit into my jeans again. And I have learnt how good it feels when my body is happy.

Eating Consciously

I feel that the important thing now is to trust that I am the best person to look after my body and to know what it needs most. I have noticed, even today, that I will go for food if I feel cold and/tired and I will go for food to avoid doing a task. Now I recognise this, I am able to make conscious choices. For example, the cashews had to wait til every item on todays "to do" list was crossed out.

Last night, when I felt tired, I realised that my old choice would have been to treat myself to something like a Thai or a chinese takeaway as a way to distract me from my tiredness. I know now that it is better to recognise the tiredness and to choose an early night and a light supper rather than to "pig out".

Raw Food or High Protein

I am still confused, going forward, about whether to stay on 100% raw food or to follow Leslie Kentons "low carb, high protein" diet. For the moment Im planning to move off my "lemonades" for a while (even the best stuff can get boring) and drink more home made soups, gradually moving back to salads. Ill be a lot more conscious of what I eat, whatever it is, and I confess to enjoying the idea of some meat and fish in my salads. But for the moment Im hooked on Chicken Soup. There must be a reason for the old wives tale about Chicken Soup!

I recommend the Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse

Ill be back to report on how Im progressing and what Im eating once Ive completed my research on both options. For now though, I can definitely recommend the Master Cleanse from Stanley Burroughs as an excellent way to detox.

Go for it!

Further insights...

10lb weight lost!

Today I had a chance to weigh myself and the scales show that I have lost ten pounds in weight. Thats quite impressive for thirteen days of "lemonade", although as my mum succinctly pointed out, it is hardly surprising that I have lost weight when I havent been eating for thirteen days!!

Part of me is feeling that I have tricked my body into going beyond a ten day fast and my body was complaining a little yesterday. I also didnt have quite so much energy on the bike today . Mind you , I think that is partly because Ive started forgetting to take the "lemonade" As thats my only food, its a bit of a silly thing to do.

Carrying on

Im still intending to carry on until the 17th though, for several reasons
-because I said I would
-because Im loving the weightloss and I still have plenty to lose
-because Im too busy to start eating properly again and doing the necessary shopping and preparing of the food
-and because Im still receiving insights.

Fussy Eater

I realised this week that if I chose to adopt the X Factor diet, I would risk becoming one of those nightmare dinner guests who won't eat mashed potato or rice, for example.Horror of horrors, I would overnight become a "fussy eater". We dont "do" fussy eating in our family!! Then I thought a little more about that statement. What is wrong with being fussy about what we put into our bodies? We are what we eat. Is it really OK to let other people decide what we eat ? So often in the past I have eaten what everyone else was eating because it was convenient to do so. It didnt rock the boat. It kept the peace. I learnt as a small girl to eat everything on my plate to keep the hostess happy. Anything less was considered an insult, Maybe it is time to take more responsibility for what actually goes into my body.

Saying "NO"

I walk around the supermarket aisles to find my lemons and maple syrup, and whilst there I check out all the other foods on offer. When I see something tempting, I remind myself that I am committed to my goal and I ENJOY saying "no" to the temptation. One friend that I bumped into in the supermarket recently exclaimed "Oh, I dont know how you can do a fast and still come into the supermarket! I couldnt do that!" But to avoid food all together is a hopeless quest. We have to eat and we will continue to be surrounded by food, particularly unhealthy food. Just think of buying your newspaper or your petrol, and the array of goodies displayed to tempt you. No, the trick is to be focused on what you want and to practise saying "No". Of course, it might get harder when Im actually eating again....

Finding Joy

I have always loved eating food. I eat when Im happy, I eat when Im sad and I even eat when Im ill. Have you not heard the phrase "feed a cold"?! I find joy in the shopping , preparation and eating of food. No wonder that it was an important part of my life. Now that I have not been eating , I am having to find joy elsewhere. In the past when I felt hungry or tired, I would go and cook myself something. Now I run a beautifully scented hot bath and take to it with a good magasine and a cup of tea. Or I grab my bike and go and enjoy some fresh air. Or I have a good chat with a friend over the phone. Or I lose myself in a good book. I might even do some housekeeping or ironing. Occasionally, I might indulge in an hours television if there is a specific programme that I want to see. Thanks to this exercise of going without food, I am finally discovering that food is not always the answer. The phrase "you'll feel better with some food inside you" has lost some of its meaning for me. I feel that I am starting to let go of my addiction to food and in doing so I am discovering so much more joy in my life.

Marie-Claire

Gammon, Egg and Chips

Gammon Egg and Chips

I met my friend Jo for lunch today. As she has only an hour for lunch,we met in a little cafe near her offices. I got there first and ordered a mug of hot water - whilst looking on as the assistant dished out a perfect "two poached eggs on toast"! Thats one of my favourite meals! I could resist the "big english breakfast" (yes, it was that sort of cafe) but the poached eggs looked so healthy and appetising! My poor body was expecting to be preparing for solid food right now and instead I am deciding to wait another ten days!

Speed eating

Anyway I sat down , amongst the smells of bacon and chips, and topped up my hot water with my "lemonade" concentrate. Jo came in and ordered gammon egg and chips ...and I wondered how I was going to react as I watched her eat her lunch. We both chatted "nine to the dozen" knowing that she had less than an hour before she was back at work, and that we had a lot to cover in that time! In due course, her meal arrived ...and Jo continued to chat whilst she hastily "demolished" the plate of food in front of her.

Point of clarity
The question for me was ,"How often have I gobbled down food without paying it any attention?" and how wise is it to cram eating with another activity, whether it be talking to someone or watching the hyperactive TV screen?

Jeans one size smaller!

After "lunch" I took a stroll to the bank to bank some cheques. Along the way I tried on some jeans and was delighted to find that I had gone down one size! Mind you, I couldnt resist walking through Tescos and being away of a new "Wok To GO " restaurant in Chester. Im still finding the idea of food attractive ...

Listening to my Body

To be honest , I felt a bit bored on the fast today, and a little tired. I have been working very hard this week. I am very focused. This weekend I have a book to edit and so for now , im signing off for some well deserved rest and relaxation. After all, I am at last starting to listen to what my body REALLY wants.

Thanks for staying with me on my journey!

Marie-Claire

I did it! Ten days without solid food!

Have I lost my hunger?

Yesterday was the last day of my ten day fast. I completed ten days without solid food! If you knew me well, you might realise how incredible this feat is! I LOVE my food! Whether its poached eggs on hot buttered toast or gravalax dipped in dill sauce; oysters , spiced with tabasco or a large spinach salad with avocado, red pepper, black olives and pine nuts, drizzled with olive oil, I can always find some tasty reason to eat. The idea of going without the bliss of these culinary experiences would seem to me to be at the very least "crazy" and at the worst, I would question the very point of living! Gosh, did I really say that? Yup.

A liberating experience

Well , the experience of ten days without food has been totally liberating. As I wrote out above some of my favourite foods , foods that would normally have me salivating at the thought of them . I was Ok. I didnt feel any urges or physical responses. I didnt feel the rush to stock up my fridge and start "stuffing my face "again. I apologise for the rather vulgar expression. However when I think back to how I would eat , its not really that far from the truth.

In the morning I would grab my cereal of homemade granola , but then I would sit in front of either the TV with the morning news or in front of the computer, and I would "unconsciously" shovel the food down, whilst distracted by the screen. Lunch wasnt much better. If working from home, Id take a break at lunchtime and eat my lunch whilst "glued to" "Loose Ladies" on TV. The large bowl of green salad would be "demolished" without even realising it! In fact sometimes I d think I was still hungry afterwards, no doubt because I hadnt paid any attention to the fact that Id already eaten!!

Free from the Tyranny of Food

These last ten days have freed me from the tyranny of food. As I mentioned in an earlier blog , I have had more energy and I feel much more focused. I have found levels of concentration and perserverance that have been absent for a long time. I am getting so much more done in a day and I really feel that I am living life to the max again! I havent been slowed down by food. I havent checked my weight again but my friends are starting to comment on how well Im looking. In fact , quite a few of them are now thinking of giving the ten day fast a go themselves!

Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse

If you fancy doing the same thing ,the technical name for my ten day fast is the Stanley Burroughs Master Cleanse. Its been around since 1941 and so you ll find plenty of info on it when you google it. (Incidentally, I wasnt a big fan of the salt water flushes - they were the only times that I didnt feelwell on the fast)

The three week Fast

So what now? Well, the original plan was to come off the fast very slowly , drinking orange juice for the next couple of days, easing into a vegetable soup broth by the third day....but why would I do that when I am feeling SO good on this fast? Stanley Burroughs suggests that the fast is follwed for a MINIMUM of ten days and it can be followed for up to thirty to forty days. Im not ready to stop it just yet. I feel too good ,and Im getting too much achieved!

So , after some consideration, I am going to be continuing until the 15th March. That will make it a total of 21 days. Three weeks can be enough time to break a habit. Three weeks will leave me with five clear days to return to normal food in time for a couple of major social functions week commencing 21st March. And, lets be honest here, three weeks might lead to further weight loss!

So watch this space ...there'll be more blogs as I continue my journey!

PS If you are following this blog , please do sign in. I thought I was only writing to an audience of one (thank you Helen for logging on to the blog) but then several of you have since told me that youve been following. Please do make yourselves known. Its so much nicer when you can see the faces of your audience!!
Thank you ,

Marie-Claire

A whole day without thinking about food!

Break through

Ive just realised that I didnt update my blog yesterday. I just didnt get the chance! Now that is a breakthrough for me ! It means that I went a whole day without having a moments thought about the fast. In fact Im starting to wonder how I ever had time to fit food into my day!

Finding Clarity and Purpose

Im feeling better every day too. I feel lighter , full of energy and purpose! My work involves me speaking a lot about how we need to clear our clutter. I believe that underneath our clutter lies our true essence and when we get back in touch with our real selves, the magic starts to happen. In the same way, food has been cluttering up my thoughts. Its been a distraction from my true purpose and clarity.

Just as a smoker lights a cigarette in the middle of a tricky job , so I will have run to the kitchen for something to nibble. The art of concentration and focus has been lost. Its time for me to rediscover it. Increasingly , I am finishing outstanding tasks, facing up to things I didnt want to face and perservering with tasks outside of my comfort zone.

Ability to concentrate on a task

At the weekend, I spent a total of eight hours working out how to post out my monthly emailed newsletter via Aweber! Normally my web designer does it for me for a fee but I wanted to learn how to do it myself. I was well outside of my comfort zone. I am a speaker and not used to detailed work on a computer that takes hours to complete! Ok to be honest , I threw in the towel at 2am on Saturday night ...only to pick it up again Sunday evening. When I finally cracked it, I found that it was something easy that Id missed along the way. My amazement is that I stuck at it! I didnt have the normal distraction of a meal to cook and eat.

Penultimate day of Fast
Today is the penultimate day of the official ten day fast. I am a little bored of the drink but I am nervous about being able to control my portions when I start eating again. I am not in a rush to return to normal eating. Why would I be? I am feeling fantastic , energised, focused and clear, and I am losing weight. Mind you ,its not very sociable ...

The real challenge

If I carried it on for 30 days, it would mean that I was still on the fast when my sister and husband come to stay for the weekend. And this is where I meet my major challenge. The very idea of not joining in the celebration of a family meal together seems wrong. Anti -sociable . unloving. And yet, this might be the very root of my problem with food: that I would rather eat and fit in, than choose what is best for me and my body. I wouldnt want to rock the apple cart.
Mind you, there have been evenings when I was the only person not drinking alcohol and that was OK . It was wonderful in fact.

The challenge for me would be honouring my desires , even when they may not fit in with others. Actually the real challenge for me would be QUIETLY honouring my desires! That is no doubt the route to improved self esteem and the freedom to be all I that I wish to be! Wow!

PS If you d like to hear me talk about clearing clutter, and hear one of my coaching tips, check out my video and vote for me in http://www.britainsnexttopcoach.tv/contestants/Marie-Claire-Carlyle
Thank you! xx

Sizzling sausages and bacon for breakfast?

The smell of sizzling sausages and bacon

Even if you're a veggie, there is just something ingrained in most of us, that when we catch a sniff of a good old fashioned breakfast, our mouths water and we hunger for something that we may not normally eat. As you know, if you ve been following this blog, I normally have homemade granola for breakfast. As a treat, I may have poached eggs on toast. There was a time when I loved the full english but more and more, I was feeling uncomfortable once Id ate it. But the smell of those sizzling sausages could just make me forget what I just said!


Food is the main act

This morning I attended a networking event at 8am where a free breakfast of sausage or bacon roll was on offer , washed down with coffee or tea. Last time I attended this event , I remember ...and this is confession time .....salivating as I struggled to choose between the sausage or the bacon. In the end I had both, one after the other! It was definitely the highlight of the morning for me and one of the main reasons for returning to this event. ( I know how sad that makes me !)

So imagine my panic when I realised this morning that I was attending the same event but this time Id be sticking to my self induced fast? I very nearly decided not to go!
But I did go..... and in facing my demons, I gained clarity.


Finding Clarity

I walked up to the breakfast counter to request a cup of hot water. I faced up to those sausages and looked them in the eye. And the strange thing was that I felt nothing for them. It was easy to resist. I went up a second time later on, and again, it was easy. I wasnt even tempted. I simply didnt allow the possibility of temptation.

Instead of wasting my energy and focus on the food, I had more energy and focus for the people I was meeting. I had a wonderful time. I really enjoyed myself, and I enjoyed the people I met this morning. I felt alive and more focused. I felt clear. And I felt really proud of myself. Id turned a corner. Id shown myself that I can be the master of food rather than food being the master of me!

This opens up a huge realm of possibility and mastery....
...and its only the end of day four!!

Thank you for joining me on my journey to further clarity!

Marie-Claire xx