Juice Fasting to Increase Self Discipline
The only thing I’ll have is self-pity and maybe enough cognitive dissonance to fool myself into believing that I didn’t really want to achieve anything in the first place.
I’m 44 years of age and still have months where I’m struggling to earn enough to pay the bills. I’m getting better at dealing with my financial worries, but the reason I have these fears in the first place is my lack of self-discipline. One of my motivations for undertaking this current juice fast is an attempt to increase my tenaciousness, so I can get more done.
http://thisisthewilderness.com/?sccss=1 Juice Fasting for Self-Discipline
I am now on day twelve of a fifteen-day juice fast. When I attempted this same challenge last September, I gave up after ten days – this meant that I walked away feeling like a bit of a failure. It wouldn’t be such a big deal if it was just a blip in an otherwise clean record of self-discipline, but this is not the case. I regularly make commitments but fail to live up to them.
Juice fasting is a good way to increase self-discipline. I love to eat but fasting means that I deliberately deny myself this comfort. Drinking juice provides me with enough calories to function, but it is just not the same as eating. I haven’t been missing food as much as last time, but it still takes self-discipline to not give in and cook a burger. I know that finishing this fast is going to give a boost to my feelings of control over my life – just like failing to complete the last fast did the opposite.
Windham My Need for Self-Discipline
I work hard but lack of self-discipline means that I’m not doing as well as I could be. I put in long hours at the computer, but there are just too many days when I’m unproductive. There is an unacceptable amount of time wasted on worrying about the future rather than doing something to secure it. I work as a freelancer so this means it is all too easy for me to goof off when I’m not in the mood for work – I’m easily distracted.
The other area where my lack of self-discipline is obvious is my relationship with food. Every few months I make the decision to clean up my act, but it is business as usual within a few days or weeks. I give in too easily to food cravings, and I keep on repeating the same mistakes over-and-over again. This is not the way I want to live.
I habitually fail to follow through on my decisions – it’s usually just little things, but it soon adds up. I’ll commit to earning x amount per day, but I’ll quit a few dollars before hitting this target. I’ll make the decision to exercise for an hour a day, but I’ll only do 50 minutes. These failures never seem like that big a deal at the time, but they are because they further reduce my level of self-discipline. Being a quitter becomes my normal mode of operation, and this means that I’ll never have any chance of achieving my goals. The only thing I’ll have is self-pity and maybe enough cognitive dissonance to fool myself into believing that I didn’t really want to achieve anything in the first place.
I do know how to be self-disciplined, but it comes and goes. I need to make this a more permanent fixture in my life. The way I do this is by always following through on my daily commitments. If I say I’m going to exercise for sixty minutes, I don’t stop before the time is up. If I say that I’m going to earn X amount today, I don’t leave my computer until I hit this target. It is by refusing to compromise these smaller commitments that I’ll develop the self-discipline to make my larger goals a reality.
Day 12 of My Juice Fast
It is hard to believe that this is day 12 of my juice fast – it’s whizzed by. I felt relieved to make it past day 10, and I know that it is all downhill from here on in. I’ve enjoyed this challenge far more than I expected, and my body feels lighter and cleaner, and my thinking sharper. I’m not going to get on the scales until it is over, but it is obvious I’ve lost a reasonable amount of weight. After this I’m going to be doing 10 weeks of 5:2 intermittent fasting – another opportunity to strengthen my self-discipline.
You are doing great! Your honesty is amazing, your struggle is real, and your commitment is strong. And you are very hard on yourself. I agree, creating self-discipline and reaching our goals are required to feel successful.
For me, not all standards I create for myself are created equally because what I set for myself is arbitrary. It is usually measured against something external. I try not drive myself crazy and reduce life’s pressures by learning to let things go. For example when I commit to a juice fast, if for whatever reason I don’t make the set time, I don’t worry about it. I let it go. I’m a strong believer in recognizing that I’m human, and as such, will not always measure up to the standards I set for myself. Besides I can’t undo it, so the best way to move forward is to forgive myself.
What you’re writing about is excellent, all the thoughts and emotions you are feeling is part of the cleanse, when you start cleansing your body, you really are cleansing your emotional and spiritual being. Taking care of your temple in all aspects. You’re doing fantastic! 🙂
Thanks Angelina, I agree that it is not a good idea to beat myself up too much over past mistakes. I just want to push myself as much as I can because I’m tired of the excuses and giving up on things. I want to be financial secure and in excellent health by the time I’m fifty, and I know that is going to take a lot of self-discipline.
I tried the juice fast about a month ago after seeing fat, sick & dying. It was testing to say the least. I had terrible headaches, mood swings and a huge lack of energy for first 2 days. After that it improved but I still struggled. I retired and returned my juicer to the garage after 8 days.
Hi Gary, I never expected to be doing another juice fast after my last difficult attempt. I’m glad that I did though.
Isn’t it nice to know that you have passed your previous mark? You must feel amazing. I think this is the best and safest way to fast. I’m not sure how you did it, because I don’t think I could ever do it!!!!
It was nice to get pass day 10 Lani. I think the good thing about juice fasting is that I’m still getting enough calories to function.