I began my writing journey nearly 20 years ago as a writer of paid ads; puff pieces. If the owner of a local furniture shop wanted to toot his own horn, I was called in to interview the bloke and write a 500-word self-serving article that had little to no journalistic value. But I didn't care because I love to write; it is what I always did naturally since I was a little boy. I even won an award for a report I did in sixth grade about outer space, the stars and galaxies. The other kids turned in maybe ten pages; my report was 60 pages. Yeah, always one for overdoing it! lol Anyway, from writer of fluff I eventually moved up to staff writer and then to business journalist editor and copywriter. Those were some of the best years of my life. But the good times were tainted by the crippling monsters of binge-eating disorder and alcohol addiction. Over time, I continued to lose control of my eating until, one day, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw that I had become almost morbidly obese. I am six feet tall, and the scale said I weighed 315 pounds. Yes, I was the guy who would wake up (come to rather) on the floor, surrounded by half-eaten burgers and pizza boxes. The feeling was always the same: "Why Am I Still Alive?" I began to see that the binging was not something new; it has actually been with me from a very early age. I had an aunt who enjoyed spoiling me during my visits by packing her cupboards and fridge with all kinds of fattening foods and pastries. I would step into that house and spend most of my time gorging on every piece of food in sight. I recall going back home on Sunday evenings and feeling like I was about to explode. Eventually I found myself 15 pounds overweight and very sick from intestinal toxicity. One day I started fasting basically out of desperation, but was consumed by horrible withdrawal symptoms before I could finish even eight hours without solid food. It was like being stabbed all over my body... the detox pain was intense. I was puzzled by the bad breath, white-sticky tongue, metallic taste and dizziness that I experienced. Research later led me to the realization that the symptoms were a reflection of just how toxic my body and digestive system had become. How dark it gets before the dawn! In an ultimate low, I received the grace, strength and resolve to launch 40-day water fast. The start of the fast was hell. I quit smoking cold turkey right then and there. The symptoms hit me hard, and I was against the ropes many times. I don't know why I was doing this. I just knew that I had to. This was my chance to find some sort of life. It was very hard and painful - especially during the first 11 days of cleansing and detoxification. But I was reborn. Fasting for weight loss, health and fitness has changed my life. It worked when traditional diets did not. I realized that, as long as I kept putting food in my body, I was not giving it the opportunity to cleanse from all the toxicity that had built up over the years. My complete lack of control with food was a problem that only fasting was able to break. It forced me to navigate through the pains and discomfort of cleansing and detoxification. Only then did the chains of food slavery break, and I was led to freedom. Once the fasting was over, I found - to my astonishment- that I was no longer willing to just put anything in my mouth. The sacrifice of fasting and cleansing gave me a new perspective on food. This new perspective, in turn, gave me a fresh sense of discipline that had otherwise eluded me. In short, for me diets did not work because, in reality, what I needed was to stop eating altogether for a season, so my body could cleanse and heal. I tried all the diets, believe me. Yet I only grew fatter and more frustrated. Each failure usually restored me to the previous undesired weight and added another 10 to 20 pounds. Later I realized that, at least for me, fasting and cleansing had to come BEFORE I could stick to any diet - no matter how good it was. Having lost nearly 100 pounds through juice and water fasting, I now dedicate myself to helping others interested in improving their health through this amazing, life-giving discipline. I started the website fitnessthroughfasting.com in 2006. Over the past three years I have become an independent author with more than 20 titles on alternative medicine therapies, fasting, detoxification, health and wellness. Thank you for taking the time to visit and read my profile. If I can ever be of service to you in any way, write me at webmaster@fitnessthroughfasting.com. May love, joy, peace, prosperity and optimum health follow you all the days of your life! Warm Regards, Rob