30 Day Trial - Water Fasting

[Lucas]

I have been feeling a bit hungry lately, everything smells so good and my sense of smell I think has doubled. However its not that big of a deal. I did get the urge to "detoxify" my closet and have gotten rid of things, and probably put about 600 dollars worth of stuff on ebay. It feels good to condense down. I dont know if anything profound has happened. Unfortunately we don't have a scale so I cant weigh myself, so I dont know how much, if any, I lost.

I am looking forward to eating again, as I have so many ideas for healthier things to make.

[stellabeam]

Hi Lucas,

I just want to give you my support.

I studied fasting a few years ago and I know it can be amazingly healing and save lives.

I am so glad you have the support of your girlfriend. I think it is important to have support, especially when you come to break it. Educate her as much as you can about the dangers of breaking the fast incorrectly, and get her support specifically at that time.

You are strong now. Have strategies in place for the times, in the days after breaking your fast, when you may be weak in your resolve.

Thanks for sharing and good luck

Stellabeam

[Tim Brownson]

C'mon Lucas just when you get me hooked on this you go and miss a day!!!

I hope that is because you are too busy and not too tired to type.

Best of luck and looking forward with interest to reading your further exploits.

[wolfgang]

yeah, where'd he go? I've been lurking this thread.

[MasterD]

lol, Lucas you have more attention than you think

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Tim Brownson

C'mon Lucas just when you get me hooked on this you go and miss a day!!!

I hope that is because you are too busy and not too tired to type.

Best of luck and looking forward with interest to reading your further exploits.

Well, I'll just start writing.

My tongue is kinda yellow-y and feels like there is a little coating on it all the time, though that has diminished a little. I have also had a little cough and my lungs hurt slightly...though that is part of the detoxification process.

My legs no longer hurt and it isn't a struggle to do anything, and my libido was a little repressed, but came back last night.

We went to see a movie and the popcorn smelled great, and I could smell it all through the movie, long after everyone else had gotten used to it. I am not sure if this is because I wanted the popcorn, or if my sense of smell is heightened.

Honestly the biggest revelation in all of this is how huge of an impact emotional hunger has over our lives. I mean, I knew we ate because we were bored, sad or to cover up other emotional problems, and I expected this shift going in. What I didn't expect was the overwhelming amount of emotional hunger I would have...leading me to believe that a good 75% of our hunger urges come from emotions and not our body craving nourishment. In fact, if it were our body craving nourishment, we wouldn't eat things like doughnuts and fried foods.


Since you guys seem so interested, I will tell you a story. At my part time job I sit next to this guy named Matt. He annoys me. Mainly because he is the most negative guy ever. He has a drawer full of candy and junk and he was trying to tell me he was "hypoglycemic" but it came out as "hypochondriac", which I think was a Fruedian slip Anyway, he told me how he is hypoglycemic and also diabetic, and I asked him why he eats so much sugar (2 Krispy Kreme Doughnut Hole Cups a DAY) and he said because he didnt care if he died.

I don't talk to him much. However it is fascinating to watch him just eat and eat. Same with my hefty manager John...he comes back in saying "they finally put good **** in the vending machine", and what does he have in his hand but 2 packages of hostess cupcakes. 4 cupcakes! Now, I am a fan of cupcakes, but man...thats a lotta crap.

I feel good though. I feel clean. I do feel a bit removed from society however, not eating when out with friends, not going to my parents for dinner. I am also interested in what changes my tastebuds are going through.

This experiment has been a little on the lonely side, with only support from my girlfriend. Everyone thinks I am starving myself. I appreciate the support from this forum. Its good to know there are other people who appreciate the idea of pushing themselves into something better.

[MasterD]

Originally Posted by Lucas

I feel good though. I feel clean. I do feel a bit removed from society however, not eating when out with friends, not going to my parents for dinner. I am also interested in what changes my tastebuds are going through.

Leaders go first. Leaders break out of social conditioning.

I live in a student's house with 3 other roommates and now I just have another dinner than they have, because I don't want to eat that crap every dinner. In the beginning I really did feel a little bit depressed about this and also quite a bit removed from society. I don't feel bad about it at all anymore (I do have my weak moments of course), it's like they are staying behind and I am exploding upwards. I am now so certain about this that people hardly question it anymore and do not even think it is weird or something. In a sense it feels great; a bit lonely yeah; but that's how people who excel feel in their stages of propelling upwards till they meet likewise people with standards like they do. Lol.. reading this writing back makes it sound a littlebit arrogant and self justifying. But anyway, I truly think it is the case.

An exceptional future lies in front of you.

Btw... what I experience, when I feel a little bit off, in a more value-taking state, the food issue becomes a lot bigger. When I am in a great mood, in a true value-giving state, food is hardly an issue and people really like the extra 'hassle'.

[Tim Brownson]

Lucas, firstly you do have support, it's here. I wouldn't encourage anybody to do what you are doing but if they were going to do it anyway, I would support them.

As for the guy at work. Try looking at him from a point of curiosity and he'll bother you less.

Glad to hear your libido is back

[MasterD]

Oh yeah; better be celibate during this trial, it costs 30 times as much energy to create a new sperm cell as it takes to generate a new red blood cell... better to save the energy for healing instead .

[Honeywith4bees]

Originally Posted by Tim Brownson

Lucas, firstly you do have support, it's here. I wouldn't encourage anybody to do what you are doing but if they were going to do it anyway, I would support them.

I echo Tim's support. I've been following your posts all along, wondering and even worrying sometimes, too! Every time I read your new post for the day, I head off to the water cooler for a refill, so you are encouraging me to be better hydrated as well. Good luck!

[Lucas]

I appreciate everyone coming out of the woodwork for support. I feel really great, but I the emotional/habitual want to eat is almost overwelming. It has really made me appreciate the great food that is around us every day that we (or maybe just I) neglect to see, and how most restraunt food is gross. Everytime I pass one it smells like <insert food> and an underlying scent of greasiness. I also have realized how much it would save to make every meal at home instead of eating out more than once a week.

Not that I didn't know these things previously...it just seems as though these things have been amplified to my senses. I look forward to making fresh breads and soups.

As much as I want to eat, I want to finish the trial. I am coming up upon 17 days and I feel quite accomplished. I must finish my trial because I would not want to have to restart this after coming so far (I tried fasting 3 times before, never making it past 72 hours).

The appreciation of food and the concept of how relatively (3 hellish days) easy it is to give up such an unconscious habit (emotional eating), are things I am glad I will take away with me from this experience.

I have read that this trip doesnt even get profuound til 21 days or more!

Intense!

[MasterD]

My longest fast is 7 days and I have never had a more clean/serene feeling then right after the fast. Probably nothing in comparison with what you are going to experience. 11 days to go!

[Peekaboo]

Hi Lucas

I'm not really for fasts, purely because all that is happening is that you're depriving your body of food which will cause it to store even more into the fat cells.

I've tried fasting and everytime I end up bigger than before. Now I've actually cut down on calories and cut out sugar altogether and I'm losing up to 3Kg (6.6lbs) per week. The secret to weight loss is to feed your body. Just don't feed it sugar or fat and you'll be ok.

And if you continue with the fast, all the best. I'd be curious to know how much weight you managed to lose over the whole period and whether it was easy to keep it off.

Peekaboo

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Peekaboo

Hi Lucas

I'm not really for fasts, purely because all that is happening is that you're depriving your body of food which will cause it to store even more into the fat cells.

I've tried fasting and everytime I end up bigger than before. Now I've actually cut down on calories and cut out sugar altogether and I'm losing up to 3Kg (6.6lbs) per week. The secret to weight loss is to feed your body. Just don't feed it sugar or fat and you'll be ok.

And if you continue with the fast, all the best. I'd be curious to know how much weight you managed to lose over the whole period and whether it was easy to keep it off.

Peekaboo

I am wondering, if I am intaking nothing but water, what is my body storing into my fat cells?

I have easily lost 10lbs if not more. I unfortunately don't have a scale.

I have been craving healthy, whole foods and am excited to eat again. I have decided to start breaking the fast on the 28th day, to keep it a nice even 4 weeks.

The detoxification of my closet has resulted in enough money generated from ebay sales to purchase a Vitamix, which will segue perfectly into my February 30 day vegan trial. I also picked up a copy of the Veganomicon to go with it.

I am excited to eat again, and I feel rather great. I like the fact I am not tied to food in any way and believe it will carry over. I can say no whenever I like. People who were criticizing me at the start are now commending me on my tremendous amount of "willpower". Which is great to hear, but it really isn't tough after the first week. I believe the fast has reinforced my positive outlook as well.

All in all I am feeling great as I head into the home stretch. The idea that I have not eaten anything in almost 3 weeks is kind of surreal.

A few anomalies in the past few days. 2 times my pee was quite yellow. Not sure why. Yesterday the last two toes on my right foot went numb for 3 minutes or so, and my left eye is bloodshot tonight. I am not sure how connected this is.

[Parthon]

Hi Lucas,

I'm glad to hear you are doing so well on your fasting trial. The amount of willpower and self control needed for that is insane.

I just have a couple of questions:

1) Did you read into other people which have done trials just as long to find out what kind of effects happen over that long a period?

2) Could the Emotional basis for your hunger be from your body itself trying to trick you into eating?

3) What was your diet like before fasting?

It's kinda scary though. Most of me wants to yell at you for being stupid, but I know it's just social conditioning. Without all that I just want to say Right on, keep it up and I hope you can share with us all what you got out of it.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Parthon

Hi Lucas,

I'm glad to hear you are doing so well on your fasting trial. The amount of willpower and self control needed for that is insane.

I just have a couple of questions:

1) Did you read into other people which have done trials just as long to find out what kind of effects happen over that long a period?

2) Could the Emotional basis for your hunger be from your body itself trying to trick you into eating?

3) What was your diet like before fasting?

It's kinda scary though. Most of me wants to yell at you for being stupid, but I know it's just social conditioning. Without all that I just want to say Right on, keep it up and I hope you can share with us all what you got out of it.

1> I have read tremendous amounts about fasting, testimonials and other things. I have also tried fasting for a week, 3 times previously. I never made it past 2 days. So it definitely takes some willpower and desire to get past that first week.

2> I thought about that, but there is a distinctly separate feeling between the physical hunger and emotional hunger. The emotional hunger is definitely not coming from the body and is very irrational. The emotional hunger urges me to pick up a fist full of M&Ms and shove them in my mouth, or convince me that eating Taco Bell is fine, even though I am in a fast. The physical hunger is just that, a physical want for food within the body. It isn't demanding, overbearing or obnoxious. My body just says "I am hungry, it is time for you to eat"...its also easily satisfied and quiets down right away after drinking water.

3> My diet wasn't horrible, but wasn't amazing either. I ate more sugar than I wanted to, as cupcakes are my kryptonite. I ate a lot of pastas and macaroni, and salad, but not enough variation in my vegetables to keep me healthy. We ate out a lot more than I would like to have. This month has saved us a ton of money. My finaces parents go out to eat a lot, so I figure that we don't have to go out a lot and pay cause they are always taking us out, and they will be more inclined to do so after I "become normal" again. I ate Taco Bell more than I would like to admit, and my Vegan trial will pretty much wean me from fast food all together.

Don't worry about telling me I am crazy or stupid, thats everyones first reaction.

[H2Ogrl]

Where would you get an enema? Or do you make your own?

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by H2Ogrl

Where would you get an enema? Or do you make your own?

Its just warmed up distilled water. You can get an enema bottle kit at walmart for about 10 bucks.

[Lisa McGregor]

Hi Lucas

I've been following your 30 day water fast with great interest and a certain amount of awe. By the way, have you been monitoring your blood sugar levels?

What I find shocking actually, is that something as natural as food and eating should cause such addictions in people and motivate such extreme detox programs.

So many people are ingesting on a daily basis meals that are so processed that they cannot any longer be called food but rather confectionary.(that probably applies to some of the vegan and vegetarian processed food as well). Hopefully by the time you get back to eating normally your diet will be 100% wholesome and healthy.

Take care
Lisa

[ndspace]

First congrats on such a daunting task. Don't think I would even attempt it. Although i hear in India they have fasting with includes drinking some kind of oils daily to clean out your entire system in a few days which I may go and try. It's suppose to hydrate and lubricate your organs so there is no chance for infections.

I recommend you drink warm or hot (not boiling hot) water with minerals as this will clean your system out faster and the heat will scrape the sides of your intestine walls. The chinese practise this daily here in Hong Kong. Don't drink boiled or hot distill water.

Not eating leads to brain degeneration as the brain needs food on a regular basis even more than the body at times. Pls keep this in mind (not a pun). I suggest you eat some mild kind of soup, flavoured with natural small bits of vegetables or something. Even drink some soya milk room temp or hot as this will help yr stomach. Cause right now your body/ stomach is eating itself to survive, this is why your stool/ breath stinks brother.

[Lucas]

I haven't updated in the past couple of days and I would like to share why. I haven't felt so good. Heres why.

I have, or rather, thought I broke, this unconscious habit I have of chewing small pieces of notebook paper when I am stressed. On monday, I did it, and a few minutes in, appallingly spit it out and rinsed my mouth out. Unfortunately, some paper or chemicals in the paper had gotten into my system and made me sick the last two days!

Given my current state of nauseous being, I have decided that breaking my fast to promote a homeostasis is more important than finishing up the next 4 days of fasting.

I do know that fasting will be a part of my life forever and felt wonderful when things were going right.

Don't worry though, this is not the last update. Personally, I don't think the fun has even started yet!

The best part is my VitaMix should be here right around when I start going solid again!!

[MasterD]

Lucas; you have been blessed by feeling so good during the fast. That's a big thing for staying intrinsically motivated to keep going on. Btw.. I doubt that chewing on a piece of paper can make you sick for a few days, but maybe your system got really sensitive. I don't know, but if you feel it is time to break the fast; you should; especially when you have to keep working. I know, if I fast, I am sick almost all the time, so maybe it are just some extra detoxing effects.

24 days of fasting is absolutely phenomenal and you will reap great, great benefits once you get back to solid foods. Enjoy bro.

[Brian E]

Hey, I am new to fasting and think its a great idea. One thing besides the physical benefits I like is the fact that you are proving how little the body really needs to survive at times. An important part of fasting is that you give up "luxuries" and give back to the community by helping others. The time of fasting shoud be of brotherhood and cheerful service to others. Once you really understand that it becomes so much more.

By the way, how does not eating for an extended period of time affect the body? You are still burning calories, they must be coming from somewhere? It must be from the body. Maybe fat. Is this a health problem? How do you know when it becomes too long? Also, is there any benefits of water fasting over juice fasting? Didn't Jesus fast for forty days in the desert? That's pretty sweet.

[MasterD]

Originally Posted by Brian E

You are still burning calories, they must be coming from somewhere?

Most people lose weight (sometimes up to 1 or 2 pounds a day; that's a ridicolous amount of calories (if pure fat, 4000-8000 calories a day) proving that is not only burning fat for energy, but also detoxifying)

[Lucas]

Update time!

I started breaking my fast yesterday with some diluted juice, then later I had some steamed carrots. Today I had a banana, and holy crap....it was almost too sweet for me to handle. Everything tastes PHENOMENAL! My sense of smell is a double edged sword...everyone has bad breath, lol.

I lost approximately 21lbs over my 24 day fast. As I didn't weight myself previous to the start of my fast, I dont know if that is the most accurate reading. I was about 195lbs (in my estimation) previous to the fast and now I weigh about 174lbs on a semi accurate scale. So beteen 18 and 25lbs were shed in this journey.

I cannot think about a food without looking at the ingredients anymore and am appalled at the nutrition facts of most foods. Mainly the amount of fat calories in everything...now, I think people should be able to eat what they like, but I am wondering what we REALLY like as opposed to what our emotions crave. I mean, do I actually like junk food? I definitely have no affiliation with it any longer and there isn't a single food you could wave in front of my face that I wouldn't be able to resist.

I have enjoyed every thing I have eaten so far and I feel more grateful for the food I have...

This was probably the best 30 day trial I have ever done, and one of the most profound experiences of my life, which gets richer and richer in retrospect.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Congrats, Lucas. I will admit I was kind of concerned, mostly because I just don't know much about doing a long-term fast like that. But it looks like you gained a lot of perspective. Here's to your continued good health and to settling into a way of eating that you find right for you.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Lucas

I lost approximately 21lbs over my 24 day fast. As I didn't weight myself previous to the start of my fast, I dont know if that is the most accurate reading. I was about 195lbs (in my estimation) previous to the fast and now I weigh about 174lbs on a semi accurate scale. So beteen 18 and 25lbs were shed in this journey.

cool update!

what do you think was lost, in your weight loss? fat? muscle? water?

do you think you will gain some back while going back on food?

also, did you always drink distilled water? or did you get stuck somewhere and have to drink some other kind of water? just curious.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

cool update!

what do you think was lost, in your weight loss? fat? muscle? water?

do you think you will gain some back while going back on food?

also, did you always drink distilled water? or did you get stuck somewhere and have to drink some other kind of water? just curious.

Well, I never really had much muscle, haha, so I think initially it was water weight. I probably will gain some back, but I plan to offset it with a much better diet and an exercise routine. I am going to check out an introductory CrossFit class tomorrow morning, as that 21 lbs I lost, I never want to find again!

I mixed it up between distilled and spring water as after 2 weeks the taste of distilled water got too...battery-like for me.

On a side note, my Vitamix arrived today, but was broken Luckily VitaMix is based in Cleveland so I can exchange it on Monday. Still a bummer though as I wanted to make a smoothie tomorrow.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Well, I never really had much muscle, haha, so I think initially it was water weight. I probably will gain some back, but I plan to offset it with a much better diet and an exercise routine. I am going to check out an introductory CrossFit class tomorrow morning, as that 21 lbs I lost, I never want to find again!

I mixed it up between distilled and spring water as after 2 weeks the taste of distilled water got too...battery-like for me.

On a side note, my Vitamix arrived today, but was broken Luckily VitaMix is based in Cleveland so I can exchange it on Monday. Still a bummer though as I wanted to make a smoothie tomorrow.

good riddance to those lbs then!

interesting about the taste of distilled. I wondered about that, thanks. I can't seem to enjoy distilled water like some sort of spring water. evian's my fav.

[ginkgo]

I am sorry that I did not see this until after you did your your fast. I fasted 22 days. Dr Shelton fasted 6,000 people with daily enemas. It did not hurt them. Then after that he fasted 34,000 people without an enema. He felt is was not needed. Ask a doctor how do stop the peristalsis (the contractions) in the colon without drugs that happen 24 hours a day. He will say that you cannot. Then tell him that with fasting it stops. See you don't need to go since no food is going in. Your colon took a vacation for the first time in your life.

You do not need a gallon of water daily. It is just a lot of extra work for the kidneys, but it sounded like you were using it as a drug (medicine) to get rid of bad breath. All this information is on my website on fasting along with quotes from 18 MDs. Also it includes a quote from the New England Journal of Medicine saying that fasting is a good way to lose weight as you have discovered.

So during a fast your mouth becomes an organ of elimination. So your buttocks are not supposed to smell good. Also your tongue gets coated during the fast and you can watch it to see how it is working. Now if you have fasted like over 30 days and your tongue clears, that means to stop the fast right away.