10 day water fast log

[RUSSLA]

sup guys,

i just got back from my summer job of treeplanting in Northern BC and alberta. They feed us a lot of crap up there so i'm cleansing my body now and probably gonna go on a paleo diet after this or something similar. I've never fasted before but i don't think it's that hard, all you have to do is not eat. I'm on hour 76 or so right now, so i'll just write down everything that's happened so far and update regularly after this.

1st 24 hours - i ate breakfast at 8AM and then decided to fast after that. I grew steadily more hungry as the day passed and was extremely hungry when i went to bed. when i woke up the next morning however i wasn't that hungry though i still had the occasional twinge.

24-36 hours - i wasn't that hungry when i woke up but the hunger increased throughout the day, as well as a growing feeling of faintness/weakness. I took a nap in the park and could barely move when i woke up i was so weak. I've had a stuffy nose for about 5 years now and all of a sudden i can breathe out my nose again which is fantastic. eager to see what else happens.

36-48 hours - i went to bed at the end of the 2nd day extremely hungy, awoke feeling lightheaded and moderately hungry. my legs felt really rubbery and i was slightly dizzy throughout the day. went to the hottub for a bit and almost fainted when i got out. Nose is a bit less clear though that's probably due to me sleeping outside in the cold lol.

56 hours - extremely hungry and feeling quite faint as well. I sat down in the library to read and draw for a couple hours and almost fainted again when i got up.

64 hours - went to a movie and started feeling great. got some energy and my skin feels like it's smoother and softer than it's ever been before. Went to bed feeling pretty good and fell asleep in no time. This may be due to the fact that i drank 4L of water in like 3 hours...

76 hours - where i'm at right now. It was a cold night last night and i still haven't gotten rid of the coldness. My extremities are really cold, my nose, hands and feet are FREEZING even though i'm in a warm building. My skin and nasal passages feel better than ever though and i can feel something rumbling around in my intestine. Hopefull i'll start ejecting toxins soon, if i haven't already. I don't feel as weak as i did yesterday or the day before, although i know i couldn't do anything strenuous for long. Gonna hit up the hot tub soon and see if i still get that faint feeling.

[Bleicke]

Dude, don't die! I think your body needs at least a little bit of nutrients to survive.

[Fullcrum]

I've never done water fasts and have no research, so I don't want to lead you on the wrong path.

But I do know this:

For clensing, as you come off this water fast, you do not want to shock your body. So eat foods ultra high in FIBER for filling effect while keeping calories to a minimum and also cleaning your gut. Try psyllium, green smoothies, anything with tons of fiber really. Just remember to gradually ease back into eating food.

[Ceros]

My mother did one for three days, but ten days? Hardcore!

Keep us informed, I'm interesting how it'll start to go after 5-7 days.

[RUSSLA]

80 hrs - went to the hottub to warm up cause i was FREEZING, warmed me up but totally drained me. i could barely make it back to the library, a 300m walk.

84 hrs - got some funny feeling in my stomach/intestine area and the area right below my heart. Felt like something was being dislodged, it kind of hurt but felt good at the same time lol. The hungry feeling has pretty much abated by now, but i still can barely stand to be around food. My senses of smell and taste seem to have heightened considerably as well.

Going to bed soon, curious to see what tommorow will bring.

[RUSSLA]

96 hrs - woke up today feeling alright. still a general feeling of overall weakness but the hunger has subsided for the most part. Most of all i just feel energyless and lethargic. Get weird flashes too when i stand up after sitting for too long. I still haven't taken a dump (5 days) which leads me to believe that my body is either cannibalizing the stuff in my colon, or it was never that clogged to begin with.

[Barcs]

Originally Posted by RUSSLA

96 hrs - woke up today feeling alright. still a general feeling of overall weakness but the hunger has subsided for the most part. Most of all i just feel energyless and lethargic. Get weird flashes too when i stand up after sitting for too long. I still haven't taken a dump (5 days) which leads me to believe that my body is either cannibalizing the stuff in my colon, or it was never that clogged to begin with.

Not pooping is normal. You're not taking in any food, so you will not have much to come out. You might want to consider giving yourself an enema to clean out all of the stuff that builds up in your intestines while fasting, since there's nothing to help push it out. Otherwise it will break down in your intestines, and cause lots of gas build up in your stomach, which can lead to nausea. Being lethargic is normal, but it should eventually go away. I'm not so sure about the flashes. I never experienced that and I fasted for 3 weeks. You're not taking any medication or smoking anything, right? The only thing you should be ingesting is water.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by RUSSLA

96 hrs - woke up today feeling alright. still a general feeling of overall weakness but the hunger has subsided for the most part. Most of all i just feel energyless and lethargic. Get weird flashes too when i stand up after sitting for too long. I still haven't taken a dump (5 days) which leads me to believe that my body is either cannibalizing the stuff in my colon, or it was never that clogged to begin with.

That sounds about right. The next couple of days you should really be back to normal but be able to say no to food.

I fasted for 24 days and posted an account of it to my blog, if you want to compare conditions each day of the trip.

http://www.lucasallmon.com/2008/04/2...-do-it-part-i/

[RUSSLA]

gaaaaaaaaaaaaah - i just broke the fast...i really didn't want to and it wasn't cause of willpower or anything, i think i got past the hardest part.

this is what happened - i went to the hot tub again (really bad move) and later on in the showers i actually passed out and fell down. I got kind of scared at that point, and sat down on a bench for a bit to rest. I was getting a really strong faint feeling the whole time though, and i couldn't see cause i felt so faint and there was like a blinding white light or something that just totally ****ed my vision. My heart also started beating fast and irregularly which was the scariest thing of all i think.

i staggered out to the lifeguard and asked her to call the ambulance and then collapsed by the pool. lol. they took me to a bed and gave me some juice, and after an hour or so i felt fine, but was definately not in the mood to fast anymore. I bought some v8 juice and some beef jerky and wolfed it down. damn that was good jerky. i also just shat out some weird ass green **** that i'm really glad isn't in my body anymore. It was definately a result of the fast because i only ate a few minutes before i had the urge to **** and i was getting the urge at the pool too.

I'd say the fast was a pretty big success, i got rid of whatever that green stuff was, cleared my complexion up considerably, cleared my sinuses, and didn't feel like quitting at all untill the fainting episode. Also i'd been having knee and back pains that have completely ceased. I'll probably do it again in a few months if i start feeling congested and sluggish again. Right now i'm looking forward to a big meal though - eating the jerky didn't seem to affect me at all, but i feel alot more energetic now.

Another thing - i was sleeping behind a dumpster the whole time cause i'm cheap and bought a 170$ bus ticket across canada that i had to wait for a week to use..so i was pretty cold and lonely throughout the whole fast. Next time i'll do it in a comfortable place with friends around, and stay warm and dry.

thanks for the responses, and any further comments are welcome. It was a good experience overall.

[Niamh]

You're insane! And I say that with the utmost respect.
Hurray! The fast is over!

*I was following the post silently, and a bit worried I must admit.

[Ceros]

Congrats, that sounded like an awesome experience.

[igmistro]

RUSSLA - I must congratulate you on your efforts. Unfortunately your biggest mistake was that you had not done your research before attempting the fast. Btw, before I continue I must mention that as I write this I'm on day 38 of a water fast, so I do have some idea of what I'm talking about.
Fasting, although a natural process, can be extremely challenging especially if your body is very toxic. You can experience severe cleansing reactions that if you are not prepared for them will likely make you think that something is wrong and cause you to abandon the fast prematurely.
When you fast your blood pressure drops which is why you feel faint when you stand up, you have to be careful of that. Being cold is also normal, unfortunately you've made a mistake of going to the hot tub to warm up. Low blood pressure, mixed with extremely hot temperatures and chlorine - no wonder you passed out.
Even if you don't believe in raw lifestyle check out this link. Chapters 45-48 talk in depth about fasting. Introduction To Fasting

[RUSSLA]

Originally Posted by igmistro

RUSSLA - I must congratulate you on your efforts. Unfortunately your biggest mistake was that you had not done your research before attempting the fast. Btw, before I continue I must mention that as I write this I'm on day 38 of a water fast, so I do have some idea of what I'm talking about.
Fasting, although a natural process, can be extremely challenging especially if your body is very toxic. You can experience severe cleansing reactions that if you are not prepared for them will likely make you think that something is wrong and cause you to abandon the fast prematurely.
When you fast your blood pressure drops which is why you feel faint when you stand up, you have to be careful of that. Being cold is also normal, unfortunately you've made a mistake of going to the hot tub to warm up. Low blood pressure, mixed with extremely hot temperatures and chlorine - no wonder you passed out.
Even if you don't believe in raw lifestyle check out this link. Chapters 45-48 talk in depth about fasting. Introduction To Fasting

thanks for the link dude...i'm gonna try this again at a later date. definetely noticed some great effects from the fast...but i'm going into intensive MMA training pretty soon so i won't be able to do it right away.

I'm not against a raw lifestyle but i don't know if it's right for the life i'm living right now...once i get older and i don't want to fight anymore, i'll definately give it a try. but right now i need my oats and milk!! lol thanks again

[RUSSLA]

Originally Posted by Niamh

You're insane! And I say that with the utmost respect.
Hurray! The fast is over!

*I was following the post silently, and a bit worried I must admit.

hehe, thanks. going for a big meal at a restaurant right now. can't WAIT. then the bus home tommorow, haven't been home in like 5 months, it's gonna be awesome.

[igmistro]

You are absolutely right, exercise and fasting don't mix.

But as far as lifestyle goes consider this. I used to train under a guy by the name of Arut. Now Arut is an Armenian guy in his 60s. He is also a former coach of Russian Olympic Judo Team and one of the former coaches of Oleg Taktarov (since you're into MMA I'll assume you know who Taktarov is). There is a thing Arut said to me once. And that is that for my size I'm probably one on of the strongest men he has ever seen. Now I seriously doubt I'll ever have the skills to compete in the octagon (Martial Arts is a hobby for me), but seeing as I've been vegan for many years now, you might want to think twice before equating veganism and lack of strength.
Just a thought.

[Fullcrum]

If you really want to cleanse even more stuff out of you, eat a LOT of high fiber food. It'll fill you up and not shock your body after the fast.

I wouldn't binge at restaurants if I were you. That's not the point of fasting.

[Barcs]

Originally Posted by RUSSLA

hehe, thanks. going for a big meal at a restaurant right now. can't WAIT. then the bus home tommorow, haven't been home in like 5 months, it's gonna be awesome.

No offense, but that's a bad idea. You should break the fast SLOWLY or you will completely shock your system and you will be worse off than you were before the fast. You probably fainted due to high toxin release. A lot of it ends up in your blood stream. You need to get back into eating slowly. The general rule of thumb is: The amount of time you spend fasting, you should spend getting back into a normal diet. You should NOT eat protein like beef jerky right away. You should be eating ripe organic fruits for a few days, then slowly work in starches and THEN proteins. This is a very important part to the fast and if you mess it up, you can mess up your metabolism and damage your digestive system. You really should have researched before you did that.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by RUSSLA

gaaaaaaaaaaaaah - i just broke the fast...i really didn't want to and it wasn't cause of willpower or anything, i think i got past the hardest part.

this is what happened - i went to the hot tub again (really bad move) and later on in the showers i actually passed out and fell down. I got kind of scared at that point, and sat down on a bench for a bit to rest. I was getting a really strong faint feeling the whole time though, and i couldn't see cause i felt so faint and there was like a blinding white light or something that just totally ****ed my vision. My heart also started beating fast and irregularly which was the scariest thing of all i think.

i staggered out to the lifeguard and asked her to call the ambulance and then collapsed by the pool. lol. they took me to a bed and gave me some juice, and after an hour or so i felt fine, but was definately not in the mood to fast anymore. I bought some v8 juice and some beef jerky and wolfed it down. damn that was good jerky. i also just shat out some weird ass green **** that i'm really glad isn't in my body anymore. It was definately a result of the fast because i only ate a few minutes before i had the urge to **** and i was getting the urge at the pool too.

I'd say the fast was a pretty big success, i got rid of whatever that green stuff was, cleared my complexion up considerably, cleared my sinuses, and didn't feel like quitting at all untill the fainting episode. Also i'd been having knee and back pains that have completely ceased. I'll probably do it again in a few months if i start feeling congested and sluggish again. Right now i'm looking forward to a big meal though - eating the jerky didn't seem to affect me at all, but i feel alot more energetic now.

Another thing - i was sleeping behind a dumpster the whole time cause i'm cheap and bought a 170$ bus ticket across canada that i had to wait for a week to use..so i was pretty cold and lonely throughout the whole fast. Next time i'll do it in a comfortable place with friends around, and stay warm and dry.

thanks for the responses, and any further comments are welcome. It was a good experience overall.

Fasting is definitely something to be done when you are in a controlled environment, its much easier that way too. I also think that when you do it, you need to avoid any extremes if you can (fasting is extreme enough), so hot tub and exercise is not a great choice.

The green stuff you pooped is a natural thing when you break the fast. Your colon contracts expelling things that are in it. Perfectly natural reaction.

Beef Jerky might not be a great choice, but really you live and learn.

[TooTicki]

Originally Posted by Barcs

You probably fainted due to high toxin release.

How exactly would this toxin release happen? And what toxin/toxins are you referring to? Just abit curious here if this detox thing you hear about fasting is for real.

Personally i just think the guy fainted from doing something too exhausting in the weak state you are when you fast. During a water fast you´re probably better of resting.

[Barcs]

I was referring to the toxins stored in your fat cells that break down when you fast. I don't know exactly which ones, but I'm pretty sure it includes stuff like processed foods and other chemicals that we come in contact with frequently. Apparently, your tongue and lungs excrete toxins as well while you fast. Since less energy is spend on digesting, more is spent on healing and cleansing your body.

When you exercise while fasting, I hear that your body does release toxins faster, so there's a good chance it had to do with both of them. Light exercise on a water fast is ok, but you shouldn't be doing heavy, muscle building type activities or intense running. A simple daily walk should suffice.

[Ceros]

How exactly would this toxin release happen? And what toxin/toxins are you referring to? Just abit curious here if this detox thing you hear about fasting is for real.

I don't usually buy into all of the "cleansing" and "detox" hype the new age people spread, but I think the claim with fasting is more or less legit. From what I heard, your fat does store some toxins and they are released when the said fat is broken down.

Would like to hear more details myself, though.

[drummbellina]

I can't believe you're all congratulating him! I read the post with my mouth hanging open - the dude's heart went irregular and he fainted for goodness sake! Surely that's not good??

Lucky he wasn't in the pool.

And sleeping behind a dumpster? Yeah, well done...

[TooTicki]

Originally Posted by Ceros

I don't usually buy into all of the "cleansing" and "detox" hype the new age people spread, but I think the claim with fasting is more or less legit. From what I heard, your fat does store some toxins and they are released when the said fat is broken down.

Would like to hear more details myself, though.

So I can´t interest you in some Kinoki footpads? They´re wooeriffic!

Anyway, the idea that some things can be stored in your fat-tissue does have a familiar ring to it but i would like to see some science on it. Could still be something that just sounded plausible and so the rumor was carried on. I get suspicious when people mention unspecified "toxins".

[igmistro]

Originally Posted by TooTicki

I get suspicious when people mention unspecified "toxins".

The reason the the toxins aren't specified is because the list is long and distinguished and different for everyone. But I'll give a quick example. Our bodies absorb and produce all kinds of toxic substances all our lives. From environmental pollutants, to pesticides in our foods, to cellular waste of the metabolic process. All of these pollutants/irritants/wastes/toxins need to be eliminated or, if the elimination capacity is reached, stored away somewhere where they would do the least harm. So... If you're a miner, for example. When you fast, chances are you will end up eliminating large amounts of heavy metals. If you eat a diet laden with salt and other spices, then you might notice that you start to actually reek of garlic, onion, etc as you fast and the alkaloids are eliminated. So list isn't unspecified - just far too subjective to the individual.

[Ceros]

The reason the the toxins aren't specified is because the list is long and distinguished and different for everyone. But I'll give a quick example. Our bodies absorb and produce all kinds of toxic substances all our lives. From environmental pollutants, to pesticides in our foods, to cellular waste of the metabolic process. All of these pollutants/irritants/wastes/toxins need to be eliminated or, if the elimination capacity is reached, stored away somewhere where they would do the least harm. So... If you're a miner, for example. When you fast, chances are you will end up eliminating large amounts of heavy metals. If you eat a diet laden with salt and other spices, then you might notice that you start to actually reek of garlic, onion, etc as you fast and the alkaloids are eliminated. So list isn't unspecified - just far too subjective to the individual.

No offense, but where does the snake oil come into the picture?

[igmistro]

Originally Posted by Ceros

No offense, but where does the snake oil come into the picture?

I must be missing something. What does my post have to do with snake oil?

[lasti]

Originally Posted by igmistro

I must be missing something. What does my post have to do with snake oil?

When I understand Ceros right, he thinks that your post has more to do with myths than with science. Am I right Ceros?
I'd also like to see more evidence on that and not just theories. For me fasting is just a big riddle. Why not just eating healthy in the first place?

[Ceros]

When I understand Ceros right, he thinks that your post has more
to do with myths than with science. Am I right Ceros?

Yes, that is correct.

I'd also like to see more evidence on that and not just theories. For me fasting is just a big riddle. Why not just eating healthy in the first place?

I talked to Michael Rae (Aubrey de Grey's assistant), and from what I understand he believes that fasting activates the same pathways as Caloric Restriction does. In other words:
Caloric Restriction > fasting + eating healthily > eating healthily.

That seems like a plausible theory to me, but those that doubt the effectiveness of CR might disagree with me.

[igmistro]

Originally Posted by Ceros

When I understand Ceros right, he thinks that your post has more
to do with myths than with science. Am I right Ceros?
Yes, that is correct.

Originally Posted by Ceros

I talked to Michael Rae (Aubrey de Grey's assistant), and from what I understand he believes that fasting activates the same pathways as Caloric Restriction does. In other words:
Caloric Restriction > fasting + eating healthily > eating healthily.

That seems like a plausible theory to me, but those that doubt the effectiveness of CR might disagree with me.

I see... Didn't pick up the sarcasm... Anyways.

Technically caloric restriction works the same way as fasting. The less you eat the more energy can be diverted away from digestion and towards other tasks. And yes... Healthful eating will go a long way to reduce the amounts of toxins that your body has to deal with, but it's only one of the components. Everything from the environment you live in to your general attitude affects it.

As far as science goes... Fasting has been studied and employed by physicians (many trained conventionally) for hundreds of years and often under conditions more scientifically rigorous then (at least in my opinion) is required today by the FDA. Actually the recorded history dates the practice at least as far back as the ancient Greeks with the greats like Aristotle and Pythagoras requiring their prospective students to fast prior to enrolling with them. Of course we can dismiss all of these people as tricksters and charlatans, but in my unconventional view of the world I see two sides of the equation. On one - we have names like Isaac Jennings, Herbert Shelton, Russell Thacher Trall, Sylvester Graham, Stanley Bass and many others with thousands of documented cases of people recovering from their ailments after being abandoned by conventional medicine. On the other we have germ theory that even Pasteur himself recanted, yet it's still in use today. Or better yet... How's this for you... In 1931 a cell biologist by the name of Otto Warburg received a Nobel Prize for discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme. In other words he showed that if a cell is put into a an environment where it's unable to take in enough oxygen due to pollution of it's environment then this cell will switch to processing glucose through fermentation, thus creating lactic acid destroying DNA's and RNA's ability to control cell division and ...drum roll... cancer cells begin to multiply. I actually read his research - it's fascinating. This concept, that cancer cells switch to glycolysis has become widely accepted, yet to this day it is not seen as the cause of cancer.
Now I've tried fasting for myself, seen it's benefits and completely sold on it. You want science... fair enough... just remember, when it comes down to it, most science is experimental and open to interpretation, and personally I like my side's track record better.

[aabbcc]

Originally Posted by lasti

I'd also like to see more evidence on that and not just theories. For me fasting is just a big riddle. Why not just eating healthy in the first place?

My response isn't scientific, merely based on my own experience.

I have done small water fasts [2 or 3 days], and I find them very helpful for reducing junk food cravings. I normally eat a healthy low-fat vegan diet, but occasionally I fall off the wagon. I am an emotional eater and I will eat all kinds of crap when I am stressed or unhappy. Water fasting makes it so much easier for me to get back on track again.