21 Day Water Fast

[DerekMB]

Originally Posted by MightySunTzu

Hey there again Derek,

You are basically right... the body burns up its stored carbs first then as it is making the transition into ketosis (fat as fuel), it is burning a fair amount of the unhealthiest protein tissue before ketosis takes effect at which point the body has been converted from a carb burning machine into a fat burning machine. Once this transition has been made, the body will burn fat to protein at about a 10:1 ratio.



Again i want to distinguish between the state of fasting and the state of starving. With fasting, the body has ample nutritional reserves to call upon and the individual is very safe. The body is primarily feeding upon it's own fat, so rather than starving, it is feasting on its own fat stores! In starvation, all or part of these reserves (including vitamins and minerals) have been exhausted and the individual would proceed in grave danger... with clear unmistakable siren blaring signals warning him not to.

Back to normal fasting, only in the very brief transitional period once the carbs have been exhausted, and before the body has shifted into ketosis is protein tissue the primary fuel source... Once in ketosis, protein tissue is burned at a proportion of about 1:10 as compared to fat. And i'll say it again, the body will preferentially take the most diseased and otherwise unhealthiest tissue first.



Each individual must decide for himself, but i feel that my body after this 30 day fast was almost ridiculously primed to build muscle in a system that was fantastically cleansed, revitalized and ready to do everything better.

Thanks for all this great advice. You really perked my interest in this and I noticed some articles about this on wikipedia that I will have to take a look at when I get time. My goal is about 5-10 more lbs of upper body muscle (Lower's good I think) but after that I might try so will probably be making a post on this down the line with my findings?

Originally Posted by ginkgo

The body does not store excess protein. It gets rid of it. Muscle has a purpose. The very reason for storing fat is so the body can burn it. Why would the body burn muscle when it has stored the fat to burn. They have the same word for fat in food and adipose tissue. Adipose tissue (body fat) is also called fat. But there is protein in food but not in the body. The body has lean tissue. That muscle or lean tissue is not called protein.

Sometimes they call fat people fat but they do not call muscular people proteiny.

Protein stored in body is called muscle. Muscle is easier for the body to absorb/digest than many/most fats. As I understand it, special circumstances are needed for the body to absorb/use fat within body, (Which is consequently why some people have a hard time getting rid of it) Enzymes are proteins that are always within the body. There are many different types with many different bodily function. Amino acids are another type of protein. Many are produced/sythesized by body especially in the liver.

[MightySunTzu]

Originally Posted by DerekMB

Thanks for all this great advice. You really perked my interest in this...

Hi Derek,

You are most welcome... anything i can do to help.

Originally Posted by DerekMB

Protein stored in body is called muscle. Muscle is easier for the body to absorb/digest than many/most fats.

In the short run, you are right. But the body in its tremendous wisdom will swiftly transition into ketosis at which point the sparing of lean tissue becomes the rule and the burning of fat as fuel becomes an easy task.