Tracking my Water Fast.

[KBaYogi]

Not a sexy title.

Tracking my water fast in this thread for those who are interested, and I figure it is a nice way of giving back for all the help I received here. Fast is just distilled water, nothing else. I don't know how long it will be, that depends entirely on when my body says stop.

Day 1.

Some hunger pains during the day, nothing bad.

Activities: ~40 minutes of pranayamas, 1 hour meditation, advanced yoga class, the Five Tibetan Rites, and some guided meditations.

Vitals: W, 159 pounds, MT 96.7, NT 97.6.

(I run a lower than average body temp for those concerned. M=morning, N=night)

[Nameless One]

Those are pretty much my temps during fasts. Right now I'm at 98.0. You know what I think I'll fast along with you, but just for one or two days. I haven't eaten since about 5 hours ago, so I'm 5 hours without eating.

[Nameless One]

Err uhh I mean, no I'm fasting for 300 days. Aww, I gave in and started eating 298 days early. Oh well, better luck next time right?

[KBaYogi]

LOL, those are my normal non-fasting body temps. Between 96 and 97. When I was a kid, 99 was a fever and the school nurse wouldn't let me go home.

[KBaYogi]

Day 2

So far, today is a "cooking" day in which I mean I'm really hot. Body temp has actually dropped since I woke up though, 97.2 to 96.8 though. Feels like it should be higher, lol.

(experienced the same thing on the non-water fast I did, on day two also)

[Nameless One]

Your body wants to run at a lower temp, so it is dumping heat on its outer boundaries, thus feeling more hot. Feeling hot also encourages behaviors that further help dump heat, like taking clothes off.

[KBaYogi]

Day 2

So was feeling hot, sometimes cold, or both at the same time. Didn't last all day though. Was really tired/weak most of the day, felt like I could have been sleeping, come about 10 pm when I was going to sleep, didn't feel tired anymore. Got about 3 hours of sleep, then I was up at 2 am wide awake. Watched a movie, went back to bed around 4 am. Got maybe 4 to 5 hours more sleep, getting up at noon.

Hunger pains were a bit more annoying this day. Thinking about food more too. Some temptation to break the fast, but didn't. Also some hate at how with the health issues, I am quite restricted in how I need to eat. There was a want by the mind to be able to eat like "normal" people.

Edit: Wrists, knees, and neck were hurting more than usual it seemed. They are problem areas already, so hopefully that is a sign of healing or detoxing.

Activities: ~40 minutes of pranayamas, the Five Tibetan Rites, and some guided meditations.

Vitals: Weight was 156, down three pounds.

Day 3

Nothing to report yet, having just gotten out of bed. Don't feel tired right now. Weight though was 151, 8 pounds in two days. I think it was mostly water weight, because it seemed like I was urinating out a lot more fluids than I had been taking in. Hopefully that starts to stabilize.

Edit: Actually, I did have a lot of salt in my diet. I hadn't had any water to drink after 8 pm, and I weighed myself when I was up at 2 am, was 155. Then had a lot of urinating after that, which I don't know would account the loss of 4 more pounds (could be less than 4, since scale doesn't have decimals), but I would say most of it was water weight since I am no longer consuming salt.

[KBaYogi]

Day 3
So today I had a little tired/weakness feeling. Hit me hardest in the shower, so I sat/kneed down to enjoy the water on me (I didn't have to do this, but wanted too lol). Couldn't do it for long, didn't want to waste water. Boo.

Physically the day was a lot easier, though. Went to a dance jam, energy was pretty high for it. Not feeling tired at all right now, which might make sleeping harder. Did have some moments of food desirings. In the morning, I was feeling what felt like a mix of hunger pains and nausea. Didn't last too long, fortunately. Hunger pains haven't been as bad as yesterday either, so hopefully body if transiting to being without food now.

Neck and wrist feeling decent, but my standards, knees are still in more pain than I would prefer.

Activities: ~40 minutes of pranayamas, 1 hour mediation, some guided meditations, and the dance jam.

Edit: Day 2 Forgot to mention, was feeling like at times I was having restless legs. Not so much today.

[KBaYogi]

Anyone actually care or following this? Not that it matters, LOL.

Day 4

The extreme weight loss has happily stopped, only 150 now. 1 pound, but since I don’t have decimals on my scale, could have been a half a pound.

Got to sleep at 3 am the night before, got up at 10 am. At the most I had 6 hours of sleep during that time, waking up a bunch of times. Could have been less, but didn’t feel like I missed out on any sleep. I really didn’t feel tired or weak during the day, besides some minor points after waking. I had planned to do my pranayamas and 1 hour meditation before I went out to an emotional clearing workshop at 1 pm, but I was so enjoying being curled up on the couch I only did the pranayamas. Meditation was done later in the day.

After the workshop I went to a psychic fair. Spent some time there. So fairly active day, but didn’t feel draining at all.

I did feel some moments of heat during the day. No real cold moments. Still having some minor hunger pangs, but not as bad and they don’t last too long. I really haven’t been light headed or had a headache during this experience either, maybe some very mild ones from time to time.

Still some pain in the wrists and neck, but maybe a little less than normal. Knees seem to be a little less too, definitely less than how they had been feeling.

Overall, I would say I’m doing really well. I think my body has balanced to the lack of food and entered ketosis.

As for the mental side, I’d say that is going well too. I do think about food at times, sometimes reaching an, “omg, I would kill for this,” but those aren’t too often. Mmm.. watermelon.. gimme damnit! Usually happens more when something reminds me of food. Big Macs.. mmm.. eww! Emotionally, I haven’t noticed much releasing. I thought I’d have more of that happening, but not judging or expecting anything.

Activities: ~40 minutes of pranayamas and 1 hour meditation.

Yeah, I got lazy today.

Weight: 150

[Nameless One]

Yea I'm following it. Maybe one of the things about fasting I find most difficult is nothing really happens. I get tired, I get less tired. I feel like crap, I feel normal. 1 day feels like 4. Boooooorinnnngggggggggg ^_^

[KBaYogi]

Helps I have actually been keeping myself busy and not been tired, so I can actually keep myself busy.

I do find the quiet moments, aren't always the most fun. The non-water fast I did, I had nothing going on.. and I was bored out of my mind, lol.

[KBaYogi]

This is f'ing amazing! My body must be in Ketosis now.

I had surgery on my elbow in 97 I believe, it left this big lump of scar tissue, I just checked it out and it is nearly gone now. Body must be using it as fuel!!

[Nameless One]

Fasting! It's god's operating table!

[KBaYogi]

Yeah, only "problem" I am seeing is I still get some hunger pangs, which I thought didn't happen in Ketosis. Although from the sound of it, when the body ends Ketosis, you get extreme hunger pangs. So.. just answered my question.

Does seem like I am losing muscle mass though, which I also thought Ketosis prevented, lol.

[Nameless One]

Two things about that. First, most of the mass loss is actually glycogen and water contained in the muscle. Second, when transitioning from liver/muscle glycogen stores to ketosis, supposedly this is when the largest spike of protein use for calories takes place. Upon ketosis, the use of protein for calories goes down significantly, but over time there will still be reduction in muscle tissue. You do not lose actual muscle fibers. They merely get smaller. They will grow back, particularly with strength training, as higher quality muscle than before. (while eating)

It is because of this that many say it is not good to go on multiple 2+ day fasts within a short period of time of each other, because of the potential muscle loss from going through the transitional stage between glycogen depletion and ketosis multiple times. I feel it is mostly fear mongering, but agree that the best way to fast is to completion, and that it would be less efficient to do multiple 2-5 day fasts in a short time period. Nonetheless I am not worried about my muscles. They can grow back, and I've gotten only stronger, not weaker. So I really could care less.

[KBaYogi]

Wow, thank you. That makes a lot of sense.

Guess I didn't do as much indepth research as I thought, LOL.

[KBaYogi]

So I've gone to journaling my days, rewritten the 1st three, and posting them from the journal now. Yes, I go in to detail LOL.


Day 5

I noticed something amazing today. I had surgery on my left elbow in 97, I believe. Left this big lump of scar tissue on my lower forearm. Today the lump is a lot smaller now. Seems my body is using it as fuel. As I read while water fasting, the body goes to using fat and unneeded tissue to sustain itself.

Today I weighed in at 147 pounds. Down 3, but I felt kind of thirsty before going to bed. So.. maybe a tad dehydrated. Weight went up after drinking some water. But I stick with the morning weight, to try and keep the measures at the same time.

I didn’t really remember feeling tired today. Maybe a little bit, maybe some weakness, but really well in that area. I did get to bed a bit too late again, slept longer and better. Still woke up some, but that can be “normal” for me too. Might have gotten 8 hours of sleep total.

Was feeling cold today. Not too bad, but definitely was trying to keep myself bundled up. No real moments of feeling hot. Emotionally, pretty darn good too. Still thinking about food at times. Some hunger pangs too.

Actually had a good amount of stool pass around 6 pm. That surprised me. Can’t image it is from when I last ate, so hopefully it is the body de-toxing and cleaning out. Was feeling a bit like I was having a healing crisis too, colon was feeling a bit crampy and unhappy at times. Also a bit gassy, some burping, and.. other.

Did some conscious movement with the wonderful Ali. Some yoga, the Five Tibetan Rites, dancing, meditation, and pranayamas. I was feeling a little “drained” when I got there, but once we started moving I was fine. Didn’t feel a lack of energy at all. Was a great time. Although there was food being cooked in the kitchen and it smelled so good. Every inhale I was getting it, and it was making the monkey mind really rattle its cage. But I didn’t let the effect my great time.

My wrists and neck, still bothering me a bit. Knees too, they are still the worst out of the three.

Activities: ~25 minutes meditation, ~40 minutes pranayamas, the Five Tibetan Rites, guided meditation, the conscious movement (Some yoga, the Five Tibetan Rites, dancing, meditation, and pranayamas which aren’t included in the above), and another guided meditation followed by ~25 minutes of meditation.

Weight: 147

[Nameless One]

What's up with your knees and wrists and all that? What problem with them are you having before starting the fast?

[KBaYogi]

My knees, I over-did them in a yoga class and usually on the inner sides they hurt. Sometimes not too bad, other times moreso. Tried resting, etc to help them heal and hasn't helped. Neck I hurt a disk in it, falling out of a headstand in yoga, couldn't like move it for a couple of days, got better but still linger pain. Wrists? I dunno, LOL.

So hopefully a fast can let the body actually heal them or at the least, heal my GI Tract and a super healthy diet afterwards will help the body finish healing them.

[KBaYogi]

Day 6

I’ve read about someone else’s account on water fasting, and for him the fast slowed time down and there was a lot of boredom. My non-water fast felt the same way, boredom wise. This fast, really haven’t seen any of that. Actually, it feels like time is going faster. There are things I plan to get done, and it just seems like I run out of time. I do have poor time management, I have to admit, but still it is really odd. It’s like, gaw.. it’s this time now?! Also helps the boredom that I have been out of the house and doing something almost every day. Can’t be bored, when out!

Last night, still got to bed later than I wanted, but earlier than I had the past two nights. Took me about 2 hours to fall asleep. Got up, umm.. I think it was around noon? Don’t entirely remember. Wanted to be up sooner, but think I got about 7 hours of sleep. It can be hard for me to get up in the mornings (relatively speaking), if I don’t have somewhere to go. On the fast, that seems to be worse, but that does make sense.

I was feeling cold again today. Not freezing, but definitely cold. My weight was 147 again, so no pounds lost. I was feeling some more weakness/tiredness today than the past three days. Started during my shower and continued for a while. Took an advance yoga class, and I was really feeling it. Winding much quicker, in some poses I normally don’t get winded in. At one point during one I was starting to feel all tingly. Slight bit of stars too. Quite the new experience. Also felt some nausea during class. Afterward, wow.. felt real tired. Chest wasn’t feeling well either (this happened during too), but I believe that was due to my heart chakra and lungs a little. The heart itself, I believe is fine, besides my pulse seeming to be a little faster than usual.

Still thinking about food. Was thinking about french fries dipped in ketchup while trying to sleep. I would love some Indian food! Heck.. give me some plain rise. I could go on and on. Need to try and keep the mind focused off food. Potato chips!!!!

I would say everything is going well, and while I was thinking the advanced yoga class might use up my fuel reserves, my body is now indicating it can go longer. Definitely won’t complain about that. Not having to spend time cooking/eating is actually quite nice. Saves money too.

Activities: ~40 minutes pranayamas, the Five Tibetan Rites, guided meditation, and advanced yoga class.

Didn’t get the meditation in, like I wanted, but I plan to get to bed sooner tonight to read. Besides, the advance class took a lot out of me and yoga can be seen as a form of meditation.

Weight: 147

[Nameless One]

How's your tongue and mouth doing? When does it get the most stinky and coated? When does it taste/smell most normal?

[KBaYogi]

Originally Posted by Nameless One

How's your tongue and mouth doing? When does it get the most stinky and coated? When does it taste/smell most normal?

I have been completely forgetting to mention that.

My tongue is coasted, the white is moreso on the back half then the front. Some parts of the front you can actually see the tongue. I have no idea if it smells. I get a slight flavor in my mouth from time to time, but nothing too strong either.

I was expecting this part to be worse, but it is what it is, lol.

[Nameless One]

What I find most fascinating about the mouth and tongue is that when it gets real nasty during a fast, no amount of rinsing the mouth or cleaning really helps, and yet when it cycles to a more normal state, the bad taste and smell go away on their own, without needing rinsing or cleaning.

[KBaYogi]

I do try to brush my teeth and tongue though. Doesn't really help the tongue, but my teeth and especially gums do feel like they have stuff on them, which helps.

My morning temp today, 95.5. Up about 3-4 hours earlier than usual though. Definitely feeling cold too, LOL.

[Nameless One]

Yea I like to brush off the tooth gunk every couple days. It comes off very easily which is nice

[KBaYogi]

I do it a couple of times a day, might be why it isn't getting too think?

[Nameless One]

I find it weird. When I brush teeth during fasting for some reason they feel more sensitive to the brushing itself. But they actually get stronger and the enamel feels enhanced in some subtle way by the time the fast is over. I kind of feel that it's not a good idea to brush them too much or too aggressively, especially during the fast. And yet I wonder if that soft gunk coating interferes with enamel remineralization. Oh well... if I go long enough with this fast, I might have a more definitive idea about it

[KBaYogi]

Wow, first 6 days I went through a little over 2 gallons of water. Today almost a whole gallon. Been really thirsting.

Don't see to be urinating much though. Body is doing something funky? LOL

[KBaYogi]

Day 7

Interesting day. The first 6 days of the fast I only drank a little more than 2 gallons of water, today I went through almost a gallon. Was really thirsty most of the day. They say on a water fast to only drink when thirsty. Didn’t seem like I had as much fluid coming out as I had coming in either, which is the opposite of some days. Also dropped two pounds to 145 today.

Can pretty much “blame” the advanced yoga class on that one, and I don’t know if I’ll be doing that or anymore classes while on this fast. My right hamstring definitely feels like it was strained a little. It was worse earlier in the day, so hopefully not too badly. I was sore too, but in a more painfully bad than good way. Something to monitor and see if the body feels up for another class at some point, but I don’t want to increase the weight loss either.

Got to bed at an earlier time which I liked. Read for about an hour and got to sleep fairly well, woke up after about an hour, then believe I slept with no waking till 8:30 am and decided to get up then. Body temp was 95.5, yikes! But it went up as the day went on.

Hunger pangs seemed a little stronger today, but still tolerable, still got the white coat on my tongue, and still some gassiness. Showering got me tired again, and I’ve noticed my calves seem to hurt/cramp while showering. Very odd.

Emotionally I was fine today, universe was trying to stress me, but I didn’t let it get to me... too much. Still craving and thinking about food. Today’s item that got the most thought was avocado and potato all mashed up together with some spices, no salt. No idea how it would work, but right now it sounds like heaven. Think it would be really healthy too.

Today I thought I’d be able to get a lot of stuff done, did… but not all the things I had hoped too. Stuff kept coming up that needed attention, had an errand I had to run take a lot more time than expected. Wasn’t trying to judge it, but still… c’mon universe! A bunch of that ate in to time I would have spent working on Swami’s tour.

I think that’s about it. Today felt a bit bumper, but made it through it and still going strong.

Activities: ~40 minutes pranayamas, guided meditation.

Said today had a lot of other stuff come up!

Weight: 145

[spirit4711]

Interesting report, what strikes me are the differences with my own fast. You drink much more water and experience food cravings.

How about your mental well being? Do you find yourself sharper? Duller? How is your productivity?

I didn't notice time going faster or slower. Wasn't bored either. I did have some feverish periods but nothing to worry about.

Do you have a target how long you want to continue the fast?

Thanks for your report!