Water Fasting questions for the experienced with water fasting!

[Stacy5456]

I am currently on day 5 of my water fast. ONLY WATER with NO juice, vitamins, etc. NOTHING BUT WATER!!!

I am a 27 year old female

I stand 5′ 8″ tall

My weight on the beginning of day 1 of my fast was 239.4 (I will only weigh myself every 10 days)

I must be honest & say that I am doing this for weight loss but also for the other benefits that it brings.

I did this water fast back in March 2010 but only completed 3 days. This time I have 4 different plans set out but it all depends on how my body feels at the end of each plan that will determin if I should continue.

My 1st plan is a 2 week water only fast, if I feel that my body can continue my 2nd plan will be to go 22 days on the water fast, after 22 days if I feel that I can continue then I will leap for 30 days, my 4th & final leap will be to go 40 days on a water only fast but I will not exceed 40 days.

I will break my fast in the correct way this time for I never knew that there was a particular way that I was to break my fast.

I’m not sure if you’d call it a fast but I have done several liquid only diets. The 1st time I ever did this I just drunk a cup of french vanilla cappuccino or a energy drink when I would feel too hungry which was usually 2x day & the rest of the time I drunk water or diet soda as well as 1 to 2 times a week drinking alcohol considering I work in a night club & I actually did lose quiet a bit of weight doing this on & off with the longest period of time being 15 days but I was rather active as well.

I did learn through the many times doing the liquid diets that although regular soda (not diet) is a liquid it does not give very good results at all if you drink alot of regular soda for I felt like I just wasted time.

But… as I said I am currently doing the WATER ONLY fast & hope to achieve my goal of going atleast 14 days but really hope to go the full 40 days. I am not very active at this time & have not been working lately due to a herniated disk that is in my lower back (doc says that it’s huge) & it at times causes extreme pain. The back pain 1st began late January early February with me at 1st only seeing a Chiropractor but after a good 4 months or so & still having pain with it at times being so extreme I finally decided to go see my MD & after what seemed to me to be alot of begging she finally sent me for a MRI which was just done July 16th of 2010 with the results being that I have a huge herniated disk that is pushing my nerves.

My MD offered to prescribe me narcotics for the pain until I finally get to see the neuro surgeon after a long wait which is set for this Thursday to discuss my options on fixing or masking my problem without the side effects that narcotics have. I refuse to take a narcotic for my body just doesn’t like them so I usually just endure my pain or take over the counter pain meds if it gets too intense.

Does anyone have the answers to this??? I wanna know????

1) Is it ok that I do not take vitamins or anything while on this water fast? & if not what kind of vitamin should I take or that is best & doesn’t make me feel nauseous taking it on a empty stomach?

2) Is it ok that I am not very active at this time?

3) What are the danger signs that I should look for in determining rather I should break the fast for the safety of my life?

4) I do currently suffer from tension headaches that I do take over the counter pain meds for when it appears, is that ok?

5) I currently drink 8 – 10 9oz bottles of water a day, is this enough?

As I said I am on day 5 of my water only fast & I must say that I am a bit confused by all the research that I’ve been doing on water fasting for some sites tell me not to exercise during my water fast but then another tells me that I should (I have not been exercising), also some say that I shouldn’t take a vitamin but then another says that I should (I have not taken any vitamins) & some says to drink distilled water while anothers plainly says not to drink distilled water (I’ve been drinking distilled water).

What is the TRUTH?


I am a cigarette smoker (smoking about 1 – 1 1/2 pack a day) I have been smoking during my fast, I’m sure that I should quit but that’s easier said then done when you’re addicted. How can I fight the urge to smoke while water fasting? If I can’t quit will it be ok to still fast or am I wasting my time, effort & energy?

My last question is? Can I take a pain killer when I experience a headache during fasting? I know that a side effect to fasting is headache but I have taken Ibuprofen or Excedrin migrain medicine when I have had a headache. Am I just suppose to just endure my headache & not take a pain pill?



The only problems that I have had up to date on this water fast is slight dizzy spells, tension headaches daily, dry mouth & of course my hunger pains that come & go.

The hunger pains I think is the most disturbing to me with it at times making me wanna break my fast but… I know I gotta be strong & stay in control for this is a matter of self control as well as self discipline.

Water fasting helps with self control & teaches self discipline. I have found it easier for me to just not eat other than try to limit myself & eat healthy. I am doing this water fast for a longer period of time this time around in hopes of teaching my body to hopefully not wanna over indulge in food anymore.

When my stomach growls I say that it is my body eating it’s fat

[hamworld05]

Stacy! If you suffer hunger-pains, quit fasting. Protein and mixed types have trouble fasting, only carb types can benefit from fasting. Please quit fasting, your symptoms are evidence you shouldn`t.

There is another way, Stacy. If you are a protein type, eat more meat! I`m begging you, please don`t suffer. You don`t have to.

[RomanHD]

Although I don't agree with hamworld's views on some mysterious protein and carb types, YOU SHOULD QUIT FASTING.

Your stomach growling doesn't mean you are losing fat, it probably means you are losing muscle. Most weight you lose on this will be water, glycogen and muscle.

You seem to be leading quite an unhealthy lifestyle - no exercise, lots of smoking, no eating... Come on. Start with the basics. You are doing your body a disservice.

[MightySunTzu]

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

I am currently on day 5 of my water fast. ONLY WATER with NO juice, vitamins, etc. NOTHING BUT WATER!!!

Hi Stacy,

Great job .

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

My 1st plan is a 2 week water only fast, if I feel that my body can continue my 2nd plan will be to go 22 days on the water fast, after 22 days if I feel that I can continue then I will leap for 30 days, my 4th & final leap will be to go 40 days on a water only fast but I will not exceed 40 days.

It is actually better to take a fast day by day (moment by moment actually) and not commit yourself to a certain number of days. If you pass 22 days for example, there are a lot of reasons you might want or need to break before 30 and the same is true between 30 and 40 days. Hopefully all will go smoothly and you will be able to safely reach your 40 day ultimate goal.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

I will break my fast in the correct way this time for I never knew that there was a particular way that I was to break my fast.

This is good .

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

1) Is it ok that I do not take vitamins or anything while on this water fast? & if not what kind of vitamin should I take or that is best & doesn’t make me feel nauseous taking it on a empty stomach?

Since we don't want to introduce taste and especially digestion on a water only fast, taking NO vitamins is the best policy. Our internal reserves include all the vitamins and minerals we will need.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

2) Is it ok that I am not very active at this time?

According to Dr. Shelton and many other experts, the best results are achieved in a state of absolute rest. The only exception to this would be to keep your lymphs moving with a small amount of gentle exercise.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

3) What are the danger signs that I should look for in determining rather I should break the fast for the safety of my life?

It is recommended that you take your blood pressure and pulse each morning upon awakening and any dramatic variations are a warning sign.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

4) I do currently suffer from tension headaches that I do take over the counter pain meds for when it appears, is that ok?

There are very few exceptions (thyroid medication is one) but the vast majority of medications are strongly contraindicated.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

5) I currently drink 8 – 10 9oz bottles of water a day, is this enough?

If you are not thirsty then it is enough. If anything it might be too much as most fasting experts advise drinking only to thirst.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

As I said I am on day 5 of my water only fast & I must say that I am a bit confused by all the research that I’ve been doing on water fasting for some sites tell me not to exercise during my water fast but then another tells me that I should (I have not been exercising), also some say that I shouldn’t take a vitamin but then another says that I should (I have not taken any vitamins) & some says to drink distilled water while anothers plainly says not to drink distilled water (I’ve been drinking distilled water).

What is the TRUTH?

With so much conflicting advice, each of us must do our own research and decide for ourselves and it will largely come down to which experts you trust the most based on their level of experience and other factors. For example, I like that Dr. Shelton has supervised about 60,000 fasts.

From what i have read and from what i have experienced, I am in the:

*rest allows for maximal cleansing and healing,
*vitamin/mineral supplements disrupt the desired internal transitions
our body makes with water only",
*distilled is the best water to cleanse our system while not introducing additional waste matter in the form of unassimilable minerals

camp.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

I am a cigarette smoker (smoking about 1 – 1 1/2 pack a day) I have been smoking during my fast, I’m sure that I should quit but that’s easier said then done when you’re addicted. How can I fight the urge to smoke while water fasting? If I can’t quit will it be ok to still fast or am I wasting my time, effort & energy?

I don't have an answer, but i am very surprised that fasting hasn't fantastically diminished your desire to smoke after 5 days.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

My last question is? Can I take a pain killer when I experience a headache during fasting? I know that a side effect to fasting is headache but I have taken Ibuprofen or Excedrin migrain medicine when I have had a headache. Am I just suppose to just endure my headache & not take a pain pill?

If it was me i would keep the medication out of my body (100 times more so during a fast) and endure the discomfort.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

The only problems that I have had up to date on this water fast is slight dizzy spells, tension headaches daily, dry mouth & of course my hunger pains that come & go.

All of this is very normal symptomology in a water fast, indicative of the detoxing that is taking place. As to dizzy spells, we need to change positions very carefully. Hopefully soon your physical hunger will disappear as it has with me. In my previous fast i hungered for 3 days then went 33.5 days without a trace.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

The hunger pains I think is the most disturbing to me with it at times making me wanna break my fast but… I know I gotta be strong & stay in control for this is a matter of self control as well as self discipline.

So true, good insights.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

Water fasting helps with self control & teaches self discipline. I have found it easier for me to just not eat other than try to limit myself & eat healthy. I am doing this water fast for a longer period of time this time around in hopes of teaching my body to hopefully not wanna over indulge in food anymore.

I believe as you do that fasting can be a major contributer in making it much easier for us to develop good habits, but ultimately it is on us to be strong in maintaining these positive changes.

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

When my stomach growls I say that it is my body eating it’s fat

I like it .

[ginkgo]

If you want different opinions on fasting I can show you some where they say that you should drink your own urine during a fast. They are on the internet not in books. I have read many books on fasting including Dr Shelton's (fasted 30,000 people) huge book on it. I have Dr Fuhrman's (MD) book on it. He is like a living legend. He and his mother were fasted by Dr Shelton before he became an MD.

For decades he has fasted many thousands to cure all sorts of health problems followed by a change in diet. Dr Oz introduces him on a video as an expert on diet and weight loss. His latest book creates the"nutritarian" diet (now followed by hundreds of MDs) and the ANDI scale that Whole Foods now uses.

Here is a webpage on fasting with water and juice fasts. It follows Fuhrman's rules on breaking the fast and the danger. It has quotes from 23,000 different medical doctors. Actually only 23!

Everyone has different advice but you need to discriminate where the advice is coming from. Is it from a medical doctor or a drunk at a local bar? I mention MDs since the smartest people become scientists, MDs and lawyers for a career.

You can get lots of rest while walking a few hours a day that is suggested by an MD on site above that also covers weight loss. But that is not good for a herniated disk. You need lots of horizontal time and things that lengthen your back like sitting down legs straight and together and touching toes and beyond.

Water fast means nothing else esecailly no drugs. If you take any drug during it then it is a drug fast not a water fast. Fasting can help headaches and back problems. It is great for reducing inflammation. 5 days of fasting is awesome! It is great that you have alreading done that before posting. It means that you are hitting the ground runnng.

Fasting is the best time to quit smoking. The chemists (I used to be a chemist) have added 100+ additives to the tobacco to make it impossible to quit. If you can't quit now then switch to the American Spirit cigarettes. That way you can get over your addiction to the additives, not the tobacco. Then it is easier to quit the tobacco. Sorry I do not know if Fuhrman would allow someone to smoke on a fast but it is better than not fasting.

[hamworld05]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

If you want different opinions on fasting I can show you some where they say that you should drink your own urine during a fast. They are on the internet not in books. I have read many books on fasting including Dr Shelton's (fasted 30,000 people) huge book on it. I have Dr Fuhrman's (MD) book on it. He is like a living legend. He and his mother were fasted by Dr Shelton before he became an MD.

For decades he has fasted many thousands to cure all sorts of health problems followed by a change in diet. Dr Oz introduces him on a video as an expert on diet and weight loss. His latest book creates the"nutritarian" diet (now followed by hundreds of MDs) and the ANDI scale that Whole Foods now uses.

Here is a webpage on fasting with water and juice fasts. It follows Fuhrman's rules on breaking the fast and the danger. It has quotes from 23,000 different medical doctors. Actually only 23!

Everyone has different advice but you need to discriminate where the advice is coming from. Is it from a medical doctor or a drunk at a local bar? I mention MDs since the smartest people become scientists, MDs and lawyers for a career.

You can get lots of rest while walking a few hours a day that is suggested by an MD on site above that also covers weight loss. But that is not good for a herniated disk. You need lots of horizontal time and things that lengthen your back like sitting down legs straight and together and touching toes and beyond.

Water fast means nothing else esecailly no drugs. If you take any drug during it then it is a drug fast not a water fast. Fasting can help headaches and back problems. It is great for reducing inflammation. 5 days of fasting is awesome! It is great that you have alreading done that before posting. It means that you are hitting the ground runnng.

Fasting is the best time to quit smoking. The chemists (I used to be a chemist) have added 100+ additives to the tobacco to make it impossible to quit. If you can't quit now then switch to the American Spirit cigarettes. That way you can get over your addiction to the additives, not the tobacco. Then it is easier to quit the tobacco. Sorry I do not know if Fuhrman would allow someone to smoke on a fast but it is better than not fasting.

I have to mention: The smartest people are mathematicians, econometricians, and people with Ph.Ds in physics.

[Stacy5456]

Originally Posted by MightySunTzu

Hi Stacy,

Great job .

Thank you!


It is actually better to take a fast day by day (moment by moment actually) and not commit yourself to a certain number of days. If you pass 22 days for example, there are a lot of reasons you might want or need to break before 30 and the same is true between 30 and 40 days. Hopefully all will go smoothly and you will be able to safely reach your 40 day ultimate goal.


I'm sorry but I have a goal of 14 days but hope to go 40 days if my body will allow, I will listen to my body.
This is good .



Since we don't want to introduce taste and especially digestion on a water only fast, taking NO vitamins is the best policy. Our internal reserves include all the vitamins and minerals we will need.

Thank you

According to Dr. Shelton and many other experts, the best results are achieved in a state of absolute rest. The only exception to this would be to keep your lymphs moving with a small amount of gentle exercise.

I will do the best I can but I do have a herniated disk so even before I began my fast I wasn't too active but before my back went out on me I was in the gym atleast 3 days a week & worked as dancer anywhere from 3 to 5 days a week working 7 to 12 hours a days. I am not just lying around all day for I do have responsibilites such as kids to take care of & feed & a house to keep clean.

It is recommended that you take your blood pressure and pulse each morning upon awakening and any dramatic variations are a warning sign.

I actually went to see the neuro surgeon today regarding my herniated disk (because it's pushing nerves) & the nurse took my blood pressure & the doc said that my blood pressure was high (I don't think it was to the extreme though) but how high should it be before I should be concerned? If you know. I do not have a blood pressure machine.

There are very few exceptions (thyroid medication is one) but the vast majority of medications are strongly contra indicated.



If you are not thirsty then it is enough. If anything it might be too much as most fasting experts advise drinking only to thirst.

Well I read that we we're to drink 1 to 2 pints of water a day but I most of the time drink to somewhat water my dry mouth.

With so much conflicting advice, each of us must do our own research and decide for ourselves and it will largely come down to which experts you trust the most based on their level of experience and other factors. For example, I like that Dr. Shelton has supervised about 60,000 fasts.

From what i have read and from what i have experienced, I am in the:

*rest allows for maximal cleansing and healing,
*vitamin/mineral supplements disrupt the desired internal transitions
our body makes with water only",
*distilled is the best water to cleanse our system while not introducing additional waste matter in the form of unassimilable minerals

camp.



I don't have an answer, but i am very surprised that fasting hasn't fantastically diminished your desire to smoke after 5 days.

I wish it would diminish my desire to smoke, I really do. I smoke KOOL 100's (if you're not familuar it's a pretty strong menthol cigarette)

If it was me i would keep the medication out of my body (100 times more so during a fast) and endure the discomfort.

Thank you! I will not take any more pain meds, I will endure.

All of this is very normal symptomology in a water fast, indicative of the detoxing that is taking place. As to dizzy spells, we need to change positions very carefully. Hopefully soon your physical hunger will disappear as it has with me. In my previous fast i hungered for 3 days then went 33.5 days without a trace.

I actually so far have not had the hunger pains today but do still feel hungry but not with those hunger pains.

So true, good insights.



I believe as you do that fasting can be a major contributer in making it much easier for us to develop good habits, but ultimately it is on us to be strong in maintaining these positive changes.

I understand & I am trying to take control.

I like it .

[Stacy5456]

Originally Posted by hamworld05

Stacy! If you suffer hunger-pains, quit fasting. Protein and mixed types have trouble fasting, only carb types can benefit from fasting. Please quit fasting, your symptoms are evidence you shouldn`t.

There is another way, Stacy. If you are a protein type, eat more meat! I`m begging you, please don`t suffer. You don`t have to.

Thank you for your opinion but I will not quit fasting, there are many benefits to fasting & not just loosing weight.

[Stacy5456]

Originally Posted by RomanHD

Although I don't agree with hamworld's views on some mysterious protein and carb types, YOU SHOULD QUIT FASTING.

Your stomach growling doesn't mean you are losing fat, it probably means you are losing muscle. Most weight you lose on this will be water, glycogen and muscle.

You seem to be leading quite an unhealthy lifestyle - no exercise, lots of smoking, no eating... Come on. Start with the basics. You are doing your body a disservice.

I know that when my stomach growls that it doesn't mean that I am loosing fat & that's why I had put a next to that comment. I say that to myself to keep myself going but I do not believe that your reason for my stomach growling is correct either.

Yes I don't currently per say Exercise but I wasn't exercising before my fast anyways due to my herniated disk & the pain that it causes but I am no means lazy for I do have kids to take care of & a house to keep clean so I do not just lay around all day & night.

Yes I smoke but unless you're a smoker & of a pretty strong menthol cigarette as I am then you would never understand just how hard it is to quit.

Water Fasting has many benefits other than loosing weight.

Of course there are some bad & good things with everything but I will be just fine & if I ever feel that I won't then I will break my fast for I will listen to my body.

I thought I asked people who was EXPERIENCED with water fasting to answer my questions but I guess I should had expected some to be against it that hasn't actually researched it.

[ginkgo]

Originally Posted by hamworld05

I have to mention: The smartest people are mathematicians, econometricians, and people with Ph.Ds in physics.

Mathematics is the only pure science and the more math a science uses, the more scientific a science is. But people want to make a lot of money and MDs and lawyers make the most money.

[cptnmike]

Stacy congrats on your fast and please do not quit. Do not let the naysayers scare you. Fasting is perfectly safe and will do wonders for your body. I have done a series of 14 and 10 days fasts and have never had any problems. I also fast for a 24 hour period one day a week. This keeps my body used to the fasting process between longer fasts. The more you fast the less hungry you will be. Bye the way, you are not experiencing actual "Hunger". Your stomach is merely contracting to accommodate the decreased workload that comes with a fast. Constantly remind yourself during a fast that your are building a more beautiful and healthy body. Positive thinking will help you deal with any unpleasant side effects.

[MightySunTzu]

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

I actually went to see the neuro surgeon today regarding my herniated disk (because it's pushing nerves) & the nurse took my blood pressure & the doc said that my blood pressure was high (I don't think it was to the extreme though) but how high should it be before I should be concerned? If you know. I do not have a blood pressure machine.

If your bp is high, it was almost certainly this way before the water fast. Water fasting will lower bp in almost every instance, causing it to decline day by day. In fact it is an excellent treatment for hypertension by cleaning up the plaque in the arteries that is causing it.

Originally Posted by Buhner

Fasting has been found to help a number of disease conditions, often permanently. There have been a number of intriguing clinical trials and studies treating numerous disease conditions with fasting. Here are some of those findings.

* In one clinical trial of hypertension and fasting, 174 people with hypertension were prefasted for 2-3 days by eating only fruits and vegetables. They then participated in a 10-11 day water only fast, followed by a 6-7 day post fast in which they ate only a low-fat, low- sodium vegan diet. Initial blood pressure in the participants was either in excess of 140 millimeters of mercury (mm HG) systolic or 90 diastolic or both. Ninety percent of the participants achieved blood pressure less than 140/90 by the end of the trial. The higher their initial blood pressure the more their readings dropped. The average drop for all participants was 37/13. Those with stage 3 hypertension (over 180/110) had an average reduction of 60/17. All those taking blood pressure medication prior to fasting were able to discontinue it. Fasting has been shown in a number of trials like this one to be one of the most effective methods for lowering blood pressure and normalizing cardiovascular function. Blood pressure tends to remain low in all those using fasting for cardiovascular disease once fasting is completed."

from: The Health Benefits of Water Fasting by Stephen Harrod Buhner

It is the sudden dramatic drop you are watching for as a cautionary sign and this is best monitored by taking ones own vitals each morning upon awakening. It is highly unlikely to encounter an issue with this until much later in the fast... ie: moderate risk after 20 days, higher risk after 30, much higher risk after 40 and the most likely cause would be having run low in one or more electrolytes. If i was fasting and my bp dropped about 30 systolic or 20 diastolic suddenly, i would embrace this as a warning sign that an electrolyte has become low and break the fast. Any predetermined number of days i had set my mind to would swiftly fly out the window at this point .

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

Well I read that we we're to drink 1 to 2 pints of water a day but I most of the time drink to somewhat water my dry mouth.

Drinking to somewhat water your dry mouth sounds like a decent plan . 1 to 2 pints is kind of arbitrary as many factors will determine our thirst. Your 4-5 pints is likely to be more appropriate for you if indeed you are thirsty for that much.

[hamworld05]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

Mathematics is the only pure science and the more math a science uses, the more scientific a science is. But people want to make a lot of money and MDs and lawyers make the most money.

No they don`t. Professional athletes, actors, CEOs, and computer programmers make the most money.

[Stacy5456]

Thank you & no I will not quit! I am now on day 6 & going strong. I only wish that I could completely detoxify my body by not smoking. I plan to try to quit tomorrow & I really hope that I do. I actually find it easier to not eat then to quit smoking, I think that it's because I am addicted to cigarettes & not to food. I am in the process of preparing myself mentally for tomorrow.

[Stacy5456]

Thank you for your reply!

I've been going to the doctors regularly due to my herniated disk pain & have never been told that my blood pressure was high EVER & yes it was taken. Yesterday my blood pressure was 167/90 which I guess is not killer but it concerned me cause I've never been told that it was high at all before.

I also have a question that may or may not have anything to do with water fasting but for some reason today my mouth has been tasting like medicine, like... if you've ever takin a nasty pill that has that nasty after taste & it won't go away but of course I am only drinking water. I have not taken any meds at all so I don't understand. Do you know?

[Stacy5456]

No I have not quit I am still going on my water fast & currently on day 11 I do not pooh though & when I have done the Enemas it doesn't seem to be much at all that comes out of me (mainly the enema that I put in there) others say that they have all this gunk come out of them but I do not & haven't with any of the enemas that I've used. What does this mean? Does anyone know?

[BrokenCompass]

Originally Posted by Stacy5456

I also have a question that may or may not have anything to do with water fasting but for some reason today my mouth has been tasting like medicine, like... if you've ever takin a nasty pill that has that nasty after taste & it won't go away but of course I am only drinking water. I have not taken any meds at all so I don't understand. Do you know?

What goes in must come out. Its probably just chemicals exiting your body