A fresh New Beginning-15 day water fast! New attempt :)

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

First and foremost I want to apologize if I have ever offended anyone on here in any manner, way, or form. I was being ignorant with my own knowledge on water fasting and ignored many people here with their advice. My ignorance and lack of information on preparation on fasting lead to two failed attempts of water fasting. I am here to do a fresh new start , putting it in gods hands.

I have successfully only lasted 6 days before in a water fast when I was aiming for 10 days. Today is day 1 for me, and I WILL make it to 15 ;followed by a juice fast. In the past couple of days I have done extensive research and hours of reading on many websites to prepare myself the proper way. I have faith in myself and hope to get all the support I can.


So here we go again people:::

Height: 5'7"
Starting weight: 152lbs
Goal weight: 130lbs



Day 1

Today is day one, no signs of dizziness , nausea , or tiredness yet. Actually feeling up and alert with no desire whatsoever of food or sugary drinks



Signed BB <3

[James81]

Oh man, I'm going to get pounced on for this, but:

Fasting

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

If your implying I'm fasting for the wrong reasons you are wrong. Ive already read that article thank you very much. Try throwing something at me I haven't read already

[James81]

Originally Posted by Fastingforbikinisummer

If your implying I'm fasting for the wrong reasons you are wrong. Ive already read that article thank you very much. Try throwing something at me I haven't read already

I'm not suggesting that you're fasting for the wrong reasons. I'm suggesting that fasting to lose weight is an ineffective way to keep weight off. I'm also suggesting that it's unhealthy to do lots of extended fasts (especially at your weight).

And, I'm also suggesting that by looking at your picture, if you lose 22 pounds, you're probably going to be anorexic. And, finally, I'm suggesting that dizziness and nausea are your body sending you a message that you are doing something unhealthy. So, if you've had that on a previous fast, I'd urge you to consider the effects of what you are doing on your body.

(I don't say that harshly, btw. I'm just throwing it out there for you to consider. I'm not trying to attack you or anything like that.)

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Pictures can be deceiving at times. I don't consider myself fat , however am a bit chubby being 5'7" weighing 152 doesn't feel so great, I'm use to weighing 135 and gaining these extra pounds have been tough. However please do not think weight loss is my only reason. I have lost my connection with god and been trying for a couple of years to build that connection back. I have even downloaded the bible app on my iPad for reading and understanding. I know there's more to it but it's a start.

If I complete this fast successfully , I know breaking the fast is very important as well and is not easy and I will try my hardest to do so.

Thanks anyway....

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Today was my first day in this water fast and I don't know how thankful I can be to have been able to fight it! I actually cooked dinner for the family and had no desire to even lick my fingers from all the seasoning I've used >.

The whole day went sailor-smooth until up to about 2 hours ago, I felt that cold turkey a bit hard lol, I was fighting with my mind on wether or not I should eat on wether this was all a waste of time. The demon of temptation has lost this battle. I drank two cups of water and thought about all I've read and asked myself why even bother to start if I cannot finish. What really amazes me and confuses me at the same time is, why is it my first water fasting attempt I ever tried I lasted almost the whole ten days? But for this one I've attempted again before I failed?

I've had a few cups of water today and kept myself busy by reading books and spending time with my hubby and great family and friends. As far as them supporting me, ehhh.... Well my best friend thinks I'm crazy and that I'm "just fine" not listening to my other reasons for fasting..... My hubby doesn't like it much but says he supports me either way as long as I don't die on him lol...


Well that's basically it for today as soon as I'm done replying here I will be going to bed because I sure do need my rest as far as weighing myself I won't be doing that just yet


Nite happy fasting

Signed missbebe

[James81]

Originally Posted by Fastingforbikinisummer

Pictures can be deceiving at times. I don't consider myself fat , however am a bit chubby being 5'7" weighing 152 doesn't feel so great, I'm use to weighing 135 and gaining these extra pounds have been tough. However please do not think weight loss is my only reason. I have lost my connection with god and been trying for a couple of years to build that connection back. I have even downloaded the bible app on my iPad for reading and understanding. I know there's more to it but it's a start.

If I complete this fast successfully , I know breaking the fast is very important as well and is not easy and I will try my hardest to do so.

Thanks anyway....

I know the bible pretty well. If you ever have a question, give me a shout (or start a thread somewhere).

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Aww thanks a lot means a lot I'll keep it in mind

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Off to bed! Can't be too tired for day2

Nite

[russianrocket]

If you feel you are fasting, for god , you might want to consider starting over with a new username.

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Get a life, always harassing me

[olivetree]

I just want to chime and say I successfully lost 40 lbs last year and have kept it off for 6 months (not yoyo-ing) with water fasting.

I did 2 10-day water fasts (February and June) that I lost about 15 lbs each with, and one 5-day fast in October. I reintroduced myself to food properly and also did cardio/lifting 3-4 times a week (though I have to say I haven't done this at all for the last 4 months, but have not gained a pound).

So, yes, I do think water fasting can be used for weight loss if you don't gorge yourself afterwards & introduce your body to healthy foods. I think fasting gets a bad rep because most people don't end their fasts properly or change habits. But if executed as intended, I think it is VERY effective.

I myself have 15 more pounds to lose and am on day 3 of a 7 day fast. I'm already down 6 pounds and hope to be down 10 by the end.

I would generally experience an initial gain of 2-3 lbs (water weight) nearly instantly when I start to eat again, but I've never gained more than that back.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by Fastingforbikinisummer

Get a life, always harassing me

I'd hardly call, 3 posts within a period of 7 days, "always" or "harassing". Especially when I'm trying to get you to see past your own unconscious excuses, when you are doing something that can have potential harm to yourself, as well as the people closest to you.

[MightySunTzu]

Originally Posted by James81

Oh man, I'm going to get pounced on for this, but:

Fasting

Considering that they are coming from the mainstream (which means strongly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and in all other ways by the "managing symptoms" model rather than the model of preventing them), it's surprisingly balanced in that they actually acknowledge some of the benefits of fasting.

While respecting you implicitly and not pouncing on you in any way, I have the following comments in response to some of theirs:

Originally Posted by WebMD article

However, fasting entirely for long periods of time can be harmful.

While it is true that long fasts improperly conducted can potentially be harmful, they are both safe and exceedingly beneficial in the vast majority of instances. Most people, especially those with some knowledge on the subject can safely engage long fasts on their own as i have and a professionally supervised fast will almost completely eliminate any possiblilty of harm.

Originally Posted by WebMD article

Your body needs a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from food to stay healthy.

While this is true, it is misleading because the food we eat when not fasting provides us with nutritional stores which can and will carry us through a long fast safely in the vast majority of instances... and if we begin to run low on something our body will alert us, so we are still safe unless the warning is ignored. One day without all of the necessary vitamins and minerals and we will absolutely die, but i recently went 36.5 days without any intake whatsoever. The only possible explanation is that i had everything i needed within my nutritional reserves to safely carry me through.

Originally Posted by WebMD article

Not getting enough of these nutrients during fasting diets can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, constipation, dehydration, gallstones, and cold intolerance.

They forgot headache, light headedness, ... and sometimes nausia . Fatigue (and weakness) are symptoms of detox, not of deficiency. How can i say this with confidence? Because if they were caused by deficiency as speculated above, they would never go away while continuing to fast and would in fact only worsen... when in fact these symptoms routinely disappear as the fast continues. What is happening is this:

Originally Posted by Ron Kennedy, MD

"Fasting creates a condition of low concentration of toxic wastes in the circulatory system. This is sensed by the plasma membrane of each cell and each cell will then let go of its load of toxic wastes. When this happens suddenly, as it does with fasting, the result can be a sudden case of mild systemic toxemia as the system cleanses itself. Those who fast must be prepared for a phase of headache, irritability, insomnia and fatigue. This is a natural part of the healing process and should be welcomed." ...

Fasting provides a profound physiological rest and in many ways parallels what our body does when we sleep. Cold intolerance is the product of a resting body slowing itself down and conserving energy and if we think about it, this is also something our body does when we sleep. Often in a fast it is best to wear a sweatshirt and maybe one of those beanie hats .

Light headedness is the result of reduced blood pressure, another temporary adaptation of the fast and in cases of high blood pressure, reduced bp is a well established enduring benefit.

Constipation? The bowels consistently function better after a fast as fasting supervisors who have overseen tens of thousands of long fasts have observed and reported.

Fasting is mildly dehydrating in a completely harmless way, not to the point of danger or of inducing even minor symptoms such as drying skin. A lot of this has to do with the elimination of excess sodium which had been causing water to be retained. Symptomatic dehydration... and i believe this is pretty commonly known... is the result of not getting enough water. In a fast thirst is an exceedingly reliable indicator of when water is needed and ideally water will be taken to thirst, no less and no more.

Originally Posted by WebMD article

It is possible to die if you fast too long.

Also true, though extremely rare, much more rare for example than a negative reaction to prescribed drugs causing death which is a many times per day occurrence. Fasting is extremely safe if done properly, paying careful attention to the signals from the body and breaking the fast if warning signs arise. It is also possible (and often likely or certain) to die if you don't fast. Fasting has allowed people to heal many ailments that they would have died from had they not fasted, specifically and in one example of many, i know somebody who had leukemia and was given only 6 months to live, but a 25 day water-only fast allowed his body to completely heal him of this ailment and 30 years later there remains no trace of the disease.

The real danger of fasting too long is going past the return of genuine hunger, the point at which the body can no longer continue to safely sustain itself from it's nutritional reserves, also correctly known as the point starvation would begin (as opposed to the many safe days of fasting preceding this). Fasting past genuine hunger is something a person will almost never do by choice because the signal to eat is sensationally and overwhelmingly powerful.

Additionally, breaking a long fast without carefully and appropriately engaging digestively simple foods in the early days, allowing the long slumbering digestive system to gradually return to its full capacity can be very harmful and even dangerous.

These are some additional MD quotes on fasting, the difference being that unlike the Doctors at WebMD, these MDs actually have extensive experience with fasting within their practices:

Originally Posted by Misc MD's on Fasting

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. (has fasting center in NJ) says... "In my practice I have seen fasting eliminate lupus and arthritis, remove chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, heal the digestive tract in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and quickly eliminate cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and angina. In these cases the recoveries were permanent."... "There are hundreds of journal articles in the medical literature documenting the value of fasting in improving the function of the entire body including brain... Fasting has been repeatedly observed to alleviate neurosis, anxiety and depression."

John Tilden, M.D., who fasted thousands of people in his Denver center, said "I must say in all seriousness that fasting when combined with a properly selected diet is the nearest approach to a 'cure-all' that is possible to conceive-- profoundly simple and simply profound!"

Hereward Carrington, M.D. wrote a book called Vitality, Fasting and Nutrition. He says "fasting is a scientific method of ridding the system of diseased tissues, and morbid matter, and is invariably accompanied by beneficial results...

Charles Page, M.D. says "The fasting cure universally and rationally applied, would save thousands of lives every year."

Dr. Charles Goodrich of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, who has fasted many times said "People don't realize that the chief obstacle to fasting is overcoming the cultural, social and psychological fears of going without food. These fears are ingrained. . . .However, fasting is not starving, not even in a medical sense or the natural sense."

Michael R. Eades, M.D. says "Like caloric restriction, intermittent fasting reduces oxidative stress, makes the animals more resistant to acute stress in general, reduces blood pressure, reduces blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity, reduces the incidence of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and improves cognitive ability."

Donald E Colbert MD says "Fasting is another method of detoxification that I recommend frequently. Fasting allows the body to heal by giving it a rest. Fasting gives the digestive tract a much-needed rest, which in turn allows the overburdened liver to 'catch up' on its detoxification work."

Dr. Yuri Nikolayev, director of the fasting unit of the Moscow Psychiatric Institute, reported on the use of scientific, therapeutic fasting to successfully treat over 10,000 patients, all suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and various neuroses, concluding: "The hunger treatment [as Soviet psychiatrists term fasting] gives the entire nervous system and the brain a rest. The body is also cleansed of poisons, and the tissues and the various glands are renovated."

ps: You have done some fasting James, what were your experiences like?

[James81]

Originally Posted by MightySunTzu

(which means strongly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and in all other ways by the "managing symptoms" model rather than the model of preventing them),

That's just some conspiracy theory stuff. While, I'm sure the mainstream industries are influenced by the pharma companies, I don't think that the pharma companies really have to do much influencing. Most people, at this time, kinda IGNORE the mainstream advice and wind up NEEDING pharmaceuticals. Remember, the people on medication are mostly there because they didn't take the advice of the mainstream advice (get plenty of rest, eat mostly fruites and vegetables, etc.). It would be one thing if great masses of people followed the advice of mainstream suggestions, but the reality is that people *rarely* follow the advice of the mainstream and eat and drink and do stuff that is AGAINST their advice.

Originally Posted by MightySunTzu

ps: You have done some fasting James, what were your experiences like?

I'm a big proponent of fasting, actually. My experiences were great.

I'm not a proponent of LONG fasts, though. I'm also not a proponent of fasting to lose weight (which is a HIGHLY HIGHLY ineffective way to go about it because it doesn't *teach* you how to maintain that weight, nor does it encourage daily habits of eating to maintain weight). So, what happens, is people lose bunches of weight fasting, then when they come off the fast they go right back into their eating habits. But the trouble with THAT is, the fasting reduces your metabolism for a small period of time (even after you come off it). So, people go back to their old eating habits, their metabolism is less than what it was before they started the fast, and end up not only gaining the weight back, but more than what they had before the fast.

I like 3 to 5 days fasts myself. and I think *healthy* fasting might involve doing one or two 3-5 day fasts a year plus a one day fast once or twice a month. I think if you *do* extended fasts, that's fine once maybe every five years or so. And that's only if you have the body fat to sustain yourself on that extended fast. If you're skinny with little BMI, fasting is going to start cutting into your muscle because there's no body fat to burn.

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Mighty you are really wise thanks for backing fasting up.

As far as me I completed three days and lost about 6.5 lbs, Imtaking tomorrow off with a strict juice diet and continuing my fast later on since I have a lot of physical labor ahead of me

[KBaYogi]

Originally Posted by Fastingforbikinisummer

As far as me I completed three days and lost about 6.5 lbs, Imtaking tomorrow off with a strict juice diet and continuing my fast later on since I have a lot of physical labor ahead of me

You actually haven't lost 6.5 lbs, a lot of that is water weight. Yes, even when water fasting, initially you will lose a lot of water weight, since you aren't in-taking any sodium.

You can't take tomorrow off. The whole key to water fasting is getting in to ketosis, so your body is trying to preserve muscle and is focused on burning fat and non-essential tissues. Going to juice, then switching back, can take you out of ketosis and confused your body.

Since you have a lot of physical labor ahead of you, you should not be water fasting. Your research should have covered this. Waterfasting should only be done when you have time to take it easy and rest. If you can't rest and take it easy, you don't water fast.

Go to smoothies. Make them out of veggies and fruit. Real healthy, good for you. Add in some oils, nuts, and seeds. Get the physical labor done, and heck, to add to the labor, do as many crunches as you can, then leg lifts, then side crunches on each side. Break, then repeat 3 more times. Do that for a couple of weeks and you'll be looking better and not have had to water fast.

[ginkgo]

Originally Posted by James81

I know the bible pretty well. If you ever have a question, give me a shout (or start a thread somewhere).

I have a question for you. How many references does the bible have about "water fasting?"

Did you guess none? Bible Resources, Online Bible, Read the Bible, Search the Bible, Bible Study Plan, Passage Search, Keyword Search

It has many references to fasting.

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

@kaybayogi, I know but my sister really needed me to watch her three kids and it was last minute a lot of work got so nervous today started chewing on lettuce :/ for her than to tell me forget it sopissed , starting from day one tommorow I guess -_- am not mAd at myself am really trying

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

I have a question for you. How many references does the bible have about "water fasting?"

Did you guess none? Bible Resources, Online Bible, Read the Bible, Search the Bible, Bible Study Plan, Passage Search, Keyword Search

It has many references to fasting.

I hope we're not going to start up with this again.

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Back to square one feeling good.

[CroMagna]

Are you still fasting?

[KBaYogi]

Originally Posted by Fastingforbikinisummer

@kaybayogi, I know but my sister really needed me to watch her three kids and it was last minute a lot of work got so nervous today started chewing on lettuce :/ for her than to tell me forget it sopissed , starting from day one tommorow I guess -_- am not mAd at myself am really trying

If you are fasting for god, and something unexpected came up to stop you from fasting, guess what? God has said not to fast. Find other ways to your goals, that are healthier for you, like have been mentioned here.

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

I kept of the 6.5 pounds I'm happy. I however haven't went back to fasting yet again. I am preparing myself a bit more. I am currently only eating veggies and fruits. I use to be vegetarian by the way. I will let you guys know when I fast again, will be soon.

[KBaYogi]

Considering that isn't much sodium in what you are eating, the water weight really won't come back right now. Also make sure you add in nuts, seeds, oils, etc to give your body all that nutrients it needs. Just fruits and veggies won't cover it.

That will be healthier and if you must stick to the fasting plan eventually, better to keep your "stores" up, so you won't go in to starvation mode as quickly.

[Just Passing Through]

Starvation mode is a misnomer. Actual starvation occurs in only two ways. The first way is if someone has not taken in any food for so long that the body must break down healthy vital and necessary tissue in order to keep on living. This can take weeks or even months in some cases. The second way is to eat a diet that is so deficient in certain essential nutrients that you reach a point where you will wither away and die, perhaps even quicker than through not eating at all, if you do not take in the nutrient. If you're eating nothing but refined grains and refined oils, a diet that resembles World Food Programme rations (yea they help people starve), that's a great way to experience this kind of starvation. Most of us don't know what it's like to experience starvation from either one of these causes. And I do mean starvation, not "less than optimal health". It's called starvation for a reason, it's a condition with life or death immediacy.

edit: I was a bit hasty about starvation occuring in only 2 ways. It's also possible that someones body is no longer capable of digestion, uptake and/or assimilation of certain nutrients, to such an extreme degree that it cannot make use of food anymore, so starvation can occur in that way as well, its kind of the same thing as cause 2 just with different details

[ginkgo]

All that you can do is your best. Sometimes the above is how it goes. Years ago when I was very toxic, after a few days of fasting I would feel like I was poisoned so I would have to stop and try it again later. Every little bit of fasting helps.

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

Stayed on a portion mealed diet, cheated a bit... starting my water fast officially tommorow again

really upset bought a scale and it broke the same day grrrrrrrrr gotta go and exchange it i guess urgh

[LostMyMap]

So, Mighty,

What do you really think about someone who fasts for the primary reason of losing weight?

[Fastingforbikinisummer]

I started reading a book named the laws of attraction omg its so assume #random