Water Fasting

[Amadeus]

Revolution, the longer the fast the deeper and more extent the detoxification of your body will be. It takes a few days just to burn up your stored glucose levels and you will burn a little muscle in the beginning, but will turn to fat burning further along the fast. 7 days is good, but an extra week or two will further the benefits of detox and fat burning. You'd only be fasting once or twice a year. There are dead tissues and toxins in your body that have been laying dormant for years, and the only way to eliminate them from your body is a longer fast.

[fenix1230]

Hello all, I have been reading this topic for a while, and became very interested in water fasting for detoxification purposes. I have juice fasted for seven days before, but was hesitant and truly ignorant to what or why someone would water fast in the first place.

I am now on day five of my water fast, and it has been going pretty well. I have not experienced hunger pains at all, and was really expecting them to surface at the end of day one, and all throughout day two. Now on day five, I still haven't experienced any pains, however I do think about food during commercial breaks.

This weekend has been hard, as I have chosen to stay inactive the entire weekend. My job keeps me very occupied mentally during Monday through Friday, but Saturday and Sunday, and the empty hours in between make it difficult. Let's just say I really want a burger right now.

But I'm very surprised at my composure, and honestly how I feel. Although I am weak and get dizzy when I get up, I feel at peace, and have been able to look back upon my life with renewed perspective. It has been a very calming and, dare I say, enlightening experience. I am truly unable to describe in words what this fast has brought to me.

As for my weight, I have lost about 9 pounds in the past five days, and every morning I can see more weight being lost. My goal for this fast is twelve days, basically ending on Dec 23. I chose this because I wanted to set an attainable goal, it should be a good length of time for my body to detox, and so that I look good come the family X-mas parties. No one is a harsher critic than your family.

But I want to say reading this board gave me good insight into this process, and I am grateful that this board existed to give me the confidence to undergo the fast. I realize that twelve days may be too long for my first water fast, however rest assured that should I begin to feel very ill, I will begin eating immediately.

One question, how should I go about returning to food after my fast? I've read to go back to a short juice fast, followed by raw fruits and vegetables. If this is so, should I avoid meat? And if I do eat meat, I am assuming I should stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Thanks for your reply, only seven more days to go!

[fenix1230]

Funny that after I posted that I have had no problems, that last night was the most difficult night yet. I haven't had hunger pains, but I've been experiencing dizzyness, mild headaches and an intense desire to eat.

In addition, my mouth has been watering a lot. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a reason for this? If anyone knows, please respons, as it's non-stop, and very uncomfortable. I would've expected cotton mouth, but not the unending katrina like flooding of my mouth that I'm going through.

But as I have a christmas part for work this Friday, looks like I'll be cutting my fast to ten days only. I plan to eat a little on Friday, and juice fast fast on Saturday and Sunday so that I can eat solid foods on the 24th.

[eblight]

The first fast my husband and I did was back in the eighties and we did it for seven days. I was okay but my husband who was already very thin at the time did not do quite as well. It was also winter time so he became extremely cold and depleted in energy. I have done several fasts since and been around a number of people who have also been regular fasters. I have had no desire to do water only. A woman I knew went for five days without even water; very dangerous. It left her extremely weak and very dehydrated. A dear friend also fasted for forty days on juices only. She continued to work in her orchard during the entire fast. She told me she had never felt so full of health and well being in her entire life. She had done this fast in her forties and I knew her in her late seventies. Another friend halved his body weight. He went to Anne Wigmore's clinic in the States and turned his health around. Today he is over seventy and fit, vital and highly energetic. He fasts regularly and eats only organic foods.
The first three days of a juice fast are the toughest. Hunger usually abates by then. I would recommend freshly pressed juice. It means buying a juicer which might be expensive initially but long term it's a good investment if you are going to fast regularly. Organic fruits and veges are of course the best option. It means your body doesn't have to process a lot more toxins from sprayed produce. It is a bit of a hassle but making juice fresh each time is the best way.
It is probably a good idea to ease into fasting by doing it over a weekend or when you have time away from work. Enemas are usually recommended to help remove stored waste. I usually find this better than taking laxatives as some authorities recommend at the start of a fast.
There is a wonderful little book called 'Raw Vegetable Juices' by N.W. Walker. I don't know if it is still in print but I'm sure there is a lot of information out there which would give anyone the best advice if they are contemplating fasting.
I have certainly benefited from fasting over the years but I know it's not for everyone.

[Drayoki]

Hello everyone. I am new and am interested in water fasting for a number of reasons. I have spent the past 6 months reading up on fasting for a variety of reasons. I have read different kinds of fasting can do different things. Some are slow, some are fast, and some are dangerous for people with certain medical conditions. Luckily, I'm 25 and don't have any major medical problems. This entire thread has helped with my decision to fast, and has a ton of information. 99% which I did check on my own. My reasons for fasting are quite a few. It's a rather long list. But here are a few:
*spiritual renewal and closeness with our Creator
*Healing of old wounds (I have 2 C-section scars and shin splints and 2 very bad ankles with TONS of scar tissue in them)
*digestive rest and cleansing
*Mental clarity
*Hormone balances
*Weight loss (although this is NOT the primary reason, it will still be welcomed! I do know I will gain most back.)

Here is my fasting "plan". Let me know if I can improve upon it or if I am simply planning too much!
No caffeine 7 days before.
ONLY fruits and veggies 3 days before
Water (distilled, not tap) for 7 days
Juices and broths for 3 days after
fruits and veggies 4 days after
Whole grains 6 days after
Not sure if I will get back to meat or not!

I have a few questions. Will fasting help with stretch marks? I have quite a few from my last child, he was HUGE! Also, is 7 days ok for a first time fast? I want it to be effective, and I think 3 days is too short for that. I want to work up to longer fasts and do them once, maybe twice a year. Also, is it OK to use lotions for your body and face? Or is that kinda putting stuff back into your system that you are trying to get out because the skin absorbs things?

Thanks for any help!

[konmai]

Hi Drajoki! I'll be fasting, too. As for lotions, yes, the skin does absorb, & you'll be putting stuff back into your body. Maybe you can try a natural moisturizer like coconut oil or butter (not the synthetic type). As for me, I use very little lotion -- just for my face and hands. They're super dry, since they're exposed to the cold.

[tbushmoney]

I just stumbled across this thread tonight and decided that I will do a one week water fast. I've never fasted before and maybe when I get to the end of the first week I'll push for two? Who knows but thanks everyone for contributing to this thread, its been a great read.

[konmai]

I just finished day 1. So we'll see.

[tbushmoney]

Oh man this fasting business is hard work. I'm not even more than a few hours into day one (I'm a late sleeper) and my sister makes a huge pot of macaroni and cheese, stuff smells so good. I start noticing my thoughts trying to trick me into not fasting, or starting tomorrow. I decide that the only reason I want to eat that is to have a brief experience of sensory (taste) stimulation. Thinking this made my want of having that food go away. I hope this gets easier or I'm f'd.

[Drayoki]

I'm sure I will try to get myself to 'start tomorrow' a few times as well. Hopefully I'll be strong and just do it! It seems the first few days are the worst as far as hunger so I read.

[chaostheory]

i have decided to begin my fast tomorrow. Although it won't be the 1st, it will be a Monday.

i have fasted before and did really well. The first two days are hell for me, but once i get past them i'm fine.

[RFSCOACH]

Fasting is tricky business thats for sure.

Here is one way that I have done the 1 time per week.

Start mid - day, after breakfast. Then fast for 24 hours. It seems less painless that way. As for more than that, I haven't yet mustered the courage as far as water fasting goes

I do like juice fasting. But it has to be done with more than just Carrot. I like to do my greens as well. Then you are getting some real nutrition.

[Drayoki]

Yesterday I started and although I wasn't really hungry, I did want to eat. I do kind of have a headache but it's not too bad. I also feel a little like I'm drunk. Is that weird? I'm not a big drinker, so is that normal? I plan to go 21 days, but it's hard fooling my hubs that I'm not hungry for that long. He would freak and try to make me eat, but I really want to do this for myself.

[llong]

I'm 25 hours into a water fast. Goal is 36 hours.

[A2K89]

Is it okay for people who are already skinny to fast? And then to even continue going to the gym?

I have fast for about three days before. If I decided to fast again then I'd do it for about four days.

[elastigirl]

just stopping by to send my love and best wishes on your fast xxx

[Barcs]

Hey all. I'm new to this forum.

First Amadeus, thank you for all of the wonderful information. It has definitely helped guide me. I just have a quick question if that's ok.

I am on day 4 of a water fast. Now for the first 3 days I took a multivitamin twice a day. I haven't seen any links about taking vitamins while fasting, so I stopped taking it today. I'm assuming that you are not supposed to take vitamins during the fast because they give the body nutrients and it won't detox if it's getting the proper nutrients. Am I correct in assuming this? My plan is to keep the fast going for a week, possibly longer depending on how I feel. Is today technically day 1 because of the vitamins? Did you take any supplements/vitamins while you did your 3 week fast?

Thanks for the help!

[Amadeus]

Barcs, the way I understand the whole vitamin subject when it comes to fasting is that it is pointless to take vitamins. The fat we consume from food distributes the vitamins and nutrients throughout the body. If we are not consuming food, there is no fat to distribute the multivitamin.
Also a great deal of the vitamins the body needs are stored in the body in places like the liver sometimes to last weeks if not months.

[Barcs]

Thanks for the advice. I stopped taking the vitamins. I'm on day 6 now and my stomach has been bothering me. The last 2 nights I've lost sleep because it feels like my stomach is full of gas. I've been burping and passing gas like crazy. Did you experience this as well? I still feel it today in my stomach and it is painful at times.

[littledevil1908]

hey, i have a couple questions: 1)can a water fast/juice fast do anything for hair loss. that is, the conventional hair loss that men suffer. and, 2)if i am busy most of the time and don't want to risk the energy loss that a water fast causes, is it still just as effective to do a water fast intermittently? What I mean is, what if I only do a water fast on the weekends, while juice fasting for the week, but do a total of 30 water fast days; will that be the same as a 30 consecutive day water fast? Thanks for the help! hope this all makes sense!

[Amadeus]

I don't see anything wrong with doing a water fast and switching to a juice fast on different days. The detox would still continue as long as you're not eating solid foods.
As far as hair loss, I don't know, but I'm balding and it did nothing for me. Even if it did, it wouldn't cure it and you couldn't stay on a fast forever.

[pj567]

I am so glad there is a forum topic about this, because I had recently become interested in fasting as a way to cleanse the body too. And believe me, I believed in big breakfasts and eating every 2 hours and all that other stuff the health experts recommended you to do, but after trying out a fast, I can honestly say my views have all changed about that. I thought I'd share some of my experience with you.

After suffering from acne well into my 30's, (and having already tried medications for it) I wanted to start a diet that promoted more healthy skin. I had already cut out sugar, chocolate, dairy products, fried foods, and anything else that was rumored to cause breakouts, but after 30 days of it, I still wasn't getting clear skin. So when I found out Demi Moore was on the raw food diet I decided to try it.

For the first few weeks it seemed like more of a fast than an actual raw food diet because I was eating salads made up of cabbage, carrots, cucumber and celery 3 times a day. As I ate more raw foods I'd look up the health benefits of each food to see what it did to the body. During this research, I found out that acne was actually a symptom of a digestion problem; the skin is one of the ways the body detoxifies and if it keeps getting blemishes, it means that the liver isn't converting food as well into the things the body can use. Some people can eat whatever they want and not have any skin problems, but this wasn't the case with me. My liver was so weak that my skin would flare up if I ate anything that needed extra work to convert into nutrients the body could recognize. Refined sugar from candy and desserts was one of those things. On the other hand, cabbage was a vegetable that was actually good for the liver, so I decided to eat a lot of it.

Well it was a really quick turnaround. After 3 days of eating cabbage salads, my skin was soft and smooth and most of the blemishes had disappeared. After two weeks, I'd start to try to eat one or two sugary things, but I'd get blemishes again. What was interesting though was that instead of waiting a week for the blemish to disappear, it would take only hours for my skin to clear up again.

Something else that happened from fasting on this cabbage salad diet was that something I had received from a car accident when I was younger (a tremor in my left hand) went away completely after a month of being on the diet. All my life I've only been able to type with one hand, crack eggs with one hand, and carry things with one hand because my left arm was so shaky (although I was fortunate enough to be spared any harsher damage from the accident, and most people can't tell if I've ever been in one unless I tell them) After 30 days on a cabbage salad diet, my left arm stopped shaking so that I could carry two full bowls with both hands. I also had a clearer mind and began thinking more spiritual thoughts.

At the same time though, I realized my short term memory was suffering.
I mean REALLY suffering. I'd take the bus somewhere that took 10 minutes to get to, and by the time it started leaving, I'd forget where it was I was intending to go lol It didn't scare me too much, I just found it peculiar. Later on, I realized that this type of thing can happen to you if you don't get enough protein.

This was where it got tricky. I wasn't well versed in vegetables to understand where to get my protein from, nor was I interested in eating most vegetables (I'm kindofa finicky eater that way.) And as birthdays came up and other social events, I'd find myself eating more cooked food. And I found when I had sugary things and blemishes came up, they wouldn't heal in an hour anymore. My skin would revert back to when it was scaly and rough (and as a woman, this wasn't how I wanted to look.) But when I go back to eating fruit, raw vegetables, salads and 100% fruit juices, my skin got softer again. But the shakiness in my arm would come back after eating cooked foods, etc, and if I had stayed on the fast longer with the right plant proteins, I'm sure it would have finished healing up.

So the proof is in the pudding for me. Fasting works. But I think it's best done when you make sure you are getting all your protein from plant sources or otherwise (right now I'm eating more brown rice seasoned with sea salt or vegetable broth, and mixed with broccoli, celery and onion.) I tried getting it from tuna, but I can't eat tuna straight-I like having it with salad dressing mixed in to get out the fishy taste. And that may be what causes the digestive trouble, but I hear that meat takes a long time to digest anyway.

And sometimes when you try these new fasting treatments, I think that it's important we become aware of what an actual healthy body acts like. There was a woman who posted something about losing her period for a year after she fasted. She saw this as a sign that she had messed up her body. But actually, who says that having a period is healthy in the first place? Animals in the wild don't get periods like humans do. I read a very interesting article called "Is menstruation really necessary?" that said that wild animals only start to bleed when they are placed in zoos and their natural diets are converted to commercial diets. Whether this is actually true or not, it remains that humans are very much influenced by the business economy when it comes to how to eat. Going back to eating fruits, vegetables nuts and herbs has shown me that the body can heal itself.

[Poutanen]

Hey All, I'm new to these forums but thought I would pipe up while reading this water fast thread.

I'm currently almost done day 2 of a water fast (with a tea each day and lotsa psyllim fibre). This is my first water fast, I have juice fasted twice before for 2-3 days with good results.

I decided on a water fast this time because I've probably got an extra 10-15 pounds of fat that could go, so I'm not worried about getting anything into me for fuel.

In general, the only feelings I've had over the last two days were psychological. And reading about fasting seems to stop those feelings entirely. It really is amazing how much free time and energy I have, and I slept great last night. For a day 2 this isn't bad. I expect tomorrow may be worse, because I have to work. And if it gets bad I may turn it into a juice fast sometime tomorrow.

Anyway, just tellin my story, thanks for listening!

Aaron

[SeeYouInAnotherLife]

Hi everyone. I've dabbled with fasts before and I've found it is a great way to lose weight. I've never gone past a 3 day fast, mainly because of a habitual compulsion to eat, not because I felt i physically needed to break a fast.

I'm 5'9 and 221 lbs today:thats the border of obese. I want to be well again int he worst way, as I was a few years ago, when I was 175 and muscular. To escape this cycle of food addiction and reverse my endothermic weight gain, I feel that I must successfully fast.

Last night at 9 p.m. was my last meal, and I plan to water fast for at least 3 days.

However, I've always struggled so badly with discipline towards food. Indulgences are everywhere in my life, and it is hard to escape them. I've joined this forum not necessarily for new knowledge, but for support.

I know most of you are concerned with cleansing through fasting, and I think it's nice, but I'm mainly concerned with becoming healthier in general:most specifically I'm concerned with losing 45-50 lbs.

My biggest obstacle is psychological. When I'm alone I feel the cravings to eat mostly for recreation, because I've trained my body to want to. I actually feel panic when I haven't eaten.

I look forward to your thoughts, comments and hopefully, your support.

Thanks!

[Barcs]

I fasted for a week, last month and feel better than I have in quite a while. After 3 days, your hunger just about goes away. The psychological addiction is different though. For almost the whole week I kept thinking about food and how good various things taste. I'm actually fasting again right now in a attempt to go at least 3 weeks, instead of just one to fight this food addiction and improve my senses. Good luck!

[SeeYouInAnotherLife]

19 hours without food. My family is cooking dinner. Pasta. with red sauce or alfredo. My mouth is watering so badly and it is going to be tough to say no...

Although i'm 40 lbs overweight, my body FEELS empty, so i feel thin. The first 48 hours are so tough.

[SeeYouInAnotherLife]

24 hours down, I didn't buckle under the pasta pressure. But it's sitting there in the fridge...and the psychological battle will be going on in my head all night.

[bubamara]

Hi everyone,
I'm coming at the end of my third day of a 14 day water fast. I've had a positive experience so far without hunger pangs or serious fatigue so I'm hopeful to extend the fast beyond 14 days to a full 30 days. So far I'm not tempted to take a bite of food that I prepare for my family. I've fasted for shorter periods before but never more than 5 days.

However, fasting previously was much, much more difficult than now because I had been consuming lots of espresso coffee and black tea. In the beginning of December I made the decision to stop taking all caffeine. It was tough the first four days, particularly the searing headaches, but I trudged on and was caffeine free after that. The hardest part I think was giving up my morning ritual of making coffee. The most telling sign of how bad caffeine was for me was that when I was a regular drinker of it I never felt awake enough until I had that cup and would be groggy and in a fog if I didn't have it. But after the first four days, I adjusted gradually to not having coffee and tea. After one month of giving up all caffeine I was awake and bright eyed every morning, just naturally. For me this was a coup because I was a big time coffee lover and decaf never did it for me.

But anyway, on to my fast...Prior to this 14 day fast I did the PerfectCleanse programs two times back to back while eating raw foods as well a protein such as salmon or omlettes. I cut out all forms of dairy, which was initially tough because I simply adore cheese as well as all flour products. I didn't ever feel deprived because I just think of all that I can have that is good, such as spaghetti squash instead of pasta or roasted beets or a lovely cabbage salad chock full of other vegetables. After the PerfectCleanse was over I felt ready for a fast. I embarked on the cleanse program and fasting to improve my skin and get my body in a more healthy state. While I was doing the PerfectCleanse I was taking many vitamins and eating really healthy whole foods. I could see my complexion improving as I was nourishing my body with essential vitamins like Omega oils, almonds, coconut oil and loads of healthy foods. Although I felt better I ended up putting on 12 pounds. I didn't care about the weight gain because I truly believe I needed to be healthy first. I'm not a smoker and only drink wine once a month but years of eating breads, pastas, cheeses, sugars left my skin looking dull. I'm 35 and I want to get my healthy glow back so cutting out sugars and flour for me is the best way. I'm committed to this fast and know I'll feel such a sense of accomplishment when I complete it, not to mention I'm convinced I'll feel and look much better.

Good luck to everyone!

[SeeYouInAnotherLife]

Just an update. Wednesday night, I didn't make it. I got to 24 hours and had a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine. Oh well. It was still a dramtic calorie reduction in comparison to what I had been eating. Thursday I ate nothing, and today I broke the fast just shy of 40 hours. Had some light soup and a low cal sandwich. Since Tuesday I've lost 7 lbs. As long as I don't binge, and keep up the fasting for a couple of days a week, and keep exercising, I expect the pounds to just drop off!

[Jonathan Mead]

I recently completed my second fast in January. I wanted to start out the new year doing something good for my body (and mind). Both of my fasts have been 10 day juice fasts and it has really changed my perspective on life and food. You don't realize how much time you spend eating and thinking about food. It's crazy.