Water Fasting

[Barcs]

Originally Posted by 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!

I'm no expert, but I don't really think that it's healthy to switch your diet like that every week. I've read from a lot of fasting experts that it is better for you to do a 3 day fast once every few months because switching back and forth can lead to anorexia. Plus, when you break the fast you have to do it slowly, or it can negate the positive effects. You can't just fast a couple days and then immediately eat pasta. You're supposed to have fresh squeezed fruit/vegetable juice at first and then slowly incorporate raw veggies. After that you can bring back the nuts & grains, and then finally the fish/meat. The weight you lost will probably come back in a day or 2, otherwise.

[whatever]

i did a 25 day water fast, i was in perfect health at the time and was camping, something happened and i wound up in the last three days of the 25 day fast separated from my van and sleeping in the brush in the middle of the winter in southern california without a sleeping bag....this was no big deal to me as i have done a lot of mountain camping in tents down to 30 below zero....my weight went all the way down to 128 pounds, i am 5'11 and a year earlier i weighed 215 and was about 25 years over weight...during that year i slowly lost weight and then finished the whole thing off with this fast...it was wild...it was very purifying i found that i could concentrate with excellant clarity, but my energy dropped, i could only walk about ten feet and had to rest...im very athletic and ive had a lot of physcial experiences as a competitive athlete and an artist...so i had the resources to get though it, i was relaxed through the whole thing and ive been a vegitarian since 1970 do i knew a lot about diet and fasting...what i didnt know was about electrolyte depletion, i knew i was draining minerals, but when i got stranded out in the wilderness i had left a multivitamin pill bottle behind and i couldnt sleep at night because i was shivering to keep my self warm and awake...it was a wild experience....i dont recommend anything like this to anyone, i got a real kick out of it, but i could have died some say because of the electrolyte depletion, i was going to start eating leaves and berries in the next day or so but the last days i was busy creating a nest to sleep without a tent or bag or vehicle or whatever....im still in recovery...im around 150 which is about 30 pound under weight for my height and body type which is athletic and moderately slender.....my suggestion to any of you is don't try what i did, don't go one day fasting if you don't feel comfortable with it....it is very cleansing, but you don't know what youre consuming, youre body may be full of toxisity and fasting could relase too much for me the experience brought a lot of depth and perspective to my life but ive done a lot of crazy things, which i wouldnt recommend...to anyone anyway....everyone is unique and special and they have their own needs and tolerances....and weaknesses....anyway good luck...

[Barcs]

That sounds pretty interesting. It almost sounds like a Vision Quest. Tom Brown Jr. talks about this in many of his books and wilderness survival classes. He's big into Native American spirituality based on the teachings of Grandfather Stalking Wolf. It involves both fasting and staying awake as long as possible. You have to go out into the woods and make a circle of rocks, strip naked and sit in the circle without eating or sleeping for 3 days at least. Tom Brown said that he actually went 40 days once, and it's supposed feel amazing when you are done, but he was struggling and was extremely weak. He said that hunting his first deer took another week or so, and he's an avid tracker. He said that you do fall asleep naturally at some points though. It's not like you just stay up for 40 days. I cannot imagine how intense that must be. I am currently on day 7 of a water fast and I want to go another 2 weeks at least. I guess it depends on how I feel though.

The last few days I've been burping like a madman. For those of you who have fasted 3 weeks+, does this eventually go away? I mean it's not that bad, just annoying and sometimes my stomach feels a little upset. Last time I fasted for 1 week total and broke it because of this. I feel a little better this time however.

[whatever]

yea i remember the stomach growling deal, in my case that would go away with a drink of water, you have to keep the water comming because you risk dehydration the whole time, food contains water so when you fast you are depriving yourself of water as well as minerals, your stomach is taking in your own minerals from your own flesh so you need to keep it flushed and nourished with water....someone told me that some kind of concoction like citrus and natural surgars like real maple syrup and offset the electrolyte loss, i down know about that but i rember that in school they used to say that sailors used to suck on limes to prevent scurvy...one drink of orange juice can do a lot...

[oberlee]

SeeYouInAnotherLife, I am really worried that you're doing this for the wrong reasons. It should be to purify, and it should be a good thing, and not solely to lose weight. Then it turns to anorexia, though I am not an expert on this.

Not to say that fasting is anorexia, but you sound very desperate to lose the weight, and you're talking about how feeling "empty" makes you feel "thin," and...I don't know. I have never really fasted, but it seems to me that the aim isn't a specific result, but the spiritual clarity and the physical detoxification as a benefit. It isn't something done out of desperation, and it isn't a result-oriented process. If you're desperately trying to lose weight, then the fasting process will be one of resistance, which is why you then get desperate to have pasta and a glass of wine.

I would suggest employing some methods to lose weight first--eating a low-calorie (but not too low), balanced diet, exercise. Come to fasting when you want more than just weight loss.

[whatever]

yea its better to simply decrease your food take typically by reducing portion sizes to loose weight....keep the diet balanced...it you do that you'll loose weight...also keep the metabolism high, do some exercise...and simply put out more calories then you take in....the average american diet is 2000 to 2500 calories....a pound of flesh is around 9,000 calories or something like that i could look it up i wrote it down somewhere and published it...fasting can be dangerous for people who are not highly familiar with all of these issues, in my case i know a lot of things about a lot of things...but i overlooked the electrolyte factor....if you fast but take a dose of something like citrus juice, maple syrup, mabe something salty and a dash of pepper...you can atleast keep the needed minerals flowing in....

[ImAngieG]

Today is day five for me on a water fast.
I have spent time preparing myself mentally, because I knew this would take a lot of will power. This is my second fast in about a year. The first was The Master Cleanser (lemonade) fast that lasted 7 days.
I learned a few things from the first, one is, because I am a coffee drinker and I should have decaffeinated myself before starting. Wow. Was it awful! I had the worst headache, I mean bad, and by the end of the first day, I could not stop vomiting. I could hardly make it to the bed. Once I made it though the night I was OK the next day.
This time I decaffeinated about five days before starting. I also decided to ease into it by doing three days of a liquid protein drink, so it would not be a shock to my system by go to just straight water.

I’ve seen a lot of posts here asking how long one should fast, well you should not start by picking a number, say (3, 7, 10, etc days) You should start and let your body tell you when to stop.
This is what Upton Sinclair says in The fasting Cure (you can read it free at
Gardening Without Irrigation
He says, the during the first three days your hunger will go away. Then your body will start to detox by burning the stored fat and built up waste, this should continue until your system has rid itself of the toxins. When your body has been cleansed, your hunger will return with a vengeance! This is when you know it’s time to stop your fast. Some people have needed as long as 40 days if they are extremely ill.

Also, remember to flush your system daily. You should take an herbal laxative each night before going to bed and then a water flush upon rising. The internal salt water bath consists of drinking a full quart of lukewarm water with two level teaspoons of unionized sea salt added, and drink it down fast. This will flush your bowels usually with in half an hour, so stay near the restroom.

Stay focused !

[whatever]

there might actually be a better way to deal with when its time to stop the fast then when do you get hungry because that's too subjective in many cases....like some kind of kit that takes various readings physiological readings such as blood pressure, heart rate, cholesteral, potassium levels, etc. maybe there is a fasting diagnostic and maintenance kit...you could also include in the kit the fasting drink solution, which could be the lemonade or the salt solution or whatever....and maybe the kit could also have a little booklet discussing fasting testimonials and reviews in it like this blog, plus the book could have a lot of links to blogs and websites like this in it....better yet the book could be downloadable as an audio book on your cell phone, so you could just listen to it with your head phones as you're laying there fasting..

[Teresa64151]

Today is day #5 of my first water fast. I have to say, although my friends and family think I've lost my mind, its an amazing experience. Before starting the fast, I did 2 weeks of raw fruits and veggies. I felt that really prepared me to take the big step. One thing I have to recommend before starting the water fast, is to acknowledge that in order to get maximum benefits from water fasting, you should make sure your colon is clean. In order to be truly detoxifyed, we must start from the inside out. I started with colonics, and then continued some other things which I will tell you about in a minute. Of course the purpose of not eating is to give your digestive system a break and allow your energy to heal other ailments. If you still have built up putrefactive, rotting material in your gut, it would seem that your digestive system would still be using energy to try to process it even though you are not eating. And trust me, not matter how well you think you eat, each one of you have toxic waste in your colon. I was a little nervous to do the colon hydrotherapy, but afterwards I felt a calmness that I haven't felt since I can remember. Not to mention I couldnt believe what came out. I go to the restroom daily, but I still had blockages I had no idea about. SOmetimes it takes several colonics to get all the waste out, since much of it is stuck to your colon walls or held in by walls of gas. Of course your blood gets its nutrients through your colon walls, so if they are caked with muck, you are not getting the nutrients from the food you eat as you expect. As a matter of fact, that toxic waste clinging to your colon is causing poisons to circulate in your blood (autointoxication). I started my fast the same day as the colon hydrotherapy, then I began taking supplements to help get out the toxic waste that was stuck to my colon. I absolutely COULD NOT believe the things that came out (foot long ropes of dark green plaque, globs of it). I don't want to be nasty, but I feel you all should know. I wish I would have known all this much sooner. The supplements Im taking are a combination of vitamins and minerals (which are not synthetic and come in glass bottles), and what draw that nasty muck out is a combination of psyllium husk and bentonite. FOr those of you who don't know, bentonite is a clay from volcanoes, which have been used many years by Native Indians amongst many others. This clay has an extremely negative charge, and also has the ability to move up to 40X its own weight. THe poisons, metals, toxins, viruses are all positively charged- so the bentonite binds these toxins and carries them out. I discovered these products at Sonnes Organic Foods Inc - Since 1946 - Home. They do not sell their own product (they manufacture it), but I found the entire 7 day kit on mothernature.com for $95.00. EVen though they dont sell it, that website has TONS of information describing it all.
My main purpose of doing this fast, is that I have really had a hard winter. I suffer from S.A.D.D. (seasonal depression), and I've just felt extremely conflicted the last few months. I'm not really into taking medicine for depresion, so I thought I'd try this approach. I read that back in biblical times, people would fast to rid themselves of demons. I wouldn't say my depression is demonic, but I decided it couldnt hurt to try. I also suffer from sinus problems, and it seems every few weeks I have a stiff neck or shoulders (like I slept on my neck wrong).
SO here I am, on Day #5. The first 2 days I felt wonderful, but on day #3 I started getting a "healing crisis". It started with my throat, then a drippy nose, then to my sinuses, now I have an earache (by the way, the water dripping from my nose was yellow!). Its strange that I can feel so energetic, yet feel so crappy at the same time. That tells me it is a healing crisis, and not a true sickness. And wouldn't you know, yesterday I got another stiff neck out of nowhere. So PLEASE tell me that is also a healing crisis? I hope that my body is working on getting the stiff necks out of my system?
Anyways, sorry for the nasty details, but I feel they are important, plus I am so excited that this is really working. For those of you who aren't for sure, do your research. I researched dozens of dozens of sites, and I kept my eye out for those who are trying to market a product, and those who have really experienced it or are just giving advice to help others. At any rate, I planned on only a 7 day fast, but I do not have any hunger so maybe I'll try for longer? We'll see! :-) I know one thing, this experience has really taught me a lesson about what I put in my body! I will never look at food the same.
(Sorry for the novel).

[Teresa64151]

See you in another life- are you saying you have addictions to food, or you cannot control the compulsions to eat? Those are 2 separate issues. If you have addictions to food, I can honestly say that fasting definetly helps to break the addiction. I have the same problem with sugar (especially chocolate). Once I start eating it, its hard for me to stop. Then every day I begin craving sugar and I would easily eat 4 or 5 chocolate bars. THen it gets me to eating other unhealthy things, and its just a downward spiral for me. One way I break that cycle and get control of myself is to go to a complete raw fruits and veggies diet (more veggies than fruit tho). The first few days are very difficult-my body actually tries to trick me into eating sugar by making me crave things I dont realize have added sugar. AFter those few days, the cravings actually go away. I know how difficult it is to resist an addiction, but I also keep in mind that my success is completely up to MY decision.

Some people have extreme problems when trying to control their compulsions to eat. SOmetimes they just need to work on willpower and discipline, and in other cases it may be a psychological problem such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Either way it can be overcome and you can accomplish your goals. Good luck!

[Barcs]

Hey Teresa,

The stiff neck and other random symptoms you are experiencing are most likely normal. This can happen when the body is rapidly eliminating toxins. It could help to brush your tongue at least once a day and do some sauna treatments to help sweat out some toxins that might be building up. Also be sure you are drinking lots and lots of water. At least, half your body weight in ounces. Are you doing the 7 day cleanse and the fasting at the same time? It might just be that your body is going into overdrive from that combination and is eliminating a whole bunch of toxins at once. During my first water fast (1 week long), I felt stiff joints, dizzyness, and nausea. In my second fast, I did the enema and sauna treatment every other day and my symptoms were minimal. I've also read that while fasting, if you have some kind of illness or disease, you will go through all of its symptoms while the disease heals itself. Either way I think you're ok. Good luck and be sure to break the fast nice and slowly.

[Teresa64151]

Hey there Barc,
That makes sense, thanks! Yes, I was fasting and doing the 7 day cleanse both. The first few days I felt euphoric, I figured sooner or later the toxins would catch up to me. The last 24 hours have been pure hell- I was vomiting and had terrible abdominal pains. I had to call into work today. I don't know if its all the toxins making mass exodus out of my body, or if I just caught the crud that everyone else seems to have? Not to mention I have drainage from the ear infection and its made its way to my lungs. I had to stop taking the "cleansing" supplements, because I couldn't keep them down. I guess my body knows whats best. I feel much better today, and Im supposed to break my fast tomorrow. I really wish I could continue, but I think I've had enough for this time anyway. There's no doubt I will make this a part of my life, though. I will definetly take your advice on breaking it slowly. I think I'll juice it tomorrow. Eventually I'll make it back to my raw fruits and veggies. I dunno which is better to start with- fruits or veggies? Also, today I've felt extremely hungry. After the third day of fasting, I haven't had an appetite. Any idea why all of a sudden I have this ravenous hunger?

[Teresa64151]

Oh yah, I forgot to mention- the other night I tried a homemade mineral bath to try and flush out some of the toxins. I used 1 cup of Epsom salts, 1 cup of baking soda, and almost a cup of sea salt (I read you can also add a few tablespoons of ginger powder). After my bath, I felt like I could barely move so I sat down on my sofa. I actually passed out for about an hour.

[Barcs]

http://sci.pam.szczecin.pl/~fasting/breakfast.pdf

Here's a good document on breaking fasts. It is really intended for those who have fasted 2-3 weeks, so you may not need to take as long as they say to get back into normal eating. This is what I used to break my 3 week fast. The first time I used raw veggies, but I think it was a little too harsh on my digestive system. This method recommends using fruit to start out because it's the easiest to digest and will slowly get your system going again. Next time you fast, try not to take any cleansing kits or supplements and you will probably feel a lot better.

I have a question for anyone who can answer. I fasted for 3 weeks (2 weeks water, 1 week juice) and when I was done my skin became really dry. It's been just over 3 weeks since I broke the fast and my skin is still very dry, especially my hands. I've been eating mostly fruits and vegetables (with nuts), along with a yogurt and usually a fish fillet for dinner. I increased my veggie intake and have applied organic lotion, but have had no luck. Does anyone know why this is happening, and how I can rememdy it? I still drink a lot of water, but it doesn't really help.

[Barcs]

That was strange. After I posted the message above, I tried to edit it, then it disappeared! Oh well it's back now! Cool.

Can anyone see my post directly above this one? For some odd reason the edit button is not showing.

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by Barcs

I have a question for anyone who can answer. I fasted for 3 weeks (2 weeks water, 1 week juice) and when I was done my skin became really dry. It's been just over 3 weeks since I broke the fast and my skin is still very dry, especially my hands. I've been eating mostly fruits and vegetables (with nuts), along with a yogurt and usually a fish fillet for dinner. I increased my veggie intake and have applied organic lotion, but have had no luck. Does anyone know why this is happening, and how I can rememdy it? I still drink a lot of water, but it doesn't really help.

You may have lost a significant amount of the natural oils in your skin. You could try incorporating more olive oil, or nut oils, in your diet.

[Jonathan Mead]

I'm getting ready to do my 3rd Fast in a week. I've never done a water fast.. and I'm not sure if I ever will. It's just too extreme for me unless I have the ability to take a vacation from work, life, etc.

I hate to sound like a commercial, but I'm a big believer in the Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs. It's worked for me twice (2 10-day fasts so far) and the second one was even better, as I had not been smoking/drinking for 9 months straight prior to it. Has anyone else tried the MC?

[Barcs]

Originally Posted by Cantando

You may have lost a significant amount of the natural oils in your skin. You could try incorporating more olive oil, or nut oils, in your diet.

Interesting. I will try this. I've also been giving myself more sun lately since the weather's been a little warmer. It seems to be getting better slowly. I will keep using the olive oil and some peanut oil with my dinner each night. Thanks for the advice.

[Jonathan Mead]

Grape seed oil works great too. Just another suggestion.

[SeeYouInAnotherLife]

you guys were right. Fasting wasn't for me. I probably won't be back to this site.

[jenniferwilliam]

Water Fasting is not good for health, We will try to Food Fasting one day per month, It's good for health.

[Barcs]

^I disagree. Fasting one day per month will probably do more harm than good. To get the full benefits of fasting you should go at least 3 days. I would suggest to do a 3 day fast every few months instead of 1 day per month. I believe that can lead to anohexia.

[Joeschmoe]

Originally Posted by jenniferwilliam

Water Fasting is not good for health, We will try to Food Fasting one day per month, It's good for health.

Food fasting? What is that?

[jenniferwilliam]

Hi Barcs!

I'm agree with you!

[Zombie]

Not to be a wet blanket but has anyone pointed out in this thread (or on this site) that there is no scientific evidence that your body excretes "toxins" during a fast? Or that you're all overloaded with toxins at all.

"Toxins" is one of those words that should be tripping your BS-meter. When you see a diet or exercise or philosophy program that "eliminates toxins", it's time to hide your wallet and run very very far away. The person selling it has done no research and has no evidence to support their claims because the research doesn't exist. Because they aren't conducting or paying for research. Because they're too busy cashing in on the rubes.

[Barcs]

I know there's a lot of people out there trying to capitalize on making money off of anything, but water fasting is completely free, unless you buy the water. So with water fasting, nobody can really gain financially from it unless they write a book about it or something similar. There's tons of research behind fasting, it's not just a guess.

[Somi]

Hi I'm so glad I found this thread! Some really great ideas here!

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Zombie

Not to be a wet blanket but has anyone pointed out in this thread (or on this site) that there is no scientific evidence that your body excretes "toxins" during a fast? Or that you're all overloaded with toxins at all.

"Toxins" is one of those words that should be tripping your BS-meter. When you see a diet or exercise or philosophy program that "eliminates toxins", it's time to hide your wallet and run very very far away. The person selling it has done no research and has no evidence to support their claims because the research doesn't exist. Because they aren't conducting or paying for research. Because they're too busy cashing in on the rubes.

Many of us here don't rely on science, outside of subjective empirical testing (subjectivity removes us from the scientific community, unless we get down to the quantum level, aye?).

For instance, Steve did a raw food diet and he gaged the results on his body, clarity of mind and performance. In my opinion, these results are more than enough for him to decide what works for him and what doesn't.

[PoisonIvy]

I have been very interested in fasting and have done a few myself but never made it past three days so I was thinking I would start my fast tomorrow and keep it going until monday may 5... A 6 day fast.... I was thinking that this post will keep me motivated and help me focus on my goal and forget about food... I'll keep you guys posted on my fast.... Does anyone want to fast till monday too?

[PoisonIvy]

Oh also I'm going to have an exam next week. Will water fasting effect my test scores? Will I not concentrate as much or forget things fast (go blank on a subject)?... Or will it not make a difference? I'm just asking because its a really big exam and I don't want to get a bad score on it... Thanks.