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WinkWink726

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 29, 2008
291
50
Pittsburgh Area, PA
I've been fasting for a little while; its a straight "water fast" (so nothing but water).

Just curious if anyone else does so periodically, and what their experience were.

The longest I've ever gone without eating was just under 4 days (due to illness), so this is entirely new to me.
 
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On rare occasions.

Every once in a while my wife will do a cleansing fast, and she is fairly good about it.

When I was six or seven I decided there wasn't anything I liked eating so I stopped eating entirely for a week. This seriously frightened my mother so she kept trying to feed me anything I would try, which towards the end turned out to be grapes.

I don't really recall any hunger pangs, just a complete disinterest in eating.

More recently, I got sick over Christmas (a bad cold). Because of my physiology that generally tends to result in the onset of bronchitis/sinusitis and all the post nasal congestion BS that comes with it. Wasn't eating very much for a bit over a week although I couldn't get enough water.

Lost about 10-15 pounds. Still dealing with congestion and haven't fully recovered my prior eating habits.

I've been on specific fasts though where you gave something up for a month or so.

Right now for my health it's been at least four or five months since I've had soda or table sugar. I've completey cut those things out (pre-diabetic).
[doublepost=1515076370][/doublepost]
…and the caffeine withdrawal will kill you.
Except if you're sick at the time and it gets masked by other symptoms. ;)

But yeah, I found myself on the floor in the bathroom at work once… :D
 
Did a juice fast and colon cleanse about two weeks ago. Only for three days though. The latter consisted of 32oz of celery juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Lost about 8-10lbs. The former consisted of a 64oz green juice prepared late afternoon. Will be doing this once a month as you need to clean out your system. For reference I never eat animal products, dairy, and very little gluten. Primarily fruits and vegetables. Sometimes legumes, rice pasta, and nuts.
 
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Not sure if this is related ornot, but...I eat once a day, mostly. In the evenings. Not all the time but pretty regularly. I also have a daily regime of quality supplements to fill in any gaps in my diet. I have lots of energy and havent been sick in a long while. I dont eat animal flesh, but some of the supplements do have aquatic life in them and i will eat eggs from time to time. I trynot to worry too much about how i eat as that would do more harm than just actually eating everything. Good luck with your fasting. Its a path worth exploring if you resonate with it...
 
No, only a few stints where I go much lower carb intake and leave out booze for a while (usually to offset excessive consumption ... life around the end of the year :D). Generally, we're doing things like 800+ calorie HIIT workouts, and have to have a decent amount of food (and the right kind) to support that energy requirement. Our lifestyle doesn't really support low/no food consumption (and we don't have any non-biological reason to not eat).

Did a juice fast and colon cleanse about two weeks ago. Only for three days though.

Lost about 8-10lbs.

To be clear, that was mostly water weight (glycogen store reduction), it's good for a "de-bloat", perhaps there's other positive effects, but actual fat loss occurs at a much lower rate. :)
 
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and the caffeine withdrawal will kill you.

Caffeine withdrawal headaches are the worst. I used to drink something like 6 cups of coffee per day (software engineer office job) and then at age 35 or something decided to quit coffee. Withdrawal headaches lastet for almost 6 months. Now seven years later I sometimes drink a Coca Cola or Cappuccino and my brain still is compromised, obviously, because I will have a withdrawal headache the next day. Heavy caffeine consumption irreversibly messes your body up just like any other drug.

Plus my teeth have a great dark yellow color, which I guess is from the coffee. I had quite many cavities as a child and therefore I'm not the ideal candidate for teeth bleaching.

Bottom line: if you're still young: Don't do coffee, it f**** you up on so many levels.
 
Caffeine withdrawal headaches are the worst.
I find that the dizziness, sweating and the nausea induced by the waves of fever-like symptoms are much more difficult to deal with than the headaches.

That's what put me on the cool floor of the work bathroom so many years ago at any rate. :)

Bottom line: if you're still young: Don't do coffee, it f**** you up on so many levels.
What screwed me up was soda.

I can drink coffee no issue, but from the age of 15 to about 42 I was an obsessive cola drinker. I could put away one two liter a day and a flat of 48 cans of soda within 2.5 days. None of that caught up to me though until my 40s when working an office job. Prior to that during my 20s and 30s I worked physical labor. At one point it caused a Schatzki ring (and therefore Steakhouse Syndrome) which resulted in an endoscopy with dilation and GERD and therefore a life dependency on Omeprezole (Prilosec).

Lots of people have addictions to alcohol (I don't normally drink the stuff) but my body experiences the same levels of addiction you find there to soda. One drink and I'm off on a binge.

I've been forced to stay off the stuff and stick with water, juice and coffee.

You know you've gone too far down with soda when no matter what you are drinking it all tastes like cough syrup.
 
Yes, I've done it from time to time. In the past, I did it for weight loss, in conjunction with intense weight training. These days, it's more for a spiritual experience and/or cleansing of the digestive system, esp. when I feel sick/bloated.

There is an interesting process called Ketosis that occurs after roughly 2 days of fasting (or total Carbohydrates deprivation). It can result in a feeling of euphoria, that some people report. I personally have not experienced that, because I have never fasted more than 2-3 days.

I'm actually planning to do such a fast in a week or so.
 
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Thanks for all of the replies, everyone, and for sharing your experiences.

I'm a few pounds heavier than I ought to be and I have a much easier time abstaining from food than counting calories and fat. Everything that I "can" eat while dieting leaves me unsatisfied and leads to a borderline binge-eating experience.

Anyhow, I've been doing water only since New Years Day (at 7:30pm) and its been not completely awful, but definitely an exercise in will power.

Day 1 was mostly annoying and slightly novel.
Day 2 I had ZERO energy and my hunger pangs were bad, accompanied by one of the worst (non-migraine) headaches of my entire life (I credit that to the lack of caffeine)
Day 3 was a little easier, hunger was less severe, but I still absolutely want a greasy fatty extra cheeseburger, lol
Going into Day 4, we shall see.

I'm doing this to experiment with a different type of weight loss (followed by intermittent fasting a couple times a week), and to try to "cleanse" my system.
I know that the vast majority of weight loss at this point is water--and that makes total sense because I'm completely addicted to salt... I'd salt my salt, given the chance.

anyhow, at 5'8" I was at 172, and today I'm at 164.2.

I've read of the ketosis and its very intriguing, I'm just wondering if I'll ever go into that phase.
I think I'm going to go for a total goal of 5 days (and maybe longer if my both my body and brain thinks they can keep going)

My theory is that if I endure this fast, then when I ease into eating again my stomach will have shrunk, thereby feeling full quicker than normal, and reducing caloric/fat intake. At that same time, I'm hoping I can stick to a healthier diet in general.
 
My theory is that if I endure this fast, then when I ease into eating again my stomach will have shrunk, thereby feeling full quicker than normal, and reducing caloric/fat intake. At that same time, I'm hoping I can stick to a healthier diet in general.

Hey, if your goal is weight loss, allow me to share a few words. Apart from being a fitness nut, I was studying to become a fitness trainer, so I know a thing or two.

Fasting will almost always result in a reduced fat metabolism (i.e. the rate at which your body burns fat) because the body anticipates that you're not going to feed it, so it holds on to the fat you have tighter than when you feed it normally [1]. So, fasting can actually work against you when it comes to weight loss.

This reduction in metabolism can be countered by exercising while fasting. As you exercise, the body anticipates an increased need for energy, so its metabolism is raised.

So, fasting is good for weight loss only if you do something kind of risky - exercise while fasting, to keep your metabolism up. I say it's risky because you may have dizzy spells if you overexert yourself. However, if you know your body's limits, it is doable (I've done it plenty of times).

In other words, fasting by itself can actually have the opposite effect when the fast comes to an end - i.e. weight gain (due to the reduced metabolism). Plus, let's face it ... the day you end your fast, you're going to hold the McDonald's employee at gun point, ensuring he brings you your 8 burgers and 3 large fries before serving anyone else. You may lose 2 lbs over your fast, only to gain 8 lbs in the 2 days after the fast. So, it may not be a good long-term strategy to fast like this. Which brings me to the one sentence you least want to hear - there are no easy shortcuts to weight loss that completely circumvent exercise and a significant overhaul of your daily diet.

So, the bottom line is - if weight loss is your end goal, I doubt that fasting like this (without a complementing exercise regimen during and after the fast) is going to help, esp. long term.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to talk more about it. Feel equally free to ignore me. If you can tell me what kinds of foods you like, I could give you a few simple suggestions to make your diet more healthful while still keeping the foods you like so you don't feel entirely deprived.

Footnote [1] - This makes sense if you think about evolution and survival - this is how our ancestors' survived when they had to wander the forests for days without a meal ... their bodies held on to and used the fat reserves when there was no intake. For them, survival was the main objective, not weight loss, so their bodies were "tuned" for survival. This is the #1 underlying reason why we today have obesity - because the body's natural instinct is to hold on to fat for survival. The body doesn't know that we have a fridge full of food. We have to force it to shed that excess fat by exercising (or by dieting).
 
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In other words, fasting by itself can actually have the opposite effect when the fast comes to an end - i.e. weight gain (due to the reduced metabolism). Plus, let's face it ... the day you end your fast, you're going to hold the McDonald's employee at gun point, ensuring he brings you your 8 burgers and 3 large fries before serving anyone else. You may lose 2 lbs over your fast, only to gain 8 lbs in the 2 days after the fast. So, it may not be a good long-term strategy to fast like this. Which brings me to the one sentence you least want to hear - there are no easy shortcuts to weight loss that completely circumvent exercise and a significant overhaul of your daily diet.

but the cheeseburger thing is exactly what I'm not intending to do...
I'm not looking for a shortcut, I'm looking for a cleansing boost.
I'm going to begin clean eating (after I wean myself back onto food with soft fruits and the like), post cleanse/fast, with a theoretical smaller stomach, to boot.
I thought I mentioned that earlier, but I may not have been very clear.

I mean, I'm not morbidly obese or anything. I recently found out why I haven't been able to shed any weight (despite being a runner and having a pretty physical job)...
Turns out that I'm pretty highly Hypothyroid. <thumbs down>
So, now that I'm being treated for that, I'm hoping for some improvements in my overall health.
[doublepost=1515146461][/doublepost]
Several times for several days due to depression.
This has happened to me before, too.
Without being too invasive, I'll just say that I hope that you're okay <3
 
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I'm going to begin clean eating (after I wean myself back onto food with soft fruits and the like), post cleanse/fast, with a theoretical smaller stomach, to boot.
I thought I mentioned that earlier, but I may not have been very clear.

I see. It was a little confusing because you said something like you are not able to eat in moderation; you have to fast completely. And you mentioned being prone to binge eating.

I have a much easier time abstaining from food than counting calories and fat. Everything that I "can" eat while dieting leaves me unsatisfied and leads to a borderline binge-eating experience.

So, I thought you were switching between extremes, which is not healthy. That is what I was responding to.

It sounds like you're sure of what you're doing. In any case, my offer stands :) Keep us informed.
 
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noooooo... that was misleading!!
The binge-eating comment was exaggerating and not literal "Borderline binge-eating", sorry about that.
kind of to say "I could eat everything in my pantry" (but don't actually do that), sorry about that

Eating in moderation is fine (I don't think I could fast if that were the issue), but I hate the things that I can eat while dieting, and I end up not "satisfied" by them.
(Not in terms of fullness, in terms of cravings, so to speak).

So, I'm hoping that after fasting (and putting the time and effort into that), I can be more satisfied and appreciate healthier food a little more.
 
I have done it occasionally, but not lately. I will say it can be difficult (at least for me), especially as the day wears on.
 
but the cheeseburger thing is exactly what I'm not intending to do...
I'm not looking for a shortcut, I'm looking for a cleansing boost.
I'm going to begin clean eating (after I wean myself back onto food with soft fruits and the like), post cleanse/fast, with a theoretical smaller stomach, to boot.
I thought I mentioned that earlier, but I may not have been very clear.

I mean, I'm not morbidly obese or anything. I recently found out why I haven't been able to shed any weight (despite being a runner and having a pretty physical job)...
Turns out that I'm pretty highly Hypothyroid. <thumbs down>
So, now that I'm being treated for that, I'm hoping for some improvements in my overall health.
[doublepost=1515146461][/doublepost]
This has happened to me before, too.
Without being too invasive, I'll just say that I hope that you're okay <3

Thanks, you too. :)
 
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Thanks for all of the replies, everyone, and for sharing your experiences.

I'm a few pounds heavier than I ought to be and I have a much easier time abstaining from food than counting calories and fat. Everything that I "can" eat while dieting leaves me unsatisfied and leads to a borderline binge-eating experience.

Anyhow, I've been doing water only since New Years Day (at 7:30pm) and its been not completely awful, but definitely an exercise in will power.

Day 1 was mostly annoying and slightly novel.
Day 2 I had ZERO energy and my hunger pangs were bad, accompanied by one of the worst (non-migraine) headaches of my entire life (I credit that to the lack of caffeine)
Day 3 was a little easier, hunger was less severe, but I still absolutely want a greasy fatty extra cheeseburger, lol
Going into Day 4, we shall see.

I'm doing this to experiment with a different type of weight loss (followed by intermittent fasting a couple times a week), and to try to "cleanse" my system.
I know that the vast majority of weight loss at this point is water--and that makes total sense because I'm completely addicted to salt... I'd salt my salt, given the chance.

anyhow, at 5'8" I was at 172, and today I'm at 164.2.

I've read of the ketosis and its very intriguing, I'm just wondering if I'll ever go into that phase.
I think I'm going to go for a total goal of 5 days (and maybe longer if my both my body and brain thinks they can keep going)

My theory is that if I endure this fast, then when I ease into eating again my stomach will have shrunk, thereby feeling full quicker than normal, and reducing caloric/fat intake. At that same time, I'm hoping I can stick to a healthier diet in general.
I don’t think that your stomach will Shrink enough in only a few days to make a difference. This sounds very dangerous. Be careful.
 
I am not religious or devout about anything. But I did experience pancreatitis once. I had to stop eating for a couple weeks. The hospital that I was at wouldn't even let me drink water. I was fed intravenously. My weight dropped from the normal 170 to about 145 lbs. I got over it, but it was very difficult to eat a meal without feeling like I was going to explode (feeling over full). I have to be very careful how much I eat now even though that was years ago.

I will never eat sushi again!
 
Recently I have taken up the 12 hour diet (9 to 10 hours is peak they way)

If you wake up at say 6am, withhold from eating until 8am (feel free to workout before 8am).
Eat from 8am to 6pm and then stop eating after 6pm until 8am the next morning.
(You can have water between 6pm to 8am, just not tea or anything else)

The goal is that the body produces more muscle in this type of setup and your body should "feel better", along with digesting and letting your body rest from eating, as opposed to making it work again at 10pm for a cookie or muffin.

The research is limited but promising on mice.


I have done it for about 2 months and can agree that I feel better (though I already ate limited from 5am to 6pm prior to this diet).
 
I don’t think that your stomach will Shrink enough in only a few days to make a difference. This sounds very dangerous. Be careful.


Stomachs don't shrink _at_all_. While they may expand to account for a huge food intake, adult stomachs are the size they are (this idea of reducing food intake = actual size reduction is a myth).
 
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I've been fasting for a little while; its a straight "water fast" (so nothing but water).

Just curious if anyone else does so periodically, and what their experience were.

The longest I've ever gone without eating was just under 4 days (due to illness), so this is entirely new to me.

Lent.
Basically fast until dinner time; liquids, and some fruit excluded.
Depending on workload, I might do the 40 Days without any meat at all (although it’s allowed on Sundays)
 
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