7 day water fast.: I am going to do a 7 day... - Diabetes India

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7 day water fast.

46 Replies

I am going to do a 7 day water fast. I did 3 day fast some months ago. If anyone has done this before please tell what was your experience. Any suggestions are welcome.

46 Replies
Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator

Wish you all the best, Nilesh. Water fast means no calories intake at all for seven days, is that right? I will be looking forward to hearing from you how you felt during the days you remained on fast.

BTW, what are your expectations from the fast?

in reply to Praveen55

Currently I'm controlling my bs through heavy exercise. I want to see if I can reverse my condition permanently through longer fasting.

in reply to

Surely the Better way is to make changes to your intake, not to cut it out for 7 days. That is really not helpful at all and having said all that, you should only do something like that with the specifig grace of your doctor. It is really not wise.

in reply to

The problem isn't about controlling the bs or with the diet. My numbers are already good. There are various examples like shooter George who reversed their condition by trying the odds. I want to be one of them.

There are various studies have shown that whenever diabetic patients kept on a low calorie diet for a couple of months they remitted. So I am eager to see the outcome of the starving and that would be useful for me to take appropriate steps in this direction. Maybe I'm able to reverse...

in reply to

You are quite right. The main studies here were at Durham University and Glasgow University where the professors found that a liquid diet of, I believe, 500 calories a day for three months, did in fact reverse the need for medication. However, you will always be diabetic and if you did not stick to a sensible diet with regular exercise to suit your age, you will revert.

There was NO discussion or suggestion of a water only diet - which is fraught with danger.

Slightly confused - you say your readings are fine. Is that with medication? If not, whats the problem?

I went on a self written diet in April 2017. Only because my insulin use was increasing at an alarming rate and had concerns for my feet and nerves. After seven months I was only taking Metformin, and after Christmas was down to no medication what so ever. I am still on the diet (of sorts) and sit at 10 stone 12 pounds - now thats from over 17 stones. It was interesting to keep up with the clothes I continually needed to buy but am now at a weight I have not seen for 40 years. I still test my blood once a day, rotating between morning, noon and night. I will never be a non diabetic, I am merely a diabetic that controls his BS by sensible means.

Good luck with what you choose to do, however you will always be diabetic, just that you will be handling it yourself and not relying on medication.

A water only diet is actually a starvation diet - think on that!

Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator in reply to

Hidden

Your achievements are commendable - from (insulin + oral medication) to diet only to control your diabetes! What are your numbers generally?

Would you like to share your diet with us? You lost significant bodyweight also!

in reply to Praveen55

My average from my spreadsheet records and the HbA1c that I get every six months are all within .1 and am averaging 6.2 consistently.

in reply to

NO way . On the other hand water fasting deprives you all the nutrients from the food and you would end up in a misearable state. At least if such fasting is done at the age of 40 or 50 , it is ok , as the body does not require all the nutrients and calories at that age as much as required at your age . Even assuming that sugar levels come down the effect is not long lasting . By any chance are you contemplating to continue that for ever with sufficient Gaps in time . What for that step ?It is sheer madness .

namaha profile image
namahaAdministrator

Why not you read Dr Fung ' s blogs ! He is the master and he has researched a lot on the subject !

Very interesting tips on fasting . Also hope your BMI is towards a higher range.

He never recommends such long fasting for a person whose BMI is less than 20.

May God bless you !

in reply to namaha

I have watched several videos and posts of Dr. Fung, Dr. Eric Berg, Thomas Delauer and many others, but I want some real life experiences. I'm constantly gathering various information so I can get rid from this disease. My age is 31 and BMI is 18.5.

namaha profile image
namahaAdministrator in reply to

Dear Nilesh

Hellow Handsome Young man !

I would never recommend!

I am also immensely influenced by Dr Fung - a nephrologist by profession but has done a lot of work for T2 D.

I have gone through all the 17 Blogs on Fasting written by Dr Fung available all free in net. Huge material. IDM program - Very nicely written.

In one of his blog on fasting , he said he would never ever recommend more than 20 hour fasting to a man with BMI less than 20.

In fact my BMI is 20 and I had started a simple 16/8 fasting. I felt great. After a week, I lost one kilo, though my BS improved. But I never wanted weight reduction. I am already skinny. Then I stopped the 16/8 fasting.

Dear your BMI tells us that you are under weight. what you need is to improve your BMI - bring it to a healthy range 20-21 ( minimum 20 is healthy ). Automatically your BS will improve with LCHF . No need to do go for one week fasting. One week fasting will lead to further reduction in your weight and it may lead to complications!

Please find the link where he has very clearly he has warned for fasting more than 24 hours for low BMI's.

medium.com/personal-growth/...

May God Bless you !

namaha profile image
namahaAdministrator in reply to

Dear Nilesh

I have sent you the link after editing my previous response. Attaching here also Dr Fung's view on low BMI's.

Please get guided !

medium.com/personal-growth/...

Activity2004 profile image
Activity2004Administrator in reply to

Have you talked with your doctor about the fast idea?

in reply to Activity2004

No, doctor won't allow this. I did 3 day fast twice before but this time I will go further.

Activity2004 profile image
Activity2004Administrator in reply to

Please be careful with the diet.

in reply to

Always one can;t expect luck to favor one .

Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator in reply to

I think you are missing the link. Fasting and blood sugar are linked to overweight/obesity. Those with excess weight have fat around their internal organs (liver and pancreas) and fasting helps lose fat including those of internal organs improving insulin sensitivity. In your case with a BMI of 18.5, it is 99.9% certain that you are not having any excess fat around your internal organs and therefore you are unlikely to get same benefit from fasting as overweight people. On the contrary, it is most likely to cause some complications. You must do it under medical supervision if you still want to do it.

Other mode of benefit is through depletion of glycogen and going into ketosis but you do not need to go to such long fasting for that, particularly when you are thin.

You should consider your decision of fasting once again to be safe.

in reply to Praveen55

My weight was 76kg before diagnosis. Thereafter I rapidly losed my weight. If I stop doing exercise now I know that after some days sugar will start building up. So where this resistance is coming from. I strongly doubt that there must be some fat present around the liver and in the cells. Also BMI is a vague measure of fatty liver:

liverline.com/can-thin-peop...

After reading a claim from a 27 years old guy who nearby reversed his condition, I decided to go with my own way to cure myself. His name is Radhakrishna Pai. You can read his response from quora:

quora.com/Can-diabetes-be-r...

Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator in reply to

I agree fully with you that BMI is not always a reliable measure of IR. I was just concerned about the extreme measure that you are taking. Secondly, IR can be determined by measuring serum insulin and Glucose(fasting) in the blood. Though it is not 100% indication of IR but it does give reasonable indication of IR.

in reply to

This is literally like the classical act of fox imitating the tiger in getting the stripes across the body .

in reply to

All these people are giving you their (my) life experiences and you continue with your idea. You know the doctor will not sanction this, you know everyone here say no to the fast - so whats the problem. I have already pointed out that even with no medication (you did not answer that question did you) you will always be a diabetic. Thats a fact of life so stop kidding yourself. You have all the reports, all this experience before you and you DO NOT listen. I am beginning to wonder if you are being serious or seeking attention through these pages because you only answer selected help.

Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator in reply to

He is really serious. He is not kidding.

in reply to Praveen55

His problem is not diabetes but more of ego to prove to all of us that he is capable of doing this feat .

in reply to

Your words are causing me to lose my hope.

I just want to become a normal person again by breaking this diabetic restrictions.

I'm not imitating or in the mood of doing any feat. I'm doing this to drain the sugar crammed in my body.

in reply to Praveen55

Therefore, if he is serious, he must talk with his doctor. He needs advice on diet, nutrition, being diabetic and just what is possible through controlled measures to return him to health. This see saw back and forward is not doing him any good at all since we all appear to be contradicting what he actually wants to hear - ie that he can go on a water only diet, which is just ludicrous.

Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator in reply to

Sometime people follow their gut feeling.

in reply to

I'm not taking any medicines. I'm vegetarian (also eat eggs). The problem with this type of life is that whenever you go outside with friends or alone you can't eat or drink anything. You have to put restrictions on yourself and that's really hurts.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

What's your abdominal girth / waist. Do you have nafld / fatty liver?

in reply to suramo

31inches

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

Fatty liver?

in reply to suramo

Don't know!

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

Get to know. You are a thin diabetic. You don't need to lose weight but you have to control your D by dietary means.

in reply to suramo

The problem isn't about controlling. I want it to be cured.

Weight loss is obvious but the main idea behind the fasting is that it will burn the sugar reservoir so that cells can function normally again.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

Good idea but there are no sugar reserve in the sense you are talking. Sugar can be stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. Where muscle glycogen is selfish and rarely available to raise bs, liver glycogen store lasts hardly for 12-24 hours. The energy is stored as fat.

If you are a diabetic you should accept certain facts.D is not a disease but inability to process sugar efficiently so can't be cured. It's thought to have genetic basis and some 12-16 gene defects have been identified. Only if you can solve that problem can you be free from D / cured.

in reply to suramo

I mean fat.

suramo profile image
suramoStar in reply to

But you don't have excessive fats.

could have a hidden danger which gets revealed in future.

in reply to

I am robust to endure this.

sbhat2000 profile image
sbhat2000

Since you have done 3 days water fast I think you can extend it by few more day.

Nilesh , for heaven's sake , have some practical sense .

Praveen55 profile image
Praveen55Moderator

Hidden

Consider taking essential vitamins, minerals and electrolytes during the fasting period. Monitor your BS and BP also. Wish you all the best.

in reply to Praveen55

Thanks man!

in reply to Praveen55

Taking vitamins and minerals on empty stomach does not go well with the system .All those things have their own disadvantages . The findings and recommendations of modern medical system have to be taken with certain reservation .

It is not to discourage you , but to warn you of the possible risks . This act of loosing weight and getting back with vengence after some time ,when you revert back to the food which you had been taking all these days , makes your skin to loose its sheen and you get a wrinkled look . Apart from that you can't lead the life you are dreaming ,because you get back to original state and shape . Any way , since you are hellbent on going ahead , do that under the guidance of a competent and good doctor . This is advice from an elderly friend.

in reply to

Thanks for your valuable advice!

kapilv profile image
kapilv

Instead of a 7 days water fast, I'd recommend very low calorie dieting for a month or so, like the Newcastle experiment. And you can't say from your BMI if you have fatty liver or not. There are several skinny people with visceral fat. You may find out with an ultrasound scan.

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