I decided that August was going to be the month I actually commit to a lifestyle change. I am going to kick start this with a water fasting. I have done considerable research about fasting and feel it is the best way forward. Today is my first day not eating as I spend the first 3 days of the month preparing for my fast. I intend to do the fast for the whole month however this may change depending on how I feel and how my body reacts. After completing my fast I will be transitioning into a ketogenic diet with hope that this will improve my health.
If anyone else has water fasted before and would like to share their experience, please do so.
Many thanks,
Jazz
Written by
JTrout553
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Whilst I can appreciate your impatience for weight loss, Im afraid I cannot endorse such a long fast without close medical supervision. 😕 We do have members who do 24 hour fasts and very low calorie diets but trust me, in the long term nothing beats creating good eating habits and making permanent sustainable changes to your eating behaviour. If you are wanting a quick start, and you mentiona ketogenic diet then why not look at the 800 calorie Blood Sugar Diet which will certainly give you a rapid loss.
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You are right there are no quick fixes. I too have thought of fasting, and then I thought of the harm I could be doing too. And what happens when you stop fasting. As you have been starving yourself then surely you will put the weight you have lost back on quickly. I admit I dont know anything about fasting. But I do know your body requires essential nutrients to maintain a healthy body.
Thank you for your response, think I found the forum on the NHS website. I am aware of blood sugar diet and have the books. Please be aware the main goal of my fast is not to lose weight quickly, I will write a post regarding my choice in the future,
Thank you for your response, I have regular contact with my doctor and will ultimately listen to my body and watch out for any of the negative side effects associated with fasting. Please be aware the main goal of my fast is not to lose weight quickly, I will write a post regarding my choice in the future,
I do wish you all the best, but have to say I cannot help worrying about the choice you are making. It is a relief if your doctor is aware of what you are planning and has agreed to monitor things. You will be aware that fasting for prolonged periods has a very detrimental effect on one's thought processes. So,in this extreme situation, you are probably going to be the person least capable of making an accurate judgement of how things are going. I say this with the greatest respect. I'm sure I'm being thick, but I've been scratching my head and cannot think of any good reason to voluntarily choose to live on water for a month.
I hope this does not come across as rude, but I've made so many mistakes in losing weight too quickly in the past and it never stayed off. This year I've lost 4 stone easily and painlessly simply by following the 12 week plan and getting support on here. Early days, I know, but so far it's staying off with no trouble at all.
Basically, my thoughts are that the 12 week plan is the beginning of a sustainable lifestyle change, living on water isn't. Good Luck.
S11m makes a good point JTrout553. Will you review your progression on your fast so as to keep yourself safe and healthy. You will take care wouldn't you.
There are many ways of committing to a lifestyle change without going for an extended fast JTrout553 . Why not go straight to the ketogenic diet? There's plenty of information and support around for that, as I'm sure you know.
If it's a change for life you're after, then I'm not sure I understand the need for such an extreme introduction, and I do think you should consider medical supervision for a fast of this length
Thanks for the response. I do have regular contact with my doctor. Please be aware the main goal of my fast is not to lose weight quickly, I will write a post regarding my reasons to fast later.
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You've done your research, so you know that if you do this you will lose plenty of weight, much of it muscle. When you start eating again you will inevitably put on some weight, much of it fat. Personally, I prefer muscle to fat even though it weighs more per unit volume. However, we must all choose our own paths to follow. Love the cat!
Please think carefully as your long term health is worth more than a potential short term fix..
Quote from the article..
"The Bottom Line
Water fasting is a popular method of fasting that may have some health benefits.
However, most of the health benefits of water fasting are seen in animal studies. Human studies might not show the same effect.
Water fasting also comes with several risks, especially if you fast for longer than three days or have medical conditions like gout, chronic kidney disease or diabetes.
If you want the health benefits of fasting, try safer methods like intermittent fasting and alternate-day fasting. These fasts allow you to eat some food, which makes them easier to follow long-term."
Wishing you good health as you move towards your goals.. 🎉🎉🎉
Hi JTrout553 and welcome to the forum! I am fasting at the minute, but only for a 48 hour fast. I have read quite a lot about fasting and do think there are benefits from short term fasting. One article I read (I'll try and find it) said you get the benefits from fasting after just 12 hours! The articles I have read also generally advocate anything more than a 24 hour fast requires medical supervision (I know, not following this advice myself as doing it for 48 hours!!) but a whole month is a long time and may have negative affects. Do look after yourself and 'check in' with yourself to see how you are really feeling physically and mentally.
I wonder if other methods of fasting would be better for you? There is the alternate day fasting regime where you only eat every other day, and there are variants to this where you can have a very small meal on the fast day of around 500 calories. There is also the 5:2 diet which is similar but even less restrictive. I have also tried intermittent fasting where you have an 8 hour eating window and fast for 16 hours. As I mentioned before, there is a lot of evidence to suggest the benefits of fasting happen after 12 hours.
I am personally doing the 48 hour fast because I went off the rails whilst away with work earlier in the week and feel I need to 'reset' myself and also to see whether fasting will have an effect on my cholesterol levels (I have high cholesterol and another blood test next week).
Good luck to whatever you decide, but listen to your body too
Thanks for the response. I have read about the 5:2 diet and it is something I am considering implementing when I finish this fast depending on how this one goes. Please be aware the main goal of my fast is not to lose weight quickly, I will write a post regarding my choice soon.
Same here buddy! Exactly the same plan here! Good luck!
hi JTrout553 ! I'm interested to read your upcoming post about your adventures in fasting and the research you've done! I am interested in water fasting too and have done a fair amount of research too. I've done several stints of 3 days (90 hours really) and several 2 day courses too. I have always found day 3 easiest and presume the body will adjust as your days go on making it easier and easier. After my fasts i try to eat keto. Under 50g. I had to increase carbs temporarily due to bad muscle cramping and a feeling of very low blood pressure, hammering heart etc. Like you I listen to my body first and foremost and try not to push too far into uncomfortable territory unless I know for sure I'm safe and sound.
I find bouillon useful for adding some salt and minerals to my system and avoiding some of the really sh*tty side effects of fasting. 12 cals in a cup and not much to it that would "reawaken" the digestive system.
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1 day Fast
Increasing fat loss and reducing insulin resistance
I start today:)
Still haven't lost any weight… 😢
Well what did you have for Sunday diner today?
