Fasting

pict

pict

Joined
Jan 7, 2003
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When was the last time you either elected to do a total fast or were forced to due to circumstances?

I did a 24 hour fast this last week, water only. I hadn't done it in a while and this time I got a real bad headache. I ended up throwing in the towel instead of toughing it our for the 36 hours I had planned. My wife could easily do several days if we didn't have three kids to feed.

Anyway it is a real eye opener if you've never done it or haven't in a while to see what really going without food looks like. I don't think I've ever fasted that I didn't develop a powerful headache in the first 24 hours. This is mainly due to the bodys natural detoxification once it is liberated from the need to devote energy to digest. It takes the opportunity to take out the garbage. Thus a headache. Mac
 
End of April and early May I was on a forced fast. IV only for 10 days.

I plan on fasting again the beginning of November and go for 3 days. I want to flush my system and shrink the stomach a bit. Then I'm changing my diet. Not so much to lose weight, just to be eating healthier and in smaller quantities and more often during the day. Seems grazing is a good thing instead of porking out at fewer meals. A friend changed his eating habits and is doing great, so I'm gonna follow suit.
 
The only time I get bad headaches is when I lay off the coffee. That seems to last a day or so then goes away. Most likely the head ache is from a loss of easily sourcable blood sugar as you will deplete most of your glycogen stores in 24 hrs after starting to fast. Turning fats into glucose is a lot tougher on the system, not to mention slower. As your brain runs on glucose it will be plent mad when it stops getting its fuel in the supplies it has been acustomed to.
 
Can everybody fasting ?
How many hours to start (it would be my first fasting) ?
No sugar at all ? only water ?
Can we do sports (with no sugar I think it will be a problem) ?
Thanks
 
I had the flu a while ago and the only thing I could keep down was water. I felt sick anyway, so the associated hunger stuff wasn't noticed at all. .
 
pict said:
When was the last time you either elected to do a total fast or were forced to due to circumstances?

I did a 24 hour fast this last week, water only. I hadn't done it in a while and this time I got a real bad headache. I ended up throwing in the towel instead of toughing it our for the 36 hours I had planned. My wife could easily do several days if we didn't have three kids to feed.

Anyway it is a real eye opener if you've never done it or haven't in a while to see what really going without food looks like. I don't think I've ever fasted that I didn't develop a powerful headache in the first 24 hours. This is mainly due to the bodys natural detoxification once it is liberated from the need to devote energy to digest. It takes the opportunity to take out the garbage. Thus a headache. Mac
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I think your body and mind react differently when it is elected. The headaches, lack of concentration, and just constant thoughts of food are much less when you have no food and know it.
 
Maximil said:
Can everybody fasting ?
How many hours to start (it would be my first fasting) ?
No sugar at all ? only water ?
Can we do sports (with no sugar I think it will be a problem) ?
Thanks
Click to expand...


not everyone should fast. In fact, for some people with certain conditions (such as diabetes) it can be very dangerous.

the last time I fasted was a few monthes ago for 72 hours... some people might say that it wasn't a real fast since I juiced a bunch of fruit and drank about 16 ounces every 24 hours but it works for me. Other than that, the only time I fast regularly (heh, religiously you might say) is every year during Yom Kippur.
 
underaged! said:
What is "fasting", is that like starving yourself? Why?
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Fasting should only be done with a responsible individual monitoring the process. If the fast goes too long, the body starts to consume muscle mass and the fast turns into starvation, organ failure and death. During a fast, there are herbs that can be taken with large amounts of water, which should be drank to help flush out all of the toxins the body will be wanting to dispose of. Do some research on fasting before trying it.

That said, here is a site on the benefits of fasting
 
I tried starving for a week on a camping trip. I was too sick to eat. All I could stand to drink was tea.

It actually wasn't bad at all, considering the salmonella poisoning I started the trip with.

What was bad, was walking out almost 20 miles in mid-illness, not knowing whether I'd get sicker, or not.

Otherwise, fasting on camping trips equals bad planning. People burn 3 to 5 thousand calories a day backpacking. If you aren't eating, you are burning up your reserves. And when they are gone, in what, 3 days? you will crash, hard.
 
assuming you're "medically capable", i think fasting is fantastic for the psychological benefits. if you've never fasted before and you're forced to (say in a survival situation), you may tend to worry about not having food...not good. i've done fasts for as long as 10 days and now know that the body can go a long time without food so i don't need to worry about skipping meals, even if it's for a few days...it's good to have that confidence in a situation where eating isn't regular....

on the other hand, i know people who have never fasted and they go bonkers when they have to skip a meal, complaining of headaches, of feeling bad, like they "can't function." most of that's in their heads, purely psychological, i suspect.

if you work your way up to an extended fast, you'll be pretty amazed at just how long your body can continue to function...it's a very important confidence/knowledge to have, if you ask me...

everyone should know their limits - through testing. don't wait for an emergency to find out. how long can you go without eating before your performance suffers? how long without sleep? what kind of temperature extremes can you tolerate?
 
I've fasted for 24 hours but can't do it often. I can't work in the process. As mentioned, not everyone can fast. And even though you think you can, go at it with caution.

steve
 
in moderate or climate-controlled environemnts, a one to three day fast with no intake whatsoever (not even water) will do little harm to a healthy adult. add water and you can go much farther, and in extremes of temperature. moderate excersize during an extended fast will relatively inhibit muscle catabolism in favor of fat catabolism, but i would warn against exercise unless you are drinking adequate water.
 
pict said:
When was the last time you either elected to do a total fast or were forced to due to circumstances?
Click to expand...
Once a month, I fast 24 hours. This means (to me) skipping two meals.

You can generally go 24 hours without food and water without too much grief (medical disclaimer, etc). Beyond 24 hours is a problem with no water. And it's not smart; health-wise.

Letting your body know your mind and spirit are in change is a good reminder. And, in the preparation-mode, it's nice to know you can do it, should you need to.

It's for this reason I never worry about what my scouts bring (or don't bring) for food on our overnight camping trips. No one ever died of starvation on an overnight camping trip. They may have gotten awful hungry, and learned a valuable lesson or two, though. That's not my fault they learned that lesson! :)
 
HOW ABOUT TRYING A FRESH JUICE FAST IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE A WATER FAST. GET YOURSELF A JUICING MACHINE AND TRY CARROT/APPLE JUICE. YOU GET CALORIES, VITAMINS, MINERALS AND ENZYMES. :p :D
 
Quite often I do 24-30hrs with just liquids(water, koolaid or fruit juice)

When I was working in a resturaunt, we got a decent meal after our shift for $3 off the paycheck... So I'd end up getting a really decent meal about every 24hrs, and got used to it.

I haven't eaten heavy for about 2yrs now, most "meals" are about 300 calories, 4-5 times a day if I have the time.
 
If I do a lot of physical activity - running, swimming, lifting, boxing, wrestling, gymnatics, and/or calithenics for a couple of hours each day - is fasting advantageous or harmful? Will my body be unable to repair damaged muscle tissue? If I take protein supplements while fasting, will my body burn those for energy instead of using them?

Obviously, going without water is a bad, bad idea.
 
I skipped breakfast today, and lunch as usual (need the $ for some uhh stuff...) I couldn't think/consentrate in class. Other than that I felt ok, no head aches or anything.
 
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