Sounds good @Redrock12, keep in mind though that you were 35 years younger then. I would not expect the same results 35 years later. I have had positive experiences with fasting, but then I did a long fast of more than 20 days. That was not such a good experience, and has had consequences. so take it slow and listen to your body, and your heart. bestBack in about '85 I went on a ten day water fast. The first three days were incredibly hard, but after that I stopped feeling hungry, slept like a baby, lost twenty pounds, and felt incredibly good.
Actually, that's why I'm on this topic. I'm gonna have another go at it.![]()
Engaging lecture with some amazing new insights on benefits of fasting
I have been fasting for 24 h three times a week for few months now.Would like to chim in and share my experience with fasting. Most of the time I'm working on night shifts therefore I'm dining before going to work. During the night while working I'm drinking water, having sugarless coffee and smoking cigarettes. In the morning, after work I'm going straight to bed without eating anything, I'm waking up in the afternoon, I take a cup of coffee to wake up and doing my usual routine, cooking, cleaning, laundry and so on till it's time to go to work. Before going to work I'll have my dinner and thus I'm fasting 24 hours a day, 4-6 times a week.
From my own personal experience I'd say that fasting has helped me a LOT to keep my metabolism in check along with working out 2-3 times a week, it helped me also to counteract the side effects from the night shifts, helped me to improve my health in a wonderful way and I'd say made me more resilient, body, mind and soul.
So fasting offers a lot of healthy benefits that I can confirm from my own experience. However one should be careful while fasting, if one isn't able to fast 24 hours a day, 12 to 16 hours a day will be more than enough and I'd say it's more practical to fast this way for most of the folks.
Edit: grammar.
Agree Deckard, the further you go the easier it gets to fast for many days in a row. I've arrived till 7-10 days in row fasting 24 hrs and was feeling perfectly well, I'd say even more energized than usual.I have been fasting for 24 h three times a week for few months now.
It gets easier with the time and now I actually look forward to those days.
I make sure to book full days of work on fasting days, after work i meditate, go to yoga class and then early to bed. I sleep like a baby on those days and get up ready to move mountains.
During the fast i drink bay leaf infusion ( it is supposed to help with detox process) or herbal teas. I think its very important to have something warm to sip when hunger pangs strike but as the time passes this is easier and easier.
I am gearing towards 3 day fast hopefully this month and then if all goes well I will do 7 days fast in coming months.
I definitely intend to continue eating only 4 days a week till the rest of my life.
Also trying to not smoke at all on fasting days but its a work in progress.
Just be careful to not stress yourself too much, me thinks that it's not necessary to push yourself to fast longer than 24 hrs a day, it's more than enough. I've fastened 16 to 24 hrs a day for a few years now and all I can say is that fasting this way is not stressful to your body and it brings you a lot of healthy benefits. If you'd like to test yourself till how long you'll be able to fast be very careful to not harm yourself in the process.I have been fasting for 18-20 hrs. every day, for the past 30 days. I also done a few 24hrs. fasts here and there (in that same period)
At the moment my main goal is to lose weight. So far I lost close to 20lbs.
The only thing I drink is water, sometimes green tea or coffee (coffee only when I'm close to ending my fasting because it makes me jittery otherwise)
My next goal is to do a 48hr or maybe a 3 day fast, (even if it's only once).. I guess it depends on how I feel once I start. I noticed I get cranky (or hangry) when I start to push my limits.
I think it all depends on individual state of health ie medical issues and what you are trying to achieve.Agree Deckard, the further you go the easier it gets to fast for many days in a row. I've arrived till 7-10 days in row fasting 24 hrs and was feeling perfectly well, I'd say even more energized than usual.
About smoking, I guess it depends from person to person, in my case smoking while fasting it helps me to keep the stress levels under control and to increase my cognitive abilities which is very important for me to be able to do my job properly during the night since it requires a lot of concentration and a clear mind to get through the night.
Also, the fasting helped me considerably to improve my sleep, before going to sleep I'd take some melatonin and I'm sleeping like a baby. Previously, when I wasn't fasting I was having serious sleeping issues even after taking melatonin that ended once I've learned to keep up my fasting routine every week.
Just be careful to not stress yourself too much, me thinks that it's not necessary to push yourself to fast longer than 24 hrs a day, it's more than enough. I've fastened 16 to 24 hrs a day for a few years now and all I can say is that fasting this way is not stressful to your body and it brings you a lot of healthy benefits. If you'd like to test yourself till how long you'll be able to fast be very careful to not harm yourself in the process.
A few times I've fastened till 40-42 hours in a row, I was feeling a little bit tired and weak but to be honest I won't do it again, it's not worthy nor is it necessary to push yourself to such extremes.
I have succeeded in my 3 days fasting. I still have a lot to compute...I have fast for 24h twice beforr and found those days at the time very challenging. My mind kept telling me "you work well have something to eat, you are bored, have something to eat" I realised that my eating wasn't because of my hunger but more like a habit, something to compensate. The talks were so loud in my head...
Today, I am over 48h without food and I work in a restaurant...
But things are different this time. It's easier, I have a goal 3 days!! Also, I realized that I am still not hungry. My mind tells me to eat, my eyes sees all the things exposed on tables, but my body is not hungry and I decided to listen to my body for 3 days. I drink water and teas and I live my normal life. First day, I was electrified, doing and thinking, today things were slower and I had time to see myself behaving. Tomorrow is my last day, less than 24h. YES it's possible!!
I want to add that this summer when I tried "keto", I really felt a change in my body with loosing weight and feeling satiated during the day. Will definitely try again after the 3 days.