Week Long Water Fast - Good idea or bad idea?

Iwishyouwell

I fast regularly for spirit, mind, and body. I did a 28 day water-only fast in my mid 20's that cured my chronic eczema rashes, which haven't returned since. There are a lot of health benefits to fasting, as well as a plethora of ignorance and misinformation.

This isn't the place to ask about fasting. Most people here haven't any clue whatsoever about the process, nor how the human body (positively) reacts during a proper fast. For most fasting=starvation, and they couldn't tell you the difference between the two. There are thankfully a lot of resources on the web that are pro-fasting for health on all levels, and I'd recommend you search them out. Good luck!

So she should drink nothing but water for 7 days?
I'm so glad I have a healthy relationship with food.

Human beings have fasted for thousands of years. Millions fast regularly across this planet for various reasons. Do not assume that your Westernized idea about food, and fasting, are the correct answer, or that every faster has a bad relationship with food. Plenty of people fast for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with food.

The OP could be fasting for bad reasons, or not, I have no clue. What I do know is that she'll not find much real, accurate information about the process here. That's the bottom line. Hopefully she'll search and find some information from fasting practitioners that will educate her on proper fasting, or warn her against fasting if she's ill equipped or not doing it from the proper place.

I personally don't think that our bodies determine whether or not to starve to death on whether the fast is for "good reasons" or "bad reasons." If you only drink water for an extended period of time, you will get hyponutremia, you'll be malnourished and then you will die. That is a fact.

Yes, if you fast to the point of tapping out all your fat reserves and/or deplete all your bodies stored vitamins, electrolytes, and nutrients you will indeed perish after you body begins eating away at crucial muscle, like the heart.

Now since you're apparently well educated on this process, care to specify at what point death happens?

Ummm you just answered it in your first paragraph... LOL

Ha! Truth!

But I'm just curious as to when she imagines this'll happen, on average?

wareagle8706

I fast regularly for spirit, mind, and body. I did a 28 day water-only fast in my mid 20's that cured my chronic eczema rashes, which haven't returned since. There are a lot of health benefits to fasting, as well as a plethora of ignorance and misinformation.

This isn't the place to ask about fasting. Most people here haven't any clue whatsoever about the process, nor how the human body (positively) reacts during a proper fast. For most fasting=starvation, and they couldn't tell you the difference between the two. There are thankfully a lot of resources on the web that are pro-fasting for health on all levels, and I'd recommend you search them out. Good luck!

So she should drink nothing but water for 7 days?
I'm so glad I have a healthy relationship with food.

Human beings have fasted for thousands of years. Millions fast regularly across this planet for various reasons. Do not assume that your Westernized idea about food, and fasting, are the correct answer, or that every faster has a bad relationship with food. Plenty of people fast for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with food.

The OP could be fasting for bad reasons, or not, I have no clue. What I do know is that she'll not find much real, accurate information about the process here. That's the bottom line. Hopefully she'll search and find some information from fasting practitioners that will educate her on proper fasting, or warn her against fasting if she's ill equipped or not doing it from the proper place.

I personally don't think that our bodies determine whether or not to starve to death on whether the fast is for "good reasons" or "bad reasons." If you only drink water for an extended period of time, you will get hyponutremia, you'll be malnourished and then you will die. That is a fact.

Yes, if you fast to the point of tapping out all your fat reserves and/or deplete all your bodies stored vitamins, electrolytes, and nutrients you will indeed perish after you body begins eating away at crucial muscle, like the heart.

Now since you're apparently well educated on this process, care to specify at what point death happens?

Ummm you just answered it in your first paragraph... LOL

Ha! Truth!

But I'm just curious as to when she imagines this'll happen, on average?

On average? Well... since you'll use up all your carbs within the first two days, as well as piss out all your vitamins and minerals in about a week (if not less).... all you have left after that is fat stores and protein in your muscles before moving on to more important things like vital organs... I'm going to go with 8-10 weeks. But here are some other people's opinions...

http://www.ehow.com/decision_7228803_long-person-survive-just-water_.html
http://www.professorshouse.com/Health-Beauty/General/Articles/How-Long-Can-A-Person-Live-Without-Food-/

Iwishyouwell

Thank you!

There is a lot of accurate information there (though the longest documented cases of going without food are much longer than 73 days). Also glad the first link noted the variables, particularly body fat and level of activity.

Perplexities

To the op: A 24-hour fast every few months is no big deal. 7 days sounds extreme. There are lots of threads here on fasting, look'em up.

My theory is that primitive humans didn't eat 3 square meals a day. Probably they went for hours or days without eating anything, then binged and gorged when they did find food, to hold them until the next meal. Once we settled down to raise animals and grow crops, food became a more regular thing. But even then, there could be dry spells and bad crops and people would go hungry for days, eating bark or leather or whatever they could get.

Fasting is natural. Constant access to food is relatively recent and not necessarily healthy. Anyway - be careful, whatever you decide.

Constant access to food is 'not necessarily healthy' while intermittent starvation is? People in prehistoric times have shorter average lifespans. I can say that starve-engorge cycle is 'not necessarily healthy' either.

I think water fasting for a week is not likely to kill you or harm you tremendously. But, since it doesn't provide any benefit that can't be gained through other (safer) ways, it's not a great idea.

"People in prehistoric times have shorter average lifespan"
Do you know what a variable is?
Son, stop posting.

Hexahedra

To the op: A 24-hour fast every few months is no big deal. 7 days sounds extreme. There are lots of threads here on fasting, look'em up.

My theory is that primitive humans didn't eat 3 square meals a day. Probably they went for hours or days without eating anything, then binged and gorged when they did find food, to hold them until the next meal. Once we settled down to raise animals and grow crops, food became a more regular thing. But even then, there could be dry spells and bad crops and people would go hungry for days, eating bark or leather or whatever they could get.

Fasting is natural. Constant access to food is relatively recent and not necessarily healthy. Anyway - be careful, whatever you decide.

Constant access to food is 'not necessarily healthy' while intermittent starvation is? People in prehistoric times have shorter average lifespans. I can say that starve-engorge cycle is 'not necessarily healthy' either.

I think water fasting for a week is not likely to kill you or harm you tremendously. But, since it doesn't provide any benefit that can't be gained through other (safer) ways, it's not a great idea.

"People in prehistoric times have shorter average lifespan"
Do you know what a variable is?
Son, stop posting.

Apparently you don't think I do. Can you explain it, or are you here just for the name calling?

whiteheaddg

I consider "fasting" as any day I don't have ice cream.

KenosFeoh

This is exceedingly hard to do. I did a 3-day water fast in the distant past as a spiritual exercise, and I think it was worthwhile for that, but for losing weight? No.

Trechechus

skimpyskimp

Have you ever fasted for say three full days? Two?

7 days of fasting takes a tremendous amount of will power and patience, or being stuck on a deserted island. I'm not saying that you CAN'T do it...no, that is absolutely what I'm saying.

But try. What's the worse that can happen?

I've done a 4 day water fast and felt great after it. Was just wondering if there were other people who had experience with fasting and what not as I am a little apprehensive about extending a water fast beyond 3 or 4 days...

I've read up on how plenty of people have fasted from 21-40 days and been fine after it so didn't think 7 days would be too bad.

lripson28

Drink only water for a week?! VERY BAD IDEA!!

needles85365

Hi folks,

Just wondered if any of you might have water fasted in the past and if so, how was it for you? Was it worth it?

I'm considering going on a week long water fast to help me detox my body and hopefully shed some excess water weight.

Any advice would be appreciated

My first thought is Do you have a eating disorder that you would even consider this? 1 day after you are done the weight will be back so where is the benefit?

MelsAuntie

Are you serious? That's a horrendously bad idea!

Seefylol

I once did a 3 week water fast. Ah yes, I remember it well.

Under the burning hot inferno sun, we lay, on our backs, skin flaked and dry, mouths felt like a dry canyon with no water passing through for months.

The sand was filling the cracks in our skin, the vultures surrounding overhead, their devilish eyes knowing they were getting closer to a meal.

Our camels, on their last breaths, were sacrificed for food and hollowed out so we could use their carcass to shelter us from the sandstorms.

But the one thing we craved, seemed to be non existent in this desolace place. Water... We craved water! The liquid of life too far from the tip of our tounges, we craved this glorious H20.

Actually none of this happened and you're pretty nuts for even thinking of doing this.

Goodbye.

Binkie1955

BAD!