Detox? Is 48-hour fasting good for you?

Basically I've fallen off the wagon for the past 2-3 months and want to really get back into my fitness and losing weight. I want to detox my body first and start a "fresh page" so to speak before start eating healthy again (with obvious gyming / slaving / wanting to die / yelling at treadmills) because damn have I been eating some unhealthy junk over the past few weeks and I'm sure I'm full of nasty bloaty toxins.

I read up about the likes of 48 hour water fasts and they sound effective enough. The main thing is I can't really go for juice detoxes as I a) don't have a juicer and b) can't afford buying 10 different kinds of blueberries at this moment in time (but will definitely consider it later). I need something I can do now that wont make me massively ill or have adverse effects.

Just wondering if you'd recommend the 48-hour water fast as a way for detox ooor if you all had any other kinda cheapish detox ideas that'll be better for my body. Just weighing up pros and cons at the moment because I'm once again miserable with how I look!

Replies

  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    It is a good way to set yourself up for failure
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
    No. It is not necessary.
  • aforange
    aforange Posts: 116 Member
    Weeghh please explain, when asking for advice cryptic answers don't do heaps for me.
    I just want to kickstart this weight-loss correctly.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Bloodletting is much quicker. Pick up some leeches at the local bait shop, they're cheaper than blueberries.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Weeghh please explain, when asking for advice cryptic answers don't do heaps for me.
    I just want to kickstart this weight-loss correctly.

    You are not a motorcycle, you don't need a kickstart

    You need to eat in a calorie deficit consistently over a period of time
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    No. It is not necessary.
    This isn't cryptic at all, it might not be the answer you're looking for but this is as plain as it gets.
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    no
  • castell5
    castell5 Posts: 234 Member
    Really? Fasting? WHY? ... FADS do not work.

    No pills, powders, liquid diets, starvation, they all suck and do not work.

    Regular dieting, Exercising, and Willpower... that is what works.

    Don't kid yourself and don't run out for a colon cleanse.

    Just set your mind on the right track and DO it! ... You can, we all can.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Juice detoxing is bad for you because of all the acid. Not to mention that you get no protein.

    Water fasting? You probably won't do any lasting damage, though I can't see how it would possibly benefit you. I do 25-hour religious fasts, and I feel like total crap at the end of them (chills, exhaustion, low blood pressure). However, I'm not allowed to have water when I fast.

    If you *really* want to do this, and absolutely nothing will dissuade you, then please make sure to monitor how you are feeling. If you feel woozy, then make sure to eat something.

    Also, you should probably note that the human body most craves carbohydrate-rich foods following a fast. So whatever you break your fast on is unlikely to be conducive to a proper diet.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Oh, and you are not full of any more toxins than you usually are, which is to say the toxins that your liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system are already removing from you as we speak. But please try to enlighten me on what kinds of toxins exactly you think are in your system from weeks of eating junk food.
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    Really? Fasting? WHY? ... FADS do not work.

    No pills, powders, liquid diets, starvation, they all suck and do not work.

    Regular dieting, Exercising, and Willpower... that is what works.

    Don't kid yourself and don't run out for a colon cleanse.

    Just set your mind on the right track and DO it! ... You can, we all can.

    Nothing cryptic about that.

    I know the answer that you want is, "Drink only water with ___ mixed into it for two days and you will lose ten pounds and keep it off forever, plus you will magically lose all the weight you want to thereafter by doing nothing else!" That's the answer everyone wants. If it were that easy, everyone would be at their ideal weight.

    Put in the work, you will get the results you want. It's simple. It's not easy, but it is simple.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Look, there are a lot of fad diets and detoxes out there that sound convincing but its all, for the most part, junk. I'd say it here but those with more experience have said it before and better than I can.

    Look here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/821828-detoxes-and-cleanses
  • aforange
    aforange Posts: 116 Member
    Slapping myself on the wrist for asking a stupid *kitten* question without appropriate research.
    I'll just dig deep with the fruit and veg and work my butt off as usual, I've just heard of things that supposedly work. By cryptic I meant "if the answer is no what should I do" but I suppose I was searching for some fantasy solution. Apologies again don't hate me for being dumb!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Weeghh please explain, when asking for advice cryptic answers don't do heaps for me.
    I just want to kickstart this weight-loss correctly.
    If you fast for a bit, you will lose 'weight' from the food that was in your gut that is no longer there and wasn't replaced with new food. As soon as you start eating again, you've replaced it and gain all that weight back. It's not "healthier" to have lost that weight for a couple of days, especially since that isn't sitting there requiring extra blood vessels or being insulin resistant or anything of the bad things that excess body fat do to your body. It's like "losing weight' by cutting off all your body hair. It is just a gimmick that doesn't get you any healthier.

    As far as "detox" that is the modern version of removing evil spirits from your body, and bloodletting is just as effective at removing evil spirits as fasting is at removing toxins. So take your pick, or alternatively just eat the way you should and be happy without all the gimmicky self-deprivation.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    I did a 48 hour detox after christmas.... drank water and 3 v8's. Its not gonna hurtbu. It may or may not help u... but no real reason not too. I felt way less bloaty
  • ashumeow
    ashumeow Posts: 151 Member
    Basically I've fallen off the wagon for the past 2-3 months and want to really get back into my fitness and losing weight. I want to detox my body first and start a "fresh page" so to speak before start eating healthy again (with obvious gyming / slaving / wanting to die / yelling at treadmills) because damn have I been eating some unhealthy junk over the past few weeks and I'm sure I'm full of nasty bloaty toxins.

    I read up about the likes of 48 hour water fasts and they sound effective enough. The main thing is I can't really go for juice detoxes as I a) don't have a juicer and b) can't afford buying 10 different kinds of blueberries at this moment in time (but will definitely consider it later). I need something I can do now that wont make me massively ill or have adverse effects.

    Just wondering if you'd recommend the 48-hour water fast as a way for detox ooor if you all had any other kinda cheapish detox ideas that'll be better for my body. Just weighing up pros and cons at the moment because I'm once again miserable with how I look!

    Detox leads to serious consequences. I would suggest u not to try. Also Recently, there was a woman who died due to over-drinking of water without consuming any food. Dieting at first seems to look cool. BUT one day, when u eat more, u will gain all at a sudden. Try losing weight in a healthy way. =)
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    Slapping myself on the wrist for asking a stupid *kitten* question without appropriate research.
    I'll just dig deep with the fruit and veg and work my butt off as usual, I've just heard of things that supposedly work. By cryptic I meant "if the answer is no what should I do" but I suppose I was searching for some fantasy solution. Apologies again don't hate me for being dumb!

    You're reaching out for help. That's a good first step to making the changes you need to make. Best of luck.
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
    I did not mean to be cryptic. You asked and I answered.

    If I asked is a 60 hour fasting good for you? or a 75 hour fasting or a 125 hour fasting were good for you, where I consumed nothing but water does it still sound like a good idea? Your body naturally flushes things out- so as long as your organs are functioning any type of water or juice fasting is not needed it's doing it's thing all on its own. You can't kick start your body as a previous poster stated
  • Apazman
    Apazman Posts: 494 Member
    I basically fast all day and eat 1 meal a day. This has worked for me for 100lbs. I would suggest doing your own things to figure out what will work for you. Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. I was told I was going to fail at every turn, but this works for me for a variety of reasons that people don't really understand because they have been programmed to believe something. Stepping out of the box and trying something different isn't a bad thing. Do what you think is right for you.
  • jacque1129
    jacque1129 Posts: 113 Member
    when i first started losing weight i went from eating only poptarts, cereal, fast food (every other day) and ONLY drinking mountain dew, to a healthy balanced diet, i lost 4 lbs in my first week just by *trying* to eat healthy and drinking only water. 41 lbs later, i don't think i would of lost anymore if i drank only water for 2 days. you don't need to reset your body. get some herbal teas if you'd like, but you don't need to do anything, your body will naturally reward you by just changing your eating habits.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    No, your body doesn't need a detox, drink lots of water to flush out sodium and other "toxins" that might be in you, and while doing that, start a healthy diet.
    If you're yelling at treadmills and hating the gym and slaving and stuff then you're not going to be successful long term, it's not sustainable, just like fasting (for any period of time). Before you do this, you really have to want to change, not just slave through hating it. You have to find healthy food you like and want to eat, you have to gain willpower to say no to lots of other things, and you have to find a form of exercise that you enjoy. I like the eliptical, there is a lot of **** on elipticals here, but for me, it works because I know I will do it often enough to burn calories, whereas if I was running because it burns more calories, I would fall off the wagon because I hate running. Try different machines at the gym, sign up for classes: pilates, yoga, spin, water aerobics, dance, join a gym with a pool and swim, find something that works for you and you will lose the weight. Slave away and starve your body, you will fail.
  • Crankstr
    Crankstr Posts: 3,958 Member
    no revving necessary.


    eat right
    work hard
    rinse
    repeat.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
    I basically fast all day and eat 1 meal a day. This has worked for me for 100lbs. I would suggest doing your own things to figure out what will work for you. Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. I was told I was going to fail at every turn, but this works for me for a variety of reasons that people don't really understand because they have been programmed to believe something. Stepping out of the box and trying something different isn't a bad thing. Do what you think is right for you.

    sorry bro, but don't do this, I mean you can try, and of course it will work, but it's not very sustainable for the majority of people, and even if you switch over to eating regularly timed meals you will probably gain some weight first. If this is really the only thing that works, then do it, but don't go to this kind of a method to start off. this probably worked for him because he was clearly very overweight and any shift in calories or activity would lead him to lose weight. You should start to eat small, frequent, healthy meals and snacks and drink water and see where that gets you before trying any other diets. The facts are, this type of a diet works for most people, and of course WW, nutrisystem, starvation diets, "detoxes", etc. etc. work for some people, but don't work for more people, so try the most proven methods first and then work your way down if the first doesn't work.
  • verdancyhime
    verdancyhime Posts: 237 Member
    Weeghh please explain, when asking for advice cryptic answers don't do heaps for me.
    I just want to kickstart this weight-loss correctly.

    You are not a motorcycle, you don't need a kickstart

    You need to eat in a calorie deficit consistently over a period of time

    This.

    Also, have you ever fasted? I tried it once for non-health reasons related to spirituality. I would not recommend it to anyone. Your body needs fuel. Fasting means a lowered ability to concentrate, impaired decision making skills, and feeling like you have a hangover and a sinus infection at the same time. Unless you don't mind being miserable and have 48 hours in which you aren't going anywhere or doing anything important, I wouldn't recommend it.

    If you need to make a grand gesture of some kind to get yourself motivated to transition, there are healthier ways to get into the right headspace to make a change. Why not spend a day doing something physically challenging but fun instead, or cooking a bunch of low calorie foods to freeze so you always have something to eat and trying a bunch of new recipes?
  • You are not at all dumb and everyone wants an easy fix to feel better... The only dummies are the people that don't fess up to that want! I understand how you feel about wanting to fast and the reason you are probably doing this is to see SOMETHING and fast b/c that 'something fast' tends to motivate and help you perk up during this hard lifestyle change. The only problem is that during this harsh, death seeking process you are actually hurting your body by slowing down your metabolism and this is worse than eating 5 to 6 small meals a day and by that I mean keeping each meal snack like with very little portions.... For example, I have been eating very healthy food and TRUST me I feel like I'm fasting right now but only b/c I was overeating before... I am actually boosting my metabolism and working on getting my body used to less sugar and yes less calories too... You don't need 2,000 cals a day, you really don't... Work out as hard as you want but remember that eating is 90% of where you will see the results of losing weight.... Working out just puts all that weight loss in the right places... I hope this makes sense and I agree the one liner sentences can be rather crippling and hard to understand...Hope this helps you and remember that meeting your overall weight loss goals will feel much better than what you are about to stick in your mouth.... Speaking from experience!

    From the girl that wants what you want, RESULTS! :)
  • schickcody
    schickcody Posts: 1 Member
    I think 75% of people that posted on here didn't understand the question. She asked if fasting is good for you, not if it's a quick way to loose a bunch of weight. You will loose weight from a fast, it won't be any substantial fat loss, mostly just water and whatever food hasn't been digested.

    It sounds like you're looking to get rid of toxins in your body and maybe by doing a fast it'll help you commit and stick to your weight loss goals.

    A 24 hour fast is probably plenty, especially if you have never gone a long period of time without eating. To go 24 hours without eating is in no way harmful for your body. It should remove some toxins from your body but nothing substantial, still better than none though. You will also get a feeling for what really being hungry is.

    Fasting for a day or 2 is not a "FAD" that doesn't work, it does good for your body just nothing "magical" like loosing 10lbs or getting rid of every single toxin ever.

    Easiest way to do it is eat your last meal at lunch one day and start your fast then. Then don't eat until lunch the next day. Not that hard at all!
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    Basically I've fallen off the wagon for the past 2-3 months and want to really get back into my fitness and losing weight. I want to detox my body first and start a "fresh page" so to speak before start eating healthy again (with obvious gyming / slaving / wanting to die / yelling at treadmills) because damn have I been eating some unhealthy junk over the past few weeks and I'm sure I'm full of nasty bloaty toxins.

    I read up about the likes of 48 hour water fasts and they sound effective enough. The main thing is I can't really go for juice detoxes as I a) don't have a juicer and b) can't afford buying 10 different kinds of blueberries at this moment in time (but will definitely consider it later). I need something I can do now that wont make me massively ill or have adverse effects.

    Just wondering if you'd recommend the 48-hour water fast as a way for detox ooor if you all had any other kinda cheapish detox ideas that'll be better for my body. Just weighing up pros and cons at the moment because I'm once again miserable with how I look!
    Unless you have a dysfunctional liver, you are already detoxed. Stop delaying the change and just do it :)