Is a 3 day fast safe?

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2

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  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    daniip_la wrote: »
    Fasting helps me. I eat a lot of salad and steamed vegetables, and that ends up causing problems for me unfortunately. When I fast, I drink a ton of water, take a supliment, and give my body a break from constantly digesting food. Fasting has changed my health entirely.

    Why do you think your body needs a break from digesting food.... That's what it's designed to do. Does your heart need a break from beating?

    Our hearts get a break at night, when we sleep, right? Since our metabolisms shut down while we're sleeping (which causes us to gain weight when we eat right before bed), our hearts must be taking a break.

    No to both. Your heart slows due to less activity, but it still continues to work. And I have no idea why you think we gain weight when we eat right before bed. Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. You continue to digest food and do everything else your metabolism does while sleeping. It's also the time your muscles do a lot of repairing.

  • Arapacana1
    Arapacana1 Posts: 117 Member
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    Drink a couple of glasses of prune juice. If that doesn't help, see a doctor.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    I've done several 3 day fasts for religious reasons.
    Bowel movements always stop, even when I know I haven't *ahem* disposed of all my final meal yet.
    So no, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that fasting will not cure your constipation.

    Talk to your doctor about it.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
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    From personal experience...the less I eat, the less I go. So most likely fasting won't help and may make your issue worse. An over the counter laxative (store brand of ex-lax) works wonders for me in 8-12 hours....just make sure you're going to have access to a bathroom after you take it! My less severe go-tos are Taco Bell and Soda.
  • MalkinMagic71
    MalkinMagic71 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    maybe try a stool softner? Or talk to a doctor if it's been happening for a while.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    daniip_la wrote: »
    mamadon wrote: »
    daniip_la wrote: »
    Fasting helps me. I eat a lot of salad and steamed vegetables, and that ends up causing problems for me unfortunately. When I fast, I drink a ton of water, take a supliment, and give my body a break from constantly digesting food. Fasting has changed my health entirely.

    Why do you think your body needs a break from digesting food.... That's what it's designed to do. Does your heart need a break from beating?

    Our hearts get a break at night, when we sleep, right? Since our metabolisms shut down while we're sleeping (which causes us to gain weight when we eat right before bed), our hearts must be taking a break.

    Our metabolisms don't shut down when were sleeping. It's also a myth that we gain weight because we ate right before bed (one I used to believe) We gain weight because we eat more calories than we burn, regardless of the time of day.
    daniip_la wrote: »
    Fasting helps me. I eat a lot of salad and steamed vegetables, and that ends up causing problems for me unfortunately. When I fast, I drink a ton of water, take a supliment, and give my body a break from constantly digesting food. Fasting has changed my health entirely.

    Why do you think your body needs a break from digesting food.... That's what it's designed to do. Does your heart need a break from beating?

    Our hearts get a break at night, when we sleep, right? Since our metabolisms shut down while we're sleeping (which causes us to gain weight when we eat right before bed), our hearts must be taking a break.

    No to both. Your heart slows due to less activity, but it still continues to work. And I have no idea why you think we gain weight when we eat right before bed. Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. You continue to digest food and do everything else your metabolism does while sleeping. It's also the time your muscles do a lot of repairing.


    It was absolute sarcasm.

    O)ops, sorry. Totally went over my head lol.
  • Relaxingmind
    Relaxingmind Posts: 55 Member
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    Thanks so much for your suggestions! I tried the Chia seeds with apple sauce suggestion and lots of water. No movement yet so I will get a laxative shortly. Unfortunately I can't see my doctor for a couple weeks because I'm out of state visiting a few family members before the next college semester starts. No I'm not eating a high fat diet. I'm eating a high fiber diet with lots of fruits, veggies, and healthy whole grains. No processed/junk foods.
  • tennileb
    tennileb Posts: 265 Member
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    Talk to your dr. Once this bout is resolved see a dietician if you can not prevent recurrences on your own.
  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
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    Coffee sometimes helps me.
  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
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    Thanks so much for your suggestions! I tried the Chia seeds with apple sauce suggestion and lots of water. No movement yet so I will get a laxative shortly. Unfortunately I can't see my doctor for a couple weeks because I'm out of state visiting a few family members before the next college semester starts. No I'm not eating a high fat diet. I'm eating a high fiber diet with lots of fruits, veggies, and healthy whole grains. No processed/junk foods.

    If you still don't go you could find an urgent care.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    mamadon wrote: »
    daniip_la wrote: »
    mamadon wrote: »
    daniip_la wrote: »
    Fasting helps me. I eat a lot of salad and steamed vegetables, and that ends up causing problems for me unfortunately. When I fast, I drink a ton of water, take a supliment, and give my body a break from constantly digesting food. Fasting has changed my health entirely.

    Why do you think your body needs a break from digesting food.... That's what it's designed to do. Does your heart need a break from beating?

    Our hearts get a break at night, when we sleep, right? Since our metabolisms shut down while we're sleeping (which causes us to gain weight when we eat right before bed), our hearts must be taking a break.

    Our metabolisms don't shut down when were sleeping. It's also a myth that we gain weight because we ate right before bed (one I used to believe) We gain weight because we eat more calories than we burn, regardless of the time of day.
    daniip_la wrote: »
    Fasting helps me. I eat a lot of salad and steamed vegetables, and that ends up causing problems for me unfortunately. When I fast, I drink a ton of water, take a supliment, and give my body a break from constantly digesting food. Fasting has changed my health entirely.

    Why do you think your body needs a break from digesting food.... That's what it's designed to do. Does your heart need a break from beating?

    Our hearts get a break at night, when we sleep, right? Since our metabolisms shut down while we're sleeping (which causes us to gain weight when we eat right before bed), our hearts must be taking a break.

    No to both. Your heart slows due to less activity, but it still continues to work. And I have no idea why you think we gain weight when we eat right before bed. Meal timing is irrelevant to weight loss. You continue to digest food and do everything else your metabolism does while sleeping. It's also the time your muscles do a lot of repairing.


    It was absolute sarcasm.

    O)ops, sorry. Totally went over my head lol.

    Too be fair, it's not the stupidest thing I've seen posted here.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    Is the high fiber diet new? A lot of people take a while to adjust to an increase in fiber. Gradual increase is generally recommended. Also make sure you are getting plenty of water with that fiber. And check to see if you are hitting you fat goal (look at it as a minimum to achieve, more is okay so long as you are within calorie goal).

    Lots of people suffer from traveler's constipation (or diarrhea, depending on the person). Is this something that has only occurred since you've been away from home? It could be related. Drink more water, try a laxative (I like milk of magnesia; its gentle and usually produces a movement by the next morning, when taken before bed). I would avoid stimulant laxatives (exlax), since they tend to be harder on your system. If the problem persists after getting back into your normal routine, seek medical help. Also, if a laxative fails to help, go to a local urgent care. It could be something more serious.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    Thanks so much for your suggestions! I tried the Chia seeds with apple sauce suggestion and lots of water. No movement yet so I will get a laxative shortly. Unfortunately I can't see my doctor for a couple weeks because I'm out of state visiting a few family members before the next college semester starts. No I'm not eating a high fat diet. I'm eating a high fiber diet with lots of fruits, veggies, and healthy whole grains. No processed/junk foods.

    Maybe you need more fat then?

    This.
  • msalicia116
    msalicia116 Posts: 233 Member
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    Fasting helps me. I eat a lot of salad and steamed vegetables, and that ends up causing problems for me unfortunately. When I fast, I drink a ton of water, take a supliment, and give my body a break from constantly digesting food. Fasting has changed my health entirely.

    Why do you think your body needs a break from digesting food.... That's what it's designed to do. Does your heart need a break from beating?

    You are really comparing our hearts beating to our bodies digesting food? You clearly don't know the research on how or why fasting is beneficial, or the increase in cellular development when one is fasting due to not having to work so hard to constantly digest food. So, I won't waste my time.