Fasting??

brokenxglass
brokenxglass Posts: 19
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
I've read a lot about fasting over the years. Most sites say that fasting is a good thing and so I decided to try it. Today would have been day 4, but when I stepped on the scales this morning, I had dropped an alarming amount of weight. I went from 276 lbs to 261.6lbs in just over 3 days. That's 14.4lbs...

Should I be worried, or is it normal to lose this much when fasting??

Replies

  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    You should be more worried that you've even considered fasting as a reasonable option.

    If you want to keep the weight off look at making lifestyle changes, not a short term fasting plan that will end up costing you muscle and screwing your body.

    You will nearly always lose more weight in the first week of any diet/lifestyle change as you've cut your salt intake, and as such lose the excess water. If you keep up with your starvation youll feel depressed, sluggish, have no energy, and be weaker.

    "Most" sites say fasting is a good thing? Which sites are those, so i know never to go there!
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    owning my agree with HmonsterX
  • brokenxglass
    brokenxglass Posts: 19
    I wasn't fasting for weight loss, I was detoxing! Also, these weren't weight loss sites. I was just researching fasting.

    http://www.falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm
  • SweGuy
    SweGuy Posts: 78
    What you are experiencing, is the loss of liquids and sadly enough; you will regain everything when you stop fasting UNLESS you decide to really change life-style.. Eating heathy combined with working out (the way you prefer it) and of course, eating enough; which seem to be my problem..
  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
    Fasting isn't a bad thing.

    A lot of people don't understand it.

    You're more than welcome to add me as a friend!! [:
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
    The reason "most" sites say it is good, is because that's their idea. Those that don't think it is good, tend not to bother with the topic in the first place. You should consult a doctor about starvation as an option, not websites.
  • sqvash
    sqvash Posts: 17
    I've never fasted for more than a day (which is good to flush your system out a little, I think). I would strongly urge you to go back to a regular diet routine. After 3-4 days of fasting your metabolism is going to shut down to where anything you eat it'll start keeping all of the calories and fat for "survival" purposes. So when you go back to eating regularly all of that quick-drop weight will slam back on, and possibly more depending on how long it takes your metabolism to readjust. (It will change quickest under a shock, such as partial starvation).

    Any diet that causes fast weight loss is not good for your body. For example, the atkins-type diets cause your body to go into ketosis; a lot of people say this is wonderful because it causes the body to burn fat for energy. Unfortunately, our bodies don't discriminate, so when you're in a state of ketosis your body is also going to pull from its muscle stores, organ tissue, calcium, etc. I don't think you have to worry about that after 4 days of fasting, what you're seeing is most likely water weight; but don't be sad if it comes back on once you start eating normally. I just don't want you to pick a fight with your metabolism by making your body think you're starving! :)

    I'm not a DR, of course, just sharing what I've learned (mostly in my college classes and some through personal research). Good luck!
  • sqvash
    sqvash Posts: 17
    I wasn't fasting for weight loss, I was detoxing! Also, these weren't weight loss sites. I was just researching fasting.

    http://www.falconblanco.com/health/fasting.htm

    Okay you posted that while I was typing, lol, so my little sermon about fast-acting diets doesn't really apply. However, it is a basic mammalian fact that if you eat too little (which fasting obviously is) your metabolism goes into "starvation survival mode" where it hordes every calorie and fat cell your body has. This process take a lot longer to reverse than to start. If you're trying to lose weight long-term fasting for more than a day will interfere.
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    Wether for weight loss or any other reason, fasting is still retarded. Seriously, it's up there with cutting your skull open to let the deoms out because you've got a headache! It' BAD for your body because as mentioned before, it starts ketosis which doesn't just eat fat, but it works on your vital organs as well and doctors recommend AVOIDING it. Doing it to detox is complete rubbish! Eat healthier, make a lifestyle change and you can detox your body in a healthy way over time, and generally get better results that actually last a well.

    The only thing fasting is good for is religious purpose and even then, I'm dubious. But I won't question religion. It rarely makes sene to anyone from a different faith anyway. But fasting for "health" reasons is a load of BS whatever those health reaon are. Flushing your system with water and fruit/veg will do more for detox than fasting, and it'll improve your health, diet and life.
  • honeyb7
    honeyb7 Posts: 45
    I did a fast to detox for 3 days under a drs supervision to learn why I had severe hives. I had to drink 1 gallon of water the first day. An enema with a gallon of water for the second day and drink still a gallon of water. The third day I still drank a gallon of water but could for one meal steam a lot of veggies and used the steamed water to cook long grain wild rice so I could have the nutrients from the veggies. And each day I continued to add foods a little at a time to see what I might be having allergies to.

    Fasting to detox without a drs supervision is not a good way to go. It's important to still be drinking lots of water and something with at least vitamins and minerals your body needs.

    Please be careful!
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