Fasting

[Trogdor]

Introduction
For the past couple of years I've always wanted to try out a type of fast, but was worried that it might have negative consequences due to my body still developing. Now that I'm 18 my body is basically done growing (apart from height), so I decided to give it the old educated try. It won't be a fast in the traditional sense of the word (no food nor drink). Instead, I'll be going on a variation of a fast, namely a "water fast", where I'll subsist on nothing but water and my body's stored energy.

The Mechanics of Fasting
Note: Long read ahead. For the short version, skip this paragraph.
Anyways, a little bit about water fasting itself. A water fast consists of consuming nothing but water throughout the fast period, during which the body will go through many different fuel sources before reaching the detoxify state attributed to deep sleep. Once the body is denied of its primary energy source glucose, the body begins to consume the glycogen stores in the liver, which is the surplus of glucose that the body didn't need to assimilate right away. The glycogen stores are usually depleted within 8 - 12 hours, occurring the first day of the fast. During the next couple of days of the fast, the body shifts over to ketosis. During ketosis, the body converts the glycerol in fatty acids to produce the much-needed glucose. However, this does not fully meet the need of glucose, so the body begins to break down the amino acids in the muscle tissue, where it will turn into glucose in the liver. However, only in advance stages of starvation does the body almost entirely consumes the protein in muscles. It wouldn't make a lot of evolutionary sense if the body rendered itself immobile by consuming all of its muscle tissue if it went without food for a week or two. After the third day ketosis supplies ample energy and the body's protein stores are still being strongly conserved, though each day about half an ounce of muscle tissue is converted into glucose. Ketosis continues to steadily increase over a 7 day period, eventually hitting its peak on the last day, marking the 10th day of the fast. After the 10th day, ketosis begins to wind down, and the body needs a different fuel source. Still conserving its muscle tissue, the body seeks out any non-body protein sources, such as nonessential cellular masses like fibroid tumors and degenerative tissues, bacteria, viruses, or any other compound that can be used for food and is not vital to the body's life functions. This is where major healing will take place in the body, usually confined to the state of deep sleep. Since a good part of the body's energy used to be in the digestion of food, it instead focuses that energy on the removal of toxins from the body and the healing and regeneration of damaged tissues.

Here's the short version:
During water fasting, the body goes through a myriad of fuel sources. After a period of around 10 days, the body finally settles on a slow but steady consumption of fat, parts of the body that is not essential to life (such as tumors, degenerative tissue, viruses, bacteria, etc.) and a small amount of muscle tissue. This is the part of the fast where the majority of the detoxification takes place, as the body redirects the energy it once used for digestion to healing.

Known Beneficial Aspects
It sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it? Wanting to help your body by starving it? There must be something to it since it's been in practice for thousands of years, and possibly before the written word. I'm interested in it enough to try it out and see for myself (nothing ventured, nothing gained). I'll also provide a few cases in which fasting has helped cure diseases, general body ailments, and other pros.

• Fasting is exceptionally beneficial in chronic cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure, reducing triglycerides, atheromas, total cholesterol, and increasing HDL levels
• Fasting has been found effective in the treatment of type II diabetes, often reversing the condition permanently.
• Severe toxic contamination has been shown to be significantly helped with fasting. Clinical trials have found that people poisoned with PCB experienced "dramatic" relief after 7-10 day fasts.
• In a 1988 trial of 88 people with acute pancreatitis, fasting was found better than any other medical intervention. Neither nasogastric suction or cimetidine were found to produce as beneficial effects as those from fasting.
• A number of studies have found that fasting is beneficial in epilepsy, reducing the length, number, and severity of seizures. Fasting is especially effective for helping alleviate or cure childhood epilepsy
• A number of studies have found that fasting is effective for treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Fasting induces significant anti-inflammatory actions in the body and researchers found decreased ESR, arthralgia, pain, stiffness, and need for medication.
• Although the use of fasting in the treatment of cancer is controversial, there is some emerging data showing that fasting helps prevent cancer. Intermittent fasting (2 days weekly) has shown an inhibitory effect on the development of liver cancer in rats.
• In addition to the curative properties of fasting, it has been shown to prolong one's lifespan. Regularly repeated 4-day fasting has been found to increase the life span in mice.

Now I don't mean to sound like a zealot; I'm merely sharing the information that caused me to consider (and consequently go on) a fast. I'm also well aware of the cons, such as the malnutrition my body will experience, lack of energy, and in some cases death. I'll post my body weight as the fast progresses to monitor if I ever lose too much weight too quickly, as well as a short paragraph about how I felt physically and mentally. The main reason I'm keeping tabs from a day-to-day basis is for my own motivation, but it also might be interesting just to see how a fast plays out for you guys. All body weights were measured in the morning shortly after waking up, naked and after using the facilities.

Please feel free to discuss or share your views on fasting. It is fairly controversial, so I'm sure everyone has their own take on it. Also, if anyone here is thinking about going on any kind of fast, please be sure to read up on it extensively. It's something that should not be taken lightly. I've studied fasting on and off for two years, and feel comfortable with my choice. Now, onto the "blog". But first, Q&A!

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why do you want to fast?
A: I personally find it an interesting avenue of holistic health to explore, as pseudo and taboo as it may seem. After reading up on it and hearing the arguments and counter-arguments for fasting (both having brought up superb points) I've decided to let my body be the judge of that. Not only proving to myself who is right or wrong, but also to reap potential health benefits. Essentially, I'm risking my body for my body, as counter-intuitive as that may seem.

Q: How long are you planning on doing it?
A: 15 days, but if I begin to experience pain or any other prolonged irregularities I'll be sure to call it off. That being said, I may tack on a day or two after the cut-off if I'm feeling exceptionally well. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Q: How long do water fasts traditionally last?
A: Many last up to 40 days. Since this is purely experimental, I'll only be doing it for less than half that time. Though if it turns out to be a success, I will most likely attempt a longer one in the future.

Q: How can you fast in a house stocked with food?
A: Willpower is a huge part of this, and this topic has immensely helped in motivation. I seriously doubt I would've given it a second try had I not spent all this time and effort into this thread, as well as support from you guys (my family doesn't approve and my friends don't know, so you're really the only ones who are supporting my crazy schemes).

Q: What's the difference between fasting and simply starving yourself?
A: The only difference between the two is preparation. Before beginning this fast, I made sure to bolster my nutrient stores with fresh, organic produce, as well as my protein stores via veggie burgers. I was also careful to build up muscle mass, as muscle is essential to keep a fasting body healthy. If you decided to "fast" without making the effort to properly prepare your body, it wouldn't have any pre-existing nutrients to keep it properly healthy, and you would greatly increase the risk of lasting damage to tissue and organs.  Also note that a fast can easily turn into starvation, since eventually those fat, protein, and nutrient stores will be depleted, so one must always be careful.

Q: What about fat?
A: Unfortunately my body isn't all that capable of storing large amounts of fat (that and my present way of eating), so I'll be banking on the cycle of fat consumption to be relatively short, entering immediately into the detoxify state. That and I'm fairly certain my muscle tissue can make up for lost fat.

Q: 19 is a little young to fast, aren't you worried about hindering your growth?
A: I've gotten so many (really a lot) of conflicting opinions of when specific parts of the body are done growing (at least to the point where the body reaches its "peak") that I've decided to risk a few inches off my height to find out, though to be honest I'm not all that concerned.

Q: Will this fast do lasting damage to your organs/brain?
A: Only in a last ditch effort will your body begin to consume the vital organs for nutrition. This usually occurs only in advanced stages of starvation, where fat, protein, and nutrient stores are nearly non-existent. The brain is a completely different story. Out of everything in your body, the brain is the least to be affected. When in advanced stages of starvation, the brain literally consumes the body for its own well-being. Coupled with the fact that this fast is lasting nowhere near the point of starvation, I'm quite confident that no lasting damage will befall me, though this is no reason to abandon constant vigilance throughout.

Fasting Journal
Note: The strike-through days were the first attempt.

Day 1
Weight: 127.4 lbs (57.8 kg)
First day of the fast, starting on March 1st (it was completely coincidental that I started on the first of the month, I thought it was a leap year). I expected to be much hungrier today, but I guess I'll see after the next couple of days. There were countless times where I unconsciously got up and went to the fridge. It's amazing how much I take food for granted that I don't even consciously realize I'm hungry. Drinking lots of water definitely helps to curb your appetite though, more than I ever thought it would.

Day 2
Weight: 126.8 lbs (57.5 kg)
That little bit of weight I lost from day 1 to day 2 was just water; nothing to get worried about. Today I woke up with the strangest feeling in my stomach. It felt like I was experiencing sharp dips in gravity, like those experienced on roller coasters. It was a little disconcerting, but nothing too serious. It went away shortly after getting out of bed, so its no reason to discontinue the fast. Not feeling real hungry, I'm starting to wonder when I will. Feeling a little tired today, but that could also be me just not getting enough sleep. Still feeling mentally/emotionally normal, which is always a good thing.

Day 3
Weight: 125.2 lbs (56.8 kg)
Today I woke up slightly nauseous with a noticeable increase in heart rate. Even during rest it felt like I was jogging, which is slightly worrisome. My family has a running history of mitral valve prolapse, which is where the valve between your left ventricle and left atrium of your heart is weakened, resulting in occasional backflows of blood, producing a gurgling or hiccuping effect. Though I haven't been officially diagnosed with MVP, I don't want to take any chances with my heart. Right now I'm clocking 75 BPM, which is considered normal for children over 10 and adults. I suppose my heart isn't beating faster, but harder, which still poses the same problem. I'm finding that continuing drinking water helps both the nausea and heart. Perhaps my mornings will always be worst since I'll be waking up with water deprivation as well as food deprivation. I'll write more as the day progresses.

... And progressed it has. It's been roughly 6 hours since my last post (I really need to start posting in the evenings) and I'm finally famished. It's about time too, I was wondering when I would be. Hopefully after today my stomach will stop trying to digest itself and start relying solely on fat/muscle tissue for energy. This usually occurs after the first three days of fasting, then around that time the body will clue in and stop wasting energy trying to digest air. I'm not too concerned about losing muscle mass; the maximum amount lost during a one month period of water fasting is between 1 - 2 lbs (0.45 - 0.9 kg for you Europeans/Aussies out there). Since I'm doing this for less than half a month, I'll be expecting to lose a maximum of 1 lb. Not too much considering there's less muscle mass per pound than fat, though it will be dearly missed nonetheless. Sacrifices must be made in the name of Science!

End of Day 1
Weight: 130.6 lbs (59.2 kg)
BPM: 86
I've gotten fatter! First off, I'll let everyone know that the "updates" to this fast will be made fairly late (or fairly early). That way, the entire day can come to pass and I can summarize it appropriately. That, and my sleeping schedule is pretty skewed. Since I'll be spending the last portion of this fast mostly sleeping (or lying in a semi-comatose state), I'm not too worried about correcting myself.

To begin with, I'm much hungrier than I was last time. It's not so much a rip-roaring hunger, but more subdued. More like a gnawing sensation, where if my stomach could speak, it'd say something along the lines of "You'd better not be pulling this shit on me again." Water, as always, helps enormously, and it really has done wonders to curb my appetite. I don't open up the fridge unconsciously like a fool anymore, so that's always a welcome thing.

Another thing that's happened sooner than expected were abnormal changes in body temperature. It reminds me a bit of a bad sunburn, and your body feels a little warmer than usual. But if you were to turn on the AC or fan, you'd immediately become cold. Of course, this is to a much lesser degree. This change in temperature almost directly correlates to metabolism, so I'm starting to wonder if it's the classic scenario of "Fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice, shame on you", regarding my body. The first time I deprived it of food it had no store of personal experience to pull from, as this was the first time it went without food for a long duration of time in its life. The only way it could cope with its present condition was to pull from the pool of ancestral memory encoded in its genetics. Now that it's been put through the gamut once, it may have wizened up a bit. We'll see as this progresses.

Oh, and I know I mentioned it somewhere in this first post, but I'll also start recording my heart rate. This will be more out of fun than to keep tabs on an obscure, undiagnosed heart condition that may have been passed on to me through my mother. That, and I can't be arsed to go to Publix every day to get my blood pressure measured.

End of Day 2
Weight: 127.2 lbs (57.7 kg)
BPM: 61
Regrettably I don't have access to a scale right now, but I'll be sure to record my weight as soon as possible. I'm also impressed at the sharp decrease in heart rate in just 24 hours. I never would have thought my body to have slowed down so soon so fast.

Nothing much different has happened, although upon awakening my limbs feel slightly weak, my legs more so than my arms. I've already ruled out decreased blood flow, as my fingers and toes feel perfectly fine. It's strange in that it's not so much muscular fatigue, but a sort of emptiness. It's a feeling that should belong in its own category. If I had to relate it to anything else, it would be like a stomach experiencing sharp dips in gravity, but prolonged for about 10 minutes after waking, and in the limbs. It's a very peculiar feeling, to say the least.

One other thing that I've noticed that hadn't happened last time was the increased viscosity in my saliva. I found this out while brushing my teeth and trying to spit, and found it quite challenging. Now that I think about it, it could've been the fact that I hadn't rehydrated my body between awakening and brushing my teeth. At any rate, I'll be sure to increase my water intake.

Looking back at the previous Day 2, instead of having the experience of being on a roller coaster, I was instead a little nauseous. Nauseous though in the hungry way, if anyone knows what I'm trying to say. It went away shortly after drinking water, so I'm writing it off as inconsequential. I realize I'm describing a lot of menial things, but I feel it's important to relate everything abnormal to give a sort of blue-print for what one would expect to experience on a fast.

End of Day 3
Weight: 124.6 lbs (56.5 kg)
BPM: 65
Well, I'm certainly losing much more weight during this three day period than the last three day fast. I'm not sure whether to be worried that I'm losing too much too quickly, but then again this is an inevitable side-effect when you don't eat. I'll be sure to counter-act that loss with, of course, water.

Nothing much has changed from the last two entries, other than a slight sense of lethargy. That and my legs are steadily becoming weaker, though after walking a bit they warm right up. It's exciting that I'm finally progressing past these three days into unmarked territory. I'll no longer have my previous fast to look back onto in reference.

I've also noticed that, unlike last fast, all of these entries are occurring after (not during) the day they were made. So I'll change the Days to "End of Day x" for conciseness. More for me, since I easily lose my bearings. I'm sure the handful of you reading this won't mind.

End of Day 4
Weight: 123.1 lbs (55.8 kg)
BPM: 78

The only thing different that stands out from the rest of my days is that I've developed a sort of pain in my left leg. It's directly below the knee-cap, possibly the fluid-filled sac (bursa), which aids in knee movement by reducing friction between the sliding bone plates. That, and I'm slowing losing blood circulation. It's the feeling that one gets right before a limb falls asleep, but much more prolonged. I can still feel everything, but my toes are beginning to develop that prickly sensation attributed to deprived blood. This is very disconcerting, and nothing I've encountered before. If this continues or worsens, I'm afraid I'll have to post-pone my fast (again!) until a later date. I'm partly to blame as I get little to no aerobic and anaerobic exercise for my legs, and have only concentrated on developing my upper body musculature, and with that increased blood flow. I'm running out of room; the limit is 20,000 char

[Scotty]

Well, my personal recommendation would  be don't do it.  But then again, who is anyone to tell you how to run your life right?  Keep in mind a few of the not so beneficial aspects of fasting:

You metabolism is going to crawl after it gets accustomed to not being fed.  Sure, you'll start eating yourself inside out, but the metabolism is going to slow down to accommodate the lack of food.  Be ready to get extremely sick in the stomach after you end your fast, as by then your metabolism is going to be null.  When you do come off, do not pig out, DO NOT.  You'll end up regurgitating a lot of it, and you'll feel worse than before.  Also, afterwards, you are going to gain some weight.  Not just weight you lost, but the wait that comes from your metabolism not being able to process everything you put in your mouth.  Remember that it has to catch back up to normal.

I've seen lots of people get sick, and I've seen several faint over the lack of food (not from fasting, just not eating, including myself when mixing dehydration with lack of food).  Be prepared.  That anti-gravity feeling you are getting in your stomach is because it is empty, and overnight your metabolism slows down while you rest.  Wake up, your metabolism kicks back in, and oh wait, you don't have food in you, your blood is thinning out now as well, so you'll get that feeling, as well as possible faints.

Be careful doing this.  That's all I'll say.

EDIT: Also, be prepared to lose all your energy.  Do not plan to do any sort of abnormal physical activity.  You are going to lack any ambition to do anything physical, and you'll find that are wanting to sleep more to maintain a low metabolism, therefor maintain the resources in your body.  There are no nutrients in water to substitute for food, so you're in for a wild ride.

If you want a good example of what happens with lack of food, watch a couple of episodes of Survivorman.  That is in part was influenced him to stop doing the show, the health problems that he's encountered, and the major physical strain he put on himself out there.  Sure, some of it is exposure to the elements, but the fact that he would have to spend weeks at a time after each episode recuperating is a major factor in why he couldn't continue doing it.

[Lucifer]

That's pretty interesting, I'll be keeping up on your "blog" of sorts. I don't think I could do it, hah, I consume everything. Good luck!

[Trogdor]

@Scotty: I appreciate the concern. I do have an eating plan after coming off, consisting of juiced vegetables and fruit for a few days, just to take it easy and let my body know it's getting fed. I'll also be avoiding any heavy-lifting or anything else that requires a heavy reliance on the cardiovascular system. I suppose one of the main reasons for trying this is to have myself confirm whether fasting is beneficial or detrimental to the body (at least my body, everyone is different), hence why I'm fasting for half the time recommended. If I like what I see, I may do another longer one down the road, but for now this is a personal experiment.

@Lucifer: Thanks! I appreciate the support.

[leviofoley]

I commend you for doing your homework and knowing what you're actually about to do before you set out to do it.  But here's the main issue, I believe: you're 18.  Sure, maybe fasting could help purify the body, or reduce rates of rheumatoid arthritis, or childhood epilepsy, or prevent cancer, but you don't have a tumor, epilepsy, or rheumatoid arthritis.  If you don't need to fast, why do it?  And Scotty's right, you'll just gain back more weight and miss out on a lot of physical activity.

But you've already decided to do it, so I won't convince you otherwise.  I became a vegetarian a few years ago and my parents were concerned about my protein levels.  But I'm doing fine now; I just eat a lot of cheese, beans, and the like to make up for it.  So no one can really tell you what to do.

One other question I have: how are you going to fast for ten days if you have a rerigerator, which I'm assuming has food in it...?  Or does it?

[Jake]

I admire your commitment! Good luck.

[Lingus]

I have to point out that most people tend to do quite a bit of bulking up after the age of 18. That's typically the age (around the first year of college) that most people put on a good few pounds. Then after that there's a lot of bulking up in muscle and weight. You don't really see a lot of people gain a lot of height after that point. Most of that is in the earlier teen years.

Not to say that fasting will effect that or not. Just pointing out a discrepency.

[Trogdor]

 Sure, maybe fasting could help purify the body, or reduce rates of rheumatoid arthritis, or childhood epilepsy, or prevent cancer, but you don't have a tumor, epilepsy, or rheumatoid arthritis.  If you don't need to fast, why do it?  And Scotty's right, you'll just gain back more weight and miss out on a lot of physical activity.

True, although I'm not doing it to cure a disease, I'm doing it to rid my body of any stored toxins, carcinogens, fixated gases, etc. that accumulate in the body by simply living (and from my recent eating habits). I've never been concerned with weight gain/loss, though I understand it to play a major part in fasting. You should never fast simply to lose weight.

One other question I have: how are you going to fast for ten days if you have a rerigerator, which I'm assuming has food in it...?  Or does it?

I think I'll be able to fast from my own willpower (plus this topic for added motivation). I'm still opening the fridge without realizing it and closing it again. Old habits die hard, eh?

I have to point out that most people tend to do quite a bit of bulking up after the age of 18. That's typically the age (around the first year of college) that most people put on a good few pounds. Then after that there's a lot of bulking up in muscle and weight. You don't really see a lot of people gain a lot of height after that point. Most of that is in the earlier teen years.

I've gotten mixed opinions from various sources when you stop growing. Regardless, it's only for 2 weeks, so I doubt it will affect me in any dramatic long-lasting way. My major concerns are lasting damage to the organs/brain, which the latter actually does quite well during starvation. I've always found it fascinating how the brain takes precedence over nutrition than any other thing in your body, and is the least affected during prolonged starvation.

[Looperpuck]

Good luck. This is something I would probably never try, lol.

~Looperpuck

[NotoriousM4^]

Your organs aren't fully finished developing untill age 21. Hence the reason one of the reasons the legal drinking age in the U.S. is so.

[Jake]

Your organs aren't fully finished developing untill age 21. Hence the reason one of the reasons the legal drinking age in the U.S. is so.

And the brain isn't done developing till around 25... Which is the main area of worry.

[venuse]

interesting is all i got to say but just be careful. now ive never watched or read anything about water fasting but i have heard about people that reduce their calorie intact to the bare minimum and that when you only get the bare minimum of calories needed, not actually starving, that the body becomes more efficient since their isnt as much excess calories and fats that it can be careless with or something like that.

[ARTgames]

Day 5
Weight: 130.2 lbs (59.1 kg)
God dang! I could not keep my self back. Hamburgers just taste way too good. Will restart program next week...


:P
Well just some comic relief. Hope you are being full of care for your body.

[Seifer]

I will read the whole thread later. For now, I will say this.

I have fasted before. I did six days with only water. Eventually the feeling of hunger passes, but you begin to have less and less energy. As we all know, Exersice gives you greater energy throughout the day. So despite the fact that you will feel so energy less as to not want to exercise, i suggest it because it will help you get through the day. Also, since coffee would be taboo to fasting you can always buy "wake up" pills over the counter at a pharmacy. This will give you some added energy. Oh, and don't forget vitamins, it will help.

Either way, after 6 days it became too much. Sitting at lunch with my friends watching them eat was overwhelming, and eventually I gave in. And remember, when you finally do eat again only eat a little.


Oh, and about body development by age, it's not the same for everyone, remember that. I'm closer to 20 now, And over the past 3-4 years I haven't grown. I hit my peak height of 6 foot at around 16. But I will grow wider, broader. Atleast I hope, because right now I'm slender and I hate it. It looks bad because my hips are actually a bit wider than my upper body, so it looks shitty as hell. So I hope my torso grows yet. So yeah, it's really different for everyone. 

[Trogdor]

I appreciate all of the comments, however I'd like to clarify something again.

About the age at which the development of organs/brain/general growth ends, remember I'm fasting for 2 weeks, not a whole month. I highly doubt I'll do any serious lasting damage to myself since I'll be out of ketosis (for the most part) for merely 4 days, not 20. The brain, moreover, is largely unaffected by even the most advanced stages of starvation, as it takes precedence over nutrition than anything else in the body. In the most literal sense, the brain actually consumes the body to maintain its well-being.

I've gotten so many mixed opinions on when certain parts of the body stop developing (even a couple of medical websites had differentiating opinions) that I've lowered the bar to where it is now, just to be safe. I believe Seifer's right in saying growth varies from person to person, and there cannot be one set time in which a part of the body stops developing that applies to all humans. Once I'm 30 and positive everything has stopped growing, then I may try a more serious fast (depending on the outcome of this one).

Oh, and thanks Art. :P