Just completed my first 100 hour water-only fast and very disappointed

[Just_Steve]

Actually people do seem to eat more healthfully once the junk food noise is cut out.

My daughter says alcohol and most sweet junk food actually tastes horrible.

 

[reneeh63]

It's simple... not easy... but is accomplished by MANY people... including myself! I feel great eating less and weighing less. I look at the Japanese style of eating which is eat until you think your 80% full... because almost always 15-20 minutes later I realize I am totally full. That's not that hard. It works for me. My good friend eats less by monitoring quantity on an app and has lost 50 lbs. That works for him. You do what works for you!

You're certainly right - it's not easy. Actually it WAS easy for me until about 10 years ago - before then I tried not to be smug but geeezzzz...what's the big deal? Just don't eat so much, right? Maintaining a BMI of 20 didn't take much conscious effort at all.

Well, then reality or menopause body or middle age or something else hit and now I'm trying to lose 15 pounds. I know it's not the OP's exact issue but my point is that I no longer believe successful long term weight loss is accomplished by 'many' people. Or maybe it is if you define that as a hundred people total (ha) - but definitely not 'most' people. I'm just saying, it works but in a very limited way for lots of people. It's kind of as if it works for the people who almost don't need it to work? For those it doesn't work for or for those who need a much more precise method, let's try not to be quite so gleeful and glib cuz it's just very hard and frustrating. Thanks - off my soapbox.

 

[IncomeOriented]

No fad dieting will cure the ill of weight gain. It's all a matter of intake and outtake. You modify the outcome by physical activity...and that's about it. Once you take more that 1800e calories per day you are at the mercy of physicality.

Yes this. It's just a math problem. But not an easy one.

 

[Chuckanut]

I looked at fasting for a while, but ran into the issue of the body not being able to fully absorb and use many nutrients if too much was introduced over a short period of time. If the body can’t process it fast enough, it might go to waste. So, now I try to avoid sweets (a real effort for me) highly processed foods other than sweets (much easier) and just eat more real foods rather than stuff from a factory like vegan cheese, cheeze puffs, and almond milk. That seems to work for me. YMMV.

 

[Golden Mean]

Does ketosis improve neurologic problems?

Though I would consider worrying about ketosis as "getting things the wrong way around". I would say that eating what I consider a "proper human diet" (which switches your body to fat burning, i.e. ketosis), possibly improves neurologic problems, as well as a host of other issues, ranging from eczema to obesity.

Low carb was the typical treatment for epilepsy until pills became the norm. To me, it's a shame they didn't make the connection that, maybe we are seeing this response (to dropping living off of sugar) because we are eating things we shouldn't.

I believe, if one can accept the fact that we as humans, evolved to eat a diet primarily consisting of ruminant meats, they will be set free from many modern conditions.

Unfortunately one has to ignore 99% of what you are told WRT diet. (e.g. Plants are health food)

Here's a recent, clear, non-confrontational video from Laura Spath about starting out on a low-carb/carnivore way of living.

She lost 150lbs 7 years ago, and eliminated a ton of medical issues she was facing. Her husband (and mother) did even more amazing things by dropping carbs/sugar/plants/non-foods from their diet and eating animal fat/protein. (i.e. being in ketosis)

 

[Koolau]

You just need to reduce them to a low level, you don’t need to eliminate all carbs. We eat plenty of vegetables and berries. We simply avoid grains and starchy carbs, processed foods, and juices.

It doesn't take many carbs to prevent ketosis. I've found reference to keeping carbs to less than 50 gm per day to stay in ketosis. Back in the day, I found that to produce measurable ketones (urine check with Ketostix) I had to stay under about 20 gm. YMMV

 

[Koolau]

Keep in mind Ketosis can sometimes take days

I've read about 3 days without significant carbs.

 

[hesperus]

Four days of no food, gym every day, 15k steps… and the scale just shrugs feels personal at that point. Bodies are rude like that.

 

[Koolau]

I think if you can eat healthy food for even just a couple of days, the cravings for bad food goes down.

I'm sure that's true, but just like an addict to (name your poison) can get off of (what ever) by "stopping consumption" that person is still and always will be an addict. SO, for instance in my case, I don't eat chips any more. I don't miss them too much and I can even watch DW eat a serving of chips and not get too ravenous. BUT were I to indulge in a bag of chips, I'd be extremely tempted to finish the entire bag. Then tomorrow I'd be ready for another whole bag. Cravings may cease but addiction is for ever.

 

[Koolau]

Four days of no food, gym every day, 15k steps… and the scale just shrugs feels personal at that point. Bodies are rude like that.

Tomorrow (or maybe the next day) you'll see a big drop.

You heard it here first!

 

[audreyh1]

I've read about 3 days without significant carbs.

Once your body uses up the glycogen stored in your muscles, then yeah you pretty much would need the ketones if you are fasting.

 

[INTJ10]

Right now the SGLP-1 drugs appear to be doing exactly this.

Not quite. It makes your body think you don’t need any more food so the food in your stomach stays there longer. It reduces craving for more food but it doesn’t make you crave good food.

Four days of no food, gym every day, 15k steps… and the scale just shrugs feels personal at that point. Bodies are rude like that.

Ha ha, get a body fat scale because you are likely converting fat to muscle.

 

[Koolau]

Once your body uses up the glycogen stored in your muscles, then yeah you pretty much would need the ketones if you are fasting.

OR if you ate no carbs.

 

[reneeh63]

Not quite. It makes your body think you don’t need any more food so the food in your stomach stays there longer. It reduces craving for more food but it doesn’t make you crave good food.

Ha ha, get a body fat scale because you are likely converting fat to muscle.

Muscle loss almost always accompanies weight loss (20%-25% muscle with diet alone), it's just a little worse with GLP-1s (typically 25%-40% muscle) - but GLP-1s aren't 'the devil. You can lessen muscle loss by doing strength training.

 

[Golden Mean]

Muscle loss almost always accompanies weight loss (20%-25% muscle with diet alone), it's just a little worse with GLP-1s (typically 25%-40% muscle) - but GLP-1s aren't 'the devil. You can lessen muscle loss by doing strength training.

I believe, if you switch to an animal protein and fat diet, and eat whenever you are hungry (don't "eat less"), your body to revert to what it is supposed to be, fatwise, but it will retain your current muscle.

I do agree that if you do the typical starvation diet (ie eat less, move more), you'll lose both.

Of course, strength training doesn't hurt either.

 

[Pluperfect]

Ha ha, get a body fat scale because you are likely converting fat to muscle.

Fat and muscle are two completely different things. Fat can't turn into muscle. A person might lose fat and simultaneously build muscle, but one isn't being converted into the other.

 

[INTJ10]

Fat and muscle are two completely different things. Fat can't turn into muscle. A person might lose fat and simultaneously build muscle, but one isn't being converted into the other.

Duh, a body fat scale is used to measure your composition of fat vs muscle. The poster was concerned that their weight wasn't changing but the exercise might have changed the body composition.

 

[reneeh63]

Duh, a body fat scale is used to measure your composition of fat vs muscle. The poster was concerned that their weight wasn't changing but the exercise might have changed the body composition.

Which is certainly possible.

A couple years ago I made a major effort to lose weight and to lift heavy, and yet my weight only dropped 1 pound. But in my follow-up DEXA body comp test I found out I dropped 6 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle. That was pretty big given my weight ended up basically the same at 140.

 

[Koolau]

Which is certainly possible.

A couple years ago I made a major effort to lose weight and to lift heavy, and yet my weight only dropped 1 pound. But in my follow-up DEXA body comp test I found out I dropped 6 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle. That was pretty big given my weight ended up basically the same at 140.

Now, that's impressive! Good on you.

 

[Jimq]

I started fasting at a slow pace approx. a month ago. First week (8/16), eat within 8 hours and then just water. Moved to (6/18) for next 3 weeks. I did one 24 day fastening but did not feel good for some reason. I plan to continue 6/18 for a while until I go with a Holistic Doc who can help me. Meeting with this Doc in a month or so and then will progress to 3 day max. I have seen people curing their cancer with long term fasting so it definitely works one needs to patient. I lost 3 pounds in a month and I am satisfied with it, I don't need to loose tons of weight fast, slow and steady works!

 

[Jimq]

Update on fasting: I am still doing OMAD, or one meal a day, and it has become my normal routine going forward. I have also been doing a two-day water fast once a month.

Since January, I have reached my weight goal and lost 40 pounds, all without medication. I’m happy to report that this has also helped my diabetes. My A1C came down from 6.5 to 5.5.

My wife’s thyroid issue has also improved, and she is working with her doctor to adjust her medication.

For me, fasting has been very powerful. You have to be willing to commit to it, but I would rather use fasting and lifestyle changes than take a handful of pills every day. Of course, everyone is different, so it’s important to work with your doctor and monitor your numbers closely.

 

[Koolau]

Update on fasting: I am still doing OMAD, or one meal a day, and it has become my normal routine going forward. I have also been doing a two-day water fast once a month.

Since January, I have reached my weight goal and lost 40 pounds, all without medication. I’m happy to report that this has also helped my diabetes. My A1C came down from 6.5 to 5.5.

My wife’s thyroid issue has also improved, and she is working with her doctor to adjust her medication.

For me, fasting has been very powerful. You have to be willing to commit to it, but I would rather use fasting and lifestyle changes than take a handful of pills every day. Of course, everyone is different, so it’s important to work with your doctor and monitor your numbers closely.

How I wish there were a (cheap, safe) pill that would erase the cravings that make my weight-loss journey more difficult. I'm stuck after a good weight loss and I do want to lose more weight. (But I'm not ready to pay the money for one of the "shots" for weight loss). DW is doing the "shots" ($400/month) and they did w*rk very well for a while but now, she too is stuck at about the same BMI as I am.

 

[IncomeOriented]

I’m hard wired to crave cake cookies and ice cream. But over the past few years, as we reduced them in our diet, they quieted down. Increasing protein quieted them a little more, surprisingly so. I’m increasingly convinced that the ultimate diet plan is a lobotomy.

 

[street]

About 10 years ago I started Intermittent fasting. My weight wasn't out of control but I was in the low 180's. Over a 6 month period only eating from noon till 6 pm each day I got my weight down to low 160's. 10 years later still at that 160 mark and still only eat in that 6 hour window fasting has been very good for my over all health. I eat anything and all I want in those 6 hours. I do get my exercise and I'm a very active person with some physical labor a few days a week.
I eat a lot of baked goods and everything most people dieting would not consider eating. It was a slow process but I am very consistent that I eat ONLY in that 6 hour time frame.

 

[racqueteer]

It may have been alluded to previously; I didn't read all of this, but I remember from my youth that muscle weighs more than fat. Consequently, with strength training incorporated, it is entirely possible to lose body fat without losing weight. What you should see, however, is a shift in the manner in which weight is being distributed onto the body.

It's also the case that our activity level falls with age, and we do not truly need the same caloric intake; so, a full three meals, with 'snacks', is pretty much guaranteed to result in weight gain as one ages. Two modest meals is probably sufficient to maintain weight. Weight loss would probably require going to OMAD; so what I'm reading here makes sense - other than the curing cancer by drinking water thing. I'd have to see a lot more evidence and hear a good explanation for such an outcome before I'd accept that.

Regardless, I applaud attempting to keep weight under some kind of control. There's no upside to simple weight gain with the possible exception of someone who aspires to compete as a sumo wrestler. Even there, the advantage derived is often offset by reduced lifespan.