I founded a group for people who are overeaters who follow a whole foods vegan regimen. Here are my posts on my experience with water fasting, which is totally safe if one knows what she is doing.
I am posting this to correct some of the misinformation on water fasting posted on another thread. IMO anyone who is interested in possibly doing a water fast should read the Fuhrman book (Reading the first pages that are avialable at Amazon got me hooked!) and anything Herbert Shelton wrote on water fasting. It is an amazing tool but not ideal as a weight loss tool although one will lose about a pound a day while fasting.
ME: A discussion was started about juice fasting and someone mentioned water fasting and mentioned that Fuhrman had used fasting. Yes, he did, it turns out and wrote a book about it. I suspect some hard core OAs might say that fasting is an extreme measure that OAs should avoid. I don't feel that way myself but, on the other hand, I have not tried any kind of fasting but I read some of the preview pages of the book and there seems to be evidence that fasting may be beneficial. Fuhrman did write that he does not consider a juice fast to be a true fast.
Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Diseasewww.amazon.comFasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease offers precise diet and fasting programs to relieve headache, hypoglycemia, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colitis, psoriasis, lupus, and uterine fibroids. You'll also lea...
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ME I started reading this book and decided to buy the book. A lot of what he says makes sense to me and I can confirm from my own personal experience that what he says is true. For instance, he says that people that have been eating a whole foods plant based diet do not experience the hunger symptoms that people who eat the SAD diet experience. There have been days that I am so involved in writing a paper that I literally forget to eat. I do not experience any discomfort whatsoever. I realize that I am hungry, yes, but I know I do not HAVE to eat. This is normal. He says the headaches and discomfort from not eating for a few hours is a sign that the body is not properly nourished. He says a well nourished body can survive and thrive for weeks with only water. During this time, stored fat and even tumors are used as nourishment. He says fasting can cure many chronic diseases such as rheumatism and Crohn's disease.
March 5 at 5:31pm • Like
ME I am going to check with my physician and go on a water fast probably next week after I get the book and see what kind of monitoring needs to be done. Any prolonged fast should be medically supervised.
March 5 at 6:19pm • Like
ME ...so anyway, yes...the book is on order and I am going to try going on a 10 day water fast if my doctor OKs it.
March 6 at 9:34am • Like
ME Fuhrman wrote in this book that people who have been able to stick to a whole foods vegan diet for awhile do not experience hunger the way people addicted to the SAD diet do. So for the last few days, I have been trying to not eat until I really get hungry. There is a feeling in the throat that is similar to thirst. So I have found that I really do not experience true hunger for at least six or seven hours after a meal. I had a small serving of eggplant tofu, green beans and brown rice at lunch and then a few mushrooms, three pieces of asparagus a couple slices of cucumber a couple hours ago--I wasn't hungry then but I was at a buffet and figured it was better to eat something to keep me away from the bad stuff--anyway I am not the least bit hungry now. BTW if I do this fast, it will not be to lose weight, I can do that easily sticking on a balanced whole foods vegan diet. If I were to sponsor someone, I would recommended not doing fasting to lose weight. For food addicts, I recommend a food plan that you can stay on the rest of your life.
March 7 at 6:53pm • Like • 1
ME I am starting a water fast today...I will do it for 12 days, not for weight loss...I am hoping it will help my arthritis and back pain. However, as I am now at my "lifetime goal" about 25% BMI, I will certainly reach an all time low since high school. If I am happy with that weight, I will maintain it. With the tools from OA and the tools from Eat to Live, maintaining a healthy weight is very doable for me. Just like abstaining from drugs and alcohol on NA, AA programs has been for almost seven years. Right now, it has been 19 hours since my last meal and I am feeling great. I am going to rest, relax, do some yoga and meditation.
March 11 at 1:06pm • Edited • Like
ME Almost 30 hours since last meal. I do not feel hungry. Weird.
March 11 at 10:40pm • Like • 1
ME 38 hours! I feel hungry but no more hungry than I feel 5 or 6 hours after a meal.
March 12 at 7:56am • Like
ME Day 4. I woke up feeling hungry now I am sipping some sparkling water and the hunger went away. Not much energy though.
March 15 at 8:20am • Edited • Like
ME Day 5. I am amazed at how not hungry I am. I feel empowered that I have done this and am halfway through!
March 15 at 8:26am • Like • 1
Kathleen good job! are your joints feeling better?
March 15 at 8:36am • Like
ME Maybe a little. Thanks!
March 15 at 8:40am • Like
ME Day 6, I have decided to do this through Wednesday afternoon which would make 9.75 days, probably do mostly raw, blended fruits and veggies for a couple days after that.
March 16 at 7:03am • Like
Kathleen That sounds great. Be sure to reread his section on ending the fast. Everytime I have heard someone question him about fasting he stress the importance of ending it properly.
March 16 at 8:44am via mobile • Like
ME My previous goal was just under 25% BMI which I achieved following OA and Fuhrman. I have managed to maintain this within the range of a few pounds for over a year. Right now, as I have been on plan before the fast and now on Day 6, I am at 23.8% BMI, my new goal is 22.5% BMI.
March 16 at 3:21pm • Like
ME Well, I am looking forward to Wednesday when I can have a slice of melon every two hours.
March 16 at 8:22pm • Like
ME 23.3% BMI today. 18.5-24.99 is normal weight although everyone always told me 25% is OK for females.
March 19 at 6:44am • Like • 1
ME Well, I hate to admit this as so many here are struggling but I completed 21 days of water fasting with three days of raw food in between. I did this for health, to reverse arthritic joints and back pain. I no longer have back and knee pain and my range of motion has improved drastically. But I also lost 18 pounds! I also broke my addiction to artificial sweeteners! Simple foods taste unbelievably good now. Things that I used to add sweetener to, taste incredibly sweet without them and so on. (I still use stevia in my coffee which I have cut back to one large half decaf coffee in the morning.) I know now I will be able to maintain this weight the rest of my life!
April 1 at 4:38pm • Edited • Like • 3
Kathleen Congratulations and thank you for the update. I am so happy for you. You have worked hard to get here good job!
