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WATER ONLY fasting is as simple as it gets.
Eat nothing. And when you’re thirsty, drink plain water.
The advantage of water only fasting is
its severity. And you will lose weight quickly.
There are, however, several disadvantages
to water only fasting. First of all, it can be less comfortable
(you’ll probably feel hungrier and more sluggish), and you
might feel foggy during the fast, so it’s not a good thing
to do if you have to work or stay mentally sharp. And you may
not feel very energetic.
I say “may” because sometimes
you will feel energetic, and sometimes you will
feel sharp.
You will definitely feel thirsty, and you
should make sure you drink all the water you want. Your waves
of hunger may occasionally feel intense but they will come and
go, and often a drink of water will make the hunger pang subside.
One of the surprising results of water
only fasting is you will usually sleep well — better than
you’ve slept in a long time. You’ll feel unusually
relaxed and your sleep is likely to be deep and restful.
The longest I’ve ever fasted with
water only is three days. In the book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fasting, the
authors recommend if you’re going to go longer than three
days, you should find a doctor familiar with fasting to monitor
you during the fast to make sure your body is handling it well.
You may feel cooler than usual while you’re
fasting. Your body is trying to conserve energy. Just wear warmer
clothing. You may not feel as energetic as you normally do. Take
advantage of it, and really relax.
The most relaxed I’ve ever been was
on the third day of a water only fast. It’s the only time
I’ve ever been that calm. It has happened every time I got
to the third day. I think it’s because the body tries to
conserve energy and feeling agitated or tense is too wasteful
of calories, so the body stays deeply calm. It was great. I felt
impressively peaceful.
Try fasting for just one day the first
time. Maybe try a one-day fast several times (with at
least a week between fasts) before trying a two-day fast.
Some fasting clinics allow you to live
on their premises while fasting, so they can monitor your vital
signs. Two men, Terry Porter and Joseph Callahan, made an documentary
(Fasting Can Save Your Life) during their
fast at a clinic. They went thirty days on a water-only fast,
and filmed themselves several times over the course of the fast.
Porter lost 47 pounds and Callahan lost 59 pounds. Watching their
transformation is fascinating.
Fasting can produce some amazing results.
But water only fasting is not the only way to do it. There are
advantages and disadvantages of water-only fasting. If you want
to start out with something milder, the main alternative is juice
fasting. Learn more about juice
fasting here.
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