I have recently gone from 1 day water-fasting to 7-days water-fasting at a time. The first 3 days are the hardest. On 7th day, I was still completely full of energy and felt like I could have easily gone to two full weeks (which I didn't just to avoid risk).
Has anyone here tried 2 full weeks of water fasting? Any extra precautions to take?
My record is 12 days. I start intensely craving things for their electrolyte content late in the week, and like you, I'll eat a sofa cushion on day 3, but after, it's smooth sailing and the brain sort of gives up being manic about food.
I'll crave things like pickle juice. Clearly the body wants its salts. It's amazing how good it is as signaling the things it needs, when it needs them.
My wife will make some really appalling beverage for me, containing pickle juice, apple cider vinegar, lite salt, and I think lemon juice. It terrifies me to think about. On a fast, though? I'll literally drink it by the quart and want more.
I just tried to do a 48-hour fast and only made it to 24 before I had to eat. I felt dizzy, irritable and couldn't concentrate on anything other than my hunger.
Stay busy, distract yourself with interesting things.
I have done 3-4 days water fast a few times out of curiosity. In my case, the hunger cravings diminshed after 48 hours or so.
However, I've never feel better, worse, or different from the experience. No extra energy, no extra ability to focus, no changes in sleep, no excessive fatigue, etc. Other than the hunger, I felt normal.
I am convinced that fasting is a fad and may have placebo effect if you think it will.
Addition: I have used a 48-72 hour fast as a precursor to a longer-term low carb/keto diet (for weight loss). The fast will get the excess sugar out of your system and you'll be able to get into ketosis quickly.
It will sound almost confrontational, but you literally have to force yourself not to eat. I'm not going to pretend it's easy, but that's the way to do it. The feeling will go away once you get past that stage of not being able to think of anything else but food.
I've found short term fasting to be like a muscle I have to exercise. Skipping a meal with abundant calories around me was hard. I had to start off small (skipping one meal) and slowly work up to slightly longer fasts (skipping the next meal, etc). I think we all have different physiologies and different mental adaptations (certainly for me hunger is partly an emotion, a desire to satiate that only bears a passing resemblance to how many calories my body needs) though and what works for me might not work for you.
If everybody around you feels as miserable, but they are not worried, it's way reassuring :) Bonus if you are in an isolated place making temptations hard.
Another thing is that you should avoid hard things in your first fast, such as working, reading complex material, filling administrative papers, etc. Take the time to rest, watch movies, listen to music, etc. The first two fasts I kept my job, and I didn't benefit as much as the next where I decided to take it easy.
Surprisingly, walking 2 to 3h a day helps a lot to feel less shitty, although you should not do it alone the first time you fast.
Once you are used to it, it does not necessarily because less shitty the next time. But you know what's up, and so it's easier.
One thing though, is that fat people and people with bad food habits will have a harder time.
Your body produces a hormone called ghrelin which controls your hunger levels. It produces it based on your eating patterns and the time of day.
When you fast, your ghrelin levels peak in the first 24 hours, but after that, they steadily decline. A lot of people don't even feel hungry anymore after about day three.
Question: why? Why not to do more shorter fasts rather than a long one? Unless you're heavily obese and need to shave weight quickly, what's the upside?
In Jung's book, I think I can remember the 'safe' fasting period was about five days at most, when you go over that you should take precautions.
Do you expect that a longer fasting can bring more rewarda than multiple, shorter fasts?
I typically put pink salt in my tea, does not taste great but after a few days it's legitimately satisfying. Amazing how your standards can change so quickly in desperation.
I don't think that's great takeaway advice or an accurate summary. It may not intentionally be so, but it comes off as dangerous and reckless. The NIH article suggests that anyone who fasts for 10+ days is considered an at-risk group. OP asked about fasting for 14 days.
Not scientific, but this is tried and simple tip from traditional Ramadhan fast-breaking in Tunisia.
We start with some dry fruits (usually dates) and olive oil (or butter), then some soup. I think the chewing first gets your body ready and the soup is there to ease the stomach into whatever your regular diet is.
For the reasons described in the linked article :)
This is just the latest of many studies that provides clinical evidence for what people have anecdotally reported for millennia: occasional fasting makes people feel healthier and seems to make their bodies work better.
Has anyone here tried 2 full weeks of water fasting? Any extra precautions to take?