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Fasting

I'm thinking about starting a little bit early with the water fast... Right now I have a pretty decent body composition-- probably about 167 pounds at 5'11''.

Does anybody know how long it takes the body to start using muscle for energy (as opposed to fat) when doing a water-only fast? I just started getting back in shape as a result of me moving, so burning up all my muscle for a fast doesn't make much sense.
 
^It's a very complex process. To summarize as best as I can...

With a normal diet your body is burning dietary glucose from starch and sugars. It also converts excess energy for storage into glycogen, fat, and muscle. Glycogen is easily available as a source of energy and it is also easily replaced. It acts as a buffer for in between meals.

During a fast glycogen reserves are depleted and your body starts burning fat and muscle. Most of your cells can burn fatty acids, however your brain can not. Gluconeogenesis is the process of converting muscle into glucose. For the first 2 days of a fast this is what your brain is using for energy.

After about 2 days though, in order to preserve muscle mass, gluconeogensis slows down and your brain begins burning ketones which are generated by the break down of fat. This state is called ketosis and is distinguished by the smell of acetone on the breath which is what the ketones eventually break down into.

So to answer your question after fasting for two days your body is in ketosis and the glucose levels in your blood (from the breakdown of muscle) are reserved for when you really need them. Your body never really suddenly switches from burning fat to burning muscle after this point and in fact it is almost the opposite up to the 2nd day with proportionally more muscle mass likely lost early on. That being said if you go for a walk or need to do some heavy lifting glucose may be burnt which needs to be replaced through gluconeogenisis. It is just your brain which is still happy with the ketones.

Yikes I think I explained that well, and hope that I understand it well enough myself.
 
That was an amazing explanation-- more like poetry than science.

So, basically, I've just gotta meditate for like 6 hours a day, do some yoga, and download a shit-load of spiritual movies to keep me company for maybe... 16 days of water only.
 
^ LOL

you seem to have a bit more moohlah to afford costly items
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I promise you, I do not! lol

I just prioritize. Food comes first before any other luxury (phones, clothes, movies, etc). If I drop dead like I almost did years ago I won't be able to do any of that stuff anyway.... so I just make my health a priority. Trust me, one couldn't get much more financially lacking than I am.
 
Simply_Live said:
^ How much a week do you spend on the foods you eat? And are you on a raw vegan diet (or mostly)?

Also, what are your stats? The calories aren't adding up on my end. ;)
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Deja, I'm also interested in knowing this information if you don't mind sharing.

Currently doing a mini-fast, partially in preparation for the 12-day fast and partially to reduce the pain that accompanies my monthly.

As far as the 12-day fast goes, my goal is to last at least four days and break the fast when needed, then continue the fast when I feel I can. No sense in saying I will last the 12 days when I possibly won't.
 
Good news / bad news: I think I got myself a job / this means I can't do the fast.
:\
 
Maybe... I might have to postpone my own fast until I settle into the job.
 
thanks guys... I'm going to get settled in, then do maybe a 7 day water-only fast sometime soon. I plan on keeping a sort-of 'trip report' of the experience, and I'll post it up when I'm done. I'll be meditating as much as possible, so it should be interesting...

I'll still be here to offer moral support for you non-flakes starting in a couple days ;)
 
^ Changed, sounds like a good plan. Good luck at the new job. :)


I'd post this in the other fasting thread, but my posts tend to get buried in the debates...

Has anyone found that after breaking a fast (mine was three complete days), whenever they eat, they have a metallic taste in their mouth?

I really fucking hope my taste buds haven't gotten so sensitive I can taste the freakin' silverware, but that's my only explanation... Unless it's the residue on the non-organic oats I'm finishing up... Though it was there on last night's organic broccoli... :-/
 
I cannot wait to see what a longer (4 or more day) fast entails--A three-day fast left me feeling quite lazy/sluggish halfway through the second day and into the third... but now that I know it gets better around the third day's evening, I feel I am a lot more prepared to face the sluggishness head-on and hopefully be able to plow through. :)
 
Heck yeah, I'm excited. Of course, who knows if I'll still feel that way by the second day. I'll look at a hamburger hungrily, I'm sure. (I don't eat them)

I've got smoothie making down a little better now so it won't be a slap in the face every time I take a sip from the burst of flavor.
 
Remember to listen to your body regarding the sluggishness as well. During a water fast I only sleep four or five hours or so a night instead of a usual seven, but I need to spend another similar amount of time just lying about doing practically nothing.
 
Hey everyone. I suppose I should have tried to whip everybody into a frenzy of excitement eh ;)

Anyways I had too many pancakes yesterday....mmmmm real maple syrup, but this morning but this morning didn't breakfast haha. I know I said I was doing a juice fast but I tweaked my knee slipping on ice (screw winter) while jogging so with no upcoming cardio for a few days I figure I would join in on a water fast until it was feeling better.

At the moment I can feel the lack of a caffeine pick me up which I had gotten into recently the most. But Jesus didn't have coffee in the desert, maybe he had green tea though :D We'll have to see if I need to stay up late to work or not....

Holy crap 12 days until mother rebirthing spring people. New years has got nothing on this =D
 
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