Bain, thanks man.

I am in a water Fasting state for the next 3 days (until Thursday morning). I haven't had a good BM in about 5 days and am starting to get worried. Hopefully this helps.

Quote: (07-16-2018 12:16 PM)TigerMandingo Wrote:  

Would a water fast help with constipation and bowel movement issues?

It should, but like anything else, if you do not fix the underlying problem then it will reoccur. For example, if you eat a garbage diet and then fast, you will build a great foundation for regaining your overall health -- especially if you begin eating a healthy diet after your fast ends. But if you continue eating a garbage diet after a fast, all your health problems will eventually come back.

If you eat a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables and you hydrate well, there should be no reason for constipation (unless you are taking a prescription medications or some other substance that causes constipation). BTW: you typically will not have bowel movements during a fast, except possibly eliminating your last meal.

It will -- no worries.

Just make sure you break the fast properly. You will likely not get a good bowel movement for a few days even after the fast though.

You are still in the cleanse and detoxify process.

After a few days of fruits, veggies and liquid soup and even some nuts for protein-- then start doing the 16 - 8 interval fasting -- have two good meals a day -- with no snacking in between -- except only water.

Make sure you drink one litre of water every morning from now on -- and you will start getting wonderful morning bowel movements. Which should be a top priority.

Recently, I see I have some time to do water fasting at the end of the month. I will be very busy with work and school so time will go by. I'd like to break my record of 2.5 days and see how far I go.

But I have some questions: I keep reading you need electrolytes to keep yourself going. It's mentioned to get magnesium, sodium, pink himalayan salt, etc... Which types of electrolytes have you guys used for your fast? I want to shop so I get less headaches and fatigue. I already have a variety of fruits, vegetables and broth for breaking the fast and refeeding.

Quote: (07-16-2018 12:50 PM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

If you eat a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables and you hydrate well, there should be no reason for constipation (unless you are taking a prescription medications or some other substance that causes constipation). BTW: you typically will not have bowel movements during a fast, except possibly eliminating your last meal.

Tail, that's the thing. My diet has been shit (no pun intended). I eat irregularly and whatever is in my fridge at the moment. I started having constipation issues about a week ago and now decided to do a fast in order to cleanse my system. This is definitely a wakeup call and I'm gonna be eating better.

One thing I notice is you guys recommend fruits. Should I be worried about sugar spikes? How much fruit should you be eating in a day?

Quote: (07-16-2018 07:17 PM)TigerMandingo Wrote:  

One thing I notice is you guys recommend fruits. Should I be worried about sugar spikes? How much fruit should you be eating in a day?

The key is to keep the sugar spikes to two or three (minor ones) per day. If you have a piece of fruit after every meal you are not adding any additional sugar spikes during the day. People who eat a bagel for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner, and energy bars or candy bars between meals are experiencing many massive sugar spikes during the day. That is the quantitative difference (i.e., do not snack between meals).

The qualitative difference is that fruit has natural fiber that minimizes sugar spikes because the sugar is released into the bloodstream much slower than from refined sugars and carbs. Of course, eating mostly vegetables (rather than refined foods) will also reduce the sugar spikes even further. You are wise to think about minimizing sugar. It is one of the most pernicious substances out there, is highly addictive, and causes untold pain and misery in the various autoimmune diseases. It took me a long time to realize that -- and then act upon it.

Quote: (07-16-2018 06:55 PM)Kurgan Wrote:  

Which types of electrolytes have you guys used for your fast?

If you are otherwise healthy, I would not worry about it. If you are worried about it or have other health issues, have your doctor run a CMP panel before you fast. That is what was required before my 14-day medically supervised fast.

https://labtestsonline.org/tests/compreh...-panel-cmp

Just to add another point about the importance of having good healthy daily morning bowel movements -- which should be one's goal -- it is also important to learn how to squat on a toilet seat - it takes practice but is easy to get use to.

Demo is below

Ive been feeling a bit under the weather recently. Flu like symptoms.

Anyways. What about water fasting and taking long baths in ebsom salts and pink Himalayan salt etc. soak it in through the skin. Seems like a good idea to chill out for a while. Be careful getting up though

Quote: (07-16-2018 10:20 PM)ball dont lie Wrote:  

Ive been feeling a bit under the weather recently. Flu like symptoms.

Anyways. What about water fasting and taking long baths in ebsom salts and pink Himalayan salt etc. soak it in through the skin. Seems like a good idea to chill out for a while. Be careful getting up though

That is very good for you -- as long as you do not have fluoride in your water supply. Unfortunately, I do. F*cking socialists.

~25 hours into my fast. I had a small bowel movement this morning, not long after I drank a good amount of water. I thought that was a little weird.

I just finished my regular Monday dry fast - no water - which is usually about 35 hours. I've been doing this for over 10 years now. Then 30 min of yoga stretches. Then had my warm lemon water -- then had water melon and straw berries and sunflower seeds. Then a couple of hours later had fresh home made vegetable soup with lots of liquid ( when vegetables are boiled in water and soften - then put half of the vegetables in a blender which turn into liquid and put back in the pot).

So I feel amazing again. Light and new energy which last for a couple of days.

Will resume my 16 - 8 interment fast routine tomorrow and go to the gym for a good work out.

I always feel gratitude and blessed for this routine which allows me to experience wonderful feelings of health.

Quote: (07-16-2018 08:54 PM)Bain Wrote:  

Just to add another point about the importance of having good healthy daily morning bowel movements -- which should be one's goal -- it is also important to learn how to squat on a toilet seat - it takes practice but is easy to get use to.

I use a Step and Go toilet stool. For years, I just used a log from the wood pile before I purchased that. It really does help promote full elimination.

   

This guy just recently completed his 35 day fast on water. Interesting to watch him break his fast and his thoughts. His new rejuvenation and gratitude for life. Looking to nature for answers.That is what fasting does. And so many are brainwashed into thinking that missing a meal may kill them. lol.

There is a medical paper that documents a 382-day fast by an obese 27-year-old man who weighed 456 pounds. His fast allowed him to reach his ideal weight of 180 pounds.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2495396/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article...5-0056.pdf

A more recent book about fasting (October 2016), written by a medical doctor who has applied a variety of fasting protocols with more than 1,000 patients. I have not read this book, but just happened to watch a video interview with the doctor. I just ordered a copy from my local library.

Quote:Quote:

Fasting is not about starving oneself. When done right, it's an incredibly effective therapeutic approach that produces amazing results regardless of diet plan. In fact, Toronto-based nephrologist Dr. Jason Fung has used a variety of fasting protocols with more than 1,000 patients, with fantastic success. In The Complete Guide to Fasting he has teamed up with international bestselling author and veteran health podcaster Jimmy Moore to explain what fasting is really about, why it's so important, and how to fast in a way that improves health. Together, they make fasting as a therapeutic approach both practical and easy to understand.

The Complete Guide to Fasting explains:

why fasting is actually good for health
who can benefit from fasting (and who won't)
the history of fasting
the various ways to fast: intermittent, alternate-day, and extended fasting
what to expect when starting to fast
how to track progress while fasting
the weight loss effects of fasting
how to ward off potential negative effects from fasting

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fa...to+fasting

Although I flush my eyes with water a few times a day, I was getting red eyes for the last few days. This usually means lower hydration as eyes require more hydration than other body parts.

Most would rush to the drugstore and buy eye drops for $20 or so.

I simply did my one day fast and eyes seem to be fine now.

It is unfortunate many do not realize that fasting often cures most minor ailments. Whereas medicine usually just treats the symptoms.

Fasting cleans and rejuvenates all parts the body.

Whenever any ailment happens one should always start a fast first. Medicine should be the last resort.

In the beginning a fast may be challenging especially with all the misinformation out there. That is why many do not try it but are quick to go the drug store. lol.

Some things had happened and I had to move my fast to tomorrow instead of Sunday morning. I'm going water only with taking magnesium and potassium in the mornings.

I want to break my record of 2.5 days and can use the support.

Quote: (07-30-2018 05:38 PM)Kurgan Wrote:  

Some things had happened and I had to move my fast to tomorrow instead of Sunday morning. I'm going water only with taking magnesium and potassium in the mornings.

I want to break my record of 2.5 days and can use the support.

Bro just read the thread. Good luck. Target for three days. It's not difficult. It ends sooner than you think.

I do 3, 3 day fasts every year. 2 of the fast are for hormone recepter regeneration specifically (right after a steriod cycle). You can prove it works by a SHBG and Albumin count in blood work. Less is gobling up your precious hormones due to more receptor activity. My second fast is 3 days prior to Thanksgiving. (Usa holiday to fatten everyone up more) so that I can eat anything I want and enjoy Thanksgiving with my family.

You should also do 3 days post Thanksgiving lol.

This is a long post with my experience and thoughts on combining fasting and exercise.

I've had positive experiences with both a long juice fast and more recently with intermittent fasting. I think these are great tools but there are a few posts in this thread that try to diminish exercise and dismiss athletic guys who ask reasonable questions. So I'll make one point about how exercise can affect your internal health just as much (or more) than fasting. Everyone knows that heavy squats make your muscles stronger but many people don't know the other benefits of that exercise. Properly performed squats in a good training plan will increase flexibility, improve posture, increase bone density and strength, increase testosterone levels and libido, improve nervous system function and brain health, and improve the function of your digestive system by strengthening the muscles associated with that system. Other exercises such as deadlifts, sprints, and presses also have most of those benefits.

I think fasting is a great tool but I think of it as more of a secondary tool while I think of exercise as more of a primary or essential tool for overall health.

The best methods for athletes and lifters to fast are debatable and there are experts with contradictory opinions. I'm not an expert but I will share what I've found so far.

Implementing changes to training or nutrition on an incremental basis are sometimes the best method and I think this applies to guys who are burning a lot of calories and want to try fasting so intermittent fasting seems to be the logical first step. I've read where others have recommended this and my recent experience confirms that this was a good method for me.

This article describes six ways to do intermittent fasting.

Leans Gains is a popular website which focuses mostly on the 16/8 style of intermittent fasting. This post has a lot of information on how that can be setup.

Finally, this article talks a lot about the challenges with intermittent fasting and possible pitfalls. It comes from another experienced trainer who has a different perspective.

Timing your workouts around your eating window will most likely depend on the individual and the type of workout. I do not believe that working out just before the eating window will be the best option for most guys who do high intensity training. It's possible and if you want to use that method then I suggest easing into one of the protocols from the Lean Gains website but my experience and research has led me to working out in the evening during the eating window.

Eric Berg's youtube channel has a lot of good information on the keto diet and intermittent fasting. I suggest this video and this video for learning to combine fasting and high intensity exercise especially when you are new to these concepts.

I suggest starting slow by doing something like 13/11 (13 hours fasting, 11 hours eating) and maybe transitioning once per week to a shorter eating window, i.e. 14/10 then 15/9 then 16/8 etc. Also I recommend for guys to plan ahead and find plenty of high calorie foods they can eat during the eating window because intermittent fasting can be a significant lifestyle change and getting enough calories during the eating window can be a challenge.

BC that was some quality info you posted. I checked out your recommended videos and article and learned solid information.

I certainly have never discouraged exercise -- I am a big proponent of it. I try to do weight training about three times a week and stretching.

I am also in my 50s -

The combination of correct fasting, correct exercise and most important - correct eating -- is a magic formula that makes you feel full of energy and health every day.

It is a blessing by the Gods above -- and one should always feel blessed, thankful and full of gratitude -- for finding and adhering to this path.

Once you have a nice healthy and clean body -- then one should go to the next level and that is learn how to meditate and channelize your energy into your mental and spiritual untapped spheres of existence.

One day you will lose that body you inhabit but that energy and feelings of health that you worked hard to develop will also go with you wherever your spirit takes you.

God bless -- Bro.

Any mental benefits to fasting? Anyone experienced definite improvement in cognitive function for work, concentration, memory etc?

Great post Bain. I will add quality sleep to that list and it brings together the four topics that I always see repeated for many topics such as increasing testosterone, gaining muscle, peak performance, reducing depression, etc. It's always sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and various energy/mental practices (breathing, meditation, gratitude, positivity, etc.)

Quote: (08-09-2018 04:57 AM)RichieP Wrote:  

Any mental benefits to fasting? Anyone experienced definite improvement in cognitive function for work, concentration, memory etc?

Yes, someone else can probably explain how it works better than I can but mental focus can increase significantly. I'm still experimenting with this but I'm fasting in the morning because I have much greater concentration during that time. I try to avoid caffeine and fasting throughout the morning is almost like having the positive effects of caffeine without the negative affects of caffeine.