I don't know why but I am so scared. I have many questions.. I started today and I am doing so well, but the whole "bad metabolism" thing scares me. Will water fasting actually make me appear smaller.. Many people say you just lose weight and its not visible. Also will i begin to smell? How long should I fast? How should I break my fast?
Hello again! I’ll try to answer those questions as best I can, though bear with me because it’s going to be a bit of reading.
Bad Metabolism Will my metabolism slow down/drop from fasting?
——Yes, your metabolism will slow down (don’t worry, I’ll tell you the solution). Your body is trying to make up for the lack of nutrients, and therefore is telling your digestive system to calm down and not rely on an outside source of energy to pump through the body. Metabolism is responsible for the way you digest your food: people who can eat a ton and hardly gain anything have a fast metabolism, while others who eat normal amounts of food but gain easily have slower metabolism. During fasting, your metabolism pretty much does the same as a bear during the winter – it enters a state similar to hibernation. The good side of this is that you enter ketosis, a state where your body begins to nibble at fat deposits (stomach, thighs, etc.). This hibernation-like state is not permanent. You can either gradually work yourself into a healthy exercise (weightlifting, jogging, etc.) after your fast, or you can do simple exercises during your fast to prevent it from slowing down too much. The safest exercises to do during a fast are light dancing and taking a 30 min. to an hour stroll (not jogging). Metabolism is controlled by your thyroid, and also by the amount of exercise you do. The more exercise you have in your lifestyle, the faster your metabolism will be. Please be aware that doing heavy exercise during a fast is not safe, so please be gentle on yourself. It only takes a few days of exercise to bring it back up after you end your fast. ^^
Visible Weightloss / Smaller Body Mass Will I be noticeably smaller / thinner after my fast?
——This depends on a lot of factors. It depends on how long you fast, how much you are trying to lose vs. your actual weight, and how well you stick to it. Everyone’s body works a bit differently, so I can’t say for sure which fat deposits will disappear first. Usually it’s most noticeable in the face and arms. As you continue into your fast, it becomes more obvious in the ‘troublesome areas’ (thighs, stomach, love-handles, etc.). Most people can lose 5 to 10lbs from a week of fasting, and 10lbs is a BIG difference. The question though isn’t whether or not other people will notice, but will you as the faster notice? A lot of times, people will lose a considerable amount of weight, but due to self-image issues and looking in the mirror all day, we don’t notice the changes unless they’re immediate and extreme. If you’re worried that may be the case, it’s probably worth it to take a photo of yourself every 2 days (with good posture and a pretty smile of course), and get an electronic scale that will tell you exactly how much you’ve lost since your last weigh-in. That way if you can’t see progress in the mirror, you can at least see it on the scale.
Smelly Will I start to smell from fasting?
——Yes and no. If you eat during a fast, or immediately after the end of one, it is common to smell like what you ate (you are what you eat, as they say). This doesn’t happen to everyone though. From personal experience, don’t eat fish unless you want to smell like salmon (lol). If you eat, just make sure you eat something like fruit. It has tons of vitamins, has a natural sugar that will give you energy, it’s gentle on your tummy, and you’ll smell like fresh strawberries. The smell is very faint though, and can easily be covered with deodorant, perfume, or even the smell of your shampoo after taking a shower.
Time-Length How long should I fast?
——If you’re a beginner, it’s best to start with a 1 to 3 day fast. Some people experience negative reactions such as headaches and nausea, and some can become faint on their first day. This is not typical of all people, and if you’re worried about such side effects, then you should only take it one day at a time (see how far you can hold out for and stop when you need to). If you are just naturally a nervous person, it’s best to distract yourself by hanging out with friends, playing video games, chatting online, tumblr-ing, dancing to music, etc. to avoid tricking your body into thinking it has these symptoms. It’s really not a scary thing, so try not to worry yourself over it. More experienced fasters can go anywhere from 10 to 60 days (though anything above 20 days isn’t recommended without some break in-between). Know your limits, and don’t push / punish yourself if you can’t fast for as long as other people. It’s a learning experience, and takes time for some people to adjust to.
Breaking A Fast How do I end / break my fast?
——At the end of the fast, you need to think of your digestive system as a new child born into this world (sounds cheesy, but bear with me here xD). Your stomach will be sensitive to food, so it’s best to slowly reintroduce solids into your diet. Many people start by replacing water with tea. 2 days later, tea gets replaced with juice. Another day or two after that, juice is replaced with smoothies and milk, and maybe some gentle foods like fruits, rice and soups. The duration of time it takes to break a fast again depends on the faster’s experience and how long you’ve been fasting. If you’re new to fasting and held out for 3 days, you could get away with drinking juice and eating soup on your first day off of your water fast. If you go for a long period of time, you may want to ease yourself back into solids over a longer duration as I mentioned above. Just so you know, you may have some diarrhea when you reintroduce solids (not the painful, gassy kind, if you ate proper foods), but this usually only lasts a day. Don’t panic when this happens, your tummy was just a little surprised is all. ^_^
I hoped this helped in some way, and don’t forget, a lot of members in the fasting community are open to helping others get started! If you ever have any concerns, don’t be afraid to reach out, alright? We’re all here to support each other.
titsay
romaincrisis
yousharknotpass
