Hi, I havent posted on here in a loooong time, I would say about 2 years ago. Within those years I have read and researched a lot about fasting. I have done about 5 fasts the longest one being 4 days. Im sure most of you know what fasting is, but for those of you who dont, it is obstaining from eating solid food. There are two types of fasts:
-Water
-Juice
I prefer water fasts but, anyways, Im in a time in my life where I cant do anything else, I just cant do the run of the mill "diet", this is the only way I can personally work towards weight loss. Im planning on doing a short fast before summer starts, and the beggining of my "extended fast" Which will be between 1-3 months/12 weeks. Now before you freak out and say, "Blah, Blah, Thats so unhealthy, blah blah thats definatley dangerous." Remember I have been researching and reading about this for almost 2 years, and also have had enough expearience to help me out. And for me PERSONALLY thats the only way I can do it for now. Well Im planning on starting a 10 day fast in a couple of days to bridge the gap between my short fasts and my future extended fast.

Now, I thought I would mention this to people on here, because I cant seem to find any posts on fasting, if there are any, I must have missed them.
Now I know this is a little bit tabboo but, I find it very effective. So if you guys are intrested, here is a very short summery of what I know about fasting:

Benifits:
-Rapid Weight-Loss
-Cleansing of the body
-Cleansing of the Kidneys and Livers
-The elimination of dirty, diseased, and damaged cells
-An overall feeling of calmness
-A good kick start to a diet
-A total body detoxification

Types of Fasts:
-Water: Obstaining from all substances other than water
-Juice: Obstaining from all substances other than raw veggitable, or fruit juices, or water.

Do not fast if you are(Unless under the supervision of a doctor):
-Pregnant
-Hyperglycemia
-Diabetes
-Underweight

Disclaimer for people planning on doing an extended fast!:
-You will encounter a healing crisis! Please contact me for more information on this. But for you that are only planning on doing a couple day fast, no need to worry about the big HC.

If you have never fasted before, I would sudgest going on a 1 day juice fast, then move on to 3 days, dont try to go at a 10 day fast on your first try. But if you want to be ambicious like I was you can do a water fast off the bat, though I wouldnt recommend it for people with fast metabolisms.

I feel I have not been as sucessful in my past fasts because I need more moral support, someone who is going through the same motions as me. Now even if that meens they only paddle up stream with me for the first few days, it would help so much, so if you are intrested please let me know. Also their is waaaaaaaaaaaaay more information on fasting than what I have listed above. I have one phrase for you in that respect "Google is your friend."

One last thing, I maybe 16, but Im not stupid, If I felt this was more harmful than it was benifical, I would NOT be doing it. Thanks .

Well, thats another point, thats what most people think, that after you go off it you gain all the weight back, and you do if you dont change your eating habits. Its not a permanant thing, its a gate way into a healthier lifestyle, and when you are overweight, and your body turns over to ketosis it changes its engery resource from glucose to fat. Now the reason im going on an extended fast during the summer is because, during a water fast, you dont have very much energy, and you are suppose to rest. Their are a lot of false myths placed on fasting.

Sorry, but your whole post is full of false information. Fasting for long periods of time, especially at your age is EXTREMELY unhealthy and bad for you.

Rapid weight loss is bad for you and unsustainable.
The body, kidneys, and livers cleanse themselves quite nicely w/out starving yourself.
Dirty, diseased, and damaged cells are eliminated from your body w/out starving yourself.
An overall feeling of calmness is probably weakness from lack of proper nutrition.
Your body does not need to "detox" ... it is perfectly capable of doing it for itself.

And as far as a "good kick start to a diet" ... all you're doing is setting yourself up for failure by shutting down your metabolism and shocking your system.

Learn to eat healthily and properly and to nourish your body or you will be setting yourself up for years and years of painful yo-yo dieting and weight gain and loss that will ultimately screw up your metabolism and your relationship with food.

Finally, Google may be your friend, but there is just as much false information on the web as there is good information. Being smart enough to tell the difference is important here. Don't just find information to support what you want to be true. Read ALL the information on fasting. Especially the information that is objective from doctors, nutritionists, and the respected medical community.

I suspect you'll find very few people on this site who will support you in this.

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I am a huge fan of fasting - for short periods of time and not for weight loss. I did a four-day "colon cleansing" fast where I drank a little cocktail of psyllium, apple juice, and a few other ingredients. The drink helped with the hunger significantly, though the calories for the day only ended up at about 400. It was an amazing spiritual experience for me. The calmness was not from weakness. For me, the calm quietness built into a sort of euphoria. Then, when I was off the fast, I introduced food very slowly back into my life. I think I lost maybe four pounds - and kept it off - but again, that was not the reason for my fast. But I remember that first bowl of oatmeal and how amazing it was - the taste, the texture, the feeling of fulness. For that first week or two, I was amazingly grateful for food, and thinking about it, I am ashamed that I occasionally feel deprived because I can't eat like everyone else seems to eat. And I really don't know if I believe that it actually "cleansed" my colon. I seem to recall that there is some support for fasting in the scientific literature when it is used to combat a variety of physical problems, but again, I don't think that I've ever seen data that support its use as a weight loss tool. As for the ketosis thing, that's a pretty hotly debated issue as well, with many sources suggesting that instead of fat, ketosis is far more likely to burn muscle. But that's a debate I personally avoid, because there are so many people devoted to Atkins-style food plans, and so many have been very successful with them.

So, Toxic, maybe I would like to join you in a fast, though I'm not sure when a good point in my schedule might be, but I would only do it for three or four days. However, I would urge you to contact a medical professional before deciding to fast for 1-3 months. I would highly suggest that you contact a professional that advocates fasting, as she would be likely very well-versed in the dangers that would be associated with this type of fast. And even beyond that - you're sixteen! How fun and productive will your summer be if you are following the common guidelines for fasting and restricting activity severely? How flabby will your body be? I'm afraid that your intended extended fast is a recipe for burning through your muscle tissue, making it even more difficult for your body to burn calories and maintain a healthy weight.

Please - talk to someone about your specific plans before following through with them. I don't want to be a naysayer. I was a vegan for a significant period of time - and never been healthier - despite what many poorly-informed mainstream medical professionals advocate. If you find a properly-credentialed medical professional who tells you it would be a good idea, especially one well-versed in fasting, more power to you (though I still think it would make a pretty miserable summer). If, however, you are advised to modify your plans, I would hope that you would do that. I think we all understand how desperation can make almost anything seem reasonable, but I am not sure that you have a very good idea here.

Hey I'm the same age as you

I tried fasting but the weight comes back on. For me, i was eating normally and the weight came back on. It's frustrating but I decided that's not the way I want to go about it.

If you need advice, let me know. I know how its like to want to do anything to lose.

Maybe try south beach or some of the other diets on here. They have an induction period that knocks out the pounds quick if you need a quickstart to your diet

I'm sorry but nobody who is 16 and has done several fasts already in their life is doing anything good for themselves. You are screwing with your metabolism and that could affect weight gain/loss for the rest of your life. I also don't believe that many people on here would take the words of a 16 year old very seriously - most people on here have much more life experience and know that fasting like you are suggesting is not a good thing. 3FC is more about losing weight and getting healthy in a HEALTHY way, and I have not read any posts on here that say that fasting like you are suggesting for such extended periods of time is a good idea. Eating healthy and clean, that's a great idea - but completely cutting out all nutrients for days at a time is never a good idea.

I think all you are doing for yourself is chaos and disaster and I hope no one on here takes you seriously as a 16 year old, no matter how much "research" you have done about it.

I know you probably feel as if we are "attacking" you and your ideas of fasting. But there's a reason for it. Fasting is not healthy. It can do long term damage to your body. Its nota good way to loose weight. No matter how much things you will find on the internet supporting fasting, you will probably not find a good medical professional who thinks its smart of fast. Fasting can damage your organs. Quick weight loss is never smart. You need to find a healthy plan to loose weight. This is a healthy and smart way to loose the weight. This is why you will not find a thread on fasting here...because most people here know that the only good way to loose weight and keep it off in a healthy way is through healthy nutrition/weight loss...not fasting. We are all concerned about anyone here who is trying to loose wt through drastic methods. I know you are 16 and probably feel like you know everything. But take it from a bunch of older wiser people (sorry for those i just called old LOL)....there is a wealth of advice here that will help you loose weight in a healthy in safe manner. We all want to support people here, but most of us here dont think fasting is a safe way. Talk to a nutritionist and get some counsiling about what foods are healthy etc...and learn to change your life. Good luck!

Rapid weight loss is temporary weight loss.

Your body cleanses itself. But in order to do that, it needs to be fed. If you deprive your body of nutrients, it will not work properly. Fasting deprives your body of what it needs to survive and thrive. If you don't nourish it, your body will start to shut down --that's what fasting does.

There are a lot of materials online and in the bookstores/libraries that make false claims about fasting and what it does to you. Please do not get fooled by all of the misinformation out there. Fasting is not good for you, and it will not make you healthy.

Gatorgal, when I was 16 I though I knew everything too!

I actually used to fast when I was a teenager because I thought I was cleansing my body... and I actually did lose some weight. About ten pounds I think. But as soon as I stopped fasting I gained it back (plus another 75 or so!) --I'm only now starting to undo the damage to my metabolism. Sensible eating is definitely the way to go.

My two cents.

Prolonged fasting = not eating food = anorexia

Not a good idea

Fasting may seem like a good idea but from what I've read is that it is not for weight loss and should not be done for an extended period of time. You can cause permanent damage to your body doing such a thing.

I can understand the frustration of trying to do something, the quickest thing possible to lose weight but really healthy eating and exercise can get you to where you want to go. With a fast, your body will start eating at your muscles which will lower your metabolism. Your own vital organs can lose muscle as well. Also, when you fast for extended periods of time, your metabolism drops significantly.

I think to answer the question, "Does it work?", the answer for fasting for weight loss is no.

I would say the 3FC community would support you in your goal for weight loss and there is a lot of wisdom about weight loss here. We do often see young girls engaging in extreme measures often accompanied with eating disorders. I'd also advise you to seek some counseling with someone regarding your feelings and your eating plan.