In the following blog I will share the recent 10 day water fast results I had, and I will outline the reasons why a water fast is good for you, the preparations for fasting prior to it, during it, and after it, as well as the pros, the cons, and my overall reflection in the hopes that it will help you in your own water fasting journey and a massive WARNING.
Why is Water Only Fasting so Good for You?
Fasting is typically associated with spiritual practices, however it has recently become very popular due to the science backed health benefits.
These days, most people will do a fast for up to 3 days and it was my previous "best", and this is to trigger the bodies autophagy, however extended water only fasting has it's own benefits (and risks). It is recommended you seek medical approval first).
Some of the health benefits include:
Weight loss
Autophagy
Gut reset and cleanse
Mental challenge
No brushing teeth and cleaning dishes (haha)
Weight Loss During a Water Only Fast:
You will lose weight, particularly in the first 3 days whilst the body kicks into ketosis mode (this is when fat cells are converted into energy). However, after that a lot of the weight loss comes from losing muscle mass.
Autophagy During a Water Only Fast:
Old, dying cells in the body are harming the healthy cells around them, and autophagy is the bodies self cleaning mechanism of recycling cellular junk. After 48-72 hours, the old cells begin to be cleaned out, and this process regenerates your body and increases the longevity of the cells, and therefore your lifespan.
Gut Reset and Cleanse During a Water Only Fast:
Gut health affects your entire body and mind, so it's very important to take good care of your gut health by feeding it the right kinds of foods, and avoiding highly processed and junk foods. However, we all love to treat ourselves, so going through a fast gives your body time to heal itself and reset.
Mental Challenge During a Water Only Fast:
It is typically a spiritual practice, but the mental stimulation of the challenge is very rewarding as you go through it and see just how powerful your mind is. It is counter intuitive, but due to the autophagy and ketosis, energy levels are extremely high during a water only fast after the first 48-72 hours.
No Brushing Teeth and Cleaning Dishes During a Water Only Fast:
Honestly, I do love this, but if you are drinking herbal teas you do feel like brushing. And your mouth is still cleansing itself and full of bacteria which needs rinsing out. Not having to do the dishes is awesome if you live a busy lifestyle.
10 Day Water Fast Results: Pre Water Fasting Preparation
I can not stress this enough - you NEED to take good care of your body leading into the fast. My first ever 3 day fast I had come off binge eating junk food, and this seriously damaged my gut health. It took me years to repair.
The body is an engine, and if I have fueled with toxicity, it remains there with no new food to clear it out, and it really caused some damage. Doctor's tod me I had IBS, but I dodn't listen and just got to work on repairing it over time.
My gut health is now better than ever.
It's also important to get yourself herbals teas. Stick to peppermint for flavour, and get yourself some electrolytes like Fasting Salts Capsules. The secret ingredient for my was Yerba Mate tea!
10 Day Water Fast Results: Mid Water Fasting
Make sure you have something to occupy your time. After the first 1-2 days, it's difficult to do strenuous exercise, so I always planned out a walk to get some fresh air and a reset away from the computer.
In the past I had tried to occupy my mind with games and netflix, but this is garbage for the mind. This time around, I did some intensive meditation for the first few days, clearing away all the negativity that came up in my mind, which totally enlivened my mind and gave me an energy boost throughout I've been able to sustain even post fast.
The Fasting Salts are essential, as dizziness can really effect you if you move too fast. You need to be drinking a good 2-3L of water every day and the herbal teas really break up the day.
The Yerba Mate tea was the big find for me as I like to avoid coffee during a fast. This tea was incredible and gave me a huge boost of energy throughout the day!
10 Day Water Fast Results: Post Water Fasting
You have to eat the right kinds of foods after a fast to replenish your gut right.
Your stomach is also a lot smaller, so you feel full very easily. It's important to gently eat, filling your body with good fibre, light protein and health fats.
Don't overdo the sugars, and try to control your desire to overeat so as not to fall right back into old habits. This has been key for me.
Maintaining a disciplined meditation and eating routine has been key to sustaining all of my good habits post fast.
The Benefits of a 10 Day Water Fast
Some of the results were all the benefits I mentioned above, and one of the most rewarding things is the feeling this has on your body. There is a permeating feeling of calmness and bliss which washes over the body.
Extra Time Reinforces Positive Habits:
I found the extra time invaluable. I was easily doing 18+ hour days, and without the need to pause for making food, I was extremely productive and reinforced some very positive habits which I've been able to carry forward, especially around consistency.
Healing of the Body:
I also have lower back issues, which has a lot to do with the nervous system cluster in the region and how it connects with my gut and how it connects with the intestinal system.
Having the rest on my gut at first put it under a lot of "stress" due to the absence of food, which inflamed my back. But with daily morning stretching and persistence, in the end my back now feels better than prior to starting the fast.
I would attribute this to the autophagy and the bodies various self healing systems and I believe this is what gives the feeling of calmness and bliss.
Healing of the Mind:
As I mentioned, I meditated intensively to begin this fast to occupy my mind in the first 3 days. This was critical to the success of this fast in my opinion.
I had many revelations and enlightenments throughout the period, and quite frankly, my mind was absolutely beaming with light. It continues to beam.
Not having the mind preoccupied with what to eat and when to eat is a wonderful feeling, and while it is taking some control after the fast is complete, it has made me realization just how much of a burden food is on the mind.
Resetting Habits:
Breaking the momentum of bad habits can be difficult, but a good resets allows you to realign some habit and gain traction in positive ones, particularly around eating.
The Drawbacks of a Water Only Fast
Unfortunately, there are some drawings to a water only fast. Again, I will emphasize that if you don't prepare right, it can be an extremely painful experience. You should also consult a medical professional to seek advice for undergoing an extended water only fast.
Losing Muscle Mass:
Losing muscle mass is the major downside. I had onlly done 3 days in the past, so I didn't notice the muslce ass reduction, but it was noticeable this time around,
Getting back into the gym I have noticed a drop in all weights as well. Moving forward, I may only ever do a 3 day fast just to kick off autophagy.
Watch Your Bad Habits:
If you don't find the right kind of habits to occupy your mind throughout the fast, it can spill over into your life after the fast as it has done in the past for me. Thankfully, I have learnt my lesson here and have managed to steer clear of this drawback thanks to meditation.
What NOT to Do (WARNING!)
I have already mentioned this, but it's important I mention it again because it's the main reason why it's taken me so long to post this blog.
You MUST take care of your body after your fast. It's the same principle as draining the oil out of your engine - you must put clean oil in the engine otherwise it's a waste of time.
For a week while I was in Brisbane, I took good care of my body, but I had to go to Perth for a family emergency, and I absolutely trashed my body. All my old habits came flooding back.
I trashed my body for 3 weeks, and I was extremely depressed for weeks because I felt like shit and I let myself down.
Once I started taking care of my body again, my sweet was absolutely disgusting. The toxins of all the junk food lingered for at least 3 weeks.
This was less about the lack of food and the rebound effect, and more about just bad habits and coping with a difficult situation.
All in all, it was a test, and I honestly failed and that's all there is to it, but I'm not perfect and that's just the way it is.
Conclusion
A 10 day water fast had amazing results, but you have to be extremely careful with your old haits.
It has amazing benefits, but it certainly has it's draw backs, minor as they may be. I enjoy the health benefits, and I love the feeling of calmness and bliss that washes over the body, as well as the high levels of productivity supplemented with meditation.
I've been able to reset some bad habits I had trouble shaking and am currently over a week of finishing the fast and have been able to maintain the momentum of good habits I was able to solidify through the fast.
Moving forward, I may 1 day decide to do a 30 day fast for the mental stimulation, but I'm not sure I'd be prepared to lose all that muscle mass. I may experiment with another 10 day fast, breaking it up every 3 days with lots of protein to see if this makes a difference on the muscle loss, but for now, I think I will just stick to do doing a 3 day fast every 3 or so months.