Fasting: The different kinds!

How long it takes to enter Ketosis:

(water-fasting)

48 hours - women (2 days)

72 hours - men (3 days)

Results can and will vary depending on activity level and what workouts you do

*by adding a high-impact workout, you will lose more*

(KEEP IN MIND: the fasts are not in order by rating) 

Water Fast:

• Lasts: 1-5 days
• Description: During this fast you may not have any food or liquid except water.
• Rating: 5/5
• How much do you lose: Up to 1 pound a day
• What to expect:  This diet is your best bet if you want to lose weight very quickly. It is best to weigh yourself in the morning as all the water you drink will affect your weight (this usually lasts for a day). 
• Warning: it is best to do this fast 7-10 days, day 3 will be the hardest, after day 3 you should begin to see a lot of results.

Fruits and veggies fast:

• Lasts: 5-10 days
• Description:  During this fast you can only eat fresh fruits and vegetables, nothing dried and nothing like trail mix. You know what fresh fruit and vegetables are, no need to spell it out.
• Rating: 3/5
• How much do you lose: You can expect to lose around 1 pound every two days
• What to expect:  This is yet another fast that is for people who need to lose weight pretty quickly, you can see better and faster results if you do Cardio workouts as well as workouts that help metabolism (Cardio does this as well as burns fat)

Short-Term vs. Long term Fasting

• Lasts: Can last up to 28 days. This fast should not be continued for longer than 28 days.
• Description:  Fasts should not be performed longer than 28 days, most last no longer than 21.  Long fasts (42+ days) are unnecessary, and dangerous.
• Rating: 5/5
• How much do you lose: Results vary
• What to expect:  Results happen between 3-5 days or more, 7-14 days for best results. The benefits and results from days 14-21 are brilliant. However, days 21-28 are nothing short of a regeneration of the body, it literally erases years of aging.
• Warning: Hunger pains are at their worst on day 3, do not at any time during water/starvation fasts should you eat as you will have to start all over at day 1 again.

Medium-Term Fasting

• Lasts: Between 28-42 days
• Description: Same as long/short term fasting
• Rating: 5/5
• How much do you lose: results will vary
• What to expect:  amazing results, especially on a 35 day fast

Fasting and Ketone Bodies

After the third day of a fast, the body begins to make ketone bodies in the liver (Enters ketosis). In the absence of food (Energy), Ketone bodies are produced by the body as an alternate energy source. Normally, ketone levels in the blood are less than 0.2mm. After several days of fasting they approach 3.0mm, and steadily rise thereafter. Importantly, never eat, even an extremely amount of food during a fast. This will quickly shift the body out of ketosis, back to its normal metabolism of glucose (food), decreasing ketone bodies, decreasing growth hormone and increasing hunger.

Fasting and Hunger Levels

The only challenge to fasting, and a challenge for many it is, is completing the first 1-5 days. During days 1-5 hunger levels can fluctuate from average, to well above average many actually experience their greatest hunger on day 3 (Just prior to ketosis, when both blood sugar, and ketone body levels, are lowest). After day 3, hunger levels noticeably decrease. After day 5, hunger levels, and the "desire" for food in general (So strong initially), dramatically decrease. After day 10, hunger levels, for the most part, are non-existent. 

Fasting and Energy Levels

During days 1-5, energy levels can fluctuate from average to well below average (Feeling light headed, at times, is not uncommon). During days 5-10, energy levels very noticeably improve after day 10, with sharply elevated levels of both growth hormone, and ketone bodies, energy levels are tremendous, as is mental clarity. 

Fasting and Weight Loss

Expect (in general) to lose 1 pound each day of fasting!

Fasting and Starvation

Contrary to what many people believe, fasting is not starvation. During the fast, the body is breaking down the non-essential tissue (Fat) for energy while conserving essential tissue. Starvation, is the point where the body has used up all of its non-essential tissues (Reserves), and begins to break down its own essential tissues. This point (The point of starvation), even for the average individual (Of normal weight), takes quite some time to reach (Some 42 days or more). 

Fasting and Severely Restrictive Diets

Prolonged, severely restrictive diets are extremely unhealthy, in many cases, even life threatening. Unlike fasting, the body never completely enters ketosis (A fundamental process in sparing essential tissue from breaking down). The result, severely restrictive diets cause the body to lose a much greater percentage of lean body tissue (Essential tissue) than a complete fast. Over time (Once body reserves become dangerously low), lean body tissue (Essential tissue) eventually become used as an energy source. Prolonged, severely restrictive diets are essentially just a slow form of starvation. 

Fasting and Calorie Restriction

Calorie restricted (10-30%) diets are extremely healthy. Unlike severely restricted diets, the bodies energy (Food) needs are restricted just enough to result in sharply elevated levels of growth hormone, while eliminating the need to break down essential tissues. 

Recommended Fasting Schedule

Definitely include short-term fasting (1-28 days) into your schedule. Your body will begin to literally "grow younger" before your eyes, especially, after day 10. 

##Discipline and Determination##

Suppressing hunger (During days 1-5), one of life's greatest drives, is not easy for most! Eliminating food (During the fasting period), one of life's greatest pleasures, is not easy for most! However, those that have the discipline, and determination, will have tremendous to extreme healthy benefits awaiting them! 

No Pain No Gain

With the exceptions of days 1-5, particularly day 3, fasting is not nearly as difficult as one might imagine (In fact, after day 10, quite pleasurable). Remember too, exercise (Discussed next), also associated with some degree of self-sacrifice to promote health, pales in comparison to fasting in terms of health benefits. In fact, one could perform 1-3 annual (14-28) fasts, or calorie restrict (10-30%), never exercise again, and achieve a state of health that no form or amount of exercise could ever accomplish.

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