My 120 hour water fast and a moment of clarity

(Jason Thomas) #1

Alright, so I wanted to kind of share my experience. I’ve been fat fasting off and on for some time. I struggle with inflammation on a daily and fasting appears to be the best medicine. Who knew? Not eating seems to be the only thing that makes me feel better. Now, add to that an addiction to fasting and we may have a problem. I’m fairly certain I’m somewhere close to developing an eating disorder. I’ve always loved food, but ALL foods seem to trigger a negative reaction. Naturally, sugar and alcohol are the most punitive, but Mr. Avocado can bring the pain, too. No doubt.

I realized a few months ago (I’ve been sick for a decade) what a true blessing getting sick was. I’ve learned so much about myself, about nutrition and about health. I’m now all organic. I do not use chemicals for cleaning, for hygiene or anything. I attempt to solely ingest non gmo, organic produce and grass fed beef. I firmly believe that living outside the scope of the ecosystem is the cause of many problems. I didn’t always feel this way. I had to wake up first.

Anyway, it was a YouTube video that convinced me a true cleansing would be better served by a water fast. Now, water fasting ain’t easy! Fat fasting I find tolerable enough, but water fasting was a grind. Constant headache and feelings of confusion. I’m also getting a bit too light, but I’m fighting something here, and I’m determined. At any rate, imagine my surprise when around hour 100, a flood of waste and gas erupted from my guts. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of videos, and read a lot. I know cognitively that there’s still waste in my body but this WAS my aha moment. I experienced it. You see, I never have gas if I’m following this WOE.

Now, I’m no fasting elitist, but I never had this experience fat fasting. I do experience autophagy. I know this because my pain diminishes substantially by hour 36. By hour 90, I’m a different person. It really makes me not want to eat, but I realize that’s simply not an option, and I don’t mean to be insensitive to those who’ve struggled with eating disorders. I’m not trying to be glib. Food is the enemy of my organism😒

So, for all you pros out there, any tips? And may I ask this? Have fat fasters experienced this same sort of watershed moment? I never did on a fat fast, but I can rarely go past 100 hours. I’ll have to work on that.

A bit of humor. My first gas pains took place around two am. My wife had woken me with a call from Ireland and as I was heading back from the bathroom, I had the sharpest, deepest chest pain I can recall. It felt like I imagine a massive heart attack might feel, as I froze and took a knee. It passed after another 30-45 seconds and then the real fun began. As I was gasping, frozen in time I remember thinking (maybe saturated fat is bad for you…)

It isn’t.

#2

I’m no expert but I can say this, all symptoms of “detoxing” I’ve had while water fasting have improved every time I’ve fasted. Sounds like your body finally got around to some deep cleaning which I’ve experienced also though to a lesser extent. Knowing that my body understands how to repair itself if I can just stay out of the way is both eye-opening and humbling.

(Jason Thomas) #3

Yeah, it’s kind of like breaking my butter conditioning. For a few months, adding butter to sauté was a conscious decision. I had to remind myself that it was okay, and actually good for me. With fasting, I start feeling so good, and then with this experience I could see my body repairing itself, cleaning itself, and I have to make the cognitive observation that somehow NOT eating is good for you…up to a point of course. Then, one maybe stumbles upon all the research around mice, calorie restriction, and longevity. Mice that were fed 30 percent less then two other groups, lived 30 percent longer. Sometimes I wonder if being a breatharian is a real thing…

And yes, it is an amazing organism. Just get out of the way. Well put.

#4

With all the things humans have learned through the years it seems we’ve forgotten far more. What we are realizing on our keto/fasting journeys was once common knowledge. Eat when you’re hungry, don’t eat when you aren’t hungry. Pretty simple. Unfortunately we have been exposed to a lot of foods and chemicals which have completely thrown our hormones out of whack. One of the best parts about being LCHF is just eating real food and getting in touch with my body like I never knew possible.

(Ethan) #5

The gas pains have happened a day later each time I extend my fasting by a day. I am 50+ hours now into my own 120-hour fast. I do two 3-5 day fasts a month now. I don’t draw the same conclusions you do, but I can’t prove things one way or the other. I don’t understand how diminished pain means autophagy. I also am not sure that there is such a thing as “detoxing” as the term is often used. I think there is an adaptation or deadaptation period that can be viewed as something like a detox…and if insulin is toxic, not eating and lowering that insulin is like a deto. I don’t quite understand the point you made about hour 100. Are you suggesting that the flood of waste and gas is detoxing?

(Jason Thomas) #6

My conclusion is yes. My body was releasing gas that must’ve been stored in older fat stores. So, by releasing the gas, I’m getting into those older cells, the diarrhea is symptomatic of toxins entering my bloodstream and leaving my system. Happens after a good deep tissue massage sometimes, but rarely.

Now, as far as autophagy maybe I’m misunderstanding. I do know that at some point during a fast my body begins to cannibalize T cells earmarked for death. It’s these T cells that attack my body, so as the days pass, the inflammation and pain abates. It’s the ONLY treatment besides opiates that creates this effect. I no longer use opiates. I thought that was at least a part of autophagy, and the rebuilding of the immune system. I watch a lot of videos and digest a lot of information and I do get muddled. Each and every fast I xperience a substantial abatement in inflammation, fat or water.

(Ethan) #7

I’m not sold on that first paragraph. I have never heard of fat cells storing gas and releasing that gas into the digestive track. I’d like to see the science on it to believe that. I think the diarrhea is more symptomatic of drinking liquids for so many days that there is nothing to bind to the stool and keep it solid. This is mentioned by Megan Ramos in the Fasting Talk podcast. She recommends that people consume two tablespoons of chia seeds immersed in water for 15 minutes to help bind the stools; also chia seeds absorb water, which is now what is largely in the lower digestive track from days of only consuming liquids. I can’t explain why a deep tissue massage causes diarrhea, but the “massage releasing toxins” argument was largely disproven. I believe may be possible that toxins are found in fat stores though. So if you burn a lot of body fat, as you would in a fast, you probably are removing whatever was stored in the fat cell, which could include impure materials.

I know nothing about T cells myself and really want to know more about autophagy. It would make a lot of sense that you get reduced inflammation from a fast though, so that is awesome news! Anything that reduces inflammation and pain and reduces your medication needs is awesome news! I have found that fasting is in general a great health benefit. We really don’t know much about how any of this stuff works, since it’s so poorly studied. I wish Dr. Fung could get the permission to do studies.

(Jason Thomas) #8

Fair enough. It works for me. I do tons of hacks with diet, cold therapy, fasting, et cetera. I’m looking for any non medical or synthetic solution to my problem. There is no cure and treatment in my opinion is deleterious. At any rate, I feel great when I fast and since I never have gas it makes sense to me that I’m absorbing some older waste products, eliminating some older fat cells by converting them to energy and eliminating waste.

Just my take, and I’m sold on the restorative benefits for me.

(Julie Pegler) #9

I know a gal who was getting a massage after a car accident, got so sick to her stomach, had to grab the sheet, and run and go throw up. Your tissues hold emotions. Talk to any energy worker!

(Julie Pegler) #10

I don’t have any advice but just wanted to say congrats on that many hours!! I have only done three days myself, but I felt amazing! I will definitely do more!

(Jason Thomas) #11

Thanks! I find each and every fast to be educational and restorative, without a doubt!

(Carpe salata!) #12

Severe chest pain and … etc.

You may have passed a gall stone. Those suckers can be painful

(Barbara Lehr) #13

Yep. --from a body worker

(Julie Pegler) #14

Curious, Barbara, do you know if we hold like emotions in all of our fascia? I couldn’t find any real valid info online. I have spots all over my body that are intensely painful when touched, and otherwise don’t hurt AT ALL. My doctor mentioned Fibroymyalga, but said she thinks it could be sleep apnea related. I couldn’t find any info on that either. Sleep apnea dr didnt seem phased by it. I have a sleep study on monday. It’s not all that worrisome, but just curious. One of the spots that hurts is like the back side of my kidneys and all my bodywork friends on FB said thats where you hold anger. I don’ think I have anger. And its like my shins, calves, sides of hips, back hear kidneys, chest, near armpits, and all parts of my arms. Any idea? I did have a very traumatic miscarriage in April. Sorry @Pugilistonfat for hijacking your thread! And side note- i am on my 37th hour of fasting :stuck_out_tongue:

(Barbara Lehr) #15

@Julie I know there are people who study the correlations between body parts and emotions, but I’m not one of them. I just know that when I am massaging someone lots of locked up emotions can flow through them. By the way, I am so very sorry for your loss. :cry:

(Carpe salata!) #16

@Julie if you’re into reading books, you might like Anthony Damasio “Descartes Error”. Damasio is I think a neuroscientist who writes for the popular reader. He goes through his theories on the mind/body question. I found the book easily readable and very interesting.

(Julie Pegler) #17

thank you! sounds awesome!

(VLC.MD) #18

Pro Tip.
Awesome

(Damon Chance) #19

I started taking about 1.5 doses of psylium husk caplets (generic Sams Club fiber supplement) a half hour or so before I break the fast that tends to help stop the influx of water that happens after a meal.