Two weeks on a water fast - thoughts?

I’m not quite sure which sub to drop this in—health, spirituality, nutrition, psychology... it’s a toss-up.

So, I’ve been on a liquid-only fast for seven days now. No solid food at all—just water, herbal teas, and my usual supplements like vitamins and electrolytes.

The first three days were a grind while my body figured out how to switch from burning sugar to tapping into fat reserves, but since day four, everything has clicked. I feel incredible. I have this restless, driven energy where I could stay productive all day long, and my mood is surprisingly steady.

Has this topic come up here before? Has anyone else experimented with this type of fasting? It’s essentially the Buchinger method for healthy individuals.

Why on earth are you cleaning it?

Fair question.
It’s really a cocktail of different things. It started when my body just couldn't handle heavy meals anymore—too much indulgence, constant jitters, and this general sense of restlessness. I felt like I needed to drop some weight, both physically and mentally. Plus, I was dealing with some stomach issues.
I've always been curious, and after hearing so many success stories from people I know, I figured it was time to dive in.
Four days in, and honestly, I'm just glad I took the leap.

Over in Western Europe, fasting is having a major moment right now. It’s not even really about dropping pounds anymore—it's more about a total system reset... cleaning out the pipes, if you will.
Personally, I think the best results come from those who combine the fast with 😁 Carl Lee4 probably knows this already, but if you want a successful fast, the prep work is everything. You need to spend at least half the duration of the actual fast just getting ready. That means eating lighter meals during the lead-up, cutting out cigarettes, coffee, and sweets, and staying away from heavy fats. It's just as vital when you finish—you can't just dive back into a burger. You have to ease back into solid food... maybe start with an apple or some boiled rice for the first day or two.
To dodge that nauseating feeling during the first couple of days, you can rinse out your stomach with a saline solution—you can pick up a cheap bottle at any local pharmacy—and it pretty much kills the hunger pangs. Honestly, the hunger isn't even there once you get past it. I've talked to people who did these two-week stints twice a year, and they came out looking completely reborn—clearer skin, brighter eyes, hair with actual shine... it's quite the transformation. Carl Lee4, what kind of fasting method are you following? There are plenty of ways to do it, and sure, the water-only version is the most brutal. But most people stick to homemade juices—nothing with preservatives or added sugar—or maybe some whey or fat-free broth. I tried a weekend fast once; it wasn't bad, and you definitely feel lighter afterward.

"That's the Buchinger way"

Sorry, just seeing this now. I’ve been reading his book—he recommends juices (which you make at home), herbal teas, and insists that anything lasting longer than a week should be done under medical supervision. It's also important to stay active—walking every day, keeping moving... don't just sit there. Medical opinions on this are pretty split, though. Honestly, an adult functioning on 200 calories a day isn't for everyone. If your breath starts smelling a bit off during a fast, that's normal—it's just increased acidity in the body. People who have followed this method have reported improvements with things like psoriasis, rheumatism, migraines, and allergies...

I followed the protocol to a T—prep work, juices, herbal teas, and Basica supplements to balance my pH levels... things like that.
Today marks my seventh (nearly eighth) day, and tomorrow I start transitioning back to solid food. It starts with an apple, then gradually moving to grains and yogurt. You really have to be careful there and give your system enough time to recalibrate.

Over these seven days, the most noticeable change has been my skin; it’s cleared up and looks tighter. My cellulite is almost entirely gone.

As for surviving on 200 calories a day... honestly, it’s not too bad. I hit a wall every afternoon around 3:00 PM, but once that crisis passes, I feel refreshed again.

Some people actually take a whole week of vacation just so they can completely unplug and focus on themselves. Have you been working straight through this? Personally, I can’t even imagine trying to work on that many calories—it feels like I'd just collapse after 24 hours... I don't exactly have much fat to spare, it's mostly muscle

I’ve been pulling about 20 hours a week while prepping for an exam that’s coming up in just seven days. It actually helped that I'm rarely home; I made sure to hit my daily walks at 1:00 and get to the gym regularly to keep my strength up.
I've got plenty of energy left... I guess I'm just running on my fat reserves right now.😁

Alright, look—I’m pulling 50 hours a week at my job, plus some private gigs on the side, and then there's the whole "home life" thing—cooking, cleaning, the usual grind. I need actual energy to function. Going strictly water-only sounds a bit too extreme for me... I know plenty of people who supplement with herbal teas or fresh juices—real stuff, not that processed supermarket junk—but they usually dilute them quite a bit because if you go too heavy on the sugar, it just triggers those hunger pangs.

Kudos to you... I once managed to push through 7 days, and honestly, it was such a great experience. Even though those first 3 or 4 days felt pretty rough. I ended up breaking my fast on day 7 because I just couldn't hold out anymore... but I hadn't really prepared myself beforehand. I didn't even know what I was getting into back then. Still, it was a wonderful reminder of what I can do, and I think I could actually do it all over again.👋

Hey, does that "monthly detox" thing work just as well for cleansing your system? I noticed it’s a full moon on February 24th at 5:54 AM...

Megan Morales5 said:[B........ I’ve talked to people who were absolute savages about this—they did two-week stints twice a year and came out looking completely reborn. Their skin tightened up, they had this glow, their eyes were bright, even their hair looked shinier... [/B]

😕
What kind of nonsense is that? If drinking nothing but water suddenly makes your eyes sparkle and your hair shine, then I have serious questions about what happens when you actually eat a balanced meal.
And as for the skin tightening... 😁 🙂
If you're fasting, you're losing weight, which usually does the exact opposite of tightening skin. Have you ever seen someone crash diet and lose weight overnight? Their skin doesn't look rejuvenated.

In my view, a fast should last maybe two or three days at most. Anything beyond that is just starvation disguised as health. As for feeling energized and "on top of the world" while doing this? You're just kidding yourselves. 👎

You might not see the physical change immediately, but mentally, you become a completely different person. I can't quite put it into words... but go ahead, try to explain it. Just don't talk down on it if you haven't actually experienced it yourself. I’m a huge advocate for this; it's difficult, sure, but it's also incredible. And honestly, if you think about all the toxins your body carries, that mental clarity starts to make sense.

neonorca11 said:😕
What kind of nonsense is this... I mean, if your eyes don't light up and your hair doesn't get shinier just from drinking water—assuming you're actually getting all your nutrients in normally—then how on earth is it supposed to happen when you stop eating entirely......
And as for skin tone.......it tightens up 😁 🙂
If you're fasting, you're probably going to lose weight, which means your skin isn't going to tighten—it'll do the exact opposite...... have you ever seen the skin of someone who dropped pounds overnight????

In my book, a fast should last maybe two or three days at most..... anything beyond that is just overkill and starving yourself...... and as for feeling energetic and full of life while on a diet like this, well, just enjoy it while it lasts 👎

Do you honestly expect an answer when you approach people with this kind of attitude? The ones without any actual experience or a grasp of the medical literature are always my favorites—they sure have plenty of opinions though.

Professional literature... 😁

Alright, let's try this again. I'm actually curious—if you're going to cite "professional literature," why don't you just tell me exactly what it is so I can read it myself?

👋

Miriam, how much weight did you actually drop during those 7 days?

And honestly, doesn't your metabolism just tank when you go that long without eating anything?👋

Regarding Buchinger (the doctor)—Carl Lee4 brought him up in the very first post. I'm curious, though... which foreign languages are you actually reading? How would you even go about putting together a list like that?

Half-baked posts last a day or two, but a real one lasts a week.
You should probably do it at least twice a year just to flush out whatever junk is clogging up your system.
I can't personally pull it off because of some health issues, but I've thought about going for a full colonoscopy instead. That’s something else entirely—takes two hours and sets you back $217.

Noah Harris50 said:I've actually been considering booking a bunch of colonics. It’s quite something. They last about two hours and run $217 per session.

Good grief, 😲 😱
I have never even heard of that in my life! How does it even work? Do they just pump water up there from the back or what?

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:Good grief.😲 😱
What even is that? I've never heard of anything like it. How does that work—do they just blast water up your backside or what?

Haha, exactly. They shove a tube in your rear and pump liters of water through you while you just chill in bed. Apparently, you can even watch the whole show on a screen. People claim it feels amazing when you're done, like you’ve been totally reborn.

I saw some documentary on TV about how people have old food waste stuck in their guts for ages. Supposedly, it flushes out all those nasty fungi too.

Super healthy stuff.