Quick question

[fuzzyjay]

Have you ever fasted? Why?

Posted via email from fuzzyjay's posterous

Comments

[pink-halen.livejournal.com]

Not intentionally. I had my tonsils out when I was thrity five. I didn't eat for several days and was on IV Glucose for 54 hours. In the end I looked really good but I don't recommend it.

[perlcub]

I'm another who will put a tick-mark under the "unintentionally" column. A few years ago, I had a massive case of food poisoning from my dad's undercooked chicken marsala - a tragedy that has me gag slightly at the suggestion of it being served to me, but I digress. After the incident I was eating extraordinarily lightly for about a week or two or so, even though I was completely fine in a few days. Other incidents of "fasting" occurred during an extended period of depression in my late teens.

Although, I've considered voluntarily fasting as a way to lose weight: I'd be abstaining from recreational sugars, drinks other than water, and processed foods.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

I've never fasted in the sense that I consciously made the choice not to eat for several days for some spiritual reason. I have however, just forgotten to eat for a few days. Only after I had something to eat did I realise I didn't consume any food for three days prior.

I tend to forget to eat when stressed/doing something interesting, where time just vanishes.

[barak.livejournal.com]

Not by choice - a nasty case of campylobacteriosis isn't pretty at any end, to say the least.

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

x2, when i was sick with this a few months ago I went a week without eating a thing. It's hard to tell apart any mental effects from the sickness, but I did notice moments of clarity mixed in with the usual boredom.

[fuzzyjay.livejournal.com]

I'm curious about it. I've not eaten because I was sick, but not on purpose. Our bodies must have evolved to cope with it.

[danbearnyc.livejournal.com]

Yes, back when I was a seminarian.

[neokibo.livejournal.com]

I regularly fast every 7-10 days - no food from sun up to sun down. I do still drink my coffee (always black) to avoid caffeine headaches but otherwise drink only water and lots of it during the fast. While I promise myself any meal I want to break the fast, I usually end the day with something simple like fruit, cheese, and bread.

I'm not sure how this ritual arose in my life or why, but I have been observing it fairly closely for over a decade. If nothing else, the act of ritual can hold it's own importance whether or not it points beyond anything other than itself.

[qbear.livejournal.com]

Yes, for both spiritual and dietary reasons. As long as you stay hydrated and are otherwise healthy, fasting for a day or two is perfectly fine (some people go way longer, but it can slow your metabolism down, which can cause weight gain when you cease the fast, and have other effects, so I don't recommend it). I usually break a fast lightly, with a small meal (soup, a little bread, a piece of fruit). It can clear the mind and the digestive system.

[jeffinthebox.livejournal.com]

I want to say we fasted for some reason when I was growing up Catholic, but I can't really remember it now. I'm sure it was more like pretend fasting.

[danthered.livejournal.com]

Once or twice for Yom Kippur before I decided that organised religion is a bullshit power game. Other than that, just when required as preparation for medical tests or procedures.

[philhasablog.livejournal.com]

We were desperate to lose weight in college. Third year I think.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

I've done Optifast (or some variant) a few times for weight loss. I don't really recommend it.

Edit: Also as preparation for medical procedures, major or minor.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

I did OptiFast a couple of times. It worked, and I was surprisingly NOT hungry after the first 24 hours, but the weight came right back, so I don't recommend it.

I've fasted when I've been really, really, desperately sick. During my 48 weeks of chemo (hep c), the combination of interferon and ribavirin left me feeling nauseous most of the time. I dropped 35 pounds, but I don't recommend it as a way to diet.

I have also occasionally semi-fasted by having mostly liquids and similar things (like jello) for 12 hours before a hot play date. And that's as far into THIS subject as I'm going unless you explicitly tell me you want to know more.

[morimur.livejournal.com]

Many times:

#Food shortages in Russia (a few years of those)
#In preparation for medical procedures
#A few times a year when I am about to hit some stressful times. I find that short fasting beforehand keeps me alert, prepared and resilient.
#When sick, I do not eat or eat very little.