Three-day fasting on water: reviews, results and way out

For several years now, the “productive fasting” movement has been gaining momentum in Silicon Valley. The engineers who started it call themselves biohackers. These include the heads of major technology companies such as Evernote, All turtles, HVMN (read as “human”) and many others. They claim that going without food for long periods of time improves productivity. I decided to find out how true their words were (at least from the point of view of the disgusting man) and conducted my own experiment, forgetting about food for three days. If you're going to try something like this, you'd better read my experience first.

Jeff Wu, co-founder of HVMN, began fasting in 2015, when rumors about the controversial diet had yet to leave Silicon Valley. He gathered the WeFast community, which accepted into its ranks everyone who was happy to undertake a bold experiment on themselves. True, the participants were not as stupid as me, and tracked the levels of glucose and other useful substances in the body in real time. Later they were joined by more wealthy people, such as Phil Libin, the former director of Evernote.

At that time, Phil weighed 117 kilograms, and after several months of the new regime (which he was delighted with), he lost 36 kilograms. After that, he called the decision he made the best in his life:

“There is a slight euphoria. My mood improved, I became more focused and at the same time full of energy. I feel much healthier. It helps me be a better CEO. Fasting is definitely one of the best decisions I've made in my entire life."

Phil Libin before and after

At the beginning of 2021, Jeff Wu led a seven-day fast that involved over a hundred WeFast members. According to Wu, such abstinence helps improve performance much more than junk food:

“You might think that after seven days without food, a person would be distracted and scrounging for food, but after two or three days, hunger subsides and ketone levels in the body rise. The body and brain get energy from alternative sources.”

Ketone bodies are a group of chemicals produced by the liver as a result of metabolism. They occur after a long period of fasting (two or more days on average), called ketosis. Due to them, the functioning of muscle tissue, kidneys and other internal organs is supported.

Since Jeff Wu pointed out the textbook three days, I decided not to torture myself any longer to test his theory. However, there is a significant difference between him and me: he weighs 74.8 kilograms with a height of 180 centimeters, my weight is 11.8 kilograms less, with a similar height. Therefore, at first I doubted whether I would go to another world by the fourth day, but I immediately forgot about it, eating my last dinner.

And now let's get to the point. What conclusions did I draw after three days of hunger strike:

1. To fast properly, you need to be fat. The more ballast, the better. Without receiving food, the body itself will absorb the accumulated fat for the benefit of the carrier.
2. For those who lift bags or lay sleepers, fasting will definitely harm them. On the second day, the body cannot withstand even light loads (again, provided that you are thin). Therefore, such a diet is definitely not suitable for physical exercise.
3. A hunger strike forces the body to work according to the principle of inverse proportion. By constantly stuffing food into yourself, you get a lot of energy, but you spend it on all sorts of nonsense, like YouTube videos. When you refuse food, your energy becomes significantly less, but all of it goes towards completing the most important and pressing tasks. (What can be called an increase in performance)
4. Lack of energy also causes you to not think about more than one problem at a time. Achieving goals is sequential, not parallel, and this is good.
5. If you decide to fast, you should first soberly assess your own strength. For Jeff Wu, 7 days may not have been a serious challenge, but with less weight a person may have difficulties on the third day. Therefore, first step on the scale and think about what period is most acceptable for you.

A comfortable way out of fasting

After such a long period of abstaining from food, a strong desire appears to eat everything at once. It is important to control yourself and restrain yourself. This way you can maintain the positive effect obtained for a long time.

In the first days after cleansing, vegetables, fruits, salads, natural yoghurts and juices are allowed. Meat, eggs and milk are not recommended. The main rule is not to overeat. The appetite will be very strong, and the consciousness will find a lot of excuses. It is important to use common sense and remember that not eating is healthy.

A salad of fresh carrots and cabbage will help complete the process of removing toxins from the body. It can be consumed starting from the second day after fasting. Fermented milk products will also help you get out of it comfortably.

The exit from a successful three-day fast and a complete transition to the usual food is carried out in six days. Only after this can you start eating meat again.

How to break fasting correctly?

In the process of applying any therapeutic technique, it is important to follow the established rules, otherwise the body may suffer greatly. A three-day water fast is no exception. You need to know not only how to prepare for it, but also how to get out of it. It will take 6 days to return to your normal diet. This is the period when protein foods are temporarily prohibited.

The way out of a 3-day fast includes the following:

1. With the onset of day 4, preference should be given to juices. At first they need to be diluted, and in the evening you can drink them undiluted. You should drink a glass of liquid at a time.
2. On day 2, you are allowed to cook buckwheat or oatmeal in water in the afternoon. The porridge is supplemented with boiled fruits and vegetables.
3. In the following days, you will need to gradually switch to food that is usually on the table.

Some already eat carrot and cabbage salad on the first day. Thanks to such a dish, it is possible to get rid of the toxins remaining in the intestines. Sometimes breaking a three-day fast is accomplished with the help of fermented milk products (on the first day) and cottage cheese (on the second). The choice of option depends on the characteristics of the organism.

Fasting Results

The benefits of a 3-day abstinence from food have been repeatedly proven in practice. Thanks to a regular diet, significant changes are observed:

• the immune system becomes stronger;
• the body rejuvenates;
• intestinal microflora improves;
• skin looks fresh and healthy;
• manages to overcome harmful addictions.

Research conducted by scientists has confirmed that abstinence from food, even for 72 hours, helps to renew the blood and completely restore the immune system.

How dangerous is fasting?

Fasting must be treated with maximum responsibility. Long-term diets are allowed for healthy people, but for those who have certain diseases, it is better to limit themselves to one-day food refusals. In addition, it is advisable to undergo treatment under the supervision of a specialist.

What can happen to a diet consisting only of water?

1. Due to a decrease in protein reserves, muscular dystrophy may develop. Protein breakdown occurs on the second day.
2. When the period allotted for the diet ends, appetite increases, especially if the exit from fasting was carried out with violations. Appetite is controlled by the hormone leptin, the production of which stops during prolonged abstinence from food.
3. During fasting, glucose deficiency occurs, which causes a lack of insulin. Thus, incomplete oxidation of fat occurs. Therefore, the smell of acetone is felt from the mouth, which indicates intoxication.

Over the course of 3 days, manifestations of a negative nature are possible, which you do not need to be afraid of. A person may encounter:

• irritability;
• worsening mood;
• sleep disorders;
• sudden loss of 1-2 kg of body weight.

To cope with discomfort, you should go outside and rest more often. Light physical activity is beneficial. You should be prepared for the fact that at first it will be difficult to force yourself to move, but later the body will get used to the load. If apathy and depression do not disappear, it is better to stop fasting. The diet should not cause excessive discomfort.

Pros and cons of fasting

If the body does not receive food for some time, there is no need to digest it either. This provokes a number of positive changes:

1. There is no feeling of fullness in the gastrointestinal tract, bloating and flatulence disappear.
2. The load on not only the digestive tract is reduced, but also on other organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys.
3. The condition of the skin improves significantly. As a result of cleansing the body, you can get rid of acne, post-acne, and pigmentation.
4. Excess weight goes away, and you feel incredible lightness in your body.
5. Various sensations become more intense.

During fasting, toxins, waste products and decay products are gradually eliminated from the body, which has an overall positive effect. In this way, even chronic pathologies can be cured. During the process of losing weight, the skin does not sag, as happens with strict diets.

But all the positive aspects are relevant only if a person adheres to all the rules of fasting. It is especially important to follow them when refusing food for a long time. Otherwise, negative effects are possible.

The main reason why it is not recommended to fast for a long time and often is that the body does not receive many of the nutritional components that it needs to function normally. If there is a lack of vitamins, microelements, amino acids and other substances in the body, it can react as follows:

1. Weakness, headaches and dizziness appear. Even hungry fainting is possible, especially if a person works physically and spends a lot of energy.
2. The skin may begin to peel, hair becomes brittle, and nails become flaky.
3. The body's resistance decreases. Due to this, a person becomes prone to colds and other infectious diseases. They happen often and take a long time to heal.
4. Problems with the digestive system are also possible, and the diseases often become chronic.

IMPORTANT! A dangerous consequence of prolonged fasting is anorexia. With this disease, the body does not signal hunger and loses the ability to absorb food. This provokes serious depletion and irreversible changes, including death.

Although fasting is beneficial, it is strictly forbidden to use it uncontrollably. It is important to follow the instructions and adhere to all rules. Then a temporary refusal of food will be extremely beneficial.

Features of fasting for a week

Water fasting is usually used for weight loss. It involves refusing food, but allows you to drink water without restrictions.

REFERENCE. There is also dry fasting, in which you also need to give up water. This is a more complex and rigorous technique. It is important to adhere to it extremely carefully. It is recommended to start at 24 hours.

The classic version of a weekly water fast for weight loss involves giving up everything except drinking water. Even coffee, tea and vitamin tablets are not recommended.

First of all, you need to prepare for fasting. This is a fairly simple process that includes the following rules:

1. Try in advance, at least 2-3 days (or better yet, a week) to give up unhealthy foods: fast food, smoked foods, salty and sweet foods. This will increase the efficiency of the process.
2. A few days before starting your fast, include more natural foods, fresh fruits and vegetables in your menu.
3. Forget about bad habits that can lead to a breakdown: drinking alcohol, smoking, etc.
4. Pre-establish your drinking regime. Drink 1–1.5 glasses of water every 1–2 hours.
5. Visit your doctor to make sure there are no contraindications.

REFERENCE. Sometimes nutritionists recommend doing an enema before starting a fast. This will help remove toxins from the body, which will reduce unpleasant symptoms in the first days of the technique. Everything is individual, and it is better to discuss this issue with your doctor.

On the first day of fasting, only clean water is allowed. Its total amount per day should be 2.5 liters. Before going to bed, you can do an enema or prepare a magnesium solution. The second and third days will be similar.

On the fourth day, you can add juices diluted with water to the water. They must not contain sugar. On the fifth day, juices can be undiluted. Do not replace water with them, but drink them in addition. On the sixth and seventh days, you can add a small amount of boiled vegetables and cereals without salt to your diet.

It is also recommended to adhere to the following rules:

1. During fasting, it is better to avoid excessive activity. Light exercise, such as walking or yoga, is recommended.
2. When you refuse food, the sensitivity of the mucous membrane increases. Therefore, it is important to brush your teeth carefully.
3. If you smoke, give up this habit or at least reduce the number of cigarettes. It is not recommended to stay in the sun for a long time and allow the body to overheat.

Fasting rules

As you may have guessed, the process of entering and exiting a hunger strike is much more difficult than the days on the water themselves. To reduce stress on the body as much as possible, it is important to create ideal conditions - you don’t want hungry fainting, right? Proper preparation the day before will help with this:

1. Seven days before day X, we exclude fried, sweet, high-calorie and alcohol from the menu. You will also have to forget about meat, eggs and milk;
2. Drink a lot of water every day, especially if you rarely did this before;
3. We eat small portions so that the stomach narrows. The smaller its volume, the less it protests during food shortages;
4. The day before your hunger strike, do not eat meat if you did not listen to us the first time. In addition to the fact that it slows down the digestion process, it will also be digested in the stomach for a long time, which will cause heaviness and bad breath;
5. Remove all provocateurs of a breakdown from your sight: your favorite food, sweets and baked goods. Let your relatives hide them far away and eat them secretly from you;
6. “Please” your family with the news: for the next three days you will not cook anything, so let them learn to cope on their own;
7. Cancel all your activities: gnawing while working is very harmful.

It will be important to cleanse the intestines - but this is an optional condition, if you wish.