To do a water fast for a fortnight

[Nicknamechoosingishard]

I know, it’s drastic and everyone talks about all the weight going back on but I’m desperate and I think I have a plan which I want to put to the vipers.....

I have tried unsuccessfully to lose weight several times over the years. I have a medical history which means exercise is difficult but not impossible. A mental health history which most recently seen me in the pits of depression and void of any motivation even to shower or wash a cup.

I’ve tried keto, slimming world and just portion control in the last year but I always fall off the wagon. It’s mainly due to mental health. Food is my crutch but it’ll kill me if I don’t figure it out. I’m on a waiting list for therapy and should see one within six weeks according to my doctor who also thinks my overeating is an emotional problem. At this stage I don’t know what’s true but I need help so I’m going to go.

I could go on for hours but there’s no point. I just wanted to give a bit of a picture behind my current plan.

I’m thinking all the fad diets where people put weight back on are because they fall off the wagon without a maintenance plan. What if I did a water fast and went straight to slimming world then? I’ve lost weight with slimming world so I know it works.

Getting weight off quickly is very important to me right now both because I have to go back to work soon and for my mental and physical health.

AIBU to water fast and go straight to SW?

Flame away but if you must could you please explain why you did? If I shouldn’t do it I’d like to know the rationale. It helps me to make logical decisions when I’m usually impulsive and make hasty decisions.

Thanks.

You have an eating disorder.

Asking mumsnet to validate it is not fair.

Go see a dietician and get counselling.

Don't beat yourself up over this, please. It sounds like it came out of desperation.

The problem with it is, as other people have said, it's dangerous. Plus you won't sleep. Seriously.

Could you try getting any junk out of the house... I think that can help a lot. Have three small meals a day, with protein. You will be a bit hungry but it won't be dangerous. I wouldn't worry about exercise at the moment if it causes you pain. Losing weight is almost all diet anyway.

I think the biggest thing about losing weight is accepting that you have to be a bit hungry some of the time. Hunger isn't the enemy, it means it's working. But don't let yourself feel unwell or so hungry you can't tolerate it. It's a balance. Slightly hungry is OK, feeling truly bad is not.

I like the idea of aiming for 1lb a week for a year. Even after a few weeks you'd notice a difference. Doing it slowly is so much better for your health as well.

Just wanted to suggest Yoga with Adrianne on you tube. I have found yoga great exercise and brilliant for mental health. Two in one! She has loads of videos to suit lots of different people.
Good luck x

cyclingmad So you only fast one day out of 23?

Instead of fasting how about drinking a big glass of water every time you fancy a snack? That worked for me - three healthy meals each day, but no fatty, sugary snacks in between, just water. And very little alcohol.
I agree with skybluee re hunger - I learned to enjoy the hunger because it meant I was in control and looking forward to my next meal.

OP look at the 'eating window'. Where you restrict what you eat to an 8hr window of the day. You have all 3 meals and whatever snacks etc you want, but within that 8hr window.

Most find it easy to do 10-6pm, or 11-7pm. You will lose weight on this.

Also I strongly recommend going gluten free and seeing if that reduces any overall inflammation and your back pain. I started a few weeks ago and all joint/back pain had gone within 10 days and just under a stone of bloat and inflammation water weight.

Also, to fast you need to be in a right place mentally. Fast is not a quick fix, it is not a punishment or a stick to beat you with for all ye sins.

Fasting should be a very positive uplifting experience that energises you and takes you to a better place physically and emotionally. And so it must be approached as such.

IMO your problem is not the excess weight. I mean this kindly, but it is self-loathing and self-hatred which are the root of all trouble. These feelings are the reason you binge, self-medicate with food and seek a dopamine rush. This way lies addiction and we all now how addiction goes. Start respecting and loving yourself, and good diet, good sleep and exercise will follow. Yes self-love first, everything else second.

Joe Wicks is excellent for weight loss, not being hungry and being nutritionally sound. Might be worth a look for you?

I also think you should join the 100lb thread in weight loss chat and chat to women who are making the same journey as you.

There is a book called eating less by Gillian Riley and although I don’t buy into everything she writes I frequently reread the part about how your weight is not the problem that is only a symptom of the problem which is an unhealthy diet. She uses the analogy of a smoker focusing on a cure for a cough rather than thinking about stop smoking. She talks about how when we focus on weight nutrition and health blur into the background which I think is relevant to this thread.

Ignore all the people with shakes they teach you nothing about food and you should never replace food with a shake.

With your mental state you don't want to be doing any of that, you need to cut down what you eat slowly, replace the he more fatty parts of your diet with veg(you would be amazed how much veg you can eat calorie wise) And do the weight loss slowly and safely.

There is no quick fixes.its about what you put in Vs what goes out.

As I said earlier, I am in a similar position to you. I had bone surgery I have never fully rehabilitated from and am now overweight and my MH has declined totally as a result.
I am going to use shakes for breakfast and lunch and have a salad and protein in the evening and am going to start gently exercising. I agree with you that losing weight would make me feel more like carrying on with the loss. I am going to try very hard not to snack and if I do, I will miss my next meal.
I am now more worried about my MH than my physical. My poor MH is driven by anxiety about my future. I feel like if I could fast forward to a loss of eight or ten kilos I would feel better in every respect. I am going to do whatever I need to fast forward basically.
I don't know if this sort of plan might help OP?

You will die. Your mental health will decline because you can't think straight with no food. You need for food for rational thought for the neurons and nerves and organs to function properly. To be able to make rational choice about who you are your mental health house safety War 2 fight or flight to work properly for you to think you're a good person for you to think others are good people or bad people you need nourishment with these Processes to work. You won't sleep properly as you also need food to sleep. You won't be able to walk or talk properly you need food with this oh and l yes you will die without food. You will also do damage to your organs which you would never be able to repair. Your body will go into starvation mode so you may lose water but you will also use the least by 4 bits first so your limbs will be cold you made damage your ovaries you will grow long hair over your body you will get all sorts of problems with the muscles and your heart and all your vital organs and muscles the body will attack these to keep your body and live. You do not get to choose what the body attacks when installation it will choose and it is always the worst. You will feel like shit you will hate yourself even more because you won't be able to rationally think otherwise. Everything will seem dark. Because your body is shutting down. And preserving only the bits it needs to keep blinking possibly walking and upright possibly. It will be hell. Also if you have got an eating disorder or disordered eating this won't help it will only be another behavioural situation you need to get out of and you will spiral. Your disorder with an grab onto what you've done and punish you if you either eat or don't ever again. You need to get your mental health sorted if this is an emotional response to things than that is the key. You will never stop fighting you will never stop losing or putting on weight if your emotions of fuelling your food consumption. Oh yes did I mention you'll die.

Plus after period of starvation your body goes into starvation mode and fight or flight means it will grab every single thing after those two weeks and it won't always be so lovely of how it decides to shut those things onto your body so you may get it in your tummy or other places you never had that flash before all your body is thinking is shut some meat onto itself for protection please

This is the most stupid thing I've read on here. Visit your gp for help

You can't just stop food and drink water for two weeks you'll be exhausted with no energy and I should imagine frail even cause harm to your organs. Talk to your doctor or seek proper advise from a dietician.

Look into Dr Jason Fung who tells how to do this safely e.g v important to be electrolyte supplementing. He's a consultant medical doctor who has revolutionised obesity research around fasting. Important to do it right tho. Read the Reddit sub about fasting for more info.

Just wanted to suggest Yoga with Adrianne on you tube. I have found yoga great exercise and brilliant for mental health.

Agree!

I think your mood will dip if you do any extreme restriction of food. And your mental health is fragile. Be kind to yourself and listen to the summers. We are rooting for you.

Eat real food, not shakes or bars. Make one simple change - like cutting out sugar - so you're not always thinking about/planning/analysing food. Do some gentle exercise every day. I lost a good amount by just cutting out sugar (including alcohol) and didn't have to think twice about anything else.

A quick google suggests that at your weight you would burn 133 calories walking one mile. Speed has less impact than you would think so if you can walk just one mile a day at any pace that's 1000 by the end of the week. After a couple of weeks you might find you can up the distance.

I run and cycle and have always been quite slim but the people that impress me aren't those that whizz round at high speed. The ones I admire are those that get out there and do it anyway, whatever their speed, shape and size.

Set yourself achievable goals, be kind to yourself and I reckon you can do this. Good luck!

Hi Op
Others may have said this already but the only you are bu is for putting yourself through that. It’s not fair on you and so the thing I feel to get you back to where you need to be is kindness, a lifestyle plan that helps you to think about nourishing yourself and accept that you will have times you will struggle with your mental health which will manifest in emotional / binge eat. That will happen no matter what, but when it does pay attention to triggers and then prepare to support yourself when those triggers occur ( it’s a trial and error type process so not quick fix. The way to bring everything together is creating a structure that works for you. I cannot stress this enough. Our brain likes to conserve energy and so looks to automate things as much as possible so that you just do it without labouring your brain. Basically habit forming. That routine and habitual process is the better weapon to help you fight those tunes your mental health takes you down. Because once you have a routine in place it’s easier to come to. For example brushing your teeth is a learnt routine and you would feel wrong without doing it, that’s the goal to make it as ingrained as that. So maybe start of with three meals each day could be anything but just three no snacks including fruit or whatever. That will have to be eaten at those three structured times on one plate only (no seconds - so fill that plate as you need to) and keep them same time as much as possible. Accept that like will throw spanner’s at you to derail and at each point make a compromise to keep it near to your routine as possible. All this will take time. It’s taken me years and I still do it to get me through BED. I just had an episode of pure binging and it has passed now as I feel sick and thought of eating shit is making me feel horrid, as per my routine craving good wholesome food. Was t easy to get to this took me years of learning, researching and a multi prongued approach. Apologies if the above seems complicated but just letting you know what my experience has been. I also adore joe wicks mentality and his plan is so easily structured - the exercises might be more challenging but whatever you choose to do - do it at the same time daily. Same time, same structure, routine to the point your brain can do it on auto pilot - you will get there and you got this. Will power you will need for first few days as you embed the structure but after that - will power is redundant as that’s fleeting it’s time something you can rely on for time so don’t factor it in at all in any of plans after the first week when motivation is higher then subsequent weeks. Hope that helps and wish you all the best on your journey x 💪🏼

Apologies for waffle style and bad grammar etc was typing on bus!

OP, for a bit of gentle fitness put Leslie Sansoon walk at home on YouTube and do that once a day, it really helps you build up your fitness level a bit.

You will feel like absolute shit and any weight you lose you will put straight back on again,

I have done some YouTube pilates for back pain and have seen positive results quite quickly. Would recommend.

You will not die seriously some posters on here. Some of us have and do water fasts and we haven't died and nor have we encountered any medical issues or any negative effect to our health.

Infect my health has improved and I have keto my 4stone weight lost off for over a year. Yes some weight will go back on when you re-feed, it's about 4 to 5 lbs at most which is normal because you now have food sitting in your system.

All we suggest is you read Dr Funds site/books and take on his advice, take daily vitamins and electrolytes and ease yourself into it through intermittent fasting first. Also if your own medication talk this through with your doctor first.

Absolutely ridiculous some ppl on here spouting rubbish about how bad it is for you when it isn't if you do it for a short period of time.