
How the Terrible, Insufferable Six-Day Water Fast Made Me a New Man - cliveowen
http://www.gq.com/life/fitness/201311/six-day-water-fast-diet?printable=true
======
britta
It's irresponsible to glamorize restrictive dieting without talking in detail
about why medical supervision is necessary - not just breezily saying "you get
dizzy".

[http://www.canyons.edu/offices/health/nutritioncoach/concern...](http://www.canyons.edu/offices/health/nutritioncoach/concerns/reseat.asp)
\- list of physical/cognitive/emotional effects of restrictive dieting:
"decreased resting metabolic rate, loss of lean body mass, changes in brain
chemistry that increase appetite, constipation and gastrointestinal upset,
sleep disturbance and weakness, feeling cold all the time, decreased sexual
interest, depression and anxiety, irritability and anger", etc.

Along with causing physical problems, restrictive dieting can be a factor in
developing an eating disorder.

[http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/anorexia-
ner...](http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/anorexia-
nervosa/print.html) \- "Bulimia is often triggered when young women attempt
restrictive diets, fail, and react by binge eating" (and eating disorders are
perfectly happy to grip men as well).

[http://calorielab.com/news/2013/03/26/orthorexia-
restrictive...](http://calorielab.com/news/2013/03/26/orthorexia-restrictive-
eating-disorder/) \- "there are many individuals who display symptoms
consistent with an obsessive-compulsive restrictive eating disorder and have
an unhealthy concern with healthy eating patterns."

------
venomsnake
I have been doing a lot of fasts during the years:

It rarely works for permanent weight reduction - mostly because when you are
off the fast you don't have proper new eating habits ingrained.

It takes 3 days to forget about the hunger. After that you have a lot of
energy for the next 2-3 days.

Your senses become extremely sharp - you see better, hear better, smell
better.

The moment you have acetone in your breath is a good time to stop.

When you start eating - your digestive tract is really fast to evacuate for
the first few times. Be at home. Avoid hard foods.

After the first week you may have problems with the blood pressure - stand
slowly, take your time waking up - if the world becomes more colorful - lay
down on the ground ASAP - you are on the way of passing out.

Sex during the fast is awesome - see the senses thing above - the orgasm is
multiple times more intensive than usual.

~~~
js2
What is the longest you've fasted for? How long would you be comfortable
fasting for without medical supervision?

~~~
Florin_Andrei
> How long would you be comfortable fasting for without medical supervision?

One week if you don't have any major health issues.

Not even a day if you're suffering from some serious condition.

Plan for less physical activity than usual, but do not become a vegetable.
Take some short walks, do some small work with your hands. Meditation is great
during this time, but you have to be somewhat accustomed to it.

Restart eating step by step. Begin with some fruit juice or clear soup. Then
graduate to very soft, almost overcooked rice or something like that. A
vegetarian diet for the first few days is beneficial. The longer you're
fasting, the more cautious you have to be with restarting your diet.

~~~
ibdknox
> The longer you're fasting, the more cautious you have to be with restarting
> your diet.

Do you have any experience on what happens if you don't? It certainly makes
intuitive sense that you need to ease yourself back into "normalcy", but what
are the potential risks that everyone is very explicit about trying to avoid?

~~~
masklinn
> what are the potential risks that everyone is very explicit about trying to
> avoid?

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refeeding_syndrome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refeeding_syndrome)
(fluid disorders, neurologic, muscular and hematologic complications,
gastrointestinal disturbances, can culminate in coma and cardiac arrhythmias
or failure)

------
js2
"A 27-year-old male patient fasted under supervision for 382 days and has
subsequently maintained his normal weight."

[http://pmj.bmj.com/content/49/569/203.abstract](http://pmj.bmj.com/content/49/569/203.abstract)

[http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/24/3549931.ht...](http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/24/3549931.htm)

Discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6130963](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6130963)

~~~
Joister
I can't find the discussion but he answered some questions on reddit once.

He said it was reckless and wouldn't recommend it to anyone, the only reason
he did it was because he was desperate.

------
SandB0x
I despair at all the broscience and dangerous advice in this thread.

~~~
ibdknox
Instead of a contentless dismissal, can you provide us some information that
supports your claim?

~~~
lfuller
In science - especially health science - it is not the responsibility of the
skeptic to prove that a particular theory is wrong, rather it is the
responsibility of the person making such claims to substantiate them.

~~~
ibdknox
Sure. Where do we derive most of our knowledge as individuals? From anecdotes
from others. Is that science? No, not at all, but it's where science often
starts. It's a preliminary experiment to at least find out some idea of what
may be possible. While not repeated, peer reviewed, or verified in any
meaningful way that doesn't make this useless.

The OP walked into a room full of very curious people and called them idiots
without any attempt at enlightening them on what statements or assumptions
might be wrong. In what way is that helpful? HN is not a peer-reviewed
journal, it's a place for discussion and he detracted from that discussion.

Instead, I was hoping he might provide something meaningful that we could
consider in trying to process this anecdote.

------
xefer
The greatest weird diet story ever written:

[http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/mar/09/restandrelaxat...](http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/mar/09/restandrelaxation.shopping)

------
ctdonath
98% of gall bladder removals go fine, in-and-out procedures. I got to join the
2%.

Long story to the point: I wasn't allowed to eat for two weeks. Saline drip
kept me hydrated, and that's about it. Connected to the drip, I wasn't really
allowed to move either. For what it was, fact is I just didn't eat for about
14 days. Didn't feel hungry, but did watch a ridiculous number of cooking
shows.

Yes, that had its special case factors. But now I know I can do without food
for a prolonged period. Lost 10 pounds too.

------
mgraczyk
When I hear about weight loss programs or tips, I am reminded of my uncle. For
the duration of my youth, he weighed around 300 pounds. Then one day in
college my siblings and I visited him and noticed that he was substantially
thinner, maybe weighing around 190 pounds. We asked how he lost all of the
weight, and he said,

"I went to the doctor and he told me that if I didn't lose weight I would die
before my 60th birthday. That scared the shit out of me so I started eating
less and waking up early and walking a few miles every day. "

If adding 10-15 years to your life isn't motivation enough to lose weight,
then I can't imagine anything that could be.

------
baldfat
I have done many water only fast in my teens and 20s. I also did a weekly
Thursday daily water only fast.

Here are my experienced benefits:

1) Self Discipline! Talk about learning how to control yourself. Best reason
to do it.

2) strangely after 3 days the stomach stops shrinking and I swear I have the
most energy and focus for 3 or 4 days. I use to stop once I started getting
tired again.

Had several people I know do 40 day fast and well they got more energy again
around the 2nd week.

3) Sadly You can't LOSE weight long term on fasting.

P.S. I need to try it out again it has been almost 15 years since my last big
fast.

~~~
commandar
>2) strangely after 3 days the stomach stops shrinking and I swear I have the
most energy and focus for 3 or 4 days. I use to stop once I started getting
tired again. >Had several people I know do 40 day fast and well they got more
energy again around the 2nd week.

That's not strange so much as an indicator that the body has probably shifted
into a ketogenic metabolic state at those points. It's being discussed a
little bit more upthread.

------
gregsq
I fasted for about 28 days once, when I was 18yo. Just water. Coming off it
took days, with just diluted orange and apple juice. Eventually after about a
week I started on solids. Quite an experience. I was perfectly healthy before
it, and completely refreshed afterwards.

~~~
Florin_Andrei
I've done something like this myself. A few observations from the article:

> _our bodies are designed for scarcity_

This is something that's been forgotten in many countries where life is now
comfortable all the time. Skipping one meal is not the terrible thing that
most people imagine it is.

> _the Terrible, Insufferable Six-Day Water Fast_

The first few days are difficult. After day 3 or so, hunger disappears.

> _vicious headaches, dizziness, and a sad, hollow feeling_

These are surprisingly similar to an addiction withdrawal process.

> _On my final day without food, I wake up at 5 A.M. I slept in! And all of a
> sudden, I feel tremendous. Light, energetic, unreasonably cheerful._

Exactly.

So, the first 3 days or so are tough. After that, hunger disappears. You get a
sense of amazing energy, powerful but calm. Your body is relaxed all the time.
There's an amazing mental clarity. You do everything consciously and
purposefully. Negative thoughts are gone or greatly diminished.

I can definitely see why fasting was used in most if not all traditions where
meditation and prayer were practiced.

BTW, the longer the fast, the trickier the coming out of it. Restarting
suddenly on a high-calorie solid food diet may cause problems.

~~~
sejje
What are the problems that can be caused?

~~~
Florin_Andrei
Anything in the range between mild stomach trouble and full-on Refeeding
Syndrome.

------
abecedarius
This says he drank distilled water, which seems to imply no electrolyte. Any
idea how soon you could expect
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia)
?

(I only skimmed bits of the article.)

~~~
refurb
Normal tap water has a pretty low sodium content anyways (4.8 ppm in SF), so
why would distilled water be that much worse? Blood is typically 3.3g/L or 3.3
ppt.

Your kidneys are pretty dam good at reabsorbing essential ions.

I'm sure an electrolyte imbalance would be an issue eventually, I'm just not
sure distilled water would make that much of a difference.

~~~
abecedarius
_why would distilled water be that much worse?_

Not what I meant: I'd wonder the same thing about tap water. The question is
isotonic vs. low-salt; distilled just takes it to its extreme.

(When I found out about hyponatremia the hard way, it was with tap water.)

------
wil421
I dated a girl who did modeling and whenever a shoot would come up she would
do a water/coffee fast. It only worked temporarily and she would be forced to
do it before every shoot to get where she wanted to be.

There is no substitute for exercise and proper diet.

------
bhavvik
Fasting is quite common in Jainism.. There are various fasts people take on,
among which is atthai - no food or water for eight days or just no food for
eight days.. I've done it once.. its quite similar to how its described in
this article.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_in_Jainism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_in_Jainism)

There are several benefits of fasting but primary reason to fast in Jainism is
non-violence

------
bstar77
I do a 10 day juice fast about every 6 months or so. Here's my experience:

\- drop about 1-1.5lbs/day when I'm a couple days in, mostly water weight. \-
feel great and alert despite the hunger \- skin clears up \- experience memory
issues, perhaps a supplement could help with this \- usually loose about 5-10
lbs, but gain all but a few pounds back (I'm not over weight to begin with) \-
every time I do it, despite the hunger it's a hugely positive experience

I never do a fast with the expectation of loosing weight. You loose weight by
having a healthy lifestyle. Fasting helps detox your body.

The one thing I did that made me easily drop 25lbs in 3 months was eliminating
all wheat/gluten from my diet. I basically live like I have celiac's disease.
By adding higher fat foods in my diet and cutting the sugar/wheat products, I
can still gorge myself with meats, nuts and veggies, but not have the negative
effects similar to eating a bowl of pasta.

If you love pasta, buy corn pasta. It tastes like regular pasta and is a
fraction of the cost of rice pasta, plus it's much lower on the glycemic
index.

Coffee also acts as a great appetite suppressant, but I make sure to only have
2/cups day that I dilute in large iced coffees.

------
thecollins
Interesting article, but the title is totally misleading. The fast, according
to the author, seems only "difficult". And the "new man" part just seems to be
that he felt better after. We are, however, not given any details on how his
life was bad before the start of this.

~~~
nevinera
>We are, however, not given any details on how his life was bad before the
start of this.

The article is _littered_ with details on that topic. Here's the largest and
most verbose 'detail':

>One morning back in 2011, I woke to searing pain in my arms. A flamethrower
directed at my arms is what it felt like. The hospital offered morphine, but
one shot did nothing. A second and then a third shot only made me sob more
quietly. Finally Dilaudid, at ten times morphine's strength, cooled off the
pain. Several doctors and hospitals later, I was diagnosed with a rare
autoimmune disease in which the nerves that branch from the neck and power the
arms are bulldozed by the immune system. There's no cure, just a blitz of
medicines to blanket the suffering. So I embarked on a grisly medical
protocol: monster doses of steroids, antiseizure agents for nerve pain, and a
lot of craft beer, ice cream, and chocolate for the larger problem of what it
now felt like to be me.

------
fmitchell0
I wonder if this type of fasting is only advised under doctor supervision. I'd
be interested in trying it, but is there enough published of the
'unsuccessful' stories? What are the risks?

------
tomgruner
Fasting occasionally under supervision may have benefits, but it is nothing
compared to maintaining a healthy balanced diet combined with exercise. If you
really want to take care of yourself, do it every day - don't just save it for
a fitness binge like this. Check out something like the anticancer book by the
late Dr. David Servan-Schreiber or try out any diet high in veggies and low in
processed foods, focussing on occasional high quality meats, eggs and fish.
You will be a better hacker for it.

------
patrickg_zill
Slightly off-topic perhaps?

I will say that for me, breaking the carb addiction was key to weight loss and
feeling better.

You can go keto-only or some other diet or a fast, but being able to go
through a period of time with a low amount of carbs, and then realizing how
crappy I felt after a typical high-carb meal, really helped me stick to a
lower-carb diet.

But can I also add, "only in America" would you have a place where you pay
exorbitant amounts to drink only water and you stay there.

However did monks and gurus manage without it?

------
lotsofcows
Oh look, he took a six day holiday where it was all about him and now he feels
great! Of course it was because od the ridiculous diet.

This stuff reminds me of shamanism: "Oh yes, it's a devil. You need to take
all your family (to pray for and with you) on a 10 day journey to 3 different
temples 100 miles away while eating only these prescribed foods." Ta-da, cures
almost anything.

------
jareds
Maybe I'm lucky but dieting doesn't seem that difficult. I've started charting
my weight based on info in The Hackers Diet. I have found that as long as I
think about what I eat I don't need to count calories to maintain a weight
loss rate of between 1.5 and 2 pounds a week.

~~~
laxatives
Well this guy is described as particularly tall and lean. I don't know about
your build, but by that logic you'd have a negative mass after a few years.

------
gesman
I'm in the mid of two-days Isagenix cleansing fast (only cleansing liquid).
Gym included.

Always works like magic. The goodness comes from body's ability to eliminate
toxins and that unblocks lots of energy.

Within mind, body and spirit too :)

~~~
venomsnake
Please when you say toxin try and give some examples about them - what kinds,
what molecules - something that could be tested in a lab.

~~~
gesman
Went to gym on my second day of cleansing (eating nothing at all) and feel
more energy than before starting.

Don't care what molecules it involves if it works.

------
princess3000
How does water compare to Soylent?

~~~
venomsnake
Tastier and with higher nutritional value.

------
dariye
(y). I will give this a try

------
logjam
Wonderful. "Hacker" News at its finest. A post that is nothing more than an
anecdote full of questionable horseshit on an important matter like health in
turn generates HN comments that are merely anecdotes full of questionable
horseshit. On health. Health.

~~~
SandB0x
But dude think of the _metabolic hacks_ and read about my one weird trick for
rapid weight loss.

------
a8da6b0c91d
> When you eat too much salt, your blood gets saltier, so your brain tells
> your body it's thirsty. So you drink more water, diluting your salty blood,
> and with more blood pumping through your system, you get high blood
> pressure.

To my understanding this is false. The vast majority of people's kidneys
rapidly and efficiently remove any excess salt to maintain homeostasis.

~~~
masklinn
> The vast majority of people's kidneys rapidly and efficiently remove any
> excess salt to maintain homeostasis.

Yep, and when your kidneys can't do that and you get into homeostatic
imbalance you don't "get high blood pressure", you get organ damage.

And part of homeostasis is maintaining the body's fluid balance, separately
from osmoregulation (under which salt regulation would fall)

