9 ms·

Six Days without Food: Hacking Your Mind to Make Do with Far Less

102 points by jdbentley 15y ago

DanBC 15y ago
I've known a few people with Anorexia Nervosa. Not just "skip a few meals, look a bit thin" anorexia, but "detained in hospital against their will in wheel-chairs with forced NG tube feeding BMI of 14" anorexics. It's pretty scary that they describe very similar feelings as you do, and you only did that for a few weeks. Also, people with bulimia tend to be overweight exactly because of the cycle of fasting and binging that you describe. I'm pleased for you that you got a good result, and I'm grateful that you stressed the riskiness.
- jdbentley 15y ago
  When I started, I had already limited it to a short-term experiment precisely because I was afraid of developing a fasting compulsion. I certainly don't need to be swinging from one extreme to another. The risk should definitely be stressed.
- cmhamill 15y ago
  Not to be a big nerd, but I couldn't help thinking of the Ted Leo + Pharmacists Song "Me and Mia" while reading this. Particularly the line: > Sick to death of my dependence, fighting food to find transcendence > Fighting to survive, more dead but more alive It's an often under-acknowledged aspect of those who struggle with obesity that many of the same impulses and issues underly over-eating and under-eating. As someone who has both struggled with obesity my whole life and been drawn to fasting and extremity in fighting that goal, I would add one, very specific warning: Rarely is self-deprivation the right way to fight addiction, depression, or lack of self-esteem.
nodata 15y ago
Fasting is really bad for you. Does fasting even count as hacking?
- Estragon 15y ago
  Abuse of fasting usually has bad consequences, but when it's done for the purpose of studying one's emotional relationship to food and consumption, such abuse is unlikely.
- mooism2 15y ago
  Fasting isn't hacking, but I'd say the mental changes and introspection that went along with it in this case is hacking.
- fingerprinter 15y ago
  Fasting is most definitely NOT bad for you. You literally fast every night. Extreme, stupid, idiotic fasting is, however, bad.
  - nodata 15y ago
    Fasting when you sleep hardly counts.
    - biot 15y ago
      True, though there is a reason why breakfast got its name.
      - kristofferR 15y ago
        Damn, I've never realized that before. It's weird how combined words eventually "evolves" into a single word you never realized was a meaningful combination of multiple words.
- tintin 15y ago
  Most people think that fasting is about not eating and drinking. This is wrong. It is about rethinking the life you live. It could be anything from not eating to stop using internet for a week of so. So why not call it hacking.
- johnyzee 15y ago
user24 15y ago
It's a very interesting, very different experience. I'm not sure what we can take from it. I like the point about "I was so obsessed with the tool that the house was neglected entirely", I feel there's some wisdom in there I can learn from. Thanks for sharing it, I'm just not entirely sure what to make of it.
mooism2 15y ago
This reminds me a little of giving up smoking. That was definitely mind hacking. Obviously the endpoints are different (giving up tobacco forever good, giving up food forever bad).
RadioBellhop 15y ago
Although it's great you have felt a sense of empowerment through this, extreme measures I feel are never the best options. I guess it's how you define extreme, but if you ever feel that urgency to rack up the degree of action, ask around for help. Shit, in the right places even internet people are about nice enough.
teyc 15y ago
So true about what you wrote on feeling gratitude. One of the effects of being hungry is feeling alive. You begin to exist because the drive needs you to get off and eat. One thing about being hungry is how unpleasant it is. And then how unpleasant something unpleasant is. Then the desire to shake off the unpleasantness. If you stay still, it becomes almost interesting to watch. One fathom long body, the master of the universe, can barely hold 4 hours of food supply. Humans can survive on a meal a day. Just like most animals. My dog puts on weight on a meal a day. But somehow we have conditioned ourselves, through surrounding ourselves with food beyond what we need.
kzkg 15y ago
You should check you gallbladder for gallstones. They are often caused by crash diets and can cause that kind of pain you described.
- jdbentley 15y ago
  I had my gallbladder removed in February of 2007 after several attacks, so thankfully it's not something for me to worry about. The pain I experienced lasted only one day and I haven't felt even a hint of it since.
fingerprinter 15y ago
I'm going to jump right into the idea of fasting for 6 days and the unfortunate reality that most people in our field(s) don't. 1. know how to lose weight (really) 2. know how to eat 3. know how to workout Here, if you want to try fasting, which I do recommend, give this a shot. http://www.leangains.com/ http://www.leangains.com/ or do the Warrior diet (one huge meal a day). A 16/8 fast is great. Heck, I sometimes even do an eat-stop-eat way and skip an entire day after I had a cheat day. If you want to lose weight, it isn't about a crash diet, it most DEFINITELY is not about cardio and will never, ever be about low fat. Here it is, in a nutshell, to lose weight and maintain decent muscle mass through life. Eat whole foods in these categories only. Veggies, organic/grassfed meats (chicken, beef, fish etc), organic eggs. Some fruit (don't go nuts) and, only if you tolerate it, very little dairy. Some rules: every meal has protein, no exceptions. Fat is your friend. Carbs from veggies and fruit only. Now, exercise like this: Hard, very, very hard. And short. Think lifting big weights in a complex manner like squats and deadlifts. If someone says you should be doing front shoulder raises, run..... And sprint...bike REALLY fast for a short period of time, or jump rope really fast...something intense and short. Kettlebell swings in the 150-250 range would be great. Do that a couple of days a week (2-3) there are awesome programs out there so don't think too much about this, rather just do it. 5x5 programs, strong lifts, or even the leangains guide has some. There are awesome ways to get lost in details in all this, but that is like a 10 minute guide that I wish someone gave to me when I was 14. It literally took me this long to unlearn all the damage the high-carb, low-fat movement in the 80s did to us.
- jamesbkel 15y ago
  As someone who managed to lose over 100lbs through trying various techniques and adjusting by trial and error, I largely agree with your advice. I rely on a diet of yogurt in the morning to get my day going, then one large meal for dinner. As long as you don't go overboard on the dinner, that generally leaves enough room for a "cheat day" each week. Also, the "sprinting" technique worked wonders for me. I used a stationary bicycle and would do ~5min sprints/~2min breaks while watching TV or listening to music. If you live in an apt building and want to do that on the cheap, I've found running stairs works well too. [edit: One last thing. The water fasting technique works quite well. If you are trying to drop some weight, get one of those filtered water jugs that fit in the refrigerator. Every time you feel hungry but know that you shouldn't be eating, drink a glass of cold water. ]
jmtame 15y ago
Sounds like your body transitioned into ketosis during the third or fourth day. You can know for sure by buying ketone test strips and drinking enough water. I've tested out ketosis for myself and experienced some strange effects: salad tasted better, but I had no cravings and no hunger; some days all I had was an egg. It's not a good idea to stay in ketosis for more than a few weeks, since it's making your liver work harder to convert fat (rather than glycogen) into energy.
- JoshTriplett 15y ago
  You also don't want to stay in it too long because your body will start eating muscle, not just fat.
  - driverdan 15y ago
    For fasting, yes that's true. For a ketogenic diet with adequate amounts of protein, no it won't.
    - JoshTriplett 15y ago
      I only mentioned it due to the topic of fasting. Yes, you can carefully control the process to ensure you don't burn protein, but fasting doesn't do that.
maeon3 15y ago
If you fast, when you stop fasting you will gain 20 pounds because your brain and body will be in "famine mode" and you will store everything to fat. Go ahead and try it. I've been hovering around 155 to 160 my whole life, that is until the day I fasted for about 2 1/2 days, at which point I immediately started gaining weight after. It's been a daily battle since to not overeat. My subconscious mind says: "Eat, consume, gorge, because tomorrow there will be none" and my conscious mind has to say "no".
- johnyzee 15y ago
  As someone who fasts for a full month of the year, I can chime in. It is true that you probably shouldn't do it for the weight loss alone, as you tend to compensate, or over-compensate, once fasting is broken. That said there are many other benefits, as acknowledged by the author. Most people feel a heightened sense of awareness and clarity during fasting (the opposite of the lazy feeling after a meal). There is a reason most spiritual traditions include an element of fasting. Besides this there is a range of proven health benefits (Wikipedia cites reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, immune disorders, slowing of the aging process, and the potential to increase maximum life span). Just like exercising, it is 'unpleasant' for the mind to be forced into, but feels 'right' once you get it done and you actually grow fond of it in spite of the hardship.
- GiraffeNecktie 15y ago
  A long time ago I tried fasting for ten days on nothing more than water with a little lemon juice and cayenne (the plan was courtesy of a stupid book). After ten days, when I was ready to break my fast all nice and slow, I happened to pass by some fresh baked apple pie, which smelled like the best apple pie I'd ever smelled in my life. What do you think happened?
- RyanHolliday 15y ago
  I don't want to discount your experience, but as with a post advocating for fasting, you need to put a personal experience/your mileage may vary disclaimer on here, because your experience isn't going to be what everyone will experience. I've done fasting in pretty varied ways. The longest was for eight days. What I usually do now is a 24-hour fast: dinner, skip the following breakfast and lunch, and then dinner. When I fasted for eight days, I dropped about ten pounds. On a 24-hour cycle of fasting, I will drop between 1 and 2 pounds a day depending on activity level. I have never had the experience of gaining 20lb after fasting, nor have I ever felt like I was in famine mode. I think I gain weight a bit quicker than before I started doing the 24-hour fasts, but at the same time, it drops off quicker, too (it's true that fasting changes how your body stores and uses fat). If you go from fasting back to junk food binges three or four times a day, yes, you will (unsurprisingly) gain the weight back. If you're putting 6k calories a day in, nothing about the effects of that are going to go away after your fast. If you go from fasting back to a reasonably balanced diet, the weight isn't coming back--if you aren't overeating, how could it? This has been my experience. Your mileage may vary. I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice.
maeon3 15y ago
Hacker diet: http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html
sambeau 15y ago
I tried giving up eating for a week and it was a fascinating experience: if you are curious, try it. It won't kill you and it probably won't harm you unless you are already ill. It gives you an interesting insight into ancient man and how well our bodies are made to cope with hunger and starvation. The first day-and-a-half was the hardest I felt really hungry. Then suddenly the hunger stopped and I felt great: really alive and full of energy. This feeling remained for the rest of the week. Originally I had intended to drink fruit juice but it gave me a terrible stomach upset and I switched to water only (although I did have an occasional glass of wine). Somewhere around day two my fat started to melt and began to coat my mouth and skin. I grew some huge spots (edit: pimples). Day three I felt a little light-headed at times but was never tired: I had read about the dangers of muscle-loss so I chose to visit the gym each night and was swimming for up to an hour, too. By day 5 I could have kept going without problem: I'm a big guy and could easily do 40 days without food. I stopped only because I had a family celebration to attend (and I'm not sure my mother would have approved). I can't say I noticed much in the way of weight loss. I had read that you normally lose about a pound a day (which may have been true). I'd been drinking plenty of liquid so I didn't lose water. The evening when I went back onto food was also interesting: the food tasted different — more intense and satisfying. The following days I felt great and had meant to repeat the exercise for a longer period, but as I yet I haven't. No matter what anyone says, that first day-and-a-half does not get any easier. Some of the reported upsides that I cannot confirm from such a short diet are: your digestive system shuts down very early and so it gets a rest for repair (something that modern humans never manage but ancient humans probably did); your gut flora also gets a chance to die-off a bit and regrow — we are a forest of yeast and bacteria and some people think the occasional prune-and-regrowth is healthy; your fat (especially your internal fat) starts to melt and be burned up as fuel (this is a surprisingly kludgy process: it seems to all go liquid at once all over your body). I can surmise that given a longer period of time it would be beneficial to get rid of the stored fat (and other chemicals stored in it—fat in animals stores feed flavours after-all). There are reports that stopping, clearing out and restarting your digestive/fat/fat storage/liver system can have other surprising health benefits most notably with Type 2 diabetes; there are also reports of benefits to allergies and food intolerances (again I can't verify). My father has been discussing doing something similar with his doctor in the hope of curing his Type 2 diabetes. So, in summary, I found the experiment interesting, informative and fun and would recommend it to anyone (with sufficient fat store) who would like to see what it is like (and can get through the initial wall). If you do: keep exercising so you don't lose muscle; don't eat anything as then you will become hungry again; don't operate heavy machinery (and probably avoid driving) as you do get light headed; don't expect to lose a large amount of weight in such a short amount of time; avoid fruit juice; don't expect your world-view to change or for it to make you a stronger/wiser/more spiritual person; do expect it to give you newfound respect for ancient man and those forced to starve through drought and war.
baddspellar 15y ago
Radical, one-time, short-term actions like this aren't lifestyle changes. They're not sustainable, so they don't work in the long term. If the author said he made sustainable lifestyle changes I'd have some reason to believe he's won his weight battle. If he said he's been getting up an hour early each morning for the past 3 months to walk, or has been learning how to prepare tasty low-calorie meals and has kept that up for the past 3 months, or has taken up cycling and has commuted to the office by bike every day it would be a different story. I know plenty of people who've done these things and successfully kept their weight down indefinitely. On the other hand, I know plenty of people who've lost weight with short term, unsustainable diets, and who gained every pound of that back.
- fennecfoxen 15y ago
  It doesn't sound like immediate weight-loss is what he's after here. It sounds like it's more about developing self-control in the face of abundant food, and being able to skip the candy bar. A one-time super-fast exercise may actually be able to help with that. (Disclaimers etc go here.)
- jdbentley 15y ago
  I felt that the post concluded better at the end of the fast rather than dragging it on, but since breaking the fast I've continued walking daily, I lift weights 3 day a week, I'm eating far more fruits and vegetables (especially apples) and I'm getting about 100g-150g of lean protein per day (from chicken, turkey, occasionally beef, and protein shakes). My water habit from the fast has carried over into everyday life. Lots of water, no sodas or other sugary drinks. The fasting wasn't the change I was looking for, but a catalyst for that change. It put me on the right path.
  - baddspellar 15y ago
    Now that's what we're talking about! Good job.
einhverfr 15y ago
Reading this blog I was reminded of Epicurius's statements (According to Cicero) about the impact of fasting on smell and taste (largely exactly what are described in that blog posting).
RexRollman 15y ago
Out of curiousity, what is the best way to end a multiple day fast? It would seem to me that eating too much at once or eating the wrong thing would make someone feel sick.
- Loic 15y ago
  Start simply with water boiled potatoes, then carrots, then slowly things like bread. My parents are doing a one week fast every year and this is what they do. It takes time to go back to normal food as the bacteria in your intestine need to grow again. The first time you do a one week fast, do it with people who are used to do it. In Europe you can find a lot of associations/clubs/whatever offering a one week seminar to do it.
  - rudiger 15y ago
    What if you don't wish to introduce carbohydrates into your diet (à la Paleolithic diet)?
    - guga31bb 15y ago
      There's nothing about eating paleo that forbids carbs. For example, many eating paleo eat large amounts of sweet potatoes
realschool 15y ago
I did a 3.5 day water only fast a few years ago, I remember reading somewhere that going longer then 3 days wasn't that safe.

102 points by jdbentley 15y ago

DanBC 15y ago

I've known a few people with Anorexia Nervosa. Not just "skip a few meals, look a bit thin" anorexia, but "detained in hospital against their will in wheel-chairs with forced NG tube feeding BMI of 14" anorexics. It's pretty scary that they describe very similar feelings as you do, and you only did that for a few weeks. Also, people with bulimia tend to be overweight exactly because of the cycle of fasting and binging that you describe. I'm pleased for you that you got a good result, and I'm grateful that you stressed the riskiness.

jdbentley 15y ago
When I started, I had already limited it to a short-term experiment precisely because I was afraid of developing a fasting compulsion. I certainly don't need to be swinging from one extreme to another. The risk should definitely be stressed.
cmhamill 15y ago
Not to be a big nerd, but I couldn't help thinking of the Ted Leo + Pharmacists Song "Me and Mia" while reading this. Particularly the line: > Sick to death of my dependence, fighting food to find transcendence > Fighting to survive, more dead but more alive It's an often under-acknowledged aspect of those who struggle with obesity that many of the same impulses and issues underly over-eating and under-eating. As someone who has both struggled with obesity my whole life and been drawn to fasting and extremity in fighting that goal, I would add one, very specific warning: Rarely is self-deprivation the right way to fight addiction, depression, or lack of self-esteem.

nodata 15y ago

Fasting is really bad for you. Does fasting even count as hacking?

Estragon 15y ago
Abuse of fasting usually has bad consequences, but when it's done for the purpose of studying one's emotional relationship to food and consumption, such abuse is unlikely.
mooism2 15y ago
Fasting isn't hacking, but I'd say the mental changes and introspection that went along with it in this case is hacking.
fingerprinter 15y ago
Fasting is most definitely NOT bad for you. You literally fast every night. Extreme, stupid, idiotic fasting is, however, bad.
- nodata 15y ago
  Fasting when you sleep hardly counts.
  - biot 15y ago
    True, though there is a reason why breakfast got its name.
    - kristofferR 15y ago
      Damn, I've never realized that before. It's weird how combined words eventually "evolves" into a single word you never realized was a meaningful combination of multiple words.
tintin 15y ago
Most people think that fasting is about not eating and drinking. This is wrong. It is about rethinking the life you live. It could be anything from not eating to stop using internet for a week of so. So why not call it hacking.
johnyzee 15y ago

user24 15y ago

It's a very interesting, very different experience. I'm not sure what we can take from it. I like the point about "I was so obsessed with the tool that the house was neglected entirely", I feel there's some wisdom in there I can learn from. Thanks for sharing it, I'm just not entirely sure what to make of it.

mooism2 15y ago

This reminds me a little of giving up smoking. That was definitely mind hacking. Obviously the endpoints are different (giving up tobacco forever good, giving up food forever bad).

RadioBellhop 15y ago

Although it's great you have felt a sense of empowerment through this, extreme measures I feel are never the best options. I guess it's how you define extreme, but if you ever feel that urgency to rack up the degree of action, ask around for help. Shit, in the right places even internet people are about nice enough.

teyc 15y ago

So true about what you wrote on feeling gratitude. One of the effects of being hungry is feeling alive. You begin to exist because the drive needs you to get off and eat. One thing about being hungry is how unpleasant it is. And then how unpleasant something unpleasant is. Then the desire to shake off the unpleasantness. If you stay still, it becomes almost interesting to watch. One fathom long body, the master of the universe, can barely hold 4 hours of food supply. Humans can survive on a meal a day. Just like most animals. My dog puts on weight on a meal a day. But somehow we have conditioned ourselves, through surrounding ourselves with food beyond what we need.

kzkg 15y ago

You should check you gallbladder for gallstones. They are often caused by crash diets and can cause that kind of pain you described.

jdbentley 15y ago
I had my gallbladder removed in February of 2007 after several attacks, so thankfully it's not something for me to worry about. The pain I experienced lasted only one day and I haven't felt even a hint of it since.

fingerprinter 15y ago

I'm going to jump right into the idea of fasting for 6 days and the unfortunate reality that most people in our field(s) don't. 1. know how to lose weight (really) 2. know how to eat 3. know how to workout Here, if you want to try fasting, which I do recommend, give this a shot. http://www.leangains.com/ http://www.leangains.com/ or do the Warrior diet (one huge meal a day). A 16/8 fast is great. Heck, I sometimes even do an eat-stop-eat way and skip an entire day after I had a cheat day. If you want to lose weight, it isn't about a crash diet, it most DEFINITELY is not about cardio and will never, ever be about low fat. Here it is, in a nutshell, to lose weight and maintain decent muscle mass through life. Eat whole foods in these categories only. Veggies, organic/grassfed meats (chicken, beef, fish etc), organic eggs. Some fruit (don't go nuts) and, only if you tolerate it, very little dairy. Some rules: every meal has protein, no exceptions. Fat is your friend. Carbs from veggies and fruit only. Now, exercise like this: Hard, very, very hard. And short. Think lifting big weights in a complex manner like squats and deadlifts. If someone says you should be doing front shoulder raises, run..... And sprint...bike REALLY fast for a short period of time, or jump rope really fast...something intense and short. Kettlebell swings in the 150-250 range would be great. Do that a couple of days a week (2-3) there are awesome programs out there so don't think too much about this, rather just do it. 5x5 programs, strong lifts, or even the leangains guide has some. There are awesome ways to get lost in details in all this, but that is like a 10 minute guide that I wish someone gave to me when I was 14. It literally took me this long to unlearn all the damage the high-carb, low-fat movement in the 80s did to us.

jamesbkel 15y ago
As someone who managed to lose over 100lbs through trying various techniques and adjusting by trial and error, I largely agree with your advice. I rely on a diet of yogurt in the morning to get my day going, then one large meal for dinner. As long as you don't go overboard on the dinner, that generally leaves enough room for a "cheat day" each week. Also, the "sprinting" technique worked wonders for me. I used a stationary bicycle and would do ~5min sprints/~2min breaks while watching TV or listening to music. If you live in an apt building and want to do that on the cheap, I've found running stairs works well too. [edit: One last thing. The water fasting technique works quite well. If you are trying to drop some weight, get one of those filtered water jugs that fit in the refrigerator. Every time you feel hungry but know that you shouldn't be eating, drink a glass of cold water. ]

jmtame 15y ago

Sounds like your body transitioned into ketosis during the third or fourth day. You can know for sure by buying ketone test strips and drinking enough water. I've tested out ketosis for myself and experienced some strange effects: salad tasted better, but I had no cravings and no hunger; some days all I had was an egg. It's not a good idea to stay in ketosis for more than a few weeks, since it's making your liver work harder to convert fat (rather than glycogen) into energy.

JoshTriplett 15y ago
You also don't want to stay in it too long because your body will start eating muscle, not just fat.
- driverdan 15y ago
  For fasting, yes that's true. For a ketogenic diet with adequate amounts of protein, no it won't.
  - JoshTriplett 15y ago
    I only mentioned it due to the topic of fasting. Yes, you can carefully control the process to ensure you don't burn protein, but fasting doesn't do that.

maeon3 15y ago

If you fast, when you stop fasting you will gain 20 pounds because your brain and body will be in "famine mode" and you will store everything to fat. Go ahead and try it. I've been hovering around 155 to 160 my whole life, that is until the day I fasted for about 2 1/2 days, at which point I immediately started gaining weight after. It's been a daily battle since to not overeat. My subconscious mind says: "Eat, consume, gorge, because tomorrow there will be none" and my conscious mind has to say "no".

johnyzee 15y ago
As someone who fasts for a full month of the year, I can chime in. It is true that you probably shouldn't do it for the weight loss alone, as you tend to compensate, or over-compensate, once fasting is broken. That said there are many other benefits, as acknowledged by the author. Most people feel a heightened sense of awareness and clarity during fasting (the opposite of the lazy feeling after a meal). There is a reason most spiritual traditions include an element of fasting. Besides this there is a range of proven health benefits (Wikipedia cites reduced risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, insulin resistance, immune disorders, slowing of the aging process, and the potential to increase maximum life span). Just like exercising, it is 'unpleasant' for the mind to be forced into, but feels 'right' once you get it done and you actually grow fond of it in spite of the hardship.
GiraffeNecktie 15y ago
A long time ago I tried fasting for ten days on nothing more than water with a little lemon juice and cayenne (the plan was courtesy of a stupid book). After ten days, when I was ready to break my fast all nice and slow, I happened to pass by some fresh baked apple pie, which smelled like the best apple pie I'd ever smelled in my life. What do you think happened?
RyanHolliday 15y ago
I don't want to discount your experience, but as with a post advocating for fasting, you need to put a personal experience/your mileage may vary disclaimer on here, because your experience isn't going to be what everyone will experience. I've done fasting in pretty varied ways. The longest was for eight days. What I usually do now is a 24-hour fast: dinner, skip the following breakfast and lunch, and then dinner. When I fasted for eight days, I dropped about ten pounds. On a 24-hour cycle of fasting, I will drop between 1 and 2 pounds a day depending on activity level. I have never had the experience of gaining 20lb after fasting, nor have I ever felt like I was in famine mode. I think I gain weight a bit quicker than before I started doing the 24-hour fasts, but at the same time, it drops off quicker, too (it's true that fasting changes how your body stores and uses fat). If you go from fasting back to junk food binges three or four times a day, yes, you will (unsurprisingly) gain the weight back. If you're putting 6k calories a day in, nothing about the effects of that are going to go away after your fast. If you go from fasting back to a reasonably balanced diet, the weight isn't coming back--if you aren't overeating, how could it? This has been my experience. Your mileage may vary. I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice.

maeon3 15y ago

Hacker diet: http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html

sambeau 15y ago

I tried giving up eating for a week and it was a fascinating experience: if you are curious, try it. It won't kill you and it probably won't harm you unless you are already ill. It gives you an interesting insight into ancient man and how well our bodies are made to cope with hunger and starvation. The first day-and-a-half was the hardest I felt really hungry. Then suddenly the hunger stopped and I felt great: really alive and full of energy. This feeling remained for the rest of the week. Originally I had intended to drink fruit juice but it gave me a terrible stomach upset and I switched to water only (although I did have an occasional glass of wine). Somewhere around day two my fat started to melt and began to coat my mouth and skin. I grew some huge spots (edit: pimples). Day three I felt a little light-headed at times but was never tired: I had read about the dangers of muscle-loss so I chose to visit the gym each night and was swimming for up to an hour, too. By day 5 I could have kept going without problem: I'm a big guy and could easily do 40 days without food. I stopped only because I had a family celebration to attend (and I'm not sure my mother would have approved). I can't say I noticed much in the way of weight loss. I had read that you normally lose about a pound a day (which may have been true). I'd been drinking plenty of liquid so I didn't lose water. The evening when I went back onto food was also interesting: the food tasted different — more intense and satisfying. The following days I felt great and had meant to repeat the exercise for a longer period, but as I yet I haven't. No matter what anyone says, that first day-and-a-half does not get any easier. Some of the reported upsides that I cannot confirm from such a short diet are: your digestive system shuts down very early and so it gets a rest for repair (something that modern humans never manage but ancient humans probably did); your gut flora also gets a chance to die-off a bit and regrow — we are a forest of yeast and bacteria and some people think the occasional prune-and-regrowth is healthy; your fat (especially your internal fat) starts to melt and be burned up as fuel (this is a surprisingly kludgy process: it seems to all go liquid at once all over your body). I can surmise that given a longer period of time it would be beneficial to get rid of the stored fat (and other chemicals stored in it—fat in animals stores feed flavours after-all). There are reports that stopping, clearing out and restarting your digestive/fat/fat storage/liver system can have other surprising health benefits most notably with Type 2 diabetes; there are also reports of benefits to allergies and food intolerances (again I can't verify). My father has been discussing doing something similar with his doctor in the hope of curing his Type 2 diabetes. So, in summary, I found the experiment interesting, informative and fun and would recommend it to anyone (with sufficient fat store) who would like to see what it is like (and can get through the initial wall). If you do: keep exercising so you don't lose muscle; don't eat anything as then you will become hungry again; don't operate heavy machinery (and probably avoid driving) as you do get light headed; don't expect to lose a large amount of weight in such a short amount of time; avoid fruit juice; don't expect your world-view to change or for it to make you a stronger/wiser/more spiritual person; do expect it to give you newfound respect for ancient man and those forced to starve through drought and war.

baddspellar 15y ago

Radical, one-time, short-term actions like this aren't lifestyle changes. They're not sustainable, so they don't work in the long term. If the author said he made sustainable lifestyle changes I'd have some reason to believe he's won his weight battle. If he said he's been getting up an hour early each morning for the past 3 months to walk, or has been learning how to prepare tasty low-calorie meals and has kept that up for the past 3 months, or has taken up cycling and has commuted to the office by bike every day it would be a different story. I know plenty of people who've done these things and successfully kept their weight down indefinitely. On the other hand, I know plenty of people who've lost weight with short term, unsustainable diets, and who gained every pound of that back.

fennecfoxen 15y ago
It doesn't sound like immediate weight-loss is what he's after here. It sounds like it's more about developing self-control in the face of abundant food, and being able to skip the candy bar. A one-time super-fast exercise may actually be able to help with that. (Disclaimers etc go here.)
jdbentley 15y ago
I felt that the post concluded better at the end of the fast rather than dragging it on, but since breaking the fast I've continued walking daily, I lift weights 3 day a week, I'm eating far more fruits and vegetables (especially apples) and I'm getting about 100g-150g of lean protein per day (from chicken, turkey, occasionally beef, and protein shakes). My water habit from the fast has carried over into everyday life. Lots of water, no sodas or other sugary drinks. The fasting wasn't the change I was looking for, but a catalyst for that change. It put me on the right path.
- baddspellar 15y ago
  Now that's what we're talking about! Good job.

einhverfr 15y ago

Reading this blog I was reminded of Epicurius's statements (According to Cicero) about the impact of fasting on smell and taste (largely exactly what are described in that blog posting).

RexRollman 15y ago

Out of curiousity, what is the best way to end a multiple day fast? It would seem to me that eating too much at once or eating the wrong thing would make someone feel sick.

Loic 15y ago
Start simply with water boiled potatoes, then carrots, then slowly things like bread. My parents are doing a one week fast every year and this is what they do. It takes time to go back to normal food as the bacteria in your intestine need to grow again. The first time you do a one week fast, do it with people who are used to do it. In Europe you can find a lot of associations/clubs/whatever offering a one week seminar to do it.
- rudiger 15y ago
  What if you don't wish to introduce carbohydrates into your diet (à la Paleolithic diet)?
  - guga31bb 15y ago
    There's nothing about eating paleo that forbids carbs. For example, many eating paleo eat large amounts of sweet potatoes

realschool 15y ago

I did a 3.5 day water only fast a few years ago, I remember reading somewhere that going longer then 3 days wasn't that safe.