Considering fasting with water only? I’ve done water fasting nine times in the last two years, so I have some 5 day water fast weight loss results to share. I’ll answer your questions, such as “Is water fasting safe?” and “Is fasting for 5 days good?” Also, I’ll tell you what to expect on a 5-day prolonged fast and how much weight you can lose by fasting on water.

Introduction

My entire family is obese. Growing up, I lived in a small Soviet Russia condo with my mom, grandma, two aunts, two cousins who were called my “sisters,” and my grandpa. He was huge, with a giant belly and many illnesses. Everyone in the family was an alcoholic, even us kids. Alcohol was served to me when I was five. Where was it? At home!

My “sister” Yulya was one year older, and my “sister” Vika was two years older than me. I was the youngest of the three “sisters,” each of whom was a daughter of the three actual sisters who were my maternal grandma’s daughters: Ira, Sveta, and Lyuda. Lyuda was my mother. Yulya was Sveta’s daughter. Vika was Ira’s daughter.

Vika and I were skinny. My narcissistic mother always compared us. What do I mean by that? Well… She’d put me in the middle of a circle with her sisters, grandma, or even strangers, and call Vika, then, begin comparing the size of my boobs to that of Vika’s, the size of my butt to Vika’s butt, the numbers of holes between my legs to the five perfect holes Vika had between her legs. And I can go on but actually, I wrote a separate article about that, describing everything my mother said in regards to my body.

RELATED: Things Narcissistic Mothers Say

Vika was my mother’s “golden child,” though she wasn’t my mother’s child. What? No, it’s not a typo. It’s just an indication of how screwed up things can get in life sometimes. Again, Vika was not my mother’s child, yet she was her “golden child.” My mother called Vika “my favorite daughter” and she called me a “miscarriage.” How is this related to fasting on water? I’m getting there! There’s a story to my fasting reasons, and I need you to hear me out so that you can better understand yourself.

Water fasting is hard. Why? Well…

It’s complicated but most of the reasons are rooted in your childhood. I’m serious, don’t dismiss this important message. Follow my story for a minute, and you’ll see it all for yourself.

So, the first thing you know about me is that my body was publicly displayed, criticized, bullied, and compared to another girl’s body. It happened regularly, and I was made fun of by my mother and family members for my body. I was called fat and my cellulite was brought to my attention when I was only ten years old and had not even started my period. My mother predicted out loud in my face that I would be fat and covered in cellulite when I’d grow up. She was very kind and encouraging… I describe her impact on me in an article called “Narcissistic Mother-Daughter Relationship.”

We discussed the bullying I experienced at home and the comparison trap where my mother lured me since I was little. Now, I want to tell you about severe confusion in regards to food. If there was a meal cooked, I had to eat it, leaving an empty plate. I heard this over and over and over again: “If you love me, you will finish your food. If you appreciate me as a cook, you’ll ask for more!”

At the same time, I heard this regularly: “How can you eat so much? You eat like a pig!” In addition to all that, there were beatings, forcing me to eat the food that was served at home. However, sometimes, my mom would be mad, not talk to me, ignore me, and not feed me at all.

I later experienced all of the same narcissistic abuse mental cruelty tactics in my marriage with the Narcissist, which is described in a separate blog post where I share some unbearable details of that depressing marriage. He also used the silent treatment and food abuse, just like my mother. It was a very painful experience, which took a while to heal from, but the bottom line is that food-related abuse is very damaging and is often used to manipulate unsuspecting victims.

RELATED: Narcissistic Relationship Abuse

There was one more thing… The condo where I grew up had two kitchens, and my grandma with grandpa and my aunt Sveta cooked their own food. They had money, but my mom raised me on welfare. My aunt would tease me with food, and then say mean things and not share. She’d laugh and bully me when she saw me hungry. It was a very small condo, so growing up with one family doing separate cooking was confusing, and the bullying that came with it was painful. This exact thing re-appeared in my life at 33 when I was married to the Narcissist. That was precisely what he did.

So, the second thing you know about me is that I endured food-abuse in my childhood in Soviet Russia and as a 30+ adult woman in America. The scars left from those deep repeated wounds began showing up in my life through binge-eating, over-eating, and my inability to fast on water.

Growing up, I was very sick. I struggled with poor health, and every year it got worse for over a decade. Anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, C-PTSD, OCD, stomach ulcers, sinus infections, fungus, yeast infections, broken nose, teen pregnancy and miscarriage, scoliosis, neck and low back injuries, chronic adnexitis, chronic rectal bleeding, chronic bronchitis, alcoholism, smoking, sexual addiction, ear infections, and severe insomnia.

From eating a ton of fat, such as cheap vegetable oil, lard, butter, milk, sour cream, Russian mayo, meats, and cheeses, as well as chicken fingers, liver, belly button, necks, and I won’t continue as I’m about to vomit remembering those meals. It all was mixed with vodka nearly every day. Add severe stress to it from a violent and hustle life at home, regular beatings, and daily screaming, and you will understand why I had stomach ulcers and was hospitalized often.

So, the third thing you know about me is that I used to be very sick and was hospitalized often for my poor health. I didn’t know that I personally had any power to influence and improve my health. I surely didn’t know anyone fasting on water, except my evil grandma who bragged about her fasting to win approval and admiration from neighbors and relatives and to be considered a saint.

My weight was not a problem for many years. I was skinny and even won prizes in local beauty pageants. Photographers wanted me to be in magazines, and there was even a local billboard in the city of Kursk in Russia with my picture on it! So, I didn’t have to hustle for weight loss. Until I married the Narcissist and put on 20 lb! At the time, I was not 17 anymore. I was in my early 30s. Things changed, and I learned how hard it is to lose weight after 35 and to keep it off long-term. I’m 37 now, and fasting on water for 5 days helped me lose 20 lb twice!

So, the fourth thing you know about me is that I’ve experienced continuous weight struggles in the last few years, after I turned 35. The journey back to my ideal weight was harder this year, at 37. So, I know first-hand how hard it is to battle body fat. In my experience, water fasting for 5 days, exercise, and a plant-based diet have all worked really well. Here’s a picture of me at the beach a few days ago.

In this article, I’ll share with you my 5 day water fast diary where you will see how all the trauma I faced in relation to food played out in my desire but inability to fast on water. You will also see how I was able to fast successfully. I’ll share with you my water fasting vlog and a written journal. I’ll disclose my challenges and triumphs.

I’ll show you my before and after pictures.

My goal with this blog post is to encourage and empower you to fast on water for 5 days, to pick yourself up when you fail and try again, and to explore your own childhood trauma, which defines your current relationship with food. It’s complicated but not impossible!

Is Water Fasting Safe?

Water fasting is safe but not for everyone. If you have illnesses or take any medications, you should do a medically-supervised fast at True North Health Center in California. If you are pregnant, you shouldn’t do a water fast. I recommend you read this scientific study: “Safety, health improvement and well-being during a 4 to 21-day fasting period in an observational study including 1422 subjects.” If you are skinny like me with some hidden fat, you should not fast for more than five days at home. What is hidden fat? Well… Have you ever heard the term “skinny fat?” That was me! The hidden fat is invisible. It’s called “visceral fat.”

Visceral fat is the type of body fat that’s stored within the abdominal cavity. It’s located near several vital organs, including the liver, stomach, and intestines. It can also build up in the arteries. I had a lot of this hidden fat on my things, belly pooch, arms, double-chin, and on my waist. If you are skinny fat, fast for five days at a time, since you don’t have huge resources for your body to live off of.

Dr. Alan Goldhamer, who medically supervises thousands of patients fasting on water every year, says this: “Not everyone is a candidate for fasting. There are a number of factors to consider before a fast is recommended. My procedure is to first review the patient’s medical history and perform a comprehensive physical examination including appropriate laboratory or specialized diagnostic tests.  I then review my findings with the patient and make appropriate recommendations.  These may include dietary and lifestyle recommendations or changes and, when indicated, fasting. Not every individual or every condition will respond to conservative treatment.  Occasionally medical care may be necessary.  When a medical consultation or treatment is indicated, the safest methods available should be utilized.”

Another study on the safety of water fasting concluded the following “In a large cohort study of 2000 participants, fasting was shown to be safe and actually beneficial to their chronic disease (rheumatic diseases, chronic pain syndrome, hypertension, metabolic syndrome).”

I recommend one more study called “Is fasting safe?”

Water fasting is safe if you are not pregnant, have excess body fat, don’t take any meds, and are generally healthy. I have done all nine of my water fasts at home, by myself, and recently – in secret.

But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:17-18

Fasting on water is not only safe but very beneficial for your health. It promotes longevity and healthful living. I described on this blog my experiences with a 5 day water fast, a 3 day water fast, a 2 day water fast, and my 30 days of fasting. Water fasting helps prevent, stop, and reverse diseases, it is a great free anti-aging tool, and it’s the best free method of getting rid of body fat.

Most importantly, fasting with water only is the best way to grow spiritually because you have to rely on God to get you through. Fasting takes faith and it grows your faith if you can do a 5 day water fast.

Fasting with Water Only

Fasting with water only brigs up all the challenges you ever experienced in relation to food. In fact, fasting reveals what kind of relationship you have with food. It shows you what food means to you. Fasting on water allows you to witness how much of a master food is to you. You may find out that you are addicted to food or have eating disorders. All this and more happened on my own journey of fasting on water only.

The journey is hard. Not eating anything is hard.

A genuine fast cleanses the body, mind, and soul. It crucifies the flesh and, to that extent, it sets the soul free.

Mahatma Gandhi

Though doing a 5 day water fast is hard, it is not impossible. I failed at it plenty of times, and also I succeeded at it. It takes surrender and a strong why. What’s my why?

I fast on water to optimize my overall health, to not become obese like my family members, to maintain my ideal weight and not become fat as my mother desired, to avoid illnesses and doctors and save money on medical bills, to stay active and energized so that I can enjoy an excellent quality of life, and to avoid buying a whole new wardrobe because my wardrobe is beautiful and tailored for my ideal weight. I’ve been wearing some dresses in my wardrobe for the last 13-15 years!

Let me answer some frequently asked questions now.

What To Expect on a 5-Day Prolonged Fast

On a 5 day prolonged fast, expect to be challenged and uncomfortable. You will feel cravings, you will be provoked by social eating, you will be hungry, you will be tempted to quit, and you may feel a background depression if you focus on how deprived you are.

Trust me, fasting with water only for five days is not a rainbow-unicorny journey. All your emotional issues might come up, and you may end up crying. I recommend journaling about everything because you will experience a spiritual awakening. You will!

Dr. Michael Klaper says, while fasting, look for nausea, pounding headache, and light-headedness from low blood pressure. From my personal experience of fasting with water only nine times, I can say it’s for sure that you’ll have a pounding rapid heartbeat. You may experience vomiting bile, which happened to me and was exhausting.

Expect to learn more about yourself. I wrote in my water fasting diary: “I have a better understanding of why I’ve struggled with food: because in America I’ve been surrounded by addictive substances called “healthy foods” made specifically to get me addicted to crap and to crave, overeat, binge eat, and genuinely suffer. I have an addictive personality and a lifetime of history of various addictions. I described my sex addiction here in detail, on this blog. But food addiction. This one has been tough. There’s a huge social component to this: I don’t want to offend my friends, neighbors, and colleagues by rejecting the food they serve or want to eat. Yet, I hate eating junk. Every time I say yes to the food served in the office or professional associations’ networking events, neighbors’ homes, or church parties, I say no to my own personal values. I betray myself. I don’t want to eat animals. I don’t want to have cancer. I don’t want to have diabetes. I don’t want to have heart diseases. I don’t want to be on chemotherapy or have my chest cut open for a bypass surgery. No, thank you! I want to be healthy, active, drug-free, and live a peaceful life, not harming animals, myself, or my planet. In the last 12 years since I arrived in America, I’ve been influenced by burgers, hotdogs, lamb gyros, sweet pecan pies, cheeses of all sorts, coffee filled with cancer-promoting junk, chicken smelling all over each grocery store anywhere, and meatballs pasta on every corner. I want to be free from slavery to my food addiction. Food is not my master! I will not subject myself to bad eating habits, which have such negative all-encompassing health consequences. I will honor God with my body. I will avoid the sin of gluttony. I will cherish my physical and mental health with good food only. “

Expect feeling cold due to your lowered blood pressure and heart rate. I actually found myself wearing a winter coat when walking outside to get mail in 90F on a sunny Summer day.

Expect heart ponding. Why heart pounding during a water fast? Dehydration causes strain on the heart. The amount of blood circulating through the body – blood volume – decreases when a human is dehydrated. How can someone be dehydrated on a water fast? Everyone is always dehydrated when fasting on water because the body uses more water that’s being consumed. To compensate during the dehydration, the heart beats faster, increasing the heart rate and causing palpitations, aka rapid and strong heartbeats.

Expect fatigue. The first 2-3 days are very hard, and I sometimes sleep a lot, especially on days two and three. The body is adjusting and switching its operating system, so it has not much energy for daily activities. That is true some of the time. There’s an opposite effect you may experience, which depends on what you ate before your water fast, your cycle, and many other factors. So, you may experience high energy!

Expect high energy and unbelievable clarity of mind. On day two of my water fast was my first time running in 10 years on April 19th, 2020. Expect to better understand yourself, your relationship to food, your emotional attachment to food and eating, as well as what eating food means to you personally. I personally cried a lot when journaling about my journey of fasting on water for 5 days.

Dr. Klaper says:

• Drink plenty of water
• Move slowly, don’t race
• Watch out for nausea/vomiting from detoxing
• Vomiting a lot is not ok, if you do, then drink juice
• Little headache is ok but not a pounding headache
• Getting lightheaded when standing up due to blood volume pulling blood draining head, during fast, you lose more water than you drink, you may feel drowsy in the morning and you might be having low blood pressure 
• Lean people should not fast for long
• Oversized people can do longer fasts
• Skinny people can have a real issue of low blood pressure 
• Don’t get out of bed too fast, be slow
• Commit to one day of fasting at a time
• It’s not a race or a contract, break the fast if needed
• Learn about your body in the process of fasting

Expect to pray and surrender. Doing this on your own is hard. So, do it with God! Ask Him for help. Pray to God for strength, guidance, and provision of calories because you already have a lot of fat stored, all you need is to access it through fasting, which takes mental and spiritual stamina. But first, you need to believe that you will actually do the water fast. I have failed many times due to my double-mindedness and wavering.

… when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

James 1:6-8

To prevent wavering, have a strong why. Understanding what drives your desire to fast on water for 5 days. It can’t be just the weight loss. You need to dig deep and search inside yourself to discover your true agenda. My journal entry is below revealing why I started a 5 day water fast.

Why I Did a 5 Day Water Fast

My relationship with food is dysfunctional, I’m obsessed with eating.

I want to clear my mind and be only obsessed with God.

I’m bloated and have a lower pooch, which I can’t stand.

I eat vegan cheese, meat, ice cream, and other vegan junk.

I think I’m addicted to honey, I eat a half a bottle of honey a day.

I’ve been trying to transition to being fully plant-based but I fail about once a month or even more often. I’m ready to do it! I hate craving chicken, lamb, pasta, and sushi.

I am completely healthy and want to honor God with my body as the Bible commands. I also want to honor my body for its hard work and protection from viruses and diseases. I’m grateful for my body and for the fact that it’s kept me protected from the Coronavirus COVID-19.

I have developed a habit of mindless eating which I can’t stand: I eat throughout the day by grabbing stuff and eating from the kitchen counter fast without noticing it. While I don’t eat fast food or sodas or fried chicken or french fries, I do get loaded on nuts, dates, fruit, bread, avocados, hummus, and grains, so I can never tell how much I ate on any given day. I don’t like this.

My overeating and binge-eating cause bloating. It also makes me insulin-resistant. It’s a waste of energy. It’s a sin of gluttony, and the Bible says put a knife to your throat if you’re given to gluttony! I like eating mindfully and slowly while sitting at a table and chewing well. I want to only eat what I need but I don’t know what being healthily full feels like. I don’t recognize when I’m feeling satiated.

Anna Szabo’s Water Fasting Journal 4/15/2020

Expect a bad breath. Let me just be straightforward: you will have a feeling in your mouth as if a rat died there. Bad breath caused by dehydration can be a common side-effect of fasting. Also, not paying extra-careful attention to your teeth during a 5 day water fast can be detrimental to your dental health: it can result in issues serious dental problems, such as cavities or even gum disease. I always brush my teeth a few times a day.

Expect back pain. Back pain can increase due to toxins in the lower intestine. During a water fast, you are detoxing very quickly. This leads to a buildup of toxins in the large intestine and colon. The body’s reaction is to spasm in the intestines which can result in pain. Your liver may be forced to release too many toxins at once during a fast. When the toxins flood the bloodstream, the kidneys and bowel can still only eliminate a small portion at a time. That detoxification causes back pain. This was my journal entry during fasting on water: “My back hurts, my stomach still makes a ton of noise, my mouth feels like a rat literally died in there, I’m hot but I know that these are the very indications that my water fast is working! I’m committed 100% and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Expect weakness. Water fasting will result in weakness and lack of energy due to the slowdown of your body’s metabolism. That’s why it’s recommended that fasting on water is done in an environment of complete rest. I did it with exercise and in a resting environment, and I learned that resting is a better option than fasting with exercise.

Expect blackouts and dizziness. During fasting the body conserves energy. The heart pumps slower and blood pressure lowers. Standing or moving quickly from a resting position will cause the blood to flow to the legs, causing blackouts and dizziness. 

Expect a headache. Toxins can cause muscle tightness in the neck and shoulders. This can result in tension headaches. Massaging the neck and shoulders will help relieve the tension. Also, placing ice on the area where the tension is will provide relief.

Expect vomiting. When waste is released too quickly by the lymph glands, some of the toxic overload is taken by the liver and secreted with bile into the stomach. This causes nausea. I personally struggled with this once, and vomiting bile burned my throat. Nearly 15% of water fasting cases result in bile vomiting in the first few days. The reason for puking during a water fast is gallbladder which supports the liver. Located in the upper right portion of the abdomen, the liver and gallbladder are interconnected by ducts known as the biliary tract, which drains into the first segment of the small intestine (the duodenum). Bile is the greenish-yellow liquid made by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. It aids food digestion by mainly breaking down fats and turning them into fatty acids. Bile is made of the following: cholesterol, salts, bile acids, bilirubin, water, and certain metals. Some people when water fasting for more than a day, suddenly experience one or more spells of bile vomiting. This can happen when the gallbladder releases bile and in some cases, this bile ends up in the stomach, irritates the stomach, and causes vomiting. It indicates the detoxification and is normal.

Expect muscle cramps. Muscle pains and aches may be caused by malnourishment and insufficient levels of nutrients. In particular, potassium and calcium deficiencies can cause muscle pains due to an imbalance of electrolytes. I personally experienced this problem in my legs, and it was very painful but short-lived. Getting to bed and massaging my legs, as well as eating, helped relief the cramps. Why did I feel leg cramps after a water fast? Magnesium plays a role in transporting calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes. Without it, my muscles may have difficulty contracting properly, which is why a common symptom of low magnesium levels is muscle cramping, something commonly experienced when fasting on water. I needed nuts and spinach.

Expect to lose weight. Personally, I lost 20 lb by fasting on water for 5 days, twice. I did it in 2018 and in 2020. Typically, on a water fast you can expect to lose 4 lb a day. However, some of that weight is water weight and will return. To lose fat, you need to be in a state of ketosis after 72 hours of eating nothing and just drinking water.

Expect to transition to a healthy lifestyle after the water fast. Here’s what Dr. Alan Goldhamer says about this: “Fasting, for as few as five days to as many as 40 days, will often dramatically shorten the time it takes for  an individual to make the transition from a conventional diet and lifestyle (with all the associated addictions, pains, fatigue, and disease) to the independent and energetic state associated with healthful living.”

Learn more about what to expect on a 5 day fast:

• Water Fasting Day 1 April 30th 2020
• Water Fasting Day 2 May 1st 2020
• Water Fasting Day 3 May 2nd 2020
• Water Fasting Day 4 May 3rd 2020
• Water Fasting Day 5 May 4th 2020

To help you understand water fasting better, I wrote an article sharing my personal journey and my own “Water Fast Results.” If you followed my blog for a while, you know that I have graduated with high honors from high school, college, and two universities in Russia. Then, I came to America and graduated with an MBA from GSU with a 3.74 GPA after teaching myself English. So, what am I saying? I love science! There’s an excellent scientific study on prolonged water fasting, and here’s what the scientists concluded: “The positive effect of the complete water fasting was in the reduction of oxidative stress, body weight, and blood pressure.” These are some of the things you can definitely expect on a water fast.

Refeeding After 5 Day Water Fast

Below is my journal documenting my refeeding after a 5 day water fast. You can find a complete version in my water fasting dary shared on this blog. Here, I’m sharing some excerpts to help you get an idea of what to eat once you break your prolonged water fast.

Refeeding Day 1

My simple veggie broth is ready: it’s beautiful and smells great! I’m too excited to eat, so I’m trying to calm down. 

At 12:20 am, I finished eating. I ate five spoons of my broth and was full. I pooped: it was a small healthy piece. I did my nighttime hygiene routine again. And I went to sleep tired because eating was a lot of work and I immediately felt dizzy after the five spoons of broth. 

I woke up at 6:20 am, no alarms. I went to eat but this time, I poured the same broth in a cup and drank it slowly. It was 1/2 of a coffee mug. I got a little headache right away. My heart began pounding, and I was almost out of breath at first, which normalized within a few minutes.

It’s 7 am, and I just finished drinking my soup. I have no headache, I can breathe, my heart is still pounding a little bit, and I’m excited to gently re-introduce food into my life.

I’m going to do my morning hygiene and then sleep some more. Then, I’ll eat some more but I’ll add more puréed veggies to my broth. This time I added from that broth I made the following boiled veggies: 1/8 of a bell pepper, one mushroom, 1/6 of a white potato, and two pieces of asparagus. I added fresh garlic to that.

Now, that’s finished. For my next refeeding I’ll make a new purée with sweet potato, broccoli, carrots, and kale from that same broth, which I’m keeping on warm in the kitchen in the IntaPot. 

After that, I plan to eat another soup with a few lentils and chunks of veggies instead of veggies puréed. I may make veggie juice today but I’m not sure yet because I do want that little bit of fiber. Why? Because I want to poop and get back to my normal three times a day pooping schedule. Anyway, I know that veggie juice might be great but it absorbs into the bloodstream too fast and offers no fiber at all, so it doesn’t result in pooping. 

My refeeding must last for 2.5-3 days, which is half of my fast. That’s a typical rule. Then, I get to eat some solid plant-based food. Overall, I feel really good and empowered.

I must stay humble and take this slowly and rest because the disposal of all the mobilized crap in my body continues still, so I must be mindful and not overeat on broth but give my body proper time – with patience and mindfulness – to restore its ability to digest food and get back to normal. I’m taking it all slow. I’ve learned so much and I’m grateful for the journey. 

It’s 9:35 am, I made another soup purée but I used fewer pulses on my food processor when puréeing veggies so there’s some more fiber. I feel how the food is working and I hear it too. I only took two small sips and I started feeling dizzy, so I’m in bed and will rest, sipping on this soup purée slowly over time. It’s a small batch, about the size of a coffee mug. I plan to sip on it for two hours or so. It’s in a thermos-like mug so it will stay warm.

It’s 12:20 pm, and I haven’t pooped. I just finished my green juice with kale, cucumber, lemon, orange, and apple. I’m going to take a nap. My heart is pounding and I’m out of breath. 

It’s 3 pm, and I woke up on my own from the most peaceful nap ever. No alarm clock. I feel so calm. Interestingly, I’m not bothered a bit by the sounds of an ongoing rooftop remodeling, which began in my community two weeks ago and will continue for two months.

Landscapers, with their loud blowers, do not bother me either. The screaming children, motorcycles, loud cars – nothing annoys me. I’m just chill. I’m peaceful. I thank God for this divine experience.

It’s 7:47 pm, and I am finally pooping, after a walk and my final few sips of the soup purée. It came out easily as one dark medium piece but it stinks so bad… not the usual smell for my poop at all. I think anyone doing a water fast needs to be really aware of the pooping aspect of it, bad body odor, foul mouth, dry hair, cracked lips, and peeling skin.

Now, I’m going to do my final bedtime hygiene and go to sleep listening to the book of Luke and Acts on the Bible app and icing down my right knee. Tomorrow I plan to run to the grocery store and get some fresh produce.

Refeeding Day 2

It’s 1:55 am. I was hungry so I made thin skinny potatoes with garlic and mushrooms and a salad with spinach, tomato, and cucumber. After that, my cramps were gone, I pooped a ton of normal poop, and after all that dinner and a ton of water, my weight is 120.9 lb. 

I woke up at 10:45 am. The most peaceful nine hours of sleep ever! I just felt so good, light, rested, and content. I did my morning hygiene and weighed myself. I’m at 120.9 lb. So, I lost 15.1 lb since starting my water fasting journey. 

I went for a short walk in the sun, I cleaned the kitchen from last night’s cooking, I drank water, I made a green smoothie with spinach, bananas, dates, and a few flax seeds, and I’m slowly drinking it now. I’m drinking it in bed while resting because at 1 pm, I’m going to the grocery store, and I don’t want to faint. I remember yesterday and I don’t want to overdo it. I want to take things slowly. Though I want to get some things done today, I plan to rest in between chores. 

I have no cramps, no headache, no anything. I feel amazing, light, energized, and most importantly I feel like my real self. Those 15 extra-pounds were unnecessary for me.

The effort that fasting on water takes is tremendous and exhausting but the benefits exceed that effort. Nothing worth having is ever easy. Optimal health is the most precious asset. To have it, we must work hard and sacrifice. Food is not my master. God is!

In the last two days, I’ve been learning to make the best food choices based on what my body needs: a green smoothie instead of a green juice because the smoothie has all the valuable fiber to help me poop, which is very important to my good health; a potato with a big salad to help me with leg cramps caused by the carb depletion and the deficit of magnesium. I’m learning to breathe slowly before and while eating and be mindful of what I eat and most importantly why something makes its way into my mouth. 

The reason for anything to make it into my body must be nutritional. “What is the nutritional value of this food?” – I must ask myself. Also, I must consider how much I eat and why I eat that much. I know my hunger often has huge eyes, and it caused my stomach to grow huge, too. I don’t want a huge stomach so I must deploy my mind to control the eyes of my brain’s hunger.

What do I mean? 

Many times, I wasn’t physically hungry but mentally I was. In my brain, I’d be tempted to eat when my stomach was begging me to stop. I’d feel like vomiting – so staffed and so full. I never felt good overeating yet I overate often. Why? The reasons are emotional: it’s the relationship between the food and the brain’s pleasure center. Eating food makes me feel a certain way.

Which way? Let’s see…

How Eating Food Makes Me Feel

In control. Yes, eating food helps me cope with life’s uncertainties and challenges. But only emotionally. Physically overeating and binge-eating made me 20 lb overweight and completely miserable. 

Loved. Yes, food was used to show me love when I was growing up, and it was the only way. I wasn’t hugged, acknowledged, appreciated, no, I was rejected and condemned, I was abandoned and abused, but I was fed most of the time. And this was presented to me as love.

Safe. Yes, eating food means being safe because growing up in Soviet Russia, I experienced no food at all, hunger, anarchy, danger, brainwashing, uncertainty, and a total overall haze. So, somehow eating food, which is abundant here in America, makes me feel safe.

All of this is on the subconscious level, not in my immediate awareness. I had to work hard to understand all these emotional issues and accept them. One day, I will be able to write about these things on my blog for others to read. It’s extremely complex and complicated, and I am not working with any therapists. This is my journey, and I am figuring this out on my own.

A huge component of this emotional killer cocktail is shame. Overeating, binge-eating, mindless eating, eating enormous amounts of food – all of this is embarrassing and causes shame. When one day I will be able to share my food struggles on my blog, I will have overcome my shame.

Food is fuel and medicine, not anything else.

I never want to eat for social reasons again, just because others are eating staffed turkey with triple-cheese mashed potatoes covered in beacon, and I feel afraid to offend someone by saying “no thank you!”

My favorite phrase from now on is “no thank you!” I’m going to practice at home often so that it becomes automatic and I don’t have to feel guilt from hurting someone’s feelings by saying “no thank you!”

Simple words but very powerful! 

I want to have a healthy, thoughtful, mindful, productive relationship with food and with myself. Over-eating, binge-eating, crap-eating, and eating when I’m not even hungry are all the reasons why me, myself, I, and food were all at odds for a while. I’m glad I did this water fast. Once I’m able, I’m starting back on my exercise routine.

I plan to continue my healthy habits forever. 

Establishing, developing, and maintaining healthy habits is hard but living life as a slave to crappy habits is much harder. Living life while being sick, fat, miserable, and nearly dead, covered in acne, unable to sleep from overeating, and having constant intrusive thoughts about food – that’s no living at all. I’ve been there, done that, no thank you!

Food is not my master. I belong to God.

At 1 pm. I ate carbs for energy: my tiny tiny potatoes with tiny mushrooms. At 1:20 pm, I left to go to the Farmer’s Market on Buford Hwy. It’s 1:49 pm. I just arrived, and I’m meditating before going into the grocery store so that I don’t start grabbing food mindlessly. I have my list of grains, veggies, fruits, and herbs, and I don’t need anything else!

My shopping at the Farmer’s Market on Buford Hwy was such a blessing! No meat, fish, cookies, or any other unwanted food was calling my name. It was pleasant and peaceful. I bought what was on my list and nothing else. I have papayas, watermelon, limes, grapes, bananas, pineapple, apples, pears, cabbage, garlic, herbs, celery, mushrooms, Russian pickles and buckwheat, various squashes, eggplant, and tomatoes. They didn’t have the flourless organic tortillas I wanted, so I’m going to Sprouts. 

My energy is high and I feel excellent! 

It’s 3:35 pm and I’m at Sprouts on Alpharetta Hwy. They do have the tortillas I want, awesome! I’m going to get another watermelon, a bag of oranges, some berries, and fresh basil, as well.

It’s 4:20 pm, and I’m home. I’m unloading my trunk, a few bags at a time. I’m grateful for all these groceries. My heart is filled with joy that I am able to do my own grocery shopping, car unloading, cooking, cleaning, and normal everyday life stuff. I praise God for my health. 

It’s 5:43 pm, and my first burrito is ready! It’s delicious, beautiful, and so unique. I had never had a burrito. But today I did. OMG, how awesome are these plant-based, flourless, organic burritos! 

Its’s 6:23 pm. I’m taking a walk outside, eating my second burrito on the river and enjoying every bite! I feel so good, though I’ve been active for 5.5 hours straight! I only wanted to pee one time in 5.5 hours. I’m now walking up and down the hills, it feels as good as it normally does. On a typical day, I walk between 10,000 and 25,000 steps.

Today, I realized that there’s another factor in food addiction development – it’s social media. Swiping the images of food every day multiple times a day is a huge step to becoming addicted to food, experiencing intrusive thoughts about food, and, worst of all, becoming the victim of FOMO: fear of missing out on food. 

It’s 7:20 pm. I finished my 4254 steps for today, pooped easily, and took a shower, which was pleasant, not tiring. I surely didn’t run out of breath! I love this day. My pooping schedule is normalizing. My body is returning to its healthy balanced functioning.

11:14 pm. I’m still not even tired so I read a book for a while and now I’m watching this interview with Dr. John McDougall. I’m continuing to learn about water fasting, nutrition, and healthy long-term living. I want to be fully functional when I’m 80 and 90. I want to be slim, fit, flexible, and strong. I want to be energized, mentally able, and medications-free. 

This has been an awesome day.

Refeeding Day 3

It’s 6 am, and I’m up eating my breakfast, which is watermelon. I slept really well, all night, I’m rested and feel ready to rock the day. My goal is to do all my chores, workout, and avoid eating in between my mealtimes. It’s a beautiful sunny day. My heart is filled with gratitude, peace, and joy. God is good. He gave me a great body to bless me and He asked me to honor Him with my body.

I feel like I’m finally learning how to actually do that. 

I was thinking: a powerful contributor to food addiction is its social aspect. All get-togethers with friends happen over food, and in the Christian community, it’s mostly junk food filled with deadly crap.

This wasn’t the case for me in Russia because my friends and I always went to museums, theaters, performances of all sorts, Art galleries, and concerts. So, I need to develop new habits with my friends – a hike, a trip to a theater or an art gallery, ballet, opera, symphony, museum…

The choices in Atlanta are limitless, but food should not be the only option for when we are getting together. I love learning and exploring, and we have plenty of beautiful sights to see here in Atlanta. We have many art galleries and performance art centers.

I want to get back to socializing in healthy ways, active ways, meaningful ways that educate and inspire me, not make me fat, sick, and miserable. I’ll start with kayaking and hiking.

It’s 10 am. I worked out and I’m eating my brunch, so I wasn’t able to hold on till noon on a watermelon. I feel happy and energized, I’m dancing today! 

It’s 10:11 am, and after a fiber-filled brunch, of course, I am pooping a ton: easily and happily! I love being healthy. The healthy body works perfectly! I’m grateful for my well-functioning body. Thank you, God! I feel cleansed, light, and energized! 

It’s 11:34 am. I’ve been doing all my chores today: oven is cleaned inside and outside, and so are my stove, microwave, fridge, and sink. In both bathrooms toilets are shining, and so are mirrors, sink, and counters. All trash is taken care off, bedsheets changed, laundry is on, and I am pooping again: a lot and very easily! I’m so grateful.

I still remember the constipation felt a few days back and what hard work it was to poop. God designed us perfectly. All we need to do us eat well, including consuming plenty of fiber.

I feel amazing. My skin is glowing. My body is flexible and strong. My hair is shining. I have no dandruff anymore. My nails are thick and strong. I’m filled with natural energy and joy. I’m healthy and I know it!

It’s 8:09 pm, and I did my chores, my home is clean, my bedsheets are fresh, my laundry is done, I walked 6000 steps outside up and down the hills, I had a long photoshoot for my blog today, I had dinner with my neighbor Flame, and I read my book, which is almost done. It’s been an awesome day. I won’t lie: I am hungry. So I’m thinking about what to do…. For dinner on the river, I had my soup with 20 veggies and lentils, five herbs, and Russian pickles. 

It’s 11:15 pm, and I just finished my pedicure. I ended up eating some seaweed. I still have to do my manicure so I’m about to eat a burrito before doing my nails. I’m filled with energy but really hungry. 

Refeeding Day 4  

It’s 9 am and I’m waking up with a little bit of “food hangover” realizing this: there’s one more thing I need to work on, and it has nothing to do with external influences. This one thing is my OCD. Doing a repetitive task that brings an expected positive result, doing it over and over again is the symptom of my OCD. OCD was why I overate yesterday…

There’s a lot to examine in regards to my old eating habits. I’m glad I have a clean new start to begin building better eating habits now. I’m thankful to have the ability to observe, understand, and process all these breakthrough findings and difficult feelings.

I hope that my personal journey will help others learn and heal. Know thyself – that’s the key to a good life. And we are all complex beings, so knowing me is something I’m aiming for, yet it’s a process and not an event. It takes time and commitment to know thyself. It takes effort. 

I’m going to have to deal with this by becoming more mindful. Only mindfulness can help me combat this issue associated with OCD. And the question I must be asking for this is the following: “Am I continuing to eat this because I’m still hungry or am I eating for emotional reasons right now?” If I am hungry, I must ask: “Do I need any other nutrients since I’ve already eaten this particular food and received its nutritional value as planned?”

I’m going to have a spinach banana smoothie for breakfast now and take a walk. I’m grateful for this awareness and alertness. The most important thing is not to fall into the self-condemnation trap where shame awaits. This journey is imperfect and I’m imperfect on this complicated journey with food. I’m figuring this out, and the fact that I haven’t figured it out yet does mean that I’m failing.

I’m willing to stick with this. 

One more thing: Dr. Klaper in his vídeos says that he doesn’t even recommend portion control and he advises people to eat whenever they are hungry. This doesn’t work for me only because I personally do not approve of my own overeating. I don’t like the heavy feeling after out-of-control eating. I don’t enjoy going to bed full but I love going to bed feeling hungry and light. 

With this breakthrough, I’d say it’s a wrap.

My food journal ends but my food journey continues.

With God, I can do all things! 

Water Fasting Health Benefits

I shared plenty of my personal water fasting health benefits. Now, I want to provide you with scientific research discussing the benefits of water fasting. This research is very interesting but remember that it’s only a small portion of research available out there. Also, remember to read the 15 benefits of fasting on water I shared in my previous article.

The scientific research presented below provides a comprehensive library of issues fasting on water for prolonged periods of time helps to resolve. I hope this will spark your interest and lead you to your own discoveries of some unique and profound health benefits of water fasting.

• Short-term fasting induces profound neuronal autophagy
• Effects of Complete Water Fasting and Regeneration Diet on Kidney Function, Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants
• Fasting or caloric restriction for Healthy Aging
• Healthy G I Track for Longevity
• Cancer and Fasting
• Fasting-Induced Transcription Factors Repress Vitamin D Bioactivation, a Mechanism for Vitamin D Deficiency in Diabetes
• Fasting Imparts a Switch to Alternative Daily Pathways in Liver and Muscle
• Hepatic arginase 2 (Arg2) is sufficient to convey the therapeutic metabolic effects of fasting
• Safety, health improvement and well-being during a 4 to 21-day fasting period in an observational study including 1422 subjects
• Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Intermittent Fasting-Induced Metabolic Rewiring in the Liver

We had already discussed such water fasting health benefits as weight loss, decrease in insulin resistance, improved blood pressure, reversal of aging, reduction is risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and stroke, as well as addiction recovery. Some of the benefits are visible and some are invisible. Now, let me show you how a water fasting diet can change your body – visibly.

How a Water Fasting Diet Can Change Your Body

I personally experienced a significant body transformation on a water fasting diet. My lower belly pooch dissolved. My thigh fat melted away. My knee fat disappeared. My arms started looking toned without excessive fat covering my muscles. My waist became well-defined. My body now looks slender and fit. My skin is glowing with health after a 5 day water fast cleared my acne. Overall, I look slimmer and younger.

Since you already know about my personal results, I wanted to share some stories of people who fasted on water for five day and experienced a transformation in many aspects of their health, not just looks. So, below are some real-life stories of transformation for you.

I averaged 9-10 hours of sleep a night, but that was the only change in my amount of rest. No naps.

Days one and two were rough, day three was great except for when I was in boring meetings. When I say “rough” though I mean I had to fight off the occasional pangs of hunger. It really didn’t affect my productivity or life that much. I’d compare it to having half a dozen itchy mosquito bites.

Days four and five I felt amazing. I got an incredible amount done, was completely undistractable, and felt blissfully happy throughout.

All of the claims about mental clarity were true—my mind has never felt so “unclouded.” There was zero brain fog all hours of the day. I had all the benefits of meditation, but without needing to meditate.

Another interesting thing: time moved slower. I was never rushed. But that may have been because I eat really fast. Without that rushed process twice a day, maybe I was less rushed in general. Either way, it was remarkable how calm I was.

The only real negative was that I was very, very sensitive to the cold. My theory is that my body was rationing its energy mostly towards brain functioning and movement, and not spending as much on thermogenesis. I was keeping my room 5-10 degrees warmer than normal, and still wearing a sweater.

Oh, one last positive. I’ve never had more muscular (especially abdominal) definition in my life.

I Consumed Nothing but Water for 5 Days by Nat Eliason

Within a few days I had recovered one third (3 lbs) of the 9 lbs I’d lost during the fast. I consciously made an effort to eat as per usual to see if it the weight would naturally come back on. Two weeks later after the end of the fast (day 19) it’s still stabilized at 6 lbs down. Actively compensating for this in between future fasts will require consciously eating to gain weight.

5 Day Water Fast Self Experiment by Damien Blenkinsopp

Today (day 5 of water fasting) I’m at 133.8lbs / 60.7kg, which is a difference of -1.8lbs / -0.8kg vs. yesterday and -10.6lbs / -4.8kg since I started. Again, it felt really nice seeing my weight register at this number after a long while. While I was looking in the mirror, I noticed my face has slimmed down a little bit and my hips and my tummy are definitely smaller. My overall body frame is also slightly smaller than before. 

Fasting Day 5 by Celestine Chua

For me, fasting was taking time to connect with myself and interact with the world around me through stillness and observation.

It was a deep reset of my whole bodily system, my immune system, digestive system, and my emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

It was a tough time to break bad habits or cravings, to see where the root of my food cravings come from.

I knew that all of us have ancestors that come from a mindset food scarcity, and the only way for me to face the root of my true hunger was to challenge myself to 5 days of water fasting…

I’m typing this after I just had my first bite of fresh papaya after 5 days of no food….

Yum!

All the happy hormones flooded to my brain and my body was super excited to be eating again.

I still had lots of energy so I went to ecstatic dance and then when lunchtime rolled around, I had delicious salad packed with 10 different kinds of vegetables. Yes please, give me ALL of the rainbow foods packed with vitamins and minerals!

I continued to eat clean, meaning (no meat, sugar, dairy, grains, processed or fried food) only fruits and vegetables to prolong the benefits of the fast.

Here’s Why I Fasted for 5 Days by Danielle Sawan

As you can see, the results of fasting on water for 5 days are pretty consistent. I love how my body transformed and I’m happy for the people whose experiences are shared above. I just want you to know that the water fasting diet can change your body and mind and spirit and emotions. It’s beneficial in so many more ways than just your physical appearance. It can actually reverse your aging and even improve your genes! Fasting on water can heal your illnesses and make you healthy, younger, stronger, and more peaceful. And it promotes weight loss, too.

My 5 Day Water Fast Weight Loss Results

I want to show you Day 5 of my water fasting vlogs. I documented my first few water fasts on video, including my 5 day water fast weight loss results. However, it was before I learned that fasting is a sacred experience and must be done in secret. Now, I don’t vlog about it but I share my diaries with you afterward here on this blog. Here are the two videos from my previous 5 day water fast adventures.

In addition to my water fasting vlogs sharing the experiences of day 5, I also have a video discussing My 5 Day Water Fast Weight Loss Results as well as my overall health optimization. In the video below, I also discuss the spiritual and mental health benefits of fasting on water for five days.

To achieve excellent results from fasting with water only, I recommend to stop drinking coffee a few days in advance, to load on fruits and veggies before fasting, and to fast in an environment of complete rest.

I hope this article inspired you to give water fasting a try. Fasting on water for five days can change your health and improve your quality of life, as well as skyrocket your self-confidence. Fasting is not easy, but nothing worth doing is easy. The benefits of water fasting outweigh the effort it takes, and it’s the best tool in my health toolbox.

Five Day Water Fast Before and After

People want to see my five day water fast before and after pictures. I’m ok showing you my 5 day water fast weight loss results but I do want to note something hugely important: there are many benefits to fasting which you can not see on pictures.

Mental clarity, cognitive improvements, fat loss from the area around the critical organs, lower blood pressure, improved insulin sensitivity, and the list goes on. None of the above benefits can be witnessed in pictures. Yet, they are valuable and life-changing.

That being said, here’s my five day water fast before and after for you! I am 37 years old. All the diseases I mentioned earlier in this blog post have vanished. With age, I only became healthier and younger, thanks to my habit of fasting on water and practicing self-care.

I hope you get encouraged and empowered.

Try water fasting!

Today, water fasting in a part of my life. It’s a health tool I use regularly to maintain my optimal weight, to look lean, to feel good, and to mitigate my risks of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and everything related to the metabolic syndrome. I recovered from alcoholism and sex addiction. My sinuses are healthy. I don’t go to doctors and don’t take any pills. I live a healthy life and I am able to walk 10000 steps a day, kayak, hula hoop, travel, run barefoot on the beach for miles, hike, and do all my own chores every day.

My health allows me to live a good life and have joy.

Need help on your journey?

Check out my Christian coaching.

You can transform your health forever!

Summary

In this article, I shared with you my 5 day water fast weight loss results and how fasting on water only for five days helped me optimize my spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental health.

You learned a lot about my family: they are obese and violent adulterous alcoholics. I am fit, healthy, celibate, and drink mostly water and tea. I lead a peaceful and joyful life.

Why am I telling you this?

To show you that fasting with water only can improve your genes, no matter your family history and DNA-inheritance. Epigenetics works in your favor if you fast of water and practice plant-based weight loss. You are not helpless. You can positively impact your health today and in the future.

Water fasting helps you also put your childhood food-related trauma under a magnifying glass and heal. I know people whose entire interaction with parents was based on how they need to lose weight. Some people I know grew up afraid of food because their caregivers were severely obese. You may have endured the pain of being bullied and abused just like me. I’m here to tell you: you can experience healing through water fasting, prayer, surrender, forgiveness, grief, and a more peaceful relationship with food.

Remember that the first thing you learned about me was that my body was publicly displayed, criticized, bullied, and compared to another girl’s body? So, when I started gaining weight after experiencing narcissistic abuse in my marriage in 2016 and 2017, I didn’t believe that I could transform my body. Then, I found out that the Bible says I am healed. So, I reached out for God’s gift of healing, and today, I’m at my ideal weight and I love my healthy, well-functioning body. Water fasting helped me with this after I focused on what God says about me.

As you recall, the second thing you learned about me was that I endured food-abuse as a child and in my marriage with the Narcissist. That caused so much confusion. I was confused, so I couldn’t stick to my healthy disciplines. Then, I found out that the Bible says I am disciplined. I reached out for God’s gift of discipline and built new healthy habits, including fasting on water only.  

You also learned the third thing about me: that I used to be very sick. Today, I enjoy excellent health, though the road to my great wellness was not an easy one. I haven’t been walking this path alone. I surrendered to God, and He is walking with me. It all started with me learning to see myself the way God sees me, after I explored who I am in Christ.

And the fourth thing you learned about me was that I had experienced continuous weight struggles in the last few years after I turned 35. With God’s help, I mastered water fasting and can now do it regularly. I’m not perfect but I can do all things through Christ!

Food is not my master. God is!

Today, I help women see themselves the way God sees them. I’ve specifically been focusing on identity in Christ. From the Bible, I discovered 52 incredibly-positive things God says about us as His daughters. Those 52 precious discoveries turned into 52 Biblical affirmations I created to encourage and empower Christian women. To help share this life-changing information with you, I created an ebook called #52Devotionals. Download it now for free. 

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