weight gain after water fast?

[lydias]

I successfully did a 7 day water fast which I was pretty proud of accomplishing! I used Penta water. Not sure if that was the best but I had lots of energy on it. I have been about 20 lbs overweight even on raw food so I was excited to have lost 15 lbs.

I've been refeeding for one week now slowly. As soon as I ate watermelon I gained 5 lbs.
Now I've added more greens and stuff, hardly anything! and gained the other 5 lbs.

This is soooo discouraging. I can't loose weight for nothing. And I can't sleep at night now either. I've hardly had any bm. So far I see no benefit from this water fast.

Can someone tell me their experience, does it get better?

[spicyfull]

Your Body emptyed itself and you filled it back up, that is what really happened. I am sure you did gain some benifit from your Fast. Don't Eat and weigh yourself and expect it not to show up on the Scales.

I would advise you to, if you must, weigh yourself first thing in the morning or the last thing at night. When we eat anything, it shows up on the scales, its the same as if you got on the scales with a 3lb bag of Apples......but you ate 3lbs of Apples, jumped on the Scales...the 3lbs are there. BUT that does not mean your BODY gained 3lbs. These 3lbs will be eliminated in your next Bowel Movement. THAT IS WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ELEMATE SCALES ALL TOGETHER...THEY CAN DRIVE YOU CRAZY.

Use Clothing as your Measurments. I don't care if I weigh 200lbs as long as I can fit in the sz 4, I know all is Kool in MY World.....Hope I helped you understand a little better.............

[lydias]

yeah, I'm not having success using the scale...
But I was a size 10-12 before the fast and it looks like clothes wise I'll be back up there. So I can go by the way clothes fit but the thing is they dont fit! (I used to be a size 4 and then I dont know what happened)

I didnt realize I would gain it all back from eating watermelon and some greens. I dont think everyone is this way. I've read alot of great stories. I actually enjoyed the fasting on water. Now its so complicated. Ive been told not to eat bananas and dates right after the fast but I'm hungry! An apple doesnt do so good in a green smoothie.

Maybe my fast wasn't long enough?

[eatyourbroccoli]

the weight you lost on the fast was probably 95% water weight.

the best way to lose weight to keep it off will be to stay high raw/100% raw and lose the weight over months and/or a year or so.

good luck to you. it will happen..just have patience :)

[lydias]

unfortunately, I've been about 80-100% raw for a year now and no weight loss,
thats why I tried the fast... but I'm not sure I helped myself in that regard

[eatyourbroccoli]

what are you still eating that is not raw?

maybe if the 20% youre still eating is something like grains or dairy, you may have some sort of intolerance causing you to hold onto water weight..and the reason you lost it all while fasting is bc those items were cut out of your diet for 7 days.

i know that if i eat grains, or table salt, or pasteurized dairy, i bloat up 5 or so lbs literally overnight.

maybe examine what you eat when not 100% raw and see if some sort of undetected intolerance is possible?

also, whats your typical raw diet like?

:)

[Elizabeth]

I cannot believe I am writing this..I have always been a big "believer" in water fasts, and still am, in the abstract..lol..and maybe if someone can rest and "re-feed" slowly etc., but, I found that I released more weight in the long term (kept it off) on a juice fast than on water.. and the "re-feeding" is not so fraught with danger..LOL..

I am getting ready for a juice "fast" to begin in the next couple of days, probably Sunday or Monday, and feel peaceful about it... you are welcome to join me if you like. :)

Don't let it get to you, though, the re-gaining of the weight. It is all part of the learning process.. figuring out what works for YOU...:)

[lydias]

I've been 100% raw the last 30 days and no weight loss...
Ive done 30 days here and there and find days I'd have something cooked just cause of traveling or bad planning

my cooked would be some veggies, sweet potato, popcorn, some sprouted bread, rice noodles
I did use to cheat with bread and dairy but I haven't had it in months,
unless I am intolerant to citrus stuff.... which I eat a ton of... hmmm
maybe I am intolerant of the nuts too... I know I was or am allergic to everything...anyway you got me thinking
I do best with my green smoothies which has a lot of the citrus
and my lemon water..
I heard alot of people are allergic to citrus
well i dont know how you become more tolerant cause I can't just eat nothing!

I did some NAET in the past but I was allergic to everything so I never got to everything and I dont even know if it really works.

I would like to try a juice fast next but it seems so time consuming. Do you spend alot on the groceries that way? Do you have some simple combinations you like?

I enjoyed my water fast actually alot and am not sure what benefits I'll get from it yet. Its not so much I'm hungry now but my tastes are real picky and my body is freezing so I kind of want more cooked but I guess we'll see. I just dont know why my body wants to hold all this weight. I have started rebounding in the last few months and need to do more of that.

I was spoiled at 120 lbs on a cooked diet for several years with no problem, no exercise, so I do not know what happened,...but I will figure this out some day!!

[spicyfull]

Also Factor in being Female and our Harmones. as E.Y.B says, give 100% some time.

Water works well if you are seeking Healing for a Sickness but as Elizabeth says Juice can be better in the Long run because your body in getting Nourishment and some Calories. As Liz also said in time ALL things will come to you.

So just stay with RAW...Give it time....Don't Rush RAW and I guarrentee one day you will look at yourself in the Mirror and see YOURSELF and see that it was well worth the wait.

Even with RAW our Bodies are all different, so don't measure someone's else results against yours.

It's YOUR Journey and you Travel as you wish.....We are here to help and assist you if you wish......We are here for you to Vent, if you so choose. We are Family and we are here for you.......

[lydias]

Thanks for all your support!!

I am trying to recover from chronic pain and fatigue and hope the fast benefits in someway. But I sure was mad to see all the weight come right back after all that hard work. Oh well. The only thing i see so far is I drink a little green smoothie and I am sooo full so fast! I had a lot of energy during the fast so I didnt rest much. I dont know how people sleep.... I was sooo bored! I had some weak times but I felt weaker once I started to eat.

Thanks for letting me vent. Won't give up yet. I cant go back to cooked cause the raw food taste so much better! :)

The juice fast is more intimidating to me then the water fast for some reason!

[misslinda]

Thanks for all your support!!

I am trying to recover from chronic pain and fatigue and hope the fast benefits in someway. But I sure was mad to see all the weight come right back after all that hard work. Oh well. The only thing i see so far is I drink a little green smoothie and I am sooo full so fast! I had a lot of energy during the fast so I didnt rest much. I dont know how people sleep.... I was sooo bored! I had some weak times but I felt weaker once I started to eat.

Thanks for letting me vent. Won't give up yet. I cant go back to cooked cause the raw food taste so much better! :)

The juice fast is more intimidating to me then the water fast for some reason!


Post fasting, toxins are still loosened and it is important to eat light digestible foods to enhance the body's digestive system to carry them out of you via the colon. Watermelon is not always the best type of food to transition with since it is high in sugar etc.

Have you been regularly having bm's? Did you do any kind of eliminator?

Chronic pain and fatigue is a good sign of toxicity and imbalance so don't feel like the weight is on you forever--it will come off.

Typically by day 5-7, the body is 80% toxic --so again, post fasting is a critical part in moving the toxins out. However, there are two typse of toxins that are released from the body that is essential in maintaining the cleansing,healing and rejuvenation from fasting--

Refeeding from a 1 week water fast, the body is readily absorbing nutrients. By what you describe, seems like your body was dehydated from toxin overload.

The average person can juice fast to 30 days without complications. However, depending on one's condition, water fasting may burden the body/organs more with high intensity of toxin release. Ideally ,the body's reserves need to be set before taking on extensive or intensive fasting such as water. You can assist with drawing out toxins from the

One of the most common outcomes with incorrect fasting, is digestive complaints and/or bowel stagnancy.

Have you regulated in bowels yet?

;)

[the_lab_rat]

About 1 1/2 years ago, I fasted on only water and green/herbal tea for 2 weeks. I lost about 10 pounds. I only broke the fast when I noticed most detox symptoms subsiding. For a couple days I only ate fruit and veggies (raw and lightly steamed) then over the week I gradually added in more things. I gained back some of the weight too, but I think the initial weight gain was mostly water because I lost it pretty quickly after a few days. My weight ended up stabilizing at about 6-7 pounds less than when I started the fast.

I think when you fast your metabolism slows down a bit, so you have to be careful what you eat for a little while afterward, and be sure to stay active. Also, for me at least, some of the weight loss was from water and gunk in my digestive track. When you start eating again, you retain some water, and you fill your stomach back up, so naturally there will be some weight gain.

But it's hard to say... I think fasting is a different experience for everyone. Overall, I don't think it's a great way to lose weight in the long run. I think a raw lifestyle with plenty of exercise is better. If you're trying to heal from some things, maybe you could try a 100% raw diet for a while, then try fasting again?

[misslinda]

on another note, to gain weight that rapidly post fasting while consuming high water content foods, indicates that the body has not released enough toxins/rejuventaed especially if one has extra weight.


I have never experienced weight gain post fasting when consuming raw foods after 14,21 or 30 days fasts. The last 75 day fast I did, required rebuilding and gradual gaining but even then, not the dramatic weight gain.

I believe your body has toxins to release so that it does not have such drastic repsonse to refeeding.


Best to you and your health endeavors.

[lydias]

my bowels have not regulated yet and its almost like 2 weeks after
I did one enema during the water fast
What does it mean if my bowels are not moving yet?

What should i have broken my fast with?
not watermelon?
I ate fruits and greens for entire week and that is what i gained weight on
but the other thing is--- I could not sleep well during the fast AND i totally am still not sleeping
I feel like my body is totally more out of balance
but like you said, must still be holding alot of toxins!

but this weekend my hunger kicked in
and I ate everything in site
totally fell off the wagon :(
oh well, will have to just start again

[misslinda]

my bowels have not regulated yet and its almost like 2 weeks after
I did one enema during the water fast
What does it mean if my bowels are not moving yet?

There are varying reasons. First, the digestive system is re-awakeing. If bowels do not return in a few days, its probable that mucous has drawn to the colon,or could be that you have digestive ability weakness or you need to re-establish flora/digestive health. It's hard to say without knowing your prior health and how you water fasting etc.

What should i have broken my fast with?
A good low glycemic juice like celery /apple dilluted and then working into solids. Apple CHEWED very well are one of the best foods to begin with. With the intensity of water fasting, low glycemic juice like apple,pear with celery is great to rehydrate with. Working into soft greens not cellulose hard packed ones until your digstive fire rebuilds. BUT, your situation has changed again, you just ate really bad this weekend so your body is toxic plus a weakened digestive system.



I ate fruits and greens for entire week and that is what i gained weight on
but the other thing is--- I could not sleep well during the fast AND i totally am still not sleeping

That is a very good sign of liver overloaded with toxins. Sleeping is associated with toxic liver. You sound toxic.
I feel like my body is totally more out of balance
but like you said, must still be holding alot of toxins!

but this weekend my hunger kicked in
and I ate everything in site
totally fell off the wagon
oh well, will have to just start again

This is a common pattern we see here on the boards. Once the body has undergone intense fasting like on water for 10 days, the body's reserves has been utilized and rebuiliding is neccessary to make a future fasting effective. The first week your body readily absorbing nutrients. But gaining weight and bloatedness is not a sign of health.

Do not jump right into another fast without rebuilding. DO NOT GIVE UP or think this is the end of the world. Praise yourself for doing 10 days of water fasting.......move on past the bad eating episode and ride forawrd towards health. Get your mind.body and spirit realigned with eating. Make sure your outlook on fasting is a healthy one as well. The best and most to you!


Fasting in its pure form, is simple. ;)

[Nancy Hone]

:( To the person who gained weight after a water fast. I water fasted at Tanglewood Fasting center for 6 weeks. I lost 50 pounds and quickly gained 75 pounds. This is while being a good raw fooder even! And to top it all off, I have been unable to lose it no matter what. I am horrified. I would never ever ever use fasting to lose weight and even though did not fast for that reason, I feel that I have learned the dangers of fasting rather than the benefits. I subsequently have learned that forever after, any and I mean any, reduction in calories, the body sees as you are trying to starve it again and will hold onto it and preserve it in case you starve it again. You metabolism is forever changed to the worse.I am a naturopath and based on this and experiences of many many others that had similar problems, I would never ever recommend water fasting beyond a couple of days if that even.

[Nancy Hone]

To the person who gained weight after a water fast. I water fasted at Tanglewood Fasting center for 6 weeks. I lost 50 pounds and quickly gained 75 pounds. This is while being a good raw fooder even! And to top it all off, I have been unable to lose it no matter what. I am horrified. I would never ever ever use fasting to lose weight and even though did not fast for that reason, I feel that I have learned the dangers of fasting rather than the benefits. I subsequently have learned that forever after, any and I mean any, reduction in calories, the body sees as you are trying to starve it again and will hold onto it and preserve it in case you starve it again. You metabolism is forever changed to the worse.I am a naturopath and based on this and experiences of many many others that had similar problems, I would never ever recommend water fasting beyond a couple of days if that even

[lydias]

thanks so much!!
I definitely am not doing another fast anytime soon. The fast was relatively easy. And refeeding was okay too until one week after, hunger kicked in like NUTS! And I craved meat which I have not eaten in a year and all kinds of junk food. I thought you should crave more raw foods after a fast.? And my blood sugar started to plummet which made me do some bad binging...

Anyways, it was an interesting experience. I just am upset cause I couldn't control my cravings. Its like I am starting all over again and dont know if the fast did me more then harm then good. I think I will do more enemas next time and maybe keep it to 5 days if its water fasting. I see why people go to supervised place to do it! I think I am highly toxic and maybe it was too much for my body to handle. I also went back to work after one week of refeeding and I think my body wanted more rest which I couldn't give it which was also frustrating. I almost feel like the weeks after the fast were more crucial then during. I had tons of energy during...

Even though I kind of messed up, I still dont feel as bad physically from cheating as I normally would so maybe it helped something. And I feel more energy to exercise. But my bm's are still not right at all........ My skin cleared up really nice.

Thanks so much for the advice! So nice to have great support.