Hey there, I’m a 26 yo female at 140 pounds…. And I’m tired of feeling like crap. I’m having skin issues, digestive pains, inflammation, brain fog, chronic fatigue… I feel I’m too young to be facing these issues. My question is, how long of a fast should I do to achieve a body reset? Longest I’ve done is 4 days and it went very smoothly. Whatever the length needed is, I am 100% ready to do it. I’m tired of feeling so uncomfortable in my body and just feeling off. Suggestions? Personal experience? Thank you!!
I intermittent fast year round… 18/6. Then once every quarter I do a 14 day extended water/salt only fast to give my mind and body the opportunity to cleanse itself and re-boot. I’m 71 years old and in very good health.
my wife is older than you but was facing a lot of the same issues.
she’s dabbled with fasting, but what helped her was an elimination diet (i think that’s what she called it?).
she cut back on calories, but the key was to cut out certain foods.
then she would gradually reintroduce them one at a time to see if they caused or intensified any of the issues she had beforehand…
this was over the course of several weeks, she wound up losing weight and feeling much better.
I’d wager there’s not a straight answer to this question because it seems like everyone responds differently to fasting. I personally need long fasts to reset. I tend to track the symptoms I am trying to resolve by the day and see how they change. But, for me, some symptoms worsen before they get better.
FWIW, I have many of the same symptoms as you and I see 7-day fasts as the most helpful.
Healthy eating over the long term is your best bet.
Sure, do a long fast for a reset. But your old eating and life habits will still be there to greet you when you get back, unless long term changes are made.
lots of different answers in the chat. For what you’re dealing with, it sounds like you’re looking to decrease systemic inflammation caused by food. I would say 12-18 days is what you should aim for. Afterwards you might want to look into elimination diets or low FODMAP foods
I’m currently on day 14 of a 42 day fast and my body is not reset. Not yet. It has been an incredible experience so far. I have no doubt my relationship with food will be forever changed. As for inflammation etc. It all appears to be dissolving. 🌷 I wish you a great fast with whatever duration you choose.
Just to add, you are 64kgs ? This is quite healthy, depending on your height (?) The less fat storage you have the less time you may be able to fast.I’m losing on average 450grams a day and I started with normal/healthy BMI.