Water Fasting Tips to Help You Achieve Quick Weight Loss, Body Detox Cleansing and Healing. Walk Through the Healing Crisis, Stay The Course, Resist and Overcome Hunger, Press On And Reach Your Objective: Secure Your Freedom by Making Permanent Eating-Habit Changes ...

Fasting is hard. It produces amazing and fast results, but it also requires a great deal of decision and determination.

If you have made up your mind to fast for weight loss and health-improvement, then it is my job to be there for you with no-nonsense tips that can help you go all the way. If we stick together we can make it. So sit back and read this page thoroughly. I will give you a good synopsis of everything I have learned in my 10+ years as a water fasting practitioner.

First of the water fasting tips: Read the main water fasting page when you have a chance. If you are serious about completing a water fast, it would be a good idea to print out these water fasting tips pages and carry them with you throughout the day for reassurance, motivation and information.

In addition, make it a point to visit either Fasting Forum I and/or Fasting Forum II. Find a buddy, post questions, spend time reading the comments, hang out ... keep yourself busy and out of your head as much as possible. Reaching out for help is one of the most important water fasting tips I can give you. Don't be a lone ranger!

Important water fasting tips: Before starting the fast, I suggest you purchase some type of colon cleanser to help the body eliminate stubborn fecal debris and toxins. I have used Herbs & Prunes for years because it is VERY effective, natural and inexpensive.

The more waste you can eliminate BEFORE fasting, the lesser the hunger pains and detox symptoms will be. This "pre-fasting" step was crucial for me when I started fasting years ago because of the large amount intestinal toxicity I carried around from years poor eating.

In terms of water quality, purified is best. Get a filter in your home. The ZeroWater Filtration Pitcher works pretty good and will do the job nicely. To me, anything is better than spending money every week for bottled water.

Bottom line: USE THE BEST QUALITY OF WATER THAT YOUR BUDGET ALLOWS. If your budget is too tight right now to purchase a filter, then at the very least boil your drinking water for a minimum of 15 minutes. Set it aside for a few hours to cool and then refrigerate.

As part of water fasting tips, be as strict as possible with this step ... what you are doing for your health is powerful. Let's not throw a wrench into it by drinking poor quality water.

The Proper Mindset

Of all the water fasting tips I give you, remember this one: Make sure to have the proper mindset when you start. How do you develop this midset? -) Understand what your body is going through while you are fasting.

Water fasting tips on weight loss: One can expect to lose anywhere between one-to-three pounds per day when water fasting. It is not rare for a person to lose 20 pounds in just seven days. I've known of (notably obese) people who have lost up to 50 pounds in just seven days. A 30, 40-day water fast can result in weight loss of as much as 60 pounds (and even more in some cases). A lady I coached a few years ago fasted for 40 days and lost 105 pounds.

But this is not all. Your health will receive a boost that can transform your life.

Water fasting gives the human body an invaluable opportunity to flush out toxins and heal. Since it does not have to digest new food-intake, the body has the rare opportunity to divert its energy to deep-cleansing and tissue repair. As the digestive system goes into hibernation, the body can spend time repairing/healing damaged cells and organs.

This cleansing and detoxification process never ceases to amaze me. It is truly miraculous. As one moves into the 48^th and 72nd hour of fasting, the body begins to devour everything in its path as it searches for food, including toxins, fibroid tumors, viruses and bacteria. Under normal eating circumstances, the body uses food to extract sugar "glucose."

When you are water fasting, the body amazingly shifts its fuel production from that of glucose from food, to that of "ketones" or fuel extracted from stored fat.

This reorganization of fuel production (from glucose to stored fat) starts the second day of food abstinence and is completed at the end of of your first 72 hours. In some cases it may take up to four-to-five days, but three days is the average. By the third day, the production of ketones will become enough to deliver all the fuel the body needs.

From the third day on, the body accelerates its consumption and breakdown of fatty acids and fat. This process hits is peak from the ninth to eleventh day. This seven-day period, after the body has shifted completely over to ketosis, is where the maximum breakdown of fat tissue occurs. It is also when the most significant healing begins to take place. That is why I believe that most people would be MUCH better off (mentally and physically) if they fasted regularly.

Symptoms of ketosis and body detoxification while water fasting include; metallic taste in your mouth, sticky white film in the tongue, dizziness, fever, diarrhea, weakness and foul breath - among others. While going through this is no fun, the discomfort usually disappears between days nine and eleven. It's all part of the healing process.

Compared to the ultimate pain of chronic illness, fasting symptoms are a very small price to pay for our lives and health. If you can keep in mind ALL of these things that the body is doing on your behalf, it will be much easier to get through the rough spots and go the distance.

Is is very important to realize that you're going through a PROFOUND HEALING PROCESS! Many people fail at fasting because they look at it as suffering. They fast but are brimming with anger, bitterness and self-pity. They see fasting as a punishement to be endured, not the miracle of life and healing that it really is.

Because they DO NOT have the correct mind frame, they break the fast prematurely ... often with a binge. Having the proper mindset while fasting I'd say is one of the most important water fasting tips I can give you.

So here's more water fasting tips. Work at seeing the fast through proper eyes. You are healing ... getting stronger and better. This is NOT a punishment! It is actually a reward of health and vitality!

Remind yourself of this truth when the hunger pains and discomfort hit. It will dramatically increase your chances of sticking to the fast because you now KNOW the terrific benefits that you're receiving. You're not suffering; you're being reborn!That is definitely one of the most powerful water fasting tips I can give you.

Before the Fast

Once you understand the importance of mindset, then it is just as crucial to prepare yourself physically for the fast.

Another of the water fasting tips I want to give you is this: Reduce your food intake as much as possible for 7-14 days prior to fasting. I get into a great deal of detail on this topic over at the Cleansing Diet page. Here are the general water fasting tips:

I STRONGLY encourage you to curve sugar, fat and caffeine. Sugar is very toxic to the body and produces uncomfortable detox symptoms. Trust me, reduce the use of sugar ... make it easier on yourself. If sugar is problematic for you, I urge you to grab a copy of Sugar Busters and put it to practice right away. The damage sugar does to most of us goes beyond words.

stocking up" for the fast, like a bear would before winter. I did it myself and the result was utter misery. The emptier and cleaner your stomach is prior to starting a fast, the less discomfort you will experience. That I why I recommended the Herbs & Prunes.

Moving on with more water fasting tips: start to eat more salads, fruits and vegetables at least two weeks prior to the fast.

Vegetables, fruits and salads will help the digestive system start to expel toxic fecal matter that may be adhered to the walls of your colon. You want the detox cleansing process to start BEFORE you begin fasting. Doing that will lessen the discomfort from fasting detox symptoms, which will make it easier to reach your goal.

Another of the water fasting tips: Start to drink at the very least half a gallon of water daily for seven days prior to the fast. Increased water intake will help move your bowels. Again: The more you are able to cleanse prior to fasting, the better off you will be. This is especially true if you are planning to fast for more than three days.

When you have a moment, surf over to the Water Diet for details about water intake and its importance. If you follow these water fasting tips, the process will go a lot smoother. I have been there and done it. All you have to do is take action.

Hunger Pains

One of the most useful water fastintg tips I can give you is related to handling hunger pains and detox symptoms. The top question I receive is always: "WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THOSE DARN HUNGER PAINS!"

Here's the answer: Drink seltzer water with a squeeze of lemon or lime to control hunger pains and detox symptoms. Drink a cup of green tea in the afternoon WITHOUT SUGAR OR HONEY and for a pep of energy.

"Huh?" you may ask. Yes, I know. Initially I thought these water fasting tips were ludicrous. How on earth can seltzer relieve hunger and detoxification? No matter, I soon became a believer. IT WORKS! If you are fasting and find yourself running into trouble due to hunger pains and detox symptoms... grab some seltzer water with lime or lemon. It will give you the break you need to temper the storm.

To get through tough moments of hunger and detox symptoms, try these water fasting tips:

• Keep a gallon of water with you at all times and constantly drink from it. To be sure, you will be taking many trips to the bathroom, but that is fine: The kidneys thank you for the awesome detoxification that is taking place.
• In the measure that you can, remove food from your surroundings. If you do not live alone, then it is crucial to have the support of at least one member of your household, to keep temptation away and protect the fast from being broken prematurely.
• As I said earlier, go to the fasting forums and spend as much time as possible reading, posting and motivating/helping other fasters. If there is one thing that I noticed, it's that when I am at my weakest and most vulnerable, focusing on helping somebody else always re-charges my (physical and mental) batteries so that I can continue fasting.
• If you have idle time, spend it writing in a fasting journal. In it, write what you are thinking and feeling. Detail WHY it is important to YOU to get this done. Write about how good it will feel when you finish it and reach your goal. By the same token, write about how crappy you will feel if you give up and fall short of your objectives. When hunger and/or otehr symptoms come to bother you, pull out the journal and start writing (or reading).

  I have been very close to breaking a fast prematurely and been saved simply by taking out my journal and starting to write what I was feeling. If you have to fill a few pages with profanity, then so be it. Whatever it takes to keep going.

• If you have to work outside of the home while fasting, fill a small ice chest with ice and stock it up with bottles of drinking water as well as seltzer. Always carry with you a few packs of green tea, which will give you a pep when energy is low, particularly mid-afternoons when hunger usually strikes and time seems to crawl.
• Do not trumpet to others around you that you are fasting. Keep it to a few select individuals that you trust and know will support rather than harass you. In my experience, some people will simply not understand fasting and will end up making counterproductive comments and remarks.
• When not at work or otherwise occupied, make sure to have plenty of movies to watch and/or books to read. Steer clear of network television; they bombard viewers with all kinds of food advertisements that border on obscene. You're an adult; I certainly am not saying that you have to place yourself in a bubble. But it's best to keep temptation away whenever possible.
• Weakness and dizziness are very common during the initial days of fasting. Therefore, you must be very careful when getting up from a sitting position and when walking around. The dizziness can come out of nowhere and you may feel like you are going to faint. You must move slower while fasting, exercise caution when walking and DO NOT expect yourself to perform at the same pace that you are accustomed.
• Make sure that you have a solid plan in place for breaking the fast. Many people either don't think about it, or they wait until the very last moment. When you first break a fast, hunger will re-appear, often quite strongly.

  If you are not prepared with a pre-arranged re-feeding structure, chances are pretty high that you will end up eating more than you should. And to overeat when breaking a fast is no laughing matter; it is very dangerous and can make you very, very sick. Plan ahead!

• Above all, use fasting as a bridge to take you into a healthy lifestyle made up of clean eating habits. If you fast without intending to make permanent eating-habit changes, then you will not receive a lasting benefit from fasting. Of all of these fasting tips, please remember this one: The most important part of your fast is what you do AFTER it.

  Will you let go of the poor eating habits that led you to gain weight and not feel your best? Or will you nonchallantly return to eating the same junk as if nothing happened? THAT, my friend, is your moment of decision. And what you decide will most definitely have life-long implications. Here's my suggestion:

  Do your fast, stay the course, navigate hunger and detox symptoms, overcome the crappy feeling that often comes, resist hunger, stay the course, keep going AND... reach your goal. And once you're there, standing in your promised land, make a firm and unshakeable resolution that NEVER AGAIN, will you allow yourself to go back to where you were.

  Your very soul gives a Clarion call, letting you know that the past is OVER, and that now it is time to make PERMANENT eating-habit changes, it is time to live a life of optimum health and wellness. Are you in?

Got a water fasting tip? Write it bellow in the Facebook comments box!

Let us now move on from the water fasting tips discussion and go to Benefits of Water Fasting and talk about physical, emotional and spiritual healing.