Sequel to my previous post, I survived 5 days on the Waterfast and I can’t wait to tell you about it!

Waterfasting simply is consuming ONLY WATER over a prolonged period of time. There many conflicting views on waterfasting. Some “doctors” recommend it, suggesting that it has numerous benefits  which include:

• Increased immunity due to better cell resistance
• Reduction in cancer cell growth
• Increased insulin sensitivity
• Body repair and healing
• Slowed aging
• Slowed cognitive decline.
• Solves digestive problems such as ulcers, gastritis, irritable bowels, constipation, diarrhea, gas, , and loss of appetite.
• Improved self-control with respect to food choices

However, other researchers strongly contradict this, saying there are just as many negative side effects which include:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Low immunity
• Heart problems from weakened heart walls
• Cadiac Arrest
• and sudden death

Nevertheless, all agree on one thing: Rapid weight loss is an outcome and I’m here for that. I’ve watched so many personal waterfasting experiences on Youtube, and found the one below of particular interest.

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Below is an account of my experience Waterfasting for 5 days. I started the fast on Saturday the 6th of May, 2017.

DAY 1: (Starting weight: 211 lbs)
To start my fast, I had a late meal (at about 9pm) the previous night. Consequently, I wasn’t hungry through most of the day on Saturday. By evening, when hunger started setting in, I kept myself busy doing house chores, and ridding the kitchen of all forms of food, while drinking copious amounts of water.

I had about 3 bottles of Nestle water. Some people recommend using distilled water to be sure you are consuming just water, no minerals or parasites. However, I drank whatever water is available for drinking, mostly dispenser water.
Strenuous exercise is not recommended during waterfasting because your body simply doesn’t have the quick energy it gets from carbs. Regardless, I took a slow 2 km walk by night fall just to kick start things. After the walk, I was exhausted and struggled with a mild headache till I dozed off.

DAY 2: (Weight: 209lbs)
I woke up feeling proud of my first 24 hours. I was energized by my “accomplishment” and decided on a light workout to ensure that I was not losing muscle mass. I did 3 planks of 35 seconds each and 6 reps of 10 squats, to make sure my bottom wasn’t going anywhere. It was hard and I could barely walk to church. I just didn’t have the strength.

However, I noticed a bath has a way of reviving me. Perhaps the warm water increases blood circulation or could it be the rubbing of the sponge? I felt great after the bath, and I made it to Mass and back. The rest of the day, all I wanted to do was sleep. I was constantly sleepy during this fast. So I slept and drank more water.

I went grocery shopping in the late evening and it was harder than I thought. First, the smell of the spices was intense and I was salivating literally. My mouth was full. Walking through the aisle, searching and picking up items, making WhatsApp calls to my sister for clarification, and asking for help from shop assistants took more time and so much more energy than I had anticipated. Waiting for my turn at the check-out was the worst. The prolonged standing was excruciating.

To crown it all, I got home only to find that the man at the check-out point had made a mistake (or cheated me) by adding an extra item than I had bought to the bill! Best believe I dressed up again and drove all the way back. I was tired as hell but I felt more angry. I don’t play with my money. Luckily, the guy didn’t test me. He respectfully drew up a Customer Refund form and gave me my money. Always scrutinize your receipts when you buy in bulk from Sahad Stores, Abuja. This “mistake” happens to be common with them.

DAY 3: (Weight: 207lbs)
I slept poorly because I had to wake up often to use the bathroom. Like the previous day, I was peeing a lot, like every 30 minutes. All the water I consumed just seemed to be passing through. I found the strength to do the same exercises as Day 2 because I was serious about maintaining my bum through all this.

I noticed and increase in my heart rate and I had to rest more often and for longer between reps. However, driving to and from work was effortless and my day job didn’t suffer because it is mostly sedentary. In the evening, I took a slow walk, just 1 km because midway, I thought I would die. My heart was racing as if I had been running!

DAY 4: (Weight: 205lbs)
Same as Day 3 only more tired. The rate of weight loss was my motivation and so were the 2 packet of cookies I had that challenged me to eat them. Having them made me feel powerful and in control. Besides, I had lost appetite on day 2. I just wasn’t hungry or tempted to eat anything. The smell of my colleague’s food was very intense and my sense of smell was acute. I could guess what she was having for lunch just by the smell.

DAY 5: (Weight: 202lbs)
By now, I was used to feeling lethargic and very proud of the past 4 days, so I decided I could go 3 more.
However, I became aware of a dull pain in the upper left area of my chest. I was useless at work even though I was sedentary. I was restless and cold. Then, I went on to google the negative effects of waterfasting and what I found was not good.

Summarily, they said I could die. Believe it or not, I’m not ready to die for this. That evening, I broke my fast with a large slice of watermelon.
It was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted! The weird part was I felt it in my brain. The only way to describe this accurately is, it was like “NEPA brought light” inside my brain.

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Overall, I lost 4.6kg (10.1lbs) in 5 days, which took me about a month to lose on the Keto Diet. This means that I’ve achieved 23.5% of my weight loss goal and have 49.1lbs to go. I’m really happy with the results because my clothes fit better already and my love handles are gone.  However, I’m a little disappointed because I could not hold out for 7 days even though it is not my first waterfast. People go for 7, 14, 21 or 28 days on the waterfast. I even watched the video of the woman that did it for 180 days, but she was obese to begin with, and had more fat stores to keep her going.

I do not recommend this fast for more than 3 days. It’s not for the faint of heart. However, I’ll be happy to hear your opinion if you are considering it or if you have ever done the it, for how long and what your results were.