7 Days, Only Water: A Guide to Successfully Completing a Water Fast

In comparison to conventional intermittent fasting, in which you fast for 16 hours throughout the day but only allow snacking for 8 hours, or even alternative intermittent fasting, in which you only intake each subsequent day, a 7-day water fast is very intense and a lot stringent.

Research has demonstrated that prolonged fasting, such as a 7-day water fasting, will have advantageous consequences, including weight loss, fat mass loss, lowered perceptions of fatigue, more extraordinary ketone bodies, and decreased blood glucose levels.

Seven days of water fasting, nevertheless, come with a lot of possible issues.

We’ll go through how to complete a 7-day liquid diet in this post, in addition to any concerns that could be involved.

A 7-Day Fast: What Is It?

A severe kind of water fasting that lasts seven days includes just sipping water. It involves dietary restrictions or bans for the entire week. It is an intentional, regulated practice. 

On the 7-day fast, minimizing eating habits and concentrating on the water is essential. It’s a method to alter your nutrition and relationship with food significantly. It may also serve as excellent self-control training.

Cellular wellness is only one area where fasting has positive effects on wellness. Losing weight, changing food habits, and changing one’s behavior are all possible when fasting. Several individuals fast for several days before making dietary changes. This “strenuous reboot” type produces a smoother and more dependable changeover. 

Presumably, this typically lasts for seven days, even as the title suggests. It takes somewhat more than numerous other plans, but it produces a wholly unique collection of mental and physical health advantages. Combating urges, regulating hunger, and decreasing arterial circulation are a few of them.

What Are The Benefits Of A 7-Day Fast?

The effects of your fast will be amplified if you continue past fasting and avoid food for a prolonged duration. We are aware that several advantages to fasting have been verified by scientific research. These include, among others:

• Autophagy: the procedure through which the body naturally purges destroyed tissues and regenerates new ones
• Blood glucose management
• Lessened inflammatory
• Enhanced cardiovascular function (owing to decreased bp, lipid, and blood lipids)
• Improved mental capacity
• Prevent the occurrence of neurological diseases
• Healthy metabolism
• HGH levels should be higher since they’re essential for metabolic activities, weight loss, and muscular endurance.
• The avoidance of illnesses like cancer

Indeed, one advantage of extended abstinence is weight loss. Whatever weight loss you encounter will probably be transient and won’t be among the more significant advantages of your fast because the majority of weight loss associated with fasting will be water retention and since you’ll resume eating.

Several individuals claim extended fasting has unique benefits besides those generally obtained from intermittent fasting. There won’t be any puffiness, better skin, sharper thinking, less worry, fewer appetites even when the fast is over, more spare time, and a renewed love of eating, among others.

What Difficulties Come with A 7-Day Fast?

You already know how tough it is to fast continuously for seven days. It necessitates utmost dedication, temperance, and self-control. Your 7-day fast may present numerous difficulties, especially for those with extraordinary determination as well as some past knowledge of lengthy fasting.

Some things to watch out for include the following:

• Dehydration: Even though you’re always allowed to consume water, a 7-day fast makes it simple to become parched. In order to keep nourished, you’ll have to drink more water because, while eating correctly, food only supplies around 20% of your liquid requirements. You should drink far more water in order to keep up your workout regimen while you’re fasting.
• Unbalanced electrolytes: Your system requires electrolytes, such as salts, calcium, iron, and magnesium, to govern, control, and sustain vital biological processes. Fasting and exercise drain ions, so you should be careful to keep an appropriate amount of them during your fast. 
• Inability to sleep: You can discover you’re incredibly attentive and concentrated when fasting. Cortisol, Adrenaline, and androgen are racing through your system, and more circulation than usual customarily utilized for the digestive process is going to your central nervous system. You’ll start feeling stimulated because of not eating, which is the reverse of getting lethargic after a substantial meal. While this is excellent for productivity and improves daily concentration, relaxing and falling asleep is more challenging.

Is 7-Day Fasting Safe?

When considering going without meals, the majority of individuals ask themselves this doubt. The two things are different when you fast. The majority of individuals are concerned about how skipping meals would affect their well-being, yet the system is remarkably adept at adjusting to a lack of nourishment. Deciding to limit your eating habits is always beneficial. The finest results come from how you go about doing things.

When done wrong, fasting may be harmful. The concern is poor handling because it’s a long period without eating.

Usually, when fasting, you must aim to lose just a few pounds while being cautious about losing them too rapidly.

With weight loss rates of Eight to ten percent, body systems begin to be restricted, and negative consequences can manifest. Keep a close eye out for changes in your health, and monitor your weight consistently to ensure you’re not losing too much.

Your body has the capacity to go for prolonged times without eating. Fasting only returns to these ancient roles; nevertheless, it’s important to employ it cautiously.

A few hazards are associated with fasting for fit individuals who consume a proper diet of nutrients. It goes without saying that certain folks shouldn’t fast. This is typically due to a health problem or specific dietary requirements.

Fasting, when performed correctly, is harmless for the typical fit individual.

Note: Before starting a 7-day water fast, it is crucial to consult your health professional and get their approval. It would be best if you also got advice from them.

How To Follow A 7-Day Water Fast?

What is the process for a seven-day water fast?

As previously said, the initial step is to see your doctor about performing a water fast under the doctor’s supervision.

The following stages involve preparing your health physiologically as well as your thoughts and emotions for an entire week of water fasting.

In regards to adequately prepping your system for a 7-day water fast, it’s frequently essential to have an effective, brief liquid diet before you embark on a whole week of fasting. Nonetheless, doing so is absolutely viable and permitted.

A week prior to a seven-day water fast, for instance, you can attempt a 24-hour water fast or a couple of rounds of 20/4 fasting.

Despite being optional, these “little” diets will offer your system a feel of what it will feel when you don’t consume any calories, even if you’re tired and your appetite cues may be trying to get your attention to snack.

It may be jarring to the body and challenging to stop consuming calories or fuel for a whole week if you refrain from frequently practicing fasting or following any liquid fasting strategy.

Although if you choose not to test with abstinence before starting your 7-day water fast, it’s still a wise option to watch what you consume in the last two to three days before your start.

Try to stay away from packaged meals, especially those that are heavy in sugary and sugar substitutes, as they might make you hungry.

Put an emphasis on consuming healthy, natural foods like fruits and veggies.

While it’s normal for people to desire to “load up” or feast before beginning a 7-day water fast, doing so might cause the abrupt decrease in calorie consumption to seem more complicated and jeopardize a few of the intended wellness and weight-loss advantages.

You must better brace yourself for what will occur in combination with physically preparing for an entire week of water fasting.

There is no way to avoid the fact that giving up all foods and calorie-containing liquids for an entire week is difficult. Your psychological fortitude and self-discipline will be put to the test as a result of bodily and emotional feelings.

It’s an intelligent option to have a number of resources and methods in your self-care toolbox that you’re able to utilize during challenging moments with your water fast, regardless of whether you prefer to practice meditation, journal, listen to a melody, enjoy podcasts or ebooks, walk the dogs, or create a few kinds of creative endeavor to allow yourself to unwind and center yourself.

Drink just water for the entire week to perform a 7-day water fast rightly. Even during a fast, you are not allowed to consume any meals or drinks with added sugar.

Any alarming signs must be discussed with your medical professional immediately.

What Are The Different Stages Of A 7-Day Water Fast? 

These are several physiological changes that occur during a fast. Note that eating anything throughout the 7 days will cause your body to produce insulin, essentially breaking your fast.

• Twelve hours later: You will enter a ketosis-like state, wherein your system begins to deconstruct and consume energy from fat after about Twelve hours of fasting.
• Eighteen hours later: After 18 hours, your body has transitioned to using fat instead of glycogen, and you’re now producing considerable amounts of ketones, which substitute in lieu of glucose as your primary fuel supply.
• Twenty-four hours later: Your tissues are thought to begin renewing old parts and dissolving protein complexes, including those associated with illnesses like Vascular dementia, around 24 hours. Autophagy is the mechanism that initiates immunity renewal.
• Forty-eight hours later: Your growing hormonal fluctuation may have risen by as much as five times, even by the next or subsequent day of fasting.
• Fifty-four hours later: Your body starts to grow more susceptible to insulin to about Sixty hours into a liquid diet when it has plummeted to its lowest possible point.
• Seventy-two hours later: Your system will start decomposing and generate fresh inflammatory responses after 72 hours.

7-Day Water Fasting Tips To Make It Simpler

• Look at the calendar before deciding: If it’s your debut protracted fast and you’re still determining whether you’ll feel, you should pick seven days with no extra pressures. Verify that no formal dinners, events, or crucial job conferences are scheduled. If hunger pangs are more noticeable the week before a woman’s cycle, she might opt to avoid that week.
• Before you fast, maintain a healthy diet: If you’ve previously achieved ketosis, you are much more likely to be equipped for a seven-day water fast than most individuals. Some individuals struggle with both deprivation and a dangerous dependency on processed carbohydrates and sugar when fasting. In the days preceding the fast, try to consume as many complete, unadulterated meals as possible.
• Team up: You may become aware of how strongly our everyday lives are centered around eating if you go on a fast. Being isolated from society when everybody else is dining might be unpleasant. A buddy, relative, friend, or colleague may make getting there much simpler if you share your 7-day water fast with them. You may share your sorrows, encourage one another to be more responsible, and rejoice in each other’s accomplishments.
• Remain rejuvenated: Water is vital to your wellness and may make you feel fuller by filling your belly when fasting. Ensuring adequate water will simplify the fast and the switch to eating again. If you’re working out at the gym throughout your 7-day water fast, aim for 8 oz. of water per every 15 pounds you weigh daily, or maybe more.
• Monitor your pee to determine how well-hydrated you are: Dehydration may be detected by dense pee of a yellow tint, whereas excessive hydration may be asserted by very translucent pee that flushes out essential ions. You can aim for a pale straw color pee since this indicates that the person is well-hydrated.
• Take notice of any electrolyte disequilibrium symptoms: Electrolyte deficiencies may lead to migraine, thumping in the chest, dizziness, muscle cramping, and weariness. When you discuss fasting with your primary care physician, they could suggest putting a calorie-free electrolyte solution in your water.
• Decide on some mild workout: Moderate exercise is not harmful as you maintain healthy fluids and electrolytes and are refreshed. Consider your feelings and then let your gut determine what you should do. In the evenings, going for a stroll, relaxing, or doing some moderate yoga will help you relax and burn off any excess tension you may be experiencing before sleep.
• Meditate: Strive to erase worry, unfavorable emotions, and food-related ideas from your head through the increased cognitive awareness you could be having. If you’re having trouble falling asleep lately, mindfulness might be a terrific technique to relax your thoughts before bedtime.
• Breaking your fast correctly is essential: You succeeded! Now that your seven-day water fast is finished, it’s time for something to eat. The most problematic aspect of a 7-day water quickly is controlling the impulse to overeat, despite what you might believe. Because of this, packaged meals, leafy vegetables, milk products, eggs, and liquor will not settle well with your sensitive gut. Start slowly with some chicken or salmon, gauge your feelings, and move forward

7-Day Water Fast Results: Before and After

Below are some before-after transformations of people who shared their journey on different social media platforms who followed a 7-day water fast –

Conclusion

A 7-day fast is sometimes compared to pressing the reboot key in terms of how individuals feel about eating. It’s not intended to be punishment, but it’s not always pleasure and joy. Although you’ll inevitably go through some highs and lows; generally, long-term fasting should prove more illuminating than unpleasant.

Several people who have attempted a 7-day water fast can attest that the advantages—both physiological and psychological- outweigh all the difficulties. But it is unquestionably not appropriate for everybody; therefore, before beginning any type of lengthy fast, it is imperative to speak with a medical practitioner. We hope you succeed on your 7-day voyage if you dive in!

Faqs