Re: Starvation mode

Sara,
your body will never think it is starving unless it actually is, and this means that your food reserves are depleted.
Even the most underweight person has enough food reserve to last from 15 to 25 days on water only before the onset of actual starvation.

Your fat cells going into overdrive means the transition from glucose-burning to fat-burning as in ketosis, and which we all experience when we undertake a fast.

The cravings are purely psychological: I craved every food going and used to dream and wake-up thinking of all foods that came to mind. I missed food enormously, but where this was a matter of life and death and trusted my own bodily instincts entirely. These cravings were only illusory.

Listening to my body was my greatest asset.

Yes. You will most certainly have cravings for foods of all kinds on a water fast; this was my own experience on both of my extended fasts.
Quite normal.

It is gratifying that you have no further suicidal tendencies but the "go-it-alone" plan of fasting is difficult, as you have no hands-on support which can be very self-defeating. A supervised fast in your own case I think would be ideal.
Depression and the thought of suicide will pass given sufficient time.

An alternative to a Water Fast (if supervision is not possible) is an Elimination Diet or even Intermittent fasting: one day of normal and varied plant-based eating properly combined, and the next of water-only on alternate days.
IF is the method I would go for, but do not overfeed on the feeding days........just eat as per normal.
Stay on the IF for at least 4 to 5 weeks and i wager your health will improve enormously.

And I mean ENORMOUSLY.

Regards

Chrisb1.

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