# I'm gonna pull a Ghandi/David Blaine! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 29, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549 "2003-09-29T20:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/1 "2003-09-29T20:57:37Z")
Now that David Blaine has made it blithely obvious to the world that self-starvation is fun and easy I’ve decided to go on a fast! Sure, there are a few practical reasons for doing this. For one, I’m a poor college student, and need to cut expenses wherever I can find them and I find that this pesky “food” business is really cutting into my video game funds. Second, I’ve got a little too much gut (probably due to excessive utilization of aforementioned video game funds), so why not just cut that fat down like the scythe of death cuts down a starving Slavic village during winter after a ruined harvest! Don’t be fooled by my sarcastic tongue, though, I really seriously am planning on doing this, just for the sake of experimentation. You’ve got to know your body’s limits, right? My minimum goal is 2 weeks. A modest estimate compared to my influences mentioned in the topic. I would really like to avoid eating anything solid, whatsoever, so if there are certain juices and whatnot that’ll keep my nutrient level up, I’m glad to hear suggestions. And if some you health-nuts must absolutely INSIST that I will become weak and ill if I don’t get enough of this or that, I’ll go ahead and ask: What is it then? What’s the minimum I can get by on? (Keep in mind the budgetery aspect of this, I can’t afford vitamin supplements or anything fancy like that) ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/2 "2003-09-29T21:08:16Z")
**CaptBushio** , if you’ll allow me, I’d like to get in on this fastin’ action. We can make it a support group, or, better yet, a contest. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/3 "2003-09-29T21:15:34Z")
This is a very foolish idea. It is medically unsound. You will be depriving your body of the things it needs. It won’t be fun or interesting, it’ll just be horrible and bad for you. Seriously, don’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/4 "2003-09-29T21:27:33Z")
Well, so far I’ve got a nice even split on the issue! karomon: You’re on! Francesca: I don’t mean to let it go far enough to do long-term harm, and besides, the medical issue is why I asked for suggestions for possible supplementery aids. Really, I’m kind of a pushover, it may be that come the first _real_ pangs of hunger arrive, I’ll fold and go on a cookie binge. I’ve got to see, at least! Besides, if people less fortunate than me go through this throughout their whole lives, I should be able to at least emphatize with them on some level. ---
**Author:** ![noname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@noname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noname)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/5 "2003-09-29T21:30:18Z")
thats a stupid idea, and heres why. no food, no energy…no energy, no ability to play games…net result, video games fund wasted. another reason, your mouth will stink. but if you must, then go for glucose, lots of glucose preferrably the biscuits and water. ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/6 "2003-09-29T22:17:52Z")
> [@](#): > > another reason, your mouth will stink. I would like the rules of the fast loosened to inclue breath mints. ---
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/7 "2003-09-29T22:22:18Z")
> [@](#): > > I would like the rules of the fast loosened to inclue breath mints. Fair enough, although you CAN just brush your teeth/use mouthwash more often, though… ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/8 "2003-09-29T22:29:26Z")
NEVAH! ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/9 "2003-09-30T03:22:40Z")
Perhaps this should be known not as a “Gandhi/David Blaine” but as a “Darwin.” ---
**Author:** ![CaptBushido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CaptBushido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptBushido)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/10 "2003-09-30T04:17:37Z")
**Already in Use:** Zing! Seriously, though, I really feel like I want to do this, not as an attention getter (I don’t really plan to bring it up with anyone in conversation), or with a “bet-you-I-can-do-this” attitude. But, rather as a strictly scientific undertaking. A test of self-will. A study in human physiology. I really would like some help in the technical aspect of it! Please, I can try to plan out my ways to get various nutrients, but not being an expert on the subject, I’m just as likely to give myself scurvy or something similar because I overlooked something important! I fully understand disdainful input, but that’s not really what I’m looking for. What I could REALLY use is helpful advice. And as it stands right now: 35.5 hours since last solid meal and feeling perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Ryle\_Dup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ryle\_Dup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryle_Dup)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/11 "2003-09-30T04:43:30Z")
Er I’m sorry to those who think this is something really unhealthy, when that’s a load of it. If you do get juice and just basic waters, you’ll be fine, I know I’ve gone for about a week without food myself, and my dad and alot of his friends have gone over 30 days and have had NO long term side affects. Fasting is quite safe. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/12 "2003-09-30T15:08:48Z")
My advice would be to drop the 2 week plan and start with 2 days instead. 2 weeks is a long, long time to go without eating and all you’ll accomplish is to make yourself sick. Do 2 days, and if it feel good to you eat for a week then do 4 days. If you can do that too and still for some reason have the desire to starve yourself go for a full week. By then you’ll have starved some sense into your head. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![noname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@noname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noname)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-gonna-pull-a-ghandi-david-blaine/204549/13 "2003-09-30T15:22:09Z")
the whole idea of fasting yourself is to deny your body nutrition. if you are taking juices/mints, then you are not fasting. your body still get nutrition, and so its not starved. do it for 2 weeks then, or for whatever time, but it ain’t fasting.