I, for one, don’t particularly like to eat. Once, I decided to punich myself for gaining a pound over a long weekend. So I said I couldn’t eat for a few days. I started on Halloween, even went trick-or-treating too, and managed not to injest anything except water and other low calorie liquids for 67 hours, until I couldn’t lie about having eaten dinner.
The weird thing was that I never felt lightheaded or weak that entire time.
How about the rest of y’all?
ahhh. punich is supposed to be punish. Sorry.
I’ve gone six days before, eating nothing and drinking only water and no-calorie soft drinks. I don’t recommend it, but I can also say that I didn’t feel lightheaded or weak.
I’ve got plenty of “reserves” built up, though, if you know what I mean. 
Back in the day when I was a young lass with a bit of a drug problem (ok, it was a big problem), I would often go about 3 days without eating, living off of cigarettes and diet coke. I would usually do this about 3 or 4 times a month, until it nearly killed me.
Now, I’m fat and sassy, no drug problem, and happy as can be.
DigitalMuse, please seek help. What you’re doing is dangerous, and will damage your body. You may not care now, but when you’re older and emotionally healthier, you’re going to want your body as healthy as possible.
When I was in the military back in the Seventies, I’d slowly gained twenty-five pounds despite running three to four miles a day and lifting weights (Air Force chow was good and plentiful), so I went a little crazy on a series of fasts. I drank water and lots of unsweetened iced tea (and vitamins), and maintained the usual daily workout. The first day was agony; I wanted to eat EVERYTHING and couldn’t stop think about food. After that it was surprisingly easy. Out of curiosity alone, I stopped the fast after six days. Ate one or two light rounded meals and felt so crummy that I went back on another six-day fast. Ate one meal and proceeded to go on another week-long fast (this time, bread and tea). I felt wonderful… cleansed… energetic… bouncy…
Three weeks --> twenty-five pound weight loss (225–>200; I’m a very muscular 6’0"). It wasn’t the brightest way to lose the weight, but when you’re young and resilient and incredibly stupid…
The most surprising side-effect of the fasts was difficulty of defecation. With nothing going in, the food left in the pipeline seemed to sit in the lower intestine, where it got dehydrated into a brick. Jeeezus, talk about a painful poop! (The screams resonated nicely off the tile walls.) I thought about going to the base hospital to be de-impacted by hand, but figured I’d end up being routed to Psych afterwards. Didn’t want to risk it.
Seems like six days is about the average longest time around here. Without going into the story of it, I fasted for six days myself, drinking only water. After the second day, I stopped being hungry and sort of coasted through the next four. When I did stop and started eating something again, I ate.
On a more frequent basis, I used to stop eating a lot in college. I’d not eat for about three days, order an extra large pizza, eat the entire thing in one sitting and then not eat again for the rest of the week. Even today, if not for the fact that I have nothing better to do during lunch at work than eat, it’s doubtful that I’d eat a meal daily more than a few times a week.
Longest I’ve ever gone is from evening snack to waking in the morning,otherwise its every couple of hours.
I’m constantly pushing my body to the limits, seeing how far I can go without sleep, food etc. Although, sometimes I don’t actually feel like eating and can go for up to two weeks without eating any proper meals, just drinking water and eating small amounts of fruit once a day or so. This is very dangerous and at one time when I did it for two weeks, I would black out and faint. The past week I’ve hardly eaten a thing at all, just out of habit.
I’m surprised a week is tops so far. I’ve fasted just taking water over lent, which is 40 days. And I’ve done that twice. I’ve also done lent just eating a small salad each day. One of the water-onlys I lost some 30 lbs. Haven’t done that in many years though.
It’s true what others said: for a few days, you’re starving, but after that it’s not so bad.
I made it 36 hours. That personal best will stand for a long-ass time.
Four or five days, when I went to Egypt for the first time and got dysentery. I became positively gaunt, but I wouldn’t recommend pooping and puking for days on end as an ideal way to lose weight!
Never personally saw the point of voluntarily not eating for days on end. I’ve known people who regularly fast for several days at a time without adverse affect, but I don’t really see the benefit either.
a few years ago i went on a religious fast for 10 days. i still consumed fruit juice and water. the first day was hard, but after that it wasnt bad. but on the 11 day, when i ate again, i got pretty sick. ate too much too fast.
My longest was about four days, and it sure as hell wasn’t on purpose. My senior year in college, everyone in my house got some bizzare stomach virus that made eating practically impossible. Anything that you did choke down didn’t stay for very long, that’s for sure. After the first day, I just got tired of recycling my food so quickly.
Twice yearly I do a 25 hour fast – but that’s a complete fast (no food or liquids at all). I’ve never tried to fast (with or without liquids) longer than that.
Zev Steinhardt
I am in awe of all y’all. I wish I could go that long, butmy parents make me eat at times and there’s nothing I can do to get around it most times. I can go a day and a half without eating on some school days. It takes up my time, and it bothers me, eating that is.
I’m starting a new exercise thing so I figure if I exercise alot and eat less, then I’ll lose weight in no time!
Only 36 hours on a huge acid-binge. Couldn’t stand teh sight of food when I used to trip.
My current boss went two months, however, on vitamins and water. Ran every day, too. Wowza.
I don’t think fasting is necesarily a bad thing in the long run (not sure, though), but if you’re doing it to lose weight, like you said (and I can’t think of any other reason you would do it), just take my word for it: you don’t need to. You’re what, 107 pounds? Shish…
Anyway, I sometimes fast just for fun, not so much to lose weight, but I inevitably lose control after 24 hours or so and I don’t have the will power to keep from eating for long. I’ll just realize I’m eating something and I broke my fast. D’oh! So the longest I’ve gone is 30 hours, when I did the 30-hour famine project with my church to raise money.
Barring being ill (I mean physically or mentally) the longest I go without a meal is until my next chance! I have for days without eating anything significant though when I’ve been physically ill or under a great deal of stress. I think that’s a particularly unhealthy way to lose weight. The weight always comes back, usually more than before!
Hit 200 pounds for the first time, just broke up with my girlfriend of three years… Resolution;
Don’t eat until you get a date with a woman.
26 days later I got a date. In the meanwhile I lived miso soup, fruit and vegetable juices. Lost almost thirty pounds.
I even cooked one or two large meals for friends. Do you know how hard it is to cook well when you can’t even taste the stuff you’re preparing?
Went out for a nice big lunch on that date and didn’t even get a bit of indigestation.
30 Hours, for a promotion.