Does this sound truthful: "I stopped eating a week ago and lost twenty pounds."

[Mike 03]

Is that possible? It's a famous person who has little to gain or lose from lying. He's just off on his own thing and truly, I can't think of a reason he would lie about this.

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. I've seen it with ill people, but I guess it depends on the person.

A healthy person? I wouldn't think so...but who knows?

[flvegan]

2. Highly unlikely.

After a couple days, your metabolism shuts way down. Also, that weight loss from not eating is going to be mostly muscle, not fat. Muscle is the preferred fuel for your body, and that's what your body will consume first.

[AlCzervik]

3. did they start out really heavy?

[Redstone]

4. I did that once. But I also had malaria, which may have influenced events.

Redstone

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. If you have to lose weight, eat a small version of each meal, and drop the carbs/sugars.

The body still requires a minimum amount of sustenance.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Once,

I lost 25 pounds in 7 days.

It was a highly stressful situation and I was being hidden from the press. It involved a sudden, tragic death and corporate power.

It was a long time ago. I was skinny, and suddenly I looked like Death. Living on cigarettes and Scotch can do that when things are difficult.

[applegrove]

7. I lost about 30 pounds in three weeks. I just couldn't eat. So I guess 20 would be possible.

[denbot]

8. Last spring I fasted 4 days, no food no water.

I lost 16lbs.. They must of had a forwarding address because the pounds are back.


denbot
A.K.A. puerco-bellies

[Maraya1969]

19. Don't EVER do that again without drinking water!!!

:spank:

People die of dehydration a lot easier than they do from lack of food. Plus if you are on a fast you need the water to flush out the toxins.

[DarkTirade]

9. I can't imagine any safe way for that to be true.

And even if it is physically possible, I'd wager most of it would be water weight.

I lost about 15-20 pounds in a month once. That was when I ran out of money for food and spent just about every waking moment walking everywhere applying for jobs.

[FreeState]

10. About 3,500 calories adds up to about 1 pound

The average calories needed by a person a day is 2000. So unless something is terribly wrong its nearly impossible and even if it was it would be quite unhealthy.

[Left Is Write]

25. A 3500-calorie deficit equals one pound of fat.

A person could still lose a considerable amount of water (although I agree it's nearly impossible to lose 20 pounds of anything in one week and that it would be very unhealthy).

[noamnety]

11. I've lost 20 pounds in two weeks before

from morning sickness. I think my extreme loss was from dehydration as much as pure food calories; I couldn't even keep water down.

[graywarrior]

12. I lost 15 lbs in a month last Feb cause I was really sick

20 lbs in a week is possible if the person is greatly overweight.

[LadyoftheRabbits]

13. I lost my appetite freshman year and lost about 20 lbs in two weeks

I suppose it's possible.

[Lil Missy]

14. It's possible.

I lost 50 pounds over a couple months due to severe depression and getting sicker than shit from some virus. I sometimes went 4 to 6 days without eating. I could barely walk.

I ended up in IC for several days due to kidney failure and almost died. Took me a couple weeks, after I regained consciousness, to walk by myself. And another year to eat well.

It's possible.

[Iggo]

15. I did that once.

Dysentery's a wonderful thing.

[KitchenWitch]

16. Unless the person was obese, I would think that would be rather unlikely

Because after about a day or two, the metabolism slows way down to protect the body from losing weight too rapidly. The body starts burning muscle to maintain itself.

[Radical Activist]

17. I stopped eating a weak ago due to a major drug addiction and starved to death.

You can't stop eating for an entire week so it's a lie from the start.

[Lil Missy]

22. Oh yes you can stop eating for a week. If you are sick enough.

[lukasahero]

24. "You can't stop eating for an entire week"

You're kidding right?

[Left Is Write]

27. As a former anorexic, I can tell you with certainty that you CAN stop eating

for an entire week.

[LeftyMom]

18. I lost 25 lbs in a week

But it was baby, placenta, and a whole lot of water weight.

20 lbs in a week wouldn't just be fasting. 20 lbs in a week would be fasting and a horrific intestinal virus with dehydration, or fasting plus an insane physical activity level, or some combination like that.

Or having a baby. Or surgery. Or a terrible illness. That's about it.

[MrsBrady]

20. he's probably exaggerating or overstating it.

but actors/artists will sometimes do crazy things. was there a part/roll....gig involved?

maybe he needed to do it for a part?

[Lethe]

21. it's definitely possible

the thing about rapid weight loss is, that you rapidly gain it back, usually

[jobycom]

23. Yes, but he'd probably have to work out, too. I fasted five days recently

and only lost about ten pounds. Maybe a little more. On the other hand, I've lost seven or eight pounds in a couple of days by fasting and running. I couldn't have sustained that, though, because I was running out of fuel with the running.

But actors do that for a living. They gain weight, and they lose it for their next role, sometimes in disturbingly dangerous ways. Remember Martin Lawrence almost dying when he wrapped himself in plastic and ran in the California heat. Top actors discipline themselves to do these things, and if their bodies couldn't handle it, they'd have probably stopped being top actors some time before--except for a few with genuine talent who can run a little heavy.

And they have trainers to monitor them and give them useful advice and the most effective--not necessarily the safest--diuretics and weight loss drugs.

Has Woody Harrelson gone through with his forty day fast yet? I know he was planning something like that, drinking only water from a brook on his Hawaiian retreat, or something equally lovable and Hollywood-ish.

[NJmaverick]

26. If you are sufficiently over weight, it's possible but not healthy