A former NFL Super Bowl champion says he lost more than 100 pounds during a 40-day fast, during which he only drank water.
Russell Okung, an alum of the Seattle Seahawks 2014 Super Bowl team, spent most of his professional football career weighing more than 300 pounds. Now, he says his experience was “so rich and rewarding” that he’s going to do it again, and has found “a new me, a new chapter.”
But there’s more to the story. Experts warn water fasts can be dangerous. Here’s what you need to know about water fasting.
What is a water fast?
It’s exactly what it sounds like: refraining from eating all food and drinking anything other than water.
Unlike intermittent fasting, a reduced-calorie diet, water fasting eliminates all calories so that a person is surviving off fat stores and the protein in their muscles, according to Krista Varady, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Did Russell Okung really fast for 40 days?
Okung says he had “no food, only water” for 40 days. Water fasting for that long is technically possible, medical experts say. But Varady suspects Okung was, at the very least, still consuming vitamins or protein powder to avoid malnutrition and loss of his muscle, which is evident in his “after” photos. He did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
“(40 days) does seem a little bit dangerous,” she adds, noting the major studies that have been conducted on water fasting took place over the course of 5 to 20 days − and those studies were done under medical supervision.
Plus the problem with crash diets is “you tend to feel lousy and all you think about is food,” Bryant Stamford, a professor of kinesiology and integrative physiology at Hanover College, previously explained. As a result, crash diets tend to fail.
Is fasting a good way to lose weight?
To medical experts who study weight loss and fasting, a spike in interest in water fasting seems like a natural evolution from the intermittent fasting craze a few years ago. Water fasting produces more dramatic results in a shorter period of time, but they caution that water fasts aren’t the get-thin-quick scheme that before and after photos may suggest.
Why? Once you start eating food again, the weight typically comes back and the benefits go away. Plus fasting for long periods can also slow metabolism, which can make it “harder to keep the weight off or to lose weight later,” according to Johns Hopkins.
“It seems like a lot of work and is probably pretty painful to not eat anything for a month or so,” Varady says. “And what’s the point of it if most people, when they go back to their regular diet, gain it all back?”
Even intermittent fasting, which operates on a reduced-calorie diet, for long periods of time is often difficult for people to achieve, Dr. Guy L. Mintz, director of cardiovascular health and lipidology at Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital in New York, previously told USA TODAY.
In his social media posts about the fast, Okung said, “Fasting isn’t for everyone, I get that. But for me, it was a life-changer. The benefits are profound. Clearer skin, better digestion, improved mental focus, even my joint pain has decreased.”
While studies haven’t backed up most of Okung’s claims, joint pain decreasing is a common product of major weight-loss, experts say. Water fasting-induced weight loss has been shown to help decrease cholesterol and blood pressure and improve blood sugar levels and regulation, according to an upcoming study Varady co-authored for medical journal Nutrition Reviews, but the costs outweigh the benefits.
Don’t try this at home
Experts agree long-term fasting should be done under medical supervision or only after consulting a doctor.
Unsupervised, long-term fasting can cause issues including headaches, insomnia, and in extreme cases, it can cause heart failure, Varady adds.
The more body fat a person has, the longer they can live without eating, Varady says. Which is why Okung might have been able to last 40 days, beginning at 330 pounds, but a person considered a “normal” weight would not survive as long.
Ultimately, Okung’s 40-day water fast shouldn’t be attempted by the average person, Varady says. And those who are above age 65 or under 22, are pregnant, have eating disorders or diabetes should avoid fasting altogether.
“It’s scary when people (with large platforms) share this stuff and then everyone’s like, ‘I’m going to do it,'” she says. “Anything over five days, don’t do this on your own and definitely not if you have any kind of medical condition.”
Contributing: Kristin Lam
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