Re: Weight Loss & Concerns
18 kgs in three weeks is a bit ambitious even for a fast. The body tends to slow it's metabolism as you have heard to make the stored nutrients last as long as they can, especially after 10-14 days or so. This change in metabolism isn't at all permanent though so you don't need to worry about that. You will certainly lose a lot if you fast for three weeks though, and the health benefits on top of the weight loss will be enormous.
The idea that the body will consume it's own heart muscle is absurd and shows that whoever provided you with this information is completely ignorant of the facts. The body is not only capable of discerning the difference between the heart muscle and the calf muscle it knows every aspect of itself down to the last microbe and knows what to metabolise, what to reabsorb and what to excrete. The body is also at the same time capable of organising in correct order of importance which organs need what nourishment and which parts of the body need special attention for repairs during a fast. The body is a great deal smarter and more proficient at doing it's work- when we don't hinder it!- than any other man made machine I'm aware of.
I lost 30 kgs in about 2 months late last year in a series of shorter fasts- anywhere from 5-14 days. All eating raw food in between and improving my health out of sight and saying goodbye to junk food cravings at the same time. You will certainly see your weight loss, the body must consume it's fat stores to survive and that will show even more to your eyes in some cases than on the scales themselves. It is a great way to lose weight, it is also so very much more than that.
It is also important to remember that how you break a fast is equally important as how long you fast. In fact it could be said that breaking the fast is more important because while the fast itself is safe, refeeding can be very dangerous if not done correctly. I would definitely reccommend you research that thoroughly and include that refeeding time in your plans also.
You can check out the Fasting-Info page on this website, also there is a free online book here that is well worth your time to read:
http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020127shelton.III/020127.toc.htm
Take care, and good luck. :)
Andrew.