Mel> Won't fasting slow down your metabolism and make your body hold onto
it's own fat because it's not getting food for energy?

The body's holding on to the fat for just this reason.  Once glucose
reserves are depleted, it has a choice between burning muscle tissue and
burning fat.

Unless you're already ketotic, your body's fuel is glucose.  When you fast,
that glucose supply runs out and the body has to search for alternate energy
sources.  For a very short period, it breaks down muscle tissue.  But soon
it shifts into protein sparing mode and begins to burn fat as the source of
energy.  This shift to fat as the primary energy source (ketosis) generally
occurs in 72 hours for men and 48 hours for women.

Mel> I don't know how many of you have read Dr Atkin's book, but in it he
says that your ease of getting into ketosis depends on the amount of fat you
eat and that you need to eat plenty of it to help get you into ketosis.

He may be saying the same thing, but what's more important than upping your
fat intake is to eliminate your carbohydrates -- which the body converts to
glucose.  (I mean if you want to lose weight, you've already got the fat to
burn, right?)  You cannot help the onset of ketosis if you have insufficient
carbs to convert to blood sugar.  Fasting is the "ketogenic kickstart" which
can get you there more quickly.  Plus, there are other physical and
spiritual benefits too.

One note about fasting.  Everything I've read cautions against frequent
three day fasts like the one I did.  Twice a year is fine -- more may not be
good for you.  I'll try again in late summer.