100 days of fasting

(Sean Symons) #1

Richard here:

_We don’t support extended fasts beyond a 72 hour fast at which point humans appear to reach the maximal benefit, and beyond which those benefits diminish exponentially, and costs accrue.
Any fast beyond 72 hours is increasingly just extreme caloric restriction, with essential nutrient depletion.
in 1981 10 IRA hunger strikers fasted themselves to death in British jails.

Name Length of strike
Bobby Sands 66 days
Francis Hughes 59 days
Raymond McCreesh 61 days
Patsy O’Hara 61 days
Joe McDonnell 61 days
Martin Hurson 46 days
Kevin Lynch 71 days
Kieran Doherty 73 days
Thomas McElwee 62 days
Michael Devine 60 days

A 100 day fast is a “dumb ideatm”. People have killed themselves trying to go for the Guinness world record fast, and people have died fasting for a lot less than 100 days.

I have been doing intermittent fasting and keto this entire year and lost about 75 pounds. I believe that water fasting will really help… So come January 1, I plan on doing 100 days of fasting… from what I have read and experience, I should lose about a pound a day… But I’ve never fasted for more than 30 days. After 30 days, I assume the weight loss slows down… But I’m not sure how much. I plan on documenting this entire adventure. How long have you fasted? What are some suggestions? What should I expect after 30 days? Any tips?

Updated info: I’m married male with two boys and two grand kids plus another soon. 49 years old. Im 215 pounds now. Last year I had open heart surgery to fix two valves. Everything else was fine. No plaques or blockages. Dr said Keto was fine.
I want to do the fast till I get to 100 days or 8% BF then finish the 100 days bone fasting.
I expect to lose 0.7 pounds a day. I think this will help my body. Atophagy. I think humans had to do things like this and we adapted to survive and thrive prolong fasting. If I’m wrong… it will be documented. But I’m betting my life I’m correct.

(less is more, more or less) #2

I don’t wish to offend, but your mega-fast sounds like a terrible idea. Listen to this podcast by Diet Doctor and Megan Ramos on fasting. There so much evidence, or as I’ve heard by Dr. Fung, Ramos, and others, that after 5 days of fasting you max out on its benefits.

#3

Yeah - dont!

I dont mean to sound abrupt but this is not a good move unless you have your doctors approval and will be monitored closely.
Even then I suspect you are running a significant risk, according to Jason Fung and many other experts.

Have you considered alternate day fasting?
Sounds like you have made terrific progress with 75 lbs lost and able to do a very extended fast already.

(Carl Keller) #4

I expect it took you at least 10-15+ years to arrive at your current weight so what’s the rush to drop it all in 100 days? The ketogenic diet isn’t just about weight loss. It’s as much about re-training hormones and healing. Fasting for that long, without a physician to monitor your progress (or digress), is dangerous.

I’m with @jennyellen and @Screenack on this one. This is not a great idea. You’ve had good results thus far and if you just keep doing what you are doing, you are still losing it way faster than you put it on. Don’t be in such a hurry to reach your destination… this WOE is mostly about the journey.

(Mike W.) #5

Why?

(Sean Symons) #6

Ty for that podcast. I’ll listen to it soon. It Probably is one that I have already listen to… For the last four months that’s all I’ve been doing is listening to podcast and lectures.

(Sean Symons) #7

I have done intermittent fasting and keto. The longest I’ve gone fasting was six days. I am currently on day two of another fast… I enjoy fasting and I feel the best when I fast.

(Sean Symons) #8

This year I’ve lost about 75 pounds doing keto and intermittent fasting… I found that when I fast I feel the best. I’ve seen online where people have gone over 100 days fasting and it seems to really help. That’s why am doing it

#9

I’m getting pretty good at water EFs of 3 and 4 days and once did a 5-day fast. I usually feel great during fasting but also know not to push my self too much just to set personal bests. I find it much more challenging to refeed the 3 days following longer fasts.

I’ve been tempted to do a 7-day but being 68 with prior heart issues I have to be cautious. That said, I see no medical benefits of a 100-day fast or even a 30-day fast. Lot of risks for what is mostly just a self challenge.

You have not said what you hope to gain or lose. You’re doing great so far. Don’t get it.

#10

You have not said what you weighed before losing the first 75 or what you weigh now? How much do you expect to lose in 100 days?

Do you plan to do strictly water-only or will you allow coffee, tea, HWC, pickle juice or broth? Lot of variables.

#11

Also, male or female? Name of Sean can go either way and there is a happy couple in your photo.

I am going to guess you’re a guy.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #12

And it is not sustainable. You can’t just do a one-time fix, and risk your health in the process. You have to eat for the rest of your life, not fast. Just keep doing keto and occasional multiple day fasts if you are so inclined. I’m sorry, I’m no fasting expert, but it seems to me, even a 30 day fast could ruin your health. P.S. There is a lot of crap online, just because you’ve seen it online, doesn’t make it so…….

(Mike W.) #13

But “bon jour”!

(Robert C) #14

A MUCH better way to attempt this is to do 25 weeks of 4-day-per-week fasting or 20 weeks of weekday fasting.

Whenever I have gone into longer fasts (can’t remember for sure but around 7 to 10 plus days) issues can creep in - especially around sleep and stress. Doesn’t matter how much weight you lose if you are worthless at the office and to those around you.

Notice I did not write 200 days of alternate day fasting to get your 100 days. If you really want positive effects of autophagy (hopefully avoiding loose skin for example) you do want 4 or 5 day fasts.

But, trying to do it in some “all or nothing” 100 straight day approach might not be best.

Think of it in terms of probabilities - 4 or 5 day per week fasts for around half a year - 80 or 90 percent likely completable. One single 100 day fast through 100 days of all that life throws at you and all of the issues a very long fast will hit you with - 10 or 20 percent likely completable.

(Running from stupidity) #15

All these things.

(Sean Symons) #16

To cure myself. Prove to myself.

#17

@Sean_Symons This^ seems like a great idea. You’ll get your challenge and results but avoid possible downsides. Going that long without external protein can be tricky.
@4dml did something similar (I think) but if I remember correctly the meal timing was more random

(Jane) #18

Is your doctor on board with a 100-day fast?

How will you measure your %BF? DEXA?

Also not clear on what you are trying to “cure”. You’ve had 2 valve replacements that won’t be undone and your arteries are not clogged.

Unfortunately there haven’t been many studies on autophagy but Fung says the benefits drop off after a few days (5 maybe? Can’t remember but it has to do with the HGH growth hormone levels).

When you move to bone broth you will stop autophagy because of the protein so what is the point in continuing with bone broth after you have reached your minimum %BF? Just to prove to something to yourself?

(ennui) #20

I’m on day 52 of what I expect to be around 120 day fast.I have 30 milliliters of heavy cream in my coffee in the morning and about 30 cals worth of bone broth and vitamins and minerals every day.I drink at least a gallon of water-tea-diet soda every day.I still feel good,and my numbers from the lab looked good the only thing thats a little out of wack is my urea levels are elevated and my BUN is low.If I start feeling bad or I get bad numbers from the lab I will start refeeding I’m doing this to lose weight and it is working. I’ve lost over 60 pounds since 10/27/2018.I can deal with this hunger easier then the ravenous hunger I get after my blood sugar peaks and then crashes after a carb binge.



(Jane) #21

Barbieri only lived to be 52 after keeping the weight off all those years?