Going for 36 hours today.
2018 Lenten Fasting
crunchypharmd
(Christina Heinrich)
#223
I have not been able to do an longer fast since the 84h fast Ash Wednesday to Sat AM. I have had poor sleep, family stress and work stress. Goal is to get better sleep this week. I HAVE TO prioritize family over work. This is a long term struggle of mine! Goal is to be able to do a longer fast then next 2 weeks. Offer my stress up and allow myself to do this. Meanwhile, Iām transitioning to very low to zero carb from now till Tues!.
gatita
#224
Finishing day 3 of this weekās intermittent fasting. Yay! Two more weeks to go. It hasnāt been too hard, but after Lent, I think Iāll go back to IFing on non-consecutive days.
It makes me all the more astounded, @ron-coleman, how you fasted for all of Lent last year! Amazing.
4dml
#225
I havenāt commented much on this thread, because I had grown weary of fasting. So lately Iāve been eating almost daily, sometimes 2 or 3 meals throughout the day 
.
Months of block fasting has dramatically improved my blood glucose response, even after high carb meals. My weight fluctuates, but never outside my allotted 10 lb range, so I havenāt needed to restrain my eating.
Yesterday after dinner, I decided to bid farewell to block fasting in a ceremonious fashion by fasting starting today, Sunday March 18 and going until Easter Sunday. This will be 4 days beyond my longest fast, and a fitting end to this part of my health journey.
Is anyone here still fasting for Lent?
avocadosrule
#226
I hardly fast and get weary of fasting! You have done fabulously remarkable! 
Any overall lessons you can impart from block fasting and your weight loss journey in general to date? I looked into the idea but psychologically I am not there (if ever). I can do some fasting here and there only. I have about 30 lbs left to drop (have dropped 60 lbs to date over a year).
Have you (nearly) reached your preferred weight? Do you have strategies in mind for maintenance?
I enjoy your posts and thoughtful commentary!
4dml
#227
Youāre 66% to goal so whatever youāre doing is obviously working for you 
. Thereās no reason to push fasting if you donāt like it. I use it because Iām simpleminded and impatient. Like most things, fasting got easier the more I did it. It certainly increased my willpower and discipline. What was most surprising was that it increased my self confidence: how many people can go without eating for X days- Iām superhuman, if I can do that then I can do _________.
I am now normal weight, but my ultimate goal was 18% bodyfat and Iām not there yet. Iāll need to add more muscle and/or loss more fat. I havenāt figured out a plan yet. But I donāt consider myself at maintenance.
SaintDepraved
(Simon L Smith)
#228
(Replying to my first update to keep all my stuff together.)
Last Two weeks (3/5-3/18)
I fasted 6 of the last 12 scheduled fast days.
I am mentally ok with 2 of the 6, but not the other 4.
The two, while breaking my fast literally and āphysically,* were decisions I willing made in light of surprise birthday plans my wife made before I decided to fast. She did not pressure me and was still supportive. But I chose to break my fast for those two events.
My birthday is during Lent and my oldest daughterās birthday is during Lent. Fun.
The other 4 times were not premeditated like the previous two and I am not āokāwith them mentally.
It is what it is, and they are what they were.
With the birthday celebration done my wife and I have talked and we both know that I am ābackā - ie out of celebration mode - and fasting per the original water/coffee only plan for the remainder of Lent.
I know 6 out of 12 is not bad, but it is not what I set out to do so I am a bit dissapointed in myself.
Sorry this is not a better update. But again, it is what it is.
KCFO!
4dml
#229
May I humbly offer a different way of looking at fasting?
Instead of viewing fasting as a goal, something that can be achieved or missed. Instead, think of fasting as a tool, used to reach your goal. A successful fast is one that brings you one step closer to your goal. Rather than predetermining how many days to fast, reevaluate every day and make a decision. Focus on progress, not perfection.
Yesterday, I had decided to fast until Easter. Today I received a call from a friend whoās coming to town, so tommorow I will eat. Iām not going to let a fasting schedule interfere with enjoying life. Iāll go back to fasting on Wednesday. My body doesnāt care one iota that I temporarily interupted my fast. In the grand scheme of things, the two days that I fasted contributed to improving my IR. My body is better off today than it was yesterday. And thatās what really matters.
avocadosrule
#230
Thanks for the kind feedback!
I would like to get back to fasting because it does seem to be able to pull some of my pounds down. And it is interesting psychologically as well!
AR
Virginia
#231
Hey, yāall! Boy, what a ride this has been!
It appears that the personal situation is close to being resolved (yay!!!) and in the meantime has been improved.
I havenāt been fasting, as yāall know, but today I ate breakfast and then had to go out to get some things done. Wasnāt hungry all day (super yay!!!)
Also, stopped in at The Wally and discovered 4 brands/sizes of avocado oil there (FOUR!!!). Only a bit more than Costco, and, since I donāt have a Costco membership, that will do me just fine for now.
Planning to IF again tomorrow.
Thanks so much, yāall, for all of your patience & support during the āGreat Crapfest of 2018ā! Love yāall!
gatita
#233
Iām still doing my Wed.-Fri intermittent fasting (not eating until after 5pm) for the duration of lent. I skipped two weeks out of six, one was intentional due to lots of stress but the other, I was so busy with work I just plain forgot!
Only one more week after this! And I do intend to remember next week lolā¦
It feels good and is pretty easy, so why not? I may decide to keep it up after lent, or do some variation. Funny, I remember the very first time I tried not eating till 5pm, a year ago, and I thought it was SOOOO HARD to make it to fiveā¦ Hah!
I still have only once done an extended fast (3 days) and canāt say I much enjoyed it lolā¦ but this, I can do.
ron-coleman
(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!))
#234
Well, it has been a couple of weeks since Iāve added anything here and it sure looks like we are all learning a lot about ourselves and fasting. Thank you to all who have been sharing your findings and successes with us!
Like many others I did not stick with the 3-day fasts each week like I originally planned as I found I had some GI issues fasting for that long, I do feel better doing 2 24-hour fasts (OMAD) and then about a 36-hour fast Thursday evening through Saturday morning.
Reaching out a bit today and shooting for water only, well a couple of cups of decaf coffee - black. In all of my previous fasting I would have at least 1 cup with heavy cream and I use 2 ounces or 1/4 cup when I add it.
I have made it to a point that I donāt have physical cravings for hunger but do have a bit of a taste for fat on occasion.
KCFO
gatita
#235
Well, the last week is upon us. I still plan to do my 20-hour IFs Wed-Fri this week, just because a little discipline never hurt anyone.
Iāve come to realize that my lack of a gallbladder comes into play when I fast ā basically, my liver shoots out bile all day whether thereās any food there or not. And when thereās no food, well, it can get a little uncomfortable. Letās just say I will never have a need for any special ācleansingā dietā¦ 
But hey, itās all about knowing our own bodies and whatās best for each of us, so KCFO and KCKO!
SaintDepraved
(Simon L Smith)
#236
(Updates newest to oldest)
5th 6 Day Fast (3/19-3/24)
Quick commentā¦ birthday celebration officially over and held strong during this weekās fast!
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I weighed in on Friday morning at 182.6 for a total loss of 20.6 pounds.
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I normally way in on Friday before I break my fast but weighed in on Friday morning as my son and I are going camping again. I am still fasting until Sunday morning.
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According to Vora, I fasted for 154 hours.
- According to MFP, I ate just under 2000 calories and had 26 Net Carbs.
- This fast included another campout. Broke my fast Sunday, as normal, so had camp/hiking food. Two poached eggs (poached in my JetBoil!) and scrambled bacon and eggs. I was so full from breakfast I ended up skipping my planned tuna meals and just snacked on some new pork rind flavors on the drive home. Dinner was what I was craving - PIZZA! Just melted mozzarella in a pan, added pepperoni and some tomato pesto, and folded over to make a pizza like calzone type thing. Hit the spot!
This weekās fast will end Good Friday night as my wife and I are hosting a small group dinner at our house. I do not yet know if I am fasting Saturday.
Although I am fasting for the 40 days of Lent, that does not include Sundays, when I will eat.
Therefore my āfasting for Lentā is really five 6 day fasts (and eating on Sundays) bookended by two 4 day fasts.
- One 4 day fast (Ash Wed-Sat)
- Five 6 day fasts (Mon-Sat)
- One 4 day fast (Mon-Thur)
Also, for context, I am doing a āWaterā only fast that includes:
Black coffee in the AM.
My homemade zero calorie/zero carb Ketorade (Kroger brand vitamin water enhancer + 1 teaspoon Lite Salt)
Water
In addition to the sodium and potassium in the Ketorade I am also taking a daily magnesium and calcium supplement.
Last Two weeks (3/5-3/18)
-
I fasted 6 of the last 12 scheduled fast days.
-
I am mentally ok with 2 of the 6, but not the other 4.
-
The two, while breaking my fast literally and āphysically,* were decisions I willing made in light of surprise birthday plans my wife made before I decided to fast. She did not pressure me and was still supportive. But I chose to break my fast for those two events.
-
My birthday is during Lent and my oldest daughterās birthday is during Lent. Fun.
-
The other 4 times were not premeditated like the previous two and I am not āokā with them mentally.
-
It is what it is, and they are what they were.
With the birthday celebration done my wife and I have talked and we both know that I am ābackā - ie out of celebration mode - and fasting per the original water/coffee only plan for the remainder of Lent.
Sorry this is not a better update. But again, it is what it is.
KCFO!
2nd 6 Day Fast (2/26-3/4)
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I weighed in on Sunday morning at 186.8 for a weekly loss of 6 pounds and a total loss of 16.4 pounds.
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According to Vora, I fasted for 156.25 hours.
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According to MFP, I ate 3354 calories and 33 Net Carbs. (I actually had fewer carbs as only one of my In and Out Double Double Protein Style had their sauce. I could not reflect that easily in MFP.) This is the most calories I have had on a Sunday, but it was my birthday weekend and birthday meal. That and I indulged in TWO bags of pork rindsā¦
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Monday I did a 53 minute/3 mile neighborhood hike. According to MFP that short hike burned 255 calories.
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Tuesday was the first āhardā day of this yearās Lent fast. My wife and I went to Alamo Drafthouse to see Black Panther. My wifeās popcorn wasnāt really hard or a temptation, but all the other smells (!) really got my appetite going. This was the first time my appetite got the best of me. I did not cheat/break my fast, but it was the first time that fasting this Lenten season was hard on me.
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Wednesday I did a 44 minute/2 mile neighborhood hike. According to MFP that short hike burned 212 calories.
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Saturday I did a casual 1-mile neighborhood walk. Did not track in MFP.
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I did have ONE SMALL cappuccino with Heavy Cream. Yes, I know this technically/physically broke my fast (since it included heavy cream and had calories), but I am ok with this as it was part of a pre-fasting plan that my wife orchestrated for my birthday.
1st 6 Day Fast (2/19-2/24)
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I weighed in on Saturday morning at 192.8 for a weekly loss of 6.0 pounds and a total loss of 10.4 pounds.
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According to Vora I fasted for 153.5 hours.
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According to MFP I ate 2139 calories (500 or so less than last Sunday) and 25 Net Carbs.
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I weighed in on Saturday, instead of Sunday (before breaking my fast) because I went camping and hiking with my 17-year-old Boy Scout.
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I hiked 7+ miles, fasted, and only broke my fast Sunday morning, as planned.
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I did double down on the electrolytes.
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Per the camping food picture I bought more than I ate. For lunch, I only had the salmon and avocado and didnāt touch the tuna. I also didnāt really eat the meat sticks. I only had two of the meat sticks as I just wasnāt feeling them. I also bought one extra bag of the salt and vinegar pork rinds (for a snack for Sunday night after my camping) that I ended up not snacking on.
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According to MFP I burned over 2000 calories, fasted, on my 7.22-mile hike. NOTE: The time is an estimate just to get an idea of what. I did do this hike on the 6th day of this weekās fast.
1st 4 Day Fast (2/14-2/17)
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Starting Weight on Ash Wednesday = 203.2.
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I weighed in the Sunday morning at 198.8 for a loss of 4.4 pounds so far.
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According to Vora I fasted for 104 hours.
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According to MFP I ate 2651 calories and 28 Net Carbs.
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I rarely had hunger pains or tummy growls. Overall it was fairly easy.
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I officially started my next Lent fast today, but technically started last night between 9 and 10 PM.
gatita
#237
Wow, thatās fantastic! And you survived the celebrations.
I intermittent fasted the last two days, but I have to say, today I am not feeling it. Iāll probably fast till 5pm anyway out of sheer stubbornness lol
So I did my IF plan Wed-Fri 5 out of the 7 weeks. Iām cool with that!
Passthebutter
(Jo)
#238
into day 2 of my first 60ish hour fat fastā¦ had some chocolate milk from kids stash which made it super hard not to eat last night but I made itā¦ was my first glance at added sugar contentā¦yikes!!!
We buy full fat milk so now need to look for an alternative for themā¦ we donāt have it often but goodnessā¦ 16 added grams of sugar per day!!!
Happy fasting!!!
And Happy Easter!!!
gatita
#239
Well Iām done IFing for Lent!
I actually gained 3 pounds in the last two days, meh. I know itās water retention of course so Iām just shrugging that off. Ah the female body and its watery ways!
Iām glad to be back to plain old keto for awhile. I may try a fat fast next week before I go on vacation, although I plan to stay keto the whole time anyway.
jpmenezes
(Pascal Menezes)
#240
During Lent, I water-fasted as follows:
Beginning Ash Wednesday Week 1 80 hours (over 3 full days)
Week 2 128 hours (over 5 full days)
Week 3 80 hours (over 3 full days)
Week 4 80 hours (over 3 full days)
Week 5 80 hours (over 3 full days)
Week 6 80 hours (over 3 full days)
Ending on Holy Saturday Week 7 172 hours (over 7 full days)
I lost 10 pounds during Lent but gained it all back by now - all good as I am at my target weight already.
The money saved on fasting was donated to ā40 Cans for Lent - Food for Familiesā, a Lenten initiative by the Knights of Columbus.