5-day fast, seeking comrades! (Cross-posted to Fasting Females category)

(Jennifer) #21

I think my biggest problem with fasting is fixating on food. Facebook, the recipe section on this site, etc. Man… Makes it a bit harder - just need to keep busy and stop reading recipes!! Lol…

(christa) #22

Whoa, 40 lbs. down! Congrats! I’m intrigued by the fast 5/feast 2 method, but it seems far away for me. Maybe someday. I wish there was some way to know in the moment if gluconeogenesis was happening. There’s so much guess work when it comes to this stuff; but it sounds like you did what your body needed you to do!

(christa) #23

Same. I try hard not to look at recipes, etc. during fasts, but I have to cook for my kids. It’s rough! Probably why I still drink bone broth at meal times instead of switching to water/tea/coffee only. :grimacing:

(Jennifer) #24

My 5/2s don’t always work out. I have been fasting Mon-Fri and eat over the weekend. Last week I fasted Mon-Tues, went to a dinner Wednesday night and fasted Thurs-Fri. And sometimes, if I don’t think I ate enough over the weekend I will do a 4/3 and just fast Tuesday-Friday. I keep it open to how I feel and try not to be too rigid.

Weight loss is my main goal, but autophagy is the second. I already have some loose skin that needs to go away, lol. Autophagy increases as protein intake decrease so I don’t ever add bone broth. If I need something, I will add fat first. Most likely just coconut oil. Third goal was to increase growth hormone in the chance that it will help my knees (no cartridge) so I don’t need knee replacements. Wishful thinking, but at least I will know for sure when I get to my goal weight.

I still cook for my teenager some nights - it is easier to cook non-keto stuff, because I won’t eat it normally.

(christa) #25

Wise!

Oh, man. I didn’t know this about autophagy. I drink maybe 12oz of bone broth on fasting days. D’oh! Maybe I’ll eat a spoonful of coconut oil or bacon fat at dinner time instead of bone broth. Thanks for the heads up!

(Jennifer) #26

I know some folks drink broth and say the protein is not high enough to worry about. I don’t know how much protein is too much, so I just don’t have it. I need all the autophagy action I can get. Lol…

(christa) #27

Me, too! I make my own broth, so don’t know how much protein is in it, but I’ve seen store-bought brands with 8g/ 6oz serving.

(Maria) #28

Count me in as of 8pm last night. Slid off the wagon a bit during the last few days (hormonal cravings) and the inflammation is raging in my body. Crazy how fast it happens. Decaf with a bit of cream this morning and lots of water.

Going to need the support as the sugar drug has my cravings started again. I believe this group has 3 days left so I am in for the remaining 3 days.

How is everyone doing?!

(Maria) #29

As for broth I don’t use it because I don’t like it. Have tried a dozen times with a dozen different kinds and it makes me want to gag. There is a specific after taste that I can’t handle so why fight it.

(christa) #30

Welcome! Glad to have you aboard.

Yes, it happens so fast! I can really feel it in my finger joints the next day if I slip up (typically at social events!)

But you’re back at it! Good on you. Fasting is a great way to rocket back into ketosis. You got this.

Surprisingly well! Day 2 is always the hardest for me, but yesterday wasn’t bad at all. This morning I’m feeling hungry, but I haven’t had my coffee yet. But hey: I can lie in bed a little longer because I don’t have to make myself breakfast, and it’s my husband’s turn to get up with the kids. w00t!

#31

Hour 37 -Tuesday 9:30am:

Went to bed after practice and typical spin down for sleep, I thought falling asleep was going to be an issue, once I closed the laptop, it was lights out.

I feel sluggish this morning, but remedy with lots of water and coffee and some Ketoade, typically the 20th hour is the hardest part… easy street now…

(Emma M. ) #32

Hey there, I’m right along with you, doing around a 5 day fast from Sunday evening to Friday lunch!! I’m almost 43 hours in right now :slight_smile: I’m mostly just drinking decaf coffee, lightly caffeinated tea (the amount of caffeine in coffee really affects my anxiety badly on an empty stomach), and water, of course! I had a small spoon of coconut oil yesterday because I get very cold easily, but it’s very warm for the rest of the week so I don’t think I’ll need it, but, I will take more if I want. I also have been eating little bits of salt throughout the day and took multi with magnesium, as I think that whenever I have quit a fast, it was due to lack of electrolytes.

43 hours is actually the longest I’ve ever fasted! I’m quite used to doing a few 24-hour ones through the week but I decided to follow the advice of changing things up, as I have been on a plateau for the last 2 or 3 months (I’m pretty close to a healthy weight, but still want to lose about 10 more pounds, so that might also be why). My stomach has been being all strange–woke me up this morning because the noises were so loud!! :flushed: I feel slightly hungry, but don’t really feel like eating, so I know I’ll be able to go longer.

Good luck to you, let’s both push through the difficult days!! Hope all is going good :blush:

(christa) #33

Yeah, you got this! :smiley:

Haha! That’s totally happened to me before. Oops.

Thanks! I’m doing well so far. I’ve passed the hellacious Day 2, so now feel invincible. :zap:

#34

Something I noticed today:

Everyone talks about athletics and Keto, but most rely on Stamina athletics or doing things long distances.

Today playing in my sport league, that is very quick time based, I feel I was very forgetful or even lazy on the mental side of things, lots of adrenaline going but I feel very unsharp being fasted versus my normal keto sharpness.

I have another competition this Saturday, so I’ll be normal keto after breaking this fast on friday. Just need another data point.

(christa) #35

I definitely have brain fog right now. I walked 3.5 miles today, but can’t imagine trying to do any kind of sport that involves strategy!

#36

I got the “I am going to come check on you today to ensure you are ok”, after I was talking about someone about fasting at work.

It was in response to them asking me, “do you want some donuts?”.

Their concern was high, but always comes back to them knowing they couldn’t go for more than 2-4 hours without eating something.

Fasting is empowerment, it 100% shows that I am in control of my food intake, food quantity and lifestyle.

Going on Hour 62 fasted here.

(Arlene) #37

Let me get this straight; Eating any number of donuts would have been completely acceptable. Fasting is “concerning”?

#38

Haha welcome to the Ketolife…

Other things you hear often that come with the Ketolife…
Oh you look fantastic, Oh you gave up carbs… I could never do that…
(Looks at my cafeteria plate at lunch) But I thought you were on a diet?
I wish I could do what you are doing, it would be SO hard for me.

(christa) #39

Yup. Everyone is simultaneously impressed and concerned… and they assume they could never give up carbs.

(christa) #40

Haha, exactly. The logic of this is so backwards.