7 days into 30'ish day Extended Fast

fasting
#21

I’m 39 hours into my attempted 30 day EF -

Stats:
46 yo female
5’8
Pre-menopause (this should be fun)
Keto for approximately 6 months (3 lazy, 3 hardcore)
As stated earlier, I frequently IF, with the longest EF being 15 days, in July…

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Spaces that are blank for today, are filled in tomorrow at the time I enter the information - so I guess you could say I am tracking a day and a half. My scale actually bit the dust (prophetic? I digress) yesterday, so I got a new one as an early present to myself, and as soon as it comes in, I’ll start tracking those items currently marked as 0.

As for supplements, as I’m sure the question will be asked, I use the following (all in bulk from the ever powerful Amazon):
Potassium Citrate
Magnesium Glycinate
Himalayan Pink Salt

I have a scale that will measure in mgs, so I pre-measure the base amount suggested by the Keto Gawds, and tweak from there. I needed a quick fix yesterday so gulped some pickle juice. Some call this cheating, I call it a win if I don’t put food in my mouth.

The cold is going to make this interesting. I walked around the house with a hat and scarf, and my every faithful fuzzy socks. I pulled out the long johns this morning for when I walked the pup.

Time is passing nicely since I’m basically off for the holidays, I am doing a lot of honey-do list things around the house. Take for example, I’m laying a new floor in the basement, jazzed up stair risers, and I think today I might start staining these godforsaken worn honey oak banisters. I am viciously cleaning out the clutter in a number of ways.

Pinterest and I are going to be BFFs before this is all over.

I’m making Mississippi Pot Roast in the crockpot for the kidlet so it will be a quick dinner. When I fast, I try to cook a bunch at once so I don’t have to handle food as much (specifically in the beginning). It is a challenge at times with just the two of us as my daughter has keen observation skills when I’m not slurping up the grub with her.

I have to “people” tonight for the fruit of my loins Holiday Chorus performance - I tend to be snarky (more so than usual) in the beginning of an EF, but I’m going to try my hardest to be civil and steer clear of the PTA moms.

Sass

#22

I am so in awe of this endeavor…you are inspiring me to try an extended fast soon.

Will be following your progress and cheering you on.

#23

I’m 64 hours in and the cold is really twerking my bod. This is the first fast I’ve done when it’s winter, so it’s definitely pushing some of my buttons. Thankfully, I have an electric kettle that’s proving to be worth its weight in gold, as is my electric blanket.

I pushed the liquids yesterday in preparation for what I like to fondly refer to as Day 3. The third and fourth day for me on the fasts that have gone past these markers are the hardest (as with most), so through previous EFs, I’ve learned that the more liquid I drink up to that point, the easier it is. It’s proving to be true as I woke up this morning groggy free and raring to go. I will more than likely push them harder today - keep in mind I do up the electrolytes. I’ve not been a Ketoaide fan, just cause, but I am looking for a recipe I can keep up with and actually want to do. I also add ACV day 3.

I’ve never tracked glucose and ketones outside of lab tests, which is odd considering my love of data, but I’m toying with the idea of doing so with my attempted 30 day EF. Santa knows how good I’ve been this year barring that one date in September.

Speaking of dating, much less the holidays - this is where I must be Copperfield like in working my magic. I drank ONCE on a 7 day fast and never again will I do something so idiotic. I’m Sicilian, so my tolerance is enviable, but while fasting? I’m really impressed I didn’t end up naked, on the bar singing Wrecking Ball. There’s still time.

On that note, I finished jazzing my stair risers - for the DIYrs, I used vinyl heavy duty contact paper. The kidlet and pup were wrecking havoc on the risers and momma was not happy. Hopefully it holds up. This was very cheap to do. And see those banisters? I’m about to java gel stain the hell out of those.

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So, my sense of humor is intact, I’m feeling great and staying busy.

Sass

#24

ooops - stats

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(Doug) #25

Nice stairs, Sassa. High ceilings?

#26

Yes in the main room - complete waste of space if you ask me :slight_smile:

(VLC.MD) #27

image

Cool to see it go down.

(Bacon for the Win) #28

cheering for you and following :heart:

#29

Ok, it’s snowing here…enough where my brain is not happy that it chose to do an EF in the winter. Hot tea is not passing for gut soothing soup.

I have life long normally low blood pressure, low enough at times it freaks the docs out, but have no issues. This is the first EF I have done completely off thyroid meds and hormones (off for over 3 months - yay!), and all my blood work before starting this is just dandy. Electrolytes for the day are good, but I’m “craving” salt it feels like so I’m just going with it. Btw - do not salt chamomile tea. Ew.

But I am cold, grumpily and noticeably so, and the weather isn’t helping with the mental need of food. I’m not hungry, I just “want it”. The kidlet is home early from school because of the weather, and wanted grilled cheese with tomato soup. Thankfully it wasn’t meat as of yet because I have a feeling she will be learning how to cook a bit through this endeavor. :slight_smile: She knows about “keto” and understands how I eat, so there was no pressure to partake.

We’re going to do a Harry Potter marathon, so it will be nice to snuggle up on the couch. Between her, the pup, and the cat, I am hoping for toasty warm. If nothing else, I will be able to nap a bit. The banisters will have to wait.

So 70 hours into 30 days… the next 8 hours (until I sleep) appear to be the first hurdle.

#30

87 hours in…

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(edited to add the right picture)

Energy was way down when I woke up this morning with limbs feeling “heavy”. Got right into a hot bath first thing and used a little eucalyptus oil in the water to perk up, got a good scrub in, and slathered down with some lavender oil and shea butter when I got out.

The new scale came in yesterday, and it appears to be quite off from the other scale I was using. Almost 7 pounds. It’s one of those old school scales, so whatevs. I level set yesterday and on we go.

With my kidlet home for the weekend, it’s going to be a challenge eating (but not) with her around. She made my coffee for me this morning, and likes making my teas. I think today she will learn how to make pork chops and broccoli.

She and I never talk in “weight terms”. It’s always muscle strength, speed, endurance and the like… I’ve been extremely careful maintaining a positive body image with her. I was a HS and collegiate athlete, so she sees the pictures and hears the stories. She too is an athlete which makes it easier. While there is never talk of a number for either weight or clothes, I don’t hide the damage severe weight fluctuations have done to my body and we talk very openly about how I worked through grief (which is when all the major recompositions occurred). She’s learned when we don’t feel good emotionally or mentally now, we go for a walk, or a bike ride, do some kettlebells, or hop onto the elliptical machine. She’s a good kid.

We’re going to do some crafting today, hang out, catch up on some house chores, and tonight we’ll probably go drive around and look at Christmas lights. A tradition is to make homemade hot chocolate, fill up our thermoses and head out. As a single mom, I’ve barreled through much worse, so I can overcome a little hot chocolate and pork chops.

Just wish I didn’t feel so cold, but this might be one of those things that just makes the journey with me.

(VLC.MD) #31

Does fasting make you cold ?

#32

The act of fasting, sure - for me, it’s common days 3 and 4 and gets better as I up my activity. I have found that it’s common in general for a number of people - the sympathetic slide.

I think this go around, there’s a mental component that I’m colder than normal because it’s so cold outside and I want comfort food, badly. So there’s that mini-battle - but I have found I binge during the holiday because they are still… edgy for me. “Before” I never ate emotionally. I have a mind fuck going on.

I also never fasted before gaining this weight - from '11–'15 I gained and lost between 40-80 pounds - after my husband passed, I lost an initial 25 pounds fast, then lost gained lost gained lost gained lost gained - up to the 80 - for a net total loss gain between 0-100 pounds. My “normal for me” weight is around 165 when I’m well muscled and in top form.

I’ve never fasted off of thyroid and hormone meds either - I started those in '14, and came off of them this past October’ish I worked very hard to do that, and it’s paying off.

So my metabolism has been badly hijacked through the years - every day it get’s better though. I’m confident to say that between keto and IF and EF sprinkled throughout - pretty much saved my sanity (and more than likely my life).

(Marie Dantoni) #33

I’ve been really cold lately too. I’m pretty sure the weather isn’t helping. I guess I’ll have to locate the hot water bottle before I start fasting next week.

#34

If you don’t already own a BP monitor, consider getting one. During extended fasting, BP tends to drop, and folks that already run low can become symptomatic. My normal BP is 90/60 and a 15-20 point drop can cause me to have episodes of orthostatic hypotension or light-headedness.

Blood glucose is another useful gauge. My body is quite happy with a FBG of 60-70, when it drops below 55 I’m symptomatic. And I not diabetic.

#35

Hi Sassa,
I am so interested in your journey through extended fasting. I have only “survived” 56h fasting myself so i will be following you and learning from your experience!

Also very interested in the fact that you stopped your thyroid meds:

“_ never fasted off of thyroid and hormone meds either - I started those in '14, and came off of them this past October’ish I worked very hard to do that, and it’s paying off”

As I have been on thyroid meds for 10 years now and I really wanted them off!:weary:

#36

Hi Sassa!
What a great introduction. You are doing an amazing thing for your body, and after all you have been through you really need this for yourself.

I am in my early 40s and a mom of elementary school kids. Feeding them while fasting is not too hard because for some bizarre reason I enjoy cooking keto for them and watching them eat. However, when hubby cooks for them and I smell it, I have to run away and turn the fan on to avoid the smell. You can see my introduction to the forum in the Day 8 of my first EF thread.

I have one question for you… Doesn’t vaping trigger appetite? I have only done it once myself and I did not notice any food cravings, but others say it is a well known side-effect. In fact, when my mom was in her final stages of cancer, we had her do it so she could eat something. Anyway, just wondering how you are dealing with that part of it.

#37

It’s interesting you mentioned this - my doc checked in with me on Saturday (he’s really cool and open to what I’m doing), and said the same thing - my BP is his biggest concern in my doing an EF for as long as I want to go. @4dml do you have suggestions for home use?

I’m researching a BG/K monitor today. I’ve never tracked this day to day, but I am feeling it may help to understand this about myself a little more.

#38

Yesterday, I cooked a bunch of chicken breasts in an electric skillet for my dog. My approach is to cover for 20 minutes, then turn for another 10 minutes at very low temperatures. Upon completion I poured all the juice out and scraped the bits with a silicon spoon - perfect treat as I fast.

Congratulations on your progress!

#39

I took Naturethroid - with the final dosing at 97.5mg. I was also on progesterone, and Biest cream. This next round of lab tests will be the true marker of how well I am doing. If I go by how I feel, I would hope the tests are unremarkable :slight_smile:

It wasn’t bad coming off of everything - I titrated off of stuff slowly, and there was a timeframe where my periods got wonky, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad for me. It was harder coming off carbs :bacon: I will also note my doctor listens to me and is open to helping me find what works for me.

I have truly gotten to know my body - granted lab work helped in showing me in some ways, how far off I was off from a nutrition perspective - when I started, I was pretty much at zero in regards to iron, B, D, K etc, cortisol was +15 out of normal range, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone were greatly deficient - to the point they didn’t know how I was functioning (I wasn’t). Once these areas started to improve, everything else did as well. When I cut out fake food completely, and cleared out splenda (I think splenda is satan)… my world changed.

#40

I’m not sure how this is applicable to fasting?? I mean, good stuff for your dog…

Are you saying you drank the chicken “juice and bits”?