Attempting to fast

(Sarah Winger) #1

How long should a new comer to the keto wol wait before trying their first fast?

(Siobhan) #2

Hi! Generally the suggestion is that you wait until you’re fat adapted to fast. Generally, it will come naturally as intermittent fasting (AKA IF) e.g. you skip a meal (or several!) without realizing, or because you aren’t hungry.
This can take a while for some people (I think about two months for me) but it will vary by person.
After that you can continue fasting as long as you want so long as you feel good, and general recommendation is supplementing with electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, and salt) for fasts over 48 hours.

So I guess it really depends on you! If you feel like fasting you can try it, and if it doesn’t work out worst case scenario is you just break the fast and try again some other time.

#3

I actually came to Keto WOL first through Intermittent Fasting(IF). However I was told that one should wait until fat adapted, a few weeks (?) before fasting and some have a strong opinion that fasting should not be forced but be a natural fast due to no hunger. I wanted to use IF primarily to decrease my insulin levels and augmenting that with Keto WOL made it that much easier, feeling that more satiated. I don’t find having waves of hunger as I fast a big thing. Generally there is no hunger after the first 24 hours. I fast regularly through the week and change up the schedule from 23:1 to 36 to 48 to 72 hours whatever feels doable. I consider myself a newbie having lived this way for only 6 months. Wishing you well.

(Siobhan) #4

Me neither, 10-20 minute waves of hunger during EF are pretty normal. The important thing to remember is that it will pass. The things I watch out for are dizziness, lack of energy, real, physical, lasting hunger etc which could be low salt, but if it doesn’t go away with salt + water I end the fast there (though I’m still new at extended fasting, so maybe someone else has a solution?)

I’ve heard others say it’s a skill, so for me I started out small (skip a meal, get all calories in 2 meals, and then 1), and now I intermittent fast every workday and eat when I get home from work (around 5:30 to 7 PM) without issue.