August Fat Burnin'

#321

Right back at you, irishred, I always look forward to reading your posts and appreciate the friendship. Thanks for putting up with all my long-winded musings. :slight_smile: I do find it helpful to read the details of peopleā€™s journeys and n=1 experiments. I think we can learn so much from each other, and the support really makes it possible to push through the challenges to get some results. I lost 3 pounds since yesterday, so now I can say I weigh less than when I got married. I know some will come back as I start eating but itā€™s not like Iā€™m never gonna fast again, it will probably only be a few days til I do some sort of fast again. I am on a mission to reverse diabetes, and I will not be stopped! LOL

It is weird to think of eating again when you havenā€™t for a week. I also had the debate with myself this morning about whether or not to actually break the fast today (especially since last night my 12 year old daughter was asking me why I donā€™t keep on fasting since itā€™s working so well). However, I donā€™t think prolonging the experience of these slow, dragged-out days and the afternoon sugar drop craziness is going to get me where I need to be much faster than if I take a break, take in some nutrition, and come back to it after a rest. I think of the movie I recently watched (Facing the Fat) where the guy went for 44 days. Like many people he lost a lot of weight but quite a bit came back right away, which seems to be the norm with fasting but the numbers you deal with on the really long fast are kind of daunting. I think for me I will be more likely to stick with this and still see great success doing this in stages. (But as always I reserve the right to change my mind!)

At least I have proved to myself I can go for 7 days, and that I can see my blood glucose drop down to what would be considered normal levels, even if it is temporary. Healing is happening, and as I keep at keto and fasting, I believe Iā€™ll get to my goal of kicking the T2D.

Thanks for your ongoing support. This August Fat Burninā€™ is an awesome experience.

#322

For sure, it has been very cathartic for me to be able to share all my experiences here! And so inspiring and encouraging to hear about everyoneā€™s challenges and successes. It would be great to keep it going month to month.

And now for the rest of Augustā€¦

#323

Congratulations on day 4 and the strengthening of your fasting muscles. I was making lunch for my son yesterday, and the scents, even the feel of the ingredients were almost overwhelming. At the same time I kind of enjoyed cooking even though I wasnā€™t eating it. Sometimes while fasting I find Iā€™m sort of vicariously enjoying food by feeding it to my kids. Interesting how the mind copes with the strange thing we are doing. Does your mind ever play tricks on you to try to get you to eat?

Like @irishred mentioned, it sounds like you are experiencing symptoms of the blood glucose lowering. Does it pass after an hour or two? I have had that experience pretty strongly the last few days as I went through the drop in glucose levels. But it did pass. I think it might help to move around a little, take a slow walk or something. It seems like I always have something I have to do around that time, and just by getting my body moving, it helps it resolve. I am also keeping up the salt and hydration pretty steadily.

I woke up feeling great today, after having a headache and some dizziness yesterday. My glucose went up a little overnight, to 114, but 114 for me is ridiculously amazing. Today it was kind of fun discovering the various bones under my skin that have not been noticeable for a while. :slight_smile:

(Sonia A.) #324

Fasting is usually a mind game for me, as it is for most of everyone (I think). Itā€™s the first one that didnā€™t end up like that.

Whatā€™s funny is that Iā€™m not new to fasting at all. Iā€™ve done 13 days, 2 or 3 seven days, multiple 5 days, lots of 2 or 3 days and lots of IF. But itā€™s never the same. Some days are easier than others, but this one is by far the easiest (as in no hunger). I donā€™t know if itā€™s linked to my lowest bs ever.

Darcy, Iā€™m amazed by how great youā€™re doing too. The way your bs gradually decreases is really great :+1:. Keep it up :grinning:.

(Doug) #325

:slightly_smiling_face: Sonia, in my opinion, other than the ā€˜hard scienceā€™ stuff, most of what we talk about on this forum involves the mind, and mind versus body, to some extent. Thereā€™s not a day that goes by where a part of me doesnā€™t want to give up the whole program and just indulge, regardless of all the consequences.

My inner discussion loops back around on itself, here, and itā€™s not like I want to just wave a magic wand, and have it not be the struggle it is. If it would be too easy, then surely something else would be lost - like in some cosmic zero-sum game. If it would be too easy, I probably wouldnā€™t have ended up here, or not even be ā€œme.ā€

After four months of keto and fasting, results were good, and itā€™s perverse - after feeling good about that, I had quite a big letdown, like perhaps the struggle isnā€™t as big as I first thought, the cause not so noble after all. Keeping calm about it, though.

#326

Wow, you are a fasting pro! Do you recall how much time you took off between fasts? I noticed my hunger was worse while the sugar was dropping. But once it stabalized the hunger lessened or went away completely. Hmm, apparently I can make my stomach growl just by thinking about being hungry. Cool.

(Sonia A.) #327

I always took a little time between every long fast. Sometimes weeks or a month, sometimes more. For IF, I did every type and almost every day.

For disclosure, Iā€™m a lot more cautious nowadays. Almost 2 years ago, I was fasting so much that I suffered what Megan Ramos called a fasting burn out. I didnā€™t lose weight anymore and I felt fatigued all the time. At that time, I stopped fasting for a while and upped my calories.

Now I still love fasting, itā€™s a great tool for weight loss and health. Itā€™s what healed me from T2D. But Iā€™m more cautious and Iā€™m trying not to do longer fasts too often.

#328

Now thatā€™s interestingā€¦ Is it like you need that initial ā€œhighā€ of it all being so new and exciting?

(Doug) #329

Gatita, I was really scared in the beginning. Now, Iā€™m glad to know that diabetes isnā€™t always such a dire one-way street. Perhaps itā€™s subconscious worry that my motivation will be lessened along with the fear.

Being practical about this, I have no rational complaints - keto and fasting are working well. Plenty of challenge in resisting the call of beer and pizza, and in making the lifestyle changes permanent.

(Jim Russell) #330

Doug, I really appreciate your thoughtfulness, enthusiasm and kindness. I hope that you donā€™t lose any of them. :slight_smile: You are an asset to this forum.

Now that you are getting yourself dietarily squared away, perhaps you can find your motivation in being an inspiration to others.

(Doug) #331

Jim, cheers, man - I appreciate that. Sure hope itā€™s for the long haul (lord knows I need it), and I really look forward to talking with you and everybody else into the future.

#332

Thanks for the explanation, that makes a lot of sense. I hear you on the challenges! Wine is my weakness.

(Sonia A.) #333

Doug, Iā€™m very familiar with your fears. Since I reversed my diabetes, I was afraid of letting myself go. But I managed to maintain my weight loss and control my BG.

I take one day at a time (thatā€™s what you should do). If I fell off the horse and indulged a little, I got back to eating healthy and fasting. It helped me maintain a balance.

Nowadays I donā€™t cheat anymore, it makes me feel like crap. What keeps me going is my will to avoid diabetesā€™ complications, Iā€™ve unfortunately seen them with my parents. You just need to remember your motivation, even if you have to put your former a1c in plain view in your house or your car. Itā€™ll help.

(Sonia A.) #334

Well said, Jim.

(Sonia A.) #335

I wasnā€™t feeling so good: shakiness, headaches and tiredness. So I broke my fast at the 97th hour. I tried salt first, but it didnā€™t work. Iā€™m still happy about this fast.

My next adventure is an egg fast. @jeremystorie gave me the inspiration to do it. Iā€™m going to see if I can minimise the post-fast weight gain, like he did. Thanks for the idea, Jeremy.

#336

Darcy,
I think that for those of us with a substantial journey towards bg control and weight loss that maybe we should not be doing extremely long fasts. I think that we have lessons we need to learn, practice, and internalize about proper eating habits and food choices. Fasting allows us to minimize facing those lessons. I like the idea that we fast for awhile, then practice our eating for awhile. Itā€™s a gentle cycle over an extended period of time for us that we need to be successful long term in our lifeā€™s journey. We will get there one day and one week at a time. Look at what you have accomplished already. And this week of fasting is moving you along the continuum of better health. Eating and nourish your body. Then start with smaller if again until you are ready to tackle a longer fast. I canā€™t wait to see how your bg respond over the next couple of days. I bet you are going to be pleasantly surprised with your results.

#337

Doug,
I can so related to the perverseness of doing great and then feeling ā€œlike perhaps the struggle isnā€™t as big as I first thoughtā€ and then falling off the proverbial band wagon. What is it about having success and then losing focus on the long term goal?

(Sonia A.) #338

Weā€™re often more afraid of success than failure, because success has to be duplicated indefinitely. Thereā€™s expectations in success.

#339

Sonia,
Do you think the process is addicting or is something else in play that people are turning to more and more longer fasts? I have had this thought before reading about or listening to people talk about their experiences fasting. Why have we moved so quickly from intermittent fasting regimens of 18, 24, or 36 hour lengths to 1-2 weeks or more?

#340

I will second those sentiments.