Coming out of an extended fast

(Sarah ) #1

Hey everyone! I am just finishing up my 20 day water fast. Actually, I supplemented this with bone broth when needed as well as black coffee and herbal teas. The results are astonishing. Aches, pains, etc that I have had for years are gone. I went through the “healing crisis” and have lost many inches (I don’t weigh myself, so no idea on that) off of my body. My question for anyone out there that has been on this EF journey, what types of foods did you come off of your fast with and when continued eating keto (of course) were you able to keep up the benefits of the fast? I feel like I have accomplished something phenomenal and don’t want to regress back.
thanks all!!!

(Beth Utz) #2

Wow! That is my goal! I felt amazing today after 4 day fast!

(Jerrett Scott) #3

Great job everyone!!!

(Karen) #4

Amazing! I want to know the improvements. I can’t recommend bone broth enough. I’ve had trouble with all else.

K

(Sarah ) #5

I won’t lie-it’s more of a mental challenge than I expected. The first 5 days are tough but manageable. I just decided to do a body reset and stop making warn out excuses as to why I could never be as fit as I was in high school.
The bp cuff and cheap Walmart glucose monitor were my best friends for 3 weeks. I’m off all my meds, sleep better, no dry skin, more energy, down 2 sizes.
I think pampering yourself is important during a long fast… I kept on my regular schedule but took long baths, let myself rest when needed and tried to focus on the spirit.

(Raj Seth) #6

^^ THIS +100 ^^
I am lucky that since I went keto, hunger is pretty much absent. I mostly eat when I know I should (on a keto schedule) or out of boredom, or when the thought of a yummy macadamia, or some delish liverwurst is too tempting.
Totally mental!
When I fast, the temptation to eat and break the fast has been totally mental as well. For the last month, I couldnt do anything more than 4 days since I convinced myself - ‘meh - gonna a do a 2 weeker in April, so just have that < insert food name here > now - what does it matter.’

Funny how the mind can justify anything…

Well - I am on day 1 of my 2 weeker - so take that, brain :+1:

(Sarah ) #7

Right on!! I just broke my 20 day fast with two eggs over medium and s very small salad. I can’t believe how full I feel!

(Beth Utz) #8

Right here with you!!! Let’s do this!!!

#9

How have things gone with a couple more days out of your fast?
I fasted for around 40 days a couple months ago, and had a hell of a time resuming digestion/eating. Everyone talks about their first meal, but then after that?? I obviously didn’t transition out well for my body. It was like any meat was a cork in my stomach (not talking constipation, it wasn’t moving past my stomach/small intestine). Pure fat (like using olive oil) was rough too and caused major heartburn like I didn’t know what to do.
Looking to hear from your experience coming out of the fast so that when I fast again I can do it better! Thanks!!

(Sarah ) #10

I’m 3 days out/— I have been eating mostly veggies/eggs and a bit of meat. I have been drinking a tea called “smooth move” that helps things along a bit. I find that if I don’t go every day, I will consider I epsom salt and that does the trick. I did eat ground beef tonight and my stomach feels so full/ ugh!!! I am on intermittent fasting/ketone diet right now, so I’m on one meal a day. I miss the fasting but it’s nice not to think about food all the time/ my stomach is full after a little bit of food.

#11

Thanks for the report! I think I had listened to too many podcasts about the carnivore diet during my fast that I thought that was the way I wanted to go :slight_smile: Maybe eventually but not after 40 days of water!!

(Sarah ) #12

Hey yeah… One of the unexpected things that happened during the fast was that I craved fish!!! I never liked fish and now that’s my primary “meat”. So it’s eating once per day: fish, salad or cooked veggies and cheese.
Love life!!!

(KCKO, KCFO) #13

How did you do on the 2 weeker?

(Raj Seth) #14

My Fung-Shui was not with me. I abandoned it at 5.5 days and feasted. My only motivation to do the 2 weeker was bragging rights. My plan had been to go to a regular schedule of about 3-3.5 days fasting, 3.5-4 days feasting after the longer fast. I just went there instead. It fits my travel and work schedule perfectly.
3 day fasts are easy for me, and I know if I’m fasting about 40% of the time, the weight will come off and the metabolic repair will continue forthwith. So that’s where I am!
I just started a work trip today, and had my HWC coffee this morning. 16 hours in, counting up to 84

42 days of the last 114 fasted. Yeah!!!

(KCKO, KCFO) #15

I also find 36ers pretty easy. As I am in maintenance, I really have little need to do anything longer. I do like to do a 36-48 hr, refeed one meal and do another of the same length a couple of times a month now. Just seems to help keep my weight in the range I want it to stay in without too much trouble.

I’m currently 22 hrs into 36 hr. fast. Honestly I do these sometimes because I just don’t want to bother with cooking and clean up. :joy:

(Lynn Brown) #16

Has anyone had difficulty maintaining your loss after a fast? I love 3 to 4 day fasts and do great. When eating I have no problem staying keto and not over eating but in 4 days I’ll gain 4 pounds and it stays on. Doesn’t seem to be water. Is there a trick to maintaining in this process of EF?

(KCKO, KCFO) #17

Do you do any Intermittent fasting on those follow up days? You will usually gain back some of the fasting losses, but not all by doing IFing a few days a week… The closer you are to normal weight the less will stay off or that is my experience. I am in maintenance, I have a weight range that I keep myself in by doing fasting, some 36-48 hrs. a few times a month, with 3-4 days a week of IFing.

(Dan Dan) #18

That’s just your meals not weight gain remember food and drink have weight :smiley:

(Robert C) #19

If you generally do 3 or 4 day fasts then, if I were you, I would weigh myself at the end of day 3 of the fast. I would also stop drinking any liquid for 3 hours before the weigh in. I think this would give you the best apples-to-apples comparison of body weight (pretty much empty of food and drink). Then, if your weight really isn’t going down, you’ll have to either accept that it simply isn’t working for you and just do it for the other “good feelings” aspects or, you’ll have to take a harder look at what is really happening on your refeeds. It seems like 3 and 4 day fasts should net weight loss for most people. Other than focusing on the refeed, the only other thing I can think of is that maybe a young person that hasn’t exercised much and is jumping into a strength training routine - maybe they could be adding enough muscle to match the fat loss. Clothes would suddenly be fitting better but the scale would read about the same.

(Lynn Brown) #20

It sounds like it might be about balance too from the responses. After a 3-4 day fast, I can expect a little bounce up simply because I went from nothing to eating again. Maybe my body is finding equilibrium in this process. I’ll try the IF on feeding days to help my body adjust and the weigh in suggestion. I am heading down in weight which is awesome, and more importantly, my glucose levels are lower, but given the long time insulin resistance I would imagine by body is going to take a while to respond. Long term I am hoping maintenance will be a bit of back and forth, IF and feeding.
Is this about what you all experience? thank you so much for the feedback!