Confused about fasting frequency


(maciek) #1

Hi,
I’ve been keto since summer 2016 and I’ve done OMAD, 24, 36, 48h fasts. for a 3 or 4 months in 2017 I’ve fasted during weekdays and ate on weekends.

Changed jobs, etc, stopped fasting as often, alcohol started creeping back in, and I find myself in a 2 year stall.

I figure a fasting regiment is in order (incidentally someone suggested the snake diet to me). I know in the past people have mentioned that prolonged fasting may have an adverse effect on BMR, REE, metabolic rate, etc.

Question - does anyone here have experience with frequent 36h+ fasts and if there’s any long term side effects? is it better to do an alternate day fast vs 4+ day? extend the ADF to 48h fast?


(Bob M) #2

I think you could do any of those. I think it’s when you start doing them a lot that’s the issue. What “a lot” is too, is anyone’s guess.

I did too many fasts like 36 hours, and began to get cold, as in my hands were so cold, I couldn’t touch myself. By 10am. So, I stopped fasting for a while.

But I honestly can’t tell you how long that took. A long time, years.


(maciek) #3

I decided to ‘just do it’. I know I have enough body fat to fast for months. I’ll see how it goes. Aiming for 48h fasts, eat, repeat.


#4

I was always a 3+ day type. Usually M-F when it worked for me. Also did a lot of OMAD. Slowed my RMR bad. That was confirmed with testing, didn’t assume it.


(maciek) #5

That’s interesting.

Just to follow up, how long did you do the fasting regiment for and what do you do now?


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

Even Dr. Phinney, who has issues with the idea of long fasts, has no problem with 36-hour fasts. If you space them out well, I can’t imagine you’d have any trouble.


(maciek) #7

good point + you made me remember the keto dudes take on this: if you look like a guy from 1970s/woodstock, follow phinney; if you look like a moderm american, follow fung.

i caught a few old videos from scott the truck driver regarding fasting. 48-72h range is good to go, 5+ days requires a recovery period. So i’ll experiment with 48, maybe 36, and see how it goes. I figure at least 4 weeks are required before drawing any conclusions.


(Bob M) #8

That’s probably true, but have you seen what Dr. Fung’s group has people doing? When you see people doing 3 36 to 48 hour fasts per week, you have to wonder.

I know myself that I had to give up fasting for a while, a few months, because I kept getting too cold, as in I couldn’t touch my hands to my own body (let alone anyone else’s).

Personally, I was able to fast way more 4.5 years ago. 4.5 days? No problem. Much less now, after losing fat and gaining muscle. I keep having troubles going overnight in particular with fasting.

On the other hand, I still think fasting overnight (as in about 36 hours total) is special and better than, say 22-24 hours. Or at least it seems that way to me. But I can do one of those every 2 weeks or so now. Can’t do them more for some reason. Used to be those were no problem.

My advice: If you start to get consistently colder, only while fasting, you might want to back off. (There’s no help for you if you’re cold all the time, even while not fasting. :wink:)