Day 8 of a TBD water/mineral fast, (but 10 was wishful thinking)

fasting
salt
extendedfast
#1

Not sure if I can really add much to the literature, but I thought I’d share my experience so far.

Two things worth noting.

#1 I was eating as much as I could for several days before hand, and usually eat a fairly high calorie keto compliant diet.
#2 Since it will be mentioned below, I have a home made “cold shirt” that circulates near ice cold water through 3/8" OD 1/4" ID vinyl tubes around my torso and neck (it goes around me about 10 times). I go through around 14000ml of ice, and about 2 gallons of fridge cold water a day. By go through, I mean, I heat the ice water from that temp up till around 70. At 70 the 297gph pump is no longer circulating enough to feel cold to me. That’s a rough and imprecise thing, as I generally just keep it stocked with as much ice as I can shove in. My hypothesis is that this will force my brown adipose (as well as all the other tissue its touching) to work harder to maintain homeostasis. I use 52 oz gas station soda cups filled with water then frozen as my ice blocks. It is worth noting that normally this never makes me feel cold, and I have not shivered while wearing this before.
Also related, I usually shower with straight cold, and sleep uncovered (in the winter I sometimes wear socks and use a flat sheet). I have been doing this for some time now.

I have not done the math to even try to determine what caloric load this puts on me.

Day 1, hungry, but manageable.
Day 2, very close to day 1, but a very intense empty feeling.
Day 3, the worst day, not sure why. Big thing I noticed on day 3 is that my home made cold shirt started to feel a LOT colder on me. Hands a bit chilly. Did not get as much sleep as I would have liked.
Day 4-5 both were great. No real problems and I’ve felt good. Cold shirt still feels very cold and I have found myself shivering and near shivering while wearing it… Clearly optional heat was one of the early additional metabolic processes to get slowed down. Also cold hands. Having a harder time getting to sleep on time, but feeling OK despite that, both first thing in the morning and through the day.

Had an unexpected (car tire trouble) 30 mile bike ride in to work today, and I’ll have a 31 mile ride home, but the ride in was fine, and I don’t anticipate any issues.

The way I feel right now, the only real reason I might be stopping at 10 is to not have to have a conversation about it when my family visits on the 2nd.

I’ll update this thread if anything interesting happens.

This fast isn’t FOR weight loss, but since I can certainly stand to lose some,
Starting weight: 297.
Day 1 299 (yes really)
Day 2 298
Day 3 294
Day 4 293
Day 5 291
Day 6 288
Day 7 285
Day 8 282

I’ll edit this post to update it as I go along.

Insights so far.

I do the bulk of the cooking at my house… and cooking is hard while fasting!
I also participate in a keto related chatroom… and talking about food all day is hard while fasting as well.
I haven’t experienced the “extra time in the day” thing, see “I do the bulk of the cooking” above.
I supplemented salt heavily the first 4 days, and today I’ve had a bit but not felt any need for it.
My high calorie intake was clearly going to a chunk of heat, that is no longer being made while on this fast.

I debated taking vitamins and such, but decided that I’m not going to become vitamin deficient in (probably) 10 days.
If I go longer, I may add some vitamins to the fast.

Day 6, no lingering effects of 61 miles on the bike. Didn’t expect any, but was glad to not have any either.

Day 7, screwed up with some diet soda, been feeling unwell ever since then.

Day 8, Energy level in the toilet. Very hungry again. I’m not sure whats up, but at this point, listening to my body means ending the fast prematurely.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #2

You really need to post a pic of that cold shirt. Never heard of that trick. Interesting hack.

#3

Its super ugly, as its only the second iteration of my shirt. Its also made from a goodwill shirt, and cloth scraps. The first iteration was made to keep me cooler while welding in the summer, and works but is also ugly. The second gen uses a much bigger pump, and bigger cooler vessel as its purpose is to go beyond merely keeping me from getting too hot. If it seems like something lots of people are interested in, I’ll make a post about it. If not, I’ll still put some pics in this thread.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #4

Love there is a second gen of the shirt. Awaiting the pics.

#5

Alrighty, I posted about the gen 1 cold shirt. I’ll get info up about the gen 2 tomorrow.

It’s posted here:

#6

On a more fasting related note, cooking dinner is the worst part of my day at this point. I suspect its stimulating insulin from seeing and smelling the food. Whatever it is, it makes me tired to do it.

#7

I cook dinner for husband and son. When fasting I usually make things I do not like but they do and that do not require a lot of attention on my part, eg roast chicken pieces, marinate, throw in and turn every half hour or so). Even so the chicken tonight (Day 2 of a fast ending tomorrow) smelled delicious but it passed quickly.

As for your family, I have been fasting for 2 days and no one noticed! The only one who usually notices is my daughter but she is away. So as long as you do a lot of serving and no eating the family may not even notice that you are fasting. Although it may be torture for you to serve them while not eating.

In general, I think electrolytes are a good idea on any fast. I forget what Fung considers a longer fast where he considers medical supervision a good idea. It might be 5 or 7 days but I could be mistaken

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #8

For 14 day or longer fasts Fung recommends medical supervision.

I too cook while fasting, I even do grocery shopping. Every so often the smells get my juices going. I have found just 3 macadamia nuts and getting away from the smell takes care of the hunger rushes. Fung says it is ok to have a little bit of fats if it will get you to continue on the fast.

#9

Same here!

I will take coconut oil or a couple of nuts or psylium fiber, which I take anyway a couple of hours before I end a fast (having learned the hard way what happens if I do not!)

I have no problems grocery shopping, sometimes I even like it. I the last day of a 3 day fast currently and would continue but have a business dinner tonight. Last night I went to BJs because I had coupons expiring and Trader Joe

#10

Wait, so you’re saying my plan of shoving 2 lbs of ribeye and half a lb of macademia nuts into my mouth isnt the best idea?

#11

Respect if you can do that after not eating for a week!

I would take it slow. Refeeding I think becomes an issue but again not sure after how many days!

#12

Maybe I should be worried about that, but I’m not. The reading I’ve done seems to be referring to non fat adapted people who were fed very short mostly carb rations over fairly significant periods of time. I’m don’t fit any of those criteria. I’m also getting PLENTY of minerals. I’ve had so much salt it no longer tastes good to me, I’m getting plenty of sodium/potassium. Cant stop the calcium, and I’m getting enough magnesium.

My last fast (3 days) I didnt have as much room in my stomach as I had thought so the big meal turned into a medium sized meal. I have no doubt that I will find the same thing this time as well. But for only 10-15 days, I don’t even know that I’m all that worried about taking care with the end of the fast. I’ll update the thread with what I do, and how that goes for me.

#13

So, I decided to stop being a complete wimp and use the glucometer I’ve had for a while.

Don’t ask me why I dont flinch at shots and blood draws, and if someone else hits me with a lancet its no big deal. But somehow doing it to myself was my Rubicon.

So anyway, I used it, and it read 76mg/dcl.

The published numbers are saying 70-130 is “normal” So I’m not going to sweat it, even though that seems low. But of course, its the first time in years I’ve had my blood sugar tested (outside of a MD office). And of course its being tested at the beginning of day 7 of a fast.

I am in fact feeling a little low energy, but not bad. Its that feeling like I’m ready for bed, but I could go lift or something if I HAD to. I’ll check it again more tomorrow now that I’ve been reminded that a lancet isn’t exactly a stab in the face. That said, although its really not that bad, its just one more reason I do not want to be diabetic!

#14

Assuming you are not on diabetic medication, 70 is normal, I got a 65 on the morning of Day 5 when I checked and felt fine. 130 is NEVER normal in the morning, only after a meal. Morning of 126 is the beginning of diabetes, anything over 100 in the morning is the beginning of insuin resistance

#15

Thats good to hear. I had thought that lower (until truly hypoglycemic) was generally better.

I really screwed up today. Was given a 12 pack of dt dr pepper. My favorite soda. I figured, its 0 cal, I can have this on the fast.

Since having it, I have felt like shit ever since. Tired, hungry, irritable, and in general, feeling like I did days 1/2.

I was honestly, just about to say fuck it, this is clearly my body telling me to stop, when I realized that it may well be a reaction to the soda. I’m at day 7, and I’m hoping in a few hours I’ll feel ok again. in 5 hours, if I still feel like crap, I might have to call it a 1 week fast instead.

Edit half hour later. I’m already feeling less bad. I think it really is an insulin response to the soda.

(Carpe salata!) #16

@nomine good on you for toughing out that Dr Pepper bad patch. Interesting info. I’m doing a bit of IF lately, just free styling it, and I’m interested in how people get through the mental challenge.

By the way, does someone have the conversion factor between those sugar readings around 100 and the ones that are in the single digits? Thanks.

(Jim Russell) #17

Divide mg/dl by 18 to get mmol/l. 100 mg/dl is 5.6 mmol/l

(Carpe salata!) #18

Super. Thanks for that @Jimbo .

#19

I just took my blood gluc again, and its at 80 (4.4).

Still no idea if that high, low, or average for me in ketosis, let alone how normal it is for fasting me. But at least that’s well below the diabetic range.

#20

I think I’m calling it at day 8. Cant spend the weekend dragging around like I have mono or something. Going to try some bone broth, and then if I don’t feel more like I can go on with life, just go ahead and break the fast early.