My husband I started a fast yesterday morning (Saturday), shooting to go through Monday eve. It is a deviation from my doctor’s plan, but I know I need a longer fast than 36 hours right now. Maybe it is mental, but when I aim for 36 I have a hard time getting past 24. We both want to get the weight loss rolling, and since I found out my insulin has gone down, why not burn some fat?
All the best with your fasting this month, everyone!
I started IF, I am not fat adapted, but I do not have a gallbladder and from what I have read and someone posted for me it seems like it is a good fit for me. I just did 20:4 and it was very easy for me, I had no hunger issues, and had plenty of energy walking the dogs, bringing in firewood, running errands, cleaning house. AND I made my Dad (Step Dad who raised me) a blueberry pie as they live right next door to my sister and my niece has celiac disease so my parents don’t have regular baking ingredients in the house, it smelled wonderful but I did not even have the desire to lick it, this is from a normal carb/sugar holic!__
Vicki, no gall bladder here either, for the last two years. The concern - as I understand it - is that we won’t be able to handle large amounts of fat at one time, as we’re now depending on the liver’s secretion of bile, rather than having bile stored in the gall bladder as well.
I have not noticed any problems, and there have been some big, very fatty meals, like beef brisket with all the fat, and vegetables with what many people would consider an obscene amount of butter.
I have not had one for at least 10 years. I have not noticed any issues yet either, but today doing IF I feel really, really good, I think I’m going to keep it up it was really easy.
Almost to the one week mark on this fast. Days 3 and 4 were really good, a little “euphoric,” though I wonder if that was really just getting more acclimated, thus a little less of the “humdrum/boring/slow” sense of time while fasting.
Day 5 was all right, though I didn’t feel great - I’d been staying up late every night, and not getting enough sleep, and it was catching up with me. Really stupid, but I’ve alway been that way. Day 6 was yesterday, and not much to report - just went through it.
Day 7 - got a lot of sleep last night, and it certainly makes a difference. Today, hunger is gone. I think of food, but it’s not the same as before, no real “craving” aspect to it. Better energy and a new sense of ‘well-being’ that is hard to describe. Great sense of peace and just wanting to smile in the moment.
There obviously is benefit to be doing things that we think are good for us, that we will be glad about in the long run. I question how much of my current good feeling is mentally-constructed, the mind stamping everything with its own perception, even itself. Whatever works, I guess.
Way to go, @OldDoug! Sounds like you are sailing right now! 
How long do you plan to fast or are you playing it by ear?
Great going, @LizinLowell! I’m right there with you, hovering between 169.8 and 170.6 lbs. I’m going to do another EF, too. I started last night. Gonna see how long I feel like doing it and just follow my body’s lead. I’m getting close to goal, too. Maybe 10-15 lbs more.
It seems a little strange, but when I last weighed 170 lbs I didn’t look like I look, now at 170. Maybe it’s the fasting? My goal is 155, but I may reevaluate as I get closer. What a great problem to have.
NSV: I have ribs! Not the kind you eat (because I did eat some yesterday) but the kind that live on your side. Not ALL of them, maybe just three. I was surprised to see them. It was like, oh yeah. I have ribs now! I forgot that I owned them. Hello, there. Haven’t seen you guys in a while. Never leave me again! LOL
Wow we are really on similar paths, I forget if you mentioned how tall you are? I’m 5’8”.
That’s really interesting about your body comp being different this time around. I bet mine is different too but I don’t remember what I looked like last time I was 170, maybe like, 30 years ago?
Actually I’m having that thing where I can’t totally “see” what I look like now, a bit of psychological distortion? But I guess I look pretty slender according to folks who have only ever known me heavy, so I believe them. 
RIBS!! That’s awesome 
Here’s to easy fasting!
@LizinLowell, I’m 5’6”, so you’ve got two inches on me.
Well… my EF turned into an IF. I don’t know why. I was doing great and then suddenly at 25 1/2 hours pistachioes popped into my head. Just like that, poof.
Oh, well. I’m going ahead and feasting on leftovers amd will see what tomorrow brings. Sorry.
By ear, Donna, though I’m hearing the far-off siren song of my employer’s Christmas party next Saturday. Prime Rib. So, will start eating a little on Friday, to break myself back into food. Will be 12 days; my previous longest was 5.5. When the New Year gets here, I can see some longer fasts.
No I will not accept that “sorry” lol!! Fasting is FLEXIBLE & that’s the beauty of it! I could never start an EF if I didn’t tell myself I could bail whenever for whatever reason. So I’m glad you listened to your body & you can start up again whenever. Fasting when the time is wrong is miserable and really there’s NO NEED.
I have a really skinny frame, and not a lot of muscles at the moment, so I’m aiming for 150 but that might be too thin, I’ve no idea, never had to worry about too thin before!!
I guess there’s a “like” bug? Because this doesn’t seem reasonable first heart of the day & that’s a long time to wait, lol but know I tried to heart all your posts!
@LizinLowell Just think - Sunday, August 17, 2064 - so many of us will be at our goal (or below it) by then. 
Wow, @OldDoug, 12 days! My longest was 7 1/2 days. I hope to do it again before Christmas, but navigating through all of the special events in December will prove difficult. I may be able to fit in some short, sneaky EFs of 3-5 days and wait until after Christmas for a long one.
Aw, thanks @LizinLowell. I’ve always been ‘big boned’ and ‘a sturdy girl’. I don’t wear a watch or bracelets because the bones in my wrists are wide. Ugh. Oh, to be small framed! Oh, well. I’m gonna rock these big bones. I was wonder about bone remineralization. Isn’t that supposed to be a thing, if we refeed well after fasting? Maybe my bones are heavier, now? (My high carb mom has osteoporosis and has to take some pill once a month and sit upright for an hour afterward. Doesn’t sound fun and I doubt it helps anything.) I have topped taking a calcium supplement because of something I saw on one of Dr Fung’s videos, saying it doesn’t help.
I woke up this morning to 170.0 lbs, after eating a solid fatty refeed meal last night of ribs, brussel sprouts with bacon, and butter. I expected to be at 173, so I’m happy. Today is my 24th wedding anniversary. I forgot last night – wish I’d remembered because then I probably would have seen good reason to not eat last night because today will certainly call for a visit to the BBQ joint with my husband. More ribs! Haha.
After 4 1/2 years as low carb, my husband FINALLY joined ranks with me, after my re-commitment to LC on Oct 2 and actually switching to Keto the next day. He has lost 18 lbs in six weeks and is feeling much better. (We both gained 20 lbs last year.) It’s SO much better having him do this with me. He gets excited about the restaurants where we can eat LC/Keto. Like, really excited about the food. LOL It’s fun to ear him gushing over the amazing food we are eating. The best part is, I don’t have to hear him moaning about how his stomach hurts on the drive home, after eating baskets of chips and salsa. We send the chips away, as there’s nobody to eat them, now. Yay!
So, we have much to celebrate on our 24th anniversary. We both feel so much healthier and are just happier in general this year, and yeah, we look better. LOL
ps: Looking forward to 2064, when @LizinLowell can start hearting things, again. LOL
Happy anniversary! Congrats on all your success as well. Inspiring!
@OldDoug Wow, phenomenal! You really hit the accelerator on fasting! Glad to hear it’s going well.
@RobinLeaF All the best, you will be so glad you did it. But of course listen to your body, and keep those electrolytes up!
@LizinLowell LOL the like bug. Glad I didn’t catch that.
I am finishing up the 3rd day of the fast my husband and I did together. It has been nice having him on board. It was hard on him dealing with the weekend because usually his fasts are on work days when he isn’t the same house with the food all day (like I usually am!).
We were both sensing that time-slowing phenomenon last night. For me, it wasn’t that I felt hungry or anxious for the fast to be over. It was just surprising how slowly the hours were going by. I thought it was 10 PM and it was only 6:30 PM. (Doesn’t help how early it gets dark this time of year in Wisconsin.) Used the time to put up the tree and decorations. We gathered around the dinner table with the kids last night, but none of us were eating at the time - we lit our Advent wreath and played Taboo for a while. Nice time.
I feel like I could go on with this fast no problem, but I am also looking forward to breaking it tonight. I am being a renegade from my doctor even going this long (lol) so I will get back to rebuilding the gut biome and taking my supplements and Symlin. This was a nice break from that. The program goes through February, then we’ll see how to proceed from there.
I hear that, Donna. My wife has a big Italian family, and food is quite a thing - not going to worry about it from Christmas to the New Year. My non-strictly-keto days are a lot better now than they used to be, i.e. one plate rather than five.
“Ribs, brussel sprouts with bacon, and butter” - wow what a perfect meal, and tough to read when one’s not eating. 
Good grief - this was exactly my wife and me. Drinks and then the chips and salsa, almost always with the hot cheese dip too. We’d both be somewhat full before the main meal came out. Hate to think how many times we did that.
Darcy, right on - good for you on staying with your program and not letting up. Time passing slowly can be a good or bad thing - although in the end I imagine we wish for slower yet.
Am wanting to do the Dec Zorn fast, but always seem to struggle when trying a planned fast although have managed several accidental 60ish hours. You guys are inspirational 
