I’ve read enough to know that occasional EF diarrhea is common, if not universal. I’m just starting day 6 of a water-only EF and have had several bouts of this.
My question is, what is the particulate matter in this? Since I haven’t eaten anything for so long, there cannot be any food residue in my system.
I hope this topic isn’t too gross. If so, please accept my apology.
I’ve also had this experience, having some diarrhea whenever if I fast for 3 or more days. My longest EF was 14 days and I had several bouts of diarrhea during that fast. I think that you can have a “die off” of gut bacteria which can cause this elimination. I had a major drop in food cravings after that 14 day fast and I’m attributing this to the die off of the bacteria which love carbs. Maybe?
Good luck with your fasting!
Thank you. Did you post here about your 14 day fast? I’d be interested to know the details.
Only after the fact. I believe I’d signed up for these forums, but hadn’t posted yet.
I struggled the first week with how I felt physically. I felt so hungry on the second day and couldn’t sleep at all that night. I think my ketone levels were so high I felt pretty buzzed as if I were maxed out on caffeine, though I never drink anything with it. It also took most of that first week to finally figure out how to get enough electrolytes. Fasting can cause a person to lose more fluids than even eating keto. I had my first bout of diarrhea about 3 or 4 days in. Though I also had several more during the remainder of the fast and I had more again after refeeding at the end of the fast.
I also noticed that my hunger would come in waves at the times of day I would normally have eaten a meal. But the hunger would pass even without eating. The hunger did NOT get worse and worse throughout the day as I might have expected.
The second week was a mental struggle. I felt fantastic, mentally and physically but I just wanted to eat, without really feeling hungry. I kept getting ideas for what I wanted to eat first after ending my fast.
The last couple of days, I started feeling cold without feeling hungry. But I decided to end the fast at 14 days because I felt like my metabolism was slowing (thus the chills I was feeling).