Hi all! I’ve done a few extended fasts and I don’t think I’m experiencing all this amazing energy everyone talks about. I’m also pretty hungry all throughout the fast. I have enough body fat, so I know it’s not that. I’ve done salt under my tongue and am drinking salted water and taking magnesium.
Does anyone else experience fasts without all the energy and other benefits?
I’m currently about 89 hours in, planning to break it tonight at 96 hours, do a quick refeed and keep going.
That’s a sign. Might not be for you.
I’m not a fan of extended fasts. 24 hours is good enough for me.
My longest fast has been 69 hours, maybe that’s not long enough but I don’t get the energy. I did take a B-complex last time, on someone’s recommendation here, and it did help to keep me from getting lethargic on the last day like I did the other time I went that long.
If you have plenty of body fat but are feeling relentlessly hungry while fasting I wonder if your insulin is still too high to let you access it? I have been following your struggles with Keto so I know your issues with weight loss. Do you know your fasted insulin level?
Andrea, my first 4 or 5 day fast was the hardest. Got cool feet on the third day, and never felt really “good.” Things have improved since, but still no “amazing energy,” nor feeling as good as when eating normally. But nothing really bad, either, and when thoughts of food and hunger come around I just shake my head at them. Well worth it for the demonstrable benefits of fasting.
Salt on the tongue works well for me, at least for a half hour or more… Went 130 hours fasted, then ate turkey breast, cheese and pecans, and there was the most profound satisfaction and satiety for the next 20 hours - it’s just now ending. “Feast and Fast” seems like a really good deal, at least for now.
I don’t feel the amazing energy during EFs that others describe either. But we are all individuals, aren’t we.
I do find that supplementing magnesium, potassium and salt as others suggest does help. I am in the middle of my 4th EF since starting Keto and found that after becoming fat-adapted I very rarely feel hungry during the EF.
However, on the occasions that I do feel hungry, I have found that alternating hot and cold liquids help suppress the hunger. I usually alternate hot tea (ginger and lemongrass is my favorite) and cold water.
Also, I find that making sure I drink plenty of water in general is helpful.
You ate a turkey breast and felt profound satisfaction?! You must have been really hungry!! HAHAHAHAHAHA
Have you been exercising during the fast? If I ever feel a little flat on a fast I’ve found some exercise quickly boosts my energy
Nope, low fasting insulin! 2.2
I think each fast is a little different too. I’m doing 96 right now, will eat tonight, ride in the morning.
Just checked and my ketones are 6.8 (WOW!) and blood sugar is 52.
@OldDoug I’m very excited for dinner tonight!
@Ken_Breeden I will try hot and cold liquids!
@Duncan_K not yet, I haven’t had energy but I think I’ll try that!
I think the blood sugar was a little too low - probably the reason for low energy, but I’ll take it! Ribeye in the oven to be served with a big a** salad and then then fast begins again!
I, too, think your problem is low blood glucose. You might need to ahead and eat and fast again in a few days.
Maybe the GKI comes into play?
My understanding is that when the ratio = 1 then the body is deriving 50% of it’s fuel from glucose and 50% from ketones. Yours is .4 which means only ~30% of your body’s fuel is glucose. That seems pretty low.
I’m one of the folks who feel fine during extended fasting, not even abandoning my normal gym routine. My GKI ranges from ~1.25 to .75 thus glucose fueling never drops below ~40%. In terms of actual numbers, my glucose drops into the low/mid 60s mg/dL and my ketones are 3.x to 4.x mmol.
Broke my fast at 95 hours with a big salad with olive oil and goat cheese plus half a ribeye. I may or may not have had some Halo Top and dark chocolate as well. 
Now on to another fast!
@4dml What is GKI?
Potassium makes a world of difference to my energy during fasts.
I take one potassium pill in the morning during fasts, then sprinkle a little No Salt (100% potassium) into my green tea, along with pink himalayan salt, later in the day.
Thanks - I’ve been taking Himalayan salt and putting that and no salt in my water.
GKI it’s the ratio of blood glucose to ketones. It indicates how deep the ketosis is.
https://www.perfectketo.com/track-your-glucose-ketone-index/
Yikes, so my GKI was 0.44! (BG of 54, ketones of 6.8) I should have checked my BG and ketones tonight before going to be gym tonight - I felt great during my boxing class, 24 hours fasted.
So…wouldn’t I want my GKI to be lower so that my body was deriving more of its energy from ketones rather than glucose?
Yep - I was at 54, so divided by 18, you get 3mmo/l. 3 mmo/l divided by 6.8 ketones is 0.44.
@KetoLikeaLady There might be folks who understand this better who will come on to contradict this but from what I know, people try REALLY hard to get that number below 1. If you’re at .44 and feeling great during exercise, all the more power to you. I suspect months of being super strict with carbs and having had a healthy metabolism to begin with just makes you really good at running on fat/ketones. Enjoy your superpower 
(Also, I think this is slightly complicated by the fact that eventually when you’re more used to extended fasts, you might actually make fewer ketones, so I wouldn’t worry about seeing that number shift as long as you’re feeling good.)