Extended Fasts

(Richard Morris) #1

All about any fast that is over 24 hours - Extended Fasting
Welcome! Eating a ketogenic diet is not required for posting on this forum, but it is the main focus of this site and many people find fasting and keto work well together. Many experts caution against fasting longer than three or four days. We take no position on that issue, but do advise consulting with your physician if undertaking an extended fast.

(Tim Oboyle) #2

just finishing up a 48 hour fast… sort of, had 2 BPcoffees per day, a little broth today. I didn’t start out planning on fasting, I’ve been doing 18:6 for about a week and nothing sounded good for dinner 2 nights ago so I just didn’t eat. felt so good yesterday I extended 1 more day… I’ll probably go off it tonight but maybe not… no hunger pangs,no weakness, I feel pretty darn good.

(Dave) #3

Is there anything that you should eat after a fast? Maybe some sauerkraut or something?.. I felt a bit sick and very tired after I ate yesterday and had to have a bit of a lay down… I was feeling pretty good during the fast but not so good coming off it…

(Jennifer) #4

That is a great idea - a little “real” sauerkraut, kefir or kombucha to get the gut flora moving again.

I must admit I drank a little bit of kraut juice during my 7 day fast (that ends today!!!) Good for salt, and bacteria.

(Nancy ) #5

Have been Keto for 7 months.have done a number of 24 and 36 hour fasts, one 66 hour and just finished 116 hours. Before I started Keto I woke up every morning with hip pain. A couple of weeks into Keto, the pain disappeared- yeah! This week, when I got to about three days, I started having low level hip aching. Started refeedng yesterday with avo, olives, and later chicken and butter. Only eating Keto foods. Hips still aching a day later. I did supplement with Himalayan salt and nu salt, but no magnesium. Any ideas why my hips hurt?

(Andrew) #6

It was probably starting to heal itself. I broke my back a few years ago. It was killing me on day 4.

(James H Shaffer) #7

do a 48 early in the week and a 72 on weekends. it is tough but the end result justifies the means.

#8

I’ve been doing the 18:6 since about week 4. I’m about 2 months in and I’ve lost 20lbs so far. So I’m pretty happy! I will be honest, I haven’t read/watched/listened to all the info from the dudes, but what exactly is the point of the fasting? And I don’t understand how it works, because if you have to have a certain amount of protein a day to not have muscle waste, how do you not eat at all and not have that effect? The only reason I’m interested in the longer fasts at this point is the supposed “cleansing” of it and because I have started not being hungry. I accidentally fasted for like 24 hours and I felt really good!

(Raj Seth) #9

It depends on how much you have to lose, and ailments you are trying to address, and whether you are chasing autophagy - which may turn out to be the fountain of youth!! For me those answers are 60 lbs, diabetes & hypertension, and yes!

The body breaks down cells of all sorts on a continual basis - while fasting, your body recycles all the proteins. E.g. Skin is 1/6 of your body by mass - it’s protein and is being recycled continually, even fat cells are protein structures holding fat - etc.
When fasting, the body is not so dumb as to start burning muscle. It burns fat, recycles protein, hikes adrenaline & growth hormone, all to keep us on a red-alert state - “go hunt another wooly mammoth please?”
All this is described much more eloquently on Jason Fungs blog @ idmprogram.com.

#10

Then why are we told we have to eat a certain amount of protein a day to keep that from happening? Why eat any protein at all? Why eat at all, for that matter? And I can’t seem to access that website. It says I have to create an account and access it through Facebook, which I refuse to be a member of. But thanks anyway.

#11


Just read that. I get it now… :grin:

(Raj Seth) #12

Idmprogram.com website has a blog. No signup. No membership. Dunno what happened when you went on

(Raj Seth) #13

If you’re eating, the body needs a minimal amount of protein for maintenance. Like 30-50 gms a day. There are essential amino acids we need normally.
As to your next points - no you don’t have to. When fasting, the body goes into fasting mode where it conserves protein and needs no outside sustenance other than water and salt. While in this mode, it hops up the system with extra adrenaline and growth hormone and does wonderful things like autophagy. Plenty of protein available to be recycled

Famous case of Angus Barbieri who fasted for 382 days, from 456lbs to 182 lbs with no negative impact on his body muscles etc

(grace elizabeth) #14

I read that Angus Barbieri died in 1990, at 51 – he was 27 in 1966 when he fasted.
I can’t find the cause of his death.

(Fast Freddy) #15

I use to do BPC, one in the am then fast for 44 but I recently dropped the coffee all together and eat nothing for 44 hours - interestingly it was effortless thanks to my KETO lifestyle

You will find that because we are burning ketones naturally, the coffee is not needed and is said to unnecessarily raise cortisol levels especially in the AM.

Furthermore, I feel the BPC was stalling my efforts to remove the last 2 pack on my lower abs.

My .02 cents

:slight_smile:

(Fast Freddy) #16

This happens to me also - warm water and lemon to break the fast or bone broth will help - even an avocado to start then an hour later have the feast.

(KCKO, KCFO) #17

I found this very informative. Easting less vs fasting comes up a lot in the forum.

I also found Upton Sinclair’s book in Google Books. If nothing else read the appendix:
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Fasting_Cure.html?id=bcoEAAAAYAAJ

(Christy Frizzell) #18

I am on the down hill side of my first fast over 50 hours :smile: Once completed it will have been a 4 1/2 day fast. I was quite unsure if I would be able to go multiple days. I started IF (16:8, 18:6, 20:4, then a 36, 42, and 50 hour fast) to work up to this one. I did put a little HWC in my black coffee, homemade bone broth for lunch a few days, salt on my tongue, and water, water, water!! I felt that I needed those “training wheels” to get me through, even though looking back I probably could have made it without them. Next time it will be my goal either not to do them at all or reduce the frequency. I am working my way through the Dude’s podcasts. I started listening to 2016 and now am a little past the halfway mark of 2017. I have learned so much listening to these and also to the fasting podcasts with Megan Ramos and Dr. Jason Fung. So thankful for all that everyone does and the information shared!! “Keep Calm and Keto On!!”

(Running from stupidity) #19

If you click “join our free community” it takes you to FB.

(Raj Seth) #20

Don’t have to join anything to read the blog