@carl: As I said, I am completing my 46-day fast on Easter Sunday and then I am going to try the feast/fast cycling. I’ll probably start gently as my body hasn’t had food in 6.5 weeks but then get into full blown feast Tuesday and Wednesday. Maybe I’ll then do a 2-day fast as I may have a meatup on Saturday.
This stuff sounds like a lot of fun!
Hello everyone! New here. Question about fasting/feasting. What is allowed/suggested/recommended during a fast?
From what I understand thus far is water, salt, tea, coffee. Is bullet proof coffee allowed? ( Guessing that’s coffee with coconut oil and butter?)
What I would like to try is fasting from 6pm to 4pm.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks
This seems to be working better for people who are taking the cues from their body, so baring anyone with eating disorders, if you’re not hungry, then it sounds like you’re ready for a fast; when I feel that way now, I’ll fast.
I gained/lost A LOT of weight under CICO using that type of discipline and it damaged my metabolism and I lost too much bone (osteopenia) and muscle (sarcopenia) in the process, so not being strict about eating/fasting for certain periods is something that I’m fighting. I would rather flex my keto and fasting muscles and let it unfold naturally, but it can be hard to break old habits.
Really the only things that we know will explicitly interfere with fasting benefits are carbs and more than residual amounts of protein. For example, most bone broth will only have about 2 grams of protein per serving and is generally considered acceptable, and is especially recommended by Megan Ramos and Jimmy Moore of the Fasting Talk podcast.
That leaves fat, and based on information inferred from Dr. Valter Longo’s and his patented Fasting Mimicking Diet, it seems that at or under 500 calories per day from fat with those few grams of protein would still get the benefits of a fast.
From reading, listening and personal experience, I’d suggest using fats, whether using a spoon or added to something like coffee 
, as a reaction to feeling hungry or cold and using it to push through something that might otherwise cause you to end the fast. In other words, I wouldn’t plan on regularly consuming some fat, while realizing that you’ll probably need some dietary fat unless you’re very significantly overweight.
I’m on day SIX of feasting… no weight gained at all, but I’m soo ready for a fast lol. I’ll start tomorrow.
I think I fit that mold also. I wanted to do a 7 (or so) day holy week fast, started last Sunday, and was going to end it tomorrow, so I’d have the digestive system back up and running for Easter Sunday. Today was a terrible day, though. I was freezing cold most of the morning, unfocused, and just felt off. Additional salt water took the edge off a bit, but I ended up just resting for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. Hard to tease out whether it’s the fasting, or the fact that I was up a couple times last night with leg cramps (obviously not getting quite enough water/salt) so I slept somewhat poorly. But either way, I think it’s time to pull the ripcord and eat, though the temptation is to bull my way through until tomorrow, since I’m not cold anymore.
Still feeling low-energy, so I think that’s my body saying it’s time. Think I’m gonna go make a tuna melt.
Perhaps I’ll feast a couple days, and then fast again a couple days next week.
I am in the same boat - I’ve been fasting since Sunday night. Low energy, kinda dragging. Was hoping to get to tomorrow, but I think I will eat something small tonight. I have lost 6 pounds since Sunday so this has been a good fast. Feasting starts tomorrow.
I ended up having a fatty dessert bowl (1-2oz cream cheese, 1 Tbsp Kerrygold butter, and a spoonful of Mascarpone, warmed in the microwave a bit and mixed with Truvia and sugar free coffee syrup, and cinnamon) to get things rolling, and then around a half hour or so later, made up a tuna melt by blending tuna, 2 tsp mayo, 1 Tbsp Kerrygold butter, some shredded Mexican cheese, and mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne. Melted more Mexican cheese blend on top, and put two more pats of butter on top for extra fat. The texture was a little different, as I mixed it up using the food processor attachment for our stick mixer, but it was quite tasty and really hit the spot.
Glad the I listened to my body. Not feeling super-perky, but I think eating was the right call. Hopefully, I’ll have more energy tomorrow.
I’m on day six of a seven day fast and was thinking of pushing on for a few more days as feeling great…then I read your post… hunger setting in!! Yum 
@Ketogarden Yes it is the mental games that get to you but they are particularly short lived. If you can turn away from the food porn you may be able to continue on!
Yep 
the moment has passed back to listening to my body not my mind, back on track.
Decided to mix it up a little…threw in a 500 calorie day yesterday in the midst of my feast cycle (a little curve ball for my metabolism).
Upping calories significantly today and tomorrow, then fasting for three to five days. Weight stable ( down a pound).
Can I ask - those of you who are doing the 6 and 7 day fasts - have you done this before? How have you lead up to it, e.g. Built up with shorter fasts, or just gone straight in?
I do 16:8 - 18:6 most days and 24 hours once a week, but my husband has been very resistant to doing longer fasts and I don’t want to push it. But in July he will be away for 6 days - there’s my opportunity! I’m wondering though whether to go straight into water and bone broth for six days, maybe have a feasting day in the middle - or try doing a few 2-3 days before then to build my fasting muscle, as Megan Ramos says. Also toying with doing fat fasts, e.g. Nothing but avocado and bacon.
I want to try this feast/fast cycling also. Like you, I don’t count calories either. More out of laziness. Yesterday I ate two massive and very fatty meals. My 3 pm meal (second) actually was just shy of painful. This morning I’m down 1.5 lbs. The longest fast I’ve done is 24 hours so longer will be an adventure!
I’m in as well. Feasting ketogenic today and tomorrow, then fast a few days.
I think a high MBR might be much more important then just in a weightloss context. If you have energy, everything else falls into place. You get shit done and enjoy life. No energy, no life.
I’ve done several extended fasts, both fat-supplemented and water-only. I started by doing IF (typically 20/4), and then did an extended fast of a couple of days, and then tried longer. I’m not sure if the current fast (Sunday eve through Friday eve) is my longest, but it’s certainly up there.
Most important thing is to listen to your body. Definitely make sure to bump up your salt and electrolyte intake, but if you are feeling bad, or feel like you need to eat, it’s OK to break the fast earlier than you’d planned.
Regarding fat fasts, keep in mind that even though bacon is close to the perfect keto food, it does have some protein (and depending on the type of bacon, may have a small amount of carbs). For a fat-supplemented fast, I tend to stick with butter, a little HWC, and mascarpone cheese, so as to minimize protein and incidental carbs. Part of that is that my goals include trying to ramp up autophagy. If that’s less important to you, then you may have more latitude to include bacon and such. 
Good luck with it!
@Barbara_Greenwood I started my fasting experiments last summer starting with a 24 hour fast and testing the waters with a 3 day fast the group was doing (now called Zornfast). I had to work my way up to longer fasts and also, for me, I had to figure out how to fast and maintain my workout schedule at least if not the whole routine for the duration of the fast.
The 24 hour mark found me in the gym. I was a little hungry before starting the workout in spite of having some fat in my coffee before I left out to run errands before the gym. In some ways, I felt stronger even though I cut out some exercises and didn’t go to my heaviest on leg press, I still did great and did the last set as slow reps (still can’t figure out who lets me do these crazy things LOL). Had some broth afterwards because I was sweating so much during my workout.
I broke my 48 hour fast today with a hand full of macadamia nuts and steak poached in butter. Fully satisfied. 
