Fasting - Extended Fasts- help convincing hubby that I’m not starving myself


(Betty) #1

Hi all! So excited to be posting here, I’ve recently discovered the awesome 2 Keto Guys podcast and heard about their forum here.

Back to the topic: My situation is that my hubby is doing semi-keto eating. I am eating keto and following Dr.Jason Fung’s advice and fasting options. I’m trying to push through and complete a 90 hour fast (at about 47 now). My husband sometimes thinks my regular fasts (24, 36, 42 and now this one plus 18:6 are extreme. I don’t lie to him so I’m not hiding my fasting but I wish he would read dr.fungs intermittent fasting book and obesity code like I did so he’d understand. I guess I’m looking for tips on how to EF and get spousal understanding that I’m not starving myself? I feast very nicely during feasting times. Thanks for any advice and best wishes on everyone else’s keto and fasting success! :grinning:


(Blessed with butter ) #2

love your user name! I too have this issue. My hubby will not even begin to try to understand what I am doing. I would love to hear some advice too. Even when I read things to him, he is like well if I eat anymore fat I am going to die of a clogged artery! uggg.


(Betty) #3

Thanks Judy! Dr.Fung is the man!!!

It’s so hard. We’ve been told to follow the SAD diet for so long, and low-fat too etc, I see why it’s hard to believe that fasting etc could be “good” for you. But it truly is life-changing!! Tonight I asked my husband if I could make him dinner, and he said he’d have whatever I was having, I was like,… umm… i’m Fasting. He was funny and said “oh, so you’re a cannibal tonight?” Haha!!


(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #4

My partner is supportive, it’s my mother that doesn’t understand.
She’s doing a somewhat very lazy keto and still seeing results and he is happy with that. She seems to think I am ‘hardcore’ keto because I previously extended for up to 3 days and this week I am trying 5 days. She will come around eventually. All I need to do is mention ‘anti aging’, lol!


(Running from stupidity) #5

Yeah, it’s really difficult to see why she’d think that…


(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #6

Haha, she was shocked at 24 hours, she’s easily shocked. :stuck_out_tongue:


(Betty) #7

That’s so great that your partner is supportive!! I think it means so much to have those closest to us understand and support our efforts and hard work.

My hubby is lazy keto too,… I agree though, I’m sure if your mom saw everyone else’s anti-aging results she might jump on board to the fasting too. As amazing as I’m sure she looks, you truly do feel better and glow during/after fasting!! Who wouldn’t want those anti-aging effects ! :slight_smile: Heck,… I bet I could interest my Dad if he knew about those results.


(Robert C) #8

I think the best way to convince him is by example (vs. talking or providing reading materials).

If you are doing it right (and it sounds like you are), you are not getting cold, unusually tired, showing upset etc. so - no problems (vs. some non-fat adapted person that just stopped eating - they might exhibit these and more). At the same time (if you are doing it right) pounds and inches are coming off and/or blood markers are getting better. Let being the example be enough.

Also - on your statement that he is doing “semi-keto eating” - I think that can be pretty problematic. A sausage and pepperoni pizza is semi-keto (from the cheese and meat side). If he is conscientious and moved to more whole foods and more healthy fats from SAD then that could be a good direction to move but if semi-keto just means allowing more fat into a previously not-so-good diet - then I’d start his education there instead of worrying how you are doing.


(Blessed with butter ) #9

I agree. My husband is (semi-Keto) not in his words but mine. He eats cereal for breakfast and pretty much fasts all day maybe a apple/banana for snack. I tell him not to eat the fruit but he still believes fat makes us fat and clogs the arteries. but when it comes to dinner he eats what I eat. I am afraid that his carbs will be too high and the wrong carbs and it is sabotaging him. So with that said, he has lost weight. Here is the kicker!!! He still is drinking beer!!! I am not! Is it just that I am doing this the healthy way?


(Robert C) #10

What an odd situation but, I can see why he might be losing weight.

He starts with carbs during his morning cortisol spike but then keeps insulin very low all day by (almost) fasting and then does not bring up insulin again at dinnertime because he is eating high fat food. Beer - depending on the amount - will bring insulin up a bit and would temporarily stop ketosis (if he was even in ketosis) but, it might also (if consistent) be contributing to a nutrient deficiency (which is a bad form of weight loss).

So, (just my non-doctor opinion) I think he is benefiting from the effects of low insulin (essentially just like intermittent fasting from after breakfast until the next breakfast - OMAD) but, at the same time, I think his breakfasts are keeping him out of ketosis.

Why is it that he might fail and you likely succeed? It is that keto is sustainable - you will be able to stay un-hungry but eat whenever you are hungry and keep losing weight. For him, cereal in the morning and then trying to fast all day can be done for a while by anyone - but eventually the single fruit snack will turn into something more substantial (especially if the beer keeps flowing - morning munchies!) and the required self-discipline will wane (as he is likely not in ketosis with so many grams of carbs daily - so not benefiting from meals to satiety). The low insulin daily period might get smaller and smaller as the non-keto snacks get bigger (or turn into meals) and more spread out. Weight loss will likely plateau/reverse - double down on discipline and - as with most discipline based diets - end in a overall weight gain.

Then, when you talk about keto, maybe he’ll listen!


(Blessed with butter ) #11

Thank you so much. He only drinks beer one time a week usually Friday night. I think he is on the starving diet not me! LOL He is 6’1 weighs 350 and is in poor health, tired all the time, no motivation you know. He is in ketosis some of the time because he has dragon breath for sure!!! I just want him to do this in a healthy way. He is loosing weight right up there with me. It seems like he doesn’t even stall. I do have to say he does take his one a days and fish oil every day. Saturday and Sunday I make him eat bacon and eggs or the like. He is totally fine with it. I just want him to get healthy and feel what I am feeling. I really appreciate your post it really makes me think.


(Betty) #12

The fat makes you fat mindset it soooo hard to unlearn!! I wish it was more mainstream, but I think the info is getting out there. You are living proof though, hopefully he will see you feeling healthier doing LCHF and fasting and want to take his fasting in that direction too. It’s so frustrating with the fruit thing too! I know, it’s like the opposite of what we were taught about fruit.


(Betty) #13

Hi Rob! Thank you for your response.

Thankfully, he has gotten more used to me fasting as I’m incoporating it into my week more and we talk about it more.

I do think you’re right about showing him with my actions that keto and IF/EF work well. I’m grateful that I’m dropping inches, feeling amazing, and went from size 20/22 women’s clothing to now a size 16. He said that he can tell I’m more confident which my weight really hurt. I’m hoping he’ll come back to “normal” keto with me. He looks great after his 20 lb loss, but I think the benefits of avoiding diabetes (unfortunately it runs in his family on both sides for generations) would be a really good motivator. I stink at consistently preparing keto meals, but alway try n have a bunch of “healthy” keto snacks he likes on hand. I think eating lunch on the go and at restaurants throws him off. Idk!

You’re def. right though,… there’s nothing healthy about combining SAD diet + keto foods, it’s not a great idea (especial high fat).