Fasting makes me feel so much better


(Alec) #1

I have been fasting and keto now for about 20 months. I am very fat adapted. Carbs make my head feel woolly.

I am back on my favourite 5:2 fasting diet: I fast on Monday and Thursday each week, each fast lasting a total of 36hrs. Other days I eat mainly keto, but I probably eat a bit too much fruit (I love berries): but I also run, so I figure I burn the extra carbs off pretty quickly.

Last Monday I had a headache in the evening and broke my fast, and on Thursday I had a formal dinner and didn’t fast. So I came into this week slightly bloated, and I really missed my fasting breaks last week.

This week, today, Monday, has gone oh so sweetly, I just have to tell someone. I am not hungry, I can feel the ketones running my brain (I am buzzing and alive!), and I am thinking I could do more fasting days this week.

So, here’s my question: if I feel worse when I eat than I do when I don’t, is there something wrong with me? Or is it simply the ketones talking?


(MooBoom) #2

I can’t answer your question, I’m just here to give you a :raised_hands: for your fasting success! That ketone clarity when one is fasting is an amazing feeling.

A thought- maybe it’s not food you have an issue with, perhaps it’s ‘some’ foods? You could try an exclusion diet to see what’s causing the bloat (I’d look at fibre filled foods first).


(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #3

I think a lot of people have that experience. But I think it is worth saying… You aren’t feeling better without any food. That is called starvation, and it isn’t terribly popular. You feel better restricting eating to certain days. Big difference.


(Carl Keller) #4

This was my first impression as well. Maybe the berries are not loving you back?


(Melora) #5

Hi Alec. I’ve been keto for about 3 months now and have tried fasting twice. Both epic failures. Did I try too soon in to keto?


(Stickin' with mammoth) #6

Yup. Fasting is the ultimate elimination diet and a great way to test culprits. I can’t fast but carnivore is second best.

Yup. Energy’s gettin’ burned, it’s just getting burned from the existing supply. Like cleaning out the larder in your house, pun intended.

Fasting: When you eat your own ass.


(Alec) #7

That’s my goal!

Thanks to everyone for the great suggestions. I fear @MooBoom and @CarlKeller are right about the berries and finding foods that don’t agree with me. I have slowed my berry habit to a stop now… and I know that I just do not go well with nuts but I love them so much, it is hard to turn them down.

I also have a habit of finding a food I really like and then eating it to excess, and then regretting it. Must stop this.

I think I am going to go for a while on strict keto on my feast days and see how that goes. Just had bacon and eggs to end my Monday fast… lovely!


(Stickin' with mammoth) #8

Going keto and carnivore had the unexpected effect of throwing my food proclivities under a white hot spotlight.

Like how I grew up in a very dull household in the middle of nowhere with health food hippie parents who couldn’t cook to save their lives. On the rare occasions we found ourselves at a restaurant, I would eat until I was sick because I knew I wasn’t going to have access to food I actually liked again for a long, long time. Three weeks to an eight-year-old is a long, long time.

Things like ketchup and cheddar cheese were very exotic to me back then so a burger at A&W was like a culinary roller coaster ride every time and don’t even get me started on those frosty root beer floats. Totally explains why my hunger signals are fucked up to this day and portions mean nothing to me.

Worse, my parents used food as a weapon and a tool to punish and shame their kids. Junk food was evil and only eaten by stupid, unhealthy people but it came out at our house at every major event as a treat or a reward. Chocolate Easter eggs, Christmas sugar cookies, birthday cake from the store–we were expected to thank them for these presents, then feel an appropriate amount of shame for enjoying them. Sick.

How I avoided lithium for 50 years, I’ll never know.


(Stickin' with mammoth) #9

When I hike with friends and they ask why I don’t carry a pack, I give my ass a juicy slap and say, “Got my lunch right here!”


(Sheree Grier) #10

Adrenaline is elevated while burning body fat, and adrenaline feels awesome! Especially if you’ve got chronically low energy levels, have blood-sugar issues, or are un-medicated ADHD. (All three here!) But everyone loves that boosted feeling; it’s part of the reason we love caffeine so much.


(Michelle Cantrell) #11

I think you need to find what foods you have an adverse reaction to and eliminate them or limit them. I do IF by mainly every other day and keto during feeding windows. When I eat something now that doesn’t agree with me I pretty much cut it out. I know what you mean. I look forward to fast days over days I eat. The mental clarity and energy is through the roof! I don’t need coffee to get me going. I drink coffee because I enjoy it now!


(Melora) #12

Ok guys, the two dudes inspired me and I’m going to try a 48 hour fast. So, today, I’m feasting. Lots of fat. Then tomorrow I’ll have my coffee and go from there. Any advice?


(Alec) #13

Why were they failures? What was your goal, how far did you get, and why did you stop?

Fasting can be hard for some people. 3 months in you should be pretty fat adapted, so calorie restriction should not be an issue. Do you have much bodyfat? There is a theoretical limit to the number of calories you can extract from a lb of bodyfat each day. The lower your bodyfat, the harder it is.

Bravo for having another go. But if you’ve struggled before, why not start with a simple 36hr fast rather than a 2 dayer?


(Melora) #14

That’s probably a good idea, two days may be a bit much. I have plenty of body fat! I’ve done all my research (thank you Jason Fung and two dudes), so hopefully I’m in a better head space this time. Wish me luck!


(Alec) #15

Wishing you all the luck you need.