Feeling crappy after 3 day fasts

(Andrew S35) #1

Hi guys.
I’ve just finished my second 3 day fast which I finished with a handful of macadamia nuts then around an hour later a nice meal.

Around about 3 or 4 hours later I feel crappy, crappy like I’m running a bit of a temperature, feeling slight feverish, both times I’ve done an EF I’ve felt this way.

Now I’m assuming it’s my body reacting to the sudden influx of food and raising my metabolic rate.

Anyone know if this is the case or feel the same way as I’ve done? If you do is there a way to stop it? Maybe introduce calories slower.

Any help appreciated

(Alec) #2

Andrew
Next time you might try something different from nuts to start your refeed. Megan Ramos has corrected an issue in Dr Fungs book that nuts are not recommended to end a fast. In the book they were in the recommended list, and she has explained this was an editing error.

Does the same happen after a 2 or 1 day fast?

Fortunately, I have never had this issue after my EFs. Hope you find a solution! But be careful, if you are not feeling well, it sounds to me like the edge of refeeding syndrome which can be dangerous. You do need to find a solution.
Cheers
A

(Alec) #3

Also, I am assuming you’ve kept your electrolytes up during your fast?

(Andrew S35) #4

Thanks for that.

Yes I keep my electrolytes up.

I was regularly doing 18/6 and started throwing some 48 hours in with no issues.

It’s only since I upped it to 72 hours that the issue has started. I feel great while fasting.

(Alec) #5

It sounds to me like you’ve done this very sensibly, and you are also listening to your body really well to feel you are a bit off after refeeding. So kudos! You are doing great.

I think this could be just some teething problems. Try something different for the refeed and see if that sorts the problem. Best of luck!

(JM) #6

Could you suggest some alternative items to break a fast with?

(Alec) #7

How long a fast are you breaking? When I break my fast (usually 36hrs) I eat a hearty bacon and eggs and butter. Never had a problem. But if you are breaking a longer fast you may need to be careful.

(JM) #8

This will be a 3 or 4 day fast.

(Alec) #9

Ok. I would recommend no eggs, then. Small salad, few slices of meat, just keep it small and wait for an hour before having something more substantial.

You should be ok with almost anything, but some people do react badly to some foods. Just eat small to start.

(JM) #10

Appreciate the advice :slight_smile:

#11

Last Friday, I finished an 4 1/2 day fast. And while this didn’t happen during my first 5 day fast last year, this time, I noticed feeling a slight fever when I was sitting still during this one. It lasted for a few days. My electrolytes were good, water intake, etc…all good. I’m one of those people that looks at fevers as a good thing, in the sense that the good guys are fighting the bad guys inside of us. Thus, I was okay with it, just didn’t understand why it was present.

As for breaking the fast, I started with an unsweetened iced tea, small green salad, steak, steamed broccoli, and a side of butter to dip the steak and veg in. Ate all the butter, but had to bring home the rest of the steak and veg. I felt fantastic afterwards. No stomach upset at all.

I think maybe the nuts may wreak a bit of havoc on an empty stomach. If I eat too many, it does cause me some digestive upset. So, ending a fast with some sort of fatty meat/butter combo might help you sort things out and feel better.