First 36 hr fast

(Mark Cowan) #1

I have been intermittent fastin 1 meal every 24 hrs and it feels good for the most part, although I get pretty hardy huger signals leading up to meal time. I did a 36 hr fast and although I was not hungry and felt great, I was compelled to eat! I wanted that food! That simple 36 hr fast broke my weight loss stall and I dropped from 219 to 215. Anyway, how do yall deal with the emotional, habit, compulsion to eat on a fast?

#2

If you are using IF for weight loss (vs autophagy) - along with lots of fluids; electrolyte supp (usually just salt) and bone broth, if I’m still feeling some longing - what I do is have a spoonful of fat (e.g. coconut oil or butter). A small amount gets me over it; gives me some satisfying mouth feel; and reduces the cravings. I am similar to you in that my 24h mark is toughest (and have been doing IF/EF for awhile now) so I give myself a bit of crutch/break to bump over to 24+ fast. Overall because fat is insulin neutral, it doesn’t cause any spikes and for me the scale/NSV still to where I want :blush:.

(Mark Cowan) #3

Yeah, I tried fat coffee (i refuse to call it BPC :joy::joy:) for months, I put 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1-2 tablespoon of mct oils, 2 tablespoons of kerrigold butter, cafe buste espresso coffe, a little sugar free flavoring and a little cacao powder. That helps me stay satiated but I felt like it made my hunger signals for lunch stronger. 24 hrs fast was easier, I have been eating 2 meals a day lately, weight loss slowed, but that is okay, my stress has sky rocketed in that same time frame.

(Robert C) #4

Maybe try an experiment. Skip the flavoring and cacao. It might be playing with signaling - sending your body the message “there is great food around - go get it” (which extra fat alone might not do).

(Mark Cowan) #5

I am fine just eating 1 meal a day, I know I just need to buckle down and do a 48hr fast. I think once I do it once, Ill be able to do it just like the once a day. At first I “needed” to eat 3 times, then 2 times. My brain starts getting nervous I think that it needs to realize its ok, there is food coming. I want the weight loss and autophagy benefits that come with longer fasting. I just can’t visualize not eating for 3, 4, or 5 days. But I know the benefits will be amazing.

#6

I just did my first 36 hour fast, from Friday evening until Sunday morning. I’ve done many 24-hour fasts in the past and I was curious. I also felt like I was ready, since I’ve been doing low carb for 2 months and keto for almost 1 month.

It was much better and easier than I expected. I only got hungry once for about 2 hours.

The funny thing was that RIGHT at 36 hours, euphoria kicked in. It was so cool, but it was time to stop. I waited another hour to enjoy the “sparkly” feeling, and then I ate. I broke the fast with an avocado.

Things I want to do differently next time:

  • spend more time outdoors
  • avoid computer and phone screens before bed because I found it harder to sleep than usual
  • instead of going to the gym, I wish I would have put that energy toward cleaning my house. I was somehow more aware of dirt and grime than I usually am.
  • add more salt. I had 2 grams, but when I broke the fast, I was craving it, dumping it on everything… And then I became very puffy from the rebound, I guess! Frustrating experience after the light, lovely feeling of fasting.