First extended fast- hella confused

#9

Welcome to fasting land!

Are you supplementing with salt? If you are shaky, take salt. That may even you out.

(William Shafer III) #10

Good luck with your fast! I’m current on day 5 or a five day fat fast. I cut my calories by 1/2 from 1900 to 1000 and have been eating 90% fat (1-2 carbs, a few grams protein). Like you I seemed to hit a plateau and was not happy about it. I had lost 33 lbs but still had 50 lbs to go. :frowning: I have to admit it’s been a little tough, I work 15 hour days 3 days a week and the second job is delivering pizza! But this is the last day and I’ve lost about 7 lbs in 5 days. The fat fast does work, but be aware the longer you go the more likely you are to lose muscle mass. From what I’ve read 3-5 days is the best, but studies have taken people all the way to 10 days with little more than 1/2 a lb muscle loss.
If you haven’t already been doing it intermittent fasting works pretty good to. After this fast I’ll be going down to only eating in a 4 hour window with 20 hours fasting, normal calories. Again best of luck, stick with it!

#11

Yes, supplementing with salt. 5g a day, right?
I also take magnesium, but am wary of taking potassium… again, as an RN I worry about the impact it could have on my heart in case I mismeasure!

#12

Thanks for the encouragement, and great job on your extended fast!
Based on what I had heard from Jason Fung I had understood you wouldn’t get much muscle loss at all- I’m not sure what is true about it! I’ve tried to keep doing my light circuit workouts (21 day fix) to maximize my metabolism… this is really an experiment of sorts!
I’m at hour 38 or so and am definitely experiencing hunger pangs- wanting to eat. Determined to power through since I’ve heard that this is the toughest point and if I break through this I’ll really feel the benefits!
Thanks again for your response!

(Becky Bataller Naughton) #13

Congrats on getting into the Keto lifestyle! As a fellow RN for 16 years and APRN for 2 years, I can certainly relate to where you’re coming from. I’m 5’5" and about 140lbs… I started keto about a year ago for general health and I wanted to do longer races (I like to do OCRs) without worrying about having to take sugar shots every few hours. I love how I feel on keto and this has been a great community. I actually started paleo 2 years ago (my weight had crept up to 154) and lost about 10 lbs with this. But on keto, I have noticed more body composition changes, more strength, more energy and overall well being. So even if my scale weight hasn’t changed, I don’t think it needs to. Be careful about jumping into fasting too fast… this may actually put more stress on your adrenals. Look into other factors in your life that might be causing stress (work, sleep, family stuff) as this can contribute to weight loss resistance/gain. It’s not all just diet. If you haven’t already, look into strength training… this has been huge for me with the body composition piece. If you do want to try fasting, listen to your body. Try skipping breakfast first before heading straight into a mulit-day fast. And, as others have mentioned, make sure you are top of your electrolytes (particularly sodium). Another wonderful podcast to check out is Shawn Myner’s “Keto for Women” show: http://www.shawnmynar.com/ketoforwomen/

#14

Take salt as you need it. People vary in that. And be good to yourself. If you don’t feel good, there is no shame in stopping. I did a first 7 day fast about 9 months ago. I wish I had done some shorter fasts before, just to get my sea legs. Anyways, I made it through, learned some lessons, and am currently 45 hours into a current fast.

Here is the account of my 7 day fast:

(Lonnie Hedley) #15

When I do extended fasts, I need to remove caffeine or it makes me shaky. N=1, this is different for everyone. You could try skipping it on day 3.

(Jeannie Oliver) #16

I believe there is ample research and evidence that fasting DOES NOT cause muscle loss in healthy individuals. In short, fasting stimulates Human Growth Hormone, which builds muscle. The Web abounds with blogs from body builders who use fasting combined with weight lifting to maximize their results. Here are a couple of links that may explain better than I can.
Thomas DeLauer

and

https://youtu.be/v9Aw0P7GjHE (Dr. Jason Fung)

I also began eating ketogenic (in other words, low carb high fat) combined with intermittent fasting in January. I gradually increased my daily fast to 18, occasionally 20, hours. I also completed a 36 hour fast before embarking on my first 5 day fast–presently in the middle of day 3. I recently learned from Dr. Fung’s blog (at IDMprogram.com) that the anti-aging benefits of fasting really kick in after 3 to 5 days.

All my adult life I have eaten what I thought was a healthful diet–in fact I was a vegetarian for seven years. I am 68 years old, and was diagnosed with fatty liver about 10 years ago. I see too many of my former classmates suffering from very expensive and debilitating disease shortly after retirement, and I am determined to buck that trend.

#17

So, sadly to update you all: I broke my fast at hour 43. I hit this insane wall, felt lots of nausea.
I feel kind of down, I had hoped to pass this point which I know is the hardest, but instead I’m trying to chalk it up to progress and build on it in future.
Thank you all for your input and advice!

#18

Thanks so much, it’s so nice to have your input!
What type of strength training do you do? I am trying to get myself in a routine by doing the 21 day fix. I’ve been much more active in the past but am trying to start small and work my way up!

(Becky Bataller Naughton) #19

So I’ve been focusing on compound exercises… more bang for the buck that way. Things like squats, push ups, pulls ups (I use a band to help with this), inclined rows, bench press, overhead press and deadlifts. A great free app you can use to get started is 5X5. I am lucky enough to have a barbell with some weights and a bench at home, so it’s pretty convenient. If you don’t have this set up, and don’t want to go to the gym, start with 5 sets of push-ups, squats, lunges, and sit-ups using just body weight. Do 10ish reps (maybe more for the sit-ups), 3 times a week, and it’s a great way to start. I also love vinyasa yoga… it’s completely my “me time”. That and walking my dog on the trails behind my house :smile:

(bulkbiker) #20

You should be fine … as many of us say listen to your body… if you feel “off” or ill then eat something. If not you should be fine. My longest has been 7 days with cream in my coffee and no solids. Haven;t done one for a while although intermittent fast every day.
Remember you have the rest of your life to extend your fasts so don’t get too worried about your first long one.

#21

Yup, if you do it over time, chances are it will get better!

AR

(Jeannie Oliver) #22

Ugh. I also ended my fast today at 3 p.m.–27 hours short of my goal. After a good sound sleep I awoke today feeling weak and wobbly. I had my usual morning tea with cream, ate a bit of salt, took magnesium and potassium supplements, and drank a lot of lemon water, but none of that seemed to help. I will continue my routine of IF (16 to 20 hours) daily, with possibly a weekly 36 hour fast, and try a longer fast again in a month or so.

#23

Thanks, I’ll see if I can try that for next time.

The past two days I have just felt like garbage. Has anyone experienced this following an extended fast? Super low energy, feel exhausted. I’ve been monitoring water and electrolyte intake, cant figure out why I feel so poorly?

(Stephanie Sablich) #24

I’m impressed with your ability to reframe this whole experience into progress and a learning experience. It is so hard to do! I always remind myself that I’m combatting literally hundreds of months of unhealthy eating patterns, in addition to the physical and psychological aspects of bodies. Be kind to yourself :slight_smile: This is an AWESOME start.

(Mike Glasbrener) #25

Congrats on joining keto and feeling better, You’ve been doing keto for about 6 weeks or so right? You’re probably not fully fat adapted yet. Depending on how “carby” you were before keto will affect how long it’ll take to get “fully fat adapted”. Many people experience rapid weight loss if their diet was particularly bad. This is inflammation “water weight” loss. Then they’ll experience PISS, post induction stall syndrome. You’re fueling your body primarily with fat and the glycogen stores in your body are low. However, your body is still building a fat metabolism engine. The result is weight loss stalls. However, there are very real changes that still occur at this time that are markers of metabolic improvement. Hunger between meals should become less. The ability to occasionally/always skip breakfast will become easier, etc… Jumping into a 4 day fast seems aggressive like you’re trying to force immediate results. Keto is a lifestyle not a quick fix. Since it sounds like you don’t have any severe health defects I would take it slow and give your body time to adapt to the changes. Fasting will become easier over time. WRT feeling drained I would add salt, potassium:and continue to eat healthy fats if you’re feeling hungry. Don’t restrict food.

#26

Hey Mike, this was a really helpful post. I think I had just assumed I was fat adapted, since I have enjoyed the added energy and reduced cravings, but I can actually see what you’re talking about. It will take me time to become more efficient at burning fat for energy and for my body to adjust. The past few days I’ve noticed I’m fitting my jeans much better, and I’ve taken a break from weighing myself obsessively to just figure it out based on how my body feels and adapts.
Thanks again for your response!

#27

Thanks so much! I really enjoy how keto takes a lot of the preoccupation out of food- it limits all the decision making I have to do so I can just listen to my body and eat when hungry. What a welcome change!

#28

I want to try an extended fast too. I have been eating Keto since January 3, 2018. I’ve lost 17 pounds and feel amazing. I have done some IF days of up to 23hours successfully, and think I’d like to try an extended fast. I am not sure whether I have reached fat-adapted as yet, but think the mental part of fasting will be tougher than any sense of hunger (I often am not really hungry when it is mealtime but eat anyway–its a mental hurdle I’m still trying to get over). So, I decided to begin today. I’ve read the thread and will go wherever my body takes me. (I last ate on 3/3/18 at 6pm).