First fast was 38 days... wonder how I will do this time ;)

(Mike Ratcliffe) #1

I have three 5-year-old boys and the other night the oldest of them put his hand on my stomach and asked “Daddy, when are you going to make your tummy small again? You need to because I don’t want you to die.”

Needless to say, I have decided to start my second extended fast… I am not setting a goal for how many days but prefer to just listen to my body.

I am currently on Day 4.

Last time I managed 38 days and to be completely honest I found it easy… probably due to my 300 lb (136 kg) body containing ample fuel.

I think I was disappointed at the end of the 38 day fast because I took a photo and looked exactly the same as my before photo despite losing over 50 lbs, which is why I ended it. I know, I am not easily pleased :wink:

The irony is that clothes that hadn’t fit me for years were fitting again, which is a much better indication of how things are going than a photo.

Anyhow, that fast ended 9 months ago and now I am back at 300 lb due to overeating protein. This time I plan on eating only Keto after the fast… I will practice by cooking some Keto food for my three 5-year-old boys and my wife when my energy levels go up.

I wish I still had all my measurements, videos and photos but somewhere along the lines they got deleted… I think I lost over 50 lbs.

With hindsight I could have eaten for a few weeks to get my nutrition levels back where it should be and fasted again but I didn’t.

Anyhow, by reporting how I am doing I will put myself under more pressure to keep going. Don’t get me wrong… I know to listen to my body and abort if I feel bad.

Anyhow, a quick question: I plan on taking multivitamins, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B (Thiamin)… what supplements do you tend to take when fasting and which brand? I ask because not all brands are equal. I live in the UK if that helps.

(Mike Ratcliffe) #2

Oh wow… had a dream last night that I was in an all-you-can-eat restaurant that had rows of steak and chicken and they smelled sooo good.

I was waiting for the waitress to come over so that I could get my food and waited for hours. In the end she came over, apologized and gave me a plate.

I grabbed a huge steak and sat at my table super excited to have such a tasty bit of food in my mouth.

I stuck my fork in the steak, cut a piece off and lifted it to my mouth…

… then my alarm clock went off!

I woke up cursing my body for being so mean to me but this isn’t my first rodeo so it also made me smile a little… at least I got to smell the gorgeous steak and chicken :wink:

Anyhow, day 6 and I am feeling fine… a few aches and pains as expected and a little difficulty concentrating but otherwise over the more difficult first few days.

Of course, for me day 6 is still very early in the fast but I am happy that I am starting to feel some of the positive effects already:

  • I am more flexible.
  • I have less back pain.
  • I feel mentally sharp even though my concentration is shot.
  • I feel a reasonably sharp increase in energy.

Anyhow, I just thought I would share my dream because I found it so funny.

(Mike Ratcliffe) #3

I took 1/4 tsp Potassium Citrate in water yesterday… is it normal that it tastes like fertilizer?

(Mary) #4

Tastes more like soap to me…
Well done! Keep going, you!

(Mike Ratcliffe) #5

Oh… my keto-aid solution is:

  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp magnesium citrate
  • 1 tsp potassium citrate

I use a concentrated squirty concentrate thing (I think that’s the technical term) to make it taste nice. Don’t worry, I know some sweeteners can cause sugar spikes but I have monitored my blood glucose after drinking it and it stays flat.

Plus I am taking:

  • multivitamins
  • Vitamin B6
(Beth) #6

Great job, Mike! I am behind you (Day 3) but I am going for a lengthy extended fast right now also. I’d love to check in and compare notes in this thread. I’m behind you in another way in that my last lengthy EF was 13 days, but the weight loss was steady and the autophagy effects were AMAZING!
I am really looking forward to seeing what happens in the next few weeks. Hoping for 30 days this time, but like you, I’ll listen to my body.

I’m trying to lose the last of my weight for our upcoming wedding, and it’s easier to fast because my fiancé is out of town for work.

Your dream cracked me up! Food on the subconscious brain… It’s only when I’m fasting that I realize how hard it is to avoid food recipes and ads on TV, Facebook, Instagram, etc.!

(Mike Ratcliffe) #7

@KCKeto It would be great to compare notes and congrats on your upcoming wedding… it kinda feels like there are foods adds everywhere doesn’t it?

Day 7 and I have developed a runny nose and sore throat overnight, which didn’t result in a great night’s sleep to be honest. I will keep an eye on it but I don’t feel that it is anything to worry about… in fact, I suspect that I would feel much worse if I had food in my stomach.

I also have an ache in my heart, which worries a lot of people but heart pain is very rarely anything to do with the heart. It isn’t a strong ache but I will also keep an eye on it. It is most likely caused by gas but there are some things that would cause me to end my fast immediately:

  • Flutters, like a butterfly in my chest.
  • Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, burning, tightness, or pain in the center of the chest.
  • Numbness, pinching, prickling, or other uncomfortable sensations in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Heat / flushing or a cold sweat.
  • Sudden heaviness, weakness, or aching in one or both arms.

Saying that, I am fairly certain it is gas.

(Alec) #8

Mike
Make sure you abide by your own rules and you don’t lie to yourself. Your fasting is an amazing feat, but don’t take unnecessary risks. Always go gently on yourself. Please take care.
Cheers
Alec

(Central Florida Bob ) #9

All of these are classic signs of heart issues. Flutters are signs of arrhythmias. Usually PVCs, which aren’t particularly dangerous, but could be others. There’s a big thread or two around here on atrial fibrillation, which is more dangerous.

A friend who had one used to say, “as serious as a heart attack” to describe any serious problem. It’s unfortunately true that sometimes the first symptoms aren’t enough to attract your attention.

(Beth) #10

How long have you had this ache?
I hope it is gas and passes quickly, but please don’t take chances if it doesn’t. How long since you’ve seen your doctor for a check-up?

As for me, I woke up feeling awesome. It’s my Day 4 and I remembered why I love Day 4: hunger pangs evaporate for me at this point, my energy surges and the mental clarity and sharpness really pick up. Plus the scale dropped again. I average about .5 to .7 pounds lost per day when I fast.
I am fasting ‘Fung style’ with 1/2 cup of bone broth diluted with water and a spoonful of coconut oil each day right now, plus magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and plenty of salt.
I will do water/salt only on weekends.

(Mike Ratcliffe) #11

Yup… my chest pain is just from my left lung so it is clearly mucus… I am a mucous machine at this stage.

(Mike Ratcliffe) #12

Yes… any of those symptoms would cause me to quickly end my fast but a little ache isn’t so serious.

Incidentally, the ache is now gone.

(Central Florida Bob ) #13

Excellent. Fast on, then.

I’m in the midst of an experiment with alternate day fasting myself, but that’s a topic for another place.

(Beth) #14

@CFLBob Have you posted on this elsewhere? I’d love to read it. Yay for experimentation! ADF and EF have given me the best results over the last ten months.

(Central Florida Bob ) #15

No, I haven’t, @KCKeto . Actually, it’s why I opened the Fasting group today. I just got distracted by this and other posts.

I’m not quite a week into it, so there’s not much to say, but tomorrow would be better than today to start.

(Beth) #16

I love the monthly IF/EF chats - maybe it’s appropriate there? I just posted my latest victory in the June IF/EF chat. Had a good month: down 15.2 lbs.

(Beth) #17

Glad you’re feeling better, sort of, lol!
I bet the fasting will help you recover from the respiratory problems much more quickly.

(Mike Ratcliffe) #18

Day 8

Yup, I am amazingly almost mucus free today, which is amazing considering how it was pouring out of me yesterday.

My shoulder joint was aching last night but aches like that are part and parcel of this stage of fasting for me.

I had a good night’s rest last night and woke up feeling fresh and alert, which is great.

On my previous fast it took a good couple of weeks to get over the aches and pains stage and feel a real increase of energy… much longer than most people.

Interestingly, I don’t remember having a healing crisis last time I fasted but I welcome it because it is all part of the process.

(Central Florida Bob ) #19

Aches and pains are part and parcel of this stage of life for me.

As for being a mucus factory, I have allergies, some days worse than others. I do it too. (My wife jokes that my nose supports a small industry).

(Beth) #20

So glad you’re feeling better!
My aches and pains have improved in general on keto but they improved the most with extended fasts. It really does wonders for inflammation. When I start eating again I can really notice which foods cause flare-ups. Like my beloved peanut butter… (cue the violin).