I'm Back and It's Bad

#1

Well I was on the Forum in March with a resolve to start fasting.
Didn’t work out and now it’s bad.

Just went to the Dr and had a bunch of tests. My A1C is in the words of Kaiser “out of control” at 10 solid bad Diabetes and one of my tests show mild kidney damage. I’ve got edema or in the old days gout in my legs and one or two symptoms I don’t feel like mentioning.

Now it’s not just a matter of feeling my Mortality. I’m going to have to change or I’ll be dead or worse in less than 10 years. That’s a fact.

I’m on 48 hours of a extended fast and going to extended fast until I’m down to 220LBS since I’m 275Lb and 5’9 that’s going to be awhile. I’m truly frightened.

I have an appointment on Monday and I’m trying to figure out if I tell my Doc the truth about my Fasting plans, or just play along with her suggestions get drugs and don’t take them and then after I’ve fasted a month and can show results discuss it with her. It’s Kaiser and I don’t like my Dr. so it’s difficult.

I welcome comments and advice. I’ve been pretty down since hearing the news two days ago. The only high point is that I’ve accomplished my first 48 hours of fasting. Usually I give in the first night.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #2

Sorry about your news. I understand feeling your mortality, it’s scary. Do you think fasting off 55 lbs without a break is the best way to get results, or better yet, can you do it? It reads like you’re punishing yourself, sort of. Not that I think fasting is a punishment, I don’t, but it seems like it’s a tough thing for you.

Do you think your doc would be supportive, even agree to monitor you through the process? Might be nice to have that support?

(Jane) #3

I’ve never seen a post where someone says “I am fasting until I reach xxx lbs” and succeeds.

It is desperation and wanting instant results and it is setting yourself up for failure because life always throws you a curve ball. You can’t fast in a vacuum and expect the whole world to be put on hold while you get healthy again.

You have ten years??? Great. Not ten months. So you have time to make sensible changes to YOUR LIFESTYLE and make them permanent. Your body WILL.NOT heal overnight. But with keto it will gradually heal if you give it time.

Make keto your eating regime for life and you will not regret it. Fasting is a great tool. Use it as it fits your lifestyle.

Best warm wishes.

#4

The Idea is not punishment. It’s simply to stop the decline as quickly as possible without drugs.

10 years to die, but how many years before I’ve done permanent damage to my body that can’t be reversed. It’s much less. I’ll ask my Dr on Monday.

Wouldn’t want to bring up the subject of fasting with her until I’ve done it for a month and can show results.

#5

From my previous experience Fasting is easier than following Keto. Eventually the goal will be to go on Keto.

I’ve seen a number of posts from people who have made a goal and done it. I agree that your skepticism is warranted.

Let’s revisit in a month.

(Jane) #6

If you say so. I’ve been here over a year and don’t recall that. They just post and disappear.

If you find fasting easier than keto then you haven’t changed your eating habits or overcome your cravings, which you will get with keto. You are looking for the easy way out. There IS no easy way out.

And if you disappear like all the others who claimed to fast until xxx lbs lost because you caved in and failed you only have yourself to disappoint.

I will still be here if you want advice and support to make keto your lifestyle.

#7

I have incredible motivation.

I never met my Grandfather on my Father’s side. He died of Diabetes

and my Grandfather on my Mothers side lived to his late 70s was on kidney dialysis and chose not to continue the dialysis because my grandmother died and he stopped his dialysis.

Really he died of a broken heart.

(Jane) #8

I understand all that. But these facts were known for years and never motivated you before.

I know this sounds harsh… but there really is no emergency that you have to fast for a month. You just have to change your eating habits for good. Lots more scary than not eating and honestly - harder. Not eating means you don’t have to make decisions or shop differently.

But you will after the month is over.

(Carl Keller) #9

It seems to me that you are going about this backwards. Fasting will be much easier if you do so after you are fat-adapted. Use your incredible motivation to change your eating behavior first. That’s what got you in the state you are in.

Not eating is an extreme solution that puts your metabolism at risk for long term damage. Eating keto will correct hormonal problems, form new good habits, promote healing and not compromise your metabolism when it becomes ready for extended fasting. IMHO, if you want to better your health you should start on the foundation first and work your way up. If engineers went about constructing buildings like this, it would not be surprising if their efforts came crashing down.

(Thurston ) #10

@fatguy

I started at 275 now about 218 but was down to a low of 211.

I did it very simply. Walk, walk walk and walk some more. Did Keto with mild calorie restriction (cue the hate) but it worked for me.

I read Dr Bernstein’s books on diabetes which were my biggest help.

I don’t take insulin and my A1C was nowhere near yours but I got that under control. Fasting doesn’t work for me, I can’t control myself after. It was much easier to eat but just eat less.

Fortunately for me at the time my health care provider had a program to help lose weight. I saw a doc who was strictly for weight loss, was cool with Keto as it worked so well for me. Maybe you’d be lucky enough to have a program like that available. It was motivating knowing there’d be a weigh in every month.

The most motivating thing for me was my feet and eyesight, I like them and want to keep them.

You can do this, you really can!

Good luck!

#11

@ Fatguy

I think fasting is wonderful and amazing, an incredible tool for health. But it’s not a long-term solution, so I would use this wonderful new motivation to establish a way of eating that will really work for you. Once that’s established, by all means you can use fasting (alternate-day fasting, or even something like 5:2, both of which will give you terrific results). Many people even kick-start things with a fast, but then they transition into keto.

But in any case, if you do go for a long fast right out of the gate, please come back and keep posting.

One thing that really jumped out to me: I realize that you’re fat now but if you don’t want that to be your identity, I would use a different name. It doesn’t have to be “skinny guy” but it could just be something else that you really do identify with, a name that transcends your current state, that reflects something you’re interested in or proud of, a name that will stay with you as you get leaner and more healthy.

Good luck to you!

(Scott) #12

You can’t change your health in one day. I am not saying you don’t need to get to work immediately, you do! Switch to a ridgid keto way of eating as a means to lower your A1C. Try to add some mild exercise like a daily walk. Then as you settle in to fat adaption start reducing your feeding window. After that move into IF and EF. By this time you should be seeing results on lowering your A1c. Good luck on your new journey.

#13

@fatguy, check out this lovely thread of someone’s results in four months of keto.

(Mel Simpson) #14

I sent you a PM

(Karim Wassef) #15

your body is not a dumb machine. Fasting is very healthy, but you need to train your body to fast.

The body reacts negatively to extreme sustained shock.

The best path is to go very gradually. Here’s what worked for me:

first week keto,
second week keto+IMF,
third week keto+OMAD,
fourth week keto+OMAD+skip Friday,
fifth week keto+OMAD+skip Thur&Friday,
sixth week keto+OMAD+skip Wed-Friday,
seventh week keto+OMAD+skip weekdays …

once you can really get there, then consider sustained extended fasting

this gave my body time to adjust and reduced hunger cravings.

#16

I agree with you for 72 hours if fat adapted. Any longer and eating keto is easier than fasting for me. Eat one big ass keto meal a day, you will lose a ton of weight.

(MelissaH) #17

I sent you a PM as well Mel. He may not have seen your message since the notifications aren’t working right now.

#18

Love the name lmao. I think starting off with a fast is fine. I only managed to go 2 days before starting keto and I’ve went 2 weeks after and could have went longer but I don’t think you need to go that long and I probably won’t do it again. For me when I fast now if I fast 2-3 days I will eat for 1 day. 4-7 days I will eat for 2-3. Everyone is different you need to find out what works for you. But it does take some time. Be patient and stick to it. It does work

(Alec) #19

I have a strong recommendation. Don’t do a long term extended fast until you are fat adapted. Why? Because there are limits to how much body fat your body can metabolise, and it is generally below your normal calorie requirement until you are very fat adapted. Richard has talked about this and worked through some data on the fat metabolism limits. It is new science, and there is no data for fat adapted folks, but this is worth thinking about in your situation.

If you go on a long term extended fast without being very fat adapted you will harm your metabolism ie your body will learn to live off a much lower level of calorie usage as it will use only what it has available from body fat.

My other strong recommendation is to fast, but do alternate day fasting, and on the feed days, eat keto. I think this will be as effective (if not more) than a pure extended fast. Use your motivation to do ADF for a long period of time. I think you would succeed if you did this.

Bets of luck.

(Little Miss Scare-All) #20

Hugggggs. I’m sorry. Facing mortality is something I contemplate a lot. As best as you can, try not to stress because that’s poisonous to your body. Find your zen and there’s a lot of good people on here that will be encouraging to you.