Found this thread a little late, but better late than never 
After attending Ketofest in July, & a solid year of keto (, I was doing fine (steady, but stalled; fell into a bit of a lazy keto mode), but then I got cocky. Friends’ birthdays in September led to a slippery slope into the holiday decadence of Oct/Nov/Dec (over which I gained back 25#…ugh!) After a final NY Eve fling, I got back on the horse Jan. 1st (so cliche I know).
Started my 6 day water fast, & after tracking my BG & ketones, I was reassured I hadn’t totally broken myself. Amazing how smart our bodies really are… Was back in ketosis (blood 1.3) by Day 3 pm & BG down to 71. By the time I completed my fast on Day 6, my blood ketones were 4.6, & my lowest BG was 59 (but totally asymptomatic, felt awesome). Had thought to go to Day 7, & could have easily, but social issues made it better to stop then. Also, it didn’t help that I was making beef bone broth…(mental note to self, better not to do that on extended fast next time).
This was the BEST fasting experience I’ve had thus far. It helps that I am off work this week (less stress, manage my schedule easily). I felt totally great the whole time. Felt like I could have done another week if I wanted to. No keto flu of any kind, no muscle cramps. I made some keto-aide but only drank about 1.5 liters of it during the week. I did take pink salt on my tongue 1-2x/day when I noticed starting to feel slightly wonky (for me, I will start to get a mild headache, feels like someone gently squeezing my temples when I get low on salt), a pinch of salt & it’s gone 20-30” later. I do tend to get cold hands while fasting, but used my wool wristers/mittens (shout out to all you fellow knitters out there 
).
When I did my 7 day fast last Jan, it felt like different in that I did have more cramps, coldness, insomnia, & was a little more “hyper” with my energy. This time it felt more moderated…minimal hunger, side effects, slept great, & while I still felt alert/strong/energetic I didn’t have that “overstimulated” feeling. Things were more even-keel but solid, which I appreciated. As a possible confounder, I have been doing some special meditation/visualization practice at the same time, which it’s possible this could have contributed to my experience in some way. Also last Jan was my 1st fast of any kind, so I was nervous & unsure what to expect, & used bone broth as a “aide”; & didn’t know about keto-aide. During multiple 2-3 day fasts over this past year, I had found that keto-aide can be a lifesaver, & I do better with water fasts, rather than supplemented fasts (I suspect it keeps the insulin response lower for me).
When I broke my fast, the pendulum swung a bit too far in the other direction (started with bacon & eggs, but I overdid the bacon…I know, I know, but it IS possible to do that…let’s just say it exceeded my protein macros significantly, but carb macros were still only 11 gm). Felt a bit yucky overnight, put back on 1# & (AM BG 98) but next day my body just naturally compensated for it, easily fasting until a Flying Star Cobb salad for dinner (great local Albuquerque restaurant). Today back on track, down another 1#, & feeling good. Still in ketosis. AM BG 84. Overall down 14# (so glad not to be carb swollen anymore!)
Next step is to figure where I go from here. I go back to work later this week, real life will set in again. I know that if I want to continue to make some steady progress, I really can’t go back to lazy keto. I’m sure there were times that while eating keto foods, I was still exceeding carbs/proteins for my particular needs, contributing to my stall (I have 150+ # to lose, & I’m a peri-menopausal gal). I’m sure I probably overdid it with the dairy, nuts, & artificial sweeteners. Big notice during this fast, that my portion sizes tend to bigger, goal to eat more nutritionally dense food & focus on “savoring” my food to feel satisfied without mindless overeating. After having this fresh start, I’m going to see how things go tracking/measuring intake for a while (My Fitness Pal) to keep my carbs <20 gm, & protein in the 65-80-ish range. Also track my BG/ketones a little more frequently to keep an indirect eye on my insulin response. Noticed that while exercise is not “required” to lose weight, a good walk or some strength training does beneficial things for my BG, so will plan to incorporate more of that.
I’m considering how to best incorporate more frequent IF or 3 days fasts in on a weekly/monthly basis. I suppose I will experiment a bit with the OMAD, every other day fast, or weekend fasting. Not sure if it’s better to incorporate my fasting during my 4 work days (keeping busy, but higher stress, & more pressure for social eating) vs. 3 day weekends (have to keep myself busy, less stress, but different social eating pressures when going out with friends); or maybe some hybrid of the two(?).
Anyway, thanks for letting me debrief my fasting experience & future musings…open to your thoughts & feedback. As Megan Ramos says…Happy Fasting!
