My 3-day water fast learnings and questions

#1

Hi guys!

I would like to share my experience after doing a 3-day water fasting, you may help me understand some strange observations during the fast.

Context: I follow keto diet, I think that I am moderately keto adapted, since my breathalyzer reports were providing:

  • Keychain: 0.05-.0.09 BAC
  • AT6000: 0.14 BAC
    Furthermore, I follow 24-h intermittent fasting, so I have one meal a day around 17:00.

My 3-day water fasting:

  • I did not experience hunger, similar to my regular 24-h IF.
  • I exercised during the fast and it was somehow ok. First day, I did my regular intensive 2-hour workout and second day an 1:15h workout with lower intensity. The running (around 1h) for the second workout was actually hard, I was feeling tired and kind of floating. The third day was my regular recovery day and did nothing basically.
  • I drank herbal tea (around 4 cups a day) and salty water, nothing more.
  • My blood pressure was kind of unstable during 2nd and 3rd day. Higher than usual and not well compensated, this was mainly during the evening measurements, in the morning was somehow as usual.
    Any explanation? I was expecting lower blood pressure, but it was the opposite.
  • Acetone measured with cheap breathalyzers was lower and lower than the typical readings,
    Keychain reporting around: 0.03-0.04 BAC
    AT6000 reporting around: 0.11 BAC
    How could this be? I was expecting higher acetone levels during a more prolonged fasting. Any hints? probably the available acetone was lower because being used?
  • Urine strips: no trace. This is my typical case, since I got keto adapted. So, nothing new.

So, it would be great if you can comment and provide some justification for the two strange observations (blood pressure and acetone measurements) reported above. If you want more details regarding the fast, please ask :slight_smile:

Cheers!

(Rob) #2

All looks good. My thoughts would be:

Breath ketones should be disappearing as you get more efficient at using them so that’s good?

BP is a weird and unpredictable thing and fasting is a bodily stresser to begin with so not surprised it went up a bit after a day of activity but no exogenous nutrition?

#3

Congratulations on three days of fasting!

(Jeanne Wagner) #4

I know this was over 1/2 yr ago, but my first thought was were you ingesting plenty of electrolytes? That could account for the lightheadedness and disrupted blood pressure. I saw ‘salty water’ but maybe you needed more salt and/or some magnesium too? However, the ketones not rising surprised me. I wish I had some knowledge there.