My First 48 - 60 hour Fast

(Todd Gamel) #1

I have been on a ketogenic diet since September 2016, and while I have done more than my share of IF (16:8 protocol). I have never really fasted more than 22 hours. So, I decided today that I would attempt to do my first 48 hour fast (water, only, and of course my multivitamins etc). I ended my eating window at 1400 today and am off work for the next two days (hence the 48 hour window). If I feel like it, I may stretch this fast until Wednesday July 4th at 0300 (for a total of about 61 hours) since that is when I have to get back up to get ready for my next rotation at the hospital. Not sure how I will fare, but wanted to give it a try just to see if I can do it.

The main thing that I want to track during this fast is my energy level during the fast and how my performance is affected, if at all. I just finished an hour of lifting weights after my rotation, and will put about 40 minutes on the bike tomorrow, and attempt to lift on Wednesday 4th before work.

I wanted to post this here for a couple reasons. 1) it gives me accountability, once I post it here I have openly committed to this endeavor, 2) any tips or advice for a person attempting to fast longer than 36 hours would be appreciated, and 3) because I know so many of you have done this before and having input from others about their experiences can only make my fast even more successful…I’ll keep you updated :slight_smile:

(Chris Robertson) #2

My big tip is to make sure your multivitamin is carb free. Most of them (here in the UK at least) contain sucrose and various starches as bulking agents and they often leave that information off the label. This means you have to look them up online. Taking one negates the benefits of the fast and it makes you hungry. For any fast lasting less than a couple days it is safe to only supplement salt, assuming you don’t have any other health issues, so I wouldn’t bother with vitamin. If you go longer than a couple days then you might need to supplement other things. I went for 7 days only supplementing with salt and felt good, however I weighed several pound more at the end of the fast than I did at the beginning. People on this forum advised that it was probably water weight from lack of electrolyte so I suspect I needed some potassium as well. If your last meal before your fast has lots of nutrient rich food like kale and broccoli then apple cider vinegar the 1st day of your fast will also help you absorb more vitamins from the food you ate the day before. It doesn’t make a huge difference but it is noticeable. If you get particularly hungry during your fast then some bone broth can help you feel better too. Technically bone broth breaks your fast but it’s effect is reasonably low and doesn’t ruin the fast altogether so if it means the difference between hitting your goal or eating then use it.

(Todd Gamel) #3

Finished my first 24 hours today and everything is going well. No hunger, cramping or any issues at all, which I am not surprised since I have been doing IF for some time now. So at 1400 hours my BS = 77, so I went and did 40 minutes on the bike and my BS = 80 after riding.

So far today I have had 2 cups black coffee, 40ounces of my own Frugalaide G2, and water. Nothing else except for my metformin 500mg, multivitamins and magnesium/calcium supplement that I take daily. It has now been 31 hours and my energy levels feel the same. Will lift weights again tomorrow and see if I fatigue any easier. The primary reason for doing all the exercise is that I want to eventually fast while working at the hospital and it get’s pretty hectic in the ICU. I figure if I can fast with all the exercise and still feel great, then fasting while working should not present any problems. I will check back tomorrow at the 48 hour mark.

(Todd Gamel) #4

It’s 0430 on a Wednesday morning (7/4/2018) and I am enjoying my coffee with heavy cream, man did I miss that during my fast. The total hours fasted was 62, and here are my daily numbers during my fast.

July 1, 2018 @ 1400, BP 139/86, HR 86, BS: 93
July 2, 2018 @ 1600, BP: 125/88, HR 85, BS: 77, Ketones: 2.0 mmol/L
July 3, 2018 @ 0600, BP: 133/89, HR 69, BS: 75, Ketones: 4.9 mmol/L
July 3, 2018 @ 1400, BP: 128/78, HR 68, BS: 57, Ketones: 5.1 mmol/L
July 4, 2018 @ 0430, BP: 127/86, HR 83, BS: 59, Ketones: 5.1 mmol/L

Total weight loss: 3 ¼ pounds (which I am sure will come back, but that’s not why I fasted)

I did not have my blood ketone monitor with me at work when I ended my eating window on July 1st, and started my extended fast so I do not know what my ketone level was, but generally I run about 0.3 – 0.5 mmol/L range. So during this fast I only drank black coffee in the morning with three drops of liquid sucralose, drank my own keto electrolyte replacement drink (Frugalaide F2) made with liquid sucralose during exercise, and drank powdered Kool-Aid drink mix made with liquid sucralose and the sucralose did not interfere with my ketone production as you can see. No broth, or fat or anything else.

While not scientific, for me, the numbers indicate that liquid sucralose dose not affect my blood sugars, or ketone production as you can see. I realize that many people do not like sucralose, but it works for me. I am sure that extended fasting will become a part of my regular eating regimen in the future. I was always afraid that I could not do it, but now I know that I can. Yesterday, I received Dr. Fung’s book ‘The Complete Guide To Fasting’ from Amazon. Time to get some reading done. Happy 4th everyone, and thanks for all the encouraging words.