Preparing for a 7 day fast

[crickette]

Go with God my friend. I will join you on Sunday but I will not put a limit on my extended fast as I have yet to go beyond 5 days. I started on Monday but had to abandon it due to family obligations. Day four is notoriously difficult for me which may be true for you too, since to decide to eat after day 3. Perhaps we can hold each others virtual hands on day 4. I’ll monitor the thread and check in.

[CrumbleUnderPressure]

Appreciate the helping hand! We can use this thread as accountability

[crickette]

Sure, I’m in Australia too, so it should work out just fine and dandy.

[margot17]

I did a 10 days fast pre-keto, and what I found was that all I really desired was not to eat something but to taste something, sometimes throughout the day. And so I would for ex. take a few frozen berries. Or I had like half an apricot in a whole day (as I said, that was immediately before I found out about keto, at the beginning of summer, so fruit was an ok food, I thought) and it wasn’t an effort at all not to eat it, in fact I really didn’t want the bulk to enter the stomach. It is the longest fast I ever had and I could have continued a lot longer.

[crickette]

but MENTALLY… get ready for a mind fuck my friend.

I concur, physically riding the waves of hunger is almost too easy. Personally, as I come to the last to days of a fast I start planning my meal to break my fast and it all goes downhill from there in terms of mental breakdown. This time I am going to prepare by organising my meal before I start the fast in the hope that that will help. I plan to report my n=1 with @CrumbleUnderPressure, hoping to compare, contrast and motivate.

[Paendora]

The other trick, is outside of this forum, or close friends and family that are onboard with the idea (if you have any); DON’T TALK ABOUT FASTING. I used to talk freely about it because it was kind of fun to shock people when you tell them you haven’t eaten in 5 days, but the reactions can plant doubt. It’s far easier to just not talk about it.

This is a great suggestion. Even those who support me tend to question when my fasts go beyond 24 hours.

And, here’s a very supportive thread for IFs and EFs August 2018 IF / EF Chat ALL WELCOME

Haven’t done a 7 day myself. My 5 day fasts have been phenomenal and feel another coming on sometime between now and end of month. TJ’s correct that after 3 days, it’s more of a mental game than a physical one as long as you have extra fat to be consumed by the body.

[Paendora]

as I come to the last to days of a fast I start planning my meal to break my fast and it all goes downhill from there

on the opposite end of that spectrum, I find myself looking through recipes and planning shopping lists during my fasts! (and then end up breaking the fast will the simplest of meals) I’d rather fast more and then cook amazing good tasting and rich meals than try to figure out what to eat twice a day every day.

[crickette]

Just made the dough for my final meal on Saturday and before our fast @CrumbleUnderPressure, I will be feasting on keto pizza (trying this recipe for the first time). I’ve decided I will be breaking the fast with duck liver and hearts coupled with a parmesan cheese on the side garnished with a few leafy greens.

My fast will be water, black coffee, green tea, and soda water for fluids. Each morning I will have a shot of my concoction: ACV (1tbsp) & Oregano Oil (3 drops). Additionally I will continue with pulling Coconut Oil (1 tsp) for my teeth but I will be spitting it the oil.

[crickette]

I find myself looking through recipes and planning shopping lists during my fasts!

I did that during my very first fast, it was tortuous, fortunately with each fast this diminishes.

I’d rather fast more and then cook amazing good tasting and rich meals than try to figure out what to eat twice a day every day.

Can’t agree more, IF and EF have been a godsend.

[CrumbleUnderPressure]

Yes, totally! I’ll be posting weight, ketone level and overall feeling reports at the end of everyday. Hope I can make it!

[Rajseth]

Sorry, I missed that you had done a 3-day. In that case, you’re correct. Physically a 7 day isn’t any harder than a 3 day (in my opinion), but MENTALLY… get ready for a mind fuck my friend.

+1 on this ^^

Physical hunger - meh
Habitual eating - meh
Brain wanting to do something different - whoa nelly. This is where the mindfuck truly comes in. Eating, snacking, etc give us a break from the rhythm of the day. Your brain will want that break. When you reach familiar things - fridge, pantry door, etc. the brain will draw you - Jedi like - to that and make you reach inside. Give it an alternate. Maybe take a leisurely break with a cup of tea/coffee. take your time with it. dont drink it in place - change your venue - drink it and do nothing else - make it a thing. pretend your coffee is a cigarette, so you have to go outside to drink it (I travel so Im in a hotel somewhere when this brain request arises - I take my cup and take the fire stairs down to get outside

As for fasting muscle - mos def a real thing. I went from continuous broth drinking, to drinking a gallon of salt/hot sauce spiked water, to my current state - where fasting or feasting - I do nothing different. (yeah yeah - except the eating food part), and I have done 5, 6, 7 & 8 day fasts
I just started a fast as of dinner last night. I was going to have breakfast today, but we went out to have buffalo wild wings, and I overindulged - so I launched the fast. It will be a 6 day. I am not planning on doing anything special. I do carry some salt crystals that I suck on when bored, and some psyllium husk to have an hour before I break my fast on Wednesday next since I will not be home. Thats it.
But then, I have fasted 86 of the last 223 days - fasting muscle is a fricking eight-pack now!

[crickette]

pretend your coffee is a cigarette

lol I will try this.

[Rajseth]

I used to smoke - quit in 1995 - about when we had to stop smoking at our desks…

[crickette]

But then, I have fasted 86 of the last 223 days - fasting muscle is a fricking eight-pack now!

Sheesh, that’s impressive!

I hadn’t been tracking how many days I have fasted, apparently I have fasted 25 of the last 75 days, which is a very visually satisfying 33.33%

[Baytowvin]

as long as you have extra fat to be consumed by the body.

I sure do. My body is perfect for EF… and for wearing a red suite in December.

[Baytowvin]

Even in a water fast, Jason Fung has mentioned it’s still okay to use lemons, limes, cucumbers, etc… to flavor water. You end up getting some flavor, but not the calories, so it doesn’t affect the fast.

[margot17]

that’s a great idea!

[Paendora]

My body is perfect for EF

Mine too, TJ, mine too. at least for a few more months ::;fingers crossed:::

[Brenda]

I love you man.

Perfect advice.

[kib]

Funny. Just as Baytowvin said, I ate dinner on Monday night. It’s now time to go to bed on Friday. I will eat dinner tomorrow night. The fast itself has been pretty easy, but when I thought about saying out loud to someone, “I haven’t eaten since Monday”, I kinda freaked myself out.

I don’t love keto-ade - that sweet/salty just doesn’t do it for me. My personal fasting godsend is Pacific organic mushroom broth. Mushrooms, water, salt and garlic, period. It’s got 5 calories per cup, so slightly more than 1 gram of protein (it says 2 but that’s not possible if it only has 5 calories), and no carbs or fat. I heat it up and dilute it with water and my “salt” which is a mix of salt, magnesium and potassium, giving me a good electrolyte hit with just about no diet impact. It also makes me feel like I’m “having dinner” - the combination of the salty umami flavor and warmth.

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