Really considering doing a fast

#1

I’ve heard over and over that fasting is supposed to be good. I was hoping someone could give me a quick summary of the reasons it’s so good.
The problem is I don’t do well when I don’t eat, well actually the people around me don’t do well. I’m the reason for the word hangry. :angry: But I’m willing to give it a try anyway.
The reason I’m thinking of trying it is to get my metabolism going a little faster. I’ve been keto for 9 months and I have been doing IF for a long time now, probably a year, and never realized that it could slow metabolism. But lately it’s extremely difficult to lose fat and so so so so so so so easy for me to gain it. So I’m thinking that a short fast might help jump start metabolism. This last week or two I’ve been eating more and switching up the times of day that I eat. I was thinking I would keep eating more for about a month so my body can stop thinking I’m starving and then go on a 2 or 3 day fast. What do you think?
Oh and I don’t have any medical issues, I’m not overweight, and I’m physically active. I do keto because practically all of my relatives have T2D and are obese, and three close family members have Alzheimer’s. It’s scary

(Mark) #2

I would go read up on autophagy or watch some videos or do some searching on here,the benefits are very good ,but I think the debate is still open on best length of fast,I like 4 to 5 day fasts,not sure I want to do a thirty day fast,I’ve seen some people go through those and gain all the weight back,but to each his own

(Douglas James Meyer) #3

I’m not sure I would do more than a 72 hour fast. I have been researching this and it appears that 24-72 is a safe and healthy fast.

(Dan Dan) #4

Before you do a Extended fast you need to solve your problem

At 9mos IF/Keto you should be fat adapted but appear not to be :thinking:

Please give an example of a days typical meals and snacks and time so we can help :smile:

(Karen) #5

@Dan_Dan you are right to question. I had not heard that IF would slow you down, and the “hungry” made me think hmmm not fat adapted. I too have been wondering if I am not fat adapted.
Hungry
Slow to lose
Low energy

I think it takes some a very long time to be fat adapted. In ketosis yes, but Plag,maybe not fat adapted.

#6

I think that the hungriness stems from psychological issues that I have with food, being that if it’s been 19 hours since a meal and I’m getting hungry, everyone better get out of the way so i can cook me some steak. It’s mental, well maybe I’m mental :grin:
Typically I would eat around 3 or 4 pm (maybe steak, or eggs with ham and cheese, or hamburger with onions and sour cream and tallow or lard, I always cook in butter or a tallow/lard combo) and maybe snack on some nuts and berries with cream or cashews and sunflower seeds with dark chocolate around 7 or 8 pm. Some days I’m less hungry and don’t eat much, it depends if I worked out and how hard.
I do think I’m fat adapted but I know that I have to eat carbs or I don’t feel that great. I will get vibrations, especially upon waking but also throughout the day (as if someone was shaking the bed but its not shaking at all) and I won’t be able to sleep well without carbs. I know I can maintain ketosis with upwards of 50 grams carbs per day, especially if they are spread out.
I don’t IF every single day but I have the for the majority.
People have mentioned that long term IF will make your body slow down because it’s getting less food long term. To accommodate for less energy, it will slow down metabolism - especially if you exercise often. I’ve heard it happen to weight lifters frequently, where they try to cut for a long time, but inevitably hit a plateau. So they have to literally reverse diet to get metabolism sped up again.

#7

change your nuts, eliminate the sunflower seeds and get something with better fat in it like walnuts and lower carbs like pecans, I mix the 2 and can easily fill up on 1/2 a cup. I would also cut out that dark chocolate, it’s a bunch of carbs and sugar. try eliminating all sugar.

#8

I thought ketosis means we are fat adapted? are we no longer in ketosis when we are fat adapted?

#9

I’m talking about baking chocolate, 100% cocoa. I eat other nuts as well, like almonds and pecans and walnuts, but I need carbs so I opt for “carbier” nuts most of the time.

#10

then what foods are you eating that you think are causing you to be hungry and not satisfied?

#11

Being in ketosis does not at all mean we are fat adapted. Babies go into ketosis after not eating for a few hours, even children do. They are not “fat adapted.”
If a carb burner doesn’t eat for 24 hours, they may start producing ketones and burning some fat for energy, they are in ketosis but they are not fat adapted.
Being fat adapted means that your body is good at burning ketones and does not produce excess ketones or waste them, at least not as much.

#12

thanks!

what would be the point of fasting if you aren’t fat adapted? because we need to experience autophagy, self canibalism, to use that fat during a fast for energy. I think the fast would just be unnecessary suffering.

#13

It’s not the food that’s causing the hunger. It’s the lack of food that causes me mental hunger.
Mental hunger is the background noise in my brain that no one but me can hear, it goes like this:
Hmmm, when did I eat last? I haven’t eaten for, let’s see, 18 hours, oh man, I better eat something. If I don’t eat I’m gonna start feeling sick. But, wait, I’m feeling great, and I’m not like starving here, so why should I eat? No no no, I need to eat, its been too long.
So I think that if I EF I might just go a little crazy. :upside_down_face:
Oh and this way of thinking comes from years of being brain washed into believing that we need to eat 6 meals a day to stay slim and healthy and keep our blood sugar stable. Thank you high school and college nutrition classes.

#14

keto hasn’t helped you mentally? It’s been so beneficial for my mean and cranky husband.

#15

It has helped me mentally, you should have seen me before! Haha

(Dan Dan) #16

I believe your not eating enough and are in starvation mode :thinking:

(Tracy) #17

I can really identify with that need to eat. I often eat when I’m not truly hungry because it feels very uncomfortable to not fill my face when I could eat. The problem is that when I feel I could eat, I really don’t need to, and that goes a long way toward explaining a very long stall. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

#18

I concur, which is why I’m eating more now, it’s kinda hard sometimes. And I’m looking for othet ways to get metabolism sped up again. So… does fasting speed metabolism up?

(Dan Dan) #19

Yes I think it would.

My own n =1 experiment with IF(OMAD 2500 kcals 4%C / 24%P / 72%F) EF(48 hrs once or twice a week) I have done really well But I have a lot of body fat for my body to use when IF/EF.

You on the other hand don’t have body fat as back up.

I think if you alternate day IF(OMAD 1500 Kcals )/Keto (1500 Kcals) and only EF(48 hours) if you gain more than 2 lbs

Example: (20g C / 82g P / 122g F Macros 5 / 22 / 73)

Mon/Wed/Fri IF(OMAD 1500 Kcals )

Tues/Thurs/Sat Keto (1500 Kcals)

Sun only EF(48 hours) if you gain more than 2 lbs other wise Keto (1500 Kcals)

You can EF(48 hours) any day you gain more than 2 lbs for example if you find out thurs you gained more than 2 lbs susitute that day for EF(48 hours).

You can also EF(48 hours) just for the health benefits even if you don’t gain weight.

#20

So by switching it up between one meal a day (I assume that’s what OMAD is) and regular keto days my body will not get used to a pattern, thus keeping it from slowing metabolism. I like that you gave me macros, I’m so horrible with details like that. Thanks
Oh and what I mean by not being overweight is that I fit into the “normal” category on the bmi chart. But I could still afford to lose 10 to 15 pounds.