Starting a New Year's Fast!

(Lauren Malhoit) #1

Starting a Fast tonight at Midnight (ET). I’m going to try for 5 days, but I’ve not quite made it through three yet…so we shall see. Join me if you like!

(G. Andrew Duthie) #2

Will join you for the first couple days, at least. Started a fast today, and planning to go through the weekend at a minimum…stall breaker time.

#3

I’ll join you! But, I got a head start. :smile:

(G. Andrew Duthie) #4

Keep me strong, peeps. Approaching the 24 hour mark and the hunger is hitting.

(ketohealthclub) #5

I’m gonna fast on both Monday and Tuesday.

(Lauren Malhoit) #6

You got this! I’m at 21 hours, just had some bone broth because I started feeling pretty hungry.

(Keto Troll) #7

Yes same here. I started last night at 1 am. The little bar I frequent had a free midnight buffet. The bar manager knows that I and others eat keto and all the offerings were keto friendly! Not a carb in sight. I’m going until dinner on the 5th when I arrive in New Orleans for vacation. Not fasting in NOLA but will eat twice a day keto.

(Keto Troll) #8

Make sure you get enough electrolytes and sodium. Plus stay hydrated. It helps.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #9

I forgot to re-read this prior to starting my fast:

@richard details why fasting is harder if you don’t have sufficient fat stores to provide for your daily energy expenditure.

Based on my body weight (around 180lbs), the body fat % my scale tells me (around 20%), and the value Richard provides as the max that can be drawn from a pound of fat in a given day (around 31kCal), I max out at somewhere around 1100-1200 kCal per day I can get from my own body fat. Assuming that my metabolic rate is around 1800 kCal/day, that means that I’m around 30% short of the energy my body needs, if I don’t consume any calories at all.

No wonder I was cold and hungry yesterday. According to Richard’s calculator, I probably need to be consuming at least 60g of fat per day, just to keep my body from slowing my metabolism to make up the deficit.

It’s also definitely a good idea to stay hydrated and keep salt intake up, @DeniseArneson. I’m usually pretty good about that stuff, though.

(Lauren Malhoit) #10

Would sometime remind me again of the science behind why you lose so much water when fasting?

(G. Andrew Duthie) #11

My understanding (and it’s a layman’s view, not an expert’s) is that one of the things that happens during fasting (and when we start keto, for that matter) is depletion of glycogen. And when the glycogen is released, as I understand it, that releases water as well. There may be others on the forum who have a deeper understanding of the underlying metabolic processes, so hopefully they’ll jump in if I’ve misstated anything.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #12

On day 3, hunger at bay, and BG looks great. Supplementing with fat occasionally, mostly in the AM with my coffee.

How’s are the rest of you doing?

(bambiying2) #13

I’ll join you guys. I’m starting a fast tonight after dinner and would like to go until lunch on Saturday. Not sure if I can hold out that long though.

(Lauren Malhoit) #14

Doing well! I’m 45 hours in. Dining on a little bone broth as we speak. I’ve also had a little fat in the form of oil, but less than a couple tablespoons.

Good job on day 3!

#15

Still hanging in here, looking at the wonderful food pictures everyone has posted. :smile:
Day 27 is coming to an end. Not sure when I will break. Still feeling fine, even took a 12 mile walk
/hike yesterday.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #16

A-mazing! You rock!

Are you doing a water fast, or are you adding fat/broth/etc.?

#17

I’m doing a water fast. No coffee or tea or broth, etc.

(ketohealthclub) #18

You pretty much have it. From my studies, each gram of glycogen is bound to 3-4 grams of water. As your body uses up the carbs you ate and then depletes the glycogen stores, the accompanying water is squeezed out of your muscles and liver and flushes away as “water weight.”

#19

That’s amazing Debby. Would love to hear more about how you are doing, and what your ketones are like. I just finished my second 3-day water fast. My ketones were very high - over 7. I would also like to hear about how you will break the fast. Both times I did not break my fast quite right - broth, then veggies, then protein but all in the same day. The lymph nodes under my neck have been swollen all day today. Very painful!

(Lauren Malhoit) #20

67 hours in. This is about the time I broke last time, first time. I’m tempted, but think I can hold on a bit longer. Really want to do at least 72 hours if not longer.

How are you all?