Water Fast: How to Handle the Hunger Pangs?


(Fran) #1

Today is day 1 of my 2nd attempt on a water fast.

I will be 57 in 60 days. I am 6’1" and weigh 277 pounds. This wasn’t always me, I used to very very athletic, as recently as my mid 40s, but like many, the weight just crept up with me not doing anything about it.

My goal is to lose somewhere near 90 pounds in the next 60s days, or at the very least to get below 200 pounds. I am better prepared now then I was before.

I work on computers a lot at home so my 3 monitors all have backgrounds of my fat face and bulging stomach. I am also going to keep a daily log to look back on for support.

And so, here is my question to all:

From what I understand, the first week, more so the first 4 days are the hardest. Certainly that is where I have failed in the past. My refrig is stocked with distilled and purified water, I will start with the distilled.

My two biggest hangups last time were leg cramps and huger pangs.

Is it OK to take potassium supplements? Nothing worse than waking up to a charlie horse.

Regarding the hunger pangs, I have thought about selzer water, or carbonated water, or water with baking soda when those pangs arrive. I have watched vidoes on you tube of a man near my age that swears by them. I have read articles recommending them during hunger pangs. I have also read they will make the pangs worse.

So what to do?

1. Can I take potassium supplements to avoid the charlie horses?

2. Will some form of carbonated water subside the hunger pangs? I tried in the past to drink water ad nauseam but they did not seem to help when the pangs arrived.

Thanks for any advice you can offer. I really want this weight gone by September.

UPDATE:

I APPRECIATE THE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, BUT …

***** NO ONE HAS BOTHERED TO RESPOND TO MY 2 QUESTIONS ************


(TJ Borden) #2

I’d recommend resetting your expectations. If you’re just startIng keto, then water fasting can be pretty tough because you’re combining extra hunger with carb withdrawal. That’s like on par with water boarding on the torture scale. The combination of keto and fasting is a process, not a quick fix.


(cheryl) #3

WOW best wishes to you on your goal … i have been intermittently fasting and being diligent with my diet and i have only lost 14 pounds in 16 weeks … i am a 57 yo woman, now i weigh 241 lbs … so i hope you CAN accomplish your goal of 90 lbs in 60 days


(Michelle) #4

He has being a man on his side. They seem to lose weight so quickly.


(Fran) #5

I appreciate the words of encouragement but no one is responding to m two questions.


(Marta Loftfield) #6

@57GoingOn40 I take magnesium to prevent muscle cramps.

I have found LaCroix sparkling water does help with hunger pangs


(TJ Borden) #7

Are you following a ketogenic way of eating or just fasting?

If you’re just fasting, there’s probably not much that’s going to help with hunger because your body is craving carbohydrates

If you ARE following a ketogenic way of eating, and wait until you’re in a fat adapted state, then fasting will be much easier, and salts and mineral water will help with the occasional hunger. You’ll have the added benefit of your body targeting stored fat for energy.


#8
  1. For cramps or spasms you will need magnesium.
  2. Don’t bother fighting the hunger… Just take it every day at a time, making it to bed without breaking the fast. By day 4 you will not be hungry anymore.

When I did a 10 day, I supplementted all electrolytes. However, I read somewhere it is not mandatory.

Hope it helps :slight_smile:


(LeeAnn Brooks) #9

How long have you been doing Keto? Fasting shouldn’t be torture if you’re fat adapted. It should be a natural progression and hunger will be minimal.

If your feeling that much hunger while doing Keto, you aren’t ready to do such extended fasts yet.


#10

Potassium and salt, yes.

Your body is not fat adapted so the first many many days will be very brutal. To make it easier on ourself, try eat nothing but pecans for the next two weeks and then start your fasting.


#11

Just a note to please be careful with potassium supplementation. It’s crucial to get enough potassium when you’re fasting (also sodium and magnesium) but too much potassium is dangerous.

Seconding (thirding?) everyone else who says that if you’ve been keto for a while and are fat-adapted, hunger should be manageable while fasting. I’m on day 3 of a fast and the hunger comes and goes but is pretty mild.


(Joy) #12

I find a change of position to help a little during those strong pang moments – ideally lying down on one’s left side, which shifts organs to press on the stomach and delivers more blood to the head.

Also, you could time your pang minutes (as women time contractions), which will show you how these things come in waves and then ebb. During a pang, the wait feels endless, but if you learn how many minutes you have to ride out, it’ll be easier to get through the minutes.

No need to white-knuckle through if hunger persists. You can always eat keto and return to fasting another day.


(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #13

You seem rather demanding about wanting answers to your questions and your questions are directly related to losing 90 pounds in 60 days which is at best dangerous and unrealistic.

We are not experts here and getting advice about things like that on the internet is not wise. I don’t recommend potassium no one here is going to recommend potassium if you want to supplement potassium talk to your doctor it’s very dangerous for anyone to suggest any amount of potassium supplementation. Again talk to your doctor about potassium supplementation. Overdone it can cause heart arrhythmias and you can end up in the emergency room which has happened to people. So no one is going to recommend any amount of potassium supplementation.

The biggest mistake people make when fasting is not taking in enough sodium.
If sodium is on point potassium will be on point. You need to do some more research.

I’ll support you in the fast of up to 10 days but nothing beyond that because beyond that you can get into possible issues of refeeding syndrome. If you don’t know what that is please do your research on that as well.

As far as carbonated water making hunger pangs better? It works for a lot of people but as a lot of people on here have already said, if you are not well fat adapted you’re going to have a very difficult time water fasting.
Learn the ketogenic diet.
Become fat adapted.
Fast for a few days.
Refeed for a few days
and then possibly attempt a fast of a few more days.
Etc.

Again- your goal of losing 90 lb in 60 days is extremely unrealistic.

This is not a quick process.


(Alec) #14

Here’s my advice: do not do this. Long term fasting without being fat adapted is a recipe for disaster.


(Jane) #15

90 lbs in 60 days???

Are you INSANE???

pffffttttt…


(Jane) #16

A pound a week is doable until you get close to your goal weight then the dreaded stall side tracks you.


(TJ Borden) #17

Doesn’t look like he’s been back. I don’t think he liked our responses


(Jane) #18

Well at least he wasn’t misled


(Alec) #19

He’s not our audience on this any more. Our audience is anybody who searches the forum in the future thinking of doing the same. @Janie, like you said, I think on this one we need to be very clear. @Brenda was nicely clear!! :rofl:


(Darren Eriksen) #20

I’ve been tinkering with fasting again, but have been keto for a long time and have lost over 100 lbs in the past. The only way to rapidly lose weight that quickly in my experience is activities like backpacking, optimally combined with a ketogenic diet. It’s better for the body to burn ~5,000 cals a day through activity than trying to force it to do so through extreme and dangerous restriction. Fasting is something to be cautious with. It can be great for your health, but should be handled in an informed and responsible way.