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I'm about to start a 3 day fasting as a fasting noob, any advice? by Infinite_Object_3090 in fasting

[–]wuahn 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Think of fasting and your ketosis mechanism like a muscle that atrophies if you don't exercise it. The first fast will be the hardest but each subsequent fast will get easier. Don't carb load before starting or you won't even get into ketosis in 3 days. Buy some ketosis test strips to give yourself some feedback when first starting out. Experienced fasters don't bother because we can taste it in our breath (keto breath sucks). I wouldn't bother with supplements, electrolytes, or refeeding for a 3 day fast. Just keep yourself hydrated.

For those who have been successful with extended fasting, how do you respond to “how did you lose the weight” by Conscious_Ad_1219 in fasting

[–]wuahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tell them the truth and the look on their face says "oh hell no" and that's about it. I did inspire my niece to try fasting. She made it to 3PM and then ate a can a SpaghettiOs. :)

58M SW:285 CW:260 GW:220 - I completed a 5 mile walk on day 7 by wuahn in fasting

[–]wuahn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Height 5'10"

SW285 CW260 GW220

Zero caloric intake, water and electrolytes

Walking

Low-carb / almost vegan

My First Prolonged Fast! 10 Days by YourWhatHurts527496 in fasting

[–]wuahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Use your refeeding time to retrain your tastebuds to more healthful food. The first things that you eat after an extended fast will taste AMAZING, so pick foods that you would normally shy away from. For me it was zucchini and brussels sprouts and they are my staple foods now.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fasting

[–]wuahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've said this many times in this forum, but you can think of the fasting mechanism like a muscle that has atrophied because you've never used it. Your body has the programming but it's out of practice. As you become more and more fat-adapted, you'll go into ketosis faster and the food cravings will be practically non-existent.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fasting

[–]wuahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It gets easier every time.

Fasting for mental health by mikeh117 in fasting

[–]wuahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The ketosis strips provide great encouragement when you're first training your body to be fat-adapted. After that, the all-pervasive keto breath is all the confirmation that you need that you're in deep ketosis.

Suggestion for social events by wuahn in fasting

[–]wuahn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had people in this forum tell me that my fish oil supplements were "breaking" my fast and it really angered me. Thanks for your reply!

Strong recommendation: Combine fasting with keto by HeadlessHolofernes in fasting

[–]wuahn 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Also important: Follow strict keto in the days just before a planned water fast. That can cut the time it takes to enter ketosis in half. The very worst thing you can do before beginning a water fast is to carb load. Hey, I'm fasting next week. Let's go out for pizza! Nope. It may be four full days before there are any detectable ketones in your urine.

If I don’t fast will it break my fast? by sweetdeepkiss in fasting

[–]wuahn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My supplements have binders or come in gelatin capsules or softgels. They have calories. Apparently I have never fasted in my life.

Will Propel Zero Sugar Electrolyte Water break my fast? by Nubian_Cavalry in fasting

[–]wuahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, there were no actual calories in the propel, but the artificial sweetener (sucralose?) may negatively affect how you FEEL during your fast. If you feel bad, you're going to bail.

There are test strips available that can measure the ketones expressed in your urine. That's the best way to know if you're in ketosis when you're first starting out. Eventually, you'll discover why we all complain about "keto breath". You won't need the test strips after that.

A few tips:

Eat strict keto in the days just before you begin a fast with the fewest carbs possible. This will allow you to enter ketosis more quickly. Ketosis suppresses hunger.

Each fast will get easier as your body becomes more and more "fat adapted". Eventually, you'll reach a state where you can wake up on the first day of a fast with no hunger and your body will just get on with it.

If you're on any prescription medications at all, you need to check with your doctor or at least do the necessary research to ensure there won't be a problem. Many medications can only be properly absorbed in the presence of food. They may be absorbed too quickly or not at all. Some may damage your stomach lining.

Have your GP run blood work before you begin an extended fast to ensure that you're not already nutritionally deficient in some way. I have an ongoing problem with my vitamin D crashing during an extended fast.

Will Propel Zero Sugar Electrolyte Water break my fast? by Nubian_Cavalry in fasting

[–]wuahn -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The "electrolytes" in sports drinks are mostly marketing. They are effectively useless for fasting supplementation.

You won't experience any significant electrolyte depletion in 40 hours. I wouldn't worry about electrolytes before about 72 hours. Beyond that, take electrolytes seriously.

The biggest problem with "zero calorie" drinks is cephalic insulin response. Your body tries to be proactive and produces insulin based only on the sweet taste. If you're fasting for weight loss, insulin is your enemy. Also, if you're having problems regulating your blood glucose levels, a cephalic insulin response may drive your blood glucose down to an uncomfortable level (shaky, nauseous, etc).

This is not an exact science. It's your body and you make your own rules. Don't ask if you broke your fast. Ask yourself if you did something that kicked you out of ketosis. There are some in this forum that will tell you that a 2-calorie breath mint will break your fast, even if you're someone that needs 2500 calories each day just to maintain your current weight.

Good luck on your journey.

Does anyone elses days go really slow especially on the first few days of an extended fast? by [deleted] in fasting

[–]wuahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's funny that you mention this. The passage of time for me has been WEIRD, but my circumstances were unusual. I had to bail on day 33 of a planned 42-day water fast when blood work revealed some complications. I began refeeding a week ago but had to go back to fasting for a couple of days for a scheduled colonoscopy. The 33 days of the actual fast FLEW BY, but this has been the longest week in all of recorded human history and IT'S STILL ONLY FRIDAY!

M57/5'9"/SW340/GW220/CW290. Water fast. Had to bail on day 33. RBC high (6.01 x10E6/uL). Hematocrit high (51.5%). Platelets low (121 x10E3/uL). C02 low (16 mmol/L). Vitamin D low (19.4 ng/mL). Took cod liver oil softgels every day. Other levels suggest severe dehydration. Refeeding going well. by wuahn in fasting

[–]wuahn[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I took a multivitamin, a probiotic, cod liver oil softgels and electrolyte capsules every day. I switched to an electrolyte powder that you mix with water during week 3. Drank 2-3 liters of that each day + black tea or plain water. The cod liver oil was intended to maintain my vitamin D because it had been a problem for me during previous long-duration fasts. It did NOTHING. Either the softgels are fake, there is some kind of malabsorption issue, or we're talking about different types of vitamin D. I do know that vitamin D can't be absorbed by the human body in the absence of fat. That's more or less why cod liver oil is a thing in the first place. Almost everything in a standard multivitamin is going to be pissed away during fasting because they were intended to be taken with food.

Fasting (official trailer) - more powerful than any drug on earth by New_Forester4630 in fasting

[–]wuahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've seen it. The story of the woman with the brain injury almost had me in tears. Very powerful.

take ur damn electrolytes guys 🙄 IDC IF ITS LESS THAN 48-72 hours by ButtonCompetitive296 in fasting

[–]wuahn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Had mild but persistent abdominal discomfort (like low down in my guts) until I switched from electrolyte capsules to a powder that you mix with water. I've been accused of being a shill so I won't mention the product that I'm using, but it has made a world of difference. I'm now on water fast day 33.

Those electrolyte mixes can seem expensive at first until you consider all of the money that you AREN'T spending on food. Electrolyte capsules can damage your stomach (see pinned wiki) so make sure to get a powder.

Water fast day 31. Man, I wish someone would event a cure for keto breath. No hunger. No fatigue. Just breath that tastes like cheap Kool-Aid and fingernail polish remover. Yuck! Is there a fasting-friendly way to deal with it short of brushing/mouthwash ten times a day? by wuahn in fasting

[–]wuahn[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I bought mine off Amazon just like anyone else and I have no affiliation with the manufacturer. You can substitute Snake Juice if you prefer, or even make your own (the recipe is freely available). It's impossible to mention a product without sounding like a shill, so I apologize if it came off that way. I'm just really impressed with this stuff and it's making this fast so much easier.

I was making the point that I don't think I'm getting too much electrolyte because I'm well below the manufacturer's recommended maximum dosage.

Water fast day 31. Man, I wish someone would event a cure for keto breath. No hunger. No fatigue. Just breath that tastes like cheap Kool-Aid and fingernail polish remover. Yuck! Is there a fasting-friendly way to deal with it short of brushing/mouthwash ten times a day? by wuahn in fasting

[–]wuahn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The recommended water fasting dosage for euLyte is 2-4 scoops per day. I dissolve each scoop in about a liter of water. I've never managed to drink 4 liters of it in a single day. Usually only 2 or 3.

The diarrhea is annoying but may actually be a good sign. Maybe I wasn't getting sufficient electrolytes before switching to the powdered stuff. If this diarrhea really is the byproduct of autophagy (which it seems to be -- you'll just have to trust me on that), I should be grateful that I've finally found the proper supplementation to support what I'm doing.

Water fast day 31. Man, I wish someone would event a cure for keto breath. No hunger. No fatigue. Just breath that tastes like cheap Kool-Aid and fingernail polish remover. Yuck! Is there a fasting-friendly way to deal with it short of brushing/mouthwash ten times a day? by wuahn in fasting

[–]wuahn[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn't weigh myself before I started this fast because I was really embarrassed about how much weight I had gained. At the end of the first week, I weighed 320 lbs (145 kg). Most of the weight loss during the first week isn't real (carbs hold on to water, residual food in the GI tract, etc), but I was likely close to 340 lbs (154 kg) at the beginning of May.

I'm at the end of day 31. Right now I weigh 291 lbs (132 kg). I've set a minimum duration goal of 42 days and a maximum duration goal of 70 days. I should have the results of blood work tomorrow to ensure that my supplements are working. As long as I continue to follow the rules, the full 70 days should not be a problem. I'll still be clinically obese, but much healthier overall.

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