Multiple Day Fasting Journal

[divedragon]

Hey all,

I have embarked on a multiple day fasting cycle with a goal of at least 5 days.  If I'm feeling good on 5, I'll keep going.  I thought I'd try to capture for anyone who's interested the effects of fasting. On this fast I drink water, coffee, tea and had some bone broth Sunday evening.

Day 1 was Sunday.  I had been visiting friends on the weekend and we ate out Saturday night at Olive Garden.  I had some stuffed mushrooms and the stuffed chicken marsala (I didn't eat the mashed potatoes).  I also had some salad.  I was traveling back to my work location Sunday, so had decided that was going to be my fast day (I was already practicing alternate day fasting).  Back at my friends, I made up some Guacamole and ate some with pork rinds.

Sunday, I got up and started my travels from DC to Kansas City via Atlanta.  I was able to resist any food in the airports and on the flight except for some coffee.  I landed in KC around 4 pm, got my rental car and drove to hotel about 45 minutes west.  As I hadn't been home, I had some laundry to do which kept me busy in the evening and I went to bed about 8:45.

Monday, I woke at 4:30, did a little computer surfing and then went across the street to the gym at 5.  I did 20 minutes of jogging and 20 minutes of walking.  Later in the morning, I started to feel a little foggy, but my physical energy was high.  At lunch I walked about 2 more miles.  Monday night at the hotel, I found myself tempted to eat some cheese I had in the fridge, but was able to resist.

Tuesday, day 3 of the fast.  Woke up feeling pretty good, but a little tired.  Alarm woke me at 5 which is unusual as I generally awake on my own.  I went to the gym for another 20 min jog followed by 20 min walk.  No fogginess today and did another 2 mile walk at lunch.  I am finding I'm quite thirsty all the time though.  I'm drinking about 60-80 floz of water a day.  Overall, I'm feeling pretty good.  I don't percieve any loss of energy and hunger is fading.  I'm really looking forward to day 4 as it's supposed to be a good one.

I'll update this through my fasting either daily or if I have something to report.

[OCDOC]

Interesting post! Keep it going 🙂

I'm assuming based on your other reports that you are accustomed to IF already. Starting a 5-day fast 'cold turkey' without some LCHF/IF 'training' would be a nightmare imo. Rob

[divedragon]

---

@OCDOC wrote:

Interesting post! Keep it going 🙂

I'm assuming based on your other reports that you are accustomed to IF already. Starting a 5-day fast 'cold turkey' without some LCHF/IF 'training' would be a nightmare imo. Rob

---

Yes, I've been doing a form of IF since Oct15.  Started with 16:8, went to 20:4, then alternate day fasting.  LCHF diet has been part of it since December.

It's Tuesday evening and I'm not feeling hungry.  I added some salt to my water this afternoon and that really seemed to help with the thirst problem.  On the way back to hotel I stopped at the pharmacy and picked up some ketone strips.  Since this is day 3, everything I read said this should be the day I go into Ketosis.  According to the test, I'm in moderate ketosis - yeeaa!

No fogginess, no weakness.  I feel pretty good right now other than being sleepy like I mentioned earlier.  I'm also not experiencing any issues around being cold.  I'm excited now about tomorrow in which I'm supposed to feel really great!  Stay tuned.

[divedragon]

Day 4.  I had much better sleep efficentcy last night than I've ever had at 98%, but I did wake up at 3:10 and was awake about an hour.  Total sleep was 7 hours fitbit recorded as two sleep sessions.  I'm still experiencing a lot of sleepiness today, but physical energy is high and so is mental focus, just my eyelids feel very heavy. 

Experienced a touch of diarrhea last night which is expected, so nothing to worry about.  In the mirror this morning, I seemed to look thinner, but that's perception.  I'll weigh in on Friday.  Tested for ketosis about an hour ago and it's at a higher range than last night.  No real hunger feelings though.  I didn't exercise this morning as I was trying to get an extra hour of sleep (was negated due to my hour awake in the middle of the night).  I may try to do a little this evening.

I still have a feeling of being thirsty, but to a lesser degree.  I'm having to make myself drink today.  Thoughts of food have wained quite a bit too.  When I do think about it, I think in the future when I've lost all the weight I want and how I'll eat then.  At this point I'm thinking of doing 3 days a week fasting and normally the other days and every other month trying the Fasting Mimicing Diet for 5 days.  The FMD is a diet of 700 calories a day of a specific composition: 9% protein, 45% fat and 46% carbs which mimics the effects of a water fast, but less weigh loss.  It's mainly for health to go into ketosis, lower IGF-1, insulin, lower glucose, increase stem cell production and generate autophagy (expullsion of dead and damaged cells.) http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Autophagy.aspx

I'm axious about Friday's weigh in.  I've been stalled at 194 for a couple of months now and started this fast to jump start the weight loss again.  I'm sure I'll loose some pounds, but trying to keep my expectations in check so I won't be too disappointed if I don't loose as much as I think I should.  If I do feel good on Friday and the weigh in is a partial success, I may extend a couple of more day and do another weigh in on Sunday.  We'll see.

[divedragon]

Day 5 - Got 8 hours sleep last night, but still feeling sleepy.  Energy is still high though so its a really strange sensation to be sleepy and energetic at the same time.  I feel good overall and am considering streching this fast into a 7 day.  Think it would be nice to break the fast with a nice Sunday breakfast.

I can see where some of my fat stores have gotten smaller, especially around my pectorials/underarm area.  I'm not sure about the belly fat though, it doesn't look much different.  The scale will tell the tale tomorrow.

[OCDOC]

Ketosis is fun eh? 🙂 ......

Not sure re how much fat you expect to lose ie 'visibly'.

Assuming the first 24 hrs are glycogen depletion, you have been 'fat-burn' for maybe 4 days. Assuming a BMR around 2500, that would be 10K..about 3 pounds of blubber (HIGH estimate). Much of this will be visceral fat, and a smaller amount subcutaneous..let's say 1.5 pounds for argument.

If 1.5 pounds of blubber were extracted in a uniform fashion from all of your subcutaneous reserves, do you think it would be 'obvious'?

I'm not trying to rain on your fun...I think IF is amazing. It just sounds like you are hoping for something that might not happen ie 'amazing' subcut fat loss in a few days.

Keep on going!  🙂  Rob