Fasting

[OrangeMan73]

Broad based subject discussion. Who's done it? How long? How often? Philosophical or anatomical insights?

I'm currently one and half days in, but still drinking coffee and chewing gum, and of course pounding lots of water. Longest I've ever gone is around three days. Not sure how long I'll go this time, thinking about shooting for 7 days.

 

[RPWS1989]

I’ve gone up to 7 days. After day 3-4 the hunger went away. I will say it’s honestly been the most clear headed I’ve ever been by day 6-7, which led me to quit drinking.

 

[RPWS1989]

I try and do a 3-7 day fast every 3 months

 

[Wrench]

I did about 40 days after my divorce.

 

[OrangeMan73]

Update: Went 2.5 days but had to break it by noon today. I've been exercising actively early morning and evening and this morning I was absolutely gassed. Was feeling real shaky (uncontrollable) and I had big work meeting this afternoon I needed my A game for so ended it. I think if you're gonna go extended for fasting, you gotta keep it easy.

I love the idea of regularly cleansing, thinking about going 6 days on and 1 day fast.

 

[DAD]

3 days was the longest. I can't imagine going any longer.

 

[Red Letters]

I’ve gone 14 days allowing myself to drink 2 small juice boxes of coconut water per day during the second week, with a teaspoon of honey under my tongue ever so often.
7 days with just water is the longest I’ve gone, I’ve done that several times. The electrolytes in the coconut water were a game changer compared to just water. After 14 days supplementing with coconut water, I felt like I could have gone as long as I wanted. With just a water fast I feel like every part of my body had extra gravity, I can feel my skin weighing me down.
People talk about how mentally focused they get fasting, I don’t notice any of that. The last few fast I’ve done I didn’t even get headaches from no caffeine, that use to brutal for the first couple days. I never start my day without several cups of coffee unless I’m fasting.

 

[Red Letters]

3 days was the longest. I can't imagine going any longer.

It gets much easier after the first 3 days

 

[Alaska92]

I’ve gone 14 days allowing myself to drink 2 small juice boxes of coconut water per day during the second week, with a teaspoon of honey under my tongue ever so often.
7 days with just water is the longest I’ve gone, I’ve done that several times. The electrolytes in the coconut water were a game changer compared to just water. After 14 days supplementing with coconut water, I felt like I could have gone as long as I wanted. With just a water fast I feel like every part of my body had extra gravity, I can feel my skin weighing me down.
People talk about how mentally focused they get fasting, I don’t notice any of that. The last few fast I’ve done I didn’t even get headaches from no caffeine, that use to brutal for the first couple days. I never start my day without several cups of coffee unless I’m fasting.

Interesting. Honey will certainly break a fast. Coconut water can break a fast. Plain coffee will not. There are clean electrolyte products out there that will not break a fast and will help replenish.

 

[Alaska92]

I fast frequently. I became fat adapted quite a few years ago and consume minimal to no carbohydrates. If one is carb adapted (which is anecdotally 90% of our western society), it can be difficult to fast. Feeling ill or “hitting a wall” is almost certain. Body’s will crave glucose because it doesn’t know how to use fat. It’s never been forced to. Elevated levels of insulin in the blood stream are common as well as insulin resistance. It’s a vicious cycle. People like mountain hunters will state they “have to have carbs” to perform. They actually don’t. I can attest. Fat is a much more efficient fuel source and we have plenty. I don’t have to pack near as much food as I used to, which cuts down drastically on weight. I don’t eat very often and can perform well in mountains. I see people heading into the mountains with a lot of high carb foods (which translates into a lot of weight) for “performance”. It’s a game changer if one gets fat adapted in the off season. There is a very large rabbit hole on this subject when it comes to overall health and longevity. Fasting is critical for cell healing/ recycling called autophagy. Most of our western society eats too often, too much and too many carbs.

 

[Alaska92]

Broad based subject discussion. Who's done it? How long? How often? Philosophical or anatomical insights?

I'm currently one and half days in, but still drinking coffee and chewing gum, and of course pounding lots of water. Longest I've ever gone is around three days. Not sure how long I'll go this time, thinking about shooting for 7 days.

You will likely dilute your electrolytes (minerals) drinking copious amounts of pure water. That can lead to a lack of energy and feeling ill. Most will need clean, high quality electrolyte supplements when fasting. A pinch of clean sea salt in a glass of water will work wonders also. Most gum can break a fast. Depends on the gum but it will likely trigger an insulin response.

 

[Alaska92]

Update: Went 2.5 days but had to break it by noon today. I've been exercising actively early morning and evening and this morning I was absolutely gassed. Was feeling real shaky (uncontrollable) and I had big work meeting this afternoon I needed my A game for so ended it. I think if you're gonna go extended for fasting, you gotta keep it easy.

I love the idea of regularly cleansing, thinking about going 6 days on and 1 day fast.

Almost certainly your body is fairly carb adapted/reliant. Transitioning to becoming fat adapted is almost essential to becoming successful at fasting. It can be very difficult if you are not. That means slowly weaning yourself off of carbohydrates as the primary fuel source. That transition is different for everyone but the eventual goal will be to consume no more than 20 to 50 net carbs max a day. That’s not very much. Fasting is much easier when your body learns to quickly change fuel sources to body fat.

 

[BBob]

There are clean electrolyte products out there that will not break a fast and will help replenish.

I make my own and share it with a friend who uses it for her fasts. Easy to make and you know what's in it. It's a copy of LMNT but way cheaper and easy to make. There's lots of stuff out there that has sugar, stevia or something in it that isn't as clean as they make it sound.

 

[Alaska92]

I make my own and share it with a friend who uses it for her fasts. Easy to make and you know what's in it. It's a copy of LMNT but way cheaper and easy to make. There's lots of stuff out there that has sugar, stevia or something in it that isn't as clean as they make it sound.

Interesting on making your own. Yes “clean” is definitely the key word. Many products are certainly not.

 

[Butcher8]

I fast for religious benefits though i hear it has its health benefits too.

 

[1jeds]

Almost certainly your body is fairly carb adapted/reliant. Transitioning to becoming fat adapted is almost essential to becoming successful at fasting. It can be very difficult if you are not. That means slowly weaning yourself off of carbohydrates as the primary fuel source. That transition is different for everyone but the eventual goal will be to consume no more than 20 to 50 net carbs max a day. That’s not very much. Fasting is much easier when your body learns to quickly change fuel sources to body fat.

Even if you aren't "fat adapted" (if you are a human, you are fat adapted and use fat as fuel), you aren't using carbs as your primary fuel source. It's a sliding scale based on intensity, and you can manipulate the crossover point to a certain extent based on diet and exercise.

I eat a ton of carbs and also have a high FatMax/crossover point. They aren't mutually exclusive.

 

[Alaska92]

Even if you aren't "fat adapted" (if you are a human, you are fat adapted and use fat as fuel), you aren't using carbs as your primary fuel source. It's a sliding scale based on intensity, and you can manipulate the crossover point to a certain extent based on diet and exercise.

I eat a ton of carbs and also have a high FatMax/crossover point. They aren't mutually exclusive.

Absolutely. Every human body can and will use fat for fuel, at some level and at some point. There are a lot of variables to when, how much and from where. Most certainly, humans consuming the common American (western) diet are using carbohydrates as a primary fuel source. Their body does not “adapt” to switching fuel sources quickly because it never has to. It’s refueled in short order with more carbs because of a hunger signal. This makes it difficult for many to fast. I assume the sliding scale you mention is the commonly referred to zones of heart rate. Zone 2 (approximately 119-137 bpm) as being the best fat burn rate according to many studies. This thread is about fasting which is commonly done at a resting heart rate (or very near to it) unless you train fasted. At a resting heart rate, the body of many people cannot switch fuel sources quickly and experience discomfort (primarily in the way of extreme hunger). Elevated levels of insulin in the blood because of the chronic carb intake makes it difficult for the body to utilize fat cells. Fat cells and insulin are like water and oil. Lowering insulin is the key. Our liver makes any and all glucose that our body needs for function (i.e. brain, hormones) through a process called Gluconeogenesis using primarily amino acids. Minimal to no dietary carbohydrates are needed for function. We can talk about the metabolic, systemic and mitochondrial issues related to consuming carbohydrates but that is for another thread. This is about transitioning to fasting for most people.

 

[Carr5vols]

I fast for religious benefits though i hear it has its health benefits too.

Same here...seen miracles worked when you push the plate away and seek The Lord...

 

[Garandimal]

Broad based subject discussion. Who's done it? How long? How often? Philosophical or anatomical insights?

I'm currently one and half days in, but still drinking coffee and chewing gum, and of course pounding lots of water. Longest I've ever gone is around three days. Not sure how long I'll go this time, thinking about shooting for 7 days.

First, one needs to understand the difference between Fasting and Starvation.

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After that, all one needs are water/salt/minerals/exercise.

The body makes sugar, recycles protein, and runs just fine on the internal fuel tank - adipose fat.


GR

 

[Chief Whack A Buck]

Broad based subject discussion. Who's done it? How long? How often? Philosophical or anatomical insights?

I'm currently one and half days in, but still drinking coffee and chewing gum, and of course pounding lots of water. Longest I've ever gone is around three days. Not sure how long I'll go this time, thinking about shooting for 7 days.

I try to do a 5 day fast twice a year, and a 48 hour fast once a month. 2-4 days usually allows for autophagy to take place. If you become used to fasting and are able, I like to continue to be active during this time to enhance the benefits of the fast.

An important note for those new to this; what you eat, as well as how much you eat when breaking a fast (and to an extent before stsrting a fast) can impact the benefit you see from fasting, and how you will feel during and after.

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