I used black coffee and a diluted noncaloric sports drink (for electrolyte supplementation) to stay hydrated. Cold water helped a ton with satiety (I mean REALLY cold water). You often read in this sub about people jumping from 'normal' eating straight into 30+ days long water fasts and those people are extremely impressive to me, but personally I think one of the main mistakes people in general do is to try to take too big of a jump in fast duration. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Its the food and/or water :), New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The 72-hour mark is truly the END of the unpleasant preparation for the Real results can begin. Press J to jump to the feed. Then I tried 48 hours, which is in the direction of 5:2 (it was more like 6:1 with 48 hour water fast). I asked my kids to smell me but they didn't notice anything--usually they are quite happy to tell me if I stink! Most states or countries that require negative COVID-19 tests for entry (or entry without quarantine) use a 72-hour timeframe, from the test until either the time of your departure to or arrival in the destination. You shouldn’t break your fast every day with junk food, but again, you won’t suddenly catch fire if you do. Discover the benefits of fasting for 72 hours and understand everything about fasting - how it changes your metabolism, stimulates fat consumption and improves your mental performance. You finish dinner on day 1 at 7 pm for instance, and you would skip all meals on day 2, and not eat again until breakfast at 7 am on day 3. I wonder if there’s a genetic component to dry fasting tolerance, too. Another option is to also continue fasting – go for 4 or 5 days, given you’ve already made it this far. A 36-hour fast means that you fast one entire day. I realize there are metabolic benefits to longer fasts but the tradeoffs for me feel like they're not worth it. also noticed hunger fading on day 3, was bad for me on day 1, less on day 2, and minimal today. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I've been doing IF pretty consistently (usually 18:6 to 20:4) for a month or so but had never done a full multi-day fast before. i'm at 72 hours literally right now. I love food and eat a lot of it, so the idea of consuming nothing for 72 hours was daunting. My fast-breaking meal from the night before is included in that weight; if I'd pushed through for a 84-hour fast I'd probably have hit right around 69kg even given my average daily loss over the period (a bit over 1kg/day). I started on Thursday night and ended on Sunday night. By 72 hours, your body is breaking down old immune cells and generating new ones (Cheng et al., 2014). Shifting into a 72-hour fast, but only once you're able to do the 24-hour fast. What I learned: Hunger was constant. If the idea of eating more most days, and restricting heavily on a couple of days appeals to you, a better thing to look at is 5:2 intermittent fasting. I learned to accept that it was a thing. A three day water fast will give tremendous health benefits. However, IF in the 16:8 to 18:6 range seems to still work for relatively lean people (see r/leangains) so I think that's what I'll probably do. Hunger reaches a peak and gets no more intense. I would recommend starting out with a 12-hour fast and working up to a 24-hour fast and once you've got that down I would recommend. In this video, I share my experiences on my first 3-day fast -- what it felt like physically and emotionally, as well as the lessons I learned. (I'm not arguing here, I'm genuinely just querying your thoughts.). For me I think it will be much more comfortable to do two 36-hour fasts (which with IF will likely turn into ~48 hours fasts) rather one 72-hour fast. Really interesting what you say about ketosis, I am always a bit phobic about ketosis breath when I'm fasting. The third day was relatively miserable. Doing a fast … Our digestive system works without any rest, day and night. Before that was really pretty smooth sailing. Intermittent fasting helped me immensely get my blood pressure and blood glucose under control. I.e. Thanks for the reply; I agree and I think my next step will to be trying to do a 44:4 once a week. Their is no real hard and fast methods of breaking a long fast except keep the meal light and smallish, its a personal choice about feeling comfortable. Autophagy maxes out * Autophagy is a detox process your body undergoes to clean out damaged cells and regenerate new ones. I am planning a 5 day fast in March. My takeaway is that IF is much much easier than a full fast for me. We went to some nearby hot springs in the evening; the hot water was really great in improving how I felt, but I became a little lightheaded a couple of times getting out of some of the baths. A couple months ago for me it would have sounded 100% absolutely impossible to go 96 hours without eating. Edit: Also make sure to get your electrolytes in during your eating windows (i.e. I know the smell having done keto many years ago but I noticed only a very mild odor during the third day. The next morning (third day of the fast) I felt very lethargic. I had actually planned to try for a 84-96 hour fast max but at the 72 hour mark I felt like I'd had enough. Does it get even better on longer fasts? breaking fast tomorrow am for a total of 84 hours, What is your goal for fasting so long? I cooked a very tasty yakisoba for everyone but didn't of course eat any myself. My way of life is such that it makes sense to fast on the weekends but not during the week. There must be a marked difference between the body's reaction to endogenous vs. exogenous fat? Stay tuned. Thanks for the inspiration and support, r/fasting! Hunger reaches a peak and gets no more intense. This was quite the wall of text, sorry about the length. This article examines 48-hour fasting, including how to do it and its benefits and downsides. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Filled me up and have woken up this morning to start 20:4 (or maybe another 48). I did that when I jumped to fasting from a non-keto diet. Someone recommended drinking a mineral-rich salt solution such as Himalayan salt, which replaces the electrolytes flushed out of your body; wheth… Went to bed feeling a little hungry but really nothing difficult. I will say that is not true for people who does medium sport activity, thanks for sharing! Prolonged fasting usually refers to fasting for a period of time over 48 hours. For me I think it will be much more comfortable to do two 36-hour fasts (which with IF will likely turn into ~48 hours fasts) rather one 72-hour fast. What you perceive as hunger is your brain's reaction to a break in your consumption patterns. Great job! Those who participated in the 20-hour fast ate whatever they wanted between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and for those who were assigned the 18-hour fast were allowed to … No real questions, just wanted to share. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Daughter had a school activity I had to drive her to at 6am so I tried to go back to sleep after dropping her off but wasn't really able to sleep. IGF-1, or insulin-like growth factor 1, looks a lot like insulin and has growth-promoting effects on almost every cell in the body. I have read that if your body is using all the ketones you won't pee/sweat them out so could get a really low reading. Oh that makes good sense. I have to say, the first bite after a prolonged fast gets better each time. I’m contemplating another 72 hour fast to see if this stabilizing effect can be replicated because it really helps to manage nighttime hypoglycemia and trying to get sleep! BMI went from 24.5 to 23.3. Also their are so many methods of fasting and water only is just one of them. It doesn’t really matter when you end your fast. Try some salt. And even with my refeed I still lost 0.9 lbs! Matt Van Sol. Toxins are … I broke my 72 hour fast last night with keto Pho (zucchini noodles instead of rice noodles), and felt amazing. Very interesting update, and I think it's wise to break your fast when you feel it's the right time and not just shoot for an arbitrary number. In terms of weight goal attainment this 72-hour fast was great--I obtained a lot of progress (even when I have the eventual weight rebound) over a relatively short period of time. Breaking a 3 Day Fast. The digestive tract usually empties around the 12 hour mark so the extra 5 hours is where i get one of the benefits. Now that you have completed a single 72 hour fast and broken through the mental barrier of fasting, each succeeding fast will be easier. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. November 21, 2018. Drinking lots of water with some electrolytes helped. With meat, carbs, vegetables, etc. Fasting is especially useful for people who are overweight, people with a … I'm sure it was well over 1000kcal, and pretty much all fat, protein, and fiber. Two or three day-long dry fasts, particularly in hot weather, is another thing entirely. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Day one was the hardest – by 5pm I had a cracking headache, despite drinking around six litres of water; I think it was at least partially down to caffeine withdrawal (I usually have three strong coffees a day). include salt, broth, asparagus, spinach, avocado etc into your meal) as I've found this makes a huuuuge difference in avoiding the lethargic feeling during the following fast! Thanks for stopping by!.Instagram: @NatalieCabralFitnessTwitter: @NaduhlyCabral What started out as a 36 hour fast turned into a 72 hour fast on a whim. Reply So if you want to see real fasting benefits, don't screw it … I fasted until about 3pm today (the next day) and again broke that fast very low carb; no major keto-pee though. ... Basically, when you fast for a prolonged amount … If you've gotten past 3 days and you're in ketosis, why not go for a week? Thanks for the good read. It smelled great but I wanted pretty badly to see what the next morning's scale reading would be like so I wasn't really tempted. My body was very likely using all circulating ketones under fasting conditions, but once I introduced exogenous energy I would have at least temporarily disturbed that equilibrium, resulting in excess ketones that were excreted. The average person can water-fast for three weeks easily without any problems. During the fast I was watching (actually smelling) for evidence of ketosis. Weight loss? Spent most of the day sitting around watching movies. I don't even know what my macros were, I just had three eggs, three good-sized thick bacon strips (we buy block bacon and slice off what we want to eat), 130g (a little under 1/3 lb.) A protein called p62 activates to induce autophagy and is the key to an improved human lifespan over time. I learned to accept that it was a thing. A fast will give the much needed rest to the entire digestive system to repair and heal itself. What I learned: Hunger was constant. Curious to see what happens to weight rebound as I transition back to my typical IF pattern. I started adding some sea salt to my water on day 2 and 3. A 15- or 16- hour dry fast isn’t very extreme, even in the hot climates of the Near East. Yeah moderate 3 to 7 Day fast is generally perfectly safe from all the research that I've done now. I know some people who fast weekly, which is the best way to maintain a healthy body and slow down the aging process, however even if you do it only once a year you must prepare your body to it. Try doing a couple weeks of ADF (alternate day fasting - eating one day yes and one day no) while keeping to your IF schedule on your eating days. The difference between working for your food (fasting, cooking, ACTUAL food) rather than going for a quick, easy dopamine high (sugars) is night and day. And breaking a 24h fast shouldn’t suddenly become really complicated. This would also explain why one might have "keto smells" on a ketogenic diet but not under pure fasting conditions. Mike P. July 28, 2019 at 5:57 PM . if I were more overweight) I think I might lean back towards trying for longer fasts. Cold water helped a ton with satiety (I mean REALLY cold water). Thursday morning, I had gained 2lbs back, but some regaining is to be expected. My hunger started receding on day 3. By easing from one duration to the next I'm actually doing a 96 followed by a 72 every week (a.k.a. Zero is the best amount of times to do a 48 to 72 hour fast. That's all I can think of right now. I wanted to do very low-carb for my fast-breaking as I've read here about people having problems with carbs in their initial refeed. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, 58M | SW 370 | GW 195 | CW 345 | Keto +ADF + Water Fasting. I am 285 lbs and figured I need a reboot. 36-hour fasts. Not sure if it was the salt or the fast itself. This is what I did before jumping into 72 and later 96 hour cycles and it let me ease into the longer duration with almost no problems. Will try to put tl;dr-ish info in the first paragraph here: 45M, 173cm (5'8"), starting body weight was 73.2kg (161.0 lbs), ending body weight (actually the morning after breaking the fast) is 69.8kg (153.5 lbs). I lost 7.5 lbs from Sunday to Wednesday. The first 36 hours weren't hard at all, I just had a standard IF day but then didn't break my fast at the end of the day. My stomach definitely felt flatter and less bloated after the fast. Your fast sounds exactly like mine go. Would appreciate any comments, suggestions, and education! Coincidentally, on day 2 and 3, I started having loose bowels. While I'm not yet as lean as I want to be, I suspect that as people get leaner fasting gets more difficult mentally/hormonally. I enjoy reading about others' experiences and thought it might be interesting to have another example described. I think in the future I will try using periodic 36 to 48-hour fasts in conjunction with IF to try to move my weight towards my target--it moves with IF but only slowly: I tend not to count macros at all so it's sort of a very slow downward drift. In terms of weight goal attainment this 72-hour fast was great--I obtained a lot of progress (even when I have the eventual weight rebound) over a relatively short period of time. Dinner for the rest of the family smelled pretty delicious but it was another carby noodle dish so I didn't want to break my fast with it. For example, you may fast for 16 hours per day, only eating within an 8 hour window (eating between 11am and 7pm, fasting between 7pm and 11am the next day). 48 Hour Water Fast | Unleash Benefits From This Simple Fast is a video that highlight the value of a short prolonged fast. Whatever form of water fasting you practice, from IF to extended fasting and everything in between, and whether you're fasting for health, weight loss, self-discipline, longevity, or any of the other myriad benefits of fasting, you've come to the right place—a community of like-minded individuals sharing our knowledge and experiences. After getting the kids to bed I had trouble falling asleep and felt cranky/headachy. At the 48 hour mark (bedtime for me) I wasn't feeling all that well. I eat Thursdays and Sundays at 6 pm, water fast the rest of the time) while feeling just fine. of roast beef. Flavors were much more intense when breaking my fast. Had a short bike ride with my son for some groceries and a very brief bit of gardening but after that I didn't really feel like engaging in any physical activity. Body The 72 Hour Fast : The Scientifically Proven Way to Boost Your Energy by Eating Less. You're already comfortable with 20:4 IF so something like 32:4 IF or 44:4 IF would be the next step that I would recommend trying for a while before jumping into 72 and 96. I'd start with a 12-hour fasting window, not eating from, say, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Gradually increase the amount of time you're fasting by 30 to 60 minutes every few days. You know what hunger feels like vs your mind telling you it's time to eat. What works and is safe across 16 hours might not be safe or effective over three or four days. In fact, research shows that you may lose up to 2 pounds (0.9 kg) each day of a 24- to 72-hour water fast . Press J to jump to the feed. Hopefully, this will help out some new fasters in what to expect with a 3 day fast. In general, most types of fasts are performed over 24–72 hours. What started out as a 36 hour fast turned into a 72 hour fast on a whim. Benefits of a Three day (72-Hour) water fast. I have been intermittent fasting at 23 hours the past week and thought I’d give this a try! I have been experimenting with fasting for weight loss the last 1/2 year and the protocol I have arrived at that seems to be working well for me is doing a 72 hour fast, a 48 hour fast and a 24 hour fast each week (so I'm essentially eating 5 meals a week). You know what to expect. Prolonged fasting reduces circulating IGF-1 levels and PKA activity in various cell populations. Sometimes, however, the window is even shorter. In our clinic, we will often recommend 36-hours fasts 2-3 times per week for type 2 diabetes. GM David, you can die after 3-4 days without water. The science suggests that, if you can do it, a prolonged fast for 2-3 days or longer may induce your body to clean out some old immune cells and switch on production of new ones. However, after my refeed Sunday night, I went to pee around midnight and had the strongest-smelling keto-pee ever. April 14, 2017. Can't stress that enough. My last water fast was for 11 days and 11 hours (275 hours total). I chose a really good restaurant to break my fast (but still stayed keto). 72 hours. Fasting for 72 Hours Can Reset Your Entire Immune System. So this could be what was happening. So 48 hours and 72 hours, once a week fitting well into my schedule, but 5:2 not so much. Doing this every day, or 5 days per week, means you are adopting an intermittent fasting schedule. If I had more fat to lose (i.e. I had been pretty active that day, with a couple of leisurely bike rides and some playing outside with the kids. When you do one meal a day, you just want to get one good, healthy, filling meal. A 48-hour fast is the longest duration commonly practiced with intermittent fasting. Yeah, the hunger is waaaaay less intense than I imagined it would be, You didn't gain 2 pounds back. I was enjoying your article while I am at a 25 of 72 hour fast. Whatever form of water fasting you practice, from IF to extended fasting and everything in between, and whether you're fasting for health, weight loss, self-discipline, longevity, or any of the other myriad benefits of fasting, you've come to the right place—a community of like-minded individuals sharing our knowledge and experiences. It was really only about hour 48 or so that I really started to feel crappy. Reply. Day 7 — Thursday, 3/1: (Day 3 of 72-hour dry fast) — Before this day started, I made a personal commitment that it would be my rest day. Weight loss was not a goal for me, but I lost over 6 lbs during the fast (168.9 lbs to 162.7 lbs) which I attribute to passing previously undigested food and some fat loss. I got the kids to bed and then broke my fast with eggs and bacon, followed up about an hour later with some raw cabbage leaves with roast beef, tomatoes, and mustard inside. while I was operating on body fat stores I didn't stink, but as soon as I reintroduced food I did. You can finish your abstinence at around the 70-hour mark – you’ve achieved the main idea of it which is to not eat anything for 3 days. Hi! Nothing more than that. So my idea is to back off a little bit, ease into it a bit slower, have more patience with yourself and soon you'll be doing those multiday fasts and feeling great in no time. ive been farting like crazy these past 36 hours maybe i should do a 3 day fast? I have an intermediate-term goal of getting to 65kg (143.0 lbs). For the first 3 days, I experienced decreasing levels of hunger, and the occasional headache that I attribute to my brain whining for the daily caffeine that it was no longer receiving. So that is a total of 36 hours of fasting.