Hey all, just started doing 36 hr fasts every 3 days starting a few weeks ago and so far am loving it. I can tell my energy is increased and I’m finally able to start losing that stubborn belly fat that never seems to go away. The only thing is, each time I fast I get the shits, which is a super buzz kill. I’ve read the wiki on electrolytes and currently take approximately 1g of sodium and 600mg potassium dissolved in 1 liter of water with a 100 mg magnesium citrate capsule 4x daily, which is what presumably is causing the shits. I feel I should also add I don’t chug this solution, I try to sip it and space it out throughout the day.
I understand that it is more important to take electrolytes on more extended fasts (>48 hr) however I exercise quite frequently and tend to sweat heavily while doing so, so I figured I would take electrolytes on fasting days just to cover my bases.
Should I maybe increase the volume of water I consume to dilute the electrolytes more? Or would I simply be better off lowering the amount of electrolytes taken/removing them completely?
Any advice/tips/anecdotes would be appreciated.
I’ve had success breaking my last few fasts by eating lean protein by itself like sashimi or chicken and drink some bone broth. Then have a meal an hour later that doesn’t include cruciferous veggies, spinach, or cheese. Things like mushrooms, squash, peppers and onions work well for me along with some lean protein, flaxseed, and some avocado.
I’ll bet a packet of cholestyramine would do wonders for this. Usually used after gallbladder surgery.
Some Metamucil might work as well.
For those that say Metamucil breaks a fast, my counter is:
a 3 day fast with Metamucil is ALOT better than a two day fast without - regardless of your desired outcome. If you disagree then your knowledge of mTOR is weak: fight me.
I’ve just started trying fasting, just two 24 with spaced days in between and I was wondering about the liquid state of my depositions, so I’m glad to hear this is common and not just me, but I have a question, is the neon yellow color normal?
I notice I get the same intestinal effects from fasting that I do from eating meat after being vegetarian or vegan for a long time (I do it yearly for religious reasons). I think it has something to do with bile/fat metabolism. Breaking the fast gently with lean, fibrous stuff will probably help.