I’m 5’7, male, and weigh around 130lbs, so I am not overweight by any means. I have done 3-4 days fasting in the past. I can’t say that I have been doing this regularly because my last fast was last year for 3 days. Initially, I was planning on doing a 5 day fast this time. Having done this before, I didn’t anticipate any difficulties. I even took some electrolytes this time. When I woke up, going into 42-44 hours, my heart was racing. I ended up breaking my fast with some soup broth. I know the second day is the most difficult for most people, at least for my experience, but it’s usually the hunger that made it difficult, not this heart racing. Does this indicate an electrolyte imbalance? Maybe one or two components were insufficient?
Almost certainly electrolyte shortage, but more importantly… 130 lbs as a male at 5’7”?
I do not think you should be extended fasting. If you are looking to look and feel better, your results are in the gym with weights and not extended fasting. You don’t need to squat or free weight bench press, go use machines and push yourself!
You need some muscle mass and to increase your metabolism, which working out will do.
Muscle burns fat. Your TDEE will increase, your testosterone will increase further shifting body composition.
You will gain weight, lose fat, and look better.
There’s no reason for you to extended fast in my opinion and I don’t believe it would or should be recommended to you.
I think these people doing multi day fasts have to be at the higher end of healthy or more bmi. I realized as you get lower in bmi the multi day fasts become too hard . I couldn’t function like that with work and stuff, maybe if I was able to meditate all day I could. But sleep would be too uncomfortable. At 130 pounds you really don’t need to be doing multi day fasts. Im about the same height and weight and I do one fast a week. Most I could probably do is two days about how long you lasted. autopgagy can kick in after only 12 hours so a full day or two you are still getting a lot of benefit.
Autophagy also has cons . It can be a problem if it’s too much