Finished my first extended fast - 8 days and 16 pounds lost

I started my first extended fast on January 9th in the evening, and just broke the fast this morning. Total is 8 full days plus the overnight (so around 210 hours). I’m 43 years old, 6’3, and was 313.2 pounds when I started the fast (315 pounds a few days earlier when I started low carb to prep for the fast) and this morning I weighed 297.2.

I originally intended to fast longer, but we’re going away to visit my in-laws overnight on Saturday, and it’s going to be impossible to fast while there. I’d been playing with the best way to break the fast before then and originally planned to do so tomorrow, but my four year old son has won an award at school so I’m going to the assembly where he gets it, then I have a busy work day, and it’s just not a good day to do it. So instead I’m breaking the fast today, then doing a three day fast until Saturday at the in-laws, and then alternate day fasting thereafter. I will definitely be doing more extended fasts in the future.

I didn’t really find the fast difficult, in fact it was empowering. I went out with my family for meals at restaurants twice (once dinner last friday with wife and two kids, then brunch Sunday with wife, kids and father-in-law). Both times I just had water and talked with them while they ate. I find weekdays easier than weekends because I’m so busy with work, but extended fasting is like finding jesus for me.

I’ll be breaking the fast with bone broth throughout the morning and afternoon, then I’ll have a “goulash” I ate frequently when doing keto OMAD - ground beef + spinach + broccoli sprouts + green onions + garlic. It’s high in nutrients but has almost no carbs and tons of protein.

Some general thoughts / lessons from the fast:

1.) Fasting gives me a far great sense of self-control over my diet. I feel way more in control than I ever have before and hope this only grows over time.

2.) It’s entirely possible to go about your normal day while fasting. I’ve done multiple court dates while fasting, I didn’t notice any cognitive impacts.

3.) There may have been some behvaioural impacts later in the fast. I’ve been short with my kids the last few days, but that could also be because they’re three and four and absolute monsters.

4.) Electrolytes are critical - the first few days I didn’t have my electrolytes right, and I was exhausted and felt terrible. The next few days I incrased my potassium intake further and I felt much better. Be careful with how you’re managing your electrolytes because it makes a huge difference to how you feel on the fast.

Thanks for everyone’s support, it certainly makes fasting easier.