From low-carb to dry fasting (my experiences)

I was always into fitness/bodybuilding and a low-carb diet is the best way to lose some fat. I did it a few times, but around 2000 it was mainly low-carb, low-fat, high-protein. Do you remember those negative articles about low-carbing, this is exactly how I felt, tired, thirsty, acetone breath. But I believed it is just a temporary diet and the rest of the year, it is overeating carbs, proteins to bulk, with really little fat, chicken breast, and rice constantly, eating every three hours, 5 times a day, etc. :) I am also a certified bodybuilding trainer, so all these strategies are taught in fitness schools. Do something like a fast is totally crazy and prohibited, you should lose 1 kg of muscle mass in just two days :D

Apart from that, I was getting sick really easily, I had constantly aftas (mouth ulcers) and I was getting sinus infection 5 times a year (I had no temperature, but felt like shit for a week usually).

One year, I have decided to read Atkins’s book and realized that he is recommending 50% protein, 50% fat and I have tried it. Bacon, pork bellies, pork knuckles, etc. :) The result: I felt GREAT! A lot of energy and my constantly runny nose stopped, no aftas, I was doing a lot of biking, but traditional November sinus infection did not happen… I have also increased lifting weights, which I totally did not expect from my previous low-fat/low-carb experiences.

I have searched the internet and I found a forum about the Kwasniewski diet, which is basically a high-fat diet, with moderate proteins and low-carb. I have started to follow it and the immediate results were superb and I have stick to the diet and discover a completely new way of cooking. I felt almost immortal, until one January day, when I came to the gym and I forgot my exercise clothes, so I exercised in my normal clothes and went home sweating. The next day, I felt that the sickness is here, I took a hot shower and rubbed my body with ginger, I was fine in two days! (Ginger remedy never work before for me).

Interesting is, that when I am going back to carbs because of some social events or vacation all my symptoms are getting back, after one-week, my mouth is full of aftas, and sinus infection just from a little bit of cold air.

Last year, I was trying to lose some weight and if you are already on keto, limiting calory intake may lead to plateaus. So I have decided to do fat fasts: water and when I will get hungry then 25 ml/1 oz of cod liver oil. During that time, I have read a lot about intermittent fasting and dry fasting. I have tried intermittent fasting, 3 low-carb meals in 6 hours, 18 hours fasting. It worked, the fat was melting slowly, no issues with losing too much muscle mass. Reading about intermittent fasting brought me to dry wasting. So I have tried it the first time for 36 hours. And WOW!

What caused wow-effect?

• A lot of energy for most of the day (there are few moments, with empty stomach feeling and a little bit of tiredness, but it can be easily ignored).
• I am usually not doing weight lifting during fasting, but any heavy manual work is done without a problem.
• Very clear and sharp vision (i am wearing glassed, so dioptrics remain the same, but the perception is much, much better).
• Clear mind, feeling of constant 100% focus.
• Sleeping quality outstanding, I will just close my eyes and wake up in the morning fully refreshed. I am getting awake very easily, but not during the dry fast.
• And the last best: Autophagy. Any small boo-boos, any joints pain (sometimes disturbing for weeks), small skin rashes. Problems have gone in the day and a half.

I have started dry fasting regularly, usually once a two week or a month. I have tried it twice after some carb-issues when I have felt that sinus infection is here and it immediately stopped. However, the last year, my child brought hand-foot-and-mouth disease from daycare (I have never had it before) and I have got sick too and dry fasting did not help, I was sick for a full textbook 10 days (important to say, the first day of feeling sick was after eating a lot of carbs). A different issue I had, when I was fasting after heavy weekend drinking (I happens around once a year) and I have got keto rash the very next day, but after getting some ox bile supplement, it stopped in few days.

So this is my story, what is yours?

PS: Most negative things about this is: when I see people suffering from autoimmune diseases, diabetes, I am not trying to give them any advices anymore, I am always getting quite negative reactions. Ok, I am not a medical doctor, but you have developed these symptoms for years and do not want to change your lifestyle for a month, to see if it will help…