I recently started fasting impulsively and just now passed the 72 hour mark. Day 2 was the worst due to headache and stomach growls mainly due to caffeine & sugar withdrawal I assume. I didn’t start the fast with a clear goal as in weigh loss or number of days. I assumed I’ll end the fast somewhere between 7-10 days.
Is there any specific number of days to fast to make it most effective? I read somewhere that autophagy effect reduces after 7 days and I’m also reading about re-feeding syndrome due to extended fasts. Is there a clear guide on how many days to fast for what benefits?
Thanks in advance!
Edit: Feel free to share your personal experiences if you think certain pattern/days are most effective
It depends on what you mean by most effective. Most effective for what? For weight loss? You want a pretty lengthy fast to get into those deeper levels of ketosis. If you just want to lose some eight and get the benefits of increased autophagy, then 3-7 days should suffice. Even a 48 hour fast can give you good benefits. If you don’t go past 7 days you should be ok as far as refeeding goes. You definitely want to get your electrolytes, and if you’re concerned, get some thiamine and phosphorus to take shortly before you break your fast. I’ve never had a problem though coming off a 7 day fast except one time when I broke it with a really fat heavy meal. I was in misery for hours. Take your electrolytes and you should be fine. Keep up the good work. You’re doing great.