TLDR: I added salt to my water on hour 36 of my water fast, and I had to poop. Usually I stop pooping after hour 12 of no eating. Do others find the sam?
I have been dabling with fasting the past month, and I find that it’s quite common to not poop at all after the first 24 hours.
I did not know about electrolytes for my first few water fasts, and generally, I found that unless I double my normal water intake, then my pee is quite yellow. However, if I drink too much water then my pee is nearly clear, and I need to pee several times an hour.
I did become lightheaded and/or experience headaches on my first few fasts, so I took the advice from the subreddit and tried adding electrolytes into my water on day 2 of my fast….. to my surprise, I needed to poop quite badly afterward, which usually never happened this long after I last ate food.
To me, it seems it must be the salt water. Is this a common outcome? Is it going to keep happening? or is this an initial “flush”?
It could be. Many laxatives work by being hyperosmolar meaning they have a salt concentration higher than that of your blood so they draw water into your bowel to allow for easier passage of stool. Try putting less salt. 😉