What is your longer fasting length sweet spot ?
I’ve been intermittent fasting since May and doing OMAD since September. Throwing in random longer fasts between 2 and 10 days long.
I’m down 65 lbs (was 299 now 234) since May and BP is greatly improved (was 145/90 is now 105/70) I’m 50+ year old male btw
The longest fast I’ve ever done was 21 days. I’m glad I did it. I proved I could and it’s had lasting effects! But that was too long in my opinion as after tracking results there was a decline in things like weight loss, blood pressure/ heart rate, etc. improvement as well as increased fatigue and dizzyness.
2 days seems too short to notice much of a benefit at all and I’m very hungry and get a headache.
I’ve tried lengths from 3 - 7 days and after day three the hunger goes away and results seem good. I do find it hard to work though after 4 days.
I don’t find fasting “hard” although longer than 4 days gets problematic at home as none of my family fasts and I am the chef..lol
So share your thoughts and experiences
While fasting benefits like autophagy, HGH and fat burning amplify after 3 days, possible dangers like electrolyte/vitamins deficienies start to build up as well which can ultimately lead to refeeding syndrome, especially for fasts longer than 10+ days
You have a lot more experience than me (I’ve done a lot of 72h fasts and only one 7-day), but based on the research I’ve read it seems like 5-7 days is the sweet spot. You get the full benefits of autophagy and stem cell rejuvenation without risking the possible serious issues that can arise with longer fasts. I hope to do a quarterly 5-7 day fast for the longevity benefits, even after I hit my weight target.
I have a similar fasting experience as you. I’ve been fasting consistently since April, lost 65 lbs, and I started with a 7 day fast, and then fell into a pattern of weekly 90-96h fasts, one meal, then roll immediately into a 48h fast. Now that I’ve reached goal weight, I’ve been struggling to find a maintenance plan.
I find my sweet spot to by 90-96h. I just did another 7 day fast to reboot after thanksgiving and family birthdays, but I too don’t think the positives outweigh the negatives in fasts over 96 hours. I will only do longer fasts in rare situations to rekickstart my fasting schedule.
Like you my longest fast is 21 days and I will never do that again.
Hey! So for me, I notice that after the first 3 days it gets easier, and it gets especially easier after week 1. So for me, the sweet spot is anywhere from 7- 14 days. I plan to embark on another long one soon! Good luck on your fasting journey!