Hi! I really want to try a 10 day water fast. I need to lose about 50-60 lbs and figured if I do a few 10 day water fasts intermittently with OMAD lifestyle I should be able to do that in a few months. I keep hearing scary stuff about refeeding syndrome and this is the only thing that’s keeping me from starting tomorrow. Can anyone tell me how to prevent that? Any pointers would be helpful! Thanks!
I’m still a newbie but I just completed a 9.5 day water fast last night. Here are some tips for you:
• Don’t always go big or go home: sometimes starting OMAD is a better way to get your body to adjust to cravings and then take a dive into the deep end once you feel comfortable
• The hunger will go away: any time you feel you’re stomach growling and you think you need food ASAP, you don’t. Just get past that hour of hunger and you’ll be golden
•Drink plenty of water: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Also you NEED to supplement with electrolytes. What I used for this was a diy combination that I’m sure many people here are aware of, snake juice. Take a look into the recipe and use this after the 36-48 hour mark (or if you’re feeling lethargic, nauseous, light headed, ect). This is very important as it was for me.
• Refeeding: take it SLOW. What I did was drink about a cup or cup in a half of bone broth to get your body back into the state of digestion. After about an hour, I prepared myself a small plate of veggies, high fat foods like Avacado, some good bacteria rich foods, and a small portion of chicken. Im sure there are other ways to go about this but this was just me. You will feel your glucose levels rise and your heart start beating faster (at least for me) but after I didn’t find many other side effects worth noting of. It sounds scary but this brings me to my last point.
•Listen to your body! Common side effects you’ll experience will be remedied by electrolytes, but there are some cases where you need to listen to your body. If you feel like you are having side effects that are not normal, stop there and start your refeeding routine. And of course, consult a medical professional if it becomes serious. There’s no shame in not reaching your goal, and you’ll always have chances to start again. Your health is the number one priority!
Stay safe and happy fasting!
From what I understand about refeeding syndrome, you want to avoid a rapid rise in insulin levels. A sudden rise in insulin after prolonged fasting can cause dangerously low levels of essential ions/electrolytes in your blood. So when you break the fast, avoid carbs, and start slow, don’t eat a massive meal right away. Don’t eat things like fruit or cereal or bread, stick with broth, meat, eggs, etc. Having GI issues is not the same thing as refeeding syndrome, but it’s likely you might have them, especially when you are new to fasting. Stay near a bathroom.