Hello All! I am new to this sub but I wanted to know what’s your experience been like while 30 day water fasting. Though I’ve done intermittent fasting and later switched to doing rolling 72s - I plan on starting my own 30 day water fast tomorrow to lose weight. Any tips? Warnings?
my experience was getting to day 5 and realizing I had to do that stretch of time 5 more times to reach my goal
needless to say I bailed out lol
IMO long fasts for weight loss aren’t a good idea, just unnecessary and feed into a unhealthy boom/bust pattern that so many fall into, aka yoyo dieting. rolling 72’s are plenty as long as you aren’t binging during your eating period, just keep doing that and let time take care of the rest, it ain’t a sprint it’s a marathon.
I’m on day 31 of a (planned) 45 day fast. No hunger but do find myself looking up things I want to eat at some point, recipes, food shows, etc.. Weight loss slows down dramatically after first 7 or 8 days. Diarrhea is a daily issue but manageable, (never trust a fart). Energy levels decent, very very important to keep up on electrolyte supplements. I take sodium chloride tablets (3 - 4/day) and magnesium citrate and potassium citrate. Have to make a conscious effort to drink more water, have dry mouth frequently. Have a really bad taste in my mouth all the time, brushing/mouthwash helps but doesn’t solve it. I often have a slight sensation that I am smelling smoke when there is none.
I’ve done long fasts before but one thing I have done this time is absolutely no artificial sweeteners or anything really but water. In the past I have done extended fasts and allowed myself the occasional diet coke but I really think that sweet taste messed with my insulin levels and did not help. In the beginning of this fast I was still drinking black coffee in the mornings but I have stopped and now just drink water. Good luck on your fast.
I can only do multi-day fasts when I get into the mental zone. Once I do, they are easy-peasy. I work, look feed the kids, do everything I used to do except eat. I feel hungry all the time, but I am never tempted to eat.
I get into the zone by planning to fast soonish. I consider external factors - social events, work, family to decide when is a good time to start. I might low carb a few days before then to get into ketosis sooner. Then around the time I plan I wake one morning and I am mentally ready. If I wake up and I’m still debating whether to fast, I am not in the zone. Sometimes I can tell the night before - it’s time, I am fasting tomorrow.
The great thing about long fasts is you gain lots of mental space. No need to think about what you should eat, planning meals, no eating, no cooking, shopping, etc..
The bad thing about long fasts is the boredom. You don’t realize how much time and mental energy is wrapped up in food. If you don’t have something to do with that mental space, that can be miserable.
So make plans, keep busy. Socializing is a bit iffy, since so much of it is about eating. (Ideas below if you need them.)
Good luck!
Suggestions: Go full in on your hobby. Try meditation, or yoga. Go for walks. Explore parts of your town/city/area you’ve never seen
The first 15 days are difficult to say the least, after that it’s bliss. Work-out if you can, your HGH levels jump up 300% after 3-4 days fasting, and over 1000 at the 1 week mark. Make sure you have an eating plan for after or you will put weight back on quickly.
I did 30 days this past July. I had built it up to a climbing Mt. Everest-size goal in my mind, but it was totally doable. There were some low-points, but the only true obstacle was my mindset, which I overcame, partly by finding one motiviational quote per day and sticking it to my wall.
The first and last weeks were the toughest for me.