Longer fast

[Drfarxan]

16 hours isn't working for me any more after losing 20kg i have been stuck around the same weight for 7 months. I want to break the threshold and go full OMAD or even for monthly 72 hours fast on the weeknds. I am 92 kg now from 112/114 kg last year june. But my BMI is still in the "overweight" range. Seen some members here who have lost 40 kg!! My target is 75-80 kg.


Has any of you ever done a long fast like 2 days or one week and saw benefits? what were the benefits? did the weight return?

 

[Member496333]

Never done much more than 48h I don’t think, but I never needed to lose weight and was using fasting solely to give super stubborn insulin resistance a black eye.

I think @bulkbiker lost a ton of weight with the aid of fasting so perhaps he will share his experience. Could be wrong but I recall him mentioning stalls in weight loss.

 

[jonathan183]

Personally I would not exceed 7 days but my experience up to that has been OK - obviously adjusting any medication to suit.

I found it dropped my blood glucose usually close to 4mmol/l (actually as low as about 3.6mmol/l before I started on medication), which at times I have certainly struggled to do (especially when trying to control with diet and exercise when initially misdiagnosed as type 2).

My aim was lower blood glucose and keeping weight stable rather than weight loss ... I've been the same weight within about 2 or 3kg for a couple of years despite having to start on insulin

 

[bulkbiker]

16 hours isn't working for me any more after losing 20kg i have been stuck around the same weight for 7 months. I want to break the threshold and go full OMAD or even for monthly 72 hours fast on the weeknds. I am 92 kg now from 112/114 kg last year june. But my BMI is still in the "overweight" range. Seen some members here who have lost 40 kg!! My target is 75-80 kg.


Has any of you ever done a long fast like 2 days or one week and saw benefits? what were the benefits? did the weight return?

I’ve done a few 7 day fasts although not for a few years. They helped me to get through some weight loss stalls.
My fasting crutch is coffee with cream multiple times a day but nothing solid.

 

[Drfarxan]

I’ve done a few 7 day fasts although not for a few years. They helped me to get through some weight loss stalls.
My fasting crutch is coffee with cream multiple times a day but nothing solid.

i will start for maybe a 2 day fast then work my way to a week just to break the stall.

 

[jonathan183]

i will start for maybe a 2 day fast then work my way to a week just to break the stall.

I think I have seen a video with Jason Fung where he indicated day 2 is the hardest ... so you might want to try the extra day especially if you find day 2 hard. Sorry can't recall if it was on YouTube or diet doctor

 

[bulkbiker]

I think I have seen a video with Jason Fung where he indicated day 2 is the hardest ... so you might want to try the extra day especially if you find day 2 hard. Sorry can't recall if it was on YouTube or diet doctor

Indeed the period around 48 (40-54) hours is usually the hardest so maybe try and start your fast when that period is covered by sleep or at least some of the period is. .

 

[Debmcgee]

I also remember that doing a 48 hr fast wasn’t as effective as 72 but cannot remember why. Something to do with background insulin depletion kicking in at 48 hrs most efficiently so one should carry on another day. I think it’s mind over matter and hard if people know what you’re up to as they will try and tempt us out of fasting.

 

[Debmcgee]

My longest ever fast was 10 days and I felt amazing after it although reintroducing food was very tricky! It improved my dairy intolerance and made all my chesty cough disappear. That was when I was 100% keto and so focused. I’m aiming to get back to that version of myself again asap x

 

[AloeSvea]

Hi @Drfarxan. My longest fast too, was between 10 and 11 days. My understanding of individual metabolisms and responses to fasting, and other interventions/treatments is that people differ hugely in terms of permanent weight loss, and how long improvements in insulin (as in reduction of) and blood glucose levels, last.

In other words - the only way you are going to know if your metabolism responds well to a long-term fast is by doing it and see. Is my understanding.

I don't have any kind of issue with reintroducing food after any kind of fast, or food reduction plan. But weight loss is only temporary for me, and I regain what I lost. It takes a lot longer to change my waist hip ratio, though, and the benefits, as in reducing my belly fat/waist and hip size in longer fasts, can last quite a long time. The same with my own insulin production.

But it has not been permanent, and me keeping an eye on my waist size (ie the fat on and in my abdominal organs) is a constant thing, as is keeping an eye on how much insulin I am producing, and using degrees of fasting, and lowering carbs further, or changing food and drink to keep it all in check. (With varying degrees of success.)