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5:2 or other fasting. anyone fasting today?

Hi what are Kallo cubes please never heard of them
 
Hi Can someone explain what fasting is for, also if I do not eat in a morning sometime I feel a bit light headed, anyone else like this
 
Hi @amgrundy

Kallo is a brand of stock cubes, organic, in beef, chicken and vegetable varieties. You can add them to soups or stews, like any stock cube, or just dissolve one (or 1/2) in a mug of boiling water for a healthy electrolyte-boosting drink.

What is fasting for? Improving health - BG levels and body composition. Have a look at the videos and about 20 blog posts by Dr Jason Fung starting from here: https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/fasting-a-history-part-i/ for more information.

Why do you feel light headed if you don't eat in the morning? It could be because your BG is disturbed (how well do you control your BG?). You could just be dehydrated and need to drink a glass or two of water. Another possibility is, if you have been on LCHF for a while and been drinking lots of water, that you may have flushed out the necessary salts (sodium, potassium and magnesium), so you might need that Kallo cube drink!
 
Hi Larissima Thanks for your explanations and I will definitely will try the Kallo stock cubes
 
Hello. I am doing 17/7 fasting. I tried 5:2 but found that I was so hungry on those days I couldn't sleep. I then saw an article on circadian rhythms and it made sense to me. I cannot eat breakfast whatever the nhs says about starting the day well. My digestion in the morning and evening is rubbish. So I don't eat breakfast till 10.30 when I am actually hungry. I finish eating at 5.30. Having said this I watch carefully what I eat all day. So veggie soup for lunch. No bread. Dinner is heavily veggie with brown rice or new pots in their skin. I eat berries at breakfast and after dinner. Banana is a snack at coffee break. It is very disciplined but having had three lots of medication that all made me Ill so I was desperate. My blood will be tested this month to see how I have done. Fingers crossed.
 
I have deliberately stopped texting during the experiment to concentrate on recognising the rhythms. But I have just tested pre-breakfast for the first time and the result was 6.0. Maybe should have left it another half an hour. Also because of weather did not run this morning so that could all make a difference. Will start testing now and see how it goes. Thanks for reading this - I really need a sounding board as I am flying on my own with this.
 
How is everyone doing with fasting?

I had to reduce mine in the last month or so, as I was feeling rather poorly (weak and tired) for a few weeks after a very bad chest virus. I ate one meal a day on Mon/W/F, and normally on the other 4 days (4:3 pattern). My FBG was fluctuating around 6 (I prefer it around 5), and my weight was also up and down by a lb or two. From this week I've been back on the 36 hrs fast as I'm thankfully feeling better, and the FBG is already slightly improved. Looking forward to the weigh-in on Saturday!
 
I've been LCHF diet now for 2 months and with some added daily fasting hours...14-16 hrs or until I get REALLY hungry.
My progress with lowering blood sugars have come to stands still..I'm happy with my morning readings but after that they tend to hover in 6's. I'm now wondering about bringing in fasting in more drastic measures. Maybe first a full day two at the time until I my body gets hang of it all and I see what will happen (if anything) with readings. I just can't decide how to get on with my medication when not eating!? So if anybody have any suggestions...they will be appreciated.
At the moment I take Metformin..and I'm taking Lantus which I take in two lots as otherwise my 'sugars' tend to go too low in the morning/during night and daytime I take small 2-4 units dozes of short acting insulin (or go without a doze) depending what I eat.
I tend to eat 2 meals and 'little bit of something'/creamy coffee/ broth. When I have really carb low day I can go without short acting insulin.
I really don't have any faith asking ideas from diabetic nurse.....so I know if I'm going to have a go...I just have to figure it all out myself...but I just don't seem to get my head around it. Maybe I should do it drastically....drop Lantus into half doze and forget short acting and see what happens.. with little bit of back round insulin in my system, at least to start with, will avoid any drastic effects from possible liver dump?
So what do you all think?
 
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@Finsky , I saw on another thread that you have started a fast - how is it going? What are you planning to do, and what is the goal? I'm sorry that I haven't replied to your post here, but that's because I have no experience of insulin.

I've got an opportunity to fast for 3 days (80 hours) this week, as the OH is away for work. I was rather excited at the planning stage, but now that it's here I'm a bit scared... Well, as Dr Fung says, if something goes wrong I can eat! I hope that it will all go fine, though, I still have plenty of fat to melt (and sugar to release from the liver).
 
Yep...I have and I can now say that worst is over. 3 days ago...day before starting the fast I had carb free day to ease myself to fasting....or so I thought First day was fine...I wasn't hungry and body was pumping glucose into blood stream so first day I had 3 units of short acting insulin to correct one higher reading. I stopped taking long acting insulin altogether. First couple of days my blood sugar readings were hovering around 6.5-9.2. I took one metformin in first day....BUT... I didn't take anymore..I was totally 'empty' after that
First night was really rough..I had the classic symptoms...feeling cold, achy and otherwise weird...but no head ache at all!
Second day I woke up slightly better though still feeling little weak and light headed, but that passed and yesterday evening I started to feel really empty, hungry and my tummy started 'talking'. Last night I woke up after few hours of sleep...I had couple of hot drinks and water with little squeeze of lemon, read some book for a while and once back into sleep I slept beautifully . This morning I woke up feeling perfectly normal ...well, little empty but not hungry at all and my morning reading was down to 6.0.
I am now taking this day at the time...since I felt so much better this morning and still am..I'm carrying on fasting as I seem to have 'turn the corner'. I think I'm going to keep up, at least as long until I don't need any correcting insulin injections...though last two days I've only had 2, one at 2 units and other 3 units...so going is good.
I know I asked many questions...but starting this fasting really has answered all the questions itself...I've tested my blood sugars every couple of hours each day and taken from there. Because I've been on short acting insulin anyway, it gives chance to correct the sugar levels 'instantly'...rather than having to rely long acting stuff and then having to deal with because it is in your system..and after being so many weeks on LCHF diet I've reduced my insulin take so low anyway..there was not that much to doze anymore anyway.
I'm also loosing little weight too...well, obviously....400g per day, which I think is quite a lot! But...that is good bonus and time will tell what effect that will have in future.
During my fast I've been drinking 'fruity' herbal tea, stock made with Kallo stock cubes, black coffee and water with little squeeze of fresh lemon...and I'm gulping something almost all the time, just alternating the drinks. I think that is the reason I've avoided any headaches.
So that's that so far....funny how some memories are surfacing from my last long fast...nearly 30 years ago...every time I get change in my body's 'feeling' I get that 'de ja vu' ..'ah, yes...' moment. Though then I did my week fasts with help of Vogel 'fasting kit' ..all the drinks, supplements, instructions and enema kit in one package...it was convenient and 'easy' but costly way of doing it.
ETA; Hmm..'goal'...well, I'm doing this entirely to see what is my body's long term response for fasting. I think of it as 'shock treatment' and hoping it will have some lasting effect to my insulin resistance. I suppose I'm in quest to find solution to be as drug free as possible. Being diabetic so long and from early on in my life, I do realize that I quite likely not be able be diabetes free...but I still want to challenge my body and 'doctors'....if only I could prove them wrong.. I'm putting good 'fight' on and not allow them to prescribe me anymore meds
 
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Thanks for sharing your experience! Good luck in continuing, too - I've never fasted for longer than 36 hours before, but I see you have done weekly fasts in the past. Was it before the T2D diagnosis?
 
Larissima said:
Thanks for sharing your experience! Good luck in continuing, too - I've never fasted for longer than 36 hours before, but I see you have done weekly fasts in the past. Was it before the T2D diagnosis?
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Yes it was...but that time I was doing for sake of vanity... I was doing lot of weight lifting and many of my gym friends were 'at it' as well...so I kind of followed the 'gang'. Looking at back now, it might be reason that I might have hold off diabetes diagnose little longer! I was 23 when diagnosed as diabetic...and I know couple years earlier on there was question mark over my blood sugar levels but I never followed that through nor did the doctor call me in any further tests. I was in my late teens/early 20's when anything with 'Vogel' was bit 'hit' with us weight lifters.. ...well, supposed it was better than doing steroids.
When I did 1 week fast first time...I can remember it being VERY 'painful' experience of the first few days..although I did go through similar things this time, but maybe because I've experienced it before..it didn't feel quite as bad this time round...or maybe being low carb and not going 'cold turkey' took the edge off from it. Who knows..I do feel great now. I've just been for good walk and just like yesterday...walking seems to make your body feel good.
I now know that when I'm planning to do this again...I'll have to time it so that I'm not doing anything particular for first 3 days and treat them as 'sick days'..one just have to be so gentle to one's body until 'feel good' factor kicks in and you are able to resume into normal daily routine.
On the way back from walk I stopped to fill up with herbal tea bags, lemons and limes and mint...I'm now planning to carry on few days more unless something drastic will happen....I think I'll head for full week and it will take few days after that to ease one's tummy back into solids again. Then I'm getting blood tests done and I've got appointment to see D.nurse ...she'll be surprised what has happened with me
 
This fast information is all good to know, especially that intermittant fasting and fasts like 16:8 helps keep the weight off after ND. 16:8 means that you eat in the 8 hour window and then nothing for next 16 hours?
I believe that fasts and eating minimally keep us healthiest.
 
I do a 42 hour fast once a week. Starts Monday @ 7pm through to 1pm Wed afternoon when I break it with a brunch. Helps keep my BS in the 4s as an average through the week, makes me feel great. Now on my 7th consecutive and very straightforward. I drink, green tea, coffee, water and broth cubes to keep up the salt as I'm also on ketogenic diet (20g carbs) and plenty of exercise daily run, 3x resistance in gym. Combined had a dramatic affect on all metabolic markers.


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anyone tried long term water fasts? i wanted to do 21 days but stopped on day 6 as my blood ketones were almost 7.
 
msmi1970 said:
anyone tried long term water fasts? i wanted to do 21 days but stopped on day 6 as my blood ketones were almost 7.
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Flipping hec that's hardcore would scare me to death.


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KevinPotts said:
Flipping hec that's hardcore would scare me to death.


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Click to expand...
exactly why i stopped Kevin. the highest it had been previously when eating LCHF with good weight loss was 5. this was getting too much for me. i did feel absolutely fine & my blood sugars were 3.6 so all good. thought i would see if anyone had been there before and what the safe cut off point should be...
 
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