Getting the will to fast

What are you trying to achieve?

Are you on an intermittent fasting diet?

Don't try and do it all at once. Miss out breakfast for a few days. If you can, make bone broth, drink Bovril or oxo.
Don't rush it or you will give up. Plan it and get stuff ready for a week at a time.

What are you eating when you aren't fasting? I find it easier to fast when in or close to ketosis which I try to be most of the time. I would start by trying something like 16:8 where you only eat in an 8 hour window (whatever times suit you) then slowly increase the fasting time to 20 then 24 hours. Then do a 40 hour when you eat dinner one day then eat nothing until lunch the next day but one.
Also I find it useful to set a time/number of days before starting so my head is there already such as "tomorrow I will fast for 20 hours" seems to help the willpower a bit. Also if very hungry I take a slug of double cream from the pot to assuage those pangs.
Following this method I did a 5 day fast last week which felt ok.
Listening to a Jason Fung podcast today he said try anything from hours up to 7 days but beware the 48 hour as most people feel really bad on the second day and then get better afterwards so that by day 5 they feel great and want to go on more.
Sounds like you are not measuring your glucose levels which I would heartily recommend before starting as you can then see the great results that fasting can bring which gives even more encouragement.
Hope that ramble helps a bit.
Regards
Mark

collectingrocks said:

I suspect my BS is high so I want to get this down.

I have managed to fast today but will probably be craving food by 7am tommorw

Click to expand...

If you just suspect that your glucose levels are high, it sounds as though your don't have a meter to test them? In which case it may be better in the first instance to get yourself one and do some before and after meals checks. Cutting out or down on the foods that cause large spikes will probably do you just as much good as struggling to do some longer term fasts.

Robbity

It really sounds as if you need more information on fasting before you do it. Breaking a fast with a big fatty meal is a recipe for disaster, I am afraid.

I recommend that you read Jason Fung's entire blog series on fasting before you try fasting again. It will give you all the information you need, and give you confidence.

I did several months of 16/8 IF before moving on to 24 hr fasts 2-3 times a week. I intend, soon, to try a 36 hour fast as a trial. But at each stage I have carefully monitored blood glucose (I agree with @Robbity that you should be testing), and assessed myself throughout. There was one day when I just knew I needed to eat, did so and felt better. Turned out I had a mild bug.

Here is the link to part 1 of the blog series.
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/fasting-a-history-part-i/
The more information you have, the better you will understand what is happening.

Thank you for the link @Brunneria which I've bookmarked

I had two issues when I first started trying to fast. The first was my anxiety about deprivation, and then worrying about having to make it through to the finish line. I found once I gave myself permission to eat if I thought I had to, then I didn't worry about it anymore, and didn't think about it. And usually I didn't eat. Hunger moments pass quickly.It helps to be busy.
At times when I got really snakey and couldn't get my mind off of food or the feeling of desolation,I found it helpful to sit down and reread a chapter or two of Dr. Fung which helped me remember why I was doing this. The chapters are short and breezy reading. Or read some of the threads on this blog. The people here have the best forum and the most generous spirit of any group I have found. The thread above has some great advice. Try it

Tomorrow, I am going to see an affiliate doctor of Dr. Fung's to get support to try a longer fast. As I'm a high risk heart patient and have been fat since I was four, it's going to be a challenge. Who knows what she will say is possible for an old broad. But truly the fasting is not a hard thing. It's getting your head wrapped around your own issues that make you think you will fail. People all over the world are changing their lives, and you can too! Best of luck!!!

Nothing really to add, I just wanted to find my way back to the thread. Gonna give it a go tomorrow......

Okay, I'm having a go at this. I've been having trouble getting back on the straight and narrow so I'm hoping this will help me get a handle on things. I'm aiming for 24 hours, - I'm assuming I start the count from when I last ate? If so, I'm at the 14 hour mark now. I feel totally fine so I'm going to see how long I can go before I totally HAVE to eat something. If I can get to the 24 hour point, then I may very well just go to bed and see how I feel about it in the morning. I did a VLCD when I was younger and I remember that not eating at all was so much easier than faffing around with can't eat this and measuring that. Maybe this will kickstart me back on to a VLCD. Who knows.

hornplayer said:

Okay, I'm having a go at this. I've been having trouble getting back on the straight and narrow so I'm hoping this will help me get a handle on things. I'm aiming for 24 hours, - I'm assuming I start the count from when I last ate? If so, I'm at the 14 hour mark now. I feel totally fine so I'm going to see how long I can go before I totally HAVE to eat something. If I can get to the 24 hour point, then I may very well just go to bed and see how I feel about it in the morning. I did a VLCD when I was younger and I remember that not eating at all was so much easier than faffing around with can't eat this and measuring that. Maybe this will kickstart me back on to a VLCD. Who knows.

Click to expand...

Have you done any preparation at all? Do you low carb now?

I do, yes, but I slip up quite often.

hornplayer said:

I do, yes, but I slip up quite often.

Click to expand...

That's ok but I found it much easier fasting once in ketosis. Recently found a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1595453080771766/?fref=nf
which has loads of fasters and Keto dieters. Has some good advice an seems v friendly although maybe a bit USA in its membership.

bulkbiker said:

That's ok but I found it much easier fasting once in ketosis. Recently found a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1595453080771766/?fref=nf
which has loads of fasters and Keto dieters. Has some good advice an seems v friendly although maybe a bit USA in its membership.

Click to expand...

I feel fine at the moment. Yes, I'm sure ketosis would make things easier, but I'll make up for that with sheer stubbornness lol.

Thanks for the link - I don't do face book, but I'm reading the blog that was mentioned in an earlier post and it's really interesting.

How long is a typical fast? And what sort of thing do you - and others- eat between fasts?

I go anywhere from 24 to 120 hours so far. I live on tea (with unsweetened soya milk), coffee with double cream and unsweetened soya and sometimes a consommé to keep up the salt ;levels. If I get bad hunger pangs a mouthful of double cream does the trick (straight from the pot cos that's naughtier...). I'm currently doing a week of bacon (10-12 rashers of streaky) only once a day to see if that helps with ketosis. So far so good... my ketones are higher after 4 days of that then they were after 4 days of fasting. I'm stubborn and maybe a bit extreme too but weight loss stalled a bit after 5 1/2 stone and want to loose another 2 or so..

That sounds good. Exactly what I want. So far, I've had a black coffee (decaf) and lots of water. I feel much calmer than I have in weeks. More in control.

Just made a batch of plum and amaretto jam, and managed not to taste it for once! Lol

hornplayer said:

That sounds good. Exactly what I want. So far, I've had a black coffee (decaf) and lots of water. I feel much calmer than I have in weeks. More in control.

Click to expand...

Yes after decades of overeating I now feel mostly in control.. Still have to watch it though and be careful. it is far too easy to relapse.