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Nutrition How to make fasting tolerable?

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Pasibrzuch

Pasibrzuch

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Hello!
Recently I've been experimenting with fasting. I don't follow any specific protocol, but I made a huge step from I-will-burn-my-muscles kind of person, to doing my morning training with no breakfast before. My relationship with food feels better, I'm no longer stressing out if I don't eat a meal at a particular time of the day.
I wanted to give one 24h fast per week a chance. Yesterday, I drank only water and ate some active charcoal. In the middle of the day a headache started, focus was lowered, bad mood overwhelmed me. Even today I feel groggy enough to skip my training session.

I wanted to ask if longer fasting periods are something you need to ease into and start from shorter periods of fast? Or the aforementioned symptoms are just something that comes with it and the benefits can be felt only long-term?
If goals matter, my point is to train the ability to think clearly and operate with scarce food resources, so one day I can spend a solitary day in the forest with just water (they call it dopamine fasting nowadays, if I'm right.)
Thank you in advance!
 
Metabolic flexibility is trainable, once you have adapted to it you definitely won't feel any of the negative effects you mentioned. I can't speak about long fasts as I have never done one, but 24 hours is easy once you are accustomed to it. Just give it time and build up to it and soon enough it's going to be easy.
 
When I was home during the first part of quarantine over a year ago now, I began to experiment with 24 hour fasts. Now I find them very easy to do on a weekly basis. The only things that I drink are water and coffee. I make sure that my water consumption is ahead of my coffee consumption, and it's been very doable. I agree with others. I think that you'll find that it gets easier over time.
 
Pasibrzuch said:
Hello!
Recently I've been experimenting with fasting. I don't follow any specific protocol, but I made a huge step from I-will-burn-my-muscles kind of person, to doing my morning training with no breakfast before. My relationship with food feels better, I'm no longer stressing out if I don't eat a meal at a particular time of the day.
I wanted to give one 24h fast per week a chance. Yesterday, I drank only water and ate some active charcoal. In the middle of the day a headache started, focus was lowered, bad mood overwhelmed me. Even today I feel groggy enough to skip my training session.

I wanted to ask if longer fasting periods are something you need to ease into and start from shorter periods of fast? Or the aforementioned symptoms are just something that comes with it and the benefits can be felt only long-term?
If goals matter, my point is to train the ability to think clearly and operate with scarce food resources, so one day I can spend a solitary day in the forest with just water (they call it dopamine fasting nowadays, if I'm right.)
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Simple. Not necessarily easy. I thinking recognizing hunger as just hunger (a feeling) and doing something else will help THAT pass. The headaches and stuff can be annoying sometimes. I used to get them when i started the whole fasting thing. I feel like my general overall feeling for the day depends more on what I ate the day before. If I eat a lot of carbs or something the day before I usually kinda feel it. If it’s been a week of steak and eggs then I just don’t eat the next day I tend to feel fine.
Push through it. Probably gonna suck. But you’ll feel better afterward. If you keep it up and still feel like crap just weight the cost/benefits out and maybe don’t do it? I’m guessing you’ll get used to it though.
Also... can’t remember if you mentioned but getting adapted to a sort of 16/8 fast will probably help too before jumping in to a 24 hour.
Again. Hunger is just a feeling. You’re not going to die. Try to have “non-judgemental present time kind awareness” of these sort of feelings and move along :)
 
Pasibrzuch said:
Hello!
Recently I've been experimenting with fasting. I don't follow any specific protocol, but I made a huge step from I-will-burn-my-muscles kind of person, to doing my morning training with no breakfast before. My relationship with food feels better, I'm no longer stressing out if I don't eat a meal at a particular time of the day.
I wanted to give one 24h fast per week a chance. Yesterday, I drank only water and ate some active charcoal. In the middle of the day a headache started, focus was lowered, bad mood overwhelmed me. Even today I feel groggy enough to skip my training session.

I wanted to ask if longer fasting periods are something you need to ease into and start from shorter periods of fast? Or the aforementioned symptoms are just something that comes with it and the benefits can be felt only long-term?
If goals matter, my point is to train the ability to think clearly and operate with scarce food resources, so one day I can spend a solitary day in the forest with just water (they call it dopamine fasting nowadays, if I'm right.)
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Do you normally take in some caffeine in the morning ?
 
IMayAgainKnowChris said:
Simple. Not necessarily easy.
Click to expand...
That's a good word. I shouldn't have said, "easy," because that's relative. I do find them fairly simple to do now.

The biggest thing for me is to stay hydrated. As long as I do that, I typically don't have any problems with my fast. And, yes, it does become easier over time, but I do recognize that some people struggle more with headaches and mood than I have.
 
Pasibrzuch said:
I wanted to give one 24h fast per week a chance. Yesterday, I drank only water and ate some active charcoal. In the middle of the day a headache started, focus was lowered, bad mood overwhelmed me. Even today I feel groggy enough to skip my training session.
Click to expand...
Glucose Dependent

Base on your symptoms, it appears that you are still Glucose Dependent.

Your body and especially need glucose to optimally operate effective.

Since you are still Glucoe Dependent and you not taking in carbohydrates (glucose), nothing is working well; your body or your brain.

You have not achieved...

Metabolic Flexibility

As you probably know, Metabolic Flexibility means you body is able to utilize glucose or ketone, depenent on you activity.

Intermittent Fasting program you body use the right fuel for the right activity.

Pasibrzuch said:
I wanted to ask if longer fasting periods are something you need to ease into and start from shorter periods of fast?
Click to expand...

Dr Mike T. Nelson Recommendation

Nelson is one of the leading researcher on Intermittent Fasting.

One of the best recommentations from Nelson for individual who are Glucose Dependent is to ease into it.

For individual in this category, Nelson recommenation is stop eating at let's say 6 pm. Then have breakfast at your regular morning time, let's say 6 am.

You then ease into it by pushing having something to eat to 7 am, then 8 am, etc.

As per...
superendurance said:
Metabolic flexibility is trainable, once you have adapted to it you definitely won't feel any of the negative effects you mentioned.
Click to expand...

Adaptation

Once your body has become Metabolically Flexible, you are able to access body fat (ketones) for fuel rather being reliant on glucose.

As superendurance noted, once you are adapted, the longer you go without eating, the better you feel and you are no longer hungry.

Personal Experience

My first Intermittent Fast was 24 hour without any issue. Evidently, I was Metabolically Flexible.

I eventually did a 47 hour fast; ending it at 6 pm one night.

My next day was a heavy Squat Day. It went great.

My Wife's Experience

Hers was similar to your, it took her more time to ease into it.

Her Intermittent Fast are now around 18 hours without any issues.

Brad Pilon, MS Nutrition

Pilon did his Master on Intermittent Fasting

As per Pilon, fasting for 12 hours is effective.

Once you reach 12, you have succeeded.

Going longer (it appear that 16 hour fast are the sweet spot) appears to be a little more effective.

However, if you don't feel good after 12 hours, have something to eat.

There no sense in making yourself miseable and possibly taking it out on others.

After 12 hours you have succeeded, mission accomplished. See how the next Fast goes.
 
When I first began doing IF, after about 12 hours I would start to get really cold, get headaches, and couldn’t focus at all. After I would finally eat at about the 16 hour mark, I would crave sugar so badly, I ended up eating more calories than without a fast.

I stuck with it on and off though, and eventually all those feelings went away and now it’s quite easy.

I’ve only done a few 24 hours fasts, and for me it is only easy if I’m busy at work and can keep my mind busy. There’s no way I could get through the day at home with all the food in the house and the family eating all day. If you’re busy and don’t have easy access to food, it makes it much easier.
 
Just cause it’s worth mentioning my experience. I don’t think I’ve ever done IF or full day fasts when I wasn’t doing a low carb diet. So your mileage may vary.
When I would do 2-3 day fasts after day 2 I actually felt like I was a super human and had this amazing clear concentration and generally elevated mood.
 
BJJ Shawn said:
When I first began doing IF, after about 12 hours I would start to get really cold, get headaches, and couldn’t focus at all. After I would finally eat at about the 16 hour mark, I would crave sugar so badly, I ended up eating more calories than without a fast.
Click to expand...
Withdrawal

This essentially is the same as being a drug dependence addiction.

In this case, you are Glucose Dependent; you are physically and psychologially dependent on it.

Metaphoridally speaking, "Shooting Up" in glucose (sugar) makes you feel better; give you a bit of a high.

My Two Favorte "Drugs" of Choice

I am on the Ketogenic Diet for health reasons.

Back in my "Glucose High Days" two of my favorites stacks were Reese's Peanutbutter Cups with Dr Pepper; so, I understand.

Glucose Vs Cocaine
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward

Refined sugars (e.g., sucrose, fructose) were absent in the diet of most people until very recently in human history. Today overconsumption of diets rich in sugars contributes together with other factors to drive the current obesity epidemic. Overconsumption ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals.

Lay's Potato Chips

As their TV commercial once said, "They are so tasty you can't eat just one."

BJJ Shawn said:
I stuck with it on and off though, and eventually all those feelings went away and now it’s quite easy.
Click to expand...
Delirium Tremens (DTs)

To some degree, the withdrawal from glucose (sugar) elicite the same effect.

Going through the DTs of Glucose Dependency is difficult.
 
Pasibrzuch said:
Hello!
Recently I've been experimenting with fasting. I don't follow any specific protocol, but I made a huge step from I-will-burn-my-muscles kind of person, to doing my morning training with no breakfast before. My relationship with food feels better, I'm no longer stressing out if I don't eat a meal at a particular time of the day.
I wanted to give one 24h fast per week a chance. Yesterday, I drank only water and ate some active charcoal. In the middle of the day a headache started, focus was lowered, bad mood overwhelmed me. Even today I feel groggy enough to skip my training session.

I wanted to ask if longer fasting periods are something you need to ease into and start from shorter periods of fast? Or the aforementioned symptoms are just something that comes with it and the benefits can be felt only long-term?
If goals matter, my point is to train the ability to think clearly and operate with scarce food resources, so one day I can spend a solitary day in the forest with just water (they call it dopamine fasting nowadays, if I'm right.)
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...

Just work your way up to it. Honestly if you exercise regularly and eat a varied diet you are already plenty "metabolically flexible". If you weren't, you'd have been diagnosed by now with a very serious medical condition.

Make sure to hydrate.

I don't do IF, but recently went over 24hrs w/ no food just for a colonoscopy. I felt fine, wasn't even all that hungry afterward.

I imagine it can take a few to get used to elevated cortisol etc. If you normally drink coffee you'll want to wean off of it. That alone will give you headache and brain fog, amplified considerably by dehydration.
 
kennycro@@aol.com said:
Withdrawal

This essentially is the same as being a drug dependence addiction.

In this case, you are Glucose Dependent; you are physically and psychologially dependent on it.

Metaphoridally speaking, "Shooting Up" in glucose (sugar) makes you feel better; give you a bit of a high.

My Two Favorte "Drugs" of Choice

I am on the Ketogenic Diet for health reasons.

Back in my "Glucose High Days" two of my favorites stacks were Reese's Peanutbutter Cups with Dr Pepper; so, I understand.

Glucose Vs Cocaine
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward

Refined sugars (e.g., sucrose, fructose) were absent in the diet of most people until very recently in human history. Today overconsumption of diets rich in sugars contributes together with other factors to drive the current obesity epidemic. Overconsumption ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Our findings clearly demonstrate that intense sweetness can surpass cocaine reward, even in drug-sensitized and -addicted individuals.

Lay's Potato Chips

As their TV commercial once said, "They are so tasty you can't eat just one."


Delirium Tremens (DTs)

To some degree, the withdrawal from glucose (sugar) elicite the same effect.

Going through the DTs of Glucose Dependency is difficult.
Click to expand...
While I’m sure that is all the case, what’s crazy about that to me is I have never allowed myself to eat much sugar. I’ve never been a soda drinker, and I rarely eat candy because I know I love it. I did eat too many pretzels and would occasionally have chips, but it was never an everyday type of treat.

I feel much better now though, and do IF 5-6 days a week, and highly recommend it.
 
I've done IF and longer fasts for the past 5 years, and the first thing that made fasting easier was to do a few weeks of low carb prior to starting IF. Doing that allowed me to gain some metabolic flexibility which made the fasting a breeze. I've also done IF and longer fasts while working a manual labor job without issues, except on the longer fasts of 60+ hours. On those, the last day was usually hard at work.

The second thing that made fasting easier was to add a pinch of salt to my water. Very simple trick that really helps. If you don't like the taste of salted water I've also used these.

www.codeage.ca

Keto Electrolytes

Codeage Keto Electrolytes formula provides a convenient source of minerals designed for low-carb or keto diet and for those who want another source of electrolytes in their regimen. This formula offers essential minerals with sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Zero carbs, calories, or...
www.codeage.ca www.codeage.ca
 
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