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Nutrition Prolonged fasting

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Here's a food log of a 3 day or so fast (maybe 68 hours or so?) I did last year.
Short, multi-day fasting experiment
The conversation goes all over the place after my Day 3 entry (which is the end of the fast), so you can probably just read the first half dozen entries until that.
It wasn't bad. I was hoping for a sort of "magic bullet" that would easily drop me into a state of better mental performance for exams and whatnot, but no such luck. Still learned a fair amount.
 
Occasionally i've fasted up to 96 hours, with intake limited to water, black coffee, diet soft drink etc. I've never experienced any enhanced cognitive function from extended fasting (or keto) but it has been worthwhile to break the psychological link between daily living and food. Fact is the human doesn't have to eat three times, two times or even once daily. And if you happen not to eat daily nothing bad happens to you, once you become psychologically adapted to that reality. In particular your muscles don't drop off, you aren't bedridden by weakness, you don't become so fixated on food that cannibalism looks attractive etc. You do get a bit hungry from time to time, like nature intended. That's it.
 
Hi, have you ever tried prolonged fasting, 72 hour for instance?
Yep.

Occasionally i've fasted up to 96 hours, with intake limited to water, black coffee, diet soft drink etc. I've never experienced any enhanced cognitive function from extended fasting (or keto) but it has been worthwhile to break the psychological link between daily living and food. Fact is the human doesn't have to eat three times, two times or even once daily. And if you happen not to eat daily nothing bad happens to you, once you become psychologically adapted to that reality. In particular your muscles don't drop off, you aren't bedridden by weakness, you don't become so fixated on food that cannibalism looks attractive etc. You do get a bit hungry from time to time, like nature intended. That's it.
Some really good points here.
 
I’ve fasted for extended periods of time for religious reasons.

I also did the warrior diet for maybe 6 weeks?

I’ve done keto for 3 month stints.

I don’t know where all these ideas come from about better cognitive function, clearing of “brain fog”(whatever that’s supposed to be), or any of the other things quoted by each team on the efficacy of THEIR diet. None of that ever happened. I felt the same, only hungrier.

Now, I WILL say that regular fasting is fantastic for teaching you that you don’t actually NEED that food right now.

As a previous poster stated, it’s all psychological and I think it’s nice to be able to skip meals when necessary without having those mental freak outs that you’re gonna lose all your gainzz.
 
I don’t know where all these ideas come from about better cognitive function, clearing of “brain fog”(whatever that’s supposed to be), or any of the other things quoted by each team on the efficacy of THEIR diet. None of that ever happened. I felt the same, only hungrier.
You have to eat and live in way that puts your brain in a fog first, before you can find relief from it via one of the methods mentioned. ...is my guess.
 
I have fasted for 72 hr. Between 24 to 36 hr. was the toughest. Hunger, brain fog, headache, were all present. 36 to 72 hr. I felt great and seemed to have extra energy. There was still some hunger present but not like I experienced in the first 36 hr. Once I finished I eased back into eating. First broth and then the first solid food was dry toast.

I believe when I've fasted I have experience the same sensations only accelerated as when I have quit sugar. When quitting sugar it seems the first week to 10 days was just maybe psychological as far as the cravings. 10 Days to a bit over 2 weeks I had a mild headache which I associated with withdrawal. After that, again more energy and some other noticeable benefits such as clearer thinking.

My fasts have always been just water and black coffee. It is my understanding that a true fast is just water. It seems most of us use water, coffee, tea, and some folks some juice when fasting. Possibly if you just did a water fast you would see more benefits but that's just a guess on my part.
 
Cognitive benefits of fasting (improved mental energy, clarity etc) are extensively documented and I've even got friends that swear by them but, as stated above, I have never experienced anything like that personally. Can anyone suggest the physiological process that could flow from calorie restriction to acuity?
 
Can anyone suggest the physiological process that could flow from calorie restriction to acuity?
My knee jerk response is that it's just a happy little cocktail of ketones and low dose stress hormones. More energy, more focus. I do notice a slightly elevated state when fasting in the 10-18 hour range. Too long and I get jittery and cold. Possibly from too much adrenaline and inadequate ketone production to keep the metabolism moving. It definitely seems to come and go, and I find I can achieve a very similar state by just eating appropriately. Any fasting I do now is typically for the sake of convenience.
Not to say that fasting isn't useful; quite the opposite, in fact. I'm just a bit skeptical of the usefulness of long fasts on a regular basis. As has been discussed, I think the benefit starts to become mostly psychological after about a day.
 
Currently, I am on day 12 of a Snake Juice Fast (Snake Diet).
I have lost 26lbs and 4 inches off of my stomach in that time.
Has anyone else tried the Snake Diet? Intermittent fasting? etc?
Would love to hear from you and your expierences!
 
Hi, have you ever tried prolonged fasting, 72 hour for instance?

My longest fast ever was 24 days only drinking water with lemon juice in it.
Prolonged fasting is actually pretty fun.
I am using it to kill parasites and clear candida.
I am currently on day 12 of a 17 day fast.
I feel great. Rarely do I ever feel hungry.
If you do, just drink some water and it leaves.
It feels that I am moving into the bliss state
which occurs when someone fasts for a long duration.

Have you ever fasted before?
Doing 72's would be very beneficial for you.
Especially if you want to drop some unwanted pounds.
 
My longest fast ever was 24 days only drinking water with lemon juice in it.
Prolonged fasting is actually pretty fun.
I am using it to kill parasites and clear candida.
I am currently on day 12 of a 17 day fast.
I feel great. Rarely do I ever feel hungry.
If you do, just drink some water and it leaves.
It feels that I am moving into the bliss state
which occurs when someone fasts for a long duration.

Have you ever fasted before?
Doing 72's would be very beneficial for you.
Especially if you want to drop some unwanted pounds.

Are you still training in this fasted state?
 
Hi, have you ever tried prolonged fasting, 72 hour for instance?

Hi I fast regularly every week for minimum 36-48hours without negatívne effect so
but on the contrary, I feel an improvement in all aspects of life ...
after longer starvation of 3days + weakness comes but it will pass really quckly...I have done some prolonged fasting few times in year....

But what you must understand really
actual body repair and purification sets up after 36-48 hours and just this time is critical because that feeling of weakness is caused by a change in energy burning instead of sugar body into ketosis...Intermetting fasting 8/16 is a joke :)No doubt

it is possible to make fasting a little easier. Only what the body needs are minerals during fasting.

Strenght and Health ;)
 
Hi all,

I'm finishing day 2 of my first 72 hour fast. So far so good, I was only hungry today before dinner, aside from that all good. I did A+A snatches this morning, and plan on training tomorrow as well.

A few questions to the more experienced ones on fasting:
  1. A good book about fasting you recommend?
  2. I've been drinking coffee and tea. Is there any benefit in not drinking these?
  3. I've also put some sea salt grains in my mouth, not much but some. Should I avoid this?
Thanks!
 
Cognitive benefits of fasting (improved mental energy, clarity etc) are extensively documented and I've even got friends that swear by them but, as stated above, I have never experienced anything like that personally. Can anyone suggest the physiological process that could flow from calorie restriction to acuity?
Not to be rude, but I wonder if it is the placebo effect?
 
Not to be rude, but I wonder if it is the placebo effect?
Not really, a lot of factors in the body goes up during fasting wich makes you concentrate more easliy, it's an evolutionary advantage ( think hunter/gatherers tracking prey for days on end )

I can give you studies if you want.

Alex
 
" IF regimens also induce the coordinated activation of signaling pathways that optimize physiological function, enhance performance, and slow aging and disease processes. " (1)

"Our results showed that intermittent fasting improved learning and memory as measured by Barnes maze and fear conditioning. Intermittent fasting also increased the thickness of CA1 pyramidal cell layer and drebrin expression in the hippocampus. These results suggest that intermittent fasting improves brain functions and structures." (3)



1. Flipping the Metabolic Switch: Understanding and Applying Health Benefits of Fasting
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413115002247
3. Chronic Intermittent Fasting Improves Cognitive Functions and Brain Structures in Mice
 
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