Anyone up for supporting each other with 36 hour fasts?

[Peae]

As a midlife / perimenopausal woman these worked brilliantly for me in the summer and I managed to lose my first stone. I'm completely convinced by the health benefits and would like to get back in to them, but can't break through the struggle at the 21hr-ish mark. OMAD is no problem, I just want to hit the 36-hour fast.

Would anyone like to buddy up for some mutual encouragement?

I'm just prepping a roast dinner and aiming to start my fast at 7:30pm and ideally until 730am Tuesday. Good luck everyone.

In all honesty, I'm slightly dreading it. I've not fasted for well over a year and the past few weeks I've been eating & drinking with wild abandon so this will be a massive shock to the system. It's exactly what I need but still very apprehensive. I'm wfh tomorrow so that will be tricky with the kitchen on hand + DC still not back to school but I am planning a dog walk at lunchtime & booked a gentle yoga class for 7pm then home to bed to avoid evening munchies!

Any thoughts on doing a morning run tomorrow? I'll certainly be ok energy wise as I'm eating 6pm today, but, unsure whether it will negatively impact later on in the fast. I know I won't manage it Tuesday so keen to go otherwise it will be wednesday morning next and not been out since Friday.

What are you all planning to drink-- just water? I've got various herbal teas but mainly aiming for lots of water and will make a very basic salt/coconut water electrolyte drink if I'm struggling with headaches later in the day.

When I started this thread, I didn't expect people to jump in to extended fasts. I was looking for people who'd done TRE and were looking to build up the next stage.
I know it's not my place to say, and I won't be the most experienced faster here by any means, but please look after yourselves tomorrow and if your body is telling you it's too much then it's ok to stop.

@lechatnoir I'm dreading it too but I have told myself that I have full permission to break it early if I am finding it too tough. I usually have one black coffee with a sprinkle of salt and just water or herbal tea. Ideally it should just be water. Planning on taking plenty of salt through the day with water. My go to if I find it too tough is a bit of 'pickle juice' - in the UK I have a big tub of olives in some vinegary liquid - will have a spoon of that if start feeling nauseous or lightheaded in evening. I've had a mix of fasts I've found some really easy and some hard so can't tell what it will be tomorrow. Have had a big lunch out so don't feel hungry but will have something nutritious and filling for dinner.

I was pleasantly surprised when I went for a run after 38 hours. I felt great, had more energy than I usually do.

Well I've made my first step and redownloaded my app. I've been doing it without the app and probably not very successfully.
Can somebody explain the salt thing to me please?

For drinks, I know I should be drinking plain water but I find it too boring. Sparkling water is less boring but because I don't have it on hand, I drink lots of black coffee instead, which if you believe latest health reports, is actually good for middle-aged women's health.

I also drink diluted sugar free squash or eat a small cup of sugar free jelly. I know this is not recommended but the calories are negligible and it helps get me through the day. I find sugar free jelly helps to suppress my appetite.

I use my 16-8 and 5-2 fasts to find out what works for me, so it is a relatively easy transition to 36 hour fasts.

PS whatever weight I drop on a 36 hour fast will probably come back on the next time I eat indulge again but I reckon if you do say twice a week or 16-8 or 5-2 during the rest of the week, it will nudge the plateau weight down and gradually lose the weight reliably over the next few weeks. So I say ...

I've copied a useful comment by an admin on the Jason Fung group that explains the salt. It's a form of electrolyte - some
people take these instead. Without it you can get nausea/lightheaded and have to break your fast early. Best way is to put a pinch under your tongue and then have a glass of water. Himalayan pink salt or sea salt is the best:

Dr. Fung and Megan Ramos recommend taking electrolytes from the very beginning of your fast. Especially for beginning fasters who's bodies aren't used to having lower insulin levels.
When you reduce carbs...and when you fast your insulin levels fall. Insulin makes you retain water. When the insulin levels drop you release a bunch of retained water...and with it your electrolytes. This is how people get what they call the "keto flu" you start to feel really crappy...tired lethargic brain fog headache

SALT
Megan says as soon as you get up on the morning of your fast take 1/8-1/4 tsp of salt followed by a glass of water. Repeat every 2-3 hours until you break your fast (or go to bed and start again the next morning) of you tolerate the salt well you can add more the average person needs 1.5-3 tsp per day. Each individual is different in their salt needs. This DOES apply to people with high blood pressure or who are on a low salt diet too. You NEED salt every day. A low salt diet is not a NO salt diet. Please don't neglect your salt needs when you are fasting.
Also don't think you can take salt once and be good for the day. Your body takes what it needs and you expell the rest through urine. So if you take salt at 7am...you could be depleted again by noon.

Drink wise, I have two cups of black coffee in the mornings and herbal tea or water throughout the day.

I started at 6:30 pm.

@fastingaway fascinating, thank you for sharing.

I've don't think I've eaten enough today. I'm not particularly hungry, but wondering if I should have a snack now before starting the 36 hours? Any thoughts on what might be the best thing to quickly eat?

Geeek yoghurt with fruit? Peanut butter on toast, jacket potato with cheese?

Thank you. I've just had some Greek yoghurt with some defrosted berries. Started fasting at 20:15. Hoping to fast until Tuesday morning.

Don't worry @Peae I won't be pushing through if I don't feel well enough to.

I also ended up eating late so 8:30pm start for me and I'll be very happy to even reignite my old 16:8 routine with 24 hours as a first target & 36 as ultimate all being well. And yes I forgot my morning black coffee will definitely be included.

I managed alnearly 24 hours and I'm pretty happy with that. I think per ypur post @Peae it's going to be better for me to build up to the 36 gradually so I'm going to do that.

Kitchen closed at 6.45pm tonight. I was going to start at 8pm but had my evening meal at 6.30pm and felt so full afterwards it didn't seem worth snacking any later if I really wasn't hungry.

I'm dreading it too, to be honest! It's several months since I fasted longer than 24 hours but I know it's absolutely doable and that I feel better for fasting regularly so I really want to get back in the routine. The hardest bit will be from 2 - 10pm tomorrow and I will try to remind myself that it's only 8 hours and it's ok to be hungry.

Solidarity, fellow fasters...... we can do it!

Morning all. Just a quick check-in with all those fasting today. I normally do 16:8/18:6, so all fine here at the moment.

How many of us are fasting today?

I’m doing it today as a one off, mainly to combat my Christmas diet of cake, chocolates, biscuits and tiramisu. I’m drinking black coffee and trying not to think about Christmas cake. I’m working from home today which makes kitchen access easier!

Well I tried to do a 36 hour yesterday, but caved last night. Am trying to wait until as late as possible today. Good luck Sunflowers and Helen!

How’s everyone doing? Well done to those who tried and got quite far. I’m in my 30 hour fast, doing ok and about 6 hours to go.

Im back in the office and there’s lots of talk about food, lots of salads and calorie counting apps on the go.

I'm here too fasting away. First day back at work and keeping myself distracted. Still a long way to go till 8:30 am. Good luck to all the fasters.

@Eddielizzard there's no such thing as a failed fast. Whatever fasting you did will have given benefit to your body.

Thanks @fastingaway that's a great way to look at it.

I'm slightly worried about bad breath when ketosis hits. Anyone got remedies for this? I have fasted since my snacking yesterday evening, and quite tempted to keep going til tonight but have a lot of socialising to do this afternoon 😬

I tried and gave up too but it was still over 20 hours so that's a win !

You've all inspired me reading this, I tend to do 16:8 quite often and used to do 24hr fasts. I think I will start a 24hr right this moment! And build up to a 36 with you all another time if that goes well.

I'm 19.5 hours into what I hope will be a 40 hour fast (nearly halfway!) and my stomach has started to rumble. Fortunately I have a pretty full day with lots to do so I have things to keep me busy. I

'm expecting this evening to be the hardest stretch, when my OH has his dinner and I have to go to bed with an empty stomach but I'm really happy to be back on the wagon and am feeling motivated to stick to it from now on.

Keep going @LittlePearl. I'm half way through now and agree it's the evening that will be harder. Although I have found that others eating around me didn't bother me as much as I thought it would as I can have it tomorrow. It's more the psychological barrier of going to bed without eating. My plan is when I finish work that I will keep myself busy with organising wardrobe, wash my hair, TV and early to bed. DH is sorting dinner.