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?

Morning all, I haven't quite decided whether to do 24 or 36hr today. I ate pretty unhealthily over weekend on holiday and yesterday when I got back, including a Chinese for dinner last night. Have felt so dehydrated overnight after it and mouth feels foul this morning.

Think I'll try to rehydrate throughout day and see how I feel later on.

I think that sounds like a good plan.

Hope all fasters are doing ok today.

Has anyone got any thoughts or experience with fasting when on your period? I think (?) it might be Mindy Pelz who says that the week of your period is a particularly good to fast, but I'm not sure how convinced I am about her qualifications, etc?

My periods are sometimes quite heavy and sometimes ok (maybe linked to turning 40??).

My aim is for a 36 fast today but came on my period last night (feeling like a heavy month!) and feeling more tired than usual and a bit nauseous.

Has anyone found any pros or cons to doing a 36 hour fast in the first couple of days of your period?

@Sunflowers84 no real experience to share on this as I have the coil so don't get periods but also haven't done longer fasts when I didn't have the coil. But what I have read and heard is that you can fast when you are on your period as your oestrogen and progesterone levels are low in that week, which should make fasting easier. Important to stay hydrated especially at this time. But you should see how you feel on it - and adjust either hours or do fat fasting if feeling really fatigued or nauseous.

My experience is that the fasting is making me have spotting - our hormones are meant to be held in our fat tissue so as we burn this the hormones get released resulting in breakthrough bleeding.

Also I found previously over time that fasting really helped with PMS.

Hi all,
Just came across this group and I'd like to join! I am using 2 x 36 hour fasts to lose weight and control my appetite.
I have a weight lifting PT session on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Although currently low weights as I have an injury. So fasting days are Tuesday and either Thursday or Saturday. Weekends are trickier to fast because of socialising and sometimes I swim and am too ravenous afterwards.
I dog walk Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour or so but that doesn't seem to make me too hungry. Find I am grumpy 24-26 hours in but other than that it's great.
Have lost some weight, not tracking much but also find it limits how greedy I am on the other days.
I have decided that if ever I am dreading the fast I can skip it, but mostly looking forward to them. I like waking up feeling alert and then I break my fast after the gym.
We have guests this weekend and I will be very happy to eat with them without worrying too much about how much I am eating.
Tomorrow I have lots of left over veggies and prawns to eat and also some yogurt and mackerel on sourdough. Trying to work out what works best for me.
I find I am terribly snacky on day post fast. This might also be as they are quite "bitty days" so having big solid meals is tricky. Trying to work out if I am not eating enough immediately after the fast. Saw a pp mentions half an avocado to break the fast . I am going to try that as it would allow me to ride out family meal chaos before sitting down with a proper meal.
Good to meet you all!

Thank you @fastingaway I've managed to keep going (although currently at the part of the day I find most difficult). I'm currently just over 22 hours.

Welcome @Fasterthan40

@Jollyjoy What did you decide for today - 24 or 36 hours?

@LittlePearl and @fastingaway Are you both fasting today?

Welcome @Fasterthan40 good to have you on board - sounds like you have a well structured plan for the week.

I'm fasting too @Sunflowers84 - at 23 hours now. Work is a bit mental at the moment so helpfully keeping me distracted.

Welcome @Fasterthan40 !

@Sunflowers84 I actually broke it at about 22 and made it an omad day instead, felt like I needed to ease myself in again and get in the zone which I feel the day has done quite well, made a healthy dinner. Currently wishing for an evening snack but feel I can resist. Think I'll do a proper one starting sun after dinner.

Are you through the tricky bit ok? Hope @fastingaway and anyone else having a smooth time at this point.

I don't have anything to contribute re fasting and periods yet but will be interested to see..

Hi @Fasterthan40 , welcome on board.

I haven’t fasted today, just kept to a 6 hour eating window. Hope all of you that have gone longer are doing ok, stick with it!

Re fasting and menstrual cycle, I didn’t really discover fasting until my 50s and am now early 60s so no experience to draw on. Looking back I think I would have found it VERY difficult to fast immediately before my period, I’m glad I don’t have to factor that in anymore.

I know most of us are as motivated by the health benefits and sense of wellbeing that fasting brings but that at least some of us are hoping to lose weight too. I’ve decided to weigh once a month instead of daily / weekly because I don’t want to obsess over it but I’m pretty sure I’m losing a bit. Anyone else seeing the scales move in the right direction? Hope you’re seeing some progress @Peae , I know this is something you’re aiming for.

@LittlePearl I was musing on this earlier. I don’t think I could have fasted in my 20s. I notice my tween and teen need to eat more regularly than I do. Not sure if hormones or BMR but I think that in some ways my blood sugar control is better than it was back then.
I definitely think controlling blood sugar and reducing the risk of diabetes and all the other awful comorbidities including dementia is very appealing. But so too is shifting more weight, I have lost a stone doing BSD and now this. Not sure of current weight but think could probably lose another half stone or so. Would like size 12 to be a little bit loose on me. Agreed that weighing once a month or so is about right so it’s a nice side effect rather than the sole focus. Another way of reducing food and weight noise I suppose.

Hope all the fasters have had a good night and good meals yesterday for those finishing then. @LittlePearl yes long term I really want the health benefits to prevent serious disease and be healthy enough to enjoy my latter years. I also would like for vanity reasons to lose weight and be able to wear what I want.

Weight loss has been trending in the right direction since I have implemented the overnight fast. Before that it was only with lower carb that I was losing inches and pounds. So have spent many years going up and down with the same 5-7kg or so. Weight loss has been slow but steady - I did have a whoosh on the scale this morning with about 0.5kg (just over a pound) gone since the last fast. I really should measure myself as feeling it in my body. Going to keep going today till either lunch or early dinner to get extra ketosis/autophagy/fat burning.

How long will your fast be @fastingaway ? I broke mine post gym this morning with half the avocado and then eggs on toast. Having a slightly limbo morning which means I am in the kitchen I think I might make a cup of green tea and head upstairs to tackle laundry mountains so my waiting time is more productive.
Wishing you an excellent breaking of fast when you get there

@Fasterthan40 I would like to do 42 if I can but up to 48hrs.

Have done a handful of 36s last year and then started 2 x a week 36s in Jan. last week attempted 3 x 36s but really struggled with the third one and broke it with a OMAD (at 22 hours). Having researched further 2 x 48 seems an alternative approach that people use - means you only miss dinner twice a week, go through the difficult first 24hrs only twice, less hours overall fasting (compared to 3 x 36) but get deeper fat burning/autophagy. This week has been a trial and I managed a 48 earlier this week so still testing whether this is sustainable for me. It's good to have another approach that i can use and I will flex what I use depending on commitments.

This is very much therapeutic fasting so I don't intend to do this longer term and will scale it back at the right time.

Interesting. I have only read Mindy Pelz which I can see from thread is not thought of very well.
I really hope that your 42-8 hours help. I think I would find 3 x 36 too tricky, 2 seems to be my max that I can easily manage.

Welcome @Fasterthan40 !

@LittlePearl yes, this illness finally gave the scales a shove and I get 3lb loss for this month. On holiday tomorrow, half board so who knows what February will bring.

Nothing to add about periods other than this week, whilst I’m in the progesterone part of my HRT I have a much higher appetite. I think it’s really worth keeping a diary for a few months and observe your own patterns.

Well that's a win in itself @Peae !

I've not had a good week food or fast wise ! But February is a new month so will start again !

I was only able to fast once I changed my HRT from 12 days of utrogestan (3 tablets a day) to mirena coil. I know it’s fake progesterone but the constant feed seems easier for me. But has killed my libido which testosterone had helped

I'm over 41 hours and not eaten yet. I think I've previously eaten at 38 hours. I just don't feel hungry (but hoping I won't regret it as if I don't eat now, I won't be able to eat for a few hours!).

I don't really seem to have lost any weight yet. I use 'Happy Scale' to track daily and then it averages out the loss, but still seems quite stuck. I am already a 'healthy' weight/BMI (so guess it will be slow) but due to being short, would really like to lose a few pounds.

Hope you have a lovely holiday @Peae and thank you so much for starting this thread (I think this is actually the first thread I've properly joined on Mumsnet, I'm normally more of a lurker or a quick search to see if I can find an answer to a question!).

Have a fantastic holiday @Peae. @Sunflowers84 great going on the fast so far. When are you thinking of breaking? I think I'm at about 43 and we are just planning dinner - it's going to be pizza and salad. Completely agree with you about the thread and Happy Scale (I use that too). Do you measure yourself at all - sometimes and especially if you are at a normal BMI you may lose inches rather than pounds.

Well done, @fastingaway Enjoy your pizza!

I'm at around 45 hours. I really had planned on stopping at 36 or 38 hours, but have not felt hungry .... until now! (Suddenly feeling that nauseous type of hunger.)

We won't be eating dinner until around 7.30 (this is quite late for us) but I'm now feeling like I probably need to eat something before then. Just struggling to know what to eat as will be having dinner in a couple of hours.

@Sunflowers84 how about some salad - cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce or avocado. Depending on what you have in.

Well done @Sunflowers84 and @fastingaway for going 40+ hours, and @Peae for the 3lb loss (hope you have a great holiday).

I did dry January this year so will be treating myself to a gin and tonic tonight followed by a large glass of red wine.

Enjoy your weekend everyone, I’ll be fasting again from Sunday evening.

Thanks @LittlePearl - enjoy the first day of February and your drink. I did enjoy half a small glass of Prosecco yesterday evening. And a few other treats. Must get better at what I break my fast with - with it being a Friday it was much harder. Looking forward to a healthy nutritious weekend before starting again Sunday night.

Fasting today after a very sociable Saturday. Just woke up and didn't fancy eating so thought may as well have a day off. Drinking free tea in the sunshine at kids' activities. Had a nice dog walk earlier too.
Hope you are having a lovely holiday @Peae