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?

Thanks for checking in @Potterwatch89, how are you doing? Hope all going smoothly. I didn't end up eating, decided I'd done 40 before so could do 42. Actually I've been less hungry this morning - I do sometimes notice I'm hungrier in the morning if I've eaten late - anyone else find this?

At work and occupied now, kids have swimming after school, and I managed to make their dinner this morning so I'm chuffed as I always get tripped up by that.

All good here thanks @Jollyjoy, just did an hour long PT session in my lunch break so hoping that doesn't make me hungry later. Well done for going for 42 hours - you got this!

Well done @Potterwatch89 and @Jollyjoy sounds like you are both flying. Best of luck with overnight fast.

I've had a hectic work day so not great food wise and thinking what else I can eat for extra nutrition for more fasting tomorrow.

@Potterwatch89 and @Jollyjoy How are you both doing?

Have you found something to eat @fastingaway? I've just had some Greek yogurt and have just started my fast now. Planning on fasting until Friday morning or maybe Friday lunch.

Is anyone else fasting with us tomorrow?

@Sunflowers84 I'm eating cake - probably not my brightest idea and last cup of tea. Will close kitchen soon and aim to get to at least Friday morning.

Good luck with your fasts everyone. I'd like to join those of you doing 2 x 36 hr each week but I don't think I'm quite in the right head space just at the moment. I'll be fasting for 20 hours but plan to eat as normal tomorrow evening.

Cake and a cuppa sounds perfect! @fastingaway What type of cake?

@LittlePearl 20 hours sounds is still a good fast. Great to know you'll be fasting with us for a chunk of the day tomorrow.

I could have written @LittlePearl ’s post. I’m going to try for OMAD tomorrow at about hour 19. Good luck everyone.

Wow @Potterwatch89 a PT session in the middle- that's impressive, I'd be nervous about working out on a full fast day as haven't really tried that yet. How did the rest of the day go?

Thanks @fastingaway and @Sunflowers84, lovely to have people thinking of me! I've been ok, various peaks of hunger throughout day but it's been pretty doable. Drank gallons of herbal tea. Going to bed shortly so hopefully will enjoy one of those good fasted sleeps and also enjoy recording on my happy scale in the morning! I'm starting to see more overall loss this week which is very nice, yesterday was the lowest I've weighed in a good while so hoping tomorrow even lower to keep me motivated going into the weekend.

Hadn't seen the latest posts for some reason. I also can't imagine managing 2 fasts a week so I'm so impressed by those who can!

Thanks! I was a bit worried too but actually coping fine! Just about to go to bed and I'm hungry but it's manageable. Hoping you're also ok and still going!

Hello fasters - I hope you don't mind me jumping in to ask a question. I am just coming to the end of my first ever 42-hr fast (yay) but I have woken up feeling rough this morning! Headachy and weak, like I am getting over a sickness bug. It's kind of put me off doing this again because I have to work today! I kept reading about how fasting makes you feel great and I have certainly not had that. Does that come with time? This thread helped me get through it yesterday too so thank you!

Sounds a bit like “carb flu”. If you google it, is that a possibility?

(Or you could be coming down with something?).

@Flibbertyjibberty welcome - did you take salt or electrolytes through your fast along with water? If not this would have caused you to be dehydrated? Also depends if you built up to this fast - what's the longest you have done before. Be careful breaking your fast this morning - do it slowly and try to avoid carbs in the first meal as you may spike your blood sugar.

@Flibbertyjibberty I'm coming to the end of a 36 hour fast and don't feel like this, however I have on previous fasts. What helps me is for my last meal to be very dense in protein and light on carbs, then take electrolytes when fasting in my water (this is a new thing for me but I really find it helps). Keep going and well done for fasting so long!

@Jollyjoy how are you getting on?

Hi @Flibbertyjibberty , I had one fast I felt like that and it was before I started taking salt, also I had unintentionally gone cold turkey on caffeine, as I'd decided to stop tea with milk, but don't like black tea. So think was a combo of that, but mainly the salt/electrolyte issue.

Finished at 42 this morning and feeling good. Felt a bit weak on first waking, I had considered whether to go to gym before breaking fast but decided I'd have some yoghurt, granola and fruit. Curious about what you said about breaking with carbs @fastingaway , probably a dense question but what's the issue with a blood sugar spike - that it will make me want to eat more when it crashes?

Cross post @Potterwatch89 ! All good here. Enjoying an oat latte with a bit of MN before I go to gym. What are the electrolytes you got, is it more than salt?

@Jollyjoy it was particularly related to @Flibbertyjibberty situation and from my own experience. The first time I did an overnight fast I don't think I took salts/electrolytes, felt well through the fast but woke up and broke the fast with toast. And then felt incredibly ill (nausea, headaches, almost passing out) to the point I had to ask OH to come back from work.

In hindsight I now realise that my blood sugar spiked after having been through the fast and then eating carbs. Now that I have built my fasting muscle I can have toast and whatever in my first meal but I usually accompany it with some fat (avocado or cheese) and fibre (veggies). It's what stopped me attempting overnight fasts again earlier. Plus taking salt has the biggest change.

@Flibbertyjibberty hope you are doing ok. Well done for the 42 hours. Don't be discouraged to doing it again - definitely take salt or clean electrolytes through the fast and ease into it.

Oh these are interesting points - I've been thinking about doing this for a while (I usually do 20:4) and ended up doing it on the spur of the moment so I did not really think about what to eat beforehand. Something to look at next time! I did have one glass of electrolytes yesterday morning but perhaps I needed more. Okay, things to try and see if I can feel better next time! Thanks everyone. I found yesterday surprisingly easy, so that was good.

@Jollyjoy I am very very impressed you considered going to the gym before breaking your fast today. I could barely get out of bed! Fasting goals...

Came across this

open.spotify.com/episode/5OwR4VH0Xw8bSV2HD6RLaW?si=NKfmVgEJS3ir4LubZ5Qp7w

Thanks that is helpful @fastingaway, sorry I feel I am just gaining all my fasting knowledge here when I know I could read about it myself! I also wondered what people think about gum on a fast - I googled that yesterday as I took a piece without thinking (when I was in such a rush with kids in morning I didn't have time to clean my teeth ) and opinions seemed mixed but I'd assume there's a few calories, sweeteners etc that wouldn't be ideal.

I know what you mean @Flibbertyjibberty , I would have said the same a few weeks ago, I think what I really notice about fasting over time is it's really mental capacity that is being stretched more than physical in some respects (I know we need to work within physical capacity too). But our bodies can do a lot more than we think, when we allow our minds to believe it, I find..

Thank you will listen!