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?

@Jollyjoy it's electrolyte powder from "freak athletics", I got it off Amazon and it's fasting friendly as unflavoured. Well done for doing the full 42. I'm coming up to 37 and will probably stop in the next hour or so

Well done @Flibbertyjibberty @Potterwatch89 and @Jollyjoy on your fasts.

I'm not sure what's wrong with me today, but it's feeling like it's going to be a long day. I'm only at 15 hours, but struggling (mentally rather than physically) for some reason.

I don't know why I'm struggling. I've done 16:8 or 18:6 fasting for a couple of years, so it makes no sense to be feeling like this at 15 hours! Making it to 36 hours tomorrow morning is currently feeling a long time! (I don't usually struggle until the evening.)

Ah sorry @Sunflowers84, we like it when it's all smooth and easy and don't want these days. You're doing twice a week aren't you? It's no wonder it'll just be harder some days. You've done amazingly so far. Are there any of the wee things you can do to just get through the hard moments? Clean teeth, more salt, a nice tea or lemon water, a wee bit of exercise or fresh air?

I also think it's good in general to just accept how you feel - for whatever reason you feel a bit shit and maybe you won't know why. Sometimes just letting yourself feel it can help it pass through, instead of feeling worse thinking 'what's going on, I shouldn't feel this way. If you know what I mean!

@Sunflowers84 sorry it's tough today. Not sure what else you have planned today but is keeping busy or going for a walk an option or just something different from routine - especially If it's mental rather than physical. Also worth thinking about fasting in 2 hr terms. As in will see if I can manage the next 2 hours then review. You might find that it keeps you going a bit longer. If you are struggling later another option is to have some fat then get back to fasting - one of the podcasts I was listening to recently mentioned that - a spoon of butter, olive oil, coconut oil, ghee anything like that. Another option may be some avocado and olives then get back to it - both recommended in a fat fast and don't spike insulin.

As in they temporarily take you out of a fast but you can get back to it quicker than if you had a full meal

@Jollyjoy really good advice about accepting that it's just a bit rubbish and not fighting it. I've definitely had days when it would be helpful for me to remember this.

Apologies, I am slightly losing track of who is fasting today but just wanted to wish you all the best.

@Sunflowers84 , I sympathise - I have days like this too. Sometimes I power through, sometimes not. Whatever you decide to do is ok, there will be other fasting days when you complete it pretty effortlessly, I'm sure. No judgement here if you choose to end it early. Jollyjoy offers some good suggestions though. Keep us posted, if it helps?

I've just been listening to the episode you posted @fastingaway and also found this one really nice: open.spotify.com/episode/1Grv1KfwuIQqjSKZu2XrDe?si=IIhLXP1hSceImGL3hzO9Ug&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A2PnbKAv0S94Af5kliJXEJj

Talking about 'success begets success' and building flexibility into our plans to help us stay consistent. So like fastingaway is saying, doing a 'Fat fast' is another option, or 24 instead of 36, so that you're feeling like a winner.

@LittlePearl right too - we've all got each others backs here whether feeling like we're winning or not.

Oh and just to report that I felt pretty feeble at the gym today after my fast. Did it but it was a struggle...

Oh, thank you so much everyone. What a lovely, supportive thread this is!

I'm still going and it's currently feeling more manageable. I know my tricky time is normally 5-7pm, but it's helping to break the day into chunks. I've just drank a herbal tea while reading these comments and I've now got a busy few hours. Thank you again.

@Sunflowers84 I'm so glad I found this thread, I was at a low point and it's given me the motivation to carry on!

@Jollyjoy well done for doing a gym session today. Weirdly I think I would have struggled more today when not fasting then I did yesterday when I was fasting - weird!

After my struggle yesterday morning, I'm now past 36 hours and feeling like I can keep going for longer now! I'll keep going for at least a couple more hours. Thank you again so much for the encouragement yesterday. It really helped.

@fastingaway How are you doing?

I've lost track - was anyone else fasting yesterday? I think a couple of you were aiming for 24 hours?

@Sunflowers84 that's really great - glad you made it through the night. I am still fasting too and over 36 now. Going to keep going for a little longer.

Have weighed and measured myself today and a few observations:
The scales hit a low weight for this phase (January onwards). Last time I was there was at the start of November 2024. So back to that position. Anything lower was a while back in mid 2021. So good progress but will be interesting to see if it goes lower or I plateau. Of course lots and lots of fluctuations and I can regain 2-3kg sometimes within a day
Fat loss - this seems to be in line with fluctuating weight so my digital scales are not giving me much confidence. I can't be putting on and losing equivalent amount of fat so quickly.
Measurements - have lost a bit on my boobs and waist but bottom half very stubborn. I am a pear and expected this bit to be the hardest to shift. And legs may have increased (this could be user error).

Just sharing if helpful to see for anybody on a similar journey.

Well done @fastingaway and @Sunflowers84 !

Agree about this thread, the encouragements from others just tip the scales (pardon the pun) towards pressing on when you feel like giving up.

OH is out of the house tomorrow afternoon and evening so I think I will take the opportunity to sneak in another 36-40 hour stretch. I would normally avoid fasting at the weekend because enjoying our meals together is quite a big thing for us as a couple, but if he won't be here it seems like too good an opportunity to skip. I'll start from this evening after dinner.

Well done @fastingaway Thank you for sharing those observations. I find it really helpful to hear what other people are noticing.

I am still averaging the same weight as I was at the beginning of January (with huge daily fluctuations!). I'm an 'apple' shape and, although a healthy weight/BMI, carry all the extra pounds on my stomach. 5ft2 with thin arms/legs, but a stomach that's much bigger than I would like. I think I need to do measurements as well as weighing, but I always find it hard to know if I've measured in exactly the same place!

@LittlePearl Hope your fast goes well. When will you be starting/finishing?

Sunflower definitely think it will be worth measuring even if it is imperfectly. Well done on completing your day. I managed just under 42 hours as had impromptu guests who brought treats and insisted on us eating them. Looking forward to weekend ahead.

@LittlePearl good luck with the weekend fast.

Hello All, bit of a crazy day today with sugar and Diet Coke.
Going to try OMAD over the weekend and a 30-hr on Monday (want to start working towards 36+ again on Mondays).

I’ve only just started as we’ve had a few drinks tonight, will go to at least 36 hours, I hope. Just slightly nervous, as I sometimes end up overeating (bingeing) when I’m home alone, but my intention is to fast completely until Sunday.

Well done @LittlePearl for making that commitment, I'm also more likely to overeat when home alone, so you're putting a great buffer around you by planning this fast. Check in to the thread throughout the fast if it helps.

Well done @Sunflowers84 for making it through and @fastingaway away too. Hope your omad plans are going well @Peae. I was planning to do omad til dinner today but circumstances with kids made me change plan and had a bit of lunch and going to have an early dinner, tomorrow will suit better to fast a bit later. I'm going away tomorrow for a couple nights and kids off til Thurs so thinking my next full fast will be Thu or Fri.

@fastingaway I am a pear too and when I try weight tends to come relatively easily off tummy and boobs, my chest and waist area starts looking skinny while thighs and bum still chunky. I'm aiming to get below the weight I was before 1st child so interested in what may come off bottom half, I suspect never as much as I'd like, it's just how I'm built. Amazing how different we all are really.

Thanks @Jollyjoy

Doing ok so far, hungry (obviously!) and cold but not feeling quite as tempted to give up as I sometimes do.

I can't fast Sunday night to Tuesday morning next week as we're out at friends on Monday evening, so I will fast from Monday night to Wednesday morning instead.

Well done @LittlePearl That's great that you're not feeling tempted to give up. Hope you can get warm. Can you have an early night?

@Peae How's your OMAD gone?

I probably could, yes - but I've lined up an evening's worth of programmes that I want to watch that I can't when OH is in! 😆