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 the podcast recommendation @Peae I'll definitely listen to that.

Hi, glad to find this. I have about 2.5kg to trim off.

So, fasted from about 9pm yesterday to 8pm today, when I had a light meal (pan-fried sea bream, with lentils and rice). I haven’t felt too hungry. Will try to do the same tomorrow.

A couple of years ago, I lost 10kg over about 4 months via TRE/keto. Never done it (or indeed dieted) before. But I’ve never fancied breakfast that much, so cut out breakfast and only have lunch (about 1.30pm) and dinner. Also cut out alcohol, most sugar (in coffee, biscuits etc), carbs and most sweet fruit.

But a couple of kilos have crept back on over the winter: Xmas chocs, plus evening snacking on lots of nuts and chocolate rice cakes, the odd bottle of brandy and red wine and some carbs (pasta and rice). So hoping to get it off via cutting alcohol, bread, potatoes and pasta for a few weeks. And a couple of days a week having just one light meal a day.

Finally caught up on thread. And getting used to this new app. well done to everybody on the various fasts this week. @Sunflowers84 hope you are feeling better from earlier in the week. @LittleLamzyDiveywell done on the first 24 hour fast. Thanks for the podcast suggestion - I do listen to Dr Chatterjee so will check it out. @Jollyjoy- my mind wants the bread - I so know what you mean. Bread my single biggest downfall. Welcome @EdithBond.

I started fasting last night after dinner and will aim to go through to tomorrow. I’m feeling very tired after a very busy week and so want to be able to turn to food as comfort.

Yesterday was this week's day 1 of the 5:2. Tomorrow is the second. I have to try a TONNE of water to avoid a crashing headache, which results in non-stop peeing throughout the day. 🙄

Once I've lost the 3 stone (!) I need to lose, reckon I'll graduate to 1 x 36 hour fast per week for maintenance.

Hi @Butchyrestingface , best of luck with the 5:2. I'm wildly jealous that you get to eat normally 5 days a week. I, too, have 3 stone to lose and figure it'll take most of this year to get it off. I'll be delighted if all I have to do is one 36 hour fast per week to keep it off. I have no idea what maintenance will look like, as I've never got that far before 😁

Made it 18 plus hours so far today. Which I'm pretty pleased about as that's longer than I've managed in a while. I'll see if I can hang on a bit longer before lunch

@Butchyrestingface , have you been taking salt or electrolytes at all? Definitely worth doing if not already and you experience headache when fasting. I hear you with all the peeing!

I’m really struggling today - it’s not hunger. It’s all mental. So tired that brain not focussing at work. And want to just eat as it feels like it’s something nice after the difficult week I have had. Would welcome any encouragement to keep going.

Sorry to hear you’re struggling. When I felt like this a couple of weeks ago (mental struggle rather than physical/hunger), I broke the rest of my fasting time into chunks. So, I told myself that all I had to do was get to the next meal time and then I could make the decision - do I want to break my fast now or keep going? (Giving myself permission that I was not failing if I made the decision to break my fast after eg. 18 or 24 hours.) Each time, I kept going. But there seemed to be something that helped psychologically knowing I didn’t need to keep thinking about the whole 36 hours but was just making a decision for the next few hours. It somehow helped knowing that I had ‘permission’ to stop at the next meal time but each time I decided I could keep going.

Keep checking-in here if it helps. I’m cheering you on.

Aw I'm sorry, @fastingaway, sounds really hard. Great advice from @Sunflowers84. I also can't help feeling that after a really hard week and you feeling that tired, maybe you should just give up today and eat some really nourishing and lovely food. Sorry if that's not helpful as you sound like you want to carry on! But giving yourself permission to stop at a certain point and still feel good at what you've done, sounds an idea.

Thank you so much @Sunflowers84and @Jollyjoy. I was just about to give up when I got your message. It really helped - thank you. Took a break from work. And just managing 30mins-1 hour at a time. I am at 23 hours. Going to try a bit longer. Lots of water and keep running to the loo.

Welcome @EdithBond !

@Butchyrestingface do you mean today was a 500 calorie day? (Can't quite remember the 5:2 protocol).

Well done for reaching out @fastingaway and powering through. I wish I could do that! How's your evening going? (I might try @Sunflowers84 tip).

(Also I gave in and have logged in to MN on the laptop).

@LittleLamzyDivey What diet are you following? I did the 5:2 years ago and lost significant weight, although I couldn't sustain it long-term (hence why I'm thinking about a maintenance regime I can follow going forward). Imagine I'll be on 5:2 for at least a year, will-power allowing!

@Jollyjoy Thank you. No, I haven't. Is there a product you would recommend?

@Peae Yes, it is. Though sometimes I have up to 600 calories (men's recommended intake). I'm annoyed with myself for waking up so early today as it will just make the day longer! 😂. I lifted out a low calorie chilli con carne from the freezer for dinner tonight, and will have a boiled egg for lunch.

How are you doing @fastingaway? Did you decide to break your fast or continue?

I've been eating keto for years @Butchyrestingface but have pretty serious BED so when I'm not eating keto, I'm face down in the Haagan Daz... But I've been sugar free since Mar 1 (go me!) and 4 lbs down so that's motivating. I skip breakfast daily and lunch too on Tues, Thurs and Sat. Next week, I'm planning to follow all the powerful women here onto a 36 hour fast as I really want the autophagy.
Keep going, girl!

Thank you. You have admirable will power to be able to cut out the sugar. I have a serious addiction to fizzy drinks so cutting out refined sugar is but a distant dream I can't ever see myself realising. 🙁 Unless my tastes change, as they did in my late teens when I lost my appetite for chocolate (it's never really come back) and became obsessed with savoury foods instead.

I did a few 36 hour fasts last year and may graduate to doing them as part of the 5:2 in time, but thought I'd ease myself in more gently with 2 x 500/600 max calorie days per week.

I think I read Rishi Sunak does 1 x 36 hour fast per week.

@Butchyrestingface "I have a serious addiction to fizzy drinks".
One thing I've read several times over the years is "never drink your calories". Perhaps you can try a squeeze of lemon or lime in soda water?

I continued @Sunflowers84. I was so close to breaking at 20 hours and your timely post got me through. Thank you really. Once I got to 24 hours I just felt I would be so disappointed if I didn’t push through as really just had to go to bed. And I felt better by then too. I’m over 36 now. Will eat in a couple of hours.

Well done @fastingaway, that’s amazing and hope your work week ends a bit better.

@Butchyrestingfacethere was a previous discussion about no calorie drinks like aqua libra or using fizzy water and cordial, mint etc, to wean off sugary ones…

Great work on the sugar and the weight loss @LittleLamzyDivey! There’s a discussion on the salts and electrolytes upthread but I started with just taking a pinch of salt with a gulp of water every 2-3hrs and it was a game changer with headaches. I bought this just recently as I was having constipation after fasting and the magnesium is meant to help, it seems to be. I find this less easy to take though as you dissolve it in water and need to drink it over time - with the pinch of salt I could take it and go. This stuff is more unpleasant taste wise too. But either way definitely get some salt into you!
https://www.nutri-align.com/products/fasting-electrolytes-powder?variant=50553522061578 I’ve just seen that they do capsules - I will try that instead when this bag finished.

Hey Everyone. I've been thinking about this thread as it approaches 40 pages. I don't think 36-hour fasts are right for me at the moment. I still believe they are a golden standard for mid-life weight-loss, but I'm just not ready to get back to them. I eat too much sugar.

I'm going to focus on eating more fibre and protein, and walking more. I also want to maintain my current habits of weight-lifting (which I'm loving) and eating 30 plants a week (which is pretty embedded now).

I'm wondering if:
a) someone else should/would take over the 36-hour fast support thread.
AND/OR
b) there's anyway we can keep our friendly group in a more general healthy support thread as I've come to recognise your usernames so well.

Yes I'm with you @Peae , I don't think right now I can realistically fast for more than 24 hrs max but I've found the people on this thread and you especially very helpful! So a new healthy eating one sounds good ...

@Peaei’d also love a healthy eating support thread so that it allows all of us in whatever stage we are at. Irrespective of the fasting what we eat during non fasting times is as much of a goaL. I think we can all learn from each other and give support.

Thank you both. Let's continue to gather views.

I am about to cook tea and make salads for the next couple of days for work. My eating goes to pot when I a) don't plan or b) it's a Friday, Saturday or Sunday .
I am going to google some suggested meal plans too because I can't figure out how people are eating this level of protein, especially non-meat eaters.

I can't do the protein unless I basically have a protein shake. I've found a collagen one that is 26g per scoop and so that basically nails a huge whack.