50 Hour Fast
Updated: Feb 26, 2021
Last night, Jan 3rd 2021 at 9PM I decided to start a 50 hour fast. From December 25th 2020 to January 3rd 2021 I decided that I was going to be less strict with eating keto. It is the time of year where people connect over food and I decided that I would have a few snacks.
I didn't go too crazy but over the course of those few days I consumed the following:
Mimosas
Few tablespoons of Guyanese fried rice
Few slices of strawberry cheesecake
4 slices of pepperoni pizza
Potato chips.
A huge shawarma containing TWO pitas
Way too many pistachios
Why am I doing a prolonged fast? It was nice to enjoy different foods with family but I really try to pay attention to how I FEEL. I've been keto for about 2 years and it was the best decision I have ever made for my health.
When I eat with no discipline (non keto) I don't feel like my body is running in its optimal state. A prolonged fast is the fastest route to return me into the state of ketosis. I feel great in this state.
My main goal:
Switch my body's fuel source from glucose to fat burning. I am trying to get back into ketosis and do it as quick as possible.
Prevent any insulin spikes
Get back to my pre holiday weight which is around 141lbs- ish.
Secondary benefits that I enjoy from a prolonged fast:
Mental Clarity
Better creative ideas
Better focus
No digestive disturbances
Enhances my relationship with yoga, breathing exercises and cold exposures. These activities become spiritual and very blissful. These are my experiential observations. My purpose for this fast is to return these benefits into my life. Type of Fast:
I basically stopped eating. I still drank water (sometimes with 1 tsp of Himalayan pink salt per 16 oz), coffee and tea.
Observations:
13 hours (Monday, January 4, 2021 at 10:00:00 am:
-No hunger, urinating slightly more often, starting to feel more mentally clear.
My blood glucose reading shows that I successfully reduced the amount of glucose in my blood.
16 hours Monday, January 4, 2021 at 1:00:00 pm:
Slightest bit of hunger likely due to the fact that I was making Sothi (not for myself). Mind felt sharp.
Got my 10,000 steps, did my Wim Hof breathing routine, 40 minute of yoga. I pretty much kept my activity level the same with no problem thus far.
20 hours (Monday, January 4, 2021 at 5:00:00 pm):
Definitely started thinking about food. Mental clarity is pretty intense right now. I feel as I would after a breathing session. A little euphoric would be the best way to describe it.
The other times when I fasted I didn't really get strong urges to eat if I am around someone that is eating.... or if I am preparing food for other people. This time because I had a slightly higher (but still relatively low) carb intake in the days prior it is going to be more challenging for me.
I went to bed feeling really light and clear.
36 Hours: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 7:00:00 am Knocked off a solid 6 or 7 hours of the fast while sleeping. Woke up feeling no hunger or desires to eat. I did noticed that when I stood up rather quickly and started making my bed I DID feel kind of dizzy but nothing too crazy.
My blood glucose reading was higher than I thought it would be but this is due to the Dawn Effect and wasn't an area of concern.
40 Hours: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 1:00:00 pm
Again I did my yoga and round of breathing and did 7 or 8 minutes in a cold shower. All of these activities were enhanced and felt quite spiritual.
44 Hours: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 5:00:00 pm Started thinking about food but it was only dominating my mental space for short periods of time. If I drank water, tea or coffee this would have surly subsided.
50 Hours: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 11:00:00 pm I could have easily pushed it to 58 hours (by going to bed for the night) but I feel like I have already reached my intention with this fast and decided it was the right time to break my fast.
Breaking fast:
Pistachios- They were calling me and I didn't feel too bad because it seemed natural enough
Made a soup with both, 1 shallot, 2 chilis, spices and a few rolls of hotpot pork.
I kept it light and satisfying however I got a slight headache but it didn't last very long. I think its because of the broth I used...it wasn't home made so there may have contained stuff that wasn't agreeing with my body.
The morning after breaking fast:
No digestive distress
Felt rejuvenated
Mind was definitely clear
Energy levels were restored
Weight was where I wanted it to be
Back in ketosis.
I would say that this is a successful fast.
The blue portion that is highlighted in blue is my fasting time. You can see that on January 6th I am where I wanted to be.
I found this to be interesting: My resting heartrate was higher when I was eating more unhealthy.
After I fasted and returned to normal eating my resting heartrate was lower. This could also be attributed to yoga, breathing and cold exposure. I can't fully attribute this to the prolonged fast.
What I am going to do differently: Next time I am going to break my fast with only raw food. Most likely pistachios or a veggie shake or avocado smoothie. I think it will serve my body better.