It's a new month!! Tomorrow (Thursday) it will be October, that means this weekend is our monthly virtual fast weekend. If a fast fits into your plan in the next week, then join us in fasting together.
We all decide for ourselves if fasting is safe and healthy for us, but once you have established that, please use this discussion to achieve your goal. If you aren't sure what is safe and healthy for you, ask some questions and we can help you decide, or direct you to your GP.
The purpose of the group fast is for us to give each other support and encouragement.
Post your fasting plan here, then while you are fasting, updates on how you are feeling. Ask for help or advice or share hints on what helps you. Let us know how you did at the end, and maybe share a picture (in a separate discussion) of your fast-breaking meal.
I often start my fasts after my last meal on a Sunday. Others prefer to fast over the weekends starting Friday. It's all good. Use this thread to support any elongated (for you!) fast you are doing around the beginning of October.
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Subtle_badger
16Kg IF 72hrs
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October is a complicated month for me. It's my birthday month, but it's also the month of both my late mother's birthdays.
That's one mother, two birthdays.
Amusing story, she was the last of eight children in the mid thirties. Then when she went to marry 25 years later, she found her birth certificate had a different date of birth than her family had celebrated. Less than 2 weeks different, my theory is that a year after her birth, her family confused the day of the month with one of her siblings. Who knows? But she had a family birthday, and a professional birthday. This month I will mourn her on her family birthday and her professional birthday (which is the one on her grave and death certificate). And I will celebrate my birthday quieter than I have previously.
But none of that interferes with me fasting this month. My weight is varying between 3.5 and 6kg with my long term weight goal. That's OK with me, but my long term plan was to keep my weight in check with periodic fasting, so this is the first real test of that. I will fast from my last meal on Sunday for 2 whole days. Tea, coffee ok and I will have 2 or 3 cups of bone broth each day. So it will be approximately 60 hours.
It sounds like your mother had something in common with the Queen 👑 😁I hope you enjoy all of the birthday celebrations. As I am becoming more comfortable with 24 hours fast I shall aim for a 42 hour one this month starting on Saturday evening. I’ll have black coffee and vegetable bouillon to keep me going 😊
Hi Subtle_badger ... I will be fasting 72hours as usual... from early lunch Sunday to late lunch Wednesday... this is my normal 20 hours a day fast plus two days.
Hi Subtle_badger . Lovely anecdote of your mother's birthdays. We have a similar anomaly in our family too... only discovered through the requirement in recent years for biometric passports! Definitely birth registrations were a lot more 'relaxed' before the onset of the digital age! I hope you enjoy October, remembering your mother, and celebrating your birthday.
I'm planning to do a 30 hour fast, starting Sunday afternoon, and finishing Monday evening. If I'm feeling well and happy by then, I may push fasting through on til Tuesday morning.
Honestly, I think mum's story is to do with being the last of 8. While I know her family treasured her, I imagine birthdays get less important the more you have to remember.
My favourite story about mum's birth is apparently when granddad returned to work after she was born, his colleagues presented him with a pair of pyjamas with the fly sewn shut, with a note saying "a stitch in time saves nine" 😂
Hi Subtle_badger , I am not sure if I am up for anything more than my usual 18-20hr fast. I will see how I feel on the day. I just need to check if anyone knows if lemon juice breaks a fast? I have been having the juice of half a lemon with boiled water, just for something different to drink as a change to black coffee.
My philosophy is fast however you can. Lemon juice may break a fast in some ways - but not in others - but I would say it's so few calories and carbs just do it. After a few fasts using it, maybe try it without and see how you go.
Maybe rather than using juice, you may find boiling lemon zest has a similar effect. Lemon zest is full of oils, so it probably has less effect on your insulin, and may taste even more lemony.
Technically, anything containing any calories breaks a fast... but lemon has a very low glycaemic index of 20 - 25, so the juice of half a lemon would not be likely to upset your ketosis.
I drink green tea... it depends on what you are trying to achieve...
"According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, common tea can be an effective weapon in the fight against diabetes because it boosts insulin activity in the body by more than 15-fold. Both black and green teas were shown to increase insulin activity"
So it reduces blood glucose by "boosting insulin activity". The Glycaemic Index of a food is an indication of how much and how quickly it stimulates (the production of) insulin, which reduces blood sugar and turns it into fat... which is what most of us are trying to avoid. Diabetes is defined in terms of blood glucose - so diabetics might think that the conversion of blood glucose into fat is beneficial.
Hi S11m, thank you for your reply. I know green tea is good for you but I have tried it several times and just can’t drink it😒I would much rather drink lemon juice, just as an alternative to black coffee or water when fasting😊
Hi - just spotted this... I haven't fasted since going back to.school in September so I'll go for it today - aiming for 24 hours so will break fast this evening around 8 pm.
If I need to eat earlier I will have some veg bouillon .
Thank you SB, for sharing the story about your Mum's birthday/s; its special, and, heartwarming ♡
Re Fasting this weekend - Some time ago, pre September possibly, I said that I would join the October Fast. However, I stupidly, find myself in the same blimin situation...which shows me a pattern in my behaviour, that is rather embarrassing. This behaviour being my lack of self control; for some reason, I can do well for a while, and then I go and blow it, by eating crappy carbs, and, drinking wine (for no apparent reason, if I'm honest. I used to be an emotional eater).
At the end of July, and, August, I became fat adapted, and I was doing IF - 16:8 most days, the odd day going to 18 or 19 hours, before eating (not trying to, I just didn't feel like eating, which was miraculous for me!)... anyway, after a STS for 3 weeks (Aug/Sept) I reduced my saturated fats, to lose weight. Since then also, I have suffered with bad insomnia (I have a brain tumour, not cancerous thank heavens, but still, I get some unpleasant side effects) so I had to reduce my daily IF, to negligible amount of around 12 hours, sometimes only 10 hours (from after dinner, through to the following day).
This week, I have had a few bad eating days...carbs and wine...so, I don't know if I will be able to Fast for as long as 24 hours (the minimum requirement). I would like to try, but I don't want to be a complete failure! Or, should I go low carb again, zero cheats, and try next weekend (albeit I will be a week late ) Or, should I genuinely sort my **** out, and promise now, to join in on November's Fast ??
I have a few separate questions about Fasting, so if you don't mind, I will write a separate post, thank you.
Thank you to you, if you have read this novel! And, a double "thank you" if you take the time to offer me some advice.
I'm sorry that this is long x
Have a lovely Sunday...I'm off out on a hike, with my dog now
Don’t beat yourself up about not being able to do it this weekend. My plans didn’t work out either. The one sentence version is a seriously ill relative combined with a stressed relative and a chance to cheer them up by going to lunch. I’ve decided to let it all go and pick a day this week to do my fast instead. Why don’t you pick a day that works for you and we’ll do it together?😊
Hi Sheperdess, I'm sorry to hear that you have a family member who is ill; that's kind of you, to be there for both of your relatives - and, super kind of you, to invite me to join you in a Fast. What day works for you, or rather, when were you thinking of doing yours? I would like to join you, but I'm just worried that I might not be able to do it 😊
Thank you. I think I’m all cried out now 😢 I agree with others that picking a day when you are busy is probably best for a fast. How does starting Tuesday work for you? I’ll have dinner then start at 7pm. Don’t fret about not being able to do it. We’ll drop each other notes of encouragement and people can offer any advice if we’re feeling hungry etc. If you feel you need to eat then of course you can eat. You can think of this as support rather than any kind of competition ☺️I was so anxious about not eating for 24 hours at the beginning which seems silly. I have now done a 24 hour fast each week for almost 2 months to try to reduce my anxiety and it worked. Anyway, just do what feels right for you as we’re all different 😉
I hope 'things' get better for you and your family. I hate hospitals, they can be such sad places.
Sorry to be silly, but do you mean that you're having dinner on Monday night, and, fasting through Tuesday?
What do you normally drink during your Fasts?
I have not done one before, and I feel a little apprehensive for some reason.
The longest I have done, is during the day, while doing IF, and I got to 19 hours, but I was Fat adapted then, which I am not at the moment. I imagine that just knowing that I can't eat, will be the hardest thing; with IF you know that you're going to eat.
It's kind of exciting though...it's something new 🌞
Just answering one question: what do you (I) drink during fasts?
For me, it's black coffee with lo-salt in it (potassium and sodium), green tea with Himalayan or sea salt and a cup or two of bone broth everyday if I am not clean fasting.
The liquids are up to you, but I think the electrolytes are essential. If you drink fluids with out sodium etc, they will leech minerals from your body. Cramps and constipation are likely without them, along with more serious problems like heart arrhythmia. Leg cramps are obviously survivable, but you don't want to get heart cramps 😱
Thank you 😊 Not a silly question at all 😊I will have dinner on Tuesday then start my fast afterwards ie 7pm. This means I will have fasted for 24 hours by 7pm on Wednesday. If I don’t eat dinner then (current plan) but have lunch at 1pm on Thursday, that takes me to 42 hours (which I have not done before). During my fasts I have several black coffees in the morning, vegetable bouillon at dinner time (sometimes with a little double cream) as it almost feels like a meal (shout out to Subtle_badger for this excellent suggestion which I have stolen with pride 😁). During the day, plenty of water (often with salt - yummier than it sounds), soda water and sometimes cucumber infusion.
I understand your apprehension completely. I was the same. For some reason just the idea that I wasn’t going to eat made my brain panic. I handled it by telling myself that anytime I wanted to stop, then I could. I also kept watching the Youtube videos by Mindy Pelz and Sten Ekberg about the benefits of fasting to change the way my brain perceived fasting. It’s lovely to hear you say it’s kind of exciting as that’s the way I’m thinking about my 42 hour fast. It’s definitely something new and also good for your body so how can you lose? Let’s do this 😉👏
Awesome! Thank you Sheperdess, count me in 🌝 I don't know how well I will do, ie, how far I will get, it being my first time...but doing it with you will give me the incentive to actually try, so thank you xx
I have started, with much trepidation. I have had a-not-so-nice-day, myself ..and I have felt frazzled. It's a good job that I didn't start yesterday, otherwise I would be blaming my unusual mood, frame of mind, on fasting lol
I didn't eat last night, from 6,15pm, in preparation for tomorrow (Wednesday) and I got my 16 hours of IF, in today.
For me, it's going to be my state of mind, over hunger, I think.
I aim to do a hike mid-morning, then keep myself busy, after a shower etc
Wishing you much strength, not that you need it for the Fast x 🦋💐
Take something to eat on your hike. If you find you need food, it's best to have something to hand that is on your diet. I used to carry a boiled egg and about 30g of cheese. Each time I felt hungry, I promised myself I would eat it if I was still hungry in 30 minutes. I never was, but it was a good psychological crutch, and a physical one if the fast made me weak.
Thank you, that's good advice, thank you. I will boil a couple of eggs; my broth is made. I hope that I can manage 24 hours. It's really odd, knowing that I can't eat, makes me thing about food, and I only finished my dinner 90 minutes ago; oh dear, there isn't any hope for me! lol
Oh! Brain tumour. What a scary thing! I am glad you seem to be living well with it, and it's not cancerous, but scary nevertheless.
Everyone should do their own thing. Fast when it suits you. I made that mistake last month: I was ready to fast in the last week of August, but didn't because of the group fast. That was a mistake. I wasn't feeling it the next weekend, and really did a half-arsed job of it. I only create this thread to give a locus to our support: if you and Shepherdess start on Monday or Tuesday, that's great to me. You are able to support each other. And we can support both of you if you do it publicly.
There is no minimum time period (I went and checked my original post to be sure!). The only criterion is it is long for you, so 24 hours is absolutely fine. 12 hours would be fine, but hard to need support!
Full disclosure: I am staying away from the carbs, but the siren song of wine is nearly irresistible to me. That's something I have to deal with. Right now I have started my fast foodwise, but going to have another glass of wine before bed.
Are you finding the insomnia bad on evenings you have had wine? Alcohol definitely awakens you at 2 or 3 or 4am if you have over consumed. You may find the insomnia goes away if you stop drinking, after an adjustment period.
You decide what works for you, and fasting is easier on low carb, but you may find a fast is a good way of getting into ketosis. If you don't eat for 24 hours (or whatever) you will eventually start burning ketones. Harder probably than going low carb, but I think some people will find that rip-the-bandaid-off is easier than weaning from carbs. If you do fast this week, go low carb when you recommence eating.
Thank you for your lovely, and helpful, informative, reply. My insomnia is due to the tumour, I think, although I have never been a good sleeper (working shift work has never helped). I have had to go back onto sleep meds unfortunately. I love my wine, and some days don't drink (only because it slows down weight loss) but I seem to get a wine itch of an evening
Hi S-M, sorry to read you are struggling. Sometimes it can be hard when we think everyone else is doing well. I think , in actual fact, everyone struggles from time to time. Speaking for myself, I started well on LCHF for the first 5wks. I had virtually no cravings for sweet things. However, since my birthday in July, when I binged for several days in a row, I have been struggling more. I still binge on a regular basis and have a lot of cravings for chocolate, biscuits, cake., etc. I aim to do LCHF but still count calories as well because I still am not sure when I am hungry or when I am full. I am still mainly doing IF, as this is much like my normal eating pattern. When I do the longer fasts, it is usually because I have overeaten and I try to balance out the calories, which I know isn't supposed to be the main reason for doing the longer fasts. What I am trying to say is, I struggle a lot of the time too, you are not on your own. For me it is an ongoing battle, I still wake up after a binge or binges full of self loathing. Try not to be too hard on yourself, you are sticking at it, you just need to believe in yourself and be kinder to yourself. We are here for you : )
Thank you for your lovely, and m, super supportive message. I am sorry to hear that you have tough times also; I guess life gets in the way. My trigger seems to be going out, either for wine with a friend, or lunch with my OH, I need to find a solution, I need to work on this. Do you know if you have a trigger? ie, something that drives you to binge? or, is it life, in general? Life does seem to overturn things on me, for sure. If ever you want to vent, chat, please feel free to message me anytime xx
Good luck with the fast, if you do it...and, there is no one set reason for Fasting, your reason sounds just as good as any, to me.
I have started IF again, because (regardless of the study, that was published last week) I feel better, much better, for doing it...and I do believe that it encourages my weight loss, when I follow LCHealthyFats, and 'behave' myself.
Thank you for your support as well : ). I think for me a trigger is having an opportunity to over eat, or eat the wrong thing. I tend to be all or nothing. So I try to avoid the situations where chocolate, cake, biscuits are available. I know that's easier said than done. sometimes though I can feel a binge building up for a few days, I resist for so long then I end up bingeing, still not sure why really. Birthdays are definitely difficult, when cake is around
I made breakfast and lunch into ketoish brunch (no potatoes) today... and started my fast at 12:30.
The river has over-topped it's banks, so, even though it is not raining, many of my favorite walking routes will be flooded and impassable (swimmable or wadeable).
The river here (Thames, you may have heard of it) has been over it's banks at high tide over the last few days. I don't think it has gone above "spring" tides, but it's worrying nevertheless.
Hi S_b, I felt good in myself so started my fast from 1930hrs on Saturday. I was at work over the weekend and today, so only have a small eating window as I need to get up at 0400hrs, so need an early night. I went to the gym after work yesterday and had a good session. I didn't feel hungry last night, but had to distract myself as I had the urge to eat. How is everyone else getting on?
Early days for me. I woke hungry (I've been eating breakfast more recently) but settled down and I feel fine now. Tummy is a bit rumbly, but that is an on-going situation which will hopefully resolve in the next few days.
I drink green tea with a coffee-spoonful of Himalayan salt, and, occasionally a black coffee.
I am 48 hours into my fast.
I walked over 10km on day one, and 5km on day two (in the evening when it had stopped raining) I felt a bit unsteady on my feet for the last km or so - but I have heart problems, and that is not unusual. The way to exercise is, I think, to take it steady so that your body has time to get energy from fat.
Last time, when I was at or below my target weight, I lost 7lb during the fast - this time, 48 hour in, I have lost almost nothing.
I am now down a couple of pounds. I feel great, and I intend to keep going till tea-time tomorrow... which will be 100 hours. I would not recommend anyone to try going over 72 hours - or certainly not until you are fat-adapted have done several 72-hour fasts.
Very impressive! That's probably as long as I could ever imagine doing, at least without a very could reason and probably some medical supervision. How was refeeding and how are you feeling now?
(you can treat those has rhetorical questions; I think a new post describing your experience is the way to go, so it's not buried in this thread)
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) Or, should I genuinely sort my **** out, and promise now, to join in on November's Fast ?? 
The long fasters support chat thread, all welcome :)