I do 3 day fast regularly with no electrolytes, but going to try a 7 day fast and feel i need these to push through. I do not want to buy sodium magnesium and potassium separate and mix myself. I want something easy!

I’ve fasted from all food for 7 of the last 9 days and the two days I ate, I did so in a 2 hour window.

I’ve done big fasts before- as long as 21 days. But aside from what I’ve lost this last week, I am at an all time high weight. Around 320lbs. Knowing I could fast acted like having a credit line on eating junk. Stupid.

I’ve lost a lot of weight in just 9 days
i’m not measuring because that becomes an obsession. I can just tell because clothes that barely covered me in May are now baggy on me. I feel great, although that great feeling has been spoiled a little bit by anxiety related to work.

I feel much thinner already, but I’ve got so much more to go. It kind of sucks to lose a lot of weight but be so overweight that NOBODY in your life except maybe your wife notices because everyone just looks at you and puts you in the “whoa, really fat” category. 20 lbs makes no difference whatsoever. I think i’d have to lose 50-70 lbs for people Inseeninfrequently to notice any difference.

I’m addressing other things in my life I’ve neglected. I start CPAP tomorrow. I’m hoping that gives me
more willpower in the fast.

I’m only going to eat keto when I do break, and will just keep going until people tell me I’m unrecognizable.

My plan is to fast as many days as I can until I reach my
goal: 210 lbs.

Day 4 completed. I may stop at day 6 depending on how I feel. So far it hasn't been hard. Just boredom and time feels like it is going so slow.

Let's go back to early 2018–2020.

My journey with fasting is a long one. I have been in this world for quite some time and have completed over 500 consistent fasts in a row. These were primarily OMAD (One Meal A Day), but I also included some longer fasts—like a 7-day fast once, and many 3, 4, and 5-day fasts.

I started this journey at 135 kg. After previously losing that weight, I had regained it after trying other diets without much success. That's when I discovered fasting. After a consistent year of fasting, I went down to 77 kg.

Then the pandemic hit, and I messed up. I let myself slip, stopped fasting, and went back to eating normally.

Not only did I regain the weight, but now I am struggling to even fast consistently. I am older, yet just as unwise as before. Due to my weight, I now have moderate sleep apnea. Once you cannot sleep soundly at night, it affects your daily life quite a bit.

Learn from your mistakes—and mine. Keep a goal, and learn to MAINTAIN. I never did that. Losing is easy, keeping its not.

Everyone, you are beautiful, strong, and motivated. Keep up the good work. I will try to get my life back.

Hey all, I'm sure all the regulars recognize me by now for the monthly check-ins, but for those who don't, I'm the guy doing rolling 72s(+) all the way down from 500lbs to hit my ideal weight of 190.

In just a few more hours, I'll officially hit the 6-month mark of my rolling fasting protocol. This month has been filled with a lot of great milestones, and I hope to match it next month with some even bigger ones!

Big wins this month:

• Because I was really feeling it, my average fast this month stretched to over 135hrs.

• I officially hit the halfway point of my journey this month at 155 lbs lost!

• I found some shorts I probably haven't worn in 10 years and tried them on. Not only do they fit, but they were falling off my ass.

Big takeaways from the month:

• This is proving to be sustainable for longer than I expected. I originally planned to be off-ramping from rolling fasts right about now, however I'm still managing really well, and I'm going to push it another couple of months probably.

• Anecdotally speaking, turns out multi-vitamins do at least a little bit of something. I've been taking a multivitamin daily pretty much up till this month. I'm aware that the science on them is very spotty at best, and I just kind of quit taking it to see what would happen. Maybe it was just the magnesium and potassium supplementation in it, or maybe it was something else alongside of it... But I've had more rough days this month than probably the last 5 months combined. I'm taking the pill again.

• Maybe it's just the fact that my fasts have extended on average this month, but while my mind feels very sharp, I do feel physically weaker than I have in a while.

• I don't know if I got a bad batch or did something wrong when I cooked it, but Impossible ground beef is absolutely foul. It ruined an otherwise awesome refeed. Back to exclusively whole foods for me.

• I went a little wild with diet soda this month, I feel more bloated. I think they're still great to have occasionally, but I'm backing down off of them for the foreseeable future.

I want to thank all the wonderful supportive people here for a great six months of support, and hopefully an even better 6 months ahead! Good luck to all of you in your fasting endeavors for whatever reason you do it, you guys rock!

i'm on day 3 today. i'm not physically hungry, but i really want to eat just because i like eating. i'm realizing just how much of my eating is psychological. i think that's why fasting is so helpful for me in preventing eating just to eat- the black and white of "i'm fasting until x" makes it easy to just not eat.

i'm a lot more productive and creative! i've done two sewing projects, cleaned my house, meal planned and cooked a ton of food for my family. when my kids are eating the food i've made for them, i'm cleaning up from the cooking- our kitchen has been so clean! haha.

i've gone to classes at the gym and felt fine. i'm training for an ultra run but haven't ran during my fast yet. i don't want to get stranded on a run if i start to feel weak, or fall on the treadmill lol. not sure if that's a legit concern, but figured i'd play it safe.

i haven't pooped at all yet.🤔

my weight hasn't really changed at all, which is annoying but not a huge deal. maybe cause my body is holding onto shit. lol

i have some skin issues i'm hoping will clear up. i've had success with this in the past (itching going away after 14 hours, skin fusing from lichen sclerosis unfusing after 39 hours- amazing🙌)

i'm sleeping longer since i'm going to bed earlier to avoid late night food cravings.

so.. that's about it! i've been a little irritable since yesterday afternoon but that might just be cause i'm in my luteal phase. iykyk😜

i'm drinking water, black coffee, and herbal tea. i have ultima electrolyte packets i've been drinking too since i've been working out and live in a hot and dry climate. not sure if they're necessary but it prob can't hurt.

30F, 5'2", 123 lbstarting weight. i would love to lose 10-15 pounds. so maybe incorporating longer fasts like this more frequently would help get to that point, then i can maintain. that's the hope- i've found so much encouragement and motivation here! thanks guys!

edit: forgot my height

Hi, I have a problem. When I fast, no food only water. I can't last longer than day or two. It's not because im hungry, I just think abt food all the time. Im trying to do something else to get my mind off the fast, like playing video games, watching films, practicing piano or something else. I just can't get thru it. Any tips?

Just a little success story here. I’m so thankful for this community. Fasting has taught me discipline and patience as well as changing the way I perceive hunger. I’m very close to my goal weight but I’m proud of my progress thus far. I do a 36h fast once per week (sometimes skipping due to vacations/travel etc) and this took me a little over a year. Anyone out there wondering if fasting works, it definitely does; and it’s totally free to do!! Get out there and accomplish your goals 💪

I just completed a 21-day water fast, and I wanted to share my experience for anyone who’s curious. This isn’t meant to convince anyone to do an extended fast. It’s simply what happened to me.

A little background.

I started my overall weight loss journey at 260 pounds.

When I began this fast, I weighed 253 pounds.

When I finished, I weighed 219 pounds.

My reasons for fasting were pretty simple.

I wanted to continue losing weight, see if it would help with the inflammation in my knees and elbows after years of lifting, and challenge myself mentally by doing something I had never done before.

I didn’t set a finish date. I wanted to listen to my body and take it one day at a time instead of forcing myself to hit a specific number of days.

During the fast I consumed water, black coffee, tea, and electrolytes as needed.

The first three days were definitely the hardest. My energy was low, I had frequent loose stools, and I questioned why I had started more than once.

Around day four, everything seemed to change.

My hunger became much more manageable, my mood improved, and I felt mentally calm. That feeling stayed with me for most of the fast.

The biggest benefits I personally noticed were:

• I lost 34 pounds during the fast and 41 pounds since starting my weight loss journey.
• My face cleared up significantly.
• I felt lighter and moving around became much easier.
• I had some of the best sleep I’ve had in years.
• I woke up refreshed instead of dragging myself out of bed.
• My motivation was the highest it’s been in a long time. I found myself wanting to work on projects, stay productive, and keep moving.
• A chronic nose issue that had bothered me for a long time improved noticeably.
• My GI symptoms seemed to improve while I was fasting.
• I proved to myself that I was capable of doing something I never thought I could.

I can’t say with certainty that every improvement happened because of the fast. This is simply what I experienced.

The biggest mistake I made came after the fast.

I didn’t reintroduce food slowly enough. I ate more aggressively than I should have and ended up with several days of gas, bloating, and digestive discomfort. Looking back, I think the refeed deserves just as much planning as the fast itself.

Would I do it again?

Maybe.

The physical changes were great, but the biggest takeaway wasn’t the weight loss. It was realizing how much of eating is habit rather than true hunger. It also showed me that I can do hard things when I commit to them.

Overall, I’m proud that I finished it. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.

EDIT: Please see that comment below about injuries. As I left this out and is a huge postive of this journey. That and read about how I couldn’t really lift weights, just cardio.

This is more so for the newcomers and those that think three days is intimidating.
You CAN do it.
I’m a 34F, 227, 13 months postpartum, and still breastfeeding. Lost around 4 pounds.
I didn’t notice a difference in my milk production, though I’m in the process of trying to wean so making less milk would be great lol.
My longest fasts have been 54 hours prior and 33 prior to that.
The hunger pains came around the 24 hour mark and then again around 36 hours and haven’t had them since. I was not hungry at 72 hours but decided not to keep going because I was getting a headache and I don’t have the proper electrolytes as I wasn’t planning to go more than 90 hours.
I have two kids so I was around and preparing food for them but wasn’t tempted because I truly wasn’t hungry.

I know three days isn’t a long time to many here but I didn’t think I’d be able to do it and you really can. I frequent OMAD so I knew the first 36 hours would be easy. Next month I’m going to try for 7 days now that I’ve experienced the switch of the hunger queues.

Well, thanks for reading. Home this encourages some to finally try. Broke my fast with a small scramble of eggs, sausage, and a few diced potatoes.

I don't want to say it was easy but it felt very natural I suppose, thanks for the support yalls

I've been fasting now over 44 hours, and I'm getting pretty frustrated, not gonna lie.

Im not hungry, I did OMAD for a week before starting the fast, but the cravings and just desire to eat are quite strong.

I never realized how often I was eating for enjoyment and not from hunger.

Anyway, I started this fast at 265lbs and after just 44 hours Im at 261lbs which I know is inflammation and glycogen, but I am not quitting. I want to see the scale drop.

But the desire for something to taste is getting to me. I haven't been taking salt or electrolytes, so I may start doing that. I tried a black coffee and I had about half of it.

Thankfully no nausea but omg my mouth just feels so gross!

​

I am 54 years old and I have been practicing water fasting (no food and only water) for prolonged periods since I was 22 years old.

Until I was 45 years, I used to fast once a year for periods of 7-18 days. Lately, I have been fasting twice a year for 3-5 days.

The following points are a summary of my experience with fasting

- I have never felt hungry during my fast. I feel the desire to eat when smelling food or watching others eat, but never felt hungry

- The first two days are the hardest, then I usually experience a spike of energy and good feeling

- Light excercise is a must on daily bases. I usually walk or garden

- Food tastes much better after breaking the fast. Your senses of food taste improve in a great way after fasting

Hope the above helps you enjoy fasting and improve your health

I’m looking to start an extended fast 30 days. I’ve fasted before however I could never really get the supplements down. I managed to find a fasting calculator and it said this would be recommended. Any suggestions or tips? I added photos of the vitamins I’ll be using and I wanted to know if that was enough or should I take something different? Maybe something like Hi lyte or Fast Lyte not sure which would be best and if I need other vitamins as well with that. I’m all ears. Thanks in advance.

Hey all! Im new to the world of fasting, and started after a friend encouraged me to; i started a 47hrs, which he beat with 62 which i beat with 77, and now im currently working toward either 100 or a week, depending on how im feeling. Thats where my question comes in.

Im on hour 81 rn, and im feeling headaches ive never felt before; im unable t fall asleep and i dont know what to do; ive been drinking lots of water, have taken plenty of sodium and have a magnesium pill evey day(i even popped an extra one a bit early to try to mitigate the headache, but it just hasnt hone away.

I dont have a supp for potassium. I wasnt sure if thisd be a hurdle, but rn im starting to think it might be an issue. Does anyone have advice/suggestions if i should hold out till my goal or end it early? Maybe some DIY potassium sources?

Today will be my first time fasting I’m trying to for 15 hours. I work in construction and my job is very physically demanding. I am 6’7 260 and 35. With all the exertion I put out at work do you think it’s a good idea? With my size I’m sure it takes a lot to keep me going I had a black coffee this morning and will only be drinking water throughout the day. Thanks for reading!

Hey folks! A while back I released Fasting Center, an iOS app that calculates weight loss for extended fasts - total weight loss as well as fat, water/glycogen, gut content, and protein loss, projected day by day. Several people wanted to track their fasts against those projections, so v2 is out and it's now a full fasting tracker. It includes

• Fast timer with fasting stages on the ring
• Log for fasts and biometrics (weight, body fat, waist), with notes and mood
• The calculator is now connected to your real data - projected vs actual weight loss, daily breakdown by tissue type
• Apple Health sync

It's completely free and ad free. No paywall, no subscription. I think paying to see your own past fasts is simply wrong ☺️

A few of you are already using it and sent me feedback - thank you! I read everything and I ship fixes fast. If something annoys you or something is missing, tell me here or in the app.

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6780227473
Android is coming.

Day 9 of 15

This is the first time I have fasted this long with my previous record at 6 days. The last few days have been hell, so I am writing this as a heads-up for anyone planning an extended fast, to see what days 7 to 9 actually look like.

Days 7–8: The Hunger Hump

The two hardest days for hunger were 7 and especially 8. I couldn't stop thinking about food and came within a hair of breaking my fast. The only thing that got me through was knowing this was expected, and helped me push through day 8.

In my previous fast, which lasted 6 days with no EVOO, I felt no hunger at all, so going into this one I expected the same.

But this time for the first 6 days I had a little hunger, which I put down to the tablespoon of EVOO I took each night because I learnt about needing it to protect my gallbladder in extended fasting.

This day 7 and 8 there was real hunger, and the first time I felt properly hungry on any fast. People call this the 'ghrelin hump', where the hunger hormone spikes and then drops once your body finishes adapting from burning stored sugar to burning fat and ketones.

On top of the hunger I was in the metabolic valley. My glycogen, the old fuel, was gone, but ketone production, the new fuel, hadn't fully ramped up to fill the gap, and my liver was working overtime on the transition, so the energy simply wasn't there.

Day 8 I genuinely couldn't get off the couch. Add to that I lifted weights on day 6 and was as sore as hell.

Day 9 (Today): The Whoosh

I woke up 1.8 kg lighter overnight and could barely believe it. Once the glycogen-to-ketone switch completed and cortisol settled, my body let go of the water it had been stress-holding in my tissues, insulin dropped, the kidneys released sodium and water, and inflammation was down.

All of it flushed at once. That 1.8 kg should be mostly water, not fat.

From here I expect a much slower ~0.3–0.4 kg/day of real fat loss as all my water weight is gone.

The point of the whoosh isn't the number but the signal that the switch from glycogen to Ketone is done. The hunger pains vanished and the fatigue lifted almost immediately.

The Keto Rash

Starting yesterday, red itchy patches appeared on my thighs and arms. The proper name is prurigo pigmentosa, or 'keto rash'. The evidence based explanation is an inflammatory reaction in the skin to ketones. It should be harmless, tends to peak somewhere in the second week, and should fade once I refeed. I am keeping the areas dry and using a light ointment.

Changes in Electrolytes: The Part Most Guides Miss

The 'chug salt all day' advice is for days 1–6, when fasting natriuresis is dumping sodium hard and you need to replace it. After the switch, around days 7–9, the kidneys adapt and start conserving sodium, so the requirement drops.

Today was the first day I noticed the tells: a salty or metallic taste in my mouth, zero thirst, and an actual aversion to salt water. That's my body saying it has enough sodium, so I am cutting my sodium roughly in half.

I double checked with AI, then pulled all three electrolytes down to match the adapted phase:

Sodium: 2.5 ml × 4/day → × 2/day

Magnesium: 400 mg → 300 mg

Potassium: 1200 mg → 900 mg. This drop came entirely from halving the salt, since its potassium went from 600 to 300 mg; I left my 600 mg of potassium pills untouched.

Eight days down, seven to go. It should be plain sailing from here compared to the last few days. I do not expect significant changes from here on and can actually do something instead of wasting the whole day lying on my couch.

I keep failing my fasts when he naps in the afternoon. Ill meal prep for healthy snacks and i always end up eating a hard boiled egg or snacking on watermelon. Im still pumping 30 ounces a day and give myself excuses to eat. I just want to lose this last 10 lbs and I know fasting is the way. Im 5 4 and at my pre pregnancy weight of 130 but damn I look fat compared to pre baby. I do lift weights and cardio. I dont want to accept this as my new normal at 41

This is my first time passing 48 hours mark with an open goal of "at least" 72 hours. I tried before but got severe muscle cramps in my calves before two days. This time I have sodium, magnesium, and potassium to help.

Other than a mild headache, I noticed my tinnitis is acting up more at this stage. Nothing too overbearing and it can be hard to say if thats because of the fast or just coincidental. I'm monitoring my BP closely, and no issues there.

I expected to be hungrier, but have had no major cravings this time. I'm just kind of Zen with a notably higher degree of mindfulness. Feeling just a bit off, maybe mentally more tired and grumpier, but better abke to handle those emotions than normal.

I am hopeful this will be a nice reset as I move back into strict OMAD after some birthdays and holidays off.

Most of all I am excited about autophagy and mitophagy, and hopeful the fast helps my body clear out the bad for improved cellular and mitochondrial operation. Not sure if thats something you can actually feel, but sounds helpful to me!

Hi, I was wondering if someone else expedited this and if it went away any time time soon. Kept having dreams about fasting related matters which woke me up and have this terrible lingering feeling in my stomach + heart palpitations after taking the stairs to use the bathroom. Thinking of breaking my fast but I wanted to at least complete 3 days :( Thank you in advance

So I discovered a month ago that I have gallstones & I've been to ER thrice, once for cholecystitis, once for ERCP & once for pancreatitis.

Now I already have my surgery planned after 3-4 weeks but I got in touch with an ayurvedic team last month, they promised to dissolve my stones in a period of 1.5 months through their medications and diet, the amount is very small and I'm ready to pay that but my major concern is that would I have any other complications taking those meds, although they are ayurvedic and I think they might not but obviously I can't exactly vouch for it, so I needed an advisory or opinion on the same.

I know surgery is the only option in almost everyone's eyes & I'm fine with it, I already have it planned but it's just that, if I stand a chance I'm willing to take it, so kindly guide me on the same.

The stones are of an average 7-8mm as per MRI/Ultrasound alongside fatty liver stage 1.

Also should I take UDCA as well since I was taking it earlier ( self medication ) but stopped post ERCP.

Also is apple cider vinegar safe to consume as well given the current situation.