u/EdgarSells — reddlx

When NOT to fast

Over a past couple of weeks learned two lessons:

– do not eat meat before starting dry fast
(I started a dry fast right after a big meat-only meal – only to fail a day or so later ... HRV was 10, no other factors ... Filonov mentions but without giving any reason behind it)

– do not start fast less than 24 hours after hard workout
(another fail with idea that I'll recover over the first couple of days into the fast – misconception, stress hormones overflow and fail ... restarted after proper protein-first meals 24 hours later with success)

reddit.com

u/EdgarSells — 7 days ago

▲ 11 r/Dryfasting

How I prepared for 4-day dry fast and why I expect to succeed this time

https://preview.redd.it/fv1ykqhltw3h1.png?width=1206&format=png&auto=webp&s=f9be9da276c9c5b54a10e3650cf3a689996842cd

https://preview.redd.it/wfb8pv91ww3h1.png?width=1206&format=png&auto=webp&s=c936a2403c2ba8b75488096ea2bb49e23d4b0479

https://preview.redd.it/nuepca34ww3h1.png?width=1206&format=png&auto=webp&s=9671d05fb73980e81e34c9917bf7bf34f06a5f9e

Under the right conditions a fast, even a multi-day fast, seems a breeze. But sometimes it is just unbearable to complete – in which case it should not be completed (say, if fast causes insomnia or anxiety).

I recently have several failed fasts (well, still beneficial but not done as intended). The last fail was last week.

I'm trying again this week. I feel that I need 3-4 days of dry fast as a part of mix of tools to improve body composition and improve mental clarity. That's fine-tuning for sure as I've no major problem neither with body composition nor mental clarity.

My biggest issue/fear with fasting is losing muscle mass during fasts. That's the reason I choose dry fasts. There seems to be solid evidence that muscle mass loss is just about half in dry fast vs water fast. Yet, subjectively, I do not feel dry fasts as any harder than water fasts.

He's how I prepared to succeed this time:
– Had gym sessions for 3 consecutive days. Pretty much all body has nice muscle tone. For the first 24-48 hours of the fast the body will be in much required recovery.
- Over last few months I've trained optimally to put on muscle mass (strength at PR level) and now I feel like OK to sacrifice some of the muscle for the sake of a good fast. A much needed perception for the fast to succeed.
- HRV indicates that body is in very good state to take some hormetic stress what fasting is.
- Weather forecast is good for daily longish walks which are integral part of my fast regimen.
- No pressing business or social commitments, and a weekend ahead – can afford to prioritize the fast.
- Made arrangements not to go into kitchen and removed bottled water to be out of sight (last time the fail happened by wandering into the kitchen and grabbing something as innocuous as a few small marinated gherkins.

Other arrangements:
- Didn't eat meat 24 hrs before starting the dry fast as per Dr. Filonov's suggestion (vs having a big carnivore meal just before starting the [failed] fast a week ago).
– I set 'Dry Fast Multiplier' at 2.6 (that's a personalized version of the presumption of dry fast being 3x more effective than water fast) – that comes from little less than observation of how my body weight changes during dry fast vs water fast.
- I do put hard stop on dry fast at 4 days bc of an earlier observation that starting from Day 10 of a water fast (i.e. equivalent to ~ 4 days of dry fast) most of body weight loss is muscle mass loss and starting from Day 12 practically ALL body weight loss is muscle mass only. Autophagy is good but so is muscle mass – got to balance this out.

I've a hunch that this time I'll be able to complete the 4-day dry fast and go back to gym and sauna sessions 24 hrs after completing the fast.

reddit.com

u/EdgarSells — 12 days ago

▲ 4 r/Dryfasting

Succeeding downward

IMHO it’s ok to cut fast short if situation warrants it (like insomnia or excessive anxiety, or whatever) – fasting should feel natural and give sensation of healing.
I am unable to fast if it’s cold weather and no issue when weather is warm.
Over the past months I’ve had a number of ‘failed’ fasts, like this one. By failed meaning that it didn’t reach the planned length.
It’s important to adjust mindset that any fast what is longer than 16 hours is still success even if it doesn’t hit the target.
‘Fail’, don’t look back, start a new one once circumstances are right.
Like this past fast had to be cut short for the right reasons – HRV was low, some immune system reaction was on. Now, a week later, everything seems aligned and this time I may hit 96-hour target.

u/EdgarSells — 12 days ago

▲ 10 r/Dryfasting

My mental images, thoughts and experience associated with dry fasting

When it comes to dry fasting, I always have 2 images in my mind.

One is nice and beautiful, the one in the photo. A simple bottle of sparkling water, the most tasty water I've ever had in my life – as it was taken upon finishing 7 1/2 days of dry fast.

The other image is not so beautiful, it does not exist as a real photo, and it would have been unethical, if not illegal, to have it – that image exists as a mental note only but it's very vivid nevertheless and from what I've seen in real life. It's an image of a not-so-old but visibly sick man being taken in chemo room.

And the question in my mind always is if dry fasting is something what can reliably prevent any grave illness? And I perfectly understand that 'kinda scientific' answer is impossible. Nor there is a religion-based answer.

Yet, my hunch is that occasional, random and at various lengths, fasting is good and dry fasting is more efficient than regular water fasting. Although for me it works only as a spiritual practice, never as weight loss or body recomposition (i.e. weight always shoots up to around a long-term set point).

u/EdgarSells — 15 days ago