r/fasting

For context, I'm no stranger to water fasting and for years I would fast for 1-3 days per week on a regular basis. I am a big guy and am overweight. I always feel best when in ketosis and during water fasts, especially around that 3rd day. I have completed several 5-7 day water fasts with little to no issues.

Jump to around 3-4 months ago, and I decided I was going do an extended water fast for as long as I could to see where my limit was at. I'm familiar with the need for electrolytes, how to make snake juice, etc. Everything was going well until the end of the 7th day. My lower back and hips began to ache. I tried to push through it, but it continued to get worse to the point that it scared me and I was considering going to the hospital (which is always a last resort for me). As it continued to get worse, I presumed something about the fast was causing or contributing to the problem so I decided to break it in hopes that the pain would subside. I thought maybe it was a hydration or electrolyte issue. So I started eating slowly as I normally do and taking some additional electrolytes but the pain continued to get worse. I did not sleep at all that night. From that point, until around 5 days later I was basically glued to a heating pad or in a scalding hot shower until the hot water ran out. I barely slept, when I did it was nodding out while sitting up due to exhaustion, and was constantly on the verge of breaking down and going to the hospital. One of the longest weeks of my life. I finally messaged my primary care physician and asked her if she suggest I come to see her or go to the ER. Thankfully, by the time I received her response the next morning, the pain slowly started to subside and was gone in 2-3 more days.

I haven't fasted for more than 1 day since. I am starting to regain my desire to do so and at some point want to attempt it again. There should be no reason in my mind that I can't fast for 7 days and even much longer, but I am TERRIFIED to trigger another event like that. It wasn't something that just resolved after breaking the fast. It took a week of agony and sleep deprivation.

So, I wanted to do my research before attempting it again and knew this would be the perfect place to get advice.

Apologies for the long read. Thanks for taking the time and any advice provided. Much appreciated.

Never done an extended fast, only around 36-48 hrs, but when I do fast I find myself dreaming at night about food. This normal? I don't think I've ever really eaten in dreams prior to this.

So, in my country there is no amazon to order it from. And the stores (physical and online) don’t sell them. What should i do?

I have been doing OMAD for the last month and honestly feel great. I am losing weight and my digestion has never felt so healthy.

I decided to try to skip a day of eating so I ended up doing a 46 hour fast (for the second time in my life) and both times I do not feel good afterwards.

During the fast I was fine, hungry at times but that mostly passed.

Since breaking my fast a few hours ago, my stomach feels very strange and I feel very full from not much food. I feel like I threw my usual OMAD into chaos.

I feel extremely tired and just very crap, the total opposite from my daily fasts.

Is this normal? Originally I wanted to maybe try a 40+ hour fast once every two weeks but after this I really don’t anymore.

I'm not sure if I'd need to refeed for a week or like 3-4 days. Anyone here with experience? I don't wanna have to refeed for 7 days so if it's less plz let me know

Thanks

I've been struggling to start for a long time. Tomorrow just never comes. I tell myself I'll follow keto for a week and then start, but I can't even be consistent with it. I've managed up to 5 days in the past. I just can't seem to get the ball rolling this time. If anyone has any tips or suggestions that could help or has gone through a similar struggle I'd love to hear what worked for you.

I have a post with progress pics and ive lost another 10 pounds since putting me 20 pounds away from my gw. For context 31f hw 220 sw170 cw145 gw125 I've done a clean 22hr fast every day since may 2nd and I've lost consistently about 1 to 1.5 pounds every week I have an upper body, lower body, devoted cardio day and repeat lifting schedule, that I've adhered to for this entire journey only taking complete rest days as needed and im nervous that in the home stretch it will really slow down.

So being that the last 20 pounds is always the most stubborn to go. So I was considering incorporating rolling 48s with more cardio and scaling down my lifting schedule to just body weight strength workouts. Pilates, calisthenics, hot sculpt. To try and drive fat loss through my last 20 pounds. I'll be posting an update progress pics post soon.

If anyone has made similar changes for the home stretch please lmk your experience and any advice from veteran omaders welcome.

The clients who struggle most with fasting are not the ones who can't get through the fast. They usually manage that fine after the first week or two. The ones who fall apart are the ones who get to their eating window with nothing ready and then just eat whatever is closest. Hunger plus zero prep is a reliable way to blow the whole point of what you spent the day doing.

Meal prep is something I push hard with people doing OMAD or 18:6 because the window is short and there is no margin for standing in the kitchen figuring it out when you are already past hungry. Having one solid meal ready to go changes the behavior completely, not because it is magic, but because it removes the moment where bad decisions get made.

What I'm less sure about is how much prep is actually necessary versus how much is just comfort. Some people do fine with a loose plan and real food that takes ten minutes. Others need everything portioned and labeled or it falls apart.

Curious what people here have found over time. Does having the meal ready in advance actually move the needle for you, or is that just a personal training thing that does not translate outside that context.

I used to be able to fast for longer times, right now after 24h or maybe even less i start getting super dizzy and almost fainting even if I switched from just water fast to a dirty fast(broth and diet sodas allowed.
Do you have any advice on how to avoid it and get back to fasting for longer periods?
Thanks to everyone who will answer in advance <3

Rolling 7 day fasts? Im only on my second 7 so I'm not sure if I'm cut out for it but it's looking good so far. Anyone else?