Fasting Diary
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This is going to be a continuously updated post, which I will edit according to my entries.
I stopped yesterday at 4 PM, counting my fast starting from Thursday on.
I stopped yesterday at 4 PM, counting my fast starting from Thursday on.
Day 1. Thursday.
Incorporating hard dry fast (no water, not even teeth brushing, washing, taking shower, going out if it rains)
9:15
Last sip of water/ with zero-flavor electrolytes, after low-resistance training.
Feeling tired, a bit of a headache. Despite doing occasional fasting, IF (intermittent fasting) with two meals a day, often one meal, and eating keto/low carb, I feel this time tired after not even 18 hours of fasting.
I believe it is my fault, as I took melatonin drops 3 evenings in a row, and it made me tired before.
I also made the mistake of not quitting drinking green/black tea, aka caffeine, a few days before starting the fast. Usually, when I take a break from tea, I get one day of severe headaches and feel sluggish/tired.
I stopped 3 days ago drinking tea, but I still had 2 cups yesterday.
12:12
Feeling reeeeallly tired, not good.
I've done so many times short fasts (3 days), but this time, after not even 20 hours, I don't feel good and headaches are starting to make themselves noticed. I just had to have that tea yesterday. What a mistake. And also the melatonin. I shouldn't have taken that either.
I have carefully chosen the dates when to fates, as always, in relation to my menstruation. I am day 7 and it should be fine until day 11 or so.
I've seen different recommendations.
Everyone says to not fast day 21-28 of your cycle - this being the week before your period. Day 1 is when the bleeding starts.
The different opinions are concerning days 12 to 14.
Some say 15 to 21 is a wild card and do as you feel. I've never had issues with it.
But 12 to 14 seem to be a grey area, better - to not fast as much?
I personally cannot start in the first 3 days of the menstruation. I planned to start on day 3, but I had food leftovers so I started on day 7.
At this moment I don't know if I can adhere to the planned at least 5 days water fast, with a 36-48 hour dry fast in the first two days.
Will see.
13:05
My hands and feet are getting cold. Usually, I get this in the 2-3rd day of fasting. Maybe my hormones are out of balance. I had extreme night sweats the past week. Getting older, guys. Getting older.
Different opinions on dry fasting:
16:05
I went for a walk, in the first half the headaches were lighter, but then came back worse than before.
It could also be, that I am not fat-adapted.
I did around 10 fasts (approx 3 days) and 3 longer fasts. Half of the time I had the same issues as now - the first 2 days, especially somewhere end of the first day to day 2, were terrible. Once I even stopped after less than 36 hours.
I had good results with doing a 36-48 hours fast, in the week where I started the longer fast. It was actually because I started the longer fast and the side effects were too harsh. So I did the 36-48 fast, probably because my glycogen was enough depleted, I was very strict in eating next to zero carbs the next days and then restarted.
Incorporating hard dry fast (no water, not even teeth brushing, washing, taking shower, going out if it rains)
9:15
Last sip of water/ with zero-flavor electrolytes, after low-resistance training.
Feeling tired, a bit of a headache. Despite doing occasional fasting, IF (intermittent fasting) with two meals a day, often one meal, and eating keto/low carb, I feel this time tired after not even 18 hours of fasting.
I believe it is my fault, as I took melatonin drops 3 evenings in a row, and it made me tired before.
I also made the mistake of not quitting drinking green/black tea, aka caffeine, a few days before starting the fast. Usually, when I take a break from tea, I get one day of severe headaches and feel sluggish/tired.
I stopped 3 days ago drinking tea, but I still had 2 cups yesterday.
12:12
Feeling reeeeallly tired, not good.
I've done so many times short fasts (3 days), but this time, after not even 20 hours, I don't feel good and headaches are starting to make themselves noticed. I just had to have that tea yesterday. What a mistake. And also the melatonin. I shouldn't have taken that either.
I have carefully chosen the dates when to fates, as always, in relation to my menstruation. I am day 7 and it should be fine until day 11 or so.
I've seen different recommendations.
Everyone says to not fast day 21-28 of your cycle - this being the week before your period. Day 1 is when the bleeding starts.
The different opinions are concerning days 12 to 14.
Some say 15 to 21 is a wild card and do as you feel. I've never had issues with it.
But 12 to 14 seem to be a grey area, better - to not fast as much?
I personally cannot start in the first 3 days of the menstruation. I planned to start on day 3, but I had food leftovers so I started on day 7.
At this moment I don't know if I can adhere to the planned at least 5 days water fast, with a 36-48 hour dry fast in the first two days.
Will see.
13:05
My hands and feet are getting cold. Usually, I get this in the 2-3rd day of fasting. Maybe my hormones are out of balance. I had extreme night sweats the past week. Getting older, guys. Getting older.
Different opinions on dry fasting:
16:05
I went for a walk, in the first half the headaches were lighter, but then came back worse than before.
It could also be, that I am not fat-adapted.
I did around 10 fasts (approx 3 days) and 3 longer fasts. Half of the time I had the same issues as now - the first 2 days, especially somewhere end of the first day to day 2, were terrible. Once I even stopped after less than 36 hours.
I had good results with doing a 36-48 hours fast, in the week where I started the longer fast. It was actually because I started the longer fast and the side effects were too harsh. So I did the 36-48 fast, probably because my glycogen was enough depleted, I was very strict in eating next to zero carbs the next days and then restarted.
Day 2. Friday.
My headaches are gone, but I feel very weak. Maybe is the dry fast, since this is a whole new dimension and stress on the body.
I am more convinced now, that my yesterday's headaches were primarily due to me not being fat-adapted. I looked over my list of fasts, and the best results, both mentally and physically, were when I used to do ADF (alternative day fasting). After two weeks my body got adjusted and I felt good.
I wanted to avoid this during the week before menstruation, but once I get off being fat-adapted, due to poor metabolism, it takes a while until I go back to the previous status and I guess, that this is why I stopped ADF.
I also had good results with weekly around 36-48 hours fast. Say from Saturday morning until Monday.
I guess I have to be more consistent with my longer fasts and test it including the week before menstruation.
In the second part of the day, I felt quite good, and despite moving around and doing physical work, I wasn't bothered by the thirst feeling. Being preoccupied with something physically helps, as long as it is not training.
I was surprised over how much better I felt, compared with the first day.
Despite dry lips, there were no other signs of dehydration
My headaches are gone, but I feel very weak. Maybe is the dry fast, since this is a whole new dimension and stress on the body.
I am more convinced now, that my yesterday's headaches were primarily due to me not being fat-adapted. I looked over my list of fasts, and the best results, both mentally and physically, were when I used to do ADF (alternative day fasting). After two weeks my body got adjusted and I felt good.
I wanted to avoid this during the week before menstruation, but once I get off being fat-adapted, due to poor metabolism, it takes a while until I go back to the previous status and I guess, that this is why I stopped ADF.
I also had good results with weekly around 36-48 hours fast. Say from Saturday morning until Monday.
I guess I have to be more consistent with my longer fasts and test it including the week before menstruation.
In the second part of the day, I felt quite good, and despite moving around and doing physical work, I wasn't bothered by the thirst feeling. Being preoccupied with something physically helps, as long as it is not training.
I was surprised over how much better I felt, compared with the first day.
Despite dry lips, there were no other signs of dehydration
Day 3. Saturday.
Day 3 started with me a bit weaker, and impatient. I was not really hungry, not very thirsty, but I made the mistake of visiting a friend and the smell of the food knocked me over, but not necessarily because of the hunger, but because of the thirst. One little bite caused such a severe need for water, that I stopped right there.
Day 3 started with me a bit weaker, and impatient. I was not really hungry, not very thirsty, but I made the mistake of visiting a friend and the smell of the food knocked me over, but not necessarily because of the hunger, but because of the thirst. One little bite caused such a severe need for water, that I stopped right there.
Conclusion:
I should have stopped drinking tea a few days before starting the fast.
I shouldn't be around food when dry fasting. I never had issues of going nuts when fasting for several days, just by seeing, or smelling food. Dry fasting though caused severe thirst attacks.
I was surprised that I've held on for so long, though it wasn't planned (the dry fasting).
Maybe I will try it again next week.
Mentally as always - a little bit of a hormetic stress and my dopamine receptors seem to react positively because I feel better mentally.
I should have stopped drinking tea a few days before starting the fast.
I shouldn't be around food when dry fasting. I never had issues of going nuts when fasting for several days, just by seeing, or smelling food. Dry fasting though caused severe thirst attacks.
I was surprised that I've held on for so long, though it wasn't planned (the dry fasting).
Maybe I will try it again next week.
Mentally as always - a little bit of a hormetic stress and my dopamine receptors seem to react positively because I feel better mentally.
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