I finished my fast this morning. Total duration: five days, 17 hours. I had decided the night before when I’d end it.
AI’d call it a successful first attempt. I went longer than I expected to, and aside from some fatigue, it was relatively easy. The reduced cravings, the quieter and more focused brain, and the reduced muscle and joint pain were unexpected bonuses.
Following advice from Dr. Fung’s support board on Facebook, I started slowly. I had about 100 calories worth of pistachios at 10 am, drank plenty of water, and waited about an hour before eating more. I’ve had about 1100 calories today in total. I’d been warned about diarrhea, and I did have a couple of events, but nothing as bad as what I had near the start of the fast.
I can see that a fast this lengthy – or longer – is both possible, and will need to be spaced out. Maybe once a month. In between, shorter fasts of 18-36 hours make more sense. I’ve been grateful for the reduced cravings, particularly for sweet and carby things.
I also lost a smidge over 20 pounds – from 490.8 to 470.6. I know a lot of that will come back via water and still-digesting food, so I’m not wedded to the number. But it was still a thrill seeing 469.x for even a moment – I can’t remember when I was last that low. November? (the last I could find was back in June 2015, just after I’d started on the Vyvanse.) The important thing is the one thing I didn’t measure: insulin levels. I have an insulin and ketone blood monitor on order, but it didn’t arrive before the fast ended. so, next time.
All in all, I’m encouraged. I think I can do this. During the feeding periods, the goal is to keep sugars and grains out of the diet. I’m not aiming for full ketosis, but I want to get fat adapted. And increase insulin sensitivity, which will lower blood sugar.
The hard part will be resisting my old standbys – protein bars, and protein shakes. Nearly all the diets I’m interested in are pushing good quality Real Food. where my geek brain loves things with product labels and ready to eatness. That will be an interesting transition.