Adding the asterisk because, at the end of day 5, I was feeling nauseous and light headed, so I broke the fast with some macadamia nuts. Then I ate the whole bag of macadamia nuts. Then added 4 strips of bacon, an Epic lamb bar, four parmesan crisps, and some 5% fat yogurt. And a pint of kombucha.
Basically, I had a meal. Low in carbs, but lots of fat and a good chunk of protein.
I felt better, and worse. I didn’t put enough time between the handful of nuts and the rest of the food. I had some serious disaster pants by night’s end. I was pretty wiped the next day, and ended up fasting and sleeping all day Sunday.
What I wasn’t expecting: I weighed in this morning at 440.4. I was at 447.4 on Friday, and my fast was slowing down on the scale. I was expecting to gain, not drop seven pounds.
So, rather than treat Saturday’s meal as the end of the fast, I’m calling it a Fast, with meal(s).
Jimmy Moore described a “30 day fast” in which (I think) he had 3-4 meals interspersed. His last “21 day fast” I believe he had two total meals. Now, someone who does a 21-30 day water fast with no food whatsoever might take issue with someone claiming a 30 day fast in which they had a meal. But in practical terms, it’s not about bragging rights, it’s about listening to your body and giving it what it needs. If your body says “no, seriously, feed me” for one meal and then says “okay, I’m good to go for a few more days,” maybe it knows what it’s talking about. I feel like I’ve been rewarded for snarfing that bag of macadamia nuts. Feast, and Fast, and Feast, and Fast…
I met with my cardiologist this morning. My afib sounds improved, my heart rate is great, my blood pressure isn’t bad. But I’m not sweating and struggling to breathe after more than a few steps; for me, that’s serious progress. I mentioned what I’m doing, and he said it was fine as a jumpstart but at some point i’ll need to go with a lifestyle change. Honestly? This is the lifestyle change. Knowing that a few days of fasting can help balance me out after an indulgent meal is a game changer. Feast, then fast. my blood sugars are rewarding me for this past week, including the meal.
How long will I go? Well, in terms of water fasting, I might have one or more between now and Saturday. My parents come to town this weekend, so I know we’ll be eating at least once with them. But I don’t feel the need today to take an extended break from fasting. The scale gave me a big morale boost. Yes, I can fine-tune – I’ve eaten hearty after a long fast without getting diarrhea. I’ve got a drawer full of food here at work, and every time I open it I have a choice. So far, I’ve chosen to wait.
Now that’s a lifestyle change.