So…I’m always skeptical about keeping logs or up-to-date things online because for me it feels like a recipe for failure…I get two weeks in and [crickets]. BUT, this Fast November experiment (see long discussion here) is already proving so interesting in so many ways that I can’t help but share what’s happening.
I am keeping a journal of sorts, a log, of my thoughts/ideas/experience on the fasting days and I personally love reading people’s experiences when they do this, so I’ll share below. But not before I give you just a couple things to keep in mind:
A couple things to keep in mind
I am not a nutrition or medical professional.
So, take what I say here with a grain of salt…which are electrolytes and incredibly important to this whole thing.
This is not my first fasting rodeo.
I’ve been regularly using a 16:8 method of IF and am also familiar and have tried 18:6 and 24-hour fasts before. I use the Zero app for guidance and fasting support. This is a rigorous experiment that is in no way something acceptable for 1) a fasting noob and/or 2) something you should try without adequate support for yourself.
I’m not advocating for this approach or this experiment.
It’s something I wanted to try…I have no idea how it will go. I have committed to pulling the plug if at any time my body’s feedback to me says, “this isn’t a good idea”. This is extreme, there’s no doubt. I feel well-educated enough to try it but I’m not even saying this is a healthy thing to do.
Curiosity, after all, supposedly killed the cat.
OK…now to week one.
Week 1 Fasting Log and Observations
Just a note: I started this schedule on a Thursday, so Week 1 for me had only 2 fasts.
Fast 1: Thursday, 11/3
This went GREAT. Very smooth. Not terrifically hungry. I absolutely knew I wasn’t in ketosis at all which check out when at hour 36 I checked and I had .2 ketones and BG was 98. No surprise, though, since I had a bunch of Halloween Candy and a cupcake right before I started on Thursday night. Overall, really good experience. Lot of energy.
Fast 2: Saturday, 11/5
This was tougher. Started Friday night with not a lot of trouble…had planned to break the fast at 12pm Sunday because of choir so Friday was absolutely nothing. Saturday, though, was more of a struggle. It felt mental. I went through some periods of hunger but they passed pretty quickly. Lumen kept recording that I was either a level 4 or 5 (???). I’m still not sure about that thing. Checked ketones and BG at about 4pm. Ketones were .5 and BG was 85…much better than Thursday. This may account for this being more of a slog.
I also have to work hard on days that I’m not fasting to eat enough. I felt like I might’ve short changed Friday and that makes a difference.
I started to obsess about food right around 8pm Saturday so at 20 hours I called it and had a full, pretty decent meal. I’m not interested in pushing too hard especially this early. This was ultimately a win so I took it and ran.
Final Thoughts on Week 1
For sure, what became very clear very quickly was that the eating days are the real work. My personality is such that when I start a fast, I just do it. There’s kind of a freedom in it. But fasting this much really puts emphasis on making those eating days count…also which is why I’m going to start logging eating days as well.
Also, electrolytes. Key.
My Tent on the Beach 