Let’s talk FASTING.
I’ve been asked about this particular topic repeatedly for a while and figure it’s time I share my personal experience in greater detail. So, for those of you who are interested, read on!
DISCLAIMER – please note that I am, in no way, advising you or anyone to attempt to fast without the guidance of a medical professional. Should you decide to try it for yourself, know that you will be doing so at your own discretion. Fasting is NOT for everyone. Do your research and learn all you can FIRST. Listen to your body and do what feels best.
Ok… here we go…
Initial Assumptions & Thoughts
Many folks are fearful of the idea of not eating and especially for an extended period of time. I mean I totally get it… Fasting can have quite a taboo reputation and scared me in the beginning too.
Common “wisdom” also taught me that fasting would throw me into “starvation mode” and my body would then burn all of my hard-earned muscle for energy.
WRONG.
If that were the case, then how on earth did the human population ever survive as hunter/gatherers many years ago? Humans used to survive just fine while not eating for days (or weeks) at a time and still have enough energy/strength to hunt, gather, forge and even flee from predators. If our muscles really wasted away before our bodies burned from our fat stores, the human race would have likely ended up as puddles of blubber and gone extinct long ago.
We are meant to eat and then stop… and then eat.
In the beginning, I didn’t understand that there was a correct way to fast. I was unaware that there was a difference between fasting and the low calorie/crash diets I used to be such a big fan of. After I took some time to learn about all the amazing health benefits that so many folks were experiencing, I decided I’d give it a go myself in the form of intermittent fasting. I’ll touch more on this in a bit.
Why Fasting?
For me – FAT LOSS.
If I’m being completely honest, I wanted to get deep into ketosis and become a “fat-fueled machine” so that I could look and feel sexy AF. Vanity for the win!
On the other hand, I needed to learn to re-frame my mindset around how and what I ate and become less focused on food in general. I was always obsessively focused on my next meal before I’d even finished the current one, and was willing to try whatever it would take to gain better control of my food anxiety/addictions.
After I started implementing various types of fasting into my lifestyle, I noticed SO many healthful benefits such as:
- Becoming “Fat Adapted” – Switched over into ketosis more quickly
- Accelerated fat loss and improved body composition
- Increased human growth hormone (HGH) production – better muscle building
- Improved digestion – no more IBS!
- Stabilized blood sugar and ghrelin levels – no more ravenous hunger or cravings
- Detoxification and cell repair/recycling (autophagy)
- Reduced inflammation and bloating
- Seasonal allergies greatly reduced
- Increased energy – No more crashing mid-day
- Better mental focus and heightened creativity throughout the day
- Deeper, more restful sleep cycles
- Anti-aging, clearer eyes & skin
- Whiter teeth with less plaque build up
- Less time spent food prepping
- Less money spent in the grocery stores
- More time for literally everything else
Fasting Styles I’ve tried
There are MANY variations of “fasting”out there. So, as always, do your research and find what works best for you… but I’ll list a few of my personal favorites too.
Intermittent Fasting (IF)
If you’re new to fasting but the idea of not eating gets you a tad nervous then this is one of the best methods to start experimenting with.
“IF” is simply eating within a compressed window of time each day and then fasting the rest of the time. The most well-known example is to stick to 16 hours fasting and then have an 8 hour window for eating meals. Start with what feels most comfortable and then you can slowly increase the fasting window and decrease the feeding one to find your happy place.
This style allows folks to reap many of the fasting rewards but also eat daily. Many people will incorporate their 7-8hrs of sleep into the daily fasting window so half the hard work is already done!
Alternate Day Fasting (ADF)
Fast (or severely restrict calories/carbs) one day and then feast the next. When done correctly, ADF is a great tool for fat loss and many other awesome benefits.
Some folks will still allow a max of 500 calories on their “fasting days” and then eat upwards of 2,000+ on the following feast days. Not particularly my style but it may work for others! Ultimately, there should be a significant difference between the calorie intake on the fasting day vs. feasting day.
My personal preference on fasting days is to keep my carbs at virtually “0” and calories between 0-100. I shy away from drinking/eating too much on “fasting days” because that can start to defeat the purpose of fasting. I want to tap into my fat stores vs. use what I ingest for energy.
Fat Fasting
Fat fasting isn’t necessarily the absence eating, but rather the absence of sugars and most proteins for an extended period of time. While fat fasting you should be getting 80-90%+ of daily calories from healthy fats and keeping your caloric intake restricted to 1,000 – 1,200 per day. This style of fasting can be great for breaking a weight-loss-plateau for folks that are already in a state of ketosis or “fat-adapted”.
Water Fasting
Definitely the most simple and challenging style of fasting because all you do is ingest nothing except (high quality) water throughout the duration of the fast…. and maybe a little extra salt here and there. More on that in a moment.
This style really is pretty strait forward. You can do this intermittently or extended and it’s one of the ultimate forms of fasting for fat loss, detoxification, anti-aging, and anti-cancer benefits.
This is also the most risky style when done in an extended fashion so please only attempt under supervision of a medical professional… unless you’re like me and throw all caution to the wind and go for it anyway. Your choice.
Extended Fasting
Fast (or severely restrict calories/carbs) for a longer period of time – usually 24+ hrs. This style of fasting is great for rapid fat loss and quickly switching over into ketosis. It’s also my personal favorite style. I like to stick with 24-48hrs on a more regular basis but occasionally (couple times a year) I can go upwards of 7-10+ days on nothing except water, salt and various other zero or ultra low calorie beverages.
Tips, Tricks & Recommendations
How do I stay compliant while extended fasting?
For me, the idea of not eating is more of a mental challenge than physical one. If I allow myself to feel like I’m getting something tasty or “meal-like” then I tend to stay more compliant with my fast. I don’t always need “crutches” but knowing there are other options besides water really settles my nerves about fasting in general.
Ultra low or zero calorie beverages are pretty safe for me – except diet drinks. I avoid those at all costs. The closer I can keep my total daily calories to “0” the better.
Here’s a rundown of the beverages that I like to incorporate depending on the duration of the fast or my current goals at the time:
- Sparkling water
- Unsweetened tea
- Exogenous ketones
- Coffee (black is always safest but I can sometimes get away with a tiny splash of creamer/stevia if I’m feeling frisky)
- Homemade bone broth or store-bought low/zero cal broths (occasionally and in small amounts)
- Kombucha (occasionally and in small amounts)
Kick the Keto-Flu
Make sure to get plenty of extra high quality mineral water and real salt (sea or himalayan) while fasting to keep your electrolytes balanced. I personally like to take mini “shots” of salt and chase it with water throughout the day when I feel like I need a “pick-me-up”.
Adding extra salt can help minimize or alleviate some of the adverse detox & keto-flu symptoms as headaches, brain fog or dizziness.
What about medications/supplements while fasting?
Take them if you need them. If you find that certain ones upset your stomach while fasting you could always take them with a small serving of plain leafy greens. Hardly any calories but doing this can really help ease digestive distress and allow you to stick to your important supplement/pill schedule.
Cramping?
Take extra magnesium. Also make sure you take some vitamin C with every mineral supplement to help with the absorption.
How to break an extended fast?
Take it slow and keep in mind that your eyes will be far bigger than your stomach at that point. Eat something small and wait 30-60 minutes before you dive into your bigger meal.
Anything that you usually feel comfortable munching on will work but I’d recommend sticking to healthy options of course. Don’t go breaking your extended fasts with a snickers bar or anything…
Some of my favorite foods to break a long fast with are things like hard boiled eggs, pickles, sauerkraut, nuts, goat cheese and protein/jerky bars. Plenty of options out there!
Unsure about fasting due to health concerns?
Again, please talk to your doctor! Don’t jump right in. I may sound like a broken record here but there’s no point in making such a risky move. Take your time.
Where to Begin?
If you’re someone who is curious about fasting, you can always go ask “Dr. Google” some basic questions – just beware of mis-information and bad sources.
Another great place to start would be to look into reading the book “The Complete Guide to Fasting” by Dr. Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore. If you’re not big into reading, try the audio book! This book will completely shatter questions/doubts about fasting and all the myths surrounding the topic.
If you like podcasts, another option is listening to “Fasting Talk” with Jimmy Moore and Friends. The podcast was short lived, but there was some valuable info shared over the duration of it’s life.
Conclusion
The biggest “take-away” for me has been learning how to really listen to my body again.
I’d forgotten what it felt like to be truly hungry or what it felt like to really let my body (& digestive system) rest for a while. My body knows best and I have finally learned to work WITH instead of AGAINST myself.
It’s remarkable to realize how amazing and smart our bodies actually are when we allow them to do what they do best – heal and find balance.
I can honestly say that implementing various types of fasting into my lifestyle has been the single most healthful practice that I keep to this day.
Thanks for reading, friends! Have a BEAUTIFUL day.
With Love,
P.S. For more fasting and health related topics and inspo please feel free to follow me on social media! (Links @ top & bottom of page).
I hope you enjoyed my post and if you have any additional questions/comments for me please feel free to reach out and fill out the form under the “contact me” tab.
Looking forward to connecting with you!