SunnyB
I think you I’ll be amazed at yourself. Fasting is a mental game and I find the longer I fast, the easier it gets. My record is 42 hours and I know I could go on longer but am scared that I won’t give up the game hence always call it enough at 42 hours, Enjoy plenty of fruit teas, coffee and water and keep yourself busy. It’s easier to do if you’re not with people who are constantly munching for your first attempt. You will find that fasting frees up lots of time. I’m just recovering from flu and had a week off work feeling very unwell and when I feel stronger I too am going to do another fast. I think fasting has amazing health benefits. Good luck and enjoy the freedom it affords you.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice, CC. Picked tomorrow, as OH isn’t going to be around much and so I won’t need to cater for him and I’m going to be out for a while as well, which will help, ‘cos I don’t eat ‘on the run’ when I’m out on my own anyway. As we are eating out in the evening, that will help to keep me out of the kitchen as well, as I won’t need to be prepping anything for dinner. Will report in on Wednesday.

Hope you’ll soon be back to full health and fit enough to tackle your next fast.

SunnyB

Just wanted to wish you good luck with your fasting. You come across a very strong woman who is determined to be in control of her body…Im looking forward to reading your views on fasting…

GOOD LUCK you can do it girl

Hi SunnyB
Go for it girl, fasting is so good for you. My record is 4.5 days, but please take it slowly and make sure you keep up your salt / electrolytes. I add a small amount of Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt to my tongue throughout the day and let it absorb slowly into my system.

I built up to that slowly and now fast weekly for 24 hours and 2-3 days about once per month.

If you start feeling sick or you get stomach pains, eat something small to break the fast, but this is unusual unless you do longer fasts.

Stick with water, black/herbal teas or coffee, but nothing with calories as that will defeat the purpose.
If you need help, just ask!
Cheers
Linda

Go for it, Sunny. Once you get your head around it, it’s really not that difficult, and it certainly gets essier. I actively enjoy fasting and did one just last week lasting over 60 hours, just because I felt a bit over-indulged and bloated, and as Cathy said, I too could easily have gone longer. Felt fantastic both during and after the fast.

As it happens, whilst I don’t normally fast every week, as I tend to lose quite a lot and don’t need to lose any more, I am 29 hours into another fast as we speak. I had supper last night, then was travelling most of the day (I never eat when travelling) then was at the ballet all evening and by the time that finished it was too late to eat, and I’m honestly not in the slightest bit hungry. So I will break fast tomorrow with my usual 11am brekkie of fage yoghurt and blueberries, by which time I will have completed 40 hours.

So good luck, enjoy but, as Linda says, if you feel weak, dizzy, nauseous etc, then eat and try again another time – we all are learning to listen to listen to our bodies and must do the same when fasting. Looking forward to hearing of your progress.

Hi SunnyB, Just adding my voice to the encouragement chorus. I found it was like developing an exercise muscle, each fast was easier. Hunger comes and goes in waves and is quite easy to ignore. drink plenty of water and as LindaA reminds us – don’t forget some salt. Can’t wait to hear how it goes. 🤗

Thank you so much for all the support and encouragement, from so many of you lovely people!!!! So far so good, although ironically I have felt a little peckish this morning, which can only be psychological as I would normally not feel hungry during the morning, always pushing through to 13.30>14.00 before eating.

I’m going out soon, which will be a diversion and when I get back I’m going to have a bit of a pamper session to get ready for our social evening tonight, so plenty to keep me occupied today. Anyway, all the encouragement is helping to keep me focused and determined not to let you all down. I’m already over half way through, so this must be doable. Will post if I made it to the finish line or not as soon as I can.

So far, so good Sunny, so very well done. Distraction is the way to go if / when you feel peckish and, of course, a glass of water always helps.

Have a wonderful evening, but try not to overdo things on such a very empty tum – may be worth having something very light before you go out just to ease you back in. Looking forward to hearing of your success.

Still feeling fine. Had thought I might have just a little something before I go out this evening, Theo. Maybe a couple of little almond crackers with a scrape of butter and some marmite – does that sound okay? Or maybe a small portion of kefir would be better? Would be interested to know thoughts on this please.

Sunny, I generally break fast in the mornings with a portion of fage yoghurt, which is my usual breakfast anyway. As you will be breaking in the late afternoon / early evening, kefir sounds good, or a couple of almond crackers, or whatever takes your fancy really, as long as it’s fairly light, BSD friendly and not too much of it, bearing in mind that you will be eating again in the evening. You just don’t want to overload a totally empty stomach this evening, it may make you feel very bloated.

You are doing great, so very well done – another tool in your BSD arsenal.

Thanks for the info Theo. Irritatingly, our friends have just brought forward the meal time for this evening, meaning that if I want to have something before we leave home, I’ll have to do so three quarters of an hour before my 24hrs is up. Right now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do – might just take a couple of almond crackers to nibble in the car, so I can get to my 24hr deadline. Will report tomorrow.

Good idea Sunny. Though frankly, if you have made it to 23 hours, you know that you will be able to make the full 24 hours (or more, if you start in the evening and incorporate 2 nights when you’ll be in bed anyway) next time. I think we will definitely give you the credit of achieving your aim this time, although I can understand that, mentally, you want to do the full 24 hours – but we consider 23.25 hours a success, well done. Have a great evening.

Woohoo Sunny, I am definitely giving you credit for 24 hours! As Theo says you now have another tool to deploy. Unexpectedly I have found fasting has also stregthened my ability to to comfortably maintain good eating habits – says she who just ate shortbread and drank red wine 🤭. Anyway, well done Sunny!

I’m with Theo. There is no material difference between 23 hours and 24, so crackers or no crackers, pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Congratulations, Sunny!

I’m 3 days into my first week-long fast. OH is doing it with me, to my amazement. He’s done 16:8 for a few months and been extraordinarly successful at it, shaving off a few pounds from his belly and coping much better than he expected with morning hunger. He was inspired to go for a full week when I read him some of Dr. Fung’s “Complete Guide to Fasting.” I told him he should maybe inch into it instead of aiming for such an ambitious run for his first extended fast, but he really wanted to go for it for certain specific health benefits mentioned in the book. Yesterday he thought he might cave early, but he managed to get through the headachey period and this morning his resolve was renewed when he stepped on the scale and found 4 pounds gone.

It’s a real pleasure having him as an extended fast companion. It makes it a lot easier on me because I don’t have to cook for him while I can’t eat, for one thing, but my greatest joy is witnessing the revelation of it unfold, how he has a new understand of what hunger really is and how our bodies operate. He’s always been one of those people who got ravenous and cranky when meal times were delayed, and now he sees with wonder that he can get past that impulse instead of being driven by it.

E, that is ambitious! Curious as to why you are doing a full week fast when you are already at goal? Great that you are supporting OH, but you could do that with not cooking but still eating, so obviously there is another bigger reason. I can do a 3 day plus overnight. Not sure I could manage a whole week. Anxious to hear how it goes for you. Good luck!

My reasons are fourfold: 1) increasing blood sugar and insulin regulation, 2) cancer prevention, 3) stimulating metabolism, adrenalin release and preventing muscle loss and 4) increasing human growth hormone levels for its anti-aging properties. Shorter fasts help in these areas, but 5 or more days take you into the stratosphere. From “The Complete Guide to Fasting”:
1) The longer the fast, the more reduction in blood glucose, insulin rates and the greater the improvement in insulin sensitivity.
2) One of the doctors referenced in Dr. Fung’s book, cancer researcher Thomas Seyfried, advocates a yearly water-only fast of 7-10 days for its cancer-prevention properties.
3) Thanks to increased adrenalin levels, resting energy rates increase by 12% after four days of fasting.
4) HGH replacement studies have found that 6 months of growth hormone injections in older people increased lean mass (muscle and bone) by more than 8 pounds and decreased fat mass by more than 5. Foreign HGH, however, can shoot your blood glucose numbers up to pre-diabetic levels, increases blood pressure and may raise the risk of cancer and cardiac issues. That’s why it’s not a standard protocol and used very sparsely. Fasting boosts your natural, built-in rates of HGH which does not have any damaging side effects. HGH, especially non-pulsatile HGH (the steady secretion of it throughout the day instead of the spike released in the wee hours of the morning), increase dramatically if you reach the protein conservation phase which happens five days after starting a fast.

I’ve wanted to try a week-long fast for a while now, but thought I’d have to wait until OH was on a business trip or something. Instead, when I read him the parts of the book that applied to a problem he’s been experiencing for a while that I won’t delve into to preserve his privacy, he was so thrilled there might be a solution he decided to give it a shot.

Wow, Essie, that is ambitious, but how lovely that you and o/h are attempting it together. I wish you every success and hope it gives the health benefits you are aiming for.

My o/h, lovely and supportive though he is, would call in the men from the funny farm with a straight jacket for me if I suggested doing a week long fast, let alone suggesting that HE did one!! He can barely manage an hour without food passing his lips (unless he’s asleep😉) Fortunately he never puts on an ounce, is slim and healthy (as far as we know) and thinks nothing of cycling 100 miles 2 or 3 times a week, often competitively, with shorter 40 milers in between, which can’t be bad for a 73 year old. He must be doing something right, it makes me exhausted to even think about it!

Anyway, I look forward to hearing of your progress, and wish you both loads of luck although I suspect that, with your iron will, luck won’t come into it. Go girl, and keep us updated – I stand in awe of you both👏👌👍

He could manage too, I’m sure of it. None of us thought we could manage until we did it, right? The HGH benefits are particularly important for athletes, as it happens, so he’d benefit a great deal. But yeah, there’s no reason to even broach the subject. We sort of fell into this way of eating because of our weight loss goals and now we’re comfortable attempting fasting feats others wouldn’t consider. I’m rather proud of it, in truth. 😀

I had a cup of turkey bone broth with sea salt today and enjoyed it immensely. I was fortunate enough to be gifted with a very special group of broths from different animals made by an organic farm in Amish Pennsylvania. All grass-fed, pasture-raised and produced using traditional methods. The difference between these broths and commercial bone broths is night and day. They are all gelatinized, a result of the collagen extracted from the strong bones of animals that haven’t been genetically, hormonally and environmentally deformed on factory farms. Such a rich flavor, as opposed to the watery slightly meat-flavored bone broths you find at the store.

Morning, All.
E., I was curious, too. Thank you for outlining the alleged benefits of an extended fast. The HGH
benefits are the most interesting to me. Are you doing water only, or using the wonderful bone broth?
I’ll have to see if I can research the Amish source! I won’t wish you luck…I agree with Theo, with you
at the helm it won’t be necessary. Carry On! 🙂

Thank you so much everyone, for the kind words and pat on the back. I did break early, with a tablespoon of kefir and one cracker with a scrape of butter and a little marmite just before we went out. For the meal out, I had a small starter of mushrooms in a blue cheese sauce and then a small portion of roast beef, cauli cheese, cabbage, with a splash of gravy and a tsp of horseradish sauce. Confess I also had a glass of red wine. Felt comfortable after the meal and can report the scales showed a drop of 1lb today, which surprised me, as with the meal out and the wine, I had expected to see a static result – no loss/no gain.

Have to say, once I got past the psychological peckishness early on, I didn’t have any feelings of hunger and actually did feel I could have pressed on for a few hours more. Interestingly, it was having the kefir and cracker that stirred any real hunger – almost like it had reminded my stomach it hadn’t had anything.

But even though the 23hrs was comfortable and I now believe I could increase that by a few hours, I can’t imagine doing a whole week and as I said before, I know that if OH realised that I was fasting, it would be met with considerable opposition. So It will have to be 24hr fasts for me – stretched by an hour or two if I can – as I can manage this with OH not being around most of the day, but he’d only realise if I wasn’t eating with him in the evening and protest. Now that he is semi-retired, there are no business trip these days, so no opportunity for me to sneak in a fast of much more than 24hrs. Think it is something I will be doing again though and might even think about doing once a week in the run up to our upcoming trip to Turkey.

Esnecca, I have absolutely no doubt that you will succeed with your week long fast and like others, will be interested in hearing how it goes and your observations. All power to you!

Well done Sunny! Esnecca – I’ve just ordered Jason Fung’s book as I am fascinated by fasting. The longest I’ve managed is 46 hours and that was back in November. But every day I do 18/6 with the odd 24 when I can face it! I was also curious about the fasting/starving question, so glad you answered that. LindaA – interesting reading your post also with tips regarding salt.
Toodlepip
Kazzee

Yesterday’s cup of bone broth was my only one so far, Allie. The rest has been water and black coffee. I’ve also taken one or two pinches of Maldon smoked sea salt every day.

The farm that makes the delectable bone brother is Miller’s Organic Farm: http://www.millersorganicfarm.com/ . You have to be a member to order online which I am not yet but will become because the goose, duck and goat broth were genuine revelations. Very curious membership form, I must say.

Already bookmarked E., and I’m in hot pursuit! Thank you, as always 🙂 I’d really like to jump in the
car and take a road trip this very minute. Feels like Spring today, 70 degrees! I know that you
understand how much it irks me that I can’t do a fast…I’m hoping these bone broth products will
tip me into the success zone.
It’s so wonderful that you’ve found the perfect house! I hope the building inspection goes well.
These are exciting times 🙂 🙂 🙂

OH caved this morning and had eggs for breakfast. I am amazed he got into the fifth day on his first extended fast. Mine was 48 hours! I am so happy for him and bursting with pride.

I’m going to keep going. I might break fast tomorrow early dinner, which would be six days, so past the 5-day boundary of most of the health markers I’m hoping to hit. It would be nice to go out with my guy to celebrate this unique experience we’ve shared with, say, the raw oyster and clam bar a block down from our place. They have shucked oysters for $1 during their happy hour. 😀

On the other hand, I might barrel on through with my original plan of breaking fast Saturday late lunch. I feel fine right now, so I’ll play it by ear using my body’s reaction as a guide.

Very impressed with both your OH and you Esnecca! Whenever you decide to break your fast, you’ll have done fantastically – way beyond anything I could imagine doing. If you hit the oyster bar, have one for me – just love fresh oysters!

Well done to both of you, Essie, particularly o/h – managing 4 days on a first time fast is truly amazing, tell him congrats from me, please.
You are obviously feeling fine, or you wouldn’t be continuing, and I shall be following your progress with great interest. I wonder if either of you have weighed yourself, and if so, what were the results. I ask because I did a 24 hour (unplanned) fast this week, and I have dropped 5lbs which I didn’t intend or need!! The first 3lbs were an immediate next morning loss, but I always find the effect continues for a day or too, despite eating up to my TDEE, and I dropped another pound by yesterday morning, and yet another one this morning, which means that I am at my all time lowest weight which, to be honest, is too low (BMI 19.2) – maybe ok for a bright young thing, but certainly for a pensioner like me. My longest fast to date has been about 66 hours, and I seem to remember that I lost about 8 or 9lbs, so I cannot imagine how much I would lose if I did a week. So, whilst the health benefits of an extended fast may be significant, I am not sure that they wouldn’t be outweighed (excuse the pun) for me personally by dropping so much weight?

Ridiculously, and who would ever have thought it a year ago, I am now going to have to up my intake to try to GAIN a few pounds this weekend!!

Theodora you do seem to have a great skill of losing weight quite rapidly! I recently did a 40 hour fast and only lost 1lb and it was on again in the blink of an eye. I had flu last week and actually managed to put on 2lb despite hardly eating due to nausea! Your BMI is really quite low now and you may need to look at tweaking things. I know when we were on our journey together your body seemed to behave and respond a lot better and a lot quicker than mine. I am still working hard at keeping at goal weight but I can’t seem get my BMI any lower than 25 i.e my goal weight.

I am super impressed by your will power Esnecca. I am a fan of fasting but have never gone longer than 42 hours. I can’t wait to read your review of this fast! Congratulations to your other half for his impressive effort. Well done!

Thank you, Sunny, Theo and Cathy. I will relay your compliments to my fella. He lost 8 pounds in the four days and is looking amazing. It was a challenge taking my mitts off him so he could get to work. 😀 He was feeling extremely fatigued this morning because he slept very poorly, waking up repeatedly over the course of the night and then being woken up early this morning by head-splitting construction work from some inconsiderate jerks renovating a nearby building. I think that’s what really drove his need to break the fast, not so much the fast itself.

Theo, I didn’t weigh myself just before the fast because I didn’t really care, but on the second morning I was 120.7 and this morning I was 117.4, so a few pounds shed but nothing remarkable. It’s all in my general maintenance area. I think CC is right that you’re a bit of a metabolic freak, in a good way, mind you, until it gets a little scary. You’d definitely have to make a point of bulking up before embarking on a fast this long. That could be fun too. Uncounted ounces of nuts, Texas-sized steaks, cheese upon cheese upon cheese. A week-long feast to put the Tudor court to shame. 😆

Cathy, I know what you mean about how easily the weight seems to drop off me these days, and sometimes I am too embarrassed to even report it on here when others are struggling. I seem to have turned into a lean, mean, calorie burning machine – though I do manage to put on a couple of pounds each weekend, it always drops off again by Tuesday or Wednesday without me “trying”. Just goes to show, a restrictive calorie diet doesn’t necessarily screw up one’s metabolism. I suspect it’s because I have always thrown in lots of fasts, still do the odd 800 day, and also often go way over my TDEE at weekends so, according to Jason Fung’s theory (which I am paraphrasing and simplifying here) my poor old body doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going! Hey, who cares what the theory is, it seems to be working for me, so am very happy.

Haha, Essie – I’m not sure I fancy “bulking up” again😋 And as for steak, Texas sized or otherwise, I’m afraid I don’t eat red meat. Sorry. I’m a seafood girl – used to be a see food and eat it girl, but those days are long gone and I really don’t want to invite them back.

On the plus side, I was hoping to be on the “low” side for my holiday to Africa so that I can eat and drink without worrying about what the scales say upon my return. My theory is that, if I actually go half a stone lighter than normal, I could even afford to put on a whole stone in the couple of weeks we are away without going over my target weight. It’s an all inclusive deal – 3 meals a day, and drinks and snacks whilst actually on game drives and, if we are feeling romantic, we can even have a candlelit dinner served “a deux” on our private terrace or down on the water’s edge of the lake which we overlook, and as much soft or alcoholic drinks as we care to consume, and a girl’s got to get value for money😜

As far as your o/h not getting much sleep, I trust it wasn’t your mitts all over him that was the disturbing factor?😋😉😘💖

The Phentermine Nursing Aptitude Kont has to be Associate in Yellow which helps customers manage their weight.

This morning, the scales read at their lowest level so far at 8st 0.6lb! Of course, I’m not expecting that to necessarily be the case tomorrow, but it is encouraging that I now seem to be within touching distance of my revised goal of 8st, which I was aiming to get to by the time we head off to Turkey early April. I’m sure this positive progression is due to the fast, so I will definitely be throwing a few more in before then.

SunnyB

WELL DONE YOU…I am sooooo Jealous..I must try to fast but the thought of it makes me want to eat lots the night before..(Crazy I know) but knowing I could maybe lose a few pounds quickly should be an incentive in itself.

The lighest I can remember myself was 7st 11lb..the days when clothes swivelled easy around the waistline…LOL The fact that you have reached 8st 0.6lb is Fantastic.

Im 5ft 2″ out of curiosity how tall are you?

Fantastic, Sunny! Very well done. It bodes well for your April goal since you can duplicate the fast whenever you need to.

The scale tells me I weigh 114.3 lb this morning. That’s a new record low and a bit of a shock. I’m still feeling great, despite having been woken up early by those jerky construction guys again, so plan to keep going until tomorrow. At this point, I think I could keep going indefinitely. When I did three and four day fasts, I obsessed over what I would eat when I broke the fast much more than I have during this longer stretch. It’s been a real voyage of discovery. In the future, I think I will follow Dr. Seyfried’s suggestion of doing three 7-10 day fasts a year, not just for the physical benefits but for the balanced, peaceful mental space it puts me in.

Hey GofouritGIRL – I’m 5ft 1inch and my previous lowest sustainable weight as an adult, was 8st 4lb. When I started out on the BSD I’d hoped to get to 8st 10lb and then when I got there, I decided to push on to 8st 7lb – my weight 20yrs ago when OH and I got married. Having hit that, I decided I’d like some wriggle room so that I could make 8st 7lb my upper limit. Really happy with my weight now and the way things at going, I think it’s realistic that I can get to 8st and maintain within a pound or two.

Where are you on your BSD journey? Have you hit your final target? As others have said, fasting definitely does seem to be all in the mind set, so if you can get yourself past that psychological need to overeat the night before, I’m sure you’d do just fine.

Sorry Essie, think your post came in as I was typing my response to GofouritGIRL. You have done brilliantly and I’m completely in awe. Well done on the new low and I’m sure this will be updated over the coming days. I guess such a sustained fast must be really feel empowering, but not convinced I could personally tackle such a long fast myself. Look forward to your updates over the coming days.

Hi SunnyB

Im a bit similar to yourself. I was 9st 6lb last February and did the 8 weeks Sugar Free diet. I eventually got down to 8st 10lb around Xmas time. Now I can get down to 8st 7lb but struggle to keep it there. I think I need to pull my finger out and do a fast for two days when OH is not around, I would like to get down to at least 8st 4lb. OH has done several fast 5:2 which works for him….but boy is he the grumpiest man on this earth…but of course he doesn’t think so. I know one of my downfalls is walnuts. On the diet I was counting them …now I just grab them 4 or five at a time thinking they are good for me but..everyday nibbles are my downfall. I really need to write down every morsel.
I like to read your posts you are very inspiring…keep it up. I just have a feeling that you will lose that extra 0.6lb no problem..you are very strong willed.

Would love to think I’m strong willed, but I’m not wholly convinced! Thank you for the endorsement though – much appreciated.

You’ve done brilliantly and I’m confident you can get to 8st 4lb. When I struggled due to coasting, I did a reset and got back to the full on 800 (and I did 20g daily carbs), once again weighing, measuring and recording absolutely everything I consumed. Have to say it was not as easy as it sounds, but it worked and actually, I was surprised how readily the weight started to fall again. Just need to refocus and have a bit of a chat with yourself and I’m sure you can get those last few pounds sorted out.

“Determined” Sunny, determined! I’m speechless with awe, ladies. I want to acquire this tool to keep in my arsenal
too! I think I will be ordering some high quality bone broth to get me started. I’m SO impressed…Well done 🙂

Sunny B
Your new low weight has inspired me to get a stone off! I am 5’1″ like you and weigh 133 lbs. this was my initial goal weight plucked out of thin air. My aim was to lose 3 stone which I did as my start weight was 175 lb! I didn’t for a moment think it would be achievable and it did take me 10 months. Now reading your post I realise that I could probably aim for losing more weight! I need to re-focus and get back down to eating 800 calories and have decided that I will do that from Monday and hope to lose one stone before June! My son’s wedding is in June so that will be my aim. I know that being at goal I’ve slowly increased my intake but I reckon that with a refocus I can hopefully lose a little more. I’ve sort of been complacent since achieving my three stone loss. Thank you for inspiring me. I do enjoy fasting so that along with 800 calories low carb for the next few weeks should help me on my way to a new low! Watch this space……

HI CC – thank you for all those kind words. My original start point was a bit lower than yours at 157lb, but had lost approx. 9lb before starting on the BSD. Anyway, overall I’ve lost over 3st now. Sure you will be able to drop that additional stone – as you say, with a refocus and getting back to basics it’s absolutely doable. I have only just been brave enough to tackle a fast, but it sounds like you already have that in your arsenal and I’m certain it will help you along the way. You have a good few weeks to the big day, so go for it and please keep us updated on progress.

What a great thread, hope you don’t mind if I join in? I have been successfully doing lchf/bsd for over a year in combination with 5:2 intermittent fasting (which I have done for over 5 years). I lost weight quickly and now have excellent bloods almost across the board, apart from low sodium and creatinine (need to do some strength exercises for the latter). I have just switched my fasting to a 18/6 protocol ie 18hrs fasting with six hour feeding window, lol, sounds like I’m in a zoo… I’m not 😉. It’s early days but it seems to be less socially restrictive than 5:2, to put it another way I feel as if I have got my Mondays and Fridays back. I’d be interested to know what fasting style others favour. Take care all. Keep up the great work

Welcome Daisiesmum! It sounds like you’ve got your maintenance system nicely worked out still leaving plenty of room for flexibility like changing your IF schedule. That’s what it’s all about. 🙂

Well guys, my epic 7-day adventure has come to a close. I broke my fast with a Cobb salad that was well and truly outstanding. Zero regrets there. Zero regrets anywhere, for that matter. This was an invigorating, life-affirming experience and I absolutely loved it. Days five and six were particularly noteworthy. I felt so good, so calm, suffused with peace. The snappishness and impatience that I sometimes (okay often) fall prey to went walkabout. I wasn’t hungry in the least and as I said above, I was sad to say goodbye to this incredible feeling of well-being.

Physically I feel and look better than I have in years. OH commented that I looked beautiful today and when I examined myself in the mirror after my shower I found that he wasn’t just being his usual sweet, flattering self. I think my face looks 10 years younger. My cheeks are rosy, my skin smooth and supple, no deep grooves between my nose and lips, no furrows on my forehead, no jowls. My wobbly bits are snugger to my body, even my deflated boobs are looking perkier! (Not perky. Just perkier. 😉 )

I am a complete convert. I will be adding a 7-day fast to my regimen at least 3 times a year.

Esnecca

Well done ….You should be so proud of yourself, if only I had your will power but as a beginner to the fasting regime I can only aspire to be able to fast for 7 days, fantastic.
I started my first one last night around 8.30pm and managed to get through until around 5pm tonight without feeling hungry. I had half a teaspoon of marmite and a celery stick. My head is pounding now but have drank plenty liquids. I will go to sleep tonight and eat around 10am tomorrow morning. I will do another day maybe throughout next week.
You have obviously built this up to 7 days and it sounds like the benefits are fantastic.
Can I ask what do you nibble on when needs must? Your obviously a dab hand at this.

Hi Ensecca – that is some achievement 🎉🎉🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🌟🌟🌟 such an inspiration. The process and benefits your describe are so interesting.

Yes, Esnecca completely sold on it, something to aspire to. Congratulations on breaking through! X

Well done Esnecca, definitely an inspiration. I enjoyed my 48 hours. When reading Jason Fung he said that they don’t usually do 48 because the second day is the hardest and once you’ve done that you might as well carry on. I didn’t find the 2nd day particularly hard, did you find any days harder than others?

Ensenca: Wow you are amazing.The benefits you describe sound SO worth all the effort!

GoforitG1rl: I am in awe of anyone who can fast for more than 24hrs.

Well done, both of you!

I have been doing 18/6 for about 5 days now (having progressed fron 5:2) and already feeling the benefits, more alert, less hungry and it’s amazing how much I get done in the mornings until it’s time to eat… I’ve never been a “busy busy” person, but my mornings are starting to become that way! I am already considering a shorter eating window on some days, so I may make it to 24hrs or more, maybe in the UK summer… or maybe that will be the UK summer, lol!

Take care everyone. You inspire me🙂

Hi Daisiesmum,

I’m not in maintenance yet, still 1st and 2 lbs to go before I start it, but I find that the 16/2 is what I am doing already. I’m not hungry in the morning, and as you say it’s the least socially disruptive. I will definitely stay with that. I’m considering keeping one or two 24 hours ones per week because of the benefits to blood sugar and insulin resistance, but I’ll have to play that by ear when I see how the weight stabilises. I’d love to try a longer fast like Escecca, but I know my husband would be very worried so I can’t do it with him around and as we are both retired we are together most of the time. I’m going for a week long singing summer school in August, and the food is fairly boring university canteen food so I might try then.

Essie, well done on your epic journey. I have committed in the latest 4 week challenge to following your example in the final week of the challenge, and will be continuing a general pattern of 16:8, 5:2 and FMD 800 days as I work up to it. In other news as I said on the challenge thread, I think I have finally achieved a new weight ‘set point’ so it is possible. While it is higher than my BSD end target, it is with higher carbs and therefore with full glycogen stores, and does not affect either my fitting into my clothes or my feeling of general wellness. I am looking forward to experiencing some of the benefits that you reported after your epic fast.

Hi Daisesmum

Well Ive managed to get to 36 hours, then my headache was too much even though i was well hydrated. As several people have posted i certainly felt more awake energised and motivated on the first day however, even though I thought to my self keep going, I gave in.
Like you I think I will try doing 18/6 or 20/4 and se how long i can manage. I think it may be better for me to gradually get into fasting, and as SunnyB said to keep an eye on the carbs.

I raise my hat to the girls on here who go longer, well done all of you.