Cate's fasting cycles

[Cate_Alexandra]

Sleep is not regular at all.
Headed out for a walk last night did 4.5 miles. Just suddenly had a spirt of motivation and energy and lack of dizziness, I thought it would help ease the pain in my back and shoulder… so I went for it the last two miles where a long way and it was cold as it was just after midnight.
Then sleep naturally didn’t occur. Spent the night meditating and reading, curled up against the radiator hurting more than I had when I set off.
Spent the morning collecting things and taking them to the allotment.

I have a headache it’s been here a while, pins and needles in extremities, thick head, disturbed sleep, dizziness, heart rate is slightly elevated, I’m retaining water (and weight) and drinking a litre more than usual… So I’ve deduced my potassium is out of wack. For that I blame the half a cup of black coffee I had a few days ago. So I’ve picked up some lowsalt, made my own veg boulion from nutritional yeast, salts, herbs. And I’ll see how I get on in the next few days.

Desperatly tired today, fighting all day not to curl up and go to sleep, I just hurt, pushing through is grinding me down abit
Tomorrow will be better

Water fast is over 200 hours now so that’s a small victory even if I do feel abit out of it

Hope everyone is doing well

[Cate_Alexandra]

Finally! Hello old friend 16 hours asleep! Never thought I’d miss waking up still feeling tired but checking the time and Fitbit to realise that with one period I woke up for half hour… I have been asleep for 16hours. Oh yes! My brain has rested
I want to say I feel better… I’m sure I do but I ache a wee bit (I hurt it’s why I’ve woken up).
I think an Epsom salt bath, lemon and ginger and Dr Fungs Live is my order of the day.

Removed link to the live. It covered too many fasting options so made it sound like conflicting advice. It was a good advert for IF though. I don’t think he’s ever done a prolonged fast beyond a few days at a time. I honestly and through personal experience believe you can have a successful but misrable fast just water or you can suppliment your electrolytes and have a much healthier and productive fast. (I’m going to head google scholar to look into how long electrolytes are stored in our kidneys).

My heart rate is happier today and my weight has dropped the water retention and is now at 63.2kg

Water only fasting this is what my kitchen side looks like. Water only’ with electrolyte suppliments.

I hope everyone is feeling good today

[CarlyAnn]

Hi! I’m really interested to learn more about your disordered eating.

My 2 brother in law’s are both lactose intolerant and allergic to gluten so that’s been out of their diet for close to 10 years but they still have terrible stomach issues, always feel fatigued, and have pain in their legs as well… you have listed these problems and I’m now curious if maybe that’s what they have too?

How did you get diagnosed with this and is there an overall solution to this problem?

[Cate_Alexandra]

Disordered eating is basically what doctors call restrictive eating and vomiting when the doctor believes it is by choice. I’ve spent the last 10 years believing I had a subconscious eating disorder
I learnt last year through literally ten months of trial and error that I have more allergies than just lactose and gluten.
Based on what you have said and my own experience I would experiment with cutting soy, sulphates and potatoes out for a minimum of two weeks. As these are the three which give me fatigue, muscle pain and inflammation and have maintained stomach issues for me for many years.
Soy and potato takes a few weeks to get out my system where as sulphates I notice a difference almost immediately. Then it’s just trial and wait… Until you work out what it is that’s triggering the issues.
Also consider that egg yolk can contain soy if that is what the chickens are fed on and that ‘may contain’ usually means does contain when it comes to those of us with allergies.
Diagnosis came when I was diagnosed as Autistic… they’d rather label things than resolve or discover the route.
And the solution… Eliminate all allergens from your system, life, environment ect (gluten can survive a good wash, the kitchen items and utensils need to be purely GF)
If they have a wheat allergy rather than celiac or gluten Intolerance then it’s definitely worth considering the low fodmap diet.
When I return to eating I’m going back Lowfodmap purely because I know it’s easy on my digestion.

I’m fasting now because of all the trial and error I went through last year. I’m hoping it will heal my gut permability, and support me when I return to eating a low fodmap, whole food plant based diet. I’m also crossing fingers and toes that my allergies and intollances will maybe decreases in severity over the next few years if I stick to it and heal that which the modern diet and food handling practices has damaged.

[Stacia]

Cate, just sending good vibes to feel better with all the elimination you are going through ! I can sure relate! Potatoes are a huge one for me, I figured it out by having horrible restless leg syndrome all night after I ate potatoes… peppers make me cough for like 12 hours (on and off)… tomatoes give me a weezy feeling and horrible heartburn … wheat and dairy makes me full of inflammation and massive food cravings for more (my face immediately looks puffy)… I love cream in my coffee and spent years trying to find a non dairy creamer, finally found nutpods (coconut!). I was so happy but within a week I had the worst anxiety ever and moody as ever, it was so weird and the day I stopped it went away. Who would of thought coconut would cause so many issues !! I eliminated all of these and tried them one at a time to make sure I wasn’t crazy and the allergens felt worse the second time around! Have issues with so many supplements too (b6 makes me feel horrible)! This fasting adventure I’ve been on has made me really working on all these allergies (high histamine responses) and everyday I’m feeling better letting them go. I honestly think many of our ailments, weight gain, uncontrollable food cravings, pain, lethargy, rapid aging, etc. are do to foods our body has no idea how to handle, and pollutants in our water, air and medications. Grrr… Sorry this so long! Ha… all to say, good luck to you and all of us as we navigate GMO’s, allergens, etc.

[Cate_Alexandra]

Please don’t apologise for it being long.
I feel so alone in it because I’ve been trying to work it all out in my own since I was about 14.
I’m trying not to focus on tomatoes and peppers being an issue I’m hoping it’s a fodmap issue and that it will go away.
I think potatoes is why every clean eating period I have been through ultimately hasn’t worked.
I just kept being told it was normal, ‘you me and everyone else mate’ and ‘just IBS’ and because I don’t have support around me, my friends change every few years and I’m autistic I believe what I’m told, I just throw up as a norm and go to bed. But I’m so tired, tired in my soul of being utterly useless to the world and not living life without fasting.

My current problem is that I cannot source nuts or seeds that haven’t been cross contaminated during packaging. I must have contact 20 companies now all say I have to buy whole sale if I want to have items not cross contaminated with gluten, soy or lactose because they throw everything down the same line. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to live right now. I’ve finally worked out the solution and it turns out… It’s a blooming impossibility! Thus far… I have several weeks of fasting left so hopefully I’ll find something during that time. But it’s all feeling hopeless atm, the only thing I’m in control of is that I’m a week into this fast

[Kristy]

As as chef, vegetarian, forager, and locivore I cannot stress how important it is to reach out directly to the farmers! Cut out the middle people entirely. It’ll cost a lot more. And you’ll have to learn new phrases in new languages but it’s worth it.

I don’t remember where you live. If you feel comfortable you can PM me that info and I can help you find, contact, and use my resources/local chefs and farms to get you uncontaminated foods. This is a huge problem in our industry. I completely empathize. Plus- this way you are going to meet some amazing people with old world traditions, hilarious stories, and build relationships that will last a lifetime. Oh and you’ll totally meet some seedy characters that will do anything to swindle you that are rouges and knaves but it’s kinda an adventure weeding them out.

OMG I just realized that if this is way too personal or solicitation please remove it or reprimand me or do whatever neccissary.

[Stacia]

Kristy you are sooo sweet to offer that to Cate!! I hear your pain Cate in your words and feeling alone and overwhelmed with where to turn and what to do. I have the thought every single day “What the F am I supposed to eat as everything gives me issues!!?” I feel so confused too that so many foods give me problems (rashes, lethargy, stuffy nose, anxiety, cravings, itchy ears/roof of my mouth/nose (enough to feel like I’m going to go insane)… litterally the absolute only foods I seem to have less problems with are rice, brocolli (brocolli is questionable) and maybe a few meats but I try not to eat meat … I’m not kidding !! The other foods I eat I just deal with the issues. My sons have food intolerances too. I had our histamine levels checked to see if we are undermethylated or over and all 3 of us had histamine levels off the carts (meaning our bodies don’t clear it out so if we go days of eating foods we don’t tolerate histamine over flows and makes for a rough time). Hang in there!! We are here for you, you are definitely not alone.

[Cate_Alexandra]

Huge thankyou ladies. I’ll pull my mood out my boots with your kind words and understanding.
I’m just abit lost. And 10 days in… I have to remember I’m doing something amazing for my body right now and that I have plenty of time to source these things before the fast it over. Xx

[Cate_Alexandra]

Didn’t sleep last night apparently 2.5days was enough.
So I went shopping today first time all month to chance at GF SF DF and to check out the health food stores nuts and see if their extremely expensive nuts would be an emergency option. (They are).
Chanced across loads of things for well into the refeed and I bought some bits I’m going to put in an emergency box for if I get wiped out by pain and CF post fast and can’t cook. Since just nipping out for something isn’t likely to result in food that won’t make me ill when I can’t concerntrate on labels through noise, overwhelm and formentioned pain and CF.
So I’m feeling abit more prepared for looking after myself post fast and refeed.

Since I went out at 7am I was done by 10ish so I got a black coffee (the lure of a latte was reallllly strong). And then went and got a friend to go for a walk. We did one we did about a month ago, back then I was at the same point in a fast but not as good with electrolytes so I only managed half and damn near crawled to the car. Today… We did twice the distance and then I slept in the car on the way home

can you believe the cliff erosion This was a road

But that meant I woke up fresh and in little pain so I popped to check the reduced section in the super market on the way home.

Stock at the back, Lowfodmap everything free soup for refeed at the front.

Now I hurt quite alot but feel super accomplished. I’ll unpack my shopping tomorrow for now the hobs are off and it can all cool for putting in the freezer tomorrow too

Day 16 liquids only (green juice, green soup)

Day 11 Water fast (fasting salts, coconut water, herbal tea, lemon, ginger and veg broth)
New electrolytes arrive on Saturday then hopefully it’ll be just water and electrolyte drops…

[Cate_Alexandra]

Today was like dragging myself through mud. Black coffee was an absolute must and I hurt so much.
Forced myself to walk and forced myself to drink all day.
Dizziness has come and gone all day too but new keto drops arrive on Friday so fingers crossed they just make life easier and less salty
Did my weekly toilet happy dance today felt nauseous afterward but knowing that was all toxins and misfolded genes and old blood cells, does make me happy to know my body has been plugging away while I’ve been sleeping and sulking and occasionally being productive.
My resting heart rate is sitting quite steady ATM here look… This graph coinsides with the start of my second fast (6days) so that flat line was the refeed and juice fast that got me into this fast…

Another little joy today is heart health. Back in November while I was having to eat Gluten for testing I was firmly at the bottom of the darker blue… so I’ve steadily moved up this bar during the last three fasts.

Ooo and homemade veg broth… Far superior to boulion or bought stock, no where near as salty.
Indulging until Friday when the new electrolytes turn up. Hoping the stock will ease the sore stomach… Then just going to go hardcore for as long as I can manage to give my gut the best chance of healing.

Hope your all well xx

[Cate_Alexandra]

Didn’t sleep last night, slept all day today and napped all evening.
Aaaand hopefully that’s the first and last time I passout this fast! Stood up too fast as the kettle boiled in the next room, ‘ran’ through and now my backs fricking throbbing and my leg, why do I forget and get all energetic and why is there always something to land on who knew clothes airers fought that hard It’s made me bleed
Doing measurements tomorrow now because I already hurt and now I hurt considerably more and I just want to sleep anyway.
Energy levels have been very low this week… I really hope that flicks around soon.

[Overcomer]

Be extra careful lady!
You are doing well.

[Cate_Alexandra]

I went to the pharmacy and the lady who sent me to Ane during the first lockdown laughed and then I got lots of oooos from the pharmacist and the lady. Ended up with a yellow don’t go gammy patch and a big plaster
Honestly I haven’t injured myself for years… Global pandemic and I need patching up twice

Hangry today too about to tick to 14 days.

Going to do stickies today… I’ve decided I want to watch 27 days tick down visually.

Ordered my veg green juice last night to arrive on the 24th February… So I’ve made the decision

(Following placing this order was when I lost the fight with the clothes airer) and at least I got the fainting out the way so I have time to not finished bruised this year

[Cate_Alexandra]

My first long fast ended at a food bank at 333hours always feel abit tearful when I pass it out of choice. This time it’s healing, this time I don’t feel deprived, I’m not caring for a family member on the verge of death. So much can change in three years.
I feel ready for the rest of this embracing the personal growth

i

[Cate_Alexandra]

I’d have broken fast last night if I wasn’t counting the water fast and this (water fast +5days juice fast/fast mimicing prior).

24 days left… Fed up hahaha

Just clicked 384 hours on the water fast. 16 days
Irrationally annoyed with myself for breaking fast at new year year and on the 6th utterly pointless regret but I’d be finished now if I hadn’t haha I’m also not at all ready to breakfast.

Dietian has been trying to make an appointment for the last two weeks. Had to call yesterday and slyly explain I had a plan I wasnt deviating from and don’t need their help until afterwards. It’s taken me three years to get this support but when I spoke to them last I was doing the gluten testing and aside from telling me to avoid the allergens I had already identified and badgering me to eat eggs for no reason they were no help at all. After the testing for gluten everything I ate was coming up… I felt awful… My stomach hurt constantly ect ect.

This fast is to reset all that. I don’t feel ready to take on eating again yet, not prepared enough or in the right head space to keep fighting with ‘support’ agencies who don’t support my choices or advise how to achieve things. It’s always after the fact. And I know if I explain I’ve been fasting since the 14th December their going to have the wrong idea.

The fasts have felt dirty first one was but the second and this one because I’ve had broths, lemon and ginger, electrolyte tabs with suger in them and black coffee… It’s not dirty its just felt it. It hasn’t been easy but it’s not as difficult as pure water fasts or with minimal salt, potassium and magnesium. Getting the electrolytes right is half the battle but they do make it alot easier.

Just feeling unaccomplished these last few days. All I’ve managed is two good nights of sleep and a sticky plaster

[Cate_Alexandra]

Restarting.

Hoping the small refeed (pea soup, plain rice cakes, six nuts) kicks the nausea, I’ve just been having cycles of D, dizziness and today no amount of water and rest has stopped me feeling sick. So I decided to listen and eat something light.

So no 40 day this year.
25 days left to go at so the aim is to do what’s left in one hit. Better than not trying.

1st cycle (14th December) 13days
Start weight: 75.1kg
Starting body fat: 26.1
Measurements in cm;
Arm: 30
Chest: 98
Waist: 76
Hips: 93
Seat: 104
Thigh: 59
Calf: 37
Ankle: 27

Measurements at the start of round 2 (31st December) 6days
Arm- 28cm
Chest- 95cm
Waist- 72cm
Hips- 88cm
Seat- 99cm
Thigh- 56cm
Calf- 37cm
Ankle -25cm

Start of 3rd round (15th January) 16 days
70kg
23.4% body fat
Arm- 28cm
Chest- 93cm
Waist- 72cm
Hips- 91cm
Seat- 101cm
Thigh- 55cm
Calf- 38cm
Ankle -25cm

End of 3rd cycle
Current weight: 62.8
Body fat: 21.2
Measurements in cm;
Arm: 26
Chest: 93
Waist: 69
Hips: 88
Seat: 95
Thigh: 51.5
Calf: 35
Ankle: 24

[Overcomer]

You are doing well, you are right to listen to your body and make the necessary adjustment when you need to. Excellent accomplishment and encouraging too.
You have got this

[Cate_Alexandra]

Hey, I really appreciate everyone being here and checking in.
I’m probably not going to check in for a week. I need to get past the first five days and I haven’t even got restarted yet. Three fails to make make it to 21 when I really need 40
I feel stressed and anxious. Unaccomplished and overwhelmed. I’m second day of literally the worst refeed I’ve ever done!! This isn’t controlled, healthy or wise. Probably the most risk of refeed syndrome and I need to get onto juices from tomorrow to protect my health from this bingeing. I mean damn it! What is even going on in my head atm.
All for being triggered that I was doing something wrong.
I honestly believe this is the only way I’ll heal but I’m scared of external opinion like the dietetics service.
So I end up doing the absolute opposite of what I know to be OK to prove what exactly… That I can eat if I want to? That I am choosing to fast or choosing to eat? I really need to focus.

You know when something is really important and you keep letting yourself down? Six weeks would have achieved my goal as it is… I’ve restarted my goal three times.
That’s where I’m at, so I need to focus on my why… Really hone in on self care and meditation, without bringing anyone else down or taking up space.
I hope you all have a great start to February and I’ll catch up in a week hopefully xx

[Overcomer]

Hi, try not to be too hard on yourself, these things happen. You are trying to get back on track and you will, when you fall you keep getting back up…it will work out for you. Keep going and be kind to yourself. You have achieved a lot so far. I’m here if you need it. Take care.