I’ve started this forum for us. I’m looking forward to doing this together.
Day 1 of 7. Monday, May 11th
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Hi, Adrienne!
I hope your fast is going well so far-- would love to hear how you’re doing, if you care to share.
I started fasting on Tuesday, and if you’d like an accountability buddy and/or to share how the experience is for us, I’d be happy to join you!
Hi Jewell,
Let’s do this together. I am fasting today and will stick with you.
Great Adrienne,
Looking forward to sharing the journey together! How are you feeling today, and what compels you to water fasting?
I am on my third day of fasting (started Tuesday), and feeling great so far. I have successfully fasted for 3-4 days in the past, and never done longer than that as I become weak and have a hard time sleeping and then break the fast. 
I’m hoping that by staying on top of electrolytes this time, as well as some conscientious evening activities (like yoga) before bed, I might be able to sustain a longer fast.
My motivations for doing this are both physical as well as emotional. I’d like to reset my gut biome and step away from food cravings (primarily sugar), lose a few pounds in the fast but really reset my approach to food and nourishing myself. Emotionally, I’m at a time in life with a few chapters closing (I’m moving at the end of the month, have set down my previous career), and would like to do so with care and presence-- hence the fasting.
Looking forward to hearing how you’re doing and learning more about you!
Jewell
Hi Jewell,
I am fasting for similar reasons. I am feeling good today. I started my fast on Monday and then realized that a friend had invited me to a lunch picnic at her house on Wednesday. So, today I am on day 1 again. I plan to stay fasted until Monday mid-day.
I want to use fasting as a way to heal some inflamed tissue caused my a muscle injury in my arm, control craving particularly for sugar, lose some extra pounds, and maintain my weight over a decade. I was feeling healthy on a carnivore (meat/dairy/poultry/seafood) diet for the past 18 months, but was not loosing any weight. Also, since March, I started eating sugar/bread etc.
I hope that fasting will help you as you meet the new challenges and changes you are experiencing.
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for your response! Nice to learn more about you. How are you feeling today? I hope the inflammation from your injury resolves, and that you experience the other benefits of fasting that you’ve pointed out. It’s been amazing for me to note how often I think of food (or am offered food), since starting on Tuesday. It feels really nice to take some time and reset my relationship both with my body and food-- although I could imagine that the weeks following a fast are just as important for reshaping those relationships. Do you think you’ll go back to a carnivore diet after the fast?
Hope you have a great day!
Jewell
Also! I had some wicked inflammation in my quads prior to starting this fast (a minor trail running injury), and it just resolved overnight. Fasting is the jam. Cheers to your body healing itself!
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Thank you Jewell for the encouragement and checking in with me.
Today is going great! I feel good and not tempted. I spent most of my morning in the kitchen preparing food for my family.
Now, I have some evening chores that will keep me busy and out of the kitchen.
I hope you are feeling well and staying strong.
I am very hopeful that I will continue with a carnivore diet and with continued fasting after my day or two of feeding. In the past, I have overeaten after fasting. I plan to counteract that by getting back to another fasting challenge.
I am hoping that repeated fasts will improve any hormone resistance and my ability to keep healthy habits.
I meant to send this last night, but, apparently, didn’t hit “Reply”.
Adrienne
Good Morning Jewell,
How is your fast going? How are you feeling? I feel great this morning, able to prepare food for the family without temptation, yay! My joints feel good and I trust my arm is healing. Have you been educating yourself on EF, IF, Jason Fung’s hormone explanation of Insulin Resistance? The idea that I can one day break my frequent meals and overeating habits, because my hormones for hunger, satiety, and insulin regulation aid my food drive, give me great hope.
What are your thoughts?
Adrienne
Great to hear from you Adrienne,
First off, sending you SO MUCH RESPECT for fasting while preparing food for your family. I know how distracted I feel whenever I smell a housemate baking cookies or grilling meat (I live in a duplex), but to have the food in front of me and staying strong for an extended fast seems almost superhuman. Great job prioritizing your health while also caring for the people you l love.
Glad you feel great this morning, and that your joints are feeling good!
I’ve definitely gone down the rabbit hole with a lot of the videos and articles out about fasting and insulin resistance, but if you were to ask me to pull out specific bits of information I might not be able to. I have often felt like I am relatively insulin sensitive (or at least not too resistant), but my challenge (and draw to fasting) has to do with the microbiome. It’s been interesting to learn that 90% of our serotonin comes from the microbiome, and when its own balance is off, due to a history of eating processed and sugary foods, we are fighting major chemical demands of our brain that might overpower even significant willpower. The ability for fasting to reset the microbiome (I feel like I’ve read this happens in just a few days!) is a major draw, provided we then re-build that microbiome with consciousness and care.
Overeating after fasting is something worth thinking about, and gives some credence to the whole snake diet approach of perpetual 72 hour fasts, broken with refeeds. These shorter fasts don’t mess as much with hormones (which I think women are particularly sensitive to), and instigate a fasting ‘lifestyle’ more than a singular push that our brain/body will then try to compensate for, according to weight set point theory. I’m not sure what the answer is here-- basically every time I’ve tried to control my weight or restrict my calories, I’ve only ended up gaining weight. 
My intuition is that what needs to take place for me is a mental shift-- mentally being ok with the strong contrast that fasting provides to the previous homeostasis, and then also mentally accepting that I’m not returning to the previous homeostasis. Easier said than done, I could imagine, and I would love to continue the conversation and learn more about your thoughts in the matter.
All the best today! I hope you have a great day and are feeling healthy and centered.
Jewell
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Hi Jewell,
That was very interesting about the microbiome and serotonin production. Do you have a favorite YouTube video that explains it? And what is the recommended diet to establish a healthy microbiome?
Today was pretty easy, no bad taste in my mouth, lots of energy, minimal hunger. My stomach growled hard while grocery shopping:apple:
, but I stuck to the list. I enjoyed iced black coffee today to cool off.
When does your fast end? What day are you on? Today was my 3rd day in a row plus Monday makes it the 4th day fasting this week. Tomorrow is my last day, and then Monday, I plan to eat some broth after 12 and a meal before 6 pm.
Have a good night,
Adrienne
Great to hear from you, @Adrienne_Brouillette! I hope you are doing well. How are you feeling, coming to the end of your fast? How is your weekend?
Hmm, I’ll try to think of some useful links that have helped me learn about the gut microbiome! If you have 15-20 min, Ruairi Robinson gives a good TedX on the connection of the microbiome to our brain and overall wellbeing. I’ve also really enjoyed multiple videos from Mindy Pelz; I feel like she does an amazing job researching important aspects of our health.
My hope is for multiple 6-7 day fasts (overall from May 12-June 1), with refeeds once a week. The refeeds are motivated to help me stay committed (this first stint is my longest fast so far, 6 days), and also to help me with sleep and other tough aspects of fasting (the physical weakness I’ve felt in the last couple of days has been astounding).
Happy to hear you’re hoping to get back to another fasting challenge-- if you’d like, I’d love to help check in with each other as we go through the next few weeks! That would help me a bunch.
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Thanks Jewell for sending me those links. I cut my fast a bit short and ate between 6 and 8 pm last night. Now, this morning, I got on the scale, took pics, and am ready to do a 5 day fast. I plan on just water and salts (no decaf) and will reweigh and take end of week pics on Sunday.
Are you starting another fast today?
Adrienne
Good for you Adrienne,
How did you feel at the end of the fast? Was eating an amazing experience?
I’ll start fasting again after dinner this evening. Shall we check in with each other?
Hi Jewell,
Congrats in your restart. Yes, please let me know how you are doing with your fast. I appreciate having someone to share with. I don’t need to eat, lots of potential energy stored away, no difficult symptoms, but if I let my mind wander, I will give up my fast in a heart beat.
It was glorious to eat. I need to keep these fasts going so that I can reach my goal and maintain a lower weight.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Adrienne
Good morning Jewell,
Today is day #3 of 5. I thought I’d share my “WHY”…
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Daughter’s, sister, and friend’s who need to see that this lifestyle can help them maintain health and normal weight.
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A closet full of clothes that I would love to feel good in.
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Feeling healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally now and for the rest of my days.
Do you have your “WHY” in the forefront of your mind?
Adrienne
Hi @Adrienne_Brouillette, I hope you are doing well! I’m so sorry I never responded to your last post. I’m in the midst of moving and haven’t been able to get on the forum for the past week or so. Would love to hear how you’re doing? Are you still fasting, or have you finished up for now?
Thank you for sharing your ‘WHY’ with me, I appreciate it! I love the example you are setting for your daughters, sister, and friends. I’m blown away by the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of fasting, and want to share it with my loved ones too. I’m a little uncertain about the best way to present the topic though… Have you had conversations about fasting with your family and friends? Do they seem to understand? So many of our social engagements are centered around food, which makes it seem hard or uncomfortable to buck the trend.
Increasing our health span and life span are incredible benefits of fasting, and feeling amazing in our bodies and clothing sure feels good. I heard that one other faster here was setting aside a certain amount of $$ for each day that she fasted, and at the end of her fast she would use the money to buy a new, cute outfit. Seems like a great reward for the fasting discipline.
My WHY! Thank you for asking about it. I started another fast (when we had talked about it) last week, and had intended to go about a week, but did a refeed 3 days in. I was a bit hard on myself about it, but was stressed about moving and digging too deep while fasting. I am fasting again, and today is day 5. I plan to start refeeding Friday evening with juices.
My ‘WHY’ is currently centered on the fact that I am closing some major life chapters and starting new ones. I’m in the midst of packing up my apartment and moving out of state, and also finishing a career transition. As I look towards the new chapter openings, I want to be sure that I have resolution and peace with the life that I’m leaving behind. Fasting is a help for me to do this, a sort of ‘reset’ that is allowing me to center emotionally and mentally, as well as physically.
The last few years have been especially stressful for me, and in response I have often turned to food to self-soothe. This has led to me gaining weight and losing fitness, as I have also had less time to exercise. Another reason I’m fasting is to reset my relationship with food and with my body, which I am feeling really excited about.
Long post! If you made it through the whole thing, thank you and well done! Would love to hear how you’re doing, and my apologies again for not responding earlier!
Jewell
Hi Jewell,
It was good to hear back from you. Your post was great. I am glad you have kept your focus.
I am eating today, but am planning to IF until I get back to another 5:2 next Monday.
Let’s stay in touch with our fasting journey.
Adrienne
Sounds great, Adrienne!
Is your plan to eat 5 days and fast 2, or to fast 5 days and eat 2 next week? If you are fasting Mon-Fri, might I join you?
Hope you’re well!
Jewell
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