My Water Fast Journal

Quesara · April 18, 2020, 1:55am

Day 1 completed.

Date: 17 April 2020
Completed: 1 day (24 hours)
Symptoms: began to feel cold at the 22-hour mark. Also had a slight headache, but was made better when I added some Himalayan salt in my water.
What I drank: water; hibiscus herbal tea I made with dried hibiscus flowers; barley tea made with barley tea bag.

Came to a realisation that stress was the major reason why I haven’t been able to fast past 22-hour mark recently.

Submitted my essay on genocide by noon today. Though still anxious about the result, I found that once I submitted it, my desire for any food was completely gone.

Watched the Phantom of the Opera’ s 25th anniversary performance at Royal Albert Hall in 2011 in the evening. This performance was streamed on YouTube for free for 24 hours in the UK. With all the personal trials I have been going through, I have forgotten how music has always been an important part of me. I am grateful for being able to watch this performance, as it filled my soul with the long-lost joy and nourishment from music. It was a peculiar feeling, but suddenly I felt full and content, spiritually and emotionally, and I felt no desire for food as I feast on music.

Hopefully this clarity and positive emotional well-being will prevail and be sustained.

Quesara · April 19, 2020, 1:44am

Day 2 completed.

Today was hard, waves of hunger pain, headache and fatigue. Did not feel like doing anything. Went into the room to practice on my violin whilst my husband devoured a whole pizza. Food scenes I could escape from, but sadly not the smell.

Had plenty of water and herbal tea: Greek mountain tea with a few stevia leaves (the herb itself, not the crystallised or liquid form), hibiscus tea, barley tea. Added a few drops of monk fruit concentrate (100% monk fruit) - not sure if this is ok due to some research suggesting it might stimulate insulin secretion.

Glad that I persevered through 48 hours.

Quesara · April 20, 2020, 11:12am

Day 3 completed.

This is a harder day than day 2. Persistent hunger pain, extreme fatigue and dizziness. Had to add monk fruit concentrate and Himalayan salt into my water and herbal tea several times, whilst I only used monk fruit concentrate once on day 2. Difficult to concentrate on things I need to do. Very sharp and extreme chest pain during sleep.

Hopefully day 4 will be easier.

Tenax · April 20, 2020, 11:48am

It will get better. I had some chest pains too. Are you getting electrolytes you need? I chalked it up to lack of potassium. I noticed mine at about 12 days in though. 3 days in is awful fast!

How much salt are you ingesting do you think? Maybe taking in too much.

Quesara · April 20, 2020, 1:38pm

Thanks @Tenax. How much is enough for electrolyte? I generally just sprinkle some Himalayan salt into my water. I think overall my daily intake of Himalayan salt will be less than 1/4 teaspoon.

Did you feel your chest pain was resulted from the lack of electrolyte and potassium? How did you supplement those during the fast?

Gabrielle · April 20, 2020, 2:27pm

Welcome to day 4 of your journey. Great job and congratulations! You should be in full ketosis by end of today or tomorrow. Your body is now starting to use fat for fuel. I am on day 9 and going strong. I haven’t used any salt in my water. I filter my own water to make sure it’s free from fluoride and other neurotoxins. I do take vitamin C/zinc, potassium iodide, vitamin D 3 with K. I stopped all B vitamins so that it won’t affect atophagy. That seems to help ease the discomfort through my personal process. I am having one cup of coffee in the morning before my walk and one cup white tea in the evening. The rest is just simply filtered water. You can click on my journal if you want to read some of the things I’ve noticed thus far during my journey. This is my first long term fast.

Tenax · April 20, 2020, 2:51pm

I started taking a multi electroyte drink 2 days ago. While my chest pain went away I developed a severe stomach ache yesterday, I believe because the drink contained citric and malic acid.

So now, I will get my electrolytes as follows:

Salt from broth (1 cup per day). I can’t handle it otherwise.

Magnesium-epsom salt bath is best or an oral supplement

Potassium- oral supplement.

Your 1/4 tsp salt is probably fine if only light exercise. May need to bump it up to as much as a half if sweating

Quesara · April 20, 2020, 5:34pm

Thanks @Gabrielle! Would you mind sharing how you stay motivated and how you distract yourself when family member is eating and snacking all the time?

I have heard people saying coffee and green tea would suppress appetite, but that is not an option for me as I don’t drink coffee and tea because of my religion (only herbal tea is allowed).

Quesara · April 20, 2020, 5:40pm

Thanks @Tenax! I found myself lacking motivation and energy to exercise at all as all the ice rinks are closed due to the virus (my training in figure skating was quite intense before the lockdown), and that I am preparing for my soon-to-arrive law exams and writing my dissertation.

I would have liked to take a walk outside if it weren’t for the stress and anxiety from the exam preparation.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

Tenax · April 20, 2020, 6:04pm

The promise of warmer weather to come, being healthier so I’m around longer for my kids and remembering 2014 and spending 1 month in Maui, when I last was comfortable going shirtless in the ocean. Oh yeah, smaller pant sizes. Always smaller pant sizes. At 283 I was a 46 waist. Today i’m a 40ish. At 220 I will be able to wear my size 38s again. I have a yet unworn pair of 36s that I will fit at 200. And my waist will be the same as my 23 year old sons. If I got to where I could fit into 33’s again, I’ll throw an 80s party! Lol

Gabrielle · April 20, 2020, 6:51pm

@Quesara
I have to say that I was completely at my bottom and desperate with my low self esteem and not being the person I know I am. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin anymore. That’s when I started my fast. I just jumped right in. I had researched it a lot since last year and as you, I am a natural researcher. So when my family eats, I don’t run from it, I just face it and drink a cup of tea or pop a stick of mint gum in my mouth (sugar free mint gum no other flavors as they can trigger cravings). I allow myself the simple joy of a coffee in the morning and end with the simple pleasure of an herbal tea. I have my calendar right by my refrigerator so I can see each day how far I have come. I go for a daily walk in nature and my goal is 10,000 steps a day. I can only tell you that I am all in at this point because I don’t like seeing a person in the mirror who doesn’t reflect who I know I am. I also have to say most importantly going into this, I know God is my strength and always has been. At my weakest moments he gives me comfort and strength.

Quesara · April 21, 2020, 1:26am

Thanks @Tenax! Those are indeed very powerful motivators! I mainly want to look thin, feel confident about my body and be able to fit into my jeans again, like I did a few years ago. I will try to make this as powerful as yours to sustain me through the fast.

Quesara · April 21, 2020, 1:33am

Thanks @Gabrielle! As my main goal is to look beautiful again and be able to fit into my old clothes and dresses, I found myself feeling a bit frustrated as I can’t see any difference yet, especially I am still in early stages of my fast. I will try to power through! That is such a beautiful testimony from you that God is our strength. I am looking forward to the mental clarity during this fast which will hopefully draw me nearer to God and enable me to receive personal revelation.

Quesara · April 21, 2020, 1:42am

Day 4 completed.

This was an equally hard day as day 3 for me, wanted to give up for many times during the day. Same fatigue, dizziness and hunger pain. My husband got takeaway and had kebab and chips. I don’t eat fried foods and don’t normally crave kebab, but the smell was so tempting.

Last night in my sleep I felt a sudden and extremely sharp chest pain. Whilst being aware of my real pain, I was only half awake, half asleep still, and somehow the dream self told me that the pain felt as if all the pain Jesus suffered was suddenly upon my chest.

Around 8.30pm, I suddenly felt so much better - no hunger, no dizziness, no fatigue. This is not to say that I was suddenly full of energy, but I was able to work on my dissertation much more effectively than I did during the day.

Hoping for the mental clarity and the clearing of brain fog for day 5. Look forward to the day when my body can go to auto-pilot mode.

Tenax · April 21, 2020, 1:51am

Knock on wood, but I’ve had a better day today with my stomach ache. I’m not hungry at all, but I do wonder if part of the ache is empty stomach feeling. Hope I sleep ok!

PS For my refeed, I made an Easy Keto Taco Pie today. It looks delicious but I had no craving. And it made me realize I have as many have, lost some of my sense of smell. Makes me wonder if its the body’s defensive mechanism when fasting😆

Quesara · April 21, 2020, 3:38am

That looks amazing! I have got to ask you about the recipe when it’s time for me to refeed (which is still a long way away)! Are you finishing your fast?

Tenax · April 21, 2020, 7:18am

Its a very easy recipe!

I didn’t have paprika but thats ok. I had the rest. Heavy cream is harder to find in canada so I use whipping cream instead.

Yes, I ran into a wall I can’t ignore. My GERD disease…and I woke up at 12:30am and it was roaring. And I just can’t mess with that at all. It’s not something you can “fight through”. So refeeding will start today then into OMAD keto to continue my journey, just in a different way.

So for anyone else reading my journal, Day 20 of my fast. A high yesterday in that my stomach ache was quite a bit better yesterday (I think due to taking out the hydrator with citric & malic acids). Had a bit of heartburn night before though. A warning sign. Then woke up early this morning with undeniable GERD pain from my chest to my stomach. Having been through many nightly battles (not for months until now) its something I just cannot ignore. Trust me…its something way better to stay ahead of. So today, at noon I plan to start my refeed. I’m choosing noon because that will be my OMAD time. That being said I hope I can do OMAD as some people with digestive issues can’t do enough high fat eating one meal a day. So thats a big part of the reason I am picking noon versus night time. As much time as possible to digest before bedtime.

This fast has been amazing! But I must admit 20 days of stomach aches has been draining and tiring but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and ready for the next stage. I will continue to document my journey here!

Compdude · April 21, 2020, 1:21pm

Well done!

Especially in light of the GERD burden you’ve had to carry during your entire fast.

Again congrats on your achievement.

Tenax · April 21, 2020, 1:43pm

Thanks so much. I have to be focused on the bottom line of better health. It may take me longer to accomplish the weight aspect but, so be it. Just a different way to get there😁

Compdude · April 21, 2020, 1:59pm

Yep, I might have to take an alternate route to get to my goal too.

I just had my diagnosis and treatment protocol of a re-occurrence of my gout reviewed and approved by an endocrinologist at USC who I consult with weekly. It re-occurred due to released preinflammatory cytokines stored in decades-old visceral fat that I’m burning off with my latest 21-day fasts. The two cytokines, IL-8 & IL-16 are associated with raising the uric acid level in the body that triggers gout.

Since my old anti-gout medication is only useful in repressing uric acid production for digested foods rich in purines, its useless in this specific fasting situation. I asked for a replacement medication or if the endocrinologist can’t give me an answer a referral to someone in the university’s rheumatology department or a competent pharmacist. This is beyond the expertise of my local Walgreen’s pharmacist and HMO’s nurses hotline.