Hello there, welcome to my very first journal! I’m Philipe from Brazil. I’m a 25yo dude who is very familiar with extended fasting and an adept of the Snake Diet (eat big, fast long, no food restrictions, plus hitting the gym).
Here’s my story: I discovered fasting in late 2018 after doing keto and PSMF for a while, and at that time I was semi-lean due to eating one meal a day using keto macros and doing a few PSMF bouts (it’s the dumbest thing ever looking back now). I didn’t have much muscle mass on my frame, but I was slowly reaching my desired physique back then without losing lean tissue. Because I was keto-adapted, I went straight for a 3-day fast drinking mostly Snake Juice and some mineral water. It was a piece of cake. I was instantly sold and I did back-to-back fasts. My refeeds weren’t optimal (sometimes I would eat 2 large pizzas, or go to a buffet and eat pretty much what I wanted) and still I had crazy results, I was getting leaner every day. Most importantly I felt amazing the whole time. The biggest motivator was that I was going to take a trip with some friends that I didn’t see for a while, so I wanted to make a good impression. Therefore, I kept fasting and drinking my delicious Snake Juice
When I got back home after the trip, I fell off the wagon and got back to my old routine. My weight was creeping up, but I was oblivious to this fact. Things went south when I fell for an MLM pyramid scheme and the only thing I cared about were those goddamned meetings and “workshops”. I didn’t pay attention to my diet, sleep or fasting routine. I got fat again really quick. It was a painful experience, and on top of being fat I lost like $4.000 after a few months. I quit the “company” shortly after and decided I had to do something about my situation. After some research, I stumbled upon the carnivore thing, and decided to give it a shot. I didn’t see much result in terms of body composition, but it helped me with eating OMAD again and putting decent food on my plate. Also, I regained my mental clarity and well-being. I decided I wanted and needed to fast again, but I had no success. Anything beyond 24hrs was a struggle, even though I ate steak and eggs for breakfast. I started feeling discouraged and got back to my old routine AGAIN (basically carbs like pizza, burgers etc), but this time I developed a mild alcohol addiction too. I’d drink after getting back from university until late afternoon and then stuff my face until I had a carb coma. This was my life during most of 2019. Pretty miserable. I really hit rock bottom. I hated myself and I couldn’t even look to the mirror.
Around August, I decided enough was enough and that I was going to make a definitive change. I started meditating again, reading self-development material and studying Japanese (one of the things I wanted to do since my childhood). I was regaining the control over my life. Not only that, but I stopped day drinking and had pretty much the same meal every day (beef, eggs, some rice and veggies). I was just trying to stay disciplined.
Fast-forward to 2020: I moved to the countryside and maintained this new healthier routine, but I still couldn’t break the 24-hour mark. Life was much more pleasant, balanced, and I felt joy after being miserable for months on end. Throughout last year I did my best to go for 2-3 day fasts but to no avail. My stomach would grumble badly in the evening, and I couldn’t fall asleep. Or I’d wake up feeling very cold in the early hours of the morning and losing sleep. After many failed attempts I did some tweaking to see if things would improve. I increased the amount of ACV and lemon juice in my Snake Juice, started taking a potassium supplement, warm baths before bed, turning off the fan before going to sleep (or cover myself with a thick blanket), getting more exercise done. I tried everything. Still no results.
After a while, it occurred to me two things: there was too much rice in my meal, and I was eating in the evening which is completely stupid. So the solution was simple: get back to keto macros and eat lunch or breakfast. And voilà, I was able to fast for 48hrs feeling decent after doing that.
I did back-to-back 48’s but still wasn’t losing fat, just water weight. Some people say they lose weight with 48’s or even ADFs, I call BS on this, but probably they have a better metabolism than mine. After much experimentation, I can say I only burn fat after 96 hours. So now my minimum is 4 days.
Anyway, I realized it helps to pay close attention to what works for you and what doesn’t. I wasted a few months doing 48’s and getting nowhere. After retracing my steps I was able to do exactly what I did to have the best results back in 2018. It sure took me a long time, but I’m glad I got back on track.
Also, I forgot how it gets much easier after day 3. The first 3 days are the hardest, definitely. After that you’re on autopilot and the experience is much smoother.
Sorry about the wall of text, I felt I needed to do this.
And welp, I’m close to 48hrs now. I’m feeling slightly light-headed, but if I take a nap and drink more snake juice I’ll feel like a million bucks. By the way, some people tend to forget how important electrolytes are. The more you get in the better. Too little makes you feel weak and fatigued. Been there done that.
See you tomorrow!