An email from reader J:
Phew, gonna pull off a 30 hr fast. Man these are difficult. Only a few hours to go. I wonder how you deal with these.
It gets easier, and sometimes even enjoyable -- but always different. For instance, I did 29 hours last Monday, from early afternoon to Tuesday dinner 'round 7pm, with a workout from 1-1:30 Tuesday afternoon. That one was easy, fun, and the hunger that re-established about 3pm in the afternoon was of a dull, warm, enjoyable and invigorating kind.
I'm 21 or so hours into my second and last fast for the week, and also will be working out in about 1 1/2 hours, at 1pm. This one is not nearly as easy and fun. I almost caved last night around 10pm, but made it through. This morning was fine, my hour walk with doggies in 43 degrees and sunny (in shorts and light sweatshirt) was divine, and I had zero hunger or thought of food until about 10am or so. But now I'm a bit too uncomfortably hungry. I'm counting on the workout quashing the hunger throughout the early afternoon and leaving me with an invigorating hunger in the late afternoon on up to dinner. Well see.
Perhaps it's because I've been thinking about what I'm making tonight. I've decided to take the rest of my homemade stock and do a beef stew (sirloin, probably) with vegetables. I can almost taste it. I've got to stop that!
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Whew!
Please spread the word
I've been doing intermittent fasting of 15-18hrs most days a week (for about month or so), but I can't seem to get past that 18hr mark. So 24-30 seems unimaginable!
Jan,
What kind of foods are you eating currently, I found it hard to sustain the fasts longer than 18 hrs when my fruit intake was very high. When I dropped my sugar intake I can easily hit 20 hrs on a fast. I just did a 30 hour fat, but those are challenging.
Hi Richard, any thoughts on fasting while pregnant?
Probably most women do some degree of fasting during pregnancy simply as a consequence of not feeling well. As far as programmed and organized fasts, no idea and no experience. I really don't see the need to deal with it. I'd make sure I was getting plenty of nutrition in meat, fat, veggies, fruits and nuts, and make sure to get adequate A, D, and K2 (MK-4).