Troubleshooting and Side Effects
Long fasting is a shock on the body and there are temporary side effects. Don’t be surprised if you experience some of these. Most of them are manageable and all are temporary. They also seem to improve the more often you fast.
When should I schedule my fast?
There are many considerations to think about when planning or scheduling a multi-day fast: experience, social obligations, work demands, travel, recent nutrition, sleep, and more.
Be careful: When to avoid fasting!
Long duration fasting should be relatively safe for most people. However, fasting is not ideal for everyone. Be careful. We highly recommend consulting your doctor before undergoing a fast to make sure it is right for your specific situation. Pay special attention if any of the following apply to you:
Summary of Benefits of Fasting
Multi-day fasting is relatively low risk (for most people) and offers promising longevity benefits. It is very effective for weight/fat loss and metabolic health and preventing diabetes and other metabolic conditions. There are also promising longevity benefits such as cancer and Alzheimer’s prevention (although this is less proven). The general…
Sleep
It is very common that sleep ends up being shorter, fragmented, and generally poor after the first full fasting day. This is a tough one, and for some can be more challenging than the fast itself. That is, hunger doesn’t seem to be the issue, but rather accumulated fatigue. The…
Shopping List
One of the advantages of fasting is that it literally requires nothing. You don’t need to buy or do anything special, just don’t eat. You can get by with none of the items on this list, with the exception of table salt, and even that depends on how long you…
Exercise While Fasting
How is it possible to continue to exercise without having the food to recover? Won’t you get light-headed and fall over? Somewhat surprisingly, yes, you can (and should) still exercise while on a fast. It helps achieve ketosis more quickly, it helps preserve muscle, and any additional activity you do…
Beginners’ Progression
Okay, so you decided that you actually want to do a long fast. Should you just do it cold turkey? Or are there smaller milestones you should hit along the way before being ready for a multi-day fast? Just go for it! Rip the band aid off! General advice for…
Beginner’s Measurement
These are the bare bones things to measure for a beginner – meant to be cheap, non-invasive, motivating, and give you a general sense of physical progress. Simple measuring More advanced measuring If you are more advanced in your fasting journey, or are into body hacking and quantified self movement,…
Timeline: What does a 3-day fast feel like?
What can you expect going into a 3-day fast? What is the timeline? What will it feel like? First, choose a three day period that works for you. See When should I schedule my fast? Also check out the Shopping List to see if there is anything you should buy…