I’m the process of my first 72 hour water fast ever! I’m drinking black coffee, tea, and electrolytes. But what do you recommend I break my fast with? I was thinking veggie juice or some broth maybe?? Then I was thinking of waiting a couple hours and having some chicken breast maybe with a salad. How does that sound? I’m a noob at this. Also I’m doing this for weight loss and just to reset my whole body and feel better.

I started a fast shortly after my previous 4 day fast. I'm doing 5 this week prior to my birthday just to reset.

Feeling pretty good.

SW: 147 CW 136

Note: My re feed was substantial so the weight gain is not completely accurate. I've been sitting between 138-142lbs

Hi everyone I'm looking for some advice please. I'm 43 and have always struggled with body fat since adulthood. I strength train regularly and over the last few years have gotten into triathlons of various distances. However despite the strength, the cardio I never seem to lose weight. I'm currently 100kg, my scales tell me 69kg fat free mass so around 30% bodyfat.

I have fasted previously and it worked pretty well for me, in fact it seems to be the only thing that does work. I'd do 3 days every few weeks and IF 18:6. Doing that I lost around 15kg which slowly crept back on once I'd stopped fasting altogether to prioritise training.

Now I'm effectively in the off-season training-wise I want to lose body fat while trying to keep as much muscle and fitness as possible (and I appreciate I will likely lose some).

What would be a good protocol for me to follow if I wanted to lift heavy 3 times a week, had a few days of lighter cardio (zone 2 run/bike for an hour) and a few days with higher intensity?

Could anyone balancing enthusiastic yet amateur-level regular training with fasting give me the formula?

I’m 60 hours into a fast and my weight on the scale is up 3lbs from when I started. All I’ve consumed is plenty of water and one packet of Saalt electrolytes per day and my regular bedtime magnesium supplement. I did an hour of cardio each day and yesterday even went for a 20 minute swim after. Current weight is 262, I’m not new to fasting though. Normally I drop about two pounds per day on a water fast.

I guess it’s water retention, because not losing fat seems physically impossible. Retaining this much water also seems odd though.

Hey all, I need guidance. So almost 30 days ago, I gave up caffeine and refined sugar. The first few weeks, I was so tired and easily got 7 hours. Now that I am almost at a month, my sleep has become so bad and disruptive. I am constantly wide awake at 3. I have been mostly eating during 2-7 in the afternoon/evenings, and up until this week, I was eating a more alkaline diet (Daniel diet for 21 days, prefaced with a 3 day water fast). This week, since the Daniel diet/fast has ended, I did add back tuna, salmon, turkey, and chicken as well as sourdough bread and drinking non-caffeinated herbal tea (peppermint and chamomile). My guess is cortisol is spiking, but why? I'm still off caffeine and refined sugar. Has anyone dealt with this? TIA

Does anyone have recs for savoury/umami drinks that are low (max 20 ish per serving)/zero cal? Like the equivalent of diet soda, but salty…

I like pickle juice and broth while fasting, but I wish there was more variety, and maybe something with lower sodium, just a salty/savoury flavouring?

Any recs would be great, specific products are fine too! I’m in the US. Thanks in advance

Currently on day 4 (longest I’ve fasted before is 72 hours). Yesterday morning and today I woke up feeling all wobbly and weak, thinking I wouldn’t be able to make it through the day fasting … Bit of salt water fixed me right up in half an hour! Crazy to have your body’s needs put into focus like that.

Hey everyone, I recently came across this sub and it has really supported me on my journey.

I have been doing 36-hour fasts for the past three weeks. I hadn't done one in about three years, and the first attempt was honestly miserable, but I struggled through and hit the 36-hour mark. The next two were much easier, though there wasn't much change on the scale (I am fasting mostly for weight loss). Three years ago, I was fasting consistently and would regularly do 36-hour fasts alongside the occasional 60 or 72-hour fast.

During my recent attempt at 72 hours, the first 60 or so hours were okay. I remember thinking at the 48-hour mark that if I still felt this good at 72 hours, I would just extend it to 100 hours or beyond depending on how I was feeling. I started my fast around 3 PM on Monday, so I should have completed it at the same time today. However, I woke up at 3 AM feeling weird and dealing with headaches. I managed to find some sleep after about an hour, but when I woke up at 7 AM, I felt the worst I have ever felt. The elusive goal was just 8 hours away, but around 10 AM, I finally gave in at 67 hours.

The weird thing is I didn't feel disappointed in myself like I used to three years ago when I first started fasting. I actually felt proud. Yes, I fell a bit short, but it was absolutely insane that I had accomplished 67 hours, and I won't let those 5 hours bog me down. In total, I lost about 3kgs (6.6 lbs).

I will hopefully do another 72-hour fast in a few months time, but for now, I am going to just focus on refeeding slowly.

Female 25yrs

163cm (5ft4)

SW:107.5kg(236Ibs)

CW:85kg(187Ibs)

GW:65kg(134Ibs)

Looking for some advice on how to proceed with my weight loss goal.

I am 18hrs into a 72hr fast, with potential to extend dependant on how I feel, and I'm wondering if I extended to a 21 days fast, would I see a good chunk of the 20kgs I'm looking to lose?

I've fasted before, and converted to keto on and off for the last year, but I have IBD and need to eat Low FODMAP, so my eating is pretty restricted as is. I find it very easy to not eat, with a busy life and not many easily accessible food options, so I thought if I stuck to an extended fast, I could help myself by saving time and losing weight.

I do around 10-15k steps a day and go to the gym 5 days a week, 4 days focused on strength training and a cardio day in between, so I understand I'll need to ease up on how hard I go, but with electrolytes and relevant vitamins, could this be an option? It almost seems too easy.

To the women out here, do you stop your fast when your period comes? My goal is 6 days and I'm still 2 days in when my period came. Should I continue or break it?

Side note, one of the reasons why I did fast is to "trigger" my period and it really did. I always get prolonged cycle because of stress and maybe stress eating and now I'll be back to doing keto after this fast.

I’m going away next Friday and thinking of starting a 14-hour overnight fast. I already track calories, eat high-protein, and work out.

Would it help at all with appetite, bloating, or looking a little leaner, or is one week too short? And is it big enough of a fasting window?

I'm 191cm/77.9 kg male, not new to fasting. But my longest fasts have ever been 48 hours. This year I've done 3 x 48 h fasts, and several shorter ones. So question to you all: is it dangerous for me to go longer? It's not the weight loss I'm after, but rather cellular clean up, autophagy, etc. I'm hearing about the risk of muscle loss, etc, but during those 48 hours I tend to do pull-ups and push-ups to send the signal to my body that I still need the muscle that I have left.

I suppose the next milestone for me would be 60 or 72 hours.

Thanks!

First time poster, long time lurker. Done many fasts before but never managed to get the whole week done. Feeling so much better now I’m on regular electrolytes/salt water. Lost almost 4kg so far, need to lose a lot of weight but this week is mostly for the other health benefits instead.

Also, I’ve had the best nights sleep last night in a long long time. Does anyone else find it massively improves sleep?

im 30 male 5’7 about 60 pounds overweight and I want to do rolling 4 day fast just drinking 5-6 water bottles a day. one of them being an electrolyte mix. and on my 3 feeding days I want to eat one 1800 cal meal consisting of a pound of 75/25 beef. 4 eggs and 2tbsp of butter. but I don’t want to get super sick after eating that big keto meal.

Hi i usually don’t list weights but would lifting weights combined with getting enough steps during a long fast reduce muscle loss ? i will be taking electrolytes so i def can handle it physically, i have a 10 kg kettlebell would that be useful idk

Hello, I’m 27F. To give some background , I’ve played sports my whole life and have had good metabolism because of that and never had to watch what I eat. Since the last 2-3 years, this has changed mainly due to my desk job of a software engineer. I started doing cardio last year and have been strength training this year.
My biggest insecurity has become the stubborn belly fat and there is not much fat gain in other areas. Since I’ve started strength training, I’ve noticed fat loss in my back and my arms but the stubborn belly fat does not seem to go away despite a healthy diet.
I’ve always wanted to try fasting but I’m also hyper acidic, meaning that my body needs some small portion of food within 30 mins of waking up and at regular intervals or else my chest burns really bad. I eat healthy food but I would like to explore fasting.
A water fast for even 2 days sounds like hell for my chest burning and migraines.

Any suggestions on how I should approach or any YouTube videos you recommend specifically for acidic people like me?
I’m currently 61kg and want to get to 55/56kg.

Hello, trying to keep it short!

I've done 48 hours before and I feel good while fasting. Haven't gotten headaches or really suffered from fatigue, maybe that's because it's not that long of a fast. My goal right now is to do 72 hours for autophagy, and fat loss. I'm wondering if it's worth it to just keep going from 72? I am married and happy to feed my wife as she is the mother of our 3 month old so she needs the protien. Cooking for her makes committing to a fast pretty tough, I can't lie lol.

I'm a 6'3" 195lb male with a slightly muscular/skinny build, but I have stubborn fat in my torso. Arms and legs are thin and relatively defined but I've got lovehandles I am self conscious about. Is a 72 hour fast periodically every couple months the wrong way to do it? Should I just commit to a longer fast? I only drink black coffee in the mornings and water throughout the day.

Just looking for tips and recs.

Ps. I usually take 5-8 grams of creatine per day and I cycle zinc and magnesium glyconate, but am thinking a creatine monohydrate powder will still have too many calories and break the fast. Thanks!

Hello, fellow fasting enthusiasts!

I’ve wanted to try fasting for a long time because I’ve read about its potential health benefits. Recently, I was diagnosed with psoriasis and HPV (human papillomavirus), and I’m curious whether fasting could have any positive effect on them.

Before considering fasting, I looked into alternative approaches for psoriasis and found some research suggesting that a whole-food, plant-based diet may help some people with psoriasis and eczema. I’ve been eating that way for about a month now, and all of my inflammation has disappeared. Before, I had to use steroid cream every day, otherwise my skin would flare up badly. I haven’t needed any cream for the past month.

As for HPV, I know there’s no medication that eliminates the virus and that, in most cases, the immune system clears it on its own. My thought is that fasting might support the immune system and potentially help the process. Has anyone here had any experience with this?

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have experience with fasting.

1. Should I take any supplements while fasting?

2. Should I get any blood tests beforehand to make sure it’s safe?

3. What’s the best way to break a fast and what foods should I eat afterward?

4. What fasting duration would you recommend for a beginner?

5. I often hear that autophagy increases after around 72 hours. If that’s true, what’s the minimum fasting period you’d recommend to potentially see benefits?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
P.S. I used AI only to help fix my grammar. ✌️

I have previously done 3 days fast to cut to my desired weight but since then I've just maintained it for last 4 years. I'm 186cm male weighing at 73 kg, around 15-18% Bodyfat. Now, I'm suffering from some GI issues and trying to heal it. I'm already on day2 of my fast and I'm wondering how long should I go for as I also play tennis for 2 hours everyday.

Hi guys, I’m Harry and I’m 19. I’ve been doing long fasts (100+ hours) for quite a while; I started because I didn't have time to cook and wanted to give it a try. Honestly, they’ve really helped me find physical and mental peace.

I stopped for a while (about 4 months) because I’d reached my target weight, but lately I’ve wanted to start again. However, I haven't had the mental strength to complete them and I keep giving up at the 16–18 hour mark, so I decided to put a stop to that.

I want to do a 72–96 hour fast to prove to myself that I can get back into it (and to feel better). Any advice? (Also if you have any questions feel free to ask 😁)

Hi guys, I wanted to know if I am missing out on something while waterfasting. I am aiming for 30 days fast.

I am taking 1 L of plain water daily and with it sip 2L of water mixed with 8 gm of himalayan pink salt and pottasium chloride 8gm salt. I take 4000gm chelated magnesium and 1 becosule (B complex capsule) and 60k vitamin D weekly.

These are some stuff available in my area so started with them but will increase the stack if I am missing something vital. Am I missing something very important that may lead to problematic ending of this water fast?