Attempting a 7 day fast

[cowboyengineer]

A bit of a back story to start.

At my heaviest I was 200kg, with the help of a calorie reduced diet and lots of exercise ( I cycled from Cairo to Cape Town) I made got down to 146kg, I maintained that weight for about a year, and then training for an ironman I broke my ankle, got busy at work lost habits and routine and went back up to 180kg.
Subsequently I lost another 25kg and my weight has been pretty stable since covid. Im still pretty active, ride my bike go to the gym, and subsequently even though my weight has been stable I've decreased my fat percentage and increased my lean weight. I had a lean weight of 85kg when I was 200kg and my lean weight when I was 153kg was 106.8kg.
My target weight is now sitting around 125kg aiming for 15% body fat and I have 30kg to lose.
My enemy and the reason why I balloon in weight is/was mainly down to sugar, I lead a busy life in construction, which is high stress and time poor and I used to eat too many sweets and drink too much coke, I'm talking about 3lt of coke a day, a couple of bars of chocolate and bag of sweets. Funnily enough, I cook quite healthy when I get home, but I could never stop myself getting a couple of thousand calories a day of sugar.
Obviously with this much sugar, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes earlier this year, which I kind already knew I had, but did the man thing and waited about 2 years to get checked out. This made me cut the majority of sugar out my diet, I stopped buying sweets and chocolate and switched the coke to Coke Zero, my diet was already pretty low carbohydrate anyway so that didn't take much alteration, its still not perfect but I (the doctor is happy) have the diabetes under control and I don't take medication for it.
I am however having trouble ( I have stalled ) with the weightless and want to try something new. As I said, I was 155kg 3 weeks ago, and my aim is to get to 125kg but mentally I lack discipline and constancy and I am general results driven and lose motivation when things are not progressing how I want. When I got the diabetes diagnosis I went kept to stop the sugar cravings and dabbled with omad and this allowed me to get the diabetes under control, and when I was reading about mad I came across and read research on extended fasting, Autophagy and ketosis, and figured now I'm looking to kick start my final push to get down to 125kg I'm going to try extended fasting to try to rest everything.
For the last three weeks I have been dabbling with extended fasts, previously I had done 24hr and 48hr fasts, so 3 over the last 3 weeks I have done a 5 day fast, a 3 day fast, 2 48hr faced with one meal in between the two periods, but now I want to try a 7 day fast. and have dropped from 153kg.
The aim of the fast is to help build momentum, help build discipline, lose weight and enter Autophagy, I will keep a light weights routine at the gym as well as zone 2 exercise in the morning. I am also completing a video diary which I shall post at the end of the 7 days.
BNHThe last DXA scan I had (ironically 1 year ago today) was:
Height 193cm
Weight 152.8kg
Fat Free Mass 106.8kg
Target weight 125.6kg
30.1% Body fat
And body measurements
Neck 50cm
Chest 134cm
Waist 127cm
Hip 128cm
Left thigh 71.5cm
Right thigh 72.5cm
Left calf 48cm
Right calf 47.5cm
Left bicep 42cm
Right bicep 41cm
Left forearm 36cm
Right forearm 36.5cm

My current weight right as I start this 7 day fast is 148.7kg. Usually I measure my weight in the morning after I wake up, after the toilet before I eat or drink anything, so I am heavier as this is when I have just started my fast after my final meal.

Edited by cowboyengineer on Sunday 10th September 18:25

Edited by cowboyengineer on Sunday 10th September 18:25

[sherbertdip]

Rather than drastic measures, just change your diet to low cal drinks/water and fruit rather than sugary snacks/crisps. Always start the day with a bowl of porridge with fruit/nuts etc and limit any sweetening required Drink alcohol up to 3 days/evenings and make it low to moderate intake.

That is what I did many years ago and lost weight at a steady rate until I reached 75Kg which is ok for my height and body fat is still an acceptable 15-18%, I have been lower when I was racing (bicycles) but looked like I've just been released from a work camp.

[Regbuser]

As you've outlined, the key for you is cutting sugar.
I've done 48h fasts and if you're focused it's ok, so good luck with 168.

[ATM]

I did a dry fast and managed 60ish hours. No idea about weight change because I wasn't interested. I started to feel quite odd so thought that will do.

[cowboyengineer]

sherbertdip said:

Rather than drastic measures, just change your diet to low cal drinks/water and fruit rather than sugary snacks/crisps. Always start the day with a bowl of porridge with fruit/nuts etc and limit any sweetening required Drink alcohol up to 3 days/evenings and make it low to moderate intake.

That is what I did many years ago and lost weight at a steady rate until I reached 75Kg which is ok for my height and body fat is still an acceptable 15-18%, I have been lower when I was racing (bicycles) but looked like I've just been released from a work camp.

I've done that, which is how I lost the first 50kg, just stalled bit. There are also big health benefits from longer periods of fasting so it will be interesting to see if they manifest.



First morning weighing 167.4

[ZedLeg]

I don’t really understand the science of fasting as weight control. AIUI if you starve your body it starts hoarding energy which makes it harder to lose weight.

Am I missing something?

[cowboyengineer]

ATM said:

I did a dry fast and managed 60ish hours. No idea about weight change because I wasn't interested. I started to feel quite odd so thought that will do.

You can fast a lot longer when drinking water. a 60 hour dry fast is a long time. no wonder you started feeling odd.

[ATM]

ZedLeg said:

I don’t really understand the science of fasting as weight control. AIUI if you starve your body it starts hoarding energy which makes it harder to lose weight.

Am I missing something?

There are health benefits to fasting outside weight control. I did some dry fasts because these have extra benefits or you get the benefits quicker. The simplest thing to explain is you still pee when dry fasting. So you are consuming nothing and taking in no fluid of any kind yet you still pee. So this pee is coming from somewhere. The science is that the body still needs stuff and this includes fluid. When you are fasted there is none coming in. So the body has to go find this stuff itself internally. It therefore starts attacking or consuming cells in the body. It chooses to use up the older cells which have been hanging around for a while and are not just older but less useful. This selection process is what brings the benefit. Your body is selecting the least useful or older or both and destroying it to keep going. So this purge is beneficial.

[ZedLeg]

Is there any science to back this up though? I had a look and it was a lot of “may” and “can” around the benefits.

[WyrleyD]

I'm on a time restricted eating regime and started 12 weeks ago, eat two meals between 12:00 and 18:00, no or low carbs then nothing (only water) until 12:00 the next day. I lost 10 kgs in the first two weeks and my weight has now stabilized. Waiting for notice from my surgery for my next lot of blood tests to see what effect it's had apart from the weight loss.

[ATM]

ZedLeg said:

Is there any science to back this up though? I had a look and it was a lot of “may” and “can” around the benefits.

Nothing I can be certain about.

Beyond the stuff I posted about killing off older cells there are hormones the body produces which are a benefit.

We all know we get lethargic when we eat a lot. The opposite happens when we eat nothing. These hormones are to give you get up and go to help you hunt and gather. If you are constantly well fed you will not get these higher bursts of these hormones.

All this 3 meals a day is modern rubbish. Some people feed their dogs once every 2 days.

[paddy1970]

After 72 hours of fast, there are very limited benefits but a lot of potential risks:

Nutrient Deficiency: Extended fasting can lead to a deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals, which are critical for various bodily functions. Deficiencies can impact everything from bone health to immune function.

Electrolyte Imbalance: Prolonged fasting can disrupt the balance of electrolytes like sodium and potassium in your body, essential for muscle function, pH balance, and other vital processes.

Weakened Immune System: Extended fasting periods can weaken the immune system because the body requires a balanced diet for proper immune function.

Cognitive Impairments: Lack of glucose and essential nutrients can affect cognitive function, affecting concentration and decision-making capabilities.

Muscle Wastage: While intermittent fasting can promote muscle synthesis to some extent, extended fasting can lead to muscle breakdown as the body starts utilising muscle protein for energy.

Risk of Hypoglycemia: Especially for diabetics or those on certain medications, extended fasting can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels.

Impaired Liver Function: Prolonged fasting can put stress on the liver, as it has to work harder to produce glucose from stored glycogen and through gluconeogenesis.

[ZedLeg]

paddy1970 said:

After 72 hours of fast, there are very limited benefits but a lot of potential risks:

Nutrient Deficiency: Extended fasting can lead to a deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals, which are critical for various bodily functions. Deficiencies can impact everything from bone health to immune function.

Electrolyte Imbalance: Prolonged fasting can disrupt the balance of electrolytes like sodium and potassium in your body, essential for muscle function, pH balance, and other vital processes.

Weakened Immune System: Extended fasting periods can weaken the immune system because the body requires a balanced diet for proper immune function.

Cognitive Impairments: Lack of glucose and essential nutrients can affect cognitive function, affecting concentration and decision-making capabilities.

Muscle Wastage: While intermittent fasting can promote muscle synthesis to some extent, extended fasting can lead to muscle breakdown as the body starts utilising muscle protein for energy.

Risk of Hypoglycemia: Especially for diabetics or those on certain medications, extended fasting can cause dangerously low blood sugar levels.

Impaired Liver Function: Prolonged fasting can put stress on the liver, as it has to work harder to produce glucose from stored glycogen and through gluconeogenesis.

I didn’t want to get too negative but this was my thoughts tbh.

It’s not a regime as such but I only generally eat twice a day, I’m normally very hungry by the time I eat though and I drink plenty of water.

I couldn’t imagine not eating for longer than that, just on a mood/concentration level. Let alone the other risks of starving your body.

[ATM]

ZedLeg said:

I didn’t want to get too negative but this was my thoughts tbh.

It’s not a regime as such but I only generally eat twice a day, I’m normally very hungry by the time I eat though and I drink plenty of water.

I couldn’t imagine not eating for longer than that, just on a mood/concentration level. Let alone the other risks of starving your body.

Try it

See what happens

You won't die

[ZedLeg]

I’m sure we had the same argument the last time fasting came up

I’m not going to try it, I don’t have a reason to.

[ATM]

paddy1970 said:

After 72 hours of fast, there are very limited benefits

ZedLeg said:

I couldn’t imagine not eating for longer than that, just on a mood/concentration level.

ZedLeg said:

I’m not going to try it, I don’t have a reason to.

If there are benefits up to 72 hours you could use this as your reason.

You might want to find out how it affects your mood and concentration levels.

Also it proves to you that you can do it.

Not suggesting you try a 7 day fast. Just skip all eating on say a Saturday and see what happens.

You can always decide to just stop and eat if something drastic changes.

[simon_harris]

Autophagy is the process by which fasting benefits the body, older damaged cells are basically consumed to support the body, you go well into ketosis so the body is burning fat for energy rather than glucose. There are some as far as I am aware unproven claims around benefits for cancer patients from the process as well.

I used to follow a guy on youtube that went over 200 days without eating, he lost lots of weight during the process (he had lots to lose in the first place though) but during his fast he started an exercise regime as well to help keep the weight of after the fast ended.

There are some that argue that we are designed to eat like this, fast and feast due to the historic sporadic availability of food, i think there is possibly something in that, the body certainly copes with it well enough.

[ATM]

simon_harris said:

There are some that argue that we are designed to eat like this, fast and feast due to the historic sporadic availability of food, i think there is possibly something in that, the body certainly copes with it well enough.

My new mantra in the gym is adaptation

The body has to adapt

This is just another form of adaptation - sort of

If there is no food coming in then the body has to adapt

If cave men died after no food for a couple of days we would have never lasted this long and be extinct

[ZedLeg]

I’m not convinced tbh, our body runs pretty efficiently. Unless you’re very overweight or not eating properly you don’t have big reserves of energy stored.

Your body only really stores if you’re overeating or you push yourself into ketosis.

[ATM]

ZedLeg said:

I’m not convinced tbh, our body runs pretty efficiently. Unless you’re very overweight or not eating properly you don’t have big reserves of energy stored.

Your body only really stores if you’re overeating or you push yourself into ketosis.

Stop thinking energy - there is more to it.