What is Fasting:

Period of time when we don’t eat or drink anything that triggers an insulin response. (Note its not about calorie intake)

Successful fasting consists of two things: understanding what to expect while fasting and understanding what to do (or not do) while fasting. Here are the key points:

TLDR/ The most important “Do”s:

• The most important key to successful fasting is, understanding the role of electrolytes.
  • It’s a myth that it’s natural to feel headaches or fatigue while fasting because you are low on fuel. You feel those things because you are low on sodium and potassium (and magnesium, but thats applicable in longer fasting) which you otherwise get from food
  • It is ok to feel low energy though. Especially if you are new to fasting. Keep busy, mentally and physically to get your energy levels up. Cold showers are great too.
• Keeping yourself hydrated WITH electrolytes is the key to long term fasting. So, first step is, buy electrolytes meant for fasting, which means zero calorie electrolytes. There are mainly two types of fasting electrolytes and use them based on how comfortable with fasting:
  • Flavored electrolytes: these suppress hunger. But they may also break fast slightly. For pure fasting, they are not advised but beginners may use it. This is a good option https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Original-Electrolytes-Powder-Servings/dp/B09P5JXMZL/
  • Unflavored electrolytes: These keep you hydrated but dont suppress hunger which makes fasting harder. I use this and its great https://www.amazon.com/Fasting-Salts-Intermittent-Flavourings-Sweeteners/dp/B07Z55FLJC
  • Use as the instructions on the electrolytes .
  • In general while fasting you need 2 L water a day. So about a bottle every 6 hours. Drink it with electrolyte such as the one above.
  • It’s ok to feel hungry but know that it will come and go. If feel hungry, drink water, or black coffee or green tea and it should go away within 30 mins.
  • But it’s not ok to feel headaches or too much fatigue. If you feel an onset of headache and it doesn’t go away with electrolytes, quit fasting! Even people with migraine condition can fast for days without ever feeling headaches, as long as they are maintaining their electrolytes.

Understanding:

Understanding what Fasting is a key to successful long term fasting.

• Look up the benefits of fasting. It has health benefits well beyond weight loss. This will keep you motivated.
• You can absolutely fast for 24-48 hours. It’s not a big deal. Thinking that it’s a big deal is an obstacle to fasting.
  • Its a myth that you “run out of energy”. You don’t. Body switches to using body fat which works just as well.
  • This does not mean you wont feel hungry. You will. But that’s OK. Drink some electrolytes or black coffee and wait for 20-30 mins, hunger often disappears after a while.
• They key to fasting is understanding fasting is not a lack of food/being hungry. Its a mode of the body. Just like your laptop has a dev mode in which you can fix thing, your body has a “fasting mode” where it repairs itself. Fasting mode is very different from being hungry. For example you may find yourself having more energy in fasting mode, while thats not the case with feeling hungry. Technically, you can survive as long on fasting mode as your fat lasts. But I wouldn’t recommend longer than 72 hours. There are cases where people have fasted for a year without any health deterioration.
• Fasting is like lifting weights. You can only slowly build up. The reason is, your body may not be used to switching to fasting mode because it has never practiced it. So start slow, slowly add hours. Don’t jump directly to long fasts.
• Look up all the benefits of fasting. It will keep you motivated.

Other helpful Do’s and Don’t’s

• Don’t use zero calorie but flavored anything (other than electrolytes). They still trigger an insulin response.
• DO NOT only drink water to hydrate. It is going to deplete you even faster of sodium and potassium. Thats bad.
• It’s helpful to have filling, fat and protein rich meal before you start the fast.
• Keep yourself busy!
• Work out everyday if you are fasting. That helps getting body into the fasting mode. Again remember, your body is meant to be sent into fasting mode every once in a while. Our ancestors wouldn’t have survived if they were lethargic while hungry.
• Use black coffee as a helpful tool. Use decaf if you dont wanna screw up your sleep.