how i fast✨SAFELY✨for multiple days (a very long and incredibly detailed breakdown but worth it i promise):
✨drink 1 cup bone broth (I use the Costco chicken bone broth)+1/4 tsp of “no salt” (any brand salt+potassium combo)+1/4 tsp garlic powder+1/4 tsp onion powder. you want to drink this at the start of your fast AND every 24 hours following that. it is 45 calories but all protein and WILL NOT kick you out of ketosis. ✨MAINTAINING ELECTROLYTES IS CRITICAL✨if you start to feel weak, dizzy, nauseous, have muscle cramps or spasms, headaches, or just feel that something “isn’t right”, DRINK THIS (or at least add “no salt” to some water, drink that, and take a magnesium supplement)✨YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR #1 PRIORITY NOT THE FAST✨again, you will still stay in ketosis and still lose weight. it DOES NOT make you a “failure” at fasting.
✨take a magnesium supplement (also an essential electrolyte you MUST maintain) AND a multivitamin at the start of your fast AND every 24 hours after that. if you are restless and have trouble falling asleep take another magnesium supplement.
✨drink at least 8-16oz of water EVERY HOUR (or whenever you feel hungry)
✨DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT COMBINE LAXATIVES AND FASTING. this will rapidly deplete your electrolytes and cause SERIOUS IMMEDIATE health problems.
I made a harm reduction post about this on my tteerrmm’dd acct but I’ll say it again now:
this comes from a place of love and non judgement, and I’m gonna hold your hand when I say this. please, whatever you do, DO NOT ABUSE LAXATIVES. i know it feels good now, believe me, I KNOW. but it will make you have fecal incontinence years down the line.
✨HOT GIRLS, HOT GUYS, AND HOT NONBINARY PEOPLE DO NOT SHIT THEMSELVES✨
✨drink 1 cup black coffee + 2 TBS of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (if desired) 2 TBS of unsweetened vanilla almond milk is 3.75 calories (I did the math based on 1 cup=30 calories). the 3.75 calories are mostly fat and protein AND WILL NOT KICK YOU OUT OF KETOSIS (I checked). i try to limit myself to 1-2 cups a day (1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon) because ✨anxiety✨but have as much as you desire (as long as your body tolerates it)
✨take naps and rest when you can. DO NOT “PUSH THROUGH” AND IGNORE YOUR BODY’S NEED FOR REST. i also avoid exercise (besides walks with my dog) during a longer fast. this is your free pass to bed rot. at a certain point the fast does get easier and you feel less tired and (for me) almost euphoric. the euphoria (for me) seems to start close to hours 18-24. I’m euphoric and less tired (but still tired) from hours 24-72. i woke up this morning at hour 80 with a ton of energy. but, as always, your body is unique and your mileage may vary.
✨use a fasting tracker app (i use Fasty just because i like customizing the colors for my progress) BUT only set it for 24 hours at a time. get excited and congratulate yourself when you see the timer hit 24 hours then set it for 48 hours and so on. this gives you a little dopamine hit and motivation to keep the fast going with every milestone you hit. use smaller milestones like 12 hours if that feels more motivating for you.
✨keep yourself busy (books, movies, music, podcasts, video games, social media, journal, vision board on Canva, clean, take walks, meditate, have a spa day, or do other relaxing hobbies) to make the time pass more quickly. visit friends if you have the energy (but also a free pass to stay at home to go inward and focus on yourself).
✨in the spirit of staying home and focusing on yourself, i find reading about the spiritual benefits of fasting from different cultures around the world to be motivating and facinating. ✨BE AWARE SOME CULTURES PRACTICE EXTENDED FASTS BEYOND 7-10 DAYS AND THIS COMES WITH SIGNIFICANT RISKS IF NOT DONE BY THOSE WITH EXPERIENCE FASTING AND UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION✨ your body begins autophagy (your body’s natural cellular clean out and detox process) roughly 16-24 hours into a fast and peaks at hours 24-72. during peak autophagy I find myself somewhat euphoric and feeling very in tune with my own intuition. i feel more connected to the world around me. my attachment to and desire for food as a form of comfort melts away. sex and orgasm is heightened and meditation is taken to a whole other level.
✨ when it’s time to break your fast go slowly. start with lighter foods like increased amounts of bone broth, soup, eggs, avocado, yogurt, and steamed vegetables with a bit of butter. ✨you might feel the need to binge. this is normal. DO NOT FIGHT IT WITH MORE RESTRICTING✨try to stay between your target calories and TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). your TDEE is what your body needs to maintain the weight you are currently at and not gain more. you gotta consider the bigger picture here so I’ll use real data from myself as an example:
my target is: 1,300 calories/day
my TDEE is: 1,900 calories/day
my calorie intake over the course of a week including fasting 96 hours:
day 1: 1,366 calories (slightly over target but still okay)
day 2: 791 calories (started fasting at 7:30PM)
day 6: 1,218 calories (i broke my 96 hour fast at 8:30 PM and once the food hit my mouth i was HUNGRY y’all 😭)
day 7: 710 calories (and i started fasting again at 11AM)
even with being slightly over target on Day 1 and slightly over TDEE between dinner Day 6 and lunch Day 7
I AVERAGED 583 CALORIES/DAY FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK.
✨I CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING TIP “UNETHICAL” AND I DO NOT ENDORSE IT (ESPECIALLY FOR MINORS) but in the spirit of being completely transparent and honest: i smoke 1-2 Djarum Black clove cigarettes a day. sometimes 1 with my afternoon cup of coffee. and always 1 before bed (fasting or not) to keep me from wanting to snack before sleeping. ✨SMOKING IS NOT NECESSARY AT ALL FOR WEIGHT LOSS BUT I’M 35 YEARS OLD, DID NOT PLAN ON LIVING PAST AGE 25 (BUT SOMEHOW STILL DO), AND DO PARTAKE IN IT AS A GUILTY PLEASURE✨
✨I hope y’all find the list helpful. And, as always, stay safe y’all✨💖
