As I start this article, I am 21 hours into a 38 hour fast. Prior to today, I had engaged in some intermittent fasting, up to about 18 hours. I had tried to engage in a longer fast once before, but it did not go well. I surrendered at 21 hours.
Both the previous attempt at fasting and today’s have one big thing in common, they weren’t planned in advance. Yesterday evening, I realized I had eaten lunch very late and finished at 3:30 pm and then hadn’t eaten dinner. I usually try to finish before 5 pm and it was already 6:30 pm, so I didn’t eat anything else. I started thinking that maybe today was the day.
My first attempt resulted in horrible brain fog and a bit of a headache. I couldn’t get through the things I needed to. It wasn’t the hunger that drove me to eat, it was the complete shutdown of my ability to accomplish anything. I then proceeded to make myself very sick by eating the wrong things to break my fast. Seriously, it was horrible. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom over the next 24 hours.
After my less than stellar first attempt, I did more research. It turns out that headaches and brain fog can be common for some people. The best solution? Fasting salts. This led to more research as I tried to find electrolyte powders that didn’t have any sweetener or added flavors and had a good ratio of potassium to sodium. After reading a few articles and running searches, the Amazon algorithm finally realizing what I was searching for, I found one.
When I woke up this morning, I still wasn’t set on my first real fast being today. Started working on things around the house that needed to get done (getting the recycling out; cleaning a litter box; cooking 2 quiches, rice, and potatoes; rearrange the freezer; send some work texts even though it’s Sunday; etc…) and figured I’d see how I felt as the morning passed.
Around 10:30 am, I decided to try the fasting salts and see how they taste and how I feel with the salts. I mixed a small amount into some water and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t too salty. I had another glass at 12:30 pm.
No headache! I still have brain fog, but nothing like last time. Writing this article has been slow as I’ve had to think harder and correct more mistakes, but I can keep going. I feel like I might be able to do this.
So why 38ish hours for my fast? Simple, most fasting advocates recommend trying a 36 hour fast. 36 hours would put me at 3:30 am tomorrow morning. I plan to get up around 5:30 am tomorrow. I’m not getting up early and trading sleep for food. Sleep is far more vital to mitigating my ADHD.
Are you considering your first fast lasting more than 24 hours? Here are a few ways to increase your odds of success:
- Consult your doctor, especially if you have any other issues or take medications.
- Work your way up to more than 24 hours. Make sure that you can do 18 hours safely before going longer.
- Consider getting fasting salts to help with the transition. Make sure to avoid sweeteners and flavorings which can interfere with the effects of fasting.
- If you are prone to “hanger” (anger when hungry), like me, pick a day where you can reasonably expect to not have to seriously interact with other people.
- Plan how you will exit your fast. I happen to have some bone broth powder courtesy of someone else who was cleaning out their cabinets and I have set it out so I will see it first thing in the morning.
- Your first meal when you break the fast should be very mild. The longer the fast, the milder the food, especially when first starting.
- Prepare what you will break your fast with in advance. This way if you get brain fog, you won’t impulsively eat something else and make yourself sick (like I did the first time).
- Try to plan your first fast for a low impact day. You will already be adding a lot of stress to your system from the change. There is no need to do it on a day that you already know will have its own issues.
I’m going to leave the first part of this article, as written, as an example of the little bit of brain fog I am experiencing. Tomorrow, after I have eaten, I’ll add an update below.
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I was afraid that I would want to stuff my face first thing this morning. When I saw the food, I was eager to consume, but once I had the bone broth in my hands, I only took a few sips at a time. I didn’t feel the desire to chug it down. Toward the end of the cup, I had 2 crackers with it because I was feeling the desire for something heavier.
My fast time ended up being almost 39 hours. I broke my fast at 6:15 am. An hour after the bone broth, I had a hard-boiled egg with a little garlic salt and a probiotic. It’s now 9 am and I’m not hungry. This seems like a good sign that I won’t overconsume today to compensate for the missing calories yesterday.
Overall, it wasn’t too bad. The brain fog was less than pleasant, but it was doable. I checked my Ketones multiple times throughout and it took until this morning to be in heavy ketosis, though it only takes about 16 hours for me to have measurable ketones in my urine.
Here’s hoping it helps my longevity! Don’t fear a fast if you are considering it but do plan for it. The planning will make all the difference.
So, will medium and long fasts become a regular part of my life? Probably not. Maybe I’ll try again in a few months, but I don’t think fasting for long periods of time is for me. I like food too much and really dislike brain fog, but I’d label this experiment a success.
Good luck to you and your better lived life!
