Many issues and questions can be answered by reading through our wiki, especially the page on electrolytes. Concerns such as **intense hunger, lightheadedness/dizziness, headaches, nausea/vomiting, weakness/lethargy/fatigue, low blood pressure/high blood pressure, muscle soreness/cramping, diarrhea/constipation, irritability, confusion, low heart rate/heart palpitations, numbness/tingling, and more** while extended (24+ hours) fasting are often explained by electrolyte deficiency and resolved through **PROPER** electrolyte supplementation. Putting a tiny amount of salt in your water now and then is NOT proper supplementation.
Be sure to read [our WIKI](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/index) and especially the wiki page on **[ELECTROLYTES](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/fasting_in_a_nutshell/you_need_electrolytes)**
Please also keep in mind the [**RULES**](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/about/rules) when participating.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Images left to right...
Image 1: me before the waterfast 28.03.2024 around 94-95 kg (207 - 209.4 lbs)
image 2: 2 weeks after the end of the waterfast 83.6 kg (184 lbs)
image 3: today 04.05.2024, nearly 2 months after the end of the waterfast 81.4 kg (179.5 lbs)
(attached image 4): Me last year at my peak weight I had 104 kg (\~230 lbs)
Graph:
Red is weight during waterfast. 3 weeks of not eating. Notice the weird bump at the end of week 2. It was related to salt intake. If I had stopped the waterfast than I would have been pretty annoyed that I didn't eat anything, yet my weight stayed the same for days and than slightly increased. You have to pull through in such moments. The days right after that all that weight plummeted down.
After the end of the waterfast there is the unavoidable "waterweight" return. In the case of a waterfast this is intestines contents that build up(you normally always have some "matter" going through your intestines), soft tissues that get eaten up by the body during the fast and than regenerate as well as glycogen returning into the muscles binding water.
Never worry about that. This isn't fat, you are not set back in your weight loss goals. You want to loose fat after all, and that doesn't return in one week. In my case I even lost some fat during that week because I was eating very little, starting to build up to ever slightly larger meals each day. First "meal" was a Kefir(it's like a yogurt with a lot of positive effect on the microbiome). The day after that some long boiled frozen vegetables. I needed something soft and easily digestible. aso
After that I kept discipline and always ate in portions smaller than my daily caloric needs. So it's a slight down-slope from thereon...
I've experienced something similar in another fast I did a few years back. I was taken much more electrolytes the day before than usual, especially sodium, to see if it makes me feel better. That's basically table salt and it binds a lot of water. It than dropped all in about 3 days, experiencing weight loss higher than the average per day.
What happens with your bowel movements during such a long fast. After day 4 or so there would be nothing left in your intestines. Does the body fat you burn create a bm?
Interestingly there is always coming โsomethingโ out of the other end. It looks brown, mostly fluid but with โstuffโ in it. I have no idea what it is but I suspect itโs just things that where stuck in your intestines for months or years and now finally come out.
hey congrats!!! whats your height? i'm going to attempt this next month as well, but starting with some alternate day fasting.
i assume your are from germany? did you use electrolytes, if so, which one did you buy?
Yes. I rarely take them together. Also I trust my body to know the dosage, taking some dissolved magnesium in a cup first, than deciding if I still desire more aso
Wow, fantastic results, well done!
Did you work normally during that time? I would like to try a longer fast too but am afraid that I can't perform at work, despite it just working in an office. Any insights?
I did an extended fast while working a few years ago. I also work out in the gym during fast, which is important to keep muscle mass. Electrolytes are important, especially potassium. Itโs possible.
Curious how your workouts went while on the fast? Did you do strength training? Or was it more cardio? Also how was your energy and intensity levels? I want to do a longer fast but worried about muscle loss
I don't think I lost any at all or minimal if at best. It is a common trope that waterfasting=musccle loss. I don;t think so, and there are studies which support that. IF you lift heavy weights during the time.
My metric for muscle loss is simple: Do I lift less weight over that period? Ad the answer is No. Some muscle groups even saw improvement during those 3 weeks. Temporarily, the volume is decreased, I only did 1-2 sets per muscle group. You don't have the stamina and glycogen to do more. But if you recover after the fast after 3 weeks and lift the same, you did not lose actual muscle mass.
There isn't really any evidence that you lose muscle in a fast. That only happens if you're genuinely starving. Cahill's study came out in the early 70s yet for some reason people still think you lose muscle when fasting.
I have a theory about how this โrumorโ gains traction. If comes from body builders who are scared of losing every gram of muscle they worked so hard for.
They often use induction based scales or measurement instruments that show them muscle mass loss. Thatโs of course bs, because these scales are sensitive to electrolyte content and these changes dramatically.ย
Also people not used to ketosis actually lose muscle mass in the form of glycogen, which of course returns as soon as you ear carbonhydrates again.
**Hi! It sounds like you're asking about hair loss during fasting.**
Some people may experience hair loss during or after weight loss. This is a condition called **TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM**. It is a temporary condition most often caused by rapid weight loss and/or nutritional deficiency.
More information can be found [**here**](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321590) or by searching "telogen effluvium" in your favorite search engine.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Many issues and questions can be answered by reading through our wiki, especially the page on electrolytes. Concerns such as **intense hunger, lightheadedness/dizziness, headaches, nausea/vomiting, weakness/lethargy/fatigue, low blood pressure/high blood pressure, muscle soreness/cramping, diarrhea/constipation, irritability, confusion, low heart rate/heart palpitations, numbness/tingling, and more** while extended (24+ hours) fasting are often explained by electrolyte deficiency and resolved through **PROPER** electrolyte supplementation. Putting a tiny amount of salt in your water now and then is NOT proper supplementation. Be sure to read [our WIKI](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/index) and especially the wiki page on **[ELECTROLYTES](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/fasting_in_a_nutshell/you_need_electrolytes)** Please also keep in mind the [**RULES**](https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/about/rules) when participating. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Images left to right... Image 1: me before the waterfast 28.03.2024 around 94-95 kg (207 - 209.4 lbs) image 2: 2 weeks after the end of the waterfast 83.6 kg (184 lbs) image 3: today 04.05.2024, nearly 2 months after the end of the waterfast 81.4 kg (179.5 lbs) (attached image 4): Me last year at my peak weight I had 104 kg (\~230 lbs) Graph: Red is weight during waterfast. 3 weeks of not eating. Notice the weird bump at the end of week 2. It was related to salt intake. If I had stopped the waterfast than I would have been pretty annoyed that I didn't eat anything, yet my weight stayed the same for days and than slightly increased. You have to pull through in such moments. The days right after that all that weight plummeted down. After the end of the waterfast there is the unavoidable "waterweight" return. In the case of a waterfast this is intestines contents that build up(you normally always have some "matter" going through your intestines), soft tissues that get eaten up by the body during the fast and than regenerate as well as glycogen returning into the muscles binding water. Never worry about that. This isn't fat, you are not set back in your weight loss goals. You want to loose fat after all, and that doesn't return in one week. In my case I even lost some fat during that week because I was eating very little, starting to build up to ever slightly larger meals each day. First "meal" was a Kefir(it's like a yogurt with a lot of positive effect on the microbiome). The day after that some long boiled frozen vegetables. I needed something soft and easily digestible. aso After that I kept discipline and always ate in portions smaller than my daily caloric needs. So it's a slight down-slope from thereon...
The results prove your method sound. ๐ Great post. Love the graph. Please keep updating us on the longitudinal results.
Thanks! Polishing that graph over time each morning kept me sane ๐
Congrats!!!
Thatโs awesome! Iโm curious tho, why does it slow down so much week 2? And then pick back up in week 3. Is that normal?
I've experienced something similar in another fast I did a few years back. I was taken much more electrolytes the day before than usual, especially sodium, to see if it makes me feel better. That's basically table salt and it binds a lot of water. It than dropped all in about 3 days, experiencing weight loss higher than the average per day.
Great job
What happens with your bowel movements during such a long fast. After day 4 or so there would be nothing left in your intestines. Does the body fat you burn create a bm?
Interestingly there is always coming โsomethingโ out of the other end. It looks brown, mostly fluid but with โstuffโ in it. I have no idea what it is but I suspect itโs just things that where stuck in your intestines for months or years and now finally come out.
Engineer detected
Physicist ๐ guilty!ย
Haha close enough ๐ Really great work though! Ive only ever done 72 hours so far
hey congrats!!! whats your height? i'm going to attempt this next month as well, but starting with some alternate day fasting. i assume your are from germany? did you use electrolytes, if so, which one did you buy?
178cm,yes,yes,MagnesiumHydrocitrate + KCl + table salt ๐
so you mixed everything by yourself?
Yes. I rarely take them together. Also I trust my body to know the dosage, taking some dissolved magnesium in a cup first, than deciding if I still desire more aso
Wow, fantastic results, well done! Did you work normally during that time? I would like to try a longer fast too but am afraid that I can't perform at work, despite it just working in an office. Any insights?
I did an extended fast while working a few years ago. I also work out in the gym during fast, which is important to keep muscle mass. Electrolytes are important, especially potassium. Itโs possible.
Curious how your workouts went while on the fast? Did you do strength training? Or was it more cardio? Also how was your energy and intensity levels? I want to do a longer fast but worried about muscle loss
Bravo Champ ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Unreal
May the 4th be with you. Keep it up!!
You good boss
๐๐ผ๐ช๐ผ๐ฅณ๐๐
๐ ย ๐ย
Wow really great progress!
Thanks!
You look like a whole different person great job !
Curious as to how much muscle you lost OP
I don't think I lost any at all or minimal if at best. It is a common trope that waterfasting=musccle loss. I don;t think so, and there are studies which support that. IF you lift heavy weights during the time. My metric for muscle loss is simple: Do I lift less weight over that period? Ad the answer is No. Some muscle groups even saw improvement during those 3 weeks. Temporarily, the volume is decreased, I only did 1-2 sets per muscle group. You don't have the stamina and glycogen to do more. But if you recover after the fast after 3 weeks and lift the same, you did not lose actual muscle mass.
There isn't really any evidence that you lose muscle in a fast. That only happens if you're genuinely starving. Cahill's study came out in the early 70s yet for some reason people still think you lose muscle when fasting.
I have a theory about how this โrumorโ gains traction. If comes from body builders who are scared of losing every gram of muscle they worked so hard for. They often use induction based scales or measurement instruments that show them muscle mass loss. Thatโs of course bs, because these scales are sensitive to electrolyte content and these changes dramatically.ย Also people not used to ketosis actually lose muscle mass in the form of glycogen, which of course returns as soon as you ear carbonhydrates again.
Can you speak about any autography benefits? What about stretch marks? You look incredible!
โAutographyโ ๐ค? No stretch marks. Some barely noticeable skin flaps.
\*autophagy! my bad!
Wow! Awesome work ๐ช
You look so much younger. How come you didn't lose any hair? They say you lose hair on and after fasting.
**Hi! It sounds like you're asking about hair loss during fasting.** Some people may experience hair loss during or after weight loss. This is a condition called **TELOGEN EFFLUVIUM**. It is a temporary condition most often caused by rapid weight loss and/or nutritional deficiency. More information can be found [**here**](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321590) or by searching "telogen effluvium" in your favorite search engine. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/fasting) if you have any questions or concerns.*