Tuesday, January 5, 2010

How to Deal With the 5 Most Common Difficulties of Fasting

How to Deal With the 5 Most Common Difficulties of Fasting
Can't get no sleep? Find something else to do. (Photo by babblingdweeb)

If you've tried fasting or are planning to do so, you're bound to run into at least some of the problems mentioned below. Based on my personal experience, they appear to some degree regardless of whether you're doing intermittent fasting or the occasional longer fast.

While these side effects of going without food may not be pleasant, the good news is that there are ways to deal with them. And, at the very least, knowing what they are beforehand helps you to prepare yourself mentally. Once you get acquainted with them, it becomes easier to detach yourself from them and to see them more objectively for what they really are: mere hurdles on the way to better health.

1. Feeling of hunger

This is the obvious one, of course. The feeling of hunger is the first effect to kick in once you stop eating. Depending on what and how much you ate prior to the fast, it may take anywhere between an hour and half a day before your stomach starts to growl again.

The key to tackling this problem is understanding how the feeling of hunger comes and goes during fasting. Many people who fast for several days at a time report that the hunger subsides after the first few days, after which the whole thing gets much easier. Thus, it may in fact be easier to do a 4-day fast once a month rather than a 2-day fast twice a month.

However, there is a definite hunger cycle noticeable even during one-day fasts (e.g. intermittent fasting or alternate-day feeding). I find that I usually experience my first hunger pang about 4 hours after the last meal. At this point, it's not even a feeling of needing more energy, it's just a slight craving to eat something, and thus pretty easy to ignore. Drinking something helps.

The cravings then disappear for many hours, and about 18 hours into the fast, a more serious hunger emerges. This is the point at which the temptation to break the fast is at its greatest. However, if you can force yourself to pull through, the hunger subsides after a few hours. Drinking coffee or tea is helpful; just don't forget to drink water also. Another efficient way is to find something else to think about. When you're concentrating on, say, your work or a hobby, you'll find that it's quite easy to go through this phase, and it's smooth sailing from there on again.

2. Fatique and brain fog

Well, almost smooth. With the disappearance of hunger comes a new hurdle: physical fatique and brain fog. At this point, the idea of eating seems appealing not so much because of cravings but because you find your energy reserves temporarily depleted. Sitting on a chair and staring at the wall seems like a strenous exercise. You can forget solving complex mathematical problems during this time.

As with hunger, the key is to know that these negative effects will pass. In fact, they will pass even more quickly than the hunger. I find that during a 24-hour fast, the brain fog and fatique start to subside after an hour or so. While focusing on something else is a good way to skip through the hunger phases, it's very difficult to focus on anything during the brain fog phase. Hence, I just tend to wait them out, staring at the cubicle wall in my fasting-induced trance. Trying to lift the fog with a couple of shots of espresso is... interesting. But don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.

A note about dry fasting (which is going without food and water): the fatique and brain fog phase seems to last much longer with dry fasts than normal fasts. Though you may go into ketosis quicker with this method, be prepared to endure some hours of fatique before the switch happens. I did not find any good way to get around this during my dry fast experiment.

3. Dry mouth

I must admit I haven't read that many reports about this particular difficulty from other fasters, but I frequently notice it myself. The obvious solution is of course to drink more water. It does indeed help, but I find that a dry mouth during fasting is not only related to drinking water but also to the lack of food itself. That is, no matter how much water you drink (and if you're not eating, most of it will just flush out quickly), the feeling of a dry mouth may persist. Still, the problem can be minimized with enough hydration.

My suspicion is that the lack of nutrients during fasting may explain this phenomenon; for example, on some days taking a magnesium supplement seems to help, and eating something even without drinking (after the fast, of course) often gets rid of the problem. Whether it's really related to dehydration at some level, I don't know. Tea and coffee are good ways to boost energy levels while on an empty stomach, but keep in mind that they also make the dry mouth worse. This can be relieved by drinking a glass of water for every cup of coffee or tea.

During dry fasting, this was a major problem for me. While it's easy to tell yourself that going without food is good for you and that the hunger will pass soon enough, it's much more difficult to do the same with water. Even half a glass seems so tempting that it takes quite a bit of willpower to endure the thirst and dehydration.

4. Sensitivity to cold

An increased sensitivity to cold is a common problem with those who practice (chronic) calorie restriction, but the "less energy, less body heat" rule applies to fasting as well. However, in the case of short-term fasts, the effect is only temporary. During the first 12 hours of the fast, nothing really significant happens, but from there on, the sensitivity to cold begins to make its appearance. The most pronounced effect is seen towards the end of the 24-hour fast.

Happily, this is probably one of the easiest problems to fix. If you're just sitting at your desk the whole day, the feeling of cold will creep up on you and make you wonder who turned off the heating. But once you've made it past the dreaded hour of brain fog, a great way to crank up the internal heat system is exercise. It's at this point that you begin to feel many of the positive effects of fasting: increased energy, improved mood, feeling of lightness, etc. I find my motivation to do some exercise is also enhanced.

I've tried both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, and the latter seems to me much more enjoyable towards the end of fasting. With running, I get exhausted fairly quickly compared to running after a breakfast, but with strength training I feel a tremendous boost in mental and physical energy compared to just doing nothing while waiting for the fast to end. I'm sure you won't break any records at weight lifting under a fasted condition, but for improving your well-being and avoiding the feeling of cold, strength training is highly recommendable.

5. Trouble falling asleep

This is a common problem with longer fasts and among those who have just started to do shorter fasts. With intermittent fasting, it may take a while to get used to going to bed without a dinner or an evening snack, but after an induction period, it's no problem. You may even find that you sleep better than you did before and need less sleep.

With fasts lasting several days, trouble falling asleep at night may persist. Especially if you're trying to call it a night while you're experiencing one of the more serious hunger pangs, you'll probably find it very difficult to fall asleep. You'll just be tormented by vivid images of cheeseburgers and bacon until you pass out from sheer exhaustion. With dry fasting, you can add cans of soda into the imagery.

While my experience is mostly with intermittent fasting, I've heard that the inability to sleep properly continues throughout the fast despite the fact that many of the other hurdles are already behind. So you'll spend your day feeling energetic and your night feeling, well, energetic. Some ways of relieving this problem are: drinking water to temporarily mask the hunger, avoiding caffeine well before bedtime, and drinking relaxing teas (such as rooibos). And of course, you can simply try to use the time for something more productive than sleeping!

Conclusion

Everybody probably reacts to fasting slightly differently, and the length of the fast will surely affect the degree to which you experience problems along the way. Nonetheless, based on my experiences and those of others, the above list describes most of the common side effects of fasting, along with suggestions on how to deal with them.

Here's a summary of the remedies in neat bullet points:
  • Identify the hunger cycle and learn how to 'detach' yourself
  • Drink enough water (especially if you're drinking coffee or tea)
  • Do something that takes your mind off food
  • Wait out the dreaded hour of brain fog
  • Hit the gym to improve mood and avoid feeling cold
  • Don't drink caffeine before bedtime
  • If you can't sleep, do something else!
If you have other suggestions for ways to deal with fasting, share them in the comment section! For more information on fasting, see these posts:

Alternate-Day Feeding and Weight Loss: Is It the Calories Or the Fasting?
A Year of Intermittent Fasting: ADF, Condensed Eating Window, Weight Loss, And More
Slowing Down Aging with Intermittent Protein Restriction
Intermittent Fasting: Switching from Alternate-Day Fasting to Condensed Eating Window



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27 kommenttia:

Sugar's Alternate Day Fasting Adventure January 7, 2010 at 6:54 PM  

For me, I don't seem to have many of those challenges. I do alternate day fasting (however, I end up doing 30+ hours since I fast from the time I go to sleep on Sunday night until I wake up Tuesday morning).

I don't even feel particularly hungry physically. I do experience some cravings, but, unlike normal calorie restricting diets, I can deal with those easily by telling myself I can have that food the next day if I still want it.

I've noticed that my cravings in general have diminished significantly. Rather than eating an entire bag of chips, I am satisfied with a few. Since I don't deny myself anything, I don't feel the urge to stuff the food in since I will theoretically be cutting it out of my life when I begin my next "diet."

I have noticed my sleep is different while I'm in my fasting phase -- it is lighter and more dream-filled.

My energy level increases on fast days for some reason, with my aerobic capacity seeming to increase. I have no idea why that would be.

Anonymous January 11, 2010 at 10:48 PM  

I've been fasting for quite some time now, usually two days a week. I almost never experience any of these symptoms. I think my diet has a lot to do with it. I eat a hybrid atkins/paleolithic diet with about 50 grams of carbohydrates a day and around 2500 total calories. On my fasting days I never experience hunger or brain fog/fatigue. If anything I experience an increase in well being, energy, and focus. Life is so much better without food!

webster February 24, 2010 at 1:40 AM  

I've gotten brain fog during IF myself before, and now after prolonged CR, my lab results are reporting below-normal testosterone, T3, T4 hormones. Now, the brain fog is more persistent, and every time I've started fasting, the depression and fog will get to the point where it severely hurts my ability to function. I think it's T3/T4 related for me. T3/T4 levels can fluctuate during the day and perhaps that's what might happening when you fast, just not as drastically. JLL, have you tried ordering lab/blood work for yourself? Would you be willing to share your lab values?

Anonymous March 22, 2010 at 3:51 PM  

I'm thinking of doing two 24 hour fasts (Tuesday and Thursday). To control hunger, what are your thoughts on taking ephedrine along with coffee? It's supposed to be incredibly fat-mobilizing and works very well in suppressing appetite. Would appreciate feedback!

JLL March 23, 2010 at 9:43 PM  

@Anonymous,

For appetite control it might indeed work (not sure about the fat mobilizing thing; do you have a study for this?), but I would hesitate to take both, since I would be afraid of getting massive jitters. But of course, if you're very tolerant to the effects of caffeine, then it might be a viable option.

- JLL

Goering September 29, 2010 at 10:03 PM  

I think that the dry mouth is related to the ketone production.

Anonymous February 15, 2011 at 10:26 PM  

I definitely go through a very similar cycle to the post you linked to when I fast for 24 hours. I also eat pretty closely to a paleo/low-carb diet. I do eat more fruits lately (like, some a small package or two of berries a week, and maybe an apple a week - also, a bar of 85% dark chocolate a week), so maybe that's had some hunger inducing effects?

I do notice an almost spontaneous intermittent fasting occurring when I am extremely low-carb (less than 30g/day for a week or so). Before learning about the benefits of IFing, it freaked me out so much I would force myself to eat more.

AJ May 22, 2011 at 4:28 AM  

I don't mean to be a snot, but I've done quite a bit of reading about fasting and I don't think they usually recommend drinking coffee during a fast. Although it might be not so bad if it's only a one day fast.

JLL May 22, 2011 at 12:14 PM  

@Jamisona20,

Who is "they"? Why are they recommending not drinking coffee? For fat loss, I see no problem -- in fact, I think coffee is probably helpful.

- JLL

Milla September 26, 2011 at 6:28 PM  

I've always done more frequent if in the form of meal skipping since I went primal/paleo; right now I'm skipping lunch. Cup of black coffee instead.

When I tried a 24 hour fast, the hunger wasnt an issue, but I was very, very cold! Everyone was wearing t- shirts while I was wrapping up in knits and shivering! That was the only problem I ran into there.

nthmost November 2, 2011 at 12:33 AM  

My two best tricks for amelioriating the difficulties of fasting are consistency (doing the same fast every other day), and contrast hydrotherapy, which helps with the body heat issue.

I take a 6 minute shower every day that goes in 1 minute hot / 20 seconds cold cycles. I swear it has all but eliminated my sensitivity to temperature fluctuations (until about 45 degrees, then I start noticing the cold), even while fasting.

The reason seems to have to do with the activation of brown fat, which is responsible for body heat generation through the metabolism of fatty acids. I'm not sure about that, though.

By the way, a lot of bodybuilders recommend a style of intermittent fasting, which apparently helps stimulate growth factors. Check out (for example) CarbBackloading.com, which was created by a bodybuilder with an MS in Physics. I found the "free report" interesting.

Anonymous November 14, 2012 at 11:31 PM  

I always have problems with dizziness & passing out - on a water only fast or a 100% juice only fast - I have lupus and MS

Anonymous April 14, 2013 at 10:05 AM  

Its 11:59 pm. I am so awake right now I feel like I've taken metaphetamines. All I want to do is go to bed. I drank over three liters of water today and my mouth is insatiably dry. I started eating at 4pm and have had two very large meals, 2 protien shakes, and 3 snacks. My calorie count is easily over 2500 and I feel like I am starving.

Help!

Anonymous June 27, 2013 at 11:08 PM  

David Jubb has two teas a day. No more than 2tbsps of honey a day. With that little liquid it's easier in terms of feeling good.

Anonymous August 15, 2013 at 1:44 AM  

You failed to mention boredom. For me, it is the number one difficulty. The desire to entertain one's self with food can be an immense mental obstacle, even for those who are not addicted to food. The desire to eat is not just about curbing hunger. It is about being social, obtaining a feeling of satiety, for many it helps with sleep, it releases endorphins which make one happy, and it is delicious and pleasurable. It is also a perfectly good excuse to take a break from daily chores. All of these benefits are lost on a fast. Everybody who undergoes a fast would benefit from knowing in advance that they are going to be confronted with intense boredom, and that they should mentally prepare for it.

Anonymous August 15, 2013 at 1:50 AM  

"Why are they recommending not drinking coffee? For fat loss, I see no problem -- in fact, I think coffee is probably helpful."

Caffeine is a natural insecticide. The plant makes it for this purpose. In large enough doses it is fatal. Among many other phsyiological changes, it stimulates the release of adrenaline and places a significant load on the liver. Its comedown induces carbohydrate cravings. If you drink coffee on a fast, you may experience accelerated fat loss, but you will negate much of the healing and cleansing process, and you will probably be plagued by hunger.

Doné January 31, 2014 at 12:18 PM  

I agree, I had some coffee and now I'm feeling VERY hungry (on my 3rd day of a water fast), I was fine up until then. I find it preferable to drink hot water if I start to feel a little peckish with two drops of lemon juice in it (for taste), I'm not even sure if I should be having lemon juice... How many liters of water am I supposed to have a day and how much is too much (I'm so thirsty - dry mouth syndrome mentioned above - that I drink loads of water, maybe 4 liters a day sometimes more!!) I just hope I'm doing this right..............

Anonymous June 5, 2014 at 7:48 PM  

First day of my fast yesterday, I spent 6 hours in the gym and because of my seriously low energy levels (running only on fat burners) I could only burn around 1500 calories on the treadmill along with other machines and weight lifting etc.... The second day i could only burn around 700 .... Today is my third day and can I even stand up without wanting to pass out? Nope. Fasting alone is ridiculously easy compared to intense exercising at the same time. I'm just hoping to reach ketosis alot faster than I would fasting alone. Definitely not going to the gym today though, I really would pass out. Going tomorrow though, but not setting myself a mandatory calorie goal to reach.

the scale reads an 8lb loss which i obviously know is mostly sodium/water weight but I am already seeing slight results and feeling better about myself :)

Anonymous July 17, 2014 at 4:46 PM  

I am more thirsty. Before my fast starts, I drink a lot of water and I say that I'm full but the real thing comes when you half way through your fast or more. You become really thirsty. Plus its also hot over here which makes it a bit more tiring.

Anonymous October 19, 2014 at 7:21 PM  

Hi, if you google chemolieve and prolon you will find a company based on the clinical trials with fasting of Valter Longo. He found that using certain food concentrates for phytonutrients works better than plain water, according to clinical markers.

Also, I have a question. I have severe, long term CFS. I have to lie down most of the day. I would love to try fasting as I've tried many things and nothing worked. I can't even take many supplements as my liver detox system is compromised. Also I'm 5'6" and 116 pounds. I wouldn't want to lose more than 5 pounds though I could stretch it to 10 if I knew it would help.
How do you know when you're too sick to fast? I am concerned with whether my body has the energy for the process. I'm able to walk 1/3 mile several times a week, and if I had to I could do a whole mile, though I would pay for it later, so I'm not completely disabled. Any info on this would be appreciated.

Unknown December 12, 2014 at 8:15 AM  

Dry mouth: Saliva production is mainly stimulated by food. Therefore, no food=no or very little salivating. Thus the explanation as to why this problem goes away as soon as you break your fast. Lack of saliva is also a reason as to why bad breath typically occurs during fasting. This may sound counter productive (especially during the first few days of a fast when the hunger is at it's worst) but think about your favorite foods. Concentrate on thought of it's taste, it's texture. This will have your mouth salivating in no time. I'm doing an extended fast and from my personal experience, dry mouth subsides around the fourth day. With the topic of coffee, if your looking to do a long term water fast but your having difficulties getting through the first few days, go ahead and drink coffee in the beginning. At around day 4 the hunger and the tiredness suddenly switches off and you'll no longer need your coffee crutch. At this point your able to easily go on a full blown water fast/detox and you'll achieve the enormous health benefits that come with it. Good luck!

Anonymous December 17, 2014 at 4:48 AM  

For cfs, try dhea. 25mg a day has brought me back to normal in a few months. Also take fatigue to fantastic formulation. You can buy both on amazon.
Cheers
Bruce

Unknown January 29, 2015 at 2:24 PM  

For years I thought I had CFS. Eventually I found out I had Hashimoto's. If you can, have your antibody levels tested and see if you have any sort of autoimmune disease. Also, look into paradites that could play a part. If you drink tea or coffee, put NOW Green Wormwood complex into it to do a cleanse. Also try L-Carnitine for energy. That's the only supplement that has ever helped me, and I used to work at GNC and had access and knowledge of all supplements. I have had the most benefit overall from fasting. I started with Intermittent Fasting and worked up to Warrior Diet Fasting. Currently I'm on the third day of my first three day fast. I recommend taking it slow like that, but I believe it will be very beneficial to you because it does allow the body to heal. Best of luck to you, and if you wan to talk more you can email me at innersourcelifecoach@gmail.com

Anonymous June 25, 2015 at 3:28 AM  

I would like to exercise a strong word of caution to all of you who fast or are interested in fasting. It is dangerous and addictive. I started fasting in High School and developed an eating disorder, which I still struggle with to this day. Please, exercise caution. The feeling of being in control while fasting may give you an emotional high, but you may find yourself pushing to fast longer or more often and your thoughts may change to be focused on your body weight or figure. This can lead to fainting or dizzy spells, change in metabolism, nutritional imbalances and depression.

Anonymous January 16, 2016 at 6:32 PM  

Coffee is without a doubt no good.specially caffeine. you are resetting your body so to speak. so you do not want to intake anything. people are even say well eat some chicken on the side. lol these are toxins. for inner source life coaching I wouldnt take anything provided by GNC.I will have to say I know alot about what I am saying on that issue.They add stuff to supplements that is not actually good for the body. if you can, learn about your veggies and fruit. Gmo free>> that is. while some issues and bodies have different reactions. people will always claim that this worked for them but in depth even though they feel clear they arent really aware. for the last comment about be careful for fasting. I dont think you were aware of what you are doing. learn what your food does. and do alot of work learning. doesnt mean you will be good at it but it will help. if you got addicted to it maybe thats just you? I see majority of people talk about health and wow people go to these schools and have no clue. they will fight over what they learned and not learn anything. keep an open mind. school teaches what they know or want you to know. so learn about chemicals ups and downs and all around. keep an open mind. but always learn and find out.

Anonymous January 26, 2016 at 9:49 AM  

I've recently started eating only one meal a day on a strict ketogenic diet. It's just so easy to go the long periods without food when you've eaten a lot of good fat the meal before.
My previous fasting experiences were a lot of effort, back when my body fed on glucose. I'd feel grumpy and lack energy quickly. Now I just don't think about food, no cravings whatsoever.
Let me tell you that it's one hell of a liberating experience. I feel light. Food really isn't something to derive your life pleasure from; it's too little pleasure for too much trouble.
I' highly recommend a high fat, low carb diet for anyone interested in intermitent fasting or longer fastings. Research carefully, though, and be prepared for some changes in your body and mind.
Being free from the prison of taste feels truly amazing! Blessings to all.

Anonymous January 31, 2016 at 3:28 AM  

Smoke that dank kush so you get the muchies and start eating again.

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