8 ms·

while on fasts, you get an energy level and mental clarity that has to be felt to be believed. everyone should try it at least once.

Cro_on 6y ago
i like to persuade people by having them imagine an isolated tiger who hasn't eaten anything in a week. by force of nature their sense of smell, hearing, etc. must all be heightened so as to ensure their survival.
- milquetoastaf 6y ago
  So you just say a bunch of bullshit...ok
- SketchySeaBeast 6y ago
  But that's because they are incredibly hungry and food focused, at that point they don't care about taking part in other activities and just want food. That tiger would definitely not be the sort I'd care to be around.
  - Cro_on 6y ago
    understandably! it will no longer be thinking: human animal, could be dangerous.. but a tiger has evolved to be an apex predator, and not much else. our predatory speciality is more about leverage than brute force, or scavenging rather than hunting. so i think the logic still applies that cognition can be improved in a way that is beneficial to modern humans. resourcefulness implying that resources are found / conjured when they appeared to be lacking?
koevet 6y ago
I have been on a 18/6 and 20/4 fasting protocol for 3 months now - few up and downs but mostly sticking to it. The obvious results are weight loss (not so much, I'm within my BMI targets). I can confirm that my mental sharpness has improved but it's not the same every day. Most days I feel amazing, some other days I feel quite tired and I experience some mental fog. I still haven't found the reason for such an oscillation. I suspect it has to do with what I eat during the eating window (for instance, more sugarish food, more carbs, etc). I think I should record what I eat and compare it with the overall well-being to get to some conclusions.
- kovek 6y ago
  I noticed that in the winter, eating mostly fruits would cause a “crash” about ~30mins-1h after my fruity meal (but dang I had a lot of energy during that time). When I ate potatoes, spaghetti, I would have a longer span of energy.
qntty 6y ago
I hear people say this a lot, but I've done plenty of fasting and rarely experienced this, and when I did, it was very mild. I don't know if I'm significantly outside the norm. The noticeable difference is that I feel pretty low energy after about ~24 hours of fasting.
xutopia 6y ago
I did a 3 day fast to see what it was all about. The energy levels were not there. I would get tired after a short brisk walk. Physically I was weaker but still had burst strength just no endurance or cardio. Mentally however I found myself unable to have too many variables in my head and my mind was not more able to focus on something but less distracted with extraneous thoughts. I could if I wanted to shut off the chatter in my brain and meditation became very easy. It is definitely a different mode for me and I do appreciate it but I'm told that many people in my family have ADD and that I might actually be showing symptoms that would go away when in ketosis.
- adventured 6y ago
  Did you try it more than just for that three days (as in, try multiple fasts over time), and or try other variations of it (eg 16/8 intermittent fasting) to see if one of those might suit you better?
- koevet 6y ago
  I don't think that a sudden 3 days fast will bring any immediate benefits (perhaps some weight loss), on the contrary. I see fasting more as a long term, life choice. I do feel more energetic and sharp during fasting. I recently did a full check-up (I'm 48) and all my blood/urine values were spot on - before starting my fasting protocol some values mostly related to arteriosclerosis were slightly over the recommended values. Obviously, this doesn't say much or it's far from being a scientific proof: it's just an observation. There are good chances that for a lot of people fasting would just not help and make life misearable.
  - ewindal 6y ago
    Definitely. I started deopping breakfast. At first it was hell. But you get used to it. Noe I’m down to one meal a day. It’s very convenient, and my energy levels aren’t affected by food intake.
- Nihilartikel 6y ago
  I had a period a few years back where I did fasts up to 3 days quite frequently.. Once I got used to it they felt pretty good. But, the point I wanted to add is that they would have been very difficult for me if I wasn't also doing a pretty strict low-carb ketosis diet. Without the hunger control of keto and having my body acclimated to using stored fat as a primary energy source, fasts have been untenable.
hourislate 6y ago
I have fasted 100 lbs away over the last 2 years. I adhere to an 18/6 time delay eating schedule but have done 2-3 day fasts with 1 refeed meal for a month at a time. I've also done countless 5-7 day fasts. I've gone as long as 12 days with nothing but water. There were many months where I could count the number of times I ate on one hand. My last go was every other day with just one meal on my eating days. I did that this year for all of January to the end of March and would never recommend alternate day fasting to anyone. You will mess your self and your metabolism up. You will lose a lot of muscle. Alternate day fasting should be avoided. Never over two years did I feel any of the mental clarity or more energy you speak of. I follow guys like Cole (snake diet) and even he speaks of the feeling of dying and lying in bed shivering on a 5-7 day. Are you sure about the metal clarity and energy levels, because I and the folks I know who fast don't seem to have those affects.
- thisisbrians 6y ago
  Many, many people who follow fasting/ketogenic diets report heightened energy and focus, myself included. This usually comes after the carb/keto flu phase once adjusted to the low carb intake and after the body has gone fully into ketosis. You have to be careful to get enough salt while fasting or eating very low-carb, though, as your body can struggle to hold on to water without those carbs you're used to eating. Consuming too little salt can definitely contribute to feeling sluggish.
- sambeau 6y ago
  When I fasted I remember the feeling of energy kicking in around day 2-3. I had moments of supreme clarity but also moments of fuzziness. The energy boost was real though. I continued to exercise quite heavily so didn't't see any muscle loss. I'm quite a big guy so there were a lot of fat reserves to melt—my skin became very greasy as if I'd eaten a very fat-heavy meal, I could even taste the oil in my mouth. I wonder if, if you are not a big eater, then the difference might be less than if you tended to be full of food, digesting away all day and night. Similarly, if there's not a lot of fat on you maybe, rather than burning fat with an energy boost, you end up burning muscle and feel tired?
- nwienert 6y ago
swarnie_ 6y ago
Do you have any recommend resources around fasting? or a preferred routine? I'm very interested in reading more.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- hispanic 6y ago
  The resource I've heard recommended most often is "The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting" by Fung and Moore. I just checked-out a copy from my library and will be reading it soon.
  - swarnie_ 6y ago
    I have no idea what a library is but i found this on Amazon for 9 British Roubles.
agumonkey 6y ago
I felt something a bit similar, that I assume is your brain abandoning the desire for stimulus from food, leading you to go deep into whatever else to feel something. Very nice trick indeed.
ericmcer 6y ago
Henry Cavill talked about the extreme dehydration he experiences prior to filming a shirtless scene, to make sure there is no water retention, and how he could 'smell water' from across the room. It makes sense biologically you would get some heightened awareness mixed with periods of extreme lethargy as your body tried to preserve itself.

Cro_on 6y ago

i like to persuade people by having them imagine an isolated tiger who hasn't eaten anything in a week. by force of nature their sense of smell, hearing, etc. must all be heightened so as to ensure their survival.

milquetoastaf 6y ago
So you just say a bunch of bullshit...ok
SketchySeaBeast 6y ago
But that's because they are incredibly hungry and food focused, at that point they don't care about taking part in other activities and just want food. That tiger would definitely not be the sort I'd care to be around.
- Cro_on 6y ago
  understandably! it will no longer be thinking: human animal, could be dangerous.. but a tiger has evolved to be an apex predator, and not much else. our predatory speciality is more about leverage than brute force, or scavenging rather than hunting. so i think the logic still applies that cognition can be improved in a way that is beneficial to modern humans. resourcefulness implying that resources are found / conjured when they appeared to be lacking?

koevet 6y ago

I have been on a 18/6 and 20/4 fasting protocol for 3 months now - few up and downs but mostly sticking to it. The obvious results are weight loss (not so much, I'm within my BMI targets). I can confirm that my mental sharpness has improved but it's not the same every day. Most days I feel amazing, some other days I feel quite tired and I experience some mental fog. I still haven't found the reason for such an oscillation. I suspect it has to do with what I eat during the eating window (for instance, more sugarish food, more carbs, etc). I think I should record what I eat and compare it with the overall well-being to get to some conclusions.

kovek 6y ago
I noticed that in the winter, eating mostly fruits would cause a “crash” about ~30mins-1h after my fruity meal (but dang I had a lot of energy during that time). When I ate potatoes, spaghetti, I would have a longer span of energy.

qntty 6y ago

I hear people say this a lot, but I've done plenty of fasting and rarely experienced this, and when I did, it was very mild. I don't know if I'm significantly outside the norm. The noticeable difference is that I feel pretty low energy after about ~24 hours of fasting.

xutopia 6y ago

I did a 3 day fast to see what it was all about. The energy levels were not there. I would get tired after a short brisk walk. Physically I was weaker but still had burst strength just no endurance or cardio. Mentally however I found myself unable to have too many variables in my head and my mind was not more able to focus on something but less distracted with extraneous thoughts. I could if I wanted to shut off the chatter in my brain and meditation became very easy. It is definitely a different mode for me and I do appreciate it but I'm told that many people in my family have ADD and that I might actually be showing symptoms that would go away when in ketosis.

adventured 6y ago
Did you try it more than just for that three days (as in, try multiple fasts over time), and or try other variations of it (eg 16/8 intermittent fasting) to see if one of those might suit you better?
koevet 6y ago
I don't think that a sudden 3 days fast will bring any immediate benefits (perhaps some weight loss), on the contrary. I see fasting more as a long term, life choice. I do feel more energetic and sharp during fasting. I recently did a full check-up (I'm 48) and all my blood/urine values were spot on - before starting my fasting protocol some values mostly related to arteriosclerosis were slightly over the recommended values. Obviously, this doesn't say much or it's far from being a scientific proof: it's just an observation. There are good chances that for a lot of people fasting would just not help and make life misearable.
- ewindal 6y ago
  Definitely. I started deopping breakfast. At first it was hell. But you get used to it. Noe I’m down to one meal a day. It’s very convenient, and my energy levels aren’t affected by food intake.
Nihilartikel 6y ago
I had a period a few years back where I did fasts up to 3 days quite frequently.. Once I got used to it they felt pretty good. But, the point I wanted to add is that they would have been very difficult for me if I wasn't also doing a pretty strict low-carb ketosis diet. Without the hunger control of keto and having my body acclimated to using stored fat as a primary energy source, fasts have been untenable.

hourislate 6y ago

I have fasted 100 lbs away over the last 2 years. I adhere to an 18/6 time delay eating schedule but have done 2-3 day fasts with 1 refeed meal for a month at a time. I've also done countless 5-7 day fasts. I've gone as long as 12 days with nothing but water. There were many months where I could count the number of times I ate on one hand. My last go was every other day with just one meal on my eating days. I did that this year for all of January to the end of March and would never recommend alternate day fasting to anyone. You will mess your self and your metabolism up. You will lose a lot of muscle. Alternate day fasting should be avoided. Never over two years did I feel any of the mental clarity or more energy you speak of. I follow guys like Cole (snake diet) and even he speaks of the feeling of dying and lying in bed shivering on a 5-7 day. Are you sure about the metal clarity and energy levels, because I and the folks I know who fast don't seem to have those affects.

thisisbrians 6y ago
Many, many people who follow fasting/ketogenic diets report heightened energy and focus, myself included. This usually comes after the carb/keto flu phase once adjusted to the low carb intake and after the body has gone fully into ketosis. You have to be careful to get enough salt while fasting or eating very low-carb, though, as your body can struggle to hold on to water without those carbs you're used to eating. Consuming too little salt can definitely contribute to feeling sluggish.
sambeau 6y ago
When I fasted I remember the feeling of energy kicking in around day 2-3. I had moments of supreme clarity but also moments of fuzziness. The energy boost was real though. I continued to exercise quite heavily so didn't't see any muscle loss. I'm quite a big guy so there were a lot of fat reserves to melt—my skin became very greasy as if I'd eaten a very fat-heavy meal, I could even taste the oil in my mouth. I wonder if, if you are not a big eater, then the difference might be less than if you tended to be full of food, digesting away all day and night. Similarly, if there's not a lot of fat on you maybe, rather than burning fat with an energy boost, you end up burning muscle and feel tired?
nwienert 6y ago

swarnie_ 6y ago

Do you have any recommend resources around fasting? or a preferred routine? I'm very interested in reading more.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
hispanic 6y ago
The resource I've heard recommended most often is "The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting" by Fung and Moore. I just checked-out a copy from my library and will be reading it soon.
- swarnie_ 6y ago
  I have no idea what a library is but i found this on Amazon for 9 British Roubles.

agumonkey 6y ago

I felt something a bit similar, that I assume is your brain abandoning the desire for stimulus from food, leading you to go deep into whatever else to feel something. Very nice trick indeed.

ericmcer 6y ago

Henry Cavill talked about the extreme dehydration he experiences prior to filming a shirtless scene, to make sure there is no water retention, and how he could 'smell water' from across the room. It makes sense biologically you would get some heightened awareness mixed with periods of extreme lethargy as your body tried to preserve itself.