Fasting in Ketosis

About a month ago I began focusing on ketosis again — but my discipline has been erratic. I have been bouncing in and out of ketosis and struggling to get to that magical place where I am keto adapted and no longer care about food.

ENTER FASTING

I approached fasting in a typical Mary fashion. I listened to about ten podcasts on fasting and intermittent fasting. And then I formulated my plan.

Fasting is restricting food but within the keto community it is seldom a water only fast. Everyone recommends you maintain electrolyte balance with salt (in water or just as nibble). Some say that you can have fatty coffee (bullet proof coffee) and still be in fast. Some say you can have bone broth without breaking fast. Regardless, caloric intake should be low. Very low.

The point is not to starve yourself but to force your body to go to your fat reserves for your body’s fuel. It’s not that you wont eat lunch. You will be eating the lunches you have packed — on your midsection and ass.

OPTIONS

Intermittent fasting

The general idea is to fast for a greater portion of the day and limit your eating to a small window of time in order to give your pancreas/insulin a break. This is the ultimate “snacking isn’t helping” lifestyle.

When you eat — you eat (keto) to satiety. You don’t go crazy but you also do not restrict. You stay keto and mind your macros. The feeding window does not mean graze during the entire window. The window is simply a hard boundary for stopping the feed.

You can do an intermittent fast many days in a row if your body is responding well and showing no signs of problems.

• 16/8: Fasting 16 hours per day and only eating in an 8 hour window. Typically eating between noon and 8 pm.
• 20/4: Fasting for 20 hours per day and only eating in a 4 hour window.

Fasting

24 Hour: Fast for 24 hours. Typically a dinner to a dinner. Or a lunch to the next lunch.

36 Hour: Do the 24 hour fast and then add an overnight and push to lunch the next day. Its surprisingly easy.

3 Day: This seems to be the classic fast. Everyone says day two is the worst and then it gets much better.

7 Day: I think you get it.

In the past few weeks I have successfully done quite a few 20/4 intermittent fasts and a three day and a few 2 days. The results have been, deeper and easier keto adaption and yes, moving the needle on the scale down!

The challenges have been group settings and not eating mostly.

I plan to continue to use these tools to fine tune the best way to get them to work for me and my body.

Keto on friendos!