I gave myself food (read: drink) poisoning the other day. It completely cleaned me out and I couldn't make myself eat anything for over 24 h. I drank tons of water and did a bunch of yoga. By the end of fasting, I felt great! I would like to explore it more. I'm definitely a deliberate-fast virgin. Any tips? Favorite ways to go in or out of a fast? Favorite things to do while fasting? Otherwise will just free-ball it and report back.

I do Zero Carb with an eating window of 5-10PM every night (Warrior Diet). Works great. Tons of energy during the day, don't have to think about food, and I eat a big bowl of meat in the evening. I drink hot water and tea during the day. I have never had more energy and it really is great for leanness. You will not lose muscle too if you do strength-training as I do regularly.

So I fast every day with a small eating window.

Interesting. I have been doing the thing where I reduce # of meals a day, but find it difficult to make it through a whole day of work without eating something.

I am considering doing a multi day fast but don't know how to do it.

When I first went ZC from vegetarian, I was eating 3 times a day. That fell to two, with me eating at about 1ish and then about 9 ish before bed. Then I found that I kept pushing my first meal later. It got to 2, then 3, then 4. Finally, it did not make sense to bring food to work anymore. I now eat only in the window and feel fabulous. You can read more about this in my first journal post. I also have fasting research in there.

I drink mugs of hot water and green/white tea during the day, but no food until the window opens. On days I work out after work, like today, I consume a small beef meal (I'm ZC, meat only) at 5 when the window opens and lift, then eat my meal at 9 as I do normally. On a non-work out day like yesterday, I do not eat until 9. So I always eat in the window, but I don't like to lift weights completely fasted, so I eat about .5lb. of ground beef before going.

What I would suggest, jellysoda, is continuing to push your first meal forward. Do it one hour at a time, and hold for a week or so until you feel ready to move on.

It is easier the lower carb you are. I like the Warrior Diet e-book, but I ignore the nutrition advice in there. I like the information about how we were meant to undereat during the day and overeat at night. You can download it online.

Carbs make you hungry quicker. Fasting is much easier on ZC (get lots of fat in).

I eat warrior style 2 days out of 3.
The day after I workout I eat whenever I am hungry to keep my muscle fuel high (ie. a lot and often).

I eat almost ZC. I just have a bit of fruit and veg when we eat with company.

so you guys fast approximately daily... what do you do about eating with people from work? today my boss took me out for lunch and it would have been *really weird* not to eat, and not to eat something carby. i guess my question is, if you've been doing daily fasts for awhile, and suddenly eat a (sort of carby) meal mid day, how does it affect the way you feel?

I never have to eat at work. If I went to a restaurant, I'd order a hot water. I'd simply explain that I found eating this early doensn't work for my system. No other explanation early.

I would never eat a carb meal as I'm ZC. I would make an exception if it were a really good steakhouse or something. I also made an exception on Thanksgiving as my mom wanted us to eat at 3PM. So I had some meat only then and more in my window.

So I cannot tell you how a carby meal would feel. I do know that I would not be as satisfied eating earlier during the day, and so would avoid it if possible. I had a snow-shoeing date on Sunday and we finished at noon. I snow-shoed fasted from eating beef the night before. He asked if I wanted to do lunch, so I said I would get tea if he wanted to eat something. We went to Panera Bread and I got ginger green tea. I didn't care what he got. I have had no issues this way.

Here's my other question: do you think that on a ZC diet, daily fasting is REQUIRED? i've played with ZC and always feel sort of constipated, depressed, and a little cracked out on acetone. now i wonder if i should have been eating less often.

It is not required, but most ZCers go at least 8-10 hours between meals, most much longer as they continue on ZC. So you will kind of naturally fall into it. True carnivores never eat more than 2x a day in nature.

klowcarb: AHAHAHA i haven't eaten at Panera since going paleo, but i guess if all you're having is tea it makes it okay. that is precious!

Lol, I loved that place when I was a high carb vegetarian...but I haven't been a high carb vegetarian for 2 years! No good meat there! I am so glad to be ZC + WD because I never have to worry about being hungry when I'm out.

i was never a big breakfast eater, even when i ate carbs. but since i've been low carb, i typically only eat twice a day. sometimes, especially now that i'm all meat, i'll eat only once. it's all i seem to need most days now.

if i broke my fast with carbs, i'd feel awful. i don't see why you couldn't just have meat. it doesn't have to be expensive and you could always chip in if necessary.

I wouldn't do it. No-one can force you to eat anything and you shouldn't feel bad for prioritizing your health. If you stick to your guns and then people see you looking healthier/thinner/more muscular they might want to follow your lead.
If you give in every time, they won't think you are serious and nothing will ever change.

I politely decline on any food in the office or on lunch trips. Most of the office now knows I won't eat anything and don't cater for me. I'll still turn up to office celebrations and things, but I won't be guilted into eating food I don't want.

sorry to chime in, but I was just thinking to myself- wow only eating one time a day and at night- but since going LC, my hunger has all but dissapeard (except the day AFTER my wife made me a LC version of Pizza- I was hungry ALL DAY!!) anyway- just yesterday I had my normal fair but my Wife went to shop rite and got some wings- I ate about 6 to 8 of them at around 4pm. Some time around 6, my wife asked if I wanted fish for dinner- I wasn't hungry, actually I was still quite full from the wings, I told her I would probably just not eat for the rest of the night (which if you knew me - the old me- you would not believe) so I just went about my business.
My Wife did offer me LC icecream- Now- I am not big into that kind of thing, but I will tell you that (the old me came out) and by that I mean- I started to get worried that, hmm, I haven't eaten since 4ish- will I crash and be starving late at night - I don't want to do that..... so I had a small amount.

Anyway, I say all that to say this- I can very easily see how one could go without eating "normal meals" . It blows my mind how simple this all is. I feel like I have been lied to my whole life- You have to eat 3 meals a day- no, you have to eat 6 smaller meals a day, no you can't have anything white- etc etc.

OK, just rambling now- sorry

robmedina: I LOVE WINGS!!!! i've been perfecting my recipe for ridiculously hot chicken wings. it's soooo good. also i think it's easy to eat less if you're eating wings because they are very fatty.

tarlach: yeah i guess people at work already think i'm a big weirdo anyway so not eating with them at lunch will probably not affect their opinion of me.