I decided to embark yet another prolonged fasting challenge. On top of usual weekdays 20+ hour fasts (with <16 hours combined eating windows on weekend) – begins my extended fast on Sunday evening 11:45PM. Then breaking at Tuesday, 10PM.

Across five (5) Weekly Trials beginning July 20th, ending in August 18th.

One – July 20th-21st: 46-47 hours.
Two – July 27th-28th: 46-47 hours.
Three – August 3rd-4th: 46-47 hours.
Four – August 10th-12th << this here I am extending to sixty-nine (69) hours.
Five – August 17th-18th << back to 46-47 hours.

The rest? Standard 21:3 on weekdays. Weekends = carb allowance in 16:8 formatting.

So here I’m sharing my insight and thoughts. This also doubles as a “week-in the-life” update, which I haven’t had much chance to do so for a long time considering recent news. Hence, as warning this is a long (but necessary) feature writing.

For those new to this initiative, welcome once again, to the Internet’s least visited independent thoughts on nutrition and decentralised nutritional experiences. Please read and spare a little impartiality, where and when you can.

Live-It-Forward,

AW.

Rationale & Summary

TLDR: curiosity get the better of me, given what’s happening.

If I can save at least 2000+ calories for another day – why not? I decided to prepare myself for the next rainy days, weeks and perhaps months – to come.

Why start from Sunday evening? I’d imagine this would be the best period to “prepare” for the calorie shortage ahead; as both liver + FFM (fat free mass) glycogen storage would be adequately refilled here anyhow from Saturday (and of course, Sunday).

So far, everything proves doable. There were even times where hunger still was not fully ravenous. Just plain tiredness, malaise, and fatigue.

Meanwhile minor quibbles and complaints are still with me. Gut distension, depending on level of fibre intake / industrial thickeners during weekends refeed, for instance does still play a role. Then, there’s quality of sleep – the dry and cold winters here in Perth do not help.

At least, the world did not end. I can still do work. Albeit without speaking a word at all.

I am coping. Though reminiscent to where I was, in the years 2018-2021.

What I did

To repeat and to clarify within Cyclical Keto/Low Carbohydrate (LC) with IF way of eating:

(Rest) Sunday mild: IF (16:8) beginning 6:30 or 7PM, Carb allowance ~ around 200g.. Evenings 10PM onwards ~ begin the 48 hours fast.
Mondays: fast as usual. fasted training, as usual. No calorie intake.
Tuesday: fast as usual. Fasted training. Maintenance calories. LCIF.
Wednesday: 20-21 hours fast as usual. Another fasted training (if I’m up to it). Maintenance calorie. LCIF.
- Except on August 11th-12th – embarked on 60+ hours for the very first time.
Thursday: 20-21 hours fast as usual. Another fasted training. Maintenance calorie. LCIF.
Friday: 20-21 hours fast as usual. Another fasted training. Maintenance calorie. LCIF.
Saturday: mild IF (16:8) beginning 6:30 or 7PM, carbohydrate allowance(s). Carb allowance ~ around 200g.

On each Prolonged Fast day/s ~ what exactly do I have?

When the sun still up – just instant / granulated / freeze dried coffees and salt (potassium chloride).

For those wondering how much ratio of sodium to potassium ratio, I have been using at least a 2:1 rule throughout all low carbohydrate eating + IF years ~ every single pinch of sodium (or dusted salts), two pinches of potassium chloride. Just as insurance to help meet the 4.7 grams touted daily requirement.

Between 9:45PM-11:30PM after fasted training this is what I have flavoured cordial with water. Squeeze of lime, extra salts – potassium chloride and sodium chloride, 1x low dose Vitamin K2+Vitamin D (dried tablet), 1x magnesium glycinate.

More importantly not just as insurance – Vitamin C / ascorbic acid. Finger pinch amounts. Just under one gram worth.

Throughout all my years Vitamin C is what I view with great skepticism that I very rarely, if ever felt any inclination to need supplementing. Until now. I felt that gut distentions becomes a little more manageable, including mental stress handling (in terms of fore-sighting and/or bearing) within the moment.

However, something worth considering is whether or not high dosages do affect the beneficial after effects – of training / exercise adaptations. There is currently no consensus on this, including Vitamin E. For now – I err on the cautious side by not taking it during (as intra) or as pre(before) training.

Other notable supplementations / what I no longer take

Next chief importance is probably obvious – Magnesium. I take anywhere up to 4x tablet glycinate forms, equating to 400-450mg total; as insurance. Split throughout day and night; more intake reserved towards the latter. During the day I only take small bite up to 1/2 a tablet depending on level of stress anticipated.

However, things that I DO NOT , at least during the prolonged fast window :

From my previous 40+ hour journal – I posited that incorporating chamomile tea; would bring a calming effect both gut and mental wise. However it did not. It only reawaken the gut distension throughout the night. I’d simply drink more hot water, instead.
(Very) High dose Vitamin D. For context I recently tinkered with 10kIU with 200 mcg K2 MK7, which is a higher dose than what I usually intake in the last few years at 5kIU. Interestingly – there is a slight tightness in the chest if I take it everyday unless stopping the dose entirely. Hence, I only take Vitamin D only during higher calorie intakes on weekend(s). Leaving weekdays experimental intake here only as low dose 1kIU (but still containing K2MK7).
B Vitamins – especially niacin, NR/ nicotimanide ribosome, niacinamide. My experience upon taking NMN precursors during fasting windows introduces a slightly added feeling of jittery, fever like states that one could attribute as the famous flushing effect. Hence, from a purist view, I didn’t take these at all except during carb allowance days (Sat/Sun) but still restricted time feed.
ALCAR / Acetylated L Carnitine ~ this might be surprise to many people. ALCAR, like B vitamin, to me does also contribute to that jittery feeling, at least from what I can remember back from my previous extended fast trials in 2022. I wanted to see how I react and felt with as FEW additional supplements. Thus, I went all without no-tropics throughout the fasting challenge days AND ON TOP OF weekdays usual 20+ hours IF.

“What about training?” + a little retro (20 yrs+).

Since I have been doing work (applying for jobs, upskilling, reading, working on concept IPs, inc. re-writing the entire book) at various public libraries I had to redeem myself by exercising more.

Hence, I am actually increasing my training frequency to as much as six (6) days per week. Entirely fasted. Limited rests, higher sets, <45 seconds rest in-between. RPE scale no more than six (or 7 if I’m confident).

Another reason? Very cold here in Perth winters. Remaining stationery is worse.

But is this actually sustainable? By Week #4 & 5 – I actually felt some challenges necessitating Wednesdays as rest day by Week 4 onwards. More on this later.

So here is what my training program consists, for anyone curious.

Mondays ~ Uppers day 6 to 7 exercises, completely fasted, just water, sugar free cordial, salts. < 1 hour.
Tuesdays ~ same as above – Lowers day – up to 5 or 6 exercise. < 1 hour.
Wednesdays – supposedly a rest day -but a “backs + lowers” accessory as up to 6 exercises. < 1 hour.
- Do note! By Week Trial #4 – I could not train as I needed a day of rest as training did get challenging. But not “that” failure like challenging. Besides, Wednesdays to me are very busy periods either in the kitchen or (recently) prepping massive footage recording hustle(s) for next FCPX editing.
Thursdays – Backs + Lowers, essentially a repeat of Wednesday.
Fridays – Backs + Lowers, essentially a repeat of Thursdays.
Saturdays -Backs + Lowers, essentially a repeat of Fridays.
Sundays (rest).

My “pre” usually consists of nothing but extra potassium chloride (be forewarned too much in my experience = slow/skipped heartbeats), in sugar free cordial mix with water. Small, tiny bite of B3 / Nicotiamide Riboside maybe. But throughout these experiments – I went all-in, without anything at all, apart from two things.

Can’t remember how many years it has been ~ but in my workout stash/bag I always reserve some baking soda and aspirin.

Followers of Dr Ray Peat might be right on apsirin. A little baking soda, more than just sweat odour control – helps me cope through last working set/s. Aspirin – as far as potential ergogenic effects go, despite current studies suggesting otherwise – I do not believe they’re universally detriment. So long I don’t take huge dosages repeatedly (think ONE gram+).

I didn’t actually started taking these until around Week #4 when things do get genuinely tough.

I am approaching towards the age where physical bout of stress, obviously very stressful – is believe it or not, a voluntary passage of life. You survived training for how long? Ten? Twenty? Thirty years later and guess what? You have not broken any bones (hope not).

The most delirious injury I had was a disc annulus tear on the L4/5/S1 lumbar spine; prior to my discovery of AS / Anyklosing Spondylitis.

I am not a personal trainer nor fitness “competitor”. One can avoid exercise, and still be alive on the other side; uninjured*. Besides, nobody cares how much you lift, nor even aware that you lift.

But Psychosocial stress? Keeping food on the table? Proving your worth to pay the bills? That is not optional. That is lifelong wear and tear (“Allostatic” stress). Research I shared before – the White Hall Studies #one and #two , and this adds weight to evidence that prolonged social stressors carry just as much detrimental effects comparatively to chronic exercise.

*No. Before anyone think I am anti-exercise- quite the opposite. You’ll pay with either metabolic or physiological debt(s) coming your way if sedentary is your lifestyle choice.

Metabolic metrics

I no longer have the luxury investing in ketone meters anymore. The thought of chasing “ketone” numbers is superficial metrics in and of itself anyway. At least I know what it’s like experiencing ketones much higher, than even the “guru”s” out there, no names need mentioning. TLDR; yes you will experience slight fever and “burning”. No, you will not die. And no, it’s not a “superpower” like state either.

Hence, the only metrics I have is glucose. By around hour mark 36 ~ glucose reading hover anywhere between 4.5 MMOL. By second day, around 3.7-4.0 MMOL. By 64+ hours mark it is 3.3 MMOL.

By Fifth Week – I returned back to 47 hours challenge, ending it on Tuesday 18th. Glucose reading at 4.6 MMOL, HCT at 41%, right pinky. Same finger albeit slightly later at 7PM and not fully exact same relaxed state of mind at that very precise, moment of testing the week earlier. Tired? Sure. Collapsing? No.

And get this…..my hunger level was still curiously – not ravenous.

Why did I not test first week? Unfortunately, knowing that my glucose strips is due to run out very soon. Coincidentally – I have only just enough number of strips available reserving the very last for Fifth Trial / Week #5 (17-18th August).

And….what did I eat to “break” the fast / end the prolonged fast?

<insert large pizzas. Entire tubs of ice creams. A gallon of milk. entire cheesecakes and other cheat meals here>

Except ~ I lied.

After fasted training on Tuesday (and/or Wednesday) – I continued eating the same batch. Mix of beef cartilage bones (neck, sternum, back and knuckles), eggs, and plant based Buffer Foods (for example – blue boiler peas/ cowpeas/ or Soya Wadi batch). I’m still working on that video.

Frugality and humility at its “finest” dine-in experience. 1200 kcals easily with extra eggs, sardine and/or cheese if available.

^^ A typical above 47 hour breaking the fast. Yes, I am having more or less the exact same meal as per Wednesday 12th August @ 70 hour extended trial. No, I am not complaining.

“I just wanted to see what you look like.”

A word about sleep, “feverish” and prolonged fast(s)

Maybe because I am just about getting used to these prolonged fasts by around Week 5; but the feeling of fever(s) have been thankfully quite reduced in stark contrast to my very, first time experience in 2022.

The “Fever” here is where one would experience either one or more of the following:

An adrenaline rush, in the chest and head.
Racing thought(s), in the head.
Just plain, “fever” like state. Quite literally and simply just that. “Feverish”. Not sick. Not flu nor cold.

One major grain of salt, that one would at least be forewarned from reading my account here – is that I am relatively on a consistent allostatic stress load throughout each day.

I am fine, but never to the point of boiling over. I am stressed, for sure. But just coping here at a “gentle” simmer, “low-grade” like stress state. But not overly so that I had to expend energy to quell it down.

Unlike when and where if I am “at work” ~ at my usual routine of random stress exposures and circumstantial oblige(s), deadlines, presenteeism (though that still is obliged of me to this hour) – my account of overall tolerance here throughout this period, were I be placed in such frame(s) – might tell a different story.

In regards to sleep, I had to bite a small bullet with the electricity bill. Spending that extra $50 or so for electric throw – was certainly worth it. Considering the dry and cold Perth winters – I’ll trade a slightly higher bill in exchange for sanity to sleep soundly.

Summary

So, what does all this mean for you? I don’t know. For me? I am grateful. Not at my circumstance. But what I can do, for the time being.

It has taken me seven (7) years dating exactly from Christmas Eve of 2018 to where I am, right now. Those already in it much longer than me ~ think days / weeks at a time or those hardcore “dry only” regime probably read all the above as “Meh, I’ve been through worse”.

The newest I’ve added to (possibly essential) supplements during prolonged fast is probably Vitamin C. Though not a huge amount due to other unknown(s) I’m not willing to risk towards other things eg. kidney stone formations. The most notable changes are no more (at least during weekdays) high dose Vitamin D ~ I seem to be coping just fine without it. Meanwhile, non-negotiables pretty much remains as magnesium and potassium chloride.

I never proclaim to be “messiah” or giving “holier-than-thou” armchair signalling. All I’m offering is my own share, a glimpse to what life is like, if one gives curiosity, challenge, and inquiry a chance.

What’s not changed is that I don’t chase numbers. I chase feeling. Contentment. By discovering – layer/s previously thought impossible. That, is what intermittent fasting is for. The journey to reason with one’s self, against tests of time.