April 12th 2021, my first day of fasting, I woke up with a massive headache, symptoms also referred to as the keto-flu. I was just happy that I went through that on the first day of fasting and not the second, when I knew I’d be extremely weak. I think I was also withdrawing from caffeine, as I switched to decaf 3 days prior. The main reason I believe was my blood sugar dropping from the previous few days when I ate a keto diet that significantly dropped my blood sugar. Apart from the massive headache all day long, not eating was super easy for me all day, probably because my head hurt so much and I felt really rundown from that. Also, I was used to interment fasting (not eating until about 3pm).
I also kept quite busy. I walked my dog in the morning for a mile, rested a bit, then went for a 6.5 mile walk, very slowly due to my headache. Then when I got home after a short rest, I took my dog to my neighbor’s house for a dogie play-date with her dog (my pup’s best friend), so that pretty much took up most of my day. She didn’t have any non-caffeinated teas, so she offered me some sleepy tea (camomile and mint), and boy did it work! I could have done without it, but I was so cold! I know it makes me sleepy, but accepted the offer regardless. When I got home 2.5hrs later I was ready to crawl into bed after feeding my pup. So after a little bit of relaxing it was time for me to head off to my night job at 8pm.
Day two was by far the toughest day. I worked a double shift so was at work from 8pm the previous day until 2pm. I did have a slight headache upon waking, but it mostly subsided through the day. However, like last time I did get very hot and dizzy, and felt like I was going to pass out twice in the morning while preparing breakfast for the residents at my job. I knew to have my fasting salts (electrolytes) with me, and I’m sure they helped, but it was a rough morning! I knew my blood sugar was even lower and I had no energy. I was very week almost all day, and spent the day taking very deep slow breaths (a practice that I adopt all fast long).
My body was making the switch, and I knew I just needed to get past that day 2. I’m really glad I didn’t projectile vomit though! I attempted another fast after my first one that I’m not even counting as my 2nd fast because I didn't document it, nor to I have much recollection of it. I won't be referring to in this blog because I didn’t feel it was very successful, I only did 5 days before I quit and went back to eating junk very soon after. My only memory of it was my day 5 which I spent at at my monthly girl's get-together where an amazing buffet of food and goodies is always present and I abstained from all of it! So that was something to be proud of. Also, I'm very blessed to have such supportive friend! But my point of bringing that fast up is that I projectile vomited after 24 hours with that one, and after 36 hrs with the first one. Definitely not a sensation I was used to, and that nauseating feeling was horrible. Not to mention all that was in my body was water. I wasn’t prepared for that the first time so I put a bunch of salt under my tongue and got my sodium since that was all that was available to me at my work, and that helped. Then the second time I had my fasting powder ready. All three times I was at my job for the first morning after day-one of fasting.
The third time I didn’t get nauseous at all! However, I did feel I was going to faint in the morning, which happened both times prior. I had to sit down and collect myself several times to avoid blacking out completely. Kept seeing stars and blacking out while standing, however I did keep from fully passing out. The only activity I could muster up when I got home at 2pm was taking my dog for a short 0.65 mile walk. I was ready for bed very early that night, turned the lights off by 9pm, and woke up the next day at 8:45am, which is usually the latest time my pup accepts me to stay in bed. Thankfully I planned this fast to have the first portion of the fast on my days off from work. I work 9 days, then get 5 days off. So I returned to work the evening of my 7th day of fasting.
My weight this morning was 128.7 lbs and 29.9% body fat.
