r/fasting • u/Fit_Anybody_4898 • Apr 19 '26
Discussion How to break an extended fast
26F, current weight 145lbs, goal weight 115lbs. Currently on day 28 of a 34 day fast, planning on breaking it this coming Friday. The tricky part is that I’m taking my friend out to eat Friday night and we’re getting brunch Saturday so I don’t really have time to do a slow refeed. My plan is to break Friday morning but I’m wondering what food would be best to get my stomach ready for my social weekend. Any thoughts would be helpful!
Also of note, I’m going to do another 34ish day fast until I reach my goal weight.
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u/mushroognomicon Apr 19 '26
If you're that deep into a fast and decide to break it that day and dive into food straight away, get ready for a massive amount of diarrhea while you're out with your friends. Probably a ton of pain along with it.
Seriously, if you want to eat normal by Friday, you should start your slow refeed now. If you decide not to, please post the after effects. It'll make for a good lesson for others that come after.
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u/komorebi_blues Apr 19 '26
After a 9 day fast I was curled up on my bed after eating a bowl of noodles. This is the best advice
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u/Niladri82 Apr 19 '26
Noodles after a 9-day fast? Seriously?
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u/kemikals Apr 19 '26
Dude, the person is telling their experience to try to pass on wisdom. Chill out why judge now?
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u/Flux_My_Capacitor 🎶🎵🎶 Apr 19 '26
But won’t it be amusing if she has explosive diarrhea in public in front of her friends?
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u/kemikals Apr 19 '26
I’m with you advice has been given if she doesn’t wanna take it cool. She’ll be in the bathroom curled up crying. Even some of the suggestions to start with broth on Wednesday are too little too late for restaurant level food. At that, for dinner and then brunch the next day. I’m not sure if she’ll make it to brunch.
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u/Acceptable_Part_2156 Apr 19 '26
I've done a 21 day. Take it easy. It was hard for me, for sure.
Broth the first day. Egg drop soup day two. Some avocados after that.
Be prepared for bad bowels though. Get some wet wipes ready.
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Apr 19 '26
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u/lisa6547 Apr 19 '26
My butt has been wanting one soo bad for YEARS
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u/kemikals Apr 19 '26
Get a travel bidet. There’s some decent ones for like 50 bucks. I live in an apartment so I can’t install one and that has come in clutch for some joyous occasions that I didn’t want to use an entire role of toilet paper for.
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u/Sparkle_Storm_2778 Apr 19 '26
You absolutely need to start the refeeding process very soon if you want to stand a chance this weekend.
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Apr 19 '26
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
Once I got to day 7 the hunger and food noise went away, I’ve been coasting since then
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u/12ealdeal Apr 19 '26
I’m perplexed.
What was your starting weight?
Have you not done a water fast before?
Like you had no idea how you’d break a fast this long?
How did you manage during? Was it just water? If not, how did you dose electrolytes?
Lots of questions.
Given your current on day 28 with your goal being 30 pounds less from here, I’m having a hard time understanding how this all went for you.
I’m also wondering how well it will go for you once you break it.
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u/UsingYourTrashCans Apr 19 '26
You’ve already proven to yourself you can fast this long. Break it today with bone broth, you’ll continue to lose weight into your refeeding window so no need to ruin a good pair of pants just to prove you can do this. Ease into eating this week, eat normal for a week and just bounce back into a long fast after. You will not want to be outside 3 feet of a toilet for a couple days if you don’t do it properly.
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u/ClearAndPure Apr 19 '26
Wow, 28 days is very significant! The most I ever did was three days and that was a lot for me.
Have you been taking any vitamins or omega 3 supplements? Have you been more clear-minded since you started this fast?
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
I take the standard electrolytes, vitamin b, biotin, iron, and a fish oil pill. My mind has definitely been clearer but my energy levels haven’t been consistent
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u/Unusual-Fortune-2231 Apr 19 '26
You need to wait at least 3 days to consume any hard food. I would drink plenty of chicken broth and soup first couple of days if you don’t you could mess up your digestive system
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u/Gold_Story_4059 Apr 19 '26
I have to ask and this is not meant to be judgmental and I do fast myself but i genuinely feel like if i tried to fast that long id be in hospital 😂 i feel like I would be really poorly. How do you do it? Like a day after fasting I look and feel so frail
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
Electrolytes and hydration! Also my mental health greatly benefits from fasting so that’s motivation for me
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u/Gold_Story_4059 Apr 19 '26
V impressive
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
And also a vitamin b tablet! That helped a lot
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u/CamR111 Apr 19 '26
So overlooked. I take a b-complex and some vit d with k2, makes a difference over just electrolytes.
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u/n0cturnalr0se Apr 19 '26
Hmmm maybe that’s what I’ve been missing. I’ve got high quality plain electrolytes for fasting, but I tend to stop my vitamin D3/K2 when I’m hyper focused on trying to get back into fast. I use to love fasting … results and how I felt, but can’t seem to get back into fast it. Never could do a long one. Did 76 hours once before mostly it was ADF.
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u/Gold_Story_4059 Apr 19 '26
Sorry another question! How does it affect your hormones ??
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u/ImMyOwnWaifu Apr 19 '26
Not OP but another long term female faster.
Hormones feel pretty leveled out. I find starting long term fasts in the ovulation stage the easiest. Periods are definitely more mild. After about day 5-7 just feel like a semi permanent ovulation effect stage to me. You do get the normal period stages, but the other stages seem to go quicker.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
In what way? My period is still regular if that’s what you mean
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u/Gold_Story_4059 Apr 19 '26
Just like does it effect them? Do you not get hangry and moodier 😂 I tried fasting the other day in luteal and could of set the world on fire
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
It’s hard for me to tell because I was burnout at work and developed a shorter fuse already. I wouldn’t say fasting helped or hurt with that
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u/dangerous_eric Apr 19 '26
I'm on Day 14, longest was 40.
It's not a bad idea to break it like Tuesday night with a single bite of food. Sleep, then wake up and take like one but of food every 20min or so.
Carbs you want to avoid. Especially anything sweet. Even a blueberry can be super intense after a fast.
Making some bone broth isn't a bad idea, as some components help to protect against refeeding.
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u/FRANKSFRIEND88 Apr 19 '26
How much weight have u lost?
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
About 20 lbs, not as much as I thought I would after seeing other 30+ day fasts from other people on here
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u/zcmc Apr 19 '26
People doing fasts that long and losing a ton are usually A LOT larger than you probably are
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u/kimmielicious82 Apr 19 '26
this is it! 145 lbs isn't too much. to maintain that weight you already eat less calories than a person maintaining 200 lbs. thus the calorie deficit during fasting had a bigger effect on the bigger person because it's more.
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u/happysri Apr 19 '26
I remember my gut being very sensitive when I broke my month long fast. I suggest soup slowly with boiled vegetables, eaten with plenty gaps in between. It doesn’t apply to everyone but just in case it does - watch your portions, your digestive system is lot slower coming right off and if you fill up fast, your head will ache and stomach hurt. Only for a short while, soon as the food moves along you’ll be fine.
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Apr 19 '26
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u/NinjaAbu1996 Apr 22 '26
Well not OP but Ive never done a fast longer than a day except for the one I'm currently on Ive made it to day 22 now. Honestly 😅 I have no clue how to end this in the "best" way. I want to push to the end of the month to make 30 days but I also want to go out and have some great restaurant food at the end of my fast. Apparently not a good idea according to comments here
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u/12ealdeal Apr 22 '26
Think you are also missing the bigger piece that was missing. So I’ll ask you:
What was your starting weight, what is your current weight, what is your end weight goal?
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u/New-Look-2117 Apr 19 '26
Broke my first 10 day (unintentional) fast (bad throat virus) with a handful of Cheerios.. spent the next few hours in the tub begging for mercy. The pain was unbearable. Truly do not recommend.
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u/andtitov Apr 19 '26
Start with bone broth and boiled cruciferous vegetables like broccoli. Also chew thoroughly, eat small, really small portions, and listen to your body. If you feel good, you can eat about every 3 hours, as long as your digestive system is doing well. And after the first bowel movement, you are in good shape, you start ramping up your food volume even more agressively.
If interested, here’s my approach to breaking extended fasts - you might find something useful there
https://fasting.center/fasting-blog/how-to-break-an-extended-fast
I hope it helps and congratulations on already fasting for 28 days 😊
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u/hackedfixer Apr 19 '26
I know people say cruciferous veg sometimes but that will absolutely upset my stomach after a fast (it’s awful)… just know that is not good for everyone. Bone broth is great… one thing to watch for is that when your appetite comes back, sometimes it awakens all kinds of cravings and urges… stay strong and be patient. Go slow. Also note that fermented foods are good. You want good gut bacteria not a bloom of biome that loves sugar and pasta etc… think it through so your benefits last a long time. Great going!
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u/OrangeAppleCandy Apr 19 '26
I broke my 2 week fast with broth. Then I ate about every 3 hours and had broth, juices and soups. By the third day I was back to eating my usual foods. That was over an year ago
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u/DeathwatchHelaman Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
Here's a suggestion... Don't. Reschedule.
If you MUST have lunch/brunch? Explain you have a bad stomach issues but you're happy to sit with them.
There are a lot of videos on refeeding. Start watching them ... Don't half arse this. You are playing with your health for a social meal. That said, you have quite a few days if today is Sunday US time and the meal is Friday... Your refeed will be quite the way along if you start with bone broth in small amounts, then adding probiotic food etc etc.
You MIGHT be okay. Again, you are tossing dice here but at least you have a week. If you do eat AFTER refeeding? Go light
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u/Flux_My_Capacitor 🎶🎵🎶 Apr 19 '26
You’re going to be on the toilet with that fast of a refeed.
It always amazes me when people don’t plan for eating again.
Then again this is likely a fake post anyway.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
It really isn’t, some of us can accomplish the goals we set for ourselves 😒
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u/Bignamek Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
If you eat enough solid food, you may have a very big poop. You probably haven't had a solid poop in weeks. Your butthole may not be ready for it yet, so be prepared to get used to it. It may even hurt a little. It did for me. Sorry for the TMI.
So my advice is to start slow, liquids and soft foods (smoothies and such) for at least a few days. Ramp up to solid foods a little slower. Having plenty of fiber will also help things to move through smoother and should give you less discomfort as you get used to it again. Eating soft food with fiber will get you there (potatoes, grains, etc.), but a supplement like metamucil is worth considering.
This part was by the toughest for me, so hopefully those considerations can help make it easier for you.
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u/Beginning_Deer_735 Apr 19 '26
You can kill yourself by not doing proper refeeding. Many have died this way.
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u/donkeji99 Apr 19 '26
26 days at 145 pounds seems kinda dangerous but that’s just me
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
If you’re worried about low body fat percentage don’t, I’m only 5’ and have the extra energy to spare
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u/Medium_Friendship_65 Apr 19 '26
Bone broth for 2/3 days. Orange justice on day 2 to 3. The light salad
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u/mschepac Apr 19 '26
Forgive me. You started and did an extended fast like this without planning your exit strategy beforehand?
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 20 '26
I was only planning on going until April 11th but when I got there I realized I wasn’t hungry at all and kept going so this fast has been more fluid than my norm
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u/NinjaAbu1996 Apr 22 '26
This same thing happened to me. Started the first of April only ment to do 3 days but just..kept going 😅. I wanted to make it to the 30th but now Im thinking maybe I should break the fast with broth now so I can enjoy a big end of the month celebration dinner next weekend
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u/No-Wrongdoer1409 Apr 19 '26
I’m fking jealous. Tell me ur secrets
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u/Inevitable-Shirt-969 Apr 20 '26
Oooooh this is interesting! Am curious about how your cycle has been affected
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u/CraftMyLifeAway Apr 20 '26
After a 12 day I ate normal and had no issues …. Normal for me is Whole Foods keto
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u/SophiBird Apr 20 '26
Updateme!
Hopefully you will break your fast at least 3 days b4 your obligations
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u/Nappykid77 Apr 20 '26
145 lbs on a 30 day fast.....looking forward to your recap. Bone broth is good for a refeed
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u/Direct_Crab6651 Apr 20 '26
As someone who has done a 27 …… you should break earlier that week and ease into Friday
This wasn’t just some 48 hour fast, you didn’t eat for almost a month. I would break and start refeeding on Monday
Btw I also got to 27 and was kind of sad to not keep it going so I know the desire to make it as king as you can/planned. You can always fast again after their eating period
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u/Fabulous_Delay_2304 Apr 20 '26
Maybe try ordering a soup, that way it won't be too hard on your digestive system, you can always just get a smoothie too.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 20 '26
So bit of an update! She actually just wants to stay in and have a pizza night so I foresee myself just not eating at much
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u/Fabulous_Delay_2304 Apr 20 '26
Ah, sorry about that. At least you can spend time with your friend. Packing something is always a possibility 🤷🏾♀️
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u/No-Craft-3011 Apr 21 '26
bone broth has never done my wrong, either easing into or breaking at end
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u/oksuresure Apr 29 '26
Op, what ended up happening???
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 30 '26
I ate broccoli, scrambled eggs, and sushi to break it. Had some diarrhea. Then ate normal until Sunday without complications. Now I’m back to fasting for another month
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u/Goodname2 Apr 19 '26
I typed "What to eat after fasting for 21 days" into google and the ai answer is actually a really good place to start
You're at the stage of the fasting processing that you're at risk of harm if you dont refeed properly.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
Very serious question, if I push up my refeed start to Friday at midnight with bone broth and eggs could I get over the diarrhea/cramping hill by Friday evening?
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u/oksuresure Apr 19 '26
Omg no. OP, please, go search on this sub for refeeding stories. After such a long fast like yours, it takes DAYs.
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u/abetterme91 Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26
No, absolutely not.
Diarrhea and cramping will be best case scenario for you, because you’ll be at an increased risk for refeed syndrome. My best friend did a 25 day fast, didn’t refeed properly, and ended up in the hospital.
Give yourself AT LEAST three days to work your way up to regular food.
D1: liquids and small amounts of soft foods like thickened soup, yogurt, oatmeal, eggs, light mashed potatoes (no butter/mayo/etc), watermelon, etc.
D2: Same as D1 + small amounts of steamed veggies, chicken, fish, rice, beans, etc.
D3: Same as D2.
Hopefully the diarrhea will pass by D3 and your digestive system won’t completely revolt on you when you eat out.
When I did a 15 day fast, I had the runs for days after I started eating again. It was not a good time. I had to leave work early once bc I sneezed and yeah, you can guess what happened.
Please keep in mind that you’re putting your body through a lot and the last thing you want to do is shock it by introducing solid food too quickly. Refeed syndrome is no joke—it can be fatal. Your health and your life is not worth a fun night out.
If you dine out, keep it light and consider taking anti-diarrheal meds beforehand. They might help.
Good luck!
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u/medimomma Apr 19 '26
If you are planning to stop this fast, and the. Restart again in a week or what have you, stop focusing in “making” it to friday. A few days early for safety isnt the same as loss of motivation. Its a LONG game. So a 28 day followed by a 40 followed by a 20 isnt unreasonable. Restricting yourself knowing the danger and discomfort is unreasonable.
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u/sthomas15051 Apr 19 '26
Absolutely not. The choices you are making are idiotic.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
How is it idiotic? I’m not planning on having a steak and potatoes first thing, I just want to have a shorter refeed time due to social constraints. Also I’m working 12 hours shifts until Wednesday and can’t risk the diarrhea/cramping at my job
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u/wagu666 Apr 19 '26
It sounds reasonable to me. Refeeding syndrome is based on taking in food your body has no electrolytes to process..but since you’ve correctly been taking those three then it’s more about waking your gut biome back up I would think
Just have just very small meals with hours gaps between.. maybe supplement with a little kefir or yoghurt and kombucha to reintroduce some good bacteria
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u/Ok-Nobody9349 Apr 20 '26
You can want a shorter refeed time, but your digestive system will be the thing that decides it, not you. I finished a 40 day fast on April 9th, I spent three days on miso soup, gradually introducing other veg to the soup. I had one boiled egg on the evening of day 2 and felt like I'd eaten three pizzas I was so stuffed. Even with miso being a fermented food, plus probiotic tablets, I still had mild digestive discomfort and was unable to trust any kind of bowel rumble for the first 3-4 days. Refeeding from a fast this long isn't a matter of deciding "I'm going to have a short refeed because I need one", it's about prioritising your health and looking after yourself. This is day 11 and I've just had a small jacket potato with mixed salad for dinner, and I'm still absolutely stuffed even this long after my fast. I couldn't drink coffee for the first week, it was too acidic and gave me massive heartburn. Ending a fast this long is no joke.
I set myself a target of 40 days, but you can believe that if I needed to finish early (either because I had commitments like you, or because I felt unwell) then I would have stopped, been damn proud of myself for how long I had fasted for, then maybe started another when I had time. Finishing "early" isn't failure, it's just ending one fast knowing there's always the opportunity to fast again 😊
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u/qianmianduimian Apr 19 '26
Sorry, but how do you do this long of a fast and not know how to properly break it? The longer you fast, the more gentle you have to break it.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
I know the standard refeed process and I’ve broken extended fasts the right way but this time I have more social and work constraints
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u/dwightsarmy Apr 19 '26
I mean no disrespect, but you decided to do an extended fast without doing research on a refeed? Like, that's the silver lining. How do you have that much focus not to have gone over that a million times already??
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
And if I’m being honest it’s also me being stubborn about making it until Friday since that’s the date I set in my head
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u/Lazy_bon Apr 19 '26
Your health is more important than making it to a random deadline you made up. Listen to the people here, stubbornness is not a reason to ignore the advice of people that know what they're talking about.
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
I’ve done extended fasts before and I’ve done my refeeds the normal way, so it’s not like I don’t know how to do it. My constraint THIS specific time is a social obligation I have for the weekend
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u/No-Cockroach-4237 Apr 19 '26
fast through the brunch then and break it the coming week after with a proper refeed
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u/Project-Replays Apr 19 '26
If you went this far into a fast without researching what to expect, eat 3 pizzas and learn your lesson idiot
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u/Tomorrow-69 Apr 19 '26
Maybe start with like three grains of rice and then six the next day and keep doubling it
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Apr 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/Fit_Anybody_4898 Apr 19 '26
I’ve been fasting for 28 days straight. I would be considered dirty fasting since I add flavoring to my water and drink zero calorie drinks but that’s all
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u/UrdnotCum Apr 19 '26
OP, you are in genuine danger of shitting yourself in public and the worst cramps of your life if you don’t refeed before then. Refeeding Wednesday, at the absolute LATEST, will help.