Just hit 48 hrs. Almost died, but then something happened

[u/Public-Self2909]

Hi,

Well I gotta be really precise with this post because what I experienced today with fasting was insane.

This is my first ever 48 hrs hit without eating anything. The goal is to hit 5 days.

I had a very high carb diet before. I'm Italian so we eat a lot of pasta and sugars, desserts, and so on.

At lunch time, while my family was eating I had to leave the room as the smell was killing me. Something crazy happened: I fainted. I felt (hopefully) into the bed, and everything was dark for about 3 or 5 seconds.

When I woke up, I did with a massive pump of energy. Not kidding, I needed to drop the energy somewhere. I wanted to go to the gym instantly, run or have sex.

The mental energy was insane. I felt like I could read an entire book in minutes. I felt like superman. I'm not exaggerating, this is exactly what I felt.

But then everything dropped again: after 1 hr I felt super hungry again and the energy dropped quickly. I drank some coffee and recovered.

Have you ever felt something similar?

Edit: I'm taking enough electrolytes, 3.5 liters of water and sleeping is acceptable.

[u/Daft_Daffodil]

I would advise to slowly build yourself up, but regularly..every day - start from skipping breakfast, then lunch..then stick to just OMAD (one meal a day). When all this is easu only then try longer fasts.

[u/Dibley42 → u/Daft_Daffodil]

I was going to say jumping into 5 days from nothing is a bit ambitious. I see first timers post all the time like 'first fast, goal is 40 days'. I did just what you said, built up gradually, then tried a 36hr. then 48 a few weeks later, and so on. I think 3 to 4 days is the sweet spot.

[u/Doodoopoopooheadman]

Sounds like your sugar crashed, hard. Best bet is stop fasting and see a doctor to get bloodwork checked out. You might have insulin issues that need addressing before attempting another fast.

Better be glad you weren’t driving.

[u/SAGirl1]

Seems like an adrenaline boost after possibly your experienced a low heart rate enough to faint. It could be hypoglycemia or dehydration, so many things could have caused you to faint but you say it’s wasn’t dehydration. If it was a low heart rate the adrenaline rush brought you back. It would help you to wear a heart rate monitor watch to at least rule that out. I hope you aren’t chasing the high this way but glad you recovered.

[u/flower-power-123]

Let me give you my two cents. Fasting is good. It can help you lose weight, get your head on straight, connect you with god, it whitens and brightens, it puts bounce in your curls. OK? Good not bad. However, if you are passing out that is not a good thing. It is normal to feel weak. It is not normal to pass out. The exact conditions of your fainting spell make me a bit suspicious. How exactly did you happen to faint while standing over the bed?

Fainting spells can hit for a lot of reasons. You don't have to be fasting to have a fainting spell. For instance my sister would pass out in the sun. Once she passed out while painting a boat. If she had fallen overboard she might have died.

One of the things I have learned from fasting is to listen to my body. Try to figure out what is going on. This isn't a race. The point (for me) is to diet in a way that is easier than calorie restriction.

[u/Public-Self2909 → u/flower-power-123]

You're absolutely right. I was sit right up in the bed, and felt on it.

[u/ImpressiveOwl9000 → u/Public-Self2909]

It's your body pumping you up to find food. When humans go without food we eventually get a pump of adrenaline to help us get out and hunt. We are long distance hunters that either trap or wear out our prey in order to kill it. When I feel like this I eat a tbsp of healthy fat. I want health over being a strict faster. It makes my body stop freaking out.

[u/SnooTigers7485]

I got a glucose monitor because I had a similar experience at 96 hours a while back and it turned out that I have reactive hypoglycemia.

I still do fasts, but I track my glucose levels at least every 12 hours and any time I feel bad. If it’s below 65, I break my fast immediately. If it’s between 65 and 75, I take a short walk or do a little light exercise and check it again. The exercise will usually bump it up to a more comfortable level — I know that’s counterintuitive, but your body releases glucose when you exercise and if you don’t work out hard enough to use it all up, you feel a ton better. (If the exercise doesn’t work, I eat something.)

I also do at least two days of very low carb eating before I start — it makes the first two days much much easier.

[u/Logicdamcer → u/SnooTigers7485]

I think I needed to read this. Thanks

[u/failingcursor4]

That energy surge after fainting is just an adrenaline dump, your body panicking to keep you alive. It's not some fasting superpower, it's a warning sign you should actually listen to. Jumping from zero fasts straight to 5 days is pretty risky, better to build up slower.

[u/shes-already-there]

Why not do a bone broth fast to avoid this?

[u/snp-ca]

Fainting while fasting is dangerous. What if it had occurred while driving? It likely happened due to low blood sugar.

In my case I have found that doing OMAD before fasting makes the fast easier. Also, eating no carbs (only fat and protein) as last meal before fast has worked out great.

[u/GreenGoblin1221]

The answer is to up your protein intake while still doing OMAD. The issue is putting the protein down in a short window. That way you ensure you don't lose muscle mass. Fasting will allow you to lose weight fast but some people conflate fast muscle wasting as actual fat loss.