Why I went 60 hours without food

 

Yep.  It sounds a little crazy I know.  That is exactly what I thought when I first heard of my friends doing a 60 hour fast.  Well, thankfully I am not above a little crazy so I started some research.  

Let me begin by saying that there is more than just water involved.  I also added in a supplement for body and brain fuel so no starvation going on here, get that out of your brain and cal down for a minute!  Let's start off with the Why

Purpose: To Detoxify, Repair, Regenerate and Reset our body both physically and psychologically. + Mental Clarity, Acuity and Accomplishment + Starve the micro-biomes of sugar + Brain Metabolism Adaptation (The Sugar Shift) + Increase Growth Hormone Levels + Detox...The worse you’ve been, the worse it will be. Toxins will be removed via skin, breath, bowels.

Now, I'm not necessarily looking to lose weight here, I don't need to.  What I do need is a shift in my body, over the past 2-3 years while my weight has remained virtually the same, my % body fat had increased from 16-18% on up to 25-26%  I work in the fitness industry, I'm not sedentary, and I didn't like where this was heading.  I am a hard gainer meaning it takes a LOT of work for me to build muscle so I knew I was going to have to make a conscious effort to stop this trend.  I have always followed a higher fat diet because that is the science that I align myself with and I'm wanting to follow more of a ketogenic diet as I come out of this.  Enter the 60 Hour Water Fast & Ketone Cleanse!

I'm not going to go into full detail & run folks off from boredom, I'll just say that I trusted the research that I read and I made the decision that felt right for me, telling myself that I would stop without judgment if something didn't feel right.  A nurse friend of mine joined me and we agreed to be accountability partners (this became SO important)  There is also a FB support group we joined (I can add you!) and we embarked.  

We started a bit earlier than the group due to work and travel plans so at 9:00pm on a Thursday night we stopped ingesting any protein, carbs, or fats and started our clocks.  My goal was no less than 100 oz. of water each day of the fast (I struggle with water intake and want to hit 50 oz. daily but like most people I often fall short).  I went to bed with a large bottle of water and slept like a baby.  Following is my recap of the next 60 hours.

Hours 0-9.5 Get ready for bed and sleep, that was easy!  I actually have slept so very well since starting with this supplement, it has been one of my favorite benefits that I've experienced (Once I decided to stop resisting waking up at 6:30 am!)

Hours 9.5-17.5 Friday morning, Up and ready for work, I had my morning packet of Max (caffeinated) and life was grand! Now a little intermittent fasting is nothing new for me, I don't like to eat early in the mornings so no big change here.  This was a bit of a busy day at work with a few back to back meetings and 2 practice workouts.  During this phase of the fast guidelines are to get in a good workout so that you burn through your glucose and glycogen stores so we wanted to 'spend' lots of energy today. ✔

Hours 17.5-22  Friday afternoon, I ran from one thing to the next (a bad habit of mine!) and while I did keep my water bottle full I did not have my mid-day supplement pack.  I felt it, and reached out to my friend who pointed out to me that duh...my sugar appeared to have dropped! I shook up a drink and immediately felt better this turned out to be the first and only time I wondered if I would need to stop.  No hunger pains, no cravings and water intake is going well! Finished the workday and went home, the hubby is out fishing so no worry about dinner...not yet!

Hours 22-26 I wanted to go to an essential oils class tonight because my accountability partner uses lemon essential oil in her water and I wanted to learn more about this so I go to a friend's house for the evening. It was so nice, there were beautiful looking and delicious smelling snacks, fruits, salad, and even some ketogenic diet friendly foods since her mom follows a ketoogenic diet! I thoroughly enjoyed looking at and smelling the foods but was not compelled to cheat or break the fast at all.  I brought a non-caffeinated Max with me and was fully satisfied. I also got to enjoy some amazing company and laughed more than I have laughed in ages!  I have some awesome friends!

Hours 26-34 Home to sleep again, this passes time wonderfully.  I did break the 100 oz. mark yesterday and yes, I did go to the bathroom a lot, no GI distress though!  Slept well as usual and got up this morning to go teach Boga, a floating fitness workout that we offer at our outdoor pool.  I fixed my water bottle with lots of ice and shook up my caffeinated Max and headed off to work (Hubby left before me for more fishing so no breakfast duty either!)

Hours 34-38 Taught two classes back to back, showered, made a round around the facility and headed home... I'm still feeling great, no grumbling tummy, no fatigue, no weakness! Today the shift from sugar metabolism to fat metabolism should kick in, I'm making regular check ins with my friend and she is right there with me, she may have had it worse though, she went to a BBQ last night and didn't even cave! I'm telling y'all the cravings aren't there!

Hours 38-43 The time I fear the most...being at home with nothing to do.  I knew it before going into this but I tell you what I really know it now.  I am a snacker, I eat out of boredom and I will eat anything...I will also eat the whole package so I don't have to worry about eating it later - especially if it is less than healthy because I won't want to keep that unhealthy stuff around, you know!  I'm feeling good and the yard needs some work so I set out to mow and weed-eat. Yep. In the Texas heat.  It was the s-l-o-w-e-s-t yard work I have ever done! But it kept me busy and trust me I took so many rest, water, and cool down breaks I also popped a few rocks of Himalayan Sea salt throughout the day to keep electrolytes balanced. This is a cool article on salt too:It's Not Salt's Fault  So anyway, I drank my mid-day Max and other than snooping obsessively in the cabinets and fridge for a snack that I knew I wasn't going to eat, another good day!  Now, about this snooping - this was not out of hunger, it was out of habit, note to self.

Hours 43-49 The evening.  Hubby is home and loves to cook so he took care of his own dinner at this point I'm pretty glad for that.  I continued distracting myself, had my evening Max and made another mistake. I got on Pinterest. 😮 I knew what I was doing too! I just wanted to innocently look at some good ketogenic recipes and start planning a grocery trip! Planning my breakfast, dreaming of food and delicious things!  It was only mildly tortuous 😏 But then I drifted off to sleep and all was well.  Still no hunger pains, still no GI distress, no headaches, etc.  This does make me feel good about where I started from, had I not started making some healthy changes beforehand this could have been a bit more ugly!

Hours 49-58 I went to bed with my breakfast all planned out, visions of eggs dancing in my head!  You're going to get tired of hearing this but I slept like a baby again.  I don't get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, I just sleep.  Until 6:30 and then I wake up, it never fails.  I didn't want to wake up at 6:30 today though, I wasn't having breakfast until 9!  So I made myself lay there tossing and turning for a little longer.  I didn't get up and get another bottle of water like I should have and a headache started to creep in, I knew why.

Hours 58-60 About 8 am I forced myself up to get a bottle of water, goodbye headache. Hello stove!  at 8:30 am I started pulling out my breakfast supplies and getting so excited!  I whipped up some eggs, avocado, bone broth, and...bacon.  The bacon was a bad idea, it wasn't part of the plan and I see why! It sure tasted good though!

First Meal Post Fast

Post Fast Day 1: After breakfast I went to church, now today calls for breakfast only and a small snack or so I'm still having my Max regularly and still aiming for 100 oz. of water for the day.  So, about that bacon - I did not feel good and I could tell it was bacon related, a little queasy and a little headache but nothing ridiculous so I'm hanging in there.  This evening we have a dinner at church, fries chicken, potato salad, and tables full of desserts!  Now my snacks should have been small bits of fruit but I broke guidelines and had a bit of salad and a nibble of chicken (meat only) instead! Felt okay about it and stuck with no dairy, sugar, etc.

Post Fast Day 2: Never. Have. I. CRAVED CARBS like I have today. Never! Without willpower and time invested I could have devoured a buffet of pasta, bread, pastries, cakes, cookies, you name it! Today was a mild struggle but I just had to remind myself that these were the very things that had gotten out of control in my diet and this was exactly why I needed this reset. Power through, complain a little, and en the end I'm proud of the progress.

Post Fast Day 3: Carb cravings are gone, water intake is easier and easier each day and I'm consistently hitting my 50 oz. goal with no trouble and a completely normal number of restroom breaks! I've not had sugar cravings and I've just been slowly adding in new foods, monitoring how my body feels as I add them and making a decision from there on keeping the foods or not.  I'm happy with my progress so far, I'm on vacation right now and don't have the urge to splurge (I am considering a sno cone later today though) and Monday mom and I will be headed to Trader Joe's and JR (the hubby, fisherman extraordinaire) will embark on the ketogenic diet! Pinterest here I come!!

I'll update again later on with my progress! Oh, and speaking of progress - while you don't weight during the fast, I an conscious about not losing weight so I utilize a tool at work called an InBody to track changes in my body composition.  In the past month my weight has virtually remained the same, only my usual fluctuations of 1-2 pounds. In the time I've been supplementing with Keto//OS my body fat has been dropping, from its highest point at 26% to my post-fast 21% and not only have I maintained muscle mass but I've gained muscle along the way.  I couldn't be happier -- imagine the update as I implement a new workout routine and begin to focus a bit more on myself and my health!

If you want to try a fast of your own, or even just add in the daily supplement it is so easy and so good, just Email me, Facebook Me, or just Place an Order!

Beginner's Top Ten Guidelines to Building Strength

Strong muscles are important to your health and well-being; without them, daily activities such as carrying groceries and climbing stairs can become quite a task! Lower back pain and injuries also become more likely to occur when we don’t have the support of a strong muscular system. Healthy muscle mass does many things for our bodies including burning extra calories, so those with fit muscles have an easier time maintaining a trim figure. There are many great reasons to incorporate strength training into your fitness program but sometimes it is hard to know where to begin. Let’s talk about the top ten beginner’s guidelines to building strength.


10. Keep it Safe Speak with a doctor before you begin an exercise program, you want to focus on activities that are safe for you. Start your program slowly and gradually increase your intensity as you feel ready.

9. Schedule Your Time You can complete an effective workout in as little as 30 minutes! With

8. Find a Tempo Keep a steady pace and avoid moving with any momentum. Much of your strength is build in the negative portion of the movement where your muscle resists lowering the weight. Try lifting for a count of two and lowering for a count of four.

7. Maintain Good Posture Proper alignment is a foundational component of any program. Always keep a soft bend in the knees and shoulders rolled gently back. Maintain a natural curve through the lower back to avoid excess compression in the lower spine.

6. Warm Up First Begin your routine with a brisk walk or 5-7 minutes on a cardio machine to get your blood flowing and warm up the muscles. Save your stretching until after your workout.

5. Stop if it Hurts Remember your S’s - Sharp, Shooting, or Stabbing pains mean Stop! Learn the difference between pain and sensation, it is natural to feel the burn of a working muscle but a sudden, intense pain is a sure sign to stop and evaluate.

4. Quality over Quantity Never sacrifice your form for one more rep. If you have worked to the point of exhaustion, that is a good time to stop, rest, and repeat if needed. There is no magic number so pushing through bad form for the sake of finishing your 15th rep is not worth a potential injury!

3. Enjoy Variety Mix it up, if you find that you have been dong the same routine three times a week for the last eight months, it is time to mix it up. This goes for those in group classes as well, don’t be afraid to try something new! Making a change in your routine is also an excellent way to get past a plateau.

2. Ask for Help If you are uncertain about what to do, you haven’t been able to be consistent or stay committed, or you are just plain lost don’t be afraid to ask for help. Speak to a gym attendant or a class instructor about your concerns or set up a consultation with a personal trainer. The initial session is generally free and you can get some great direction even from just a few quick sessions.

1. Have Fun! If you don’t look forward to your routine then you need to make a change. There are so many options available when it comes to working out sometimes you have to be adventurous to find what you truly enjoy.


Be creative, beginning an exercise routine takes commitment and determination, but it is never too late to start. The benefits you will find are well worth the efforts, not to mention the camaraderie that you can find and the knowledge that you can gain about yourself and the beautiful machine that is your body.

Put Me in Coach!

Working privately with a trainer is a great way to build confidence, learn a safe routine, and especially to overcome plateaus.  People often hire a trainer as a way to motivate themselves or to keep accountable in their fitness routine.  Once you become comfortable with programming your exercise you may speak with your trainer about switching roles.  
Ask your trainer if they offer a coaching relationship in which you take a more independent role in your activity and nutrition and your trainer meets with you at a scheduled time each week to track your progress.  One on one meetings are the best approach, but in a pinch you may also be able to check in with your trainer via phone or e-mail.  
While this trainer-client relationship is not for everyone, it may be just what you need to jump that next hurdle.  The client in this situation is able to become more independent and flexible with their routine, and the trainer is able to focus on smaller details and give more specific lifestyle training than he or she is able to offer while your meetings are centered strictly around workouts.

Me & Cardboard Richard Simmons at the Gift of Life 5k in 2012

Just remember, your trainer can't make the changes for you, so the more you know how to make progress on your own the more likely you are to make the progress.  When you find yourself only going to the gym to meet your trainer it's time for a change!  (Especially if you're only meeting your trainer 1-2x a week!) On the same note, if you're only going to the gym 1-2x a week it's not likely that you are going to continue without some motivation or accountability.  So take a few minutes, speak honestly with your trainer and together the two of you can come up with a program that suits your needs, your personality, and helps you achieve your goals efficiently!

For more information on the Motivating Wellness Coaching Program Click Here then call (409) 659-1036 or e-mail to discuss options that would work well for you!

Resolutions and Such

As you make plans for the incoming year, be sure to devote some time to your health and wellness goals.  The new year is a common time to make a commitment to joining a gym or beginning an exercise routine but consider some additional changes that can help you to be successful in your new endeavor.

At home you can begin making a few changes to your diet.  Begin by adding in extra fruits and vegetables and keep your focus on bringing in positive changes rather than restricting foods that you deem as “bad.”  You may also recruit a family member or friend to exercise with you.  The added motivation from a partner can really help you push past those days when you just don’t feel like going in.

If you don’t have a close friend or family member that will commit to a plan with you, you may consider working with a trainer or setting up a positive reward system.  In a positive reward system you set two goals.  The first goal is your minimum, maybe 3 days of exercise a week; the second goal is where you earn your reward.  So if you make it to the gym 5 days a week then you earn a positive reward such as attending a fun class, or a session with a trainer.  Avoid rewarding yourself with foods or things you may hinder your progress.

Once you begin to approach changes in your health and wellness from a multitude of angles it becomes easier to achieve and maintain your goals.  The changes become a new way of life rather than just a New Year’s resolution.

If you are looking for a local group to kick 2014 off with, I have 3 teams that will be working to set some health and fitness goals and work toward them together creating good habits and great friends along the way!