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Comment by rorykoehler | Hacker News Reader

What was fasting for 60 days like? Any negative experiences?

One negative experience, slight hair loss that started approximately 6 to 8 weeks post fast. Maybe 10 to 15% of the hair on my head fell out in total, but it all grew back.

One other negative experience but that was due to my own stupidity and I've since learned better.

Basically if you're above 15% bodyfat, you only need two things to live. Water and electrolytes.

If anyone has any questions, more than happy to answer e-mails.

What was the other thing?

Same thing that gets everyone on a fast, too much water, not enough electrolytes.

Essentially got really really bad cramps in my legs each morning towards the end of the first 30 days. Fixed itself as soon as I added in the magnesium and potassium supplements. Likely caused because I drank too much water during the early parts of the fast.

Interesting! So salt, Magnesium, and potassium only. I want to try fasting for a week or so. Is there a specific type of these supplements you recommend?

Any liver issues? Did you have any steatosis/fatty liver before? Clear that up at all?

None that I was aware of, though at my weight I'm sure there could have been.

Kinda kicking myself for not getting a good set of blood tests for the 'before' results.

Hey man just wanted to say you inspired me to give fasting a try. Not going to go crazy, don't worry, just shooting for two or three days depending on how it goes (just hit 24 hrs). I'm doing lots of research and have my annual check up in a couple weeks to talk to my doc about a longer one.

Thanks for sharing your story!

Does hunger count as a negative experience?

After the first two weeks, it was a mild background noise. I never even felt ravenous or anything, just 'Eh, it'd be nice to eat again'. Even at the end I felt like I could have gone another 30 days easily. Which, given that I ended my fast at around 25% bodyfat, I probably could have.

What did you finally eat to beak your fast?

Uhh, I have a log of that somewhere one second...

This is day 61, I'd estimate like 4k-ish calories.

  07:51 - Woke to Alarm
  08:34 - Weight 199.8 - Bodyfat 26.1
  08:41 - Start First Meal - Handful of Spinach Wilted in 2 tbsp Butter - 5 Olives - 1 Dill Pickle Spear - 6 oz Pickle Juice
  08:45 - End First Meal
  08:50 - Drank 1/2 Liter Water
  08:57 - Start Sauna 165.0 F
  09:00 - Drank 1 Liter Water
  09:12 - End Sauna 182.5 F
  09:15 - Shower
  10:23 - Finished 2nd Breakfast - Single Egg omelette, cheese, olive oil, more spinach wilted in butter and 3 pickle spears.
  11:35 - Lunch /w Dave - Bunless Burger, Bacon, Cheese, Fried mushrooms, Onions, Pickles and a Fried Egg on top. Salad with blue cheese dressing.
  12:18 - 16 oz nitro cold brew
  13:25 - 32 oz San Peligrino Unflavored Zero-Cal
  16:23 - 5 Guys Bacon Cheeseburger - 2 Patties - Bacon - Mushroom - Lettuce Wrap - Mayo - Side of Mayo
  18:09 - 9 olives - 3 Servings
  19:23 - 9 Jimmy Dean Sausage Links dipped in 6oz Chunky Blue Cheese dressing.

How are you typically making your log? shell script?

Did your stomach not get upset with you the following day?

Most people break their fast with something really easy to digest like pickle juice etc.

You fasted for 60 days and the first thing you ate to break your fast was... spinach? You have next-level willpower.

Why? Spinach isn’t even close to as bad as people like to make it out to be. For me it ranges from a nice lettuce replacement to something that doesn’t really alter the flavour of what it’s mixed with. Sure, if you cook it with stuff it turns all mushy, so I guess most people actually don’t like the texture more than the flavour itself.

I suspect that after 60 days fasting you can only stomach light things like greens until your stomach expands a bit.

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