Refeeding post-fast

[bruschi11]

@TubZy

@mattyb posted this back in October during my first 21 day fast. Haha I was lucky he did so and followed it pretty well for that first couple of weeks or so. I recommend anyone doing a long fast obey the rules presented here. Of course I cheated a little bit on days 7-21 there as I got back to normal life, but do your best!

Days 1-7
Focus on mineral intake, particularly magnesium, sodium and potassium
Calories will still be low at this point, you'll likely regain some water weight but continue to lose fat
Vegetable broths, soups, well cooked vegetables, cooked leafy greens, etc.
Maybe some rice
Minimal herbs/spices
A bit of fats (eggs, butter) mixed in with the soups
Not very much protein, if any
Introduce food/calories slowly

Days 7-21
Anything from days 1-7 would be fine
Calorie intake will be slightly low, trending towards maintenance near the third week
Fresh vegetables and greens marinated in olive oil/vinegar
Some herbs/spices
More rice, maybe some well-cooked oats, small amounts of fruit, possibly small amounts of tubers
Small amounts of well cooked meat/seafood daily (slow roasted would be a good option)
Increase fat and protein gradually to get pancreas and gallbladder up to speed over these two weeks.

Days 21+
Everything from before is fine
Calories should be around maintenance near this point
By this point you should be able to exercise easily
More fruit, more carbohydrates (according to activity levels)
More foods high in manganese (oats, cereals, etc.) if well tolerated
More meat (and/or supplement zinc)
Tubers could be introduced if well tolerated
Should be hitting near the RDA of most vitamins/minerals by this point, with maybe the exception of calcium and vitamins e/d.
If digestion is robust at this point you can likely eat whatever your intuition is pushing you towards

 

[MNK99]

If water fasting only don't cheat at all.
I DID cheat with juice feasts/fasts/whatever. BUT I did not on water, bc I thought it was too dangerous, and basically didn't want to eat anyways. SO 2 cheats in 60ish days.
WERE NOT WORTH IT.
Luckily, the rest worked out.
But ya PEDRO -- this is an easier expln than anything I could say... I've said simpler here before... where? who knows.
Perfect health.. probably cheating is less bad.... but why would most do this in perfect health. I might later.... only to get super ripped and clarity, and see how much it affects cognition. I'll try other things, and keep it 72h to maybe a week or so, outside of this.
If I stopped training a year or two and wanted to be lean, 25days-30d should do it barring unforeseen circumstances.
While I improved quick in a way, IT WOULD be that much quicker, with zero cheats and doing this in summer rather than winter and Jan-feb.
@Pedro melo

Ya that's what it's called (variations of) egg or egg lemon soups. Would have made it... just didn't have the time, kept forgetting (below).

 

[Slayo]

I don't agree about using rice the 1-7 days post refeeding, and i don't agree to not take proteins either.
You should stay away to all sugar and carbs, to avoid causing P deficency, so i think some proteins and veggies are the best.
You can find this even in textbooks of medicine, if you starve for a long time you can't start the refeeding with carbs or sugar as it causes P deficency and you can even die

 

[Niles]

I don't agree about using rice the 1-7 days post refeeding, and i don't agree to not take proteins either.
You should stay away to all sugar and carbs, to avoid causing P deficency, so i think some proteins and veggies are the best.
You can find this even in textbooks of medicine, if you starve for a long time you can't start the refeeding with carbs or sugar as it causes P deficency and you can even die

@mattyb what do you think about this?

 

[MNK99]

It depends on mass, time on fast, digestion.... and ideal mass. ---> and mattyb told me refeed could be: 1-2x as long or even longer than fast. And breaking when natural hunger returns is good. Sometimes 2.5-3x as long. It took months before I ate 2000cals on avg again... kind of light for me, but I'm also kind of obsessive w/ leanness.

Some use egg soup, or breuss, or juice (but sugar again, feeds bacteria), so it's hard to say. Veggie broth was good for me. No gluten 90-120 days and barely since (it's a garbage food anyways). I had barely any digestion during fast. I may be fit but possibly anemic or messed up in some other way, who knows. Ev1's different.

 

[MNK99]

-ate 8 burgers yday and today sea salt spinach spirulina and pro shake... 3000-4000 and 500 cals so avgs out to fine. woke up lighter a bit.
-months later and still kind of bad/dumb whatever... but took a break from ex today also. 6 beef patties, 2 chicken, 0 bread, and a shake//spinach, arugula, mg k cl etc.

 

[K8668B]

This is great. Im planning a 3 day water fast soon if i can schedule around my work.

 

[bruschi11]

Lemon egg drop soup (with rice) treats me well post fasts.

 

[Pedro melo]

M

Lemon egg drop soup (with rice) treats me well post fasts.

U water fast is becoming harder and harder... Again if I skip to bruises juice that could have sugar and mess with the benefits of the fast. Could a vegetable soup or an eeg soup be my fist meal as bruschi said?
And couple of days add some rice?

 

[mattyb]

@mattyb what do you think about this?

I agree. Which is why I said some small amounts of rice. I think the overall goal of coming out of a ~30 day fast should be to re-introduce calories slowly, not jumping into eucaloric intake right away. So little bits of carbs (rice is a safe bet), little bits of protein (egg is a safe bet), and little bits of fat to start (eggs/butter), and well cooked easily digestible fibers. Then increase food intake from there.

@Slayo

 

[MNK99]

-For me, if normal cals are say 2500cals (I always "underate"... not good but whatever), I started with like 300. Then 500 then 800 cals say 4-10 days later. After the 31 days of water. (5, 6, 20). So 2 meals on eafter 5th day one after 6th day, and then 0-20 days, one small meal of veggie broth... and didn't eat much if any of the veggies, just the broth.

-in the next day to a week, added some of the rice, and actual soft vegetable, then slowly titrated up solid vegan food, then carbs, then eggs, then whatever else.
-I still don't eat bad foods most the time, but it took time... and I thought rushing it would be dangerous. AND* I still did rush a bit, because I am impatient.
-2 weeks-4weeks more spinach arugula some herbs and spices (did that part too fast), and some rice, some fat sources, an egg then 2 eggs then 3eggs ... etc. on and on.

-But, ***initial refeed days*** it's not like I wanted to push the limits... felt too dangerous. I had only started being able to feel awake-ish, shower, shave... could not before.
--> I was constantly retoxxing before fasting too, bc of intense fear, anxiety, depression.

-I don't think I undereat, but some would disagree. Whatever works... I can eat 3000-4000 cals too once a month if wanted. And 1-3d later am still normal weight.
-ONLY bc of training and life long dietary and exercise habit correction.

 

[Helen]

I don't agree about using rice the 1-7 days post refeeding, and i don't agree to not take proteins either.
You should stay away to all sugar and carbs, to avoid causing P deficency, so i think some proteins and veggies are the best.
You can find this even in textbooks of medicine, if you starve for a long time you can't start the refeeding with carbs or sugar as it causes P deficency and you can even die

100% agree, man. I was an idiot one time to go into 80 10 10 diet after a long fast . This was a long time ago, when I knew nothing about fasting and the refeed. This almost cost me my life. I passed out in the middle of the street and crashed on a bike. A guy with a truck brought me home .

It was P deficiency that almost killed me. that is why I warned people about this.

For me the best fast breaker is egg lemono soups, with mushrooms. I love that stuff. Ideal for me. I just eat that for a week and then start adding stuff.

 

[MNK99]

-That would be clear and easy. I will consider that next time... but I'll write down the recipe first, so I don't need to think about it right at the end of a fast.

 

[Slayo]

@mattyb says a little bit of rice is okay, but i do think it is safer to not take any carbs or sugar, safer to first build the P reserves.

I still remember after my first fast that i did the refeed with an apple and some rice, it fucked me so bad, not only all the syntoms returned but they were even worse, i couldn't eat even tomatoes from the pain in the theeth and gums (howewer ii don't know if i regressed because my gut didn't recover completly so it got inflammed again eating those foods)

But you talked about a good point, the slow increase in caloric intake, very very important to not eat too much at the beginning