Extended fasting refers to a process of not eating any food for a prolonged period of time leading up to days usually from 24 to 72 hours and more. I have been doing a 48 hour extended fast every month for the past 16 months at the end of my cycle as a strategy to kick start my own fat loss and healing after days of hormonal imbalance and food indulgences that usually leave me feeling not my usual self with a few extra pounds (water weight and fat). In my experience, fasting can be a true mental challenge, so you need to have a sense of control over your mind to be able to start and commit to it.

Benefits

Approaching a fast correctly and carefully, can make it a very important part of your health and wellness journey. That said, there are plenty of great health benefits that occur for the body when extended fasting and fasting in general including;

Great way to kick start weight loss when you have hit a slump.
Promotes longevity by activating autophagy, a process where the cells in your body naturally clean and repair themselves.
Helps switch from sugar to fat burning.
Increase in the Human growth hormone.
Improved heart health.
Fat and weight loss -When on an extended fast, your body will be skipping about 1500 to 2000 calories a day, leaving you with fewer calories to burn which in turn allows your body to use stored fat for energy, therefore aiding in weight loss.
Loss of cravings - Helps create a better relationship with food as you learn to break free from a cycle of emotional eating patterns. Please note that this should not be tried by people with eating disorders as this is a potential trigger for unhealthy eating patterns.
You don’t have to worry about what to eat so you can spend your time focusing on other things
Overall healing and mental clarity.
Reduces inflammation and bloating.

Getting started: Dos and Don’ts when extended fasting

If you have decided you want to do an extended fast of more than 24 hours, then it is very important that you prepare yourself for it in advance. This basic guide is to help you have a general idea of what to know and expect on a prolonged fast, to make the fasting experience easier and enjoyable for you.

DO’s

Practice intermittent fasting: When fasting for the first time, an extended fast isn’t the way to go. Some people with strong will power will choose to go cold turkey and it will work out great for them. But for most, jumping into it blindly only makes it harder and builds an unhealthy relationship with food. Start slow with a less restrictive method and build up to longer fasts up to a point where you are mentally able and confident enough to take on a longer approach like an extended fast.
Make sure you consume a healthy nutritious meal throughout your fasting journey so the body has all necessary nutrients needed for a healthier you.
Mental preparation: The idea of doing an Extended fast can be stressful to the mind if you aren’t ready for it. Prepare yourself for the process mentally by researching on it and understanding why you think you are ready to do it.
Physical preparation: Talk to a doctor to make sure you are ready to physically take on a long fast especially if you’re not sure or have underlying health concerns and incorporate fasted workouts so it becomes a healthy habit of choice.
Find support: Round up support and do it with a friend or family member or join social circles online to hold each other accountable and support one another throughout the process.
Download a fasting app that will help you keep track of your progress:
My personal favourite being the Life Fasting tracker app . You can join fasting circles or create your own to fast with other people so you hold each other accountable, see what happens to your body at different stages of your fast and chat with other fasters as well. There’s plenty of other great apps out there as well like the Zero Fasting that has both free and pro features and resources that you can read up on to better educate yourself about IF and the different protocols.
It’s important to know what to eat once the fast is broken to avoid refeeding syndrome.
Plan smart on what to eat before starting your extended fast. I know I’ve said this a lot of times already but rich nutritious whole foods will fuel your body to use energy efficiently when needed.
Keep hydrated:
It is very important that you drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. Unlike a clean water fast backed by purists who discourage everything but water, you are allowed to hydrate on zero to low caloric beverages like tea, water with lemon, black coffee, coconut water, kombucha, and even bone broth. I highly recommend you read up on why it is okay to incorporate beverages like these from great resources like the complete guide to fasting by Dr. Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore.
Re-organise your social calendar:
You need to make sure that when you choose to begin your extended fast , there aren’t any events or activities that you have to attend to that will tempt and side track you into breaking your fast early.
Consider supplementing:
Supplements are a great way to help you replenish nutrients and prevent any deficiencies. It is a known fact that the best nutrients naturally come from eating a healthy well balanced and satisfying meal, but for your own peace of mind, taking supplements like a multivitamin during a prolonged fast will help you meet your nutritional goals.
Break your fast correctly to avoid gut stress:
If you don’t take time to refeed properly after a long fast, you are most likely to suffer refeeding syndrome which causes discomforts like stomach pain and diarrhea. I have written a simple breakdown of how to correctly break your fast at the end of this article. check it out!

DON’Ts

Do not just dive into an extended fast because you are going with the trend:
An extended fast is great when you have adopted to fasting as a lifestyle because that way you’re able to maintain consistency after completing it. do not do it just because everyone else is doing it… I personally do it for gut rest and for overall healing as it helps me reset. Research and understand why you want to do it.
Do not try to do more than 72 hours of an extended fast especially when starting out unless under medical supervision. If you’re just starting out with fasting in general, best to start with less restrictive methods and build your way up to longer fasts including an extended fast.
Do not attempt to use it as a quick weight loss fix. If this is your plan or reason for doing it, then stop, regroup and understand that unless you change your approach to food completely, you’ll gain those pounds back as fast as you lost them.
Do not try an extended fast if you' have underlying health problems, are pregnant, breastfeeding, malnourished, have eating disorders like anorexia, are a child or a senior over 70. Consult with your health professional at all times before attempting any fast if you’re in this category of people or if you’re not sure where you lie.
Do not use an extended fasting as a tool to counteract overeating or binging by hiding under the umbrella of doing an extended fast after. You’re only lying to yourself as It’s a recipe for eating disorders and isn’t good for your body. Fasting is meant to help you create healthier choices and smart eating habits when it comes to food.
Do not overindulge when breaking your fast. Ease back into eating with the guidelines I have set up for you at the end of this article. Make sure to resume to your normal eating habits once your fast is broken if you’d like to maintain your weight loss goals.
Do not push yourself to keep on fasting if you start to feel faint, dizzy or generally unwell despite doing everything you needed to do to successfully complete your extended fast. If you have any concerns, stop, break your fast and wait a few days to try again.
Do not consume alcohol: Avoid alcohol consumption and stick to your low calorie sugar free beverage options to avoid over spiking your insulin levels.

How to keep on track and minimise side effects

Now that you are mentally and physically prepared and already a few hours into your fast, here are some ideas on how to keep on and complete your extended fast for however long you choose to do it without quitting. Remember, there’s no one way to fast but it is important that you adhere to these guidelines especially when on a prolonged fast to avoid suffering any side effects or quitting before your desired fast goal is reached. Everytime you feel like you’re craving for food and just want to give up and give in, try some of OR all of there tips and tricks to help you through your fast.

Make sure to keep hydrated:
Dry fasting isn’t safe for your body. Drink plenty of fluids whenever you get hunger pangs or a need to eat. Drink a cup of black coffee with no sugar or creamers, you can drink green or herbal tea, kombucha, water with lemon, ginger or cucumber, coconut water etcetera. I find drinking a glass of water with apple cider vinegar a great appetite suppressant. I will go into detail on what fluids I drink and why during an extended fast in my next blog where I share with you my 5 day extended fast.
Add salts and electrolytes to your beverages to help you stay away from potential side effects like headache.
During a fast, your body loses important salts as it works to clean itself out. To balance this out, especially when on an extended fast, make sure to replenish with salts that are lost when fasting. I personally use pink Himalayan salt or regular sea salt in a cup of warm water first thing in the morning. You can also opt to take a vitamin D supplement with sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium to replenish those electrolytes.
Find a support circle:
I have joined various intermittent fasting groups on facebook and fasting circles in the life fasting App because it is always better than fasting alone and this way you get to hold each other accountable.
Stay busy so you’re not just thinking of food:
When planning for your extended fast, create a schedule of activities for yourself to keep busy. Pick an activity that does not take up much energy but is engaging and helps you pass time like meditating. Some of my personal favourites include reading a book (for myself or my kids), work on my blog, go shopping, sew something (I have a background in fashion design), take spa treatments, do fasted workouts, do my house chores, take a walk and listening to podcasts on Spotify like Primal potential which has such great content on healthy eating or Jimmy Moore’s Livin La Vida Low Carb. Both are real inspiring and a great way to pass time.
Consistency: Remind yourself why you’re doing it and use it as a key motivation to keep on going.
Record your daily experience to track on what you consumed, how you felt and what you did to overcome any temptations and look back at it as a guide/motivation. See what worked and what didn’t, so next time you do a prolonged fast, you know what to look out for.
Add a low intensity fasted workout if you feel up to it. This way you keep burning more fat and boost your energy levels, all while keeping yourself busy.
Most importantly, listen to your body. It can be very difficult doing an extended fast especially if it is your first time. If you get a headache, feel dizzy, nauseated, generally sick despite doing everything you needed to do , then its time to stop and regroup. Break your fast and try again days or weeks later. Fasting should not be difficult or stressful once you get the hang of it.

How to correctly break your fast

Okay, now that you have come this far and your extended fast is completed, you want to be really careful and mindful when it comes to refeeding. For shorter fast, most people have no problem breaking them because you still get to eat everyday. However the rules still apply to all protocols, so it is very important that you correctly follow the guidelines of each fasting approach to avoid struggling and also to help ease potential side effects that occur when breaking a fast.

Hydrate and take a probiotic like kombucha or a supplement to help with your gut at least half hour before your first meal.
Start with something light. I usually have a bone broth which you can slow cook in advance. Take your time slowly refeeding with this, do not eat your broth too fast otherwise it will mess with your gut. I usually prefer a clear broth with salt and no added vegetables.
Half hour after the broth, have a healthy salad with some rye bread. This will help keep everything you eat down. Do not eat a huge, heavy meal immediately. Give your body time to process it all. Eat slow and eat light on your first day but make sure to eat enough and that your meal is well balanced and satisfying.
Add protein. Cook it in healthy fat or just bake in own fat. Keep it safe to fish and poultry options for starters.

I do an extended fast once every month and this has been my routine whenever I need to end my fast. It has worked out great for me but bear in mind we are all different. Take time to learn your body and see what works. That aside, feel free to try it out my way and let me know if it helped you refeed without stressing your body. What tweaks you added or would make for future extended fasts and if you’d do this all again.

Until next week!

The ultimate guide to extended fasting