Started extended fast, then going to a keto/vegetarian lifestyle

[92GTA]

I'm 37, perfect physical health (which is a miracle as much living as I've done lol!). I've put on some pudge and I'm concerned about cancers, like prostate, etc. since nearly everyone in my family has had a cancer of some sort. Last year I got a job crewing on an old school charter sail boat (read: no winches) so that got me into pretty good shape, I lost 40lbs and gained 10lbs of muscle, but I was still 29lbs abvoe my goal weight by the end. Since January I really fell off the wagon and stopped eating only salads and fell back into fast food after moving back to the US. I've probably put back on 30lbs, I've been terrible with my eating past 6 months, like bad.

So, last Wednesday night was my last meal and I started an extended fast. I plan on going for 21-27 days or so. I'm on the morning of day 5 as I type this. I'm logging everything but this is not a pure-water fast, I'm throwing in some broth, some nuts, some electrolyte water, and some avocado in the mix. I am not working out during the fast but taking a GNC Vitapak every 3 days less the creatine pill and one of the red pills. I didn't weigh myself before and I won't weigh myself after. I want my mind free of any specific goals like that because I'm more or less doing this to totally reset my body and my releationship with food. The weight loss is just an awesome added benifit.

After the fast I plan on living on a keto/vegetarian hybrid type diet with my own spin. I want to stay in ketosis regularly with occasional cheats for social events. Since I'm concerned about cancer, I plan on drasticlly cutting back on red meat. When I'm older and in the shape I desire physically (as lean as is healthy), then I will most likely go off keto and go full vegan for the health benefits. Allot has caused me to re-think my morality and long-term health lately.

So here is the log from my first days:

June 28th @ 8:45pm - Last meal, Subway foot-long, chips, & Gatorade.
June 29th @ 5:15pm - Broth using onion soup mix pouch.
June 30th @ 9:30pm - Broth using onion soup mix pouch.
July 1st @ 10:30am - GNC Vitapak - less creatine pill and one of the red pills.
July 1st @ 8:45pm - Broth using onion soup mix pouch.
July 1st @ 11pm - 1/3 avocado and 2/3 bag of pistachios. (I kinda fell off the wagon here lol)
July 2nd @ 3:30pm - 1/3 bag of pistachios.
July 2nd @ 8:45pm - Broth using 1 chicken bullion cube and 1 vegetable bullion cube.

Updates:

July 3rd @ 9:45am - Cup of coffee.
July 3rd @ 1:30pm - Mineral/electrolyte water w/lemon juice.
July 3rd @ 5:45pm - Broth using 1 beef bullion cube and 1 vegetable bullion cube.
July 3rd @ 7:30pm - Small avocado.
July 4th @ 12:15pm - GNC Vitapak - less creatine pill and one of the red pills.
July 4th @ 5:15pm - Small avocado.

Today I plan on my first electrolyte water then broth for dinner, tomorrow a Vitapak and an avocado for dinner, and so on. So you see the sorta-pattern. Electrolyte water every 3 days now, Vitapak every 3 days, and alternate between broth and an avocado for dinner wach evening, that's what I'm trying to settle into now. I don't smoke, vape, drink coffee or tea, take any prescription medication of any kind and never have, and I drink lots of water. I haven't drank soda for several years aside from 1 maybe every couple weeks out for lunch with a friend. I have never, ever done a fast of any kind before but I've been doing allot of research on it for a couple months prior.

I also want to add that I haven't expierenced anything out of the odrinary; no headaches, no hunger pains, no mood swings, literally nothing. I do still think about my favorite food allot, especially at night prior to bed, but hopefully that will get better as the time goes on.

[Leddyman]

Dude, that is a pretty drastic meal plan there. I hope it works for you. Good luck with your goals.

[92GTA]

Thanks allot! I'm feeling great about it and it's getting easier the longer I go.

Some people say they get better mental clarity and a sort of mental high around day 6-7 when ketones reach a peak in the blood stream and brain is utilizing them more, I'll be curious if that happens.

[sfleen]

I was going to do something like that, but ice cream was on sale. Good luck, I would imagine the weight would be dropping off fast.

[92GTA]

I was going to do something like that, but ice cream was on sale. Good luck, I would imagine the weight would be dropping off fast.

Haha! Thankfully I've never had a sweet tooth or been into sweets personally.

[ljimd]

No hot dogs on the 4th - now that's gonna suck.

Good luck.

(Keto/vegan - you ain't trollin' us are ya'?)

[92GTA]

No hot dogs on the 4th - now that's gonna suck.

Good luck.

(Keto/vegan - you ain't trollin' us are ya'?)

Lol, not at all. Trust me, I freakin love my red meat, but the last thing I want is colon cancer. I'll stil have it on special occassions but not 95% of my meals like I do now. More like 5% from now on.

[shaneinga]

I think going Vegan would be plenty tough enough. Keto as well. Damn, I would think that to be unsustainable. I am not sure you could have chosen a more difficult diet path.

Good luck though.

[crupiea]

I just bought a giant pack of drumsticks that I plan on cooking for the 4th. Also have 2 packages of italian sausage burger pattys. never had them but they look delicious.

[Gabbar99]

Keto/vegan means you eat avocado and... well, pretty much just avocado. And broc****.

Good luck. Everyone I know who did an extended fast and lost a lot of weight ended up heavier and in worse shape a year or so later, but it doesn't have to happen. Hope it works for you.

[92GTA]

Just to reiterate, I'm only doing keto/vegetarian now with red meat being an exception for social gatherings.

I don't plan on going vegan for a few years and that will not be in conjuntion with keto at all.

Keep in mind I'm only mentioning these things as a guide for my new food lifestyle. They are not hard rules by any means and I will be making common sense exceptions to everything.

As for gaining more weight back than I lost, that's just not me. I've never been a "fad diet" person at all. I know when I eat bad and I know how to eat well. I've always been in full control of my weight and I've never been obese. I'm naturally a thin guy. I do flucuate, but never because of bull**** "diets" like some people. I've also never been a weight watcher, I go by how my cloths fit and how I look in the mirror. Once I get back down to my fighting weight, I might fluxuate forever after that by 5-10 lbs, that's just life tho.

[DuracellBunny]

Just to reiterate, I'm only doing keto/vegetarian now with red meat being an exception for social gatherings.

I don't plan on going vegan for a few years and that will not be in conjuntion with keto at all.

Keep in mind I'm only mentioning these things as a guide for my new food lifestyle. They are not hard rules by any means and I will be making common sense exceptions to everything.

Common sense would dictate that you do neither keto or vege.

[92GTA]

Common sense would dictate that you do neither keto or vege.

That's your opinion and I respect that. We all have different lifestyle/health goals and opinions.

[DuracellBunny]

That's your opinion and I respect that. We all have different lifestyle/health goals and opinions.

Without wanting to sound like a dick, you have put on 30lbs since january, which shows that you aren't very good at controlling your diet. You are now talking about changing to one of the most restrictive diets out there, where you need to know your stuff to make sure that you are getting your micros/macros and more specifically aminos (as a lot of your protein sources won't be complete proteins).

You are setting yourself up for failure.

[92GTA]

I hear ya. I never said I would stop researching and learning more so don't think I'm saying I know it all and F* anything else that I couldn't possibly learn.

Also when I say 30lbs, remember I don't own a scale or weigh myself, in the mirror it looks like 25-30, but for all I know it's 15. It was just a visual estimate ball park. For the past 6 months I just stopped caring, I didn't loose control. Now I care again but also for the first time ever, I'm trying to look longer term than just 3-5 years and strategize a healthy eating choice leading into the resr of my life. All my life I've more or less been a victim of where I live and my physical exertion. Now I'm just trying to take more control.

[DuracellBunny]

I hear ya. I never said I would stop researching and learning more so don't think I'm saying I know it all and F* anything else that I couldn't possibly learn.

Also when I say 30lbs, remember I don't own a scale or weigh myself, in the mirror it looks like 25-30, but for all I know it's 15. It was just a visual estimate ball park. For the past 6 months I just stopped caring, I didn't loose control. Now I care again but also for the first time ever, I'm trying to look longer term than just 3-5 years and strategize a healthy eating choice leading into the resr of my life. All my life I've more or less been a victim of where I live and my physical exertion. Now I'm just trying to take more control.

Control is fine and if you want to cut out certain things e.g. red meat, go for it. My point is don't run before you can walk. Getting keto right is hard, getting vege right is hard; trying to do both is insanely hard. The sources of complete proteins in vege land are limited and they tend to contain carbs. You would have to try and get different aminos from different foods to combine and simulate complete proteins, all whilst cutting out a large group of vege foods to stay in ketosis.

If you are set on doing it, I would go vege for a year first and see if you can hack it, before looking at going keto too.

[92GTA]

That's true, and I do still eat a ton of fish and seafood and don't ever plan on stopping that unless I went true vegan in the far future.

You're right, I think coming out of this extended fast I just go Keto with no red meat/starches and take it slow from there and work my way towards possibly going vegetarian.

[weiss1967]

Sounds something-shomething-rexia. Can't remember, all this red meat fogs mah brain...

[Lenny777]

I freakin love my red meat, but the last thing I want is colon cancer.

But why vegan? Chicken and fish haven't been linked to colon cancer as far as I know.

[Cantplankwell]

I just bought a giant pack of drumsticks that I plan on cooking for the 4th. Also have 2 packages of italian sausage burger pattys. never had them but they look delicious.

prepare the plunger

[92GTA]

But why vegan? Chicken and fish haven't been linked to colon cancer as far as I know.

I find it difficult to find chicken without steroids and hormones here in the US. Also it's getting more and more difficult to find sustainable sources of fish which aren't tainted by pollution or grown in disgusting Asian farms, etc. The only fish I really trust are Alaskan, NE US, or what I catch myself in the islands. In 10-15 years the problem with both fish and chicken I imagine will only be worse.

But that's also the reason I am only going sudo-vege now and not vegan, for now, I do still want me chicken and fish, when I can find it.

[Gabbar99]

I find it difficult to find chicken without steroids and hormones here in the US.

Really? Because that's been illegal since 1957.

[Jtbny]

Really? Because that's been illegal since 1957.

This ^^^ WTF are you talking about OP.

[92GTA]

Are you guys for real or just trolling me lol?! I thought it was common knowledge that nearly all factory farm raised chicken is full of hormones, antibiotics, etc. Why else would smaller producers make such a big deal out of advertising their product as otherwise like organic, hormone free, etc.

I certainly don't want to veer off-topic but here is just the tip of the ice-berg that's one of the more recent studies:

jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2012/feather-meal-clf.html

There is a TON of info out there on this, and even a few documentaries.

[kimm4]

Jesus christ I'd be more concerned about the air I breathe. What's the heck is wrong with eating a little bit of everything in moderation? You want to feel good and be able to perform at your best. You start pulling out food groups and now your body is missing out on important vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Restricted/bland diets don't work period. This is why people fall off their plans more than they stick to them.

[Gabbar99]

Why else would smaller producers make such a big deal out of advertising their product as otherwise like organic, hormone free, etc.

Because they know that ignorant people will believe rumors about hormones and won't know that all chicken is hormone free.

The article you link is about antibiotics, not hormones. Very different deal and the whole point of the article is that there is evidence that some producers may be doing something illegal. Should companies advertise that they don't break the law?

Paranoia and stress from believing every scare-mongering documentary will kill you way before a bite of chicken will.

[Gabbar99]

Jesus christ I'd be more concerned about the air I breathe.

Which is way cleaner than it was 40 or 80 years ago, btw.

[Jtbny]

Are you guys for real or just trolling me lol?! I thought it was common knowledge that nearly all factory farm raised chicken is full of hormones, antibiotics, etc. Why else would smaller producers make such a big deal out of advertising their product as otherwise like organic, hormone free, etc.

I certainly don't want to veer off-topic but here is just the tip of the ice-berg that's one of the more recent studies:

jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2012/feather-meal-clf.html

There is a TON of info out there on this, and even a few documentaries.

It is illegal to use hormones. But wouldn't you know it chickens are actually animals that produce hormones on their own . So yes - they are likely to have some hormones in them when you eat your drumstick. Also, it's not cost effective ( even if it were legal ) to use hormones in chickens. The packaging on chicken is known to be confusing for some and they added the no added hormone part years ago to try to clear up an public confusion on hormone use between fowl and beef. Seems to have added more confusion.

If you're going to go espouse veganism good on you. Just please don't be one of those misinformed vegans promulgating nonsense. Far too many of them running around quoting Netflix documentaries like they are science.

[itsagoodday]

Sounds something-shomething-rexia. Can't remember, all this red meat fogs mah brain...

Orthorexia. A friend of a friend had this, rather an interesting story. The woman lived on an extremely restrictive diet (as healthy as possible / sustainably farmed / clean / vegan / organic / whatever) for a number of years. She got cancer anyway, one that was very treatable and should have had a good prognosis. However, she was in extremely poor physical condition due to her long term restrictive diet, to the extent that she was not a candidate to receive the cancer treatments, as in her fragile condition the treatments themselves could have killed her. She had a window of opportunity to fix her diet, gain some weight, and try to get in better shape to receive the treatments, but was unable to do so. She died of cancer shortly after.

[drudixon]

Lol, not at all. Trust me, I freakin love my red meat, but the last thing I want is colon cancer. I'll stil have it on special occassions but not 95% of my meals like I do now. More like 5% from now on.

You can get colon cancer myriad of ways