Are you tired/drained the next day after fast?

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Are you tired/drained the next day after fast?

This topic contains 22 replies, has 21 voices, and was last updated by  Pendle witch 8 years, 8 months ago.

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  • I have just completed my 3rd week on this diet and was doing fine. I fast on Tuesday and Thursday but I noticed this week on the DAY AFTER I have fast I felt really tired, drained and just didn’t feel good. My last meal on the Fast day was 4 pm so I thought it might be because it has been so long since I ate. I have tried eatting either an egg or a banana first thing when I get up to see if that would help. It didn’t and this feeling lastest just about all morning. I am drinking 36 oz of water plus alot of coffee, hot tea and Gaterade during the fast so I don’t think I am dehydrated. Strange this just started this week and be on the DAY AFTER the Fast instead of being on the Fast Day.

    Has anyone experience this on the day after fasting? If so, how many weeks before it went away? What did you do or eat to overcome it? Could this be some more adjustments being make in my body’s chemistry?

    Hello b4wego2012

    Welcome to the fast diet forum.

    Yes I can feel really wiped out on the day after a fast day. I had insomnia already but fasting has increased it to new and scary heights.
    I can lie awake literally all night on a fast day, so not suprisingly I’m not leaping about with energy the next day.
    I noticed last week on one of my fast days; it was a cold day and I could not warm up for the life of me. My husband said it was probably linked to so little ‘fuel’ going into my body.

    Hi

    Yes, I tend to feel more tired the day after a fast than I do on the fast day itself. I would imagine that might be quite a common experience? In my case, it could be due to the fact that my main exercise days are on my fast days, because that works best for me, so I may be more physically tired the next day. I think I’d find it hard going to the gym the morning after a fast day..

    But as far as tiredness goes, as the mother of two teenagers, I dont always get to bed as early as I’d like. More sleep would probably help – in my case at least!

    I do notice that I have a slight craving for carbs the day after a fast day, so I try to have a bowl of muesli for breakfast. The trainers at the gym I go to say that if you cut carbs from your diet too drastically, it can make you feel tired. Wasnt that one of the problems with the Atkins diet?(not that I was tempted to try it..)

    I havent noticed my sleep patterns changing much – although the increased liquid intake on fast days can have an impact sometimes! But I do sometimes take a hot water bottle to bed so maybe I do notice the cold a little more! An encouraging spin might be that it is a result of losing body fat!!

    I had my first fast day yesterday, had no problems with hunger or feeling cold although I think not being able to get warm definitely has something to do with the limited calorie intake. Maybe drinking hot drinks and soup would help a bit. I woke up today and wasn’t feeling hungry, as a matter of fact I felt quite hyper so headed to the gym for a workout before breakfast. I will have my second fast day in two days time and I hope it goes as easily as the first.

    Not particularly, I take the dogs out for a walk first thing day after fast and have breakfast when i get home. On these days I have an orange or a bit of (homemade) sour dough toast as I only eat salad and fruit for lunch. Its always the 3-4.30 timeslot that gets me as I love an early dinner.My between days during the week are always busy/active and I have been taking an iron/herbs tonic.

    I have only started this week so only experienced 2 fast days. No didn’t feel more tired the day after but I did feel more hungry!

    I feel tired and a bit grumpy the day after my fast day, especially if I’m not busy. I also feel cold on my fast day, and sometimes the day after. I’m hoping it gets better with time, I’m only 2-3 weeks into the diet.

    Hello and Welcome,
    I started this in January and I am often cold on a fast day and more sleepy too.I find that being as busy as possible is the key to getting through a fast day or clock watching is inevitable.

    I don’t think that I am more tired the day after. If i am grumpy, it is more likely to be the fast day!

    Hi b4wego2012,
    fasting brings out the toxins that are stored in our cells in our bodies, and “pay back” for our past gluttony is sometimes the result.

    I have had the same tiredness and yo-yo sensations too, but i know that its so worth it as when ever i have fasted, the results have been amazing, and certainly our weigh the temporary detox symptoms.

    Oh God. So tired day after fast day! I just finished my 1st week. Added an extra fast day cuz 1st 1 didn’t seem that hard. I’m well hydrated and I exercise @ normal level 3-4 days/wk. Think its just my body getting used to change. I bought some 5 hour nrg shots incase this day after fast tiredness continues…I did also restrict my non fast days caloric intake as well because its just not safe to tell me to eat “whatever I want”:-P I need reasonable restrictions. I’m totally satisfied on non fast days. Find I don’t even finish all calories alloted. Yup. My body’s in shock from removal of heavy calories.

    I’m on week three or four now I guess. I fasted yesterday, I didn’t eat until midday today, and I’m not tired. I guess your body gets used to it.

    This past week the tiredness was only on 1 of my fast days-i was really active that day tho.

    Hi all, I’m on my 4th fast and this is the most annoying symptom I’m having. I expected to feel great after breakfast the day after fasting, but I feel sleepy, air-headed, unable to concentrate and overall tired, even after lunch. Once, after a post fast day I had a small glass of wine and had a sudden headache, very acute, and this is not common. I’m hoping these symptoms will go away soon.

    if you’re tired the day after a fast, it may be that you’re dehydrated. Fasting causes a diuretic effect as the body lets go of glycogen and the water that is stored with it in the tissues. (this is why some people notice they have to pee a lot on fast days). Be sure to drink plenty of water on the fast day and the day after.

    Hi kilda, thanks for the tip. However, that shouldn’t be the problem for me as I’m drinking water practically non-stop. I have a water bottle next to the computer, and keep a water bottle in my purse when I’m out. I’m probably having 3 liters of water a day, if I drink any more I feel I might drown! 😉

    catz:

    While I know about the need for additional water when you eat less food, it sounds like you are an overachiever.

    Perhaps if some of your liquid is salty? Many on 5:2 find bouillon works well. You are also probably short some water soluble vitamins (C, B, and others).

    Good Luck!

    catzforever, I have not had this exact problem but noticed that you mentioned that when you don’t feel well is *after* you’ve had breakfast. I’ve found that breakfast can be a tricky meal for me in general. If I have too many carbs and not enough protein at breakfast, I will get really hungry and possibly tired a couple of hours later, even if the carbs were in the form of whole fruits and grains. I’ve also noticed that I’m *less* hungry than usual at breakfast time the day after a fast, so overall a relatively small, high-protein breakfast gives me the best energy level the day after a fast day. Oddly enough it works out well for many people to break a fast with a relatively small meal. Too much food all at once seems like an overload after none at all for a while. Just food for thought.

    To tabletom: what exactly do you mean by toxins?

    B4wego2012 – if you are drinking gatorade throughout the day that might be part of your problem. Gatorde is great for keeping you hydrated but is full of sugar which is not great either for your calories or for controlling insulin spikes. The same is probably true for the person who mentioned the 5 hour energy drinks.

    If your bloodsugar is yo-yoing throughout the day as a result of the gatorade but no food, you might be experiencing a sort of hangover the next day. I often get that if I give in to my love of pasta and go a bit overboard – I wake up the next day all sluggish.

    mdm – ignore the “toxins” – they are much talked about yet oddly mysterious in composition and origin.

    Hi All, YES! I feel wiped out the day following a fast. I thought it might be the reintroduction of carbs (?) since I do not really eat anything that might raise my insulin levels on a fast day ( I have usually 1 meal around 7pm, typically omelette and salad or a tofu stir fry – not much in the way of carbs there). I also find my concentration can be a bit poorer, which is annoying as I have a reasonably demanding job.
    I am determined to carry on regardless however, I put it down to my bodyhaving some sort of a hissy fit because of the fast. I know I am hydrated and so I hope this will be a temporary thing!

    I’m not tired or drained the day after but today was really hungry–and I don’t want to kill the benefits of the fast, though I ate and eat healthy foods. Will that abate?

    I wonder about those drinking all that coffee. There is such a high/low reaction to caffeine. I don’t imagine that helps in fasting or the day after. Can you try alternative beverages? It will also help you sleep better.

    For those unable to sleep, I think we need to watch that our adrenals aren’t too taxed from what I understand, and magnesium/zinc blend seems to help with that–and therefore, with sleep on fast days. Someone else recommended something I’ve not yet tried, valerian root.

    Thanks for all your posts

    I was interested to see valerian root mentioned. Typically, doctors will advise against natural remedies, especially if the FDA hasn’t said anything official about them. However, I have tried drinking a cup (8 ounces) of valerian root tea (Whole Foods) before bed for a couple of weeks, then a couple of weeks in the morning, to help relax me as I sleep, or for the day ahead of me. I can’t say I noticed any incredible results after drinking it in the morning, but I definitely had an easier time falling asleep when drinking about a half hour before going to bed. It could have been a placebo affect or other variables I didn’t notice, but at least something centered around me drinking the tea worked.

    The reason I wanted to try it was to just become relaxed to fall asleep and not be tired the next morning if I couldn’t get enough sleep (this happened when I would take 1-5 milligrams of Melatonin on less than 8-8.5 hours of sleep). I’m a big believer in avoiding man-made drugs and think that there is often a simple way to resolve many of the bodies ailments (though I’m not an extremist or zealot by any means). If you’re unable to fall asleep at night, I strongly recommend giving the tea a try. I would NOT recommend trying the capsules, or any other form of it without talking to a doctor. I have read and heard that it can interact with certain drugs, so you certainly don’t want to mess with that.

    I found I was feeling worn out after my fast day and really had to talk myself into going to the gym to do my 30 minute Stairmaster routine. I was sure I would struggle to go the distance. What surprised me though is I not only got through it but felt energized the rest of the day. I needed that oxygen boost/ catecholamine release that had been missing.

    I’ve been on the died for almost 2 years – just to maintain the amazing weight loss. Initially the next day I was buzzing and full of energy. Not so now but I also don’t sleep well on fast nights. Any suggestions welcome.

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