How a 72-hour fast pushes your body into ketosis - Performance Optimal Health (2024)

FAQs

Will a 72-hour fast put me in ketosis? ›

Terming it “dangerous”, Dr Gude said a 72-hour fast usually pushes the body's metabolism to ketones and this reflects in the urine ketone bodies (starvation ketosis). “Such prolonged fasting methods are usually dangerous if done unsupervised.

The 72-h fasting induced significant decreases in glucose level, body weight, and an increase of ketone bodies that confirmed successful fasting of the volunteers. In addition, the median of BDI-2 increased significantly (4 vs. 7, p = 0.006).

Within the first 72 hours of the experiment, participants' bodies used fat stores as energy and, therefore, lost about 12.5 pounds on average of both fat and lean mass. While the lost lean mass was restored after the first three days of eating post-fast, the fat mass was not.

During the fasting part, your body resets the baseline of many things, including mTOR activity. One of the things that also happens towards the end of a fast is that the body produces ketones, similar to a keto diet.

Stage 1: Fed state (0-3 hours) Stage 2: Early fasting state (3-18 hours) Stage 3: Fasting state (18-48 hours) Stage 4: Long-term fasting state (48+ hours)

We watched hundreds of videos on 3 day water fasts and people reported losing between 4.5 lbs to 12 lbs on their fast. This depends on a lot of factors including starting weight and height. The three-day water fast can be a powerful tool for natural healing, weight loss, and overall well-being.

For most adults, a 3-day fast is perfectly safe. Children under 18 should never fast. However, if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have diabetes or gout, are underweight, have an eating disorder, or on certain medications, you should not do a 3-day fast.

An ideal frequency for completing a 72-hour fast is several times per year. But remember, if you have a history of eating disorders, diabetes, or another medical condition, or you take certain medications that require being taken with food, avoid a 72-hour fast.

Black coffee won't break your fast

For most people, the nutrients in 1–2 cups (240–470 ml) of black coffee aren't enough to initiate a significant metabolic change that would break a fast ( 3 , 4 ). Some people say that coffee suppresses your appetite, making it easier to stick with your fast in the long term.

Longer periods without food, such as 24-, 36-, 48- and 72-hour fasting periods, are not necessarily better for you, and may be dangerous. Going too long without eating might actually encourage your body to start storing more fat in response to starvation.

Why am I not losing weight on a 72 hour fast? ›

you are likely to find it harder to lose weight at least initially. This is because for you, as your body uses up its various glucose stores during a fast, insulin levels remain high instead of falling like they should. When this happens, the body cannot see or access internal fat stores.

The 72 hour fast helps reduce body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass through the process of ketosis. During a 3 day fast, insulin levels drop and your body begins to turn stored fatty acids into energy molecules called ketones. One study found that during a 3 day fast, metabolic rate rises by 14%.

Instead, try incorporating a variety of low intensity, steady state activities into your workout routine to get the most bang for your buck on the ketogenic diet. Jogging, biking, rowing, and doing yoga are just a few examples of physical activities that may be especially beneficial on keto.

Ketosis is safe in most healthy people, but it can have some side effects, especially in the beginning. The easiest way to confirm ketosis in the body is by getting a test done using a ketone meter. This device is available in pharmacies. A urine sample can be used for the test.

Improved Heart Health: Fasting may lead to reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides, all of which contribute to improved heart health. Immune System Benefits: Some research suggests that fasting could positively impact the immune system by promoting the regeneration of immune cells.

A 72-hour fast, or fasting for three consecutive days without any food intake, can help your body enter a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body burns stored fat for energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates.

Your body may go into ketosis after just 12 hours of not eating, which many people do overnight before they "break fast" with a morning meal. (A midnight snack obviously sabotages this process.) A keto diet keeps you in ketosis for much longer time periods because you avoid carbohydrates, which supply glucose.

In general, it should take you 2–4 days to enter ketosis. However, some people may find they need a week or longer. The time it takes depends on various factors, such as your age, metabolism, exercise level, and current carb, protein, and fat intake.

Fasting for 12 hours is the fastest way to get into ketosis. 3 When you're initiating a very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, the fewer carbs you eat in the first 24 hours and the next few days, the more quickly your glycogen reserves will get depleted and the faster you'll get into ketosis.