The FastDay Forum

I just started liquid fasting last week and did my second one Sunday. On both days afterward, severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea once I had breakfast. This used to happen occasionally when I did the regular 500 cal fast but stopped after the first few times. This time it stopped within an hour but it really was severe, exactly like the bowel prep I took pre-colonoscopy. Sorry if TMI

After the first liquid fast, I had a huge breakfast of eggs and bacon and fried potatoes. I blamed it on the volume of food and the carbs. Yesterday I only had a bulletproof coffee and about 5 macadamia nuts(zero carbs). Should I have carbs instead to break my fast? Anyone out there with this problem and suggestions to avoid this? I quite like the liquid fast and want to continue. It was easy and I am losing weight again

Hmm, is there cream in your bulletproof coffee? Sounds as though you should avoid fatty food straight after your liquid fasts. That seems to be the only common element I could see. What about cutting out breakfast for a while...or just having a piece of toast or something.

Hope that helps xx

Bean

Thanks @nursebean. Yes, both breakfasts were very high fat (bulletproof coffee has butter AND coconut oil in it ) I am trying to keep low carb so have been avoiding bread altogether but maybe that is the way to go. Will try another liquid fast Thurs or Fri and try a small carb-y breakfast.

Yes give it a go!

By the way, I love your Easter bunny and chick!

Bean

[carorees]

Try to avoid high GI carbs though, as after a fast your insulin response to glucose coming in from your food may be a little sluggish and you may get higher blood glucose than normal, which is not so good. So go for whole grains as the source of carbs or have normal coffee plus nuts first to wake up your system followed by a normal breakfast.

I get the same problem if I break a fast with fatty food or something that is hard to digest.
So now I break my fast with boiled veggies and maybe tuna and some yoghurt. Quinoaporridge also works well. I also try to stay on a low-carb diet but allow more carbs when I break the fast.

I just started liquid fasting last week and did my second one Sunday. On both days afterward, severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea once I had breakfast. This used to happen occasionally when I did the regular 500 cal fast but stopped after the first few times. This time it stopped within an hour but it really was severe, exactly like the bowel prep I took pre-colonoscopy. Sorry if TMI

After the first liquid fast, I had a huge breakfast of eggs and bacon and fried potatoes. I blamed it on the volume of food and the carbs. Yesterday I only had a bulletproof coffee and about 5 macadamia nuts(zero carbs). Should I have carbs instead to break my fast? Anyone out there with this problem and suggestions to avoid this? I quite like the liquid fast and want to continue. It was easy and I am losing weight again

I sympathise and would be very grateful indeed if I could have any suggestions for doing the 5.2 if you have a tendancy to IBS. I was going along nicely on the 5.2 and losing weight but my guts suddenly started the old routine cramps, bloating. The doc said he thought I was eating the wrong foods even though I was on 500 calories. What could I eat for the 500 calories that is gut friendly please?

I also liquid fast. I don't get cramps, just sometimes have to dash to the loo. The breakfasts I find best for avoiding this problem are:
toast with a couple of eggs
toast with baked beans
toast with vegemite or jam and cheese

If I have straight eggs, (omelettes with lots of veggies) it's not too good. Sometimes just a cup of tea before eating is a problem. I think it's the toast that stops any issues.

I sympathise and would be very grateful indeed if I could have any suggestions for doing the 5.2 if you have a tendancy to IBS. I was going along nicely on the 5.2 and losing weight but my guts suddenly started the old routine cramps, bloating. The doc said he thought I was eating the wrong foods even though I was on 500 calories. What could I eat for the 500 calories that is gut friendly please?

Have you come across FODMAPS before? Some very interesting research coming out of Monash Uni http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/ Maybe try to avoid the foods which cause fodmaps (gases and bloating).

[carieoates]

Just re visiting this thread as I've been suffering with discomfort after eating even the smallest amount of food. It's like my stomach doesn't want it. Going to check out my portions maybe reduce by more and then maybe have two courses, very slowly.
Not getting cramps or wind or diarrhoea, just feel bloated and full,
Today for example broke yesterday's fast with a low cal cuppa soup , some almonds and then two desert spoons of full fat yoghurt with about six raspberries. Felt like I'd had a four course meal.

Have you come across FODMAPS before? Some very interesting research coming out of Monash Uni http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/ Maybe try to avoid the foods which cause fodmaps (gases and bloating).

Eating with an eye to FODMAPS changed my life (I aware that this sounds hyperbolic to anyone who hasn't routinely experienced 'urgency' and the rapid dash, 9-25 times in 4 hours, every morning for several years). Identifying which ones caused a problem and establishing my tolerance level transformed the bloating and other issues: for me it was mostly fructans.

The most interesting thing I've learned along the way is that the preparation method matters tremendously. E.g., I can tolerate a modest portion of fried onion (fructans aren't soluble in oil) but that onion must not be included in a casserole or soup/sauce (the fructans are soluble in the liquid). I can't tolerate even tiny amounts of baked/roast onion as it seems to make the fructans soluble in the vegetable's own water content.

The other substantial contribution has been fasting and the general decrease in the size of my portions/meals. Now, I rarely experience bloating/gas or the other more distressing aspects of IBS.