Fasting in Wrestling: Seeking Advice and Experiences

[jross]

I've been considering incorporating fasting into my routine to enhance my well-being. 

Wondering if anyone here has tried fasting and could share their experiences.

My daughter is also asking for advice on how to integrate it effectively with a wrestling lifestyle. 

Any tips on timing, duration, and potential benefits or drawbacks would be greatly appreciated!

[jross]

I tried the first time after Thanksgiving and cheated using bone broth and coffee for 60 hours.

I do not know if I entered ketosis…

I felt great the next few days after resuming food.  My inflammation was down and my digestive system worked well.  Well hydrated.  I stopped overeating and recognized being full for several weeks.

I am doing it again now with water and coffee only.  36 hours in.  Just made lower range of ketosis per this keto-mojo device.  0.1 mmol/L ketone level after 18 hours, 0.5 after 36 hours…

My wrestling daughter is doing this with me.  She is ready to end her fast… it’s initially tough being around others eating and offering food.

Her goal is to retain strength and lose fat.  My goal is to improve my health and experiment if fasting is an effective tool.

A benefit in response to the stress brought on by fasting or calorie restriction,… autophagy causes the body's cells to clean out and recycle any unnecessary or damaged parts.  Sound good!

The reason for fasting over the holiday is for timing less physical exertion and to counter gluttony.

[Ohio Elite]

1 hour ago, jross said:

I tried the first time after Thanksgiving and cheated using bone broth and coffee for 60 hours.

I do not know if I entered ketosis…

I felt great the next few days after resuming food.  My inflammation was down and my digestive system worked well.  Well hydrated.  I stopped overeating and recognized being full for several weeks.

I am doing it again now with water and coffee only.  36 hours in.  Just made lower range of ketosis per this keto-mojo device.  0.1 mmol/L ketone level after 18 hours, 0.5 after 36 hours…

My wrestling daughter is doing this with me.  She is ready to end her fast… it’s initially tough being around others eating and offering food.

Her goal is to retain strength and lose fat.  My goal is to improve my health and experiment if fasting is an effective tool.

A benefit in response to the stress brought on by fasting or calorie restriction,… autophagy causes the body's cells to clean out and recycle any unnecessary or damaged parts.  Sound good!

The reason for fasting over the holiday is for timing less physical exertion and to counter gluttony.

I know several people who lost weight doing the intermittent fasting. A guy I work with lost 40lbs. 8 hr window to eat and 16 of fasting each day. Sorry not wrestling related.

[Ohio Elite]

2 minutes ago, Ohio Elite said:

I know several people who lost weight doing the intermittent fasting. A guy I work with lost 40lbs. 8 hr window to eat and 16 of fasting each day. Sorry not wrestling 

The 3 people all had great results losing weight and none of them did any exercise whatsoever.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Ohio Elite

[jross]

23 hours ago, jross said:

I am doing it again now with water and coffee only.  36 hours in.  Just made lower range of ketosis per this keto-mojo device.  0.1 mmol/L ketone level after 18 hours, 0.5 after 36 hours…

My wrestling daughter is doing this with me.  She is ready to end her fast… it’s initially tough being around others eating and offering food.

My second water fast was successful as ketosis was achieved.  This experiment is about done.

We are driving 

Updated Fast Timeline 

• Wed: 22:00 Fast starts (water/coffee/tea only) | 0 hours
• Thu: 16:00 0.1 mmol/L ketone level | 18 hours
  • Driving from South Florida to Columbus, Georgia
• Fri: 10:00 0.5 mmol/L ketone level | 36 hours
  • Urban white water rafting, driving from Georgia to Memphis, Tenn.
• Fri: 17:00 2.3 mmol/L ketone level | 43 hours
  • Real hunger starts
• Fri: 20:30 2.5 mmol/L ketone level | 46.5 hours
  • Brain fog begins and hunger did not pass with fluids
• Fri: 20:35 ... broke the fast
  • Ate half a rotisserie chicken (4g carbs, 0g sugar, 80g fat, 80g protein, 1000 calories)
  • Ate three prosciutto with mozzarella cheese rollups (1g carbs, 0g sugar, 13g fat, 12g protein)
  • For the day, consumed 3.2 liters of fluid (52oz coffee black, 16oz earl grey tea, 40oz water)
• Sat: 05:00 0.6 mmol/L ketone level
  • Brain fog had lifted with Friday night meal.  Slight return this morning.
  • Will continue keto diet and driving west to home

 

Daughter's Fast Timeline

• Wed: 22:00 Fast starts (water/coffee/tea only) | 0 hours
• Thu: 16:00 0.1 mmol/L ketone level | 18 hours
• Fri: 10:00 0.5 mmol/L ketone level | 36 hours
  • Urban white water rafting
• Fri: 13:00 ... broke the fast | 39 hours
  • Large bowl of salmon, tuna, shrimp over spring salad with sauce and sides like pineapple
  • I think it was the fruit sugar that took her out of ketosis
• Fri: 17:00 unmeasurable/low ketone level | 43 hours

[jross]

23 hours ago, Ohio Elite said:

The 3 people all had great results losing weight and none of them did any exercise whatsoever.

Regarding weight loss, I dropped 10 pounds in 2022 by playing games only in a men's competitive baseball league (~40 games).  I went from catching a couple innings to double headers.  

In 2023, I dropped 10 pounds over the summer while working on outdoor projects daily for 6 weeks.  I dropped another 10 pounds in November from fasting and making better food/drink choices.  

Down from 215lbs to 185lbs at 6 foot.  

No real exercise since daily lifting/running in college + marriage + kids.  Just 20 years of desk job and corporate stress.

I'd like to get to about 175lbs but don't mind if I keep the weight or get back to 195lbs.

Started exercising once weekly at a ninja fitness center with two of my children in December.  Its been a lot of fun... Plan to continue through April when baseball begins again.  Not sure if/when I'll use free weights again.  Probably in another year when the younger kids are a bit older.

[Ohio Elite]

1 hour ago, jross said:

Regarding weight loss, I dropped 10 pounds in 2022 by playing games only in a men's competitive baseball league (~40 games).  I went from catching a couple innings to double headers.  

In 2023, I dropped 10 pounds over the summer while working on outdoor projects daily for 6 weeks.  I dropped another 10 pounds in November from fasting and making better food/drink choices.  

Down from 215lbs to 185lbs at 6 foot.  

No real exercise since daily lifting/running in college + marriage + kids.  Just 20 years of desk job and corporate stress.

I'd like to get to about 175lbs but don't mind if I keep the weight or get back to 195lbs.

Started exercising once weekly at a ninja fitness center with two of my children in December.  Its been a lot of fun... Plan to continue through April when baseball begins again.  Not sure if/when I'll use free weights again.  Probably in another year when the younger kids are a bit older.

Sounds like things are going well, good luck!

[Threadkilla]

3 hours ago, jross said:

My second water fast was successful as ketosis was achieved.  This experiment is about done.

We are driving 

Updated Fast Timeline 

• Wed: 22:00 Fast starts (water/coffee/tea only) | 0 hours
• Thu: 16:00 0.1 mmol/L ketone level | 18 hours
  • Driving from South Florida to Columbus, Georgia
• Fri: 10:00 0.5 mmol/L ketone level | 36 hours
  • Urban white water rafting, driving from Georgia to Memphis, Tenn.
• Fri: 17:00 2.3 mmol/L ketone level | 43 hours
  • Real hunger starts
• Fri: 20:30 2.5 mmol/L ketone level | 46.5 hours
  • Brain fog begins and hunger did not pass with fluids
• Fri: 20:35 ... broke the fast
  • Ate half a rotisserie chicken (4g carbs, 0g sugar, 80g fat, 80g protein, 1000 calories)
  • Ate three prosciutto with mozzarella cheese rollups (1g carbs, 0g sugar, 13g fat, 12g protein)
  • For the day, consumed 3.2 liters of fluid (52oz coffee black, 16oz earl grey tea, 40oz water)
• Sat: 05:00 0.6 mmol/L ketone level
  • Brain fog had lifted with Friday night meal.  Slight return this morning.
  • Will continue keto diet and driving west to home

 

Daughter's Fast Timeline

• Wed: 22:00 Fast starts (water/coffee/tea only) | 0 hours
• Thu: 16:00 0.1 mmol/L ketone level | 18 hours
• Fri: 10:00 0.5 mmol/L ketone level | 36 hours
  • Urban white water rafting
• Fri: 13:00 ... broke the fast | 39 hours
  • Large bowl of salmon, tuna, shrimp over spring salad with sauce and sides like pineapple
  • I think it was the fruit sugar that took her out of ketosis
• Fri: 17:00 unmeasurable/low ketone level | 43 hours

 

Great stuff,  thanks for posting.  I fast intermittantly and use the bone broth which I don't see as a cheat, just a little protein boost and there are several bones to render after the holidays.    

 

[jross]

I have remained in light ketosis while eating large amounts of food.  Have tried to limit sugar and carbs to a few grams daily while protein is high.

Fast Timeline 

• Wed: 22:00 Fast starts (water/coffee/tea only) | 0 hours
  • Weight 189lbs
• Thu: 16:00 0.1 mmol/L ketone level | 18 hours
  • Driving from South Florida to Columbus, Georgia
• Fri: 10:00 0.5 mmol/L ketone level | 36 hours
  • Urban white water rafting, driving from Georgia to Memphis, Tenn.
• Fri: 17:00 2.3 mmol/L ketone level | 43 hours
  • Real hunger starts
• Fri: 20:30 2.5 mmol/L ketone level | 46.5 hours
  • Brain fog begins and hunger did not pass with fluids
• Fri: 20:35 ... broke the fast

Keto Diet Timeline

• Fri: 20:35 ... broke the fast
  • Ate half a rotisserie chicken (4g carbs, 0g sugar, 80g fat, 80g protein, 1000 calories)
  • Ate three prosciutto with mozzarella cheese rollups (1g carbs, 0g sugar, 13g fat, 12g protein)
  • For the day, consumed 3.2 liters of fluid (52oz coffee black, 16oz earl grey tea, 40oz water)
• Sat: 05:00 0.6 mmol/L ketone level
  • Brain fog had lifted with Friday night meal.  Slight brain fog in the morning.
• Sat: 06:30 4 eggs + 2 sausages
• Sat: 08:30 0.6 mmol/L ketone level
  • Second breakfast 4 eggs + 2 sausages
• Sat: 14:00 Grilled chicken salad with no sauce from Silky O'Sullivans / Beale Street, Memphis Tenn.
• Sat: 21:00 Subway Turkey Cali Club as a Protein bowl (no sauce, no bread, footlong equivalent) 
• Sun: 10:00 0.5 mmol/L ketone level
  • Weight 182.5lbs
  • No brain fog
  • Home late Saturday night and delayed eating Sunday until I found the misplaced the ketone measure device.  Will resume normal eating times and will stick to keto diet this week.  It will be interesting how my body reacts to sustained mental work and physical exercise this week.  Updates will be infrequent.

 

[jross]

I feel this!