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What to eat after a 3 day fast

smnovosad1
smnovosad1 Posts: 36 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a medical condition that causes me to periodically go through a 3-5 day period when I don’t eat or sleep. I know this is nonideal, but I don’t have control over it. It only happens 3-4 times a year. My physician knows about it.
I just got over a 3 day episode and am back to my logging. I lost 2 pounds over the last 3 days, and I’m sure some is water weight but some is not, and I don’t want to lose tons of muscle if I can help it. I am 5’5”, currently 130 lbs with a goal of 125-128 so I don’t have a ton to lose.
Should I just not worry about it because it’s infrequent? Should I eat tons of protein? Should I eat at maintenance for awhile? Am I so weird that no one has any idea?
Thanks!

Replies

  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    Just get back on track best you can. Maybe a couple days at maintenance and then ease back into a deficit. If it's infrequent, it shouldn't affect you too much in the grand scheme of things. Are you doing any kind of lifting or such? That will go a long way to helping you preserve your muscle mass.
  • 1houndgal
    1houndgal Posts: 558 Member
    edited January 2018
    What does your dr suggest for you to eat as you break your three day fast? Since you have a medical condition, I would hesitate to give you advice here.
  • smnovosad1
    smnovosad1 Posts: 36 Member
    Thanks. My doctor is not worried about my muscle mass, just my mental state. I’m actually pretty well controlled, believe it or not.

    I don’t specifically lift; I do t25 with some light weights. I probably should “lift heavy”; I just do everything at home, not at a gym, so that complicates things. I have 4 busy kids.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,129 Member
    You're not going to lose "tons of muscle" in three to five days. Hopefully you're not exercising during a period of not eating and not sleeping, so I really wouldn't worry about trying to catch up on protein, since without resistance training and following a period of massive energy deficit, extra protein is not going to make a big difference in muscle retention (you're essentially trying to prop up a stool with one leg). As Michelle suggested, eat at maintenance for a couple of days and then go back to your routine.

    I assume, since this has happened before, that you know how your body responds to food after a three to five day fast (for some people, that might be enough time that they have to ease back into eating to avoid nausea).
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    I suggest slightly bland foods that might be easier on the stomach. Oatmeal, mashed potatoes, that kind of thing.
This discussion has been closed.

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