This is my check-in. So far, I think I should make the full 10 without a refeed -- at least I'm optimistic at the moment. I'm sharing some thoughts in hopes it helps others. To be clear, this fast is only water, black coffee, and unaltered tea.
(1) After the first three days, there is a bit of an energy bump but not to super high levels. I sleep 8-10 but at weird times. Still, fasting is always hard on the body. I wish I wasn't as sedentary as I am (it also turns out, I'm not a tree). I find fasting easier in the summer time both due to heat and the ability to reliably walk outside.
(2) I'm not measuring anything but going by look. Face has dropped some weight and I'm confident each fasted day contributes to fat loss so I'm free from the worry of plateaus. There is always the woosh, which in this case must wait until I expel enough water/air -- another benefit to walking.
(3) To improve the mental aspects, looking forward to the longer fasts just as a personal challenge seems to help. I haven't done a longer fast in a while (mostly rolling 72s) and even recently 6 was a cap (sever underestimate of estimating 2 lbs of fat loss per 6 day fast), so this 10 day is somewhat enjoyable.
(4) I'm comparing this to four rolling 72s which I did earlier this year. I'm looking forward to comparing days 5-10 to those to see if just overall there is more energy etc. That might make the difference in my mind on whether rolling or EF is better for me. In particular, while rolling might be easier in the short term, over 4-5 consecutive 72 hr fasts, the drag of constantly being in the "1-3" day range doesn't seem worth it. I had thought that it would even out a bit over time, but I recall really having to mentally push to get through that last of the rolling 72.
NSFW: >! I want to just crush like a box of cereal after all this !< -- wait why does this not format as a spoiler tag?
Answer
Can I ask what you did between the rolling 72s. Did you just have one day in between? I’m doing my first 72 for autophagy. I’ll be done at 5 pm if I choose to stop. Last night, when I slept, my whole body ached. I got up and took a potassium pill and a magnesium pill. I also ate about 8 big grains of pink salt. Today, my knees are super sore. I had 2 knee replacements a year ago. The pain is about 75% more than normal. I can handle it, no problem. I’m just wondering if it is trying to tell me something and I don’t understand the language yet. From videos I’ve watched, I’m not sure if I’m really in autophagy yet. I’m thinking of buying a glucose meter and ketone meter so I could check my blood. Would really like some advice.