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Clarity and trouble staying focused

I've been doing OMAD 23:1 for 3 months now, while in OMAD I have no problem focusing and I feel very good but when doing extended fasts like 3-5 days ones, I just can't seem to focus on anything but food. But that's not really the problem, its not the urges, I'm used to that, its just constant thinking about it. I've been doing extended fasting for quite a while now too, pretty much every week since October I did 3-5 day fast. I'm honestly mind boggled by what people mean when they say they have mental clarity, cause I've yet to experience that euphoria. I can get through the fast just fine, but at 30% efficiency. I've lost quite a lot of weight actually doing extended fasting, so it is a sacrifice I am willing to make. People speak as if they can take on the world, but that is not all my experience. Perhaps it is because it is because I eat carbs every day, but I don't know how that matters.

Answer

A possibility is that your OMAD is leaving you with less than optimal glycogen stores, yet not close enough to depletion levels for the liver to kick in and start ripping apart fat to get at those ketones. Years ago we referred to this as “No Man’s Land” and it is a pretty sucky, gray landscape to camp in. Recently I was rereading “The Hobbit” and realized the journey through Mirkwood is a good analogy for No Man’s Land.

So my advice for you is to GET THE HELL OUTTA MIRKWOOD! Ha! You can go forward or backward but may have pitched your tent and set up camp in a disadvantageous spot, my friend. Go forward by extending your fast into 36+ hours or start adding in a bunch of cardio to blow through your glycogen and win some nice clean Ketosis. Or go back and start pounding whole food plant starches during your eating window, like sweet potatoes, oats, barley, brown rice, whole grain bread, etc. Give either strategy a try and see what happens because a good OMAD regimen should have you feeling like “a god amongst men”. Cheers and good luck!

Answer

Are you drinking plenty of electrolytes during the longer fasting periods? I found after starting vitamin D supplements and drinking white tea my extended fasts were so much easier. I also found drinking a pint of water would curb any unexpected days when I’d dwell on food constantly. When I first started the longer fasts I’d treat myself with a thin slice of jalapeño just for the taste distraction when I couldn’t shake the food thoughts too.