After having done one meal a day for a long time and then completing a few 48hr fasts, I recently jumped straight into my first ever 7 day fast.
I can tell you that for me day 3 was the hardest but on day 4 something surprising happened… my hunger just completely disappeared.
Having gone 7 days I was a bit worried about refeeding, I ended up having a cup of bone broth and a pickle, then waited 30 minutes before eating a few scrambled eggs, some broccolini and tomatoes fried in olive oil, and some raw sauerkraut.
About 1000 calories in total and I did not experience any negative effects whatsoever.
Hunger, believe it or not, starts to subside after around the 72 hour mark for most people. The common misconception many folks have is that hunger is something that continues to build in intensity the longer you go without eating, but this is simply false. Though it only starts to make sense when it actually starts happening and you experience it for yourself first hand because on its face it seems so preposterous and counterintuitive. Just trust me. It happens.
I am a bad person to ask about refeeding as I am an unabashed glutton at the conclusion of long fasts. I go for whatever it is that sounds good at that moment. Chinese buffet. 5 guys, Pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Whatever. No bone broth and keto for me. I used to be scared of refeeds once upon a time. People used to fill my head with all this doom that was sure to befall me if I did not drink bone broth and then nibble on boneless chicken breasts and kale. Maybe I just have a strong stomach. Only bad part is that it is highly unlikely you are going to be able to consume that much. You are going to get full very quickly no matter what you eat.
If it’s just hunger then you’re fine to push through. For me, hours 60-72 are the hell run. They are consistently the hardest. Around 72, a switch flicks and I feel fantastic for the next 20 or so hours. It’s been like this since my first ever fast past 60 hours
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Now when I started fasting regularly, it was nightmarishly tough to get through the hell zone but the health benefits kept me at it. I adopted a regular, low carb nutritional schedule, OMAD eating style, and \~5 day extended fast roughly once a month. Low carb and OMAD leading into fasts makes days 1 and 2 feel completely and utterly normal. It also makes the “hell run” more like “ehhh, I’m a bit uncomfortable today”
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And don’t underestimate experience. The more you do this, the more used to it your body gets and will also make things a lot easier. Your body isn’t used to using fat for fuel if your nutrition is “normal” (especially if you’re North American normal) so it needs to get used to that with exposer and time
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For your refeeds, don’t focus on calories. Focus on nutrients and minerals. Refeeding should be about restocking your body. It’s why bone broth is a nice break. It’s nutritionally rich AND easy on your digestive system. Have lots of variety in small amounts. You might say still end up with 1,800 calories but overall 20 different things to eat if you know what I’m saying
It depends on what your target goals are, but rolling 48s and 72’s are usually more than sufficient, although I have done 5+ day fasts before, albeit it rarely. As for refeeds, I’d recommend eating at or slightly above maintenance if you’re doing 72s and above.