So here’s how fasting went for me last week.
Starting with the WHY, I did this fasting because I believe in the healing benefits of it and since there was a challenge going on to do it for 72 hours within a group, I didn’t hesitate to join! Thanks to Will Polston and Chris Branch for setting this up!
In the past, I have fasted in many different ways: intermittent fasting, one meal a day, 24 hours… In all of them, I found myself having loads of energy throughout.
This time, for some reason it wasn’t as simple. Prior to the day, I did one meal a day to get me used to dealing with hunger. I have been off sugar and coffee since the begging of the month so I thought that was a good advantage as well.
The first 24 hours
As we started on Thursday at 12 pm, I didn’t have much food that morning, I focused on having mostly protein sources. By 5 pm the hunger came up, then it was a little harder than usual to fall asleep, but by having a glass of saltwater the hunger stopped and I fell asleep. I was feeling very light and calm when I woke up but my muscles felt very fatigued. Initially, I was ok mentally but then I started lacking on focus.
As we started on Thursday at 12 pm, I didn’t have much food that morning, I focused on having mostly protein sources. By 5 pm the hunger came up, then it was a little harder than usual to fall asleep, but by having a glass of saltwater the hunger stopped and I fell asleep. I was feeling very light and calm when I woke up but my muscles felt very fatigued. Initially, I was ok mentally but then I started lacking on focus.
The second 24 hours
Around lunchtime, my focus got worse and I had to have coffee to keep me up. Afternoon hit me badly and I was useless both in my body and mind. After having herbal tea and lots of water I managed to go for a walk in the evening. A bottle of sparkling water felt like a treat and got me rid of the hunger. At the end of this day, I started feeling old injuries that I haven’t felt in months or years! Apparently, this is when your body is healing. I was very please as this was the main reason why I did this fast. That night I slept later than usual because I was daydreaming about the food I would have once this was over. The next morning I woke up feeling extremely weak and with weird sweats that would come and go very rapidly. I tried everything I could drink to get me back up and out of bed. The injury healing was still happening until around lunchtime.
The third 24 hours
After I managed to have a minimum of energy to get me to walk to the shop, I got myself the food I was going to have to break the fast, including beef bone broth. The way back home took me longer than usual and I had to literally take one step at a time. From then on, I was pretty much just in bed watching movies. When the night came I couldn’t sleep. The hunger had stopped and I was feeling very sick. Feeling light-headed every time I got up. I started having a strange feeling, almost like my brain wanted to rest but at the same time, I had to stay alert. At around midnight I got up and almost fainted. That’s when I decided that it was over for me. I had achieved what I wanted from this fast which was the healing in my body and so there was no need for me to continue feeling unwell. I broke my fast with the beef bone broth and a small portion of natural fats. I slept like a baby and the next day I must have had way too much food than what is recommended but I just wanted to have my energy back. It did take a few hours to be able to do a proper bicep contraction :P
If you’d like to fast I would recommend doing it in a group with at least one person who has had a few fasting experiences so you can have their support. Our bodies are all different and can react in different ways. Also if you have any medical condition, ask your doctor first. Overall it is a great experience that connects you with your body on a deeper level and it is a great mindset challenge.
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