0 day water-only fast completed
04-08-2018, 09:58 AM
Quote: (04-08-2018 08:47 AM)John Quincy Wrote:
I was inspired by this thread and decided to do a 1 day fast (water allowed). I was fine for the first 12-13 hours. Began to feel tired and sleepy after that. Took a nap. Drank more water. By Hour # 20 all I could think about was food.
I was trying to do some writing (that's part of my profession) but was unable to put any words on the computer. Broke the fast in Hour # 21.
Between the 12th hour and the 21st hour, I felt a bit lighter but not much else. I guess the benefits come only on days 2, 3, 4 etc. At the moment, I have no idea how to get to that level. Seems like an impossible hurdle to climb given my experience in the 20th hour.
Any suggestions on how I can increase my endurance? Is it just practice and more practice like anything else, or is there something else I can do?
Good for you, but I am surprised that you needed to break your fast after only 21 hours. If you stop eating at 6:00 p.m. the night before your fast and go to bed at 10:00 p.m., by the time that you wake up at 6:00 a.m. you have already fasted 12 hours.
BTW: The word "breakfast" comes from the
breaking of your
fast after you sleep. So, all you must do is fast that entire first day and then sleep until 6:00 a.m. the next morning to complete a 36-hour fast. For most people, a one day fast (to complete a 36-hour fast) is a piece of cake. Perhaps you are adding wrong. Count the entire period that you go without food. My productivity has never suffered on the first day.
Typically, the second day is the real bitch for most people. Your body is switching from burning glucose to fat so your energy can get really low. You can experience brain fog and low energy. Moreover, many people are addicted to caffeine (and other substances) without even knowing it -- so they can get hit by a monster headache on day two -- or not be able to think clearly because of withdrawal. You just need to bull your way through it, knowing that your body is going through withdrawal. I am thinking that is what happened to you, if you felt that lousy.
The way that I do it is as follows: I stop all eating at 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday. I work all day Friday, just like normal. I fast all weekend and just relax and take things easy: no heavy brain work and only light exercise, such as walking in a relaxing atmosphere. No driving after the second day. Have all your food ready for when you break your fast at 6:00 a.m. Monday. I make a broth with organic vegetables (carrots, onions, celery, etc.). I drink only the broth in the morning and then have the cooked vegetables for lunch and dinner. You can also juice instead. What I just described is a 3-1/2 day weekend fast.
This is a big tip: people do not realize how their meals act as guideposts to their days -- and break up the day into discrete segments. Without meals as natural time breaks and guideposts, time can really drag on. If you do a weekend fast, such as I just described, draw up a list of very light-duty things that you can accomplish to kill the time and to keep yourself busy -- and to keep your mind off food. Take a walk during your meal time to break up the day. A light nap is OK, but try not to sleep during the day, because it will likely result in insomnia at night and throw off your normal sleep schedule. Accomplish small tasks but otherwise just chill.
It is important to know that everyone's body and state of health is different. Some people will end a fast feeling as weak as a kitten. Others can run a marathon. I met a guy at the fasting clinic who was running ever day during his re-feeding period (which initially consisted of drinking just juice) after several weeks of fasting. If you feel very poorly after a 2-1/2 day weekend fast, just stop. Wait a few weeks and then try a 3-1/2 day weekend fast. There are no hard rules.
Here is an article about someone's six-day fasting experience at the health clinic at which I did my two-week fast. BTW: I met a woman there who did a three-week fast and felt so good that she extended it to four weeks.
https://www.gq.com/story/six-day-water-fast-diet