A 72-hour Fast Feels Slow
Editor’s note: This is a first-person account of a 72-hour fast. Fasting can be hazardous and should be preceded by conferring with a physician.
I chose to stop eating for three days. No food, just water.
What was I thinking?
A friend at work did a 72-hour fast and told me about the benefits – such as weight loss and reduced inflammation. It felt like something I could do. After all, I was already doing a daily 16:8 fast, foregoing food between 8 p.m. and noon and then eating between noon and 8 p.m.
But this is different. No beer, no steak, no M&Ms – nothing but water, black coffee, and clear broth.
The goal of a fast is to put the body into a state of autophagy, a process in which cells break down and recycle damaged parts to maintain cell health. The word literally means self-eating.
I planned to begin my fast at 7:30 p.m. Sunday and ended Wednesday at the same time. In between, 72 hours of the unknown. I wondered how this would affect me. Would I feel like I was starving? Would I be tired? After all, food is our energy supply. But I was committed to doing it.
Here is how it went.
Day One
This is supposed to be the hardest day, but for me, it wasn’t bad. I did hit the wall a little around 2 p.m., but I had a cup of black coffee and started feeling better. Go Team Caffeine. It was weird not to go to lunch, but I drank a lot of water. Hydration is particularly important during a fast.
By mid-afternoon I found myself counting minutes and hours until I could put a pin in the first day. It brought me comfort knowing that after a good night’s sleep, I would wake up with only two days remaining. That said, 48 hours seemed a lot like six months at that point.
Soon, Team Caffeine made its exit, and I started feeling really fatigued. When I got home, I crashed and slept for 11 hours. They say fatigue is normal on the first day. They are correct.
Day Two
After waking up, I laid in bed trying to figure out how I felt. Many people say they do not sleep well on a 72-hour fast, but I slept like a baby. The 11-hour nap was good for me.
I felt like I had lots of energy, and I needed it after the previous afternoon. I found myself looking forward to a large black coffee. Also, a co- fasting co-worker brought me beef broth. I’ve never been so excited. It was my first time trying it.
Hopefully, it will also be my last.
I didn’t feel like I was starving, and the water helped a lot. I was told the second day would be better as your body gets used to no food. Meanwhile while you sleep, your cells are doing crazy stuff inside your body. That’s the autophagy.
Breaking the little habits is the hardest part. If you drink enough water, and you are supposed to drink a lot, you should be fine. Not opening the refrigerator for three days was strange.
The second day was the easiest for me. I had good energy and was excited I only had a single day left. To be honest, when I got home, I was bored more than anything. Cooking and stopping by the store had been eliminated. I usually watch TV and eat. Not now. Just a bottle of H20, some staring at the screen and going to bed early again. Fasting while you sleep is the easy part.
Day Three
As the hours started to wind down, I began to feel a little weak, but no more than most people after going 72 hours without a bite. I bought a large salmon salad to break my fast with, and I have never looked forward to a meal as much. Only my mother’s homemade biscuits would be better.
What I discovered was, despite having not eaten in three days, I couldn’t eat much. I ate half the salad and drank a single Shiner Bock. I do feel this fast has helped my health, and, more than that, I am proud of my willpower. It’s a process I would encourage others to investigate. Be aware, however, it’s not going to be a cake walk.
Cake walk.
Cake.
Sorry, I’m really thinking about food now.
Special thanks to my co-workers who did this with me. Trust me, it does help to have a partner – or tribe – doing it with you. Shout out to Becky, Megan, and Brad!
Now, let’s eat.