Not long ago, I shared some basic insights on Intermittent Fasting. With this post, I wanted to share my current experience with fasting as I’m entering into my 42nd hour of not consuming food!
It may be surprising but I actually feel pretty good right now. I would say the overall energy may be down a bit but other than that, my body and mind both feel great. I’ve done a few fasts before which only lasted about 24-30 hours. The last time I fasted, it caused my body & mind to crave food, which wasn’t the outcome I was looking for. Thus, I’m experimenting with the duration, which is the longest I’ve gone without food. I’m giving myself the flexibility of 48-72 hours because I want to let my body & mind decide if going the full 72 hours will be beneficial or not. Regardless of the duration, here are some thoughts during my experiment.
Some of the reasons why I decided to fast:
- Relationship with food
I love food. I used to say “I live to eat, not eat to live.” If possible I would want every meal to be the best meal ever. However, that’s not realistic, thus I want this experiment to help create a different relationship/association with food.
- Physical & mental challenges
Just as I challenge my body & mind with training, I wanted a different challenge using food, the absence of it.
- Possible health benefits
There is anecdotal evidence supporting the benefits of intermittent fasting on reducing chronic inflammation, as well as, improving the gut health.
Now, here are some of my current thoughts:
I spend a lot of time around food: thinking about the next meal, eating, looking around the refrigerator or the pantry. I can tell there’s a big void in my day from not having to think about food. Even though convenience is a huge factor in food selection & preparation, it’s quite a surprise how much I use up my time with food.
There’s a clear difference between hunger and appetite. Often, I find myself seeking out food due to appetite rather than hunger. Also, even though I feel hunger, the intensity isn’t as bad as expected. I question the validity of the concept, “HANGRY” (Hungry + Angry).
Lastly, it’s understandable that my energy is down overall since I have no fuel. With that said, I feel this consistent energy throughout the day. Normally, our meals cause energy spikes, which often occurs due to the insulin spikes. It’s quite ironic that the overall energy production is reduced but the energy availability seems more consistent compared to when consuming food.
Just as I shared in my previous post, I believe that all diets can be beneficial, at the right time and place. Intermittent fasting is a method and only that, of achieving a certain goal. I do want to add that fasting should be done carefully especially for individuals that have health ailments and should consult a health professional beforehand. With that said, personally, I’m enjoying the process, as well as, the acute effects. I’ll follow up with the post-fast updates.
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