My 72 hour Fast Experience

I began Intermittent Fasting a year ago. I began with 12 hours and gradually crept my way to 16 hours. Then to 20 hours and some days when things got busy I skipped a whole day of eating. When I fast I have a keto coffee ( coffee, MCT oil and Heavy Cream), Bone Broth, Perrier Water with lemon and lots of water.

First day

I started fasting on a Tuesday after lunch at 1:30 pm. The next day was the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday) so mentally I was prepared to fast. The first day was not really different from any other day of time-restricted eating. As always I worked out in the morning but I noticed more hunger than usual towards the evening. It was almost as if knowing that I wasn’t going to eat for 72 hours was making me more hungry than I would normally be. The rest of the day went perfectly fine. I sipped on my bone broth and drank lots of water. I also tested my urine strip to see if I was in ketosis, but wasn't. I really found that having a lot of fluids and staying hydrated made hunger easier to bear and off I went to bed early and had a restful night.

Second Day

The second day I woke up not feeling hungry at all. I did my usual exercise routine. I then started the day with a coffee, vitamin B and Magnesium supplements. During the rest of the day, the hunger was manageable and I just kept busy. At 3pm, when I got home, I took a long shower and laid down. Fell quickly into a deep sleep and when I awoke an hour later, I began to feel hungry. I warmed up another cup of bone broth and added some MCT oil to it. Then watched the evening news and tucked my kids to bed. The hunger was still there. Staying strong mentally, I put on a Netflix movie and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

Third day

On the third day, I had my great aunts funeral, where I was asked to do the first reading. I was a bit worried that I would perhaps feel dizzy at the Alter, so made sure I drank my water with himalayan sea salt, a potassium and magnesium supplement. I had woken up early, went for a walk in the gardens and I found that it was really challenging to find energy. I had a slight headache and drank a cup of bone broth. Fortunately, around 9 am, the time of the funeral, I started to feel very good and my energy levels were on point. I wasn’t hungry for a good part of the day. Then around minutes to 4 pm, my energy started to drop significantly, as I looked over at my Fasting time was time to eat.

My first meal wasn't much, as I knew that I would have to slowly introduce my digestive system to food. I warmed up some bone broth and whisked an egg for protein in it. Followed by a slice of toasted keto bread. It Felt satisfying!

I let that sink in for 2 hours and then ate a salad with some boiled eggs accompanied with an avocado mayo as the fat. I felt quite full and off to bed I went.

The following day, I woke up really hungry and broke my fast at 12 hours with a good breakfast! I then tested my urine strip and it was at the second light pink, a step up from the last test.

Benefits of the fast

What I really liked about this experience is that it gave me time to reflect on many things. When you cut food out of your life for a few days, the first thing that becomes obvious is how lucky you are. This may sound cliché, but when you’re hungry for a longer period of time it becomes very clear to you of what hunger really is. For me, this three-day fasting represented a moment of self-inflicted adversity that made me grateful far beyond the end of the fast. It is also an excellent tool to get you out of your comfort zone and make you test your mental strength because you will need some! I also lost 5 lbs on the 3 days! Yay Another thing that I realized is that our bodies are actually much stronger and much resilient than we think. If at some point you feel like you’re super weak and having zero energy, think again because chances are that your body can deal with much more. I also understood that hunger comes in waves. Most of the time when you’re hungry and you want to overcome the hunger just wait and let the wave pass. You will see that hunger can disappear without food.

Praying more as its lent season, has helped me to find peace of mind. I found that during an extended period of fasting, the experience of prayer is even more powerful, and my mental clarity was also very good. Here are 8 Benefits of doing a 72 hour fast: 1. Promotes Blood Sugar Control by Reducing Insulin Resistance 2. Promotes better health by fighting Inflammation 3.Improves blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol 4. Boosts brain function and gives you lots of clarity 5. Aids weight loss from the reduction of calories and boosts your metabolism 6. Increases Growth Hormone Secretion - which is vital for growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength. 7. Delays Aging and extends longevity. 8. Improves your overall health and repairs damaged cells.

I hope you enjoyed reading my Fasting Experience Blog.

Tell me is this something you would consider doing?