WHAT’S A 36 PLUS HOUR FAST LIKE?

A FB friend mentioned that she was thinking of trying IF (intermittent fasting) but was worried that she might get too hungry. But she said all the people she knew said they never got hungry while they were fasting.

She must have stronger friends than me or the people I know who fast because we all get hungry at some point. Some days, I’m hungrier than others. Some days I don’t feel hungry at all.

But in all honesty, getting hungry is a part of IF but being hungry won’t kill you! Of course, if you actually feel unwell that’s a different story. At that point you should break you fast and eat.

Today, I’m doing another long fast (36 hours plus depending on when I wake up on Tuesday morning. So I thought some of you might be interested in what goes on body and mind during a longer fast.

At 15 hours: I woke up at around 5: 30. A little bit hungry but not too bad. Mentally, I’m thinking…ooh, I have all day long without eating since I’m already a little hungry, but I really want to lose some weight so I’m going to do my best.

At 16 hours: I do my workout as usual. Walked on the treadmill for 40 minutes. Will do another workout later since I like to workout while I’m fasting. (Ended up working 23 more minutes on the teadmill and then a 30 minute walk with a friend.)

At 18 hours: My tummy’s feeling uncomfortable and my mind is telling me that there’s no way I’m going to get through the day without eating. So I have a little pink Himalayan salt and my black coffee. My stomach feels better so my mind feels better as well.

At 20 hours: Feeling good. No issues at the moment. But I’m reminded of the Bible verse that says don’t act like you’re fasting and miserable. So I took a bath, brushed my teeth, and combed my hair.

At 22 hours: I’m hungry! Drank some water. Didn’t help. I’m still hungry! It feels like it will never go away but my mind tells me that it will. Going to drink a little more water and some salt and hope that it goes away. Either way, I’m not quitting at this point. May have to make it a modified fast and eat a salad but I’m hoping not to have to do that. I really want to make it a true fast. We shall see.

NOTE: I went down drank some more water with a little bit of the salt. The hunger went away after about 15 minutes.

At 26 hours:  I’m comfortable at this point. Not really hungry and not focused on food or eating at the moment. I sat with my husband while he ate his supper, and it didn’t bother me at all. I had no problem with wanting to eat. So all is good for now!

At 30 hours: I was comfortable during the evening. If I felt a little hunger, I would drink a few sips of water and then I was good again. Going to bed a little early. When I wake up in the morning I can eat—YEAH!

Looking back on the day, I can see that I was at my hungriest point during my normal eating hours, which makes sense to me.

THOUGHTS: I can’t say that I’m “enjoying” my 36 plus fast. It’s tolerable. If I lose some weight, then it will be worth it. If not, I probably will go back to my old schedule and throw in some 24 hour fasts rather than 36 plus fasts or maybe I’ll try a modified fast (a 500-calorie meal is eaten at some point).

No matter whether I lose weight or not, a long fast reminds me that I’m in control of my life—not food. And that’s a good thing to remember.

 At 38.5 hours: I woke up at 5, which is my normal time to wake up. I slept fairly well—no dreams about food! I was surprised to discover that I wasn’t really hungry. Last week after I finished my 37 hour fast, I was famished. I definitely feel more in control this week.

I started my UP day with a cup of creamy coffee (no sugar—only Splenda) but no food. I ate about 2 ½ hours later when I started feeling hungry.

So the big question did I lose any weight? Yes, I did, but I was a little disappointed with the results. I lost 1 ½ pounds. Now during my WW days, I would be thrilled with a 1 ½ pound loss in one week, but I was hoping for at least 3 pounds. Still 1 ½ pounds in a week is very good for me.

What’s next? I’ll probably do a modified long fast next week. If I can lose a little weight that way, I’ll think it’s a more comfortable approach for me.

GOD BLESS & GOOD READING!