Should You Try a 48H Fast?
Fasting is no easy feat but it is a hot topic now days. When I first heard about fasting I thought it was as crazy, maybe like you did as well. I couldn’t imagine skipping breakfast or not eating for so long, sometimes this still sounds difficult for me. Soon enough I began introducing intermittent fasting into my daily diet. Intermittent fasting introduces eating for a 8-Hour duration and 16-Hours with no food or calories besides water, black coffee or tea (think under 50 calories).
I quickly saw the mental and physical differences after implementing intermittent fasting and now we’re here, discussing a 48H fast. I challenged myself to complete a 48-Hour fast in November 2019. Obviously, I was scared I would fail to do the full 48H or would be faint status. But I survived and here to tell the story. I’m going to keep it short for you and break it down, I 100% recommend you know what’s best for your body and if this would be something you could implement for health benefits.
Why I wanted to Fast
I was starting to see the trend on social media, my friends and family!
Resets your brain and body
You become less “food motivated” and remember food is fuel NOT pleasure ~ not all the time
I was feeling so bloated, tired and run down from my food ~ think too many carbs
It was a goal and I wanted to complete it
What I did during the 48H Fast
I drank only water, 2 Kombucha’s ~ technically this is over the 50 calorie rule but the carbonation and flavor helped me get through 2 workdays while doing the fast.
I maintained a normal day-to-day for the 48H ~ meaning I went to work, worked out, met friends for dinner, etc. - don’t change your whole day just because of a fast
Stayed busy because I knew habitual hunger would set in - nearing lunch time you may see this as well
Only experienced habitual hunger at noon on the first day ~ this is me every day so nothing new. My body is used to being fed around noon so it will habitually be expecting food.
My Experience ~ Everyone’s is Unique
I felt hyper-focused on day 2, my brain was wired and worked fast all day
I really didn’t think about food except the given lunch times while my friends or co-workers were eating
My body become de-bloated almost on Day 2 and I was finally feeling myself again
I stopped becoming food motivated ~ “Only 2 more hours until lunch” wasn’t my thought any more
Felt refreshed, restarted and also looking forward to my next meal ~ let’s be real
My Takeaways/Suggestions I Will Use for Future Fasts
Eat a big meal the night before and start the fast in the morning ~ that’s an easy 8 hours passed while you’re sleeping!
Personally, I will NOT have any caffeine as I’m super sensitive to caffeine ~ even 2 sips of coffee on day 2 had me feeling like I was hallucinating at work
Try to not drink 2 Kombucha’s as there’s sugar although the carbonation helped curve my appetite and I don’t like sparkling water
Stay busy and active the two days ~ don’t sit around or do it on a weekend, we spend more time eating than you think!
Do it with an accountability partner ~ challenge a friend and do it together!
Do your RESEARCH & see if this is good for you!
Try intermittent fasting before you do a longer duration fast
Overall, I was impressed I lasted as long as I did and my next goal is a 72-Hour fast so that’s coming next month! I was SHOCKED at how many friends I had that participated in fasting in their day-to-day or ever so often. Do your research and try it out if you think this is something you could benefit from for health and mental clarity!
