Today I finish something I never thought I would do! I decided the other day that I would do a longer fast to see how it goes. I was aiming for 72 hours due to the health benefits associated with it, but I ended up going for 90 hours! Here is what I learned!
Fasting for 72 hours, according to Dr. Mindy Pelz, has many benefits. These benefits include a gut reset, fat burning, dopamine reset, and immune reset. A longer than 72 hour fast also has anti-aging abilities where stem cells regenerate. For more information, check out her YouTube channel or her book, Fast Like a Girl.
During my fast, I consumed only water. I did drink mineral water at different points and some Himalayan salt water as well.
Image by Michael Tavrionov from Pixabay
I was surprised how little I felt hungry. It came and went, really. I often would think that I should be feeling hungry, but I really wasn't. I got hungriest when I made lunch for my kids as this is when I regularly make myself a protein shake.
Mentally I struggled the most I believe. I made spaghetti for the family last night and it SMELLED SO GOOD! I really wanted a bite of it...or even the salad! I set a goal and stuck to it which was the best thing I could do. Without a goal, I would have stopped earlier I believe because my mind was ready for it to be over!
I didn't tell many people that I was fasting and my kids didn't even realize it. I've been playing with my fasting times recently and it's hard for them to keep up. Ha! I wanted it to be something that I did and not something that others were encouraging me to do or checking up on me about.
On Monday morning, I walked 4 miles with a friend and it usually doesn't affect me. That day, it really did. I was extremely tired (I haven't been sleeping too well the last few nights either). That afternoon, around the 72 hour mark, I started to feel better, more alert, and less exhausted. This was probably the most difficult day, but I pushed through knowing I had a goal I hoped to reach.
Image by No-longer-here from Pixabay
The reason I did this fast was to see if I could do it. I feel like I have pretty strong willpower when it comes to fasting and I wanted to challenge myself. I don't plan to do another fast this long for a while. Dr. Pelz recommends once or twice a year for a 3-5 day water fast.
I didn't intend to, but I started my fast on Friday afternoon around 4:00. Dinner at Bible study was really terrible, so it was easy to skip! Ha! I enjoyed Saturday morning the most. I turned on some of my favorite Christian songs and cleaned up around the house. Once the fast went longer than my previously longest ever fast (42 hours), it started to be mentally tougher!
I am glad I did it as I pushed myself mentally, saw some results, and proved to myself that it was possible. If you've ever contemplated doing a longer fast, I highly recommend you give it a try!
