Full on 24 hr+ fasts are taking root outside of biohacking communities, though still much skepticism and misinformation casts those breaking away from the common modus operandi of incessant grazing as a cult fad.
While I'm not an early adopter of this emerging lifehack, I can attest that it isn't a fad - this is the real deal. My last 4 day fast 2 months ago was absolutely life changing, and I'm excited to experience the amazing benefits again.
If you're looking for the best lifestyle change you can make to maximize your performance, bar none fasting is it. Insulin sensitivity improvements and a healthier relationship with food doesn't even scratch the surface when it comes to how important this neglected natural process is to our existence.
I'll be doing a 1 week fast this time.
My last meal was 24 hrs ago, it was keto friendly Chipotle take out featuring chicken/steak/avacado/cheese/sour cream. This puts still puts me in the OMAD (one meal a day) context and isn't too unfamiliar for many who practice intermittent fasting. It won't really be until tomorrow and onward that I'm in unfamiliar territory for many living well off in first world countries.
I feel great and I'm ready to have an incredibly productive work day tomorrow.
I'm not fasting for fat loss, though it is the best way to lose fat while minimizing lean mass loss and I used it for that successfully before, the big attraction for me is the productivity and health benefits. It is for this reason I don't look at the scale, snap photos, or worry about the changes its having in my body composition... that isn't my focus. I find it distracting and tangential to real reward of this exercise.
I won't be getting too far ahead with the strength training and exercise post fast, I'll leave this post short and sweet. I'm excited about it, but focusing on the now is more important than over planning and underachieving.
I'll be doing daily updates with as much detail as possible about how I'm feeling and how much I'm getting done. Frankly you have so much more time to do whatever you want while fasting it can be taxing for that reason alone, so blogging will be a fun way to maximize the extra hours and provide insight into what you can expect while fasting.
Lastly, I will be entirely honest if I cheat or quit. It doesn't do anyone any good to lie about this type of thing. I was planning on going longer than 4 days last time, but lack of sleep on the 4th night dissuaded me from continuing. If I have serious sleep loss I can't justify continuing so that will be a big thing I'm monitoring and trying to improve at this time.
That's all I have to say for today.
I look forward raising awareness about fasting on steemit and helping others find motivation to really consider it - even if you think you have no will power, anyone can do it with the right preparation and mindset, and you'll feel incredible for having done it.
Sources
Extended Reading
Jason Fung and Valter Longo are your main windows in this world. I'll compile a lot of the pertinent information at the conclusion of this fast as I'll be encouraging others to join me, for now I'll leave you with some food for thought -
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/fasting-and-muscle-mass-fasting-part-14/
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Fasting-Intermittent-Alternate-Day/dp/1628600012
Communities & Resources
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zero-fasting-tracker/id1168348542?mt=8
https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/
https://wefa.st/
