How to Start Eating Again After 5 Days of Barely Eating
I didn't eat nutrient for v days, here's what happened
Notes, questions, answers and diary entries from my outset five day fast (120-hours consuming water only).
Last year I did 4 days, this year it's five days. Who knows, maybe in 25 years I'll be going a month at a fourth dimension (probably not).
Thinking almost trying your own extended fast? Well, you're about to dive into the article/diary/question and answer manner documentation of my starting time 5 solar day fast.
I've started past answering some of the questions I would've liked to have known before starting a 5 day fast so finished with a twenty-four hours by 24-hour interval journal entry and some extra resources y'all might want to check out to acquire more.
Disclaimer: What you're virtually to read is not medical communication, only anecdotal stories from my experience during my showtime five twenty-four hours fast, I am not a doctor. If you're unsure about anything, seek professional person medical advice.
Video documentary
Desire to sentry it happen?
There's a video diary/mini documentary to go along with this post. It captures a few of the emotions and day to 24-hour interval activities Sam (my little brother) and I got up to throughout the v days.
Rapid fire questions
Why did y'all do a 5 twenty-four hours fast?
Aside from the plethora of health benefits, the master reason was to meet what information technology was like to go five days without food.
If you had told me 3-years-ago, I'd accept gone 5 days without food an operated almost as normal, I'd take told you to f*ck off.
How did y'all beginning the v mean solar day fast?
Since I decided to fast from Mon to Fri, my terminal meal was Sunday night. I kept information technology low carbohydrate (craven and greens).
The idea here is to lower the amount of excess glycogen your body stores and so you tin enter ketosis faster, unremarkably 1 of the hardest parts of an extended fast is switching from using glycogen as a primary fuel source to using ketones.
On Mon morning I went for a long walk (90+ minutes but could've been longer) to continue to burn down off excess glycogen.
High intensity practice on the beginning morning would also exist a expert idea.
How much weight did you lose during the fast?
My average weight across the five days were as follows:
- Day 1: 74.85kg (165.0lbs)
- Day ii: 73.30kg (161.6lbs)
- Day 3: 72.90kg (160.7lbs)
- Day 4: 72.60kg (160.0lbs)
- Day 5: 71.80kg (158.3lbs)
- 24-hour interval 6 (1 day post fast): 71.42kg (157.4lbs)
- Mean solar day 12 (1 calendar week post fast): 71.78kg (158.2lbs)
I've put averages because I'd normally counterbalance in the lightest upon first waking up and going to the toilet. Then throughout the day every bit I drank h2o, my weight would go upwardly.
What did y'all swallow during the fast?
Water, water with sprinkles of sea salt (2-3 sprinkles at a time, I never measured information technology), sparkling water, ice and standard magnesium tablets (2 per dark on days 2, 3, 4).
Did you exercise during the fast?
Aye. Every morn started with a ho-hum, below stressful walk.
On night 1, I played touch football for xl-minutes. And and then on days 2, 4 and 5, I lifted weights and went to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training.
For weight lifting, I stuck with compound movements such as deadlifts, pull-ups, demote press and walking lunges. The volume and weights were about seventy-80% of what I'd usually do, twenty-25 minutes maximum.
Getting started was a picayune deadening but once the blood was flowing, I felt incredible.
During the fast, I ever felt the best afterwards exercising.
What was the hardest part about the fast?
I started the five days with a friend and my little brother, and halfway through day 3 my friend stopped and then on the night of mean solar day three, my piddling brother stopped.
Of course, stopping is perfectly fine, you can stop at any time. But I knew I wasn't going to.
I think the fact I knew I'd just just crossed halfway and the 2 people I'd started with stopped played around with my caput. So I took a nap and connected.
Missing out on meal time rituals is also a difficult role. Eating food with family and having a meal later a conditioning or as a reward for finishing a task is among my three favourite things in the world to do. Sitting downwardly with the family whilst they swallow dinner and you lot sip h2o is besides an interesting experience.
How did yous spend time during the fast?
A lot of fourth dimension is spent doing nothing. Yous'd exist surprised how much fourth dimension you spend eating. Between shopping for food, meal preparation, sitting down to eat and cleaning up. When you're fasting, none of this happens. Then I found myself with plenty of time on my easily.
Post lunchtime naps became a affair. I'd normally spend the morn reading, writing, studying or coding (how I ordinarily spend the forenoon), conditioning around lunch and then accept an afternoon siesta, get up and do a niggling more reading or work and stop the day with an afternoon walk or another training session.
Information technology was also cool to written report the information offered past the Zero Fasting app whilst I was going through the fast. The app updates every bit you enter different stages and tells you about each ane. Each 24-hour interval I institute myself reading the blog posts and watching the videos on the app telling me about what was going on within.
How were your concentration levels during the fast?
I tried to keep the five days as normal. Pregnant, I'd practice all the regular things I do: reading, coding, writing. I plant little to no modify in my cognitive abilities. If anything, I was able to concentrate more than since I had more free fourth dimension.
What did you break the fast with?
A black angus sirloin steak seasoned with salt.
I'd read on the Nix Fasting app, later an extended fast, you want to break it with a simple food, for example only 1 kind of food rather than multiple.
And if yous feel fine later eating only one kind of nutrient, yous can start introducing more.
An hour later breaking the fast with steak, I felt great, so I ate some salad and almond butter.
I tin confirm: hunger is the best seasoning (even though I wasn't hungry).
What was your sleep like?
On a previous fast my sleep was interrupted but this i was different. I noticed no major changes to my sleep. Peradventure the magnesium tablets before bed helped out.
I did observe myself waking upward a lilliputian more dehydrated than usual, which meant getting out of a bed was a petty harder.
What were your blood ketone measurements?
I only started measuring blood ketones at the terminate of day 2, which is virtually when ketosis starts to kick in.
My measurements ranged from a minimum of 0.2mmol/L on the night of twenty-four hours 2 to a maximum of 3.4mmol/L on the morning time of day 4 to 2.1mmol/50 simply before breaking the fast.
Dissimilar last year, I didn't measure blood glucose levels.
What was going to the toilet like without eating anything?
Uneventful. Not much happened. I missed the toilet upwards until the forenoon of day 4 and twenty-four hours 5.
Did you ever get hungry?
Just on day one lunchtime and day ii lunchtime, just even then, it felt like existence hungry out of habit (I usually only consume lunch and dinner) rather than actually existence hungry.
It's counterintuitive, simply the further you go along, the less hungry yous become. It turns out the hunger hormone Ghrelin (the signal which tells your body you're hungry) drops to levels close to that of afterward a repast after ~72-hours.
I felt the least hungry after training or exercise. Fifty-fifty at the terminate of day v, after finishing a Jiu Jitsu session, I didn't experience hungry at all.
What was the best function about the fast?
Feeling in tune with nature. It'due south indescribable but I felt as if I had nowhere to be and naught to do, completely at peace but likewise set to hunt if I had to. My cardinal instincts began to kick in.
Would you lot do information technology again?
Yes. 24-hours at to the lowest degree 1-2 times per month and 3-5 days (maybe longer) at to the lowest degree in one case per year.
Journal entry
I took notes throughout and at the end of each day to describe how I was feeling. I've copied them unedited here.
Twenty-four hour period 1 – Monday 28th September 2020
- Kickoff ever 5 mean solar day fast. Started after dinner on Sunday. Woke up this morning feeling peachy. Went for a long walk with Sam. Sam & Dave & Chop are all doing it. Information technology'southward going to be cool to encounter how they feel forth the way.
- Took progress photos and weighed in this morning, 74.8kg, a practiced starting betoken for me every bit I decided non to go as well much over 75kg again.
- 1030pm. At the end of day ane now and laying in bed feeling great. Had a nap during the day but I recall that was mostly to get rid of the actress caffeine. I retrieve I'll exercise an extended fast at least once per twelvemonth.
- The other boys said they feeling it. Their bodies must not be every bit adjusted as mine is to being without food for a longer flow of time. Sam & Dave were really hungry. Dave even called me and said he was thinking of quitting. I'chiliad glad he didn't. If he pulls through he's going to exist a changed man. I will exist too.
- I'one thousand in more for the mental game than the concrete game. Merely to know I can become 5 days without nutrient if I needed to. I've done information technology before. Practicing for the worst case scenario.
- Fourth dimension for bed. I'm feeling excellent. A little tired just that's normal. I wonder how this night's sleep volition go. Going to endeavour and go along tomorrow as a normal day and do the things I usually would.
Day ii – Tuesday 29th September 2020
- Woke upwards a little later. Felt more tired so usual. Worked out afterwards going to the bathroom it was from being dehydrated. Had a few sprinkles of salt in water and started feeling better.
- Went for a walk with Sam and the dogs along the forepart. Sam told me he usually wakes up hungry but not so much today. Then we went back to the Nest and he weighed in 1.9kg less (102.1kg to 100.2kg) and I weighed in 1.8kg less as well, 74.9kg to 73.1kg.
- Worked on a newsletter (you don't need permission) and got it published today with no dramas. No real lack of concentration. Could keep working without intermission.
- Feels like my haemorrhoid is shrinking (the 1 from getting high-strung the fuck out at my concluding BJJ comp). Hasn't been every bit much of a burden today. Maybe considering I haven't taken a shit all the same and whipping my ass hasn't aggravated it.
- Haven't taken a shit yet. Maybe my trunk is arresting all of the nutrients it had and is waiting until absolutely necessary before going to the toilet.
- Picked upwardly Ketone and blood glucose meter from home and going to examination my levels after BJJ.
- Sam and I went to gym and had a tiresome start only eventually when the blood got moving nosotros ended upward with a great whole trunk session: incline bench press, deadlifts, lat pull downs/pull-ups and shoulder press.
- Never really felt hungry today except for around lunchtime (when we went to the gym) only I feel this was once more out of habit rather than out of a need for nutrient.
- Had a nap this afternoon which went on longer than I thought. Felt a footling tuckered and it was as if my body was recharging itself. Later getting up I felt incredible. No hunger just a constant catamenia of energy.
- These kind of naps might be caffeine exiting my body. I find I have these kind of naps within a couple of days of giving up caffeine. Nearly like my body is rediscovering its natural energy levels.
- Overall feeling: cracking, except missing the ritual of nutrient, information technology makes itself known effectually meal times. All other times it's fine.
- Going to wake upward and be over halfway. That's heady. All downhill from there.
Day 3 – Wednesday xxx September
- Woke up and stayed in bed for a picayune while. Felt tired but later realised that was considering of dehydration. Woke up and had some salt in water then felt great.
- Went for a walk with Dad, Dave, Telarni, Wylder, Savannah and the dogs in the forenoon. Was hot and then felt a picayune lacklustre after that. Nosotros talked about Tangalooma while walking and all of the ballsy feeds we're going to have over there. Not a expert idea to talk well-nigh feasting whilst you're in the middle of a fast.
- Did some writing when we got domicile then laid downward for a nap. Once again feeling a trivial drained simply nothing over the top. Was more cold than any other day today. Had to get a hoodie and a blanket to have a slumber. After waking up had a long hot shower and felt better.
- Finished the writing project I started in the forenoon in the afternoon. Had a keen level of concentration. Knew I needed to get it washed earlier the end of today. 1000+ words on the best auto learning resources I've establish in the by calendar month.
- Dave broke his fast around midday today. Sent through a video. It broke my heart. He sent through that he was feeling great this morn. Must've been the walk that inverse it.
- Sam bankrupt his fast around 5:30pm at The Total Moon Hotel with a steak. He said he'd been feeling stressed all day thinking most food. That'south not how you lot want to experience. After eating he felt great and came dwelling and cooked dinner for the family.
- When nosotros bought supplies for dinner, I walked through the supermarket with Sam and felt in a complete land of zen. I didn't demand food and my energy levels were perfect. It was as if I was a monk. I enjoyed that feeling.
- Sitting at home with the family for dinner, food was tempting but I looked on and enjoyed their company. I've said to myself I'yard going the total five days, then I'm going to become the full 5 days.
- Measured my claret ketones tonight and came in at 3.3mmol/L, deep into ketosis.
- Overall feeling: Nifty. I'1000 in chill mode. free energy levels aren't blasting through the roof just they aren't extremely low either. I don't feel hungry only I practice feel the longing for the feeling of sitting down for a meal with others. That'll come on Friday.
- Time to sleep through the next 8-9 hours or then of this fast and wake up being a step closer. I'yard not trying to hurry it up, best to enjoy the process to laugh about it later.
Day 4 – 1 October 2020
- Woke upwardly this morning and did the outset shit of this entire journey. It wasn't much. Not solid, non liquid but something.
- Weighed in at 71.9kg before drinking some table salt in water.
- Seems to be a common theme: waking up dehydrated.
- Went for a walk with Sam and Slick, turned around earlier than usual considering it was getting hot.
- Went to java with Josh, Sam and Slick, I sipped lemongrass tea and soda water whilst they had coffees. Felt fine. Cypher hunger.
- Speaking of zero hunger, I've had zero hunger all day. Very counterintuitive.
- Blood ketones were at iii.3mmol/L this morning and 0.9mmol/L this evening after preparation.
- Went to gym with Sam during lunchtime and we got a nifty pump. He said he was feeling amazing after breaking his fast the mean solar day earlier and and so having nutrient in his system during the conditioning. Was and then stoked to run into him enjoying it as much equally he was. Did some bench printing, deadlift, shoulder printing, pullups and finished with biceps and triceps. Felt incredible after. The pump is the cure.
- Had a nap after going to gym. Then woke upwards with plenty of energy and did some reading before taking care of same email and replying to my students.
- Trained BJJ in the evening. Had a few rolls and felt full of energy. Non certain anyone would've noticed I hadn't eaten in iv days. Hell, I didn't even really notice.
- Home later tonight yawning my skull off. I'm in uncharted territory now. This is officially the longest I've ever gone without food. I'grand going to wake up with around 12-hours to get.
- I feel similar a kid going to sleep knowing it'due south his birthday tomorrow.
- Overall feeling: Excited and proud of the by few days. It'due south been a great bonding experience with Sam too. I'grand and then thankful for his help. I'm getting the feeling of being in tune with everything over again. A calmness I oasis't experienced many times before. Perhaps that'due south not the example externally, Sam said I've been angry the past few days. That's not how I feel internally though. All I know is, I'k lucky to have such a groovy little brother and friend.
Twenty-four hours 5 – ii October 2020
- Woke upward feeling the all-time I've felt in the concluding few days. Plenty of energy. Zero hunger. Pocket-sized dehydration. A few sprinkles of salt and h2o fixed information technology.
- Took a shit for the second time in 5 days. It was close to liquid. Might have been the magnesium tablets I had last night (2 x high strength magnesium, I'm not certain what else they've got in them), I read somewhere too much magnesium can give you diarrhoea.
- Walked forth the waterfront with Slick and the puppies. No one's out because everyone is abroad on schoolhouse holidays. Enjoyed the quiet and reflected on the deep sense of calm I've been feeling. It's difficult to put into words. Merely for the by twenty-hours or so, I've felt more than in the at present than I tin can recollect feeling.
- Spending the mean solar day as usual: studying, writing, moving.
- Going to collect dinner for tonight, the coiffure are coming circular for steak night. I'chiliad excited but I don't need to eat (I know I eventually practise). If I kept feeling like this, I could keep going.
- Had a nap during lunchtime. That seems to exist the tradition now.
- Wrote some code and replied to emails in the afternoon.
- Went to gym with Sam at iv:30pm and did a elementary weightlifting session: dumbbell rows, demote press, overhead press, weighted lunges.
- Came domicile from gym and prepared dinner.
- Went to BJJ and had a great session, rolled with Jaz and Billy. Was questioned by Jaz how I had so much energy. Brooke (Jaz'due south friend) asked what was hard, I told her the aforementioned affair I told the guy who asked me on Twitter: I missed the ritual of eating food with family and friends, that'south one of my favourite things in the world to do.
- Cooked dinner after BJJ, steaks, broccolini, broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, Dave and Telarni bought over a Greek Salad.
- Concluded the fast on the Zero app and took a bite of steak. Information technology melted in my oral fissure. Wasn't hungry at all but later I took a bike the switch flipped and I remembered how expert it is to swallow food.
- What an experience. Feeling jacked after having a meal. Weighed in at 11:00pm the lightest I've been in a while: 71.7kg, lean and shredded.
- This volition be a regular affair every twelvemonth.
Progress photos
Every forenoon of the fast, including the morning after breaking the fast, we took progress shots. My goal wasn't weight loss or any kind of major body changes but it was cool to see everything tighten up.
Resource to learn more
If you want to learn more about fasting, its benefits and what happens during extended periods without food, I'd recommend the following resources.
- All of Jason Fung's articles – Jason is a Nephrologist who specializes in type 2 diabetes reversal and intermittent fasting. His works discussing the physiology of fasting are world class.
- Zero Fasting app/website – Alongside using the app's main characteristic: a countdown timer. I found myself reading and watching Zilch's educational manufactures and videos on fasting near every 24-hour interval. It was cool to learn about what was (supposedly) happening to my trunk as I was experiencing it.
- four-24-hour interval fasting article and video – Last year I did my showtime extended fast (iv days), aside from existence longer, the primary divergence between that 1 and this one was the lack of caffeine consumption. During the iv solar day fast, I had black coffee in the morning, during the v day fast, I didn't have any caffeine. You can read the commodity version or watch the documentary.
If you take any questions or would like to know more, feel complimentary to inquire.
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Source: https://www.mrdbourke.com/5-day-fast/