I Tried a 24-hour Fast and Here's What Happened
Why? One word:
Curiosity.
I wanted to see what would happen. There’s so much conflicting information on what's right- is Intermittent Fasting the best diet? Is it Veganism? Paleo? Any quick Googling will get you at least 10 articles arguing both for and against whichever one.
A few years ago I became certified by Precision Nutrition as a Level 1 nutrition coach. I’d wanted to take the course for years. It's internationally recognized, it's inclusive to numerous cultures, people and backgrounds, and they're always updating their content based on science.
Hard facts.
Data.
No gimmicks or sales pitches.
I knew I could trust them, and I want to be a coach that people can trust, too.
PN also put out an ebook about Fasting and Intermittent Fasting, and I wanted to read this ebook so that when clients have questions about it, I can tell them hard facts.
Not anecdotes or rushed researching.
I'm not going to touch on IF (Intermittent Fasting) now because there's too much to write. Instead I'm going to focus on the 24-hour fast. A few things struck me about what was said in the ebook:
People often become fearful at the idea of not eating for 24hrs because of what "might happen" how they "might feel".
You will feel hungry, but it goes away.
People are already on Intermittent Fasting schedules and it's called sleep.
People confuse mental hunger and physical hunger. Fasting can help an individual identify the difference which can be powerful in their relationship with food.
Observant Muslims whose fasting health markers were tracked during the month of Ramadan, where fasting generally takes place from sunrise to sunset, had less inflammation and better overall markers of health like blood sugar.
This intrigued me. I’d tried fasting before and convinced myself it was stupid and I was "too hangry" to continue.
So I decided literally while reading that section of the ebook that I'd start a 24hr fast right then and there.
Now, I feel I have to say this- please don't start new diets without getting cleared by a medical professional. I've had bloodwork done recently. I know my hormone levels are balanced. I know I will be okay trying something like this for a day.
So, what happened? Well, on a completely empty stomach save for some water and a scoop of greens supplements I:
Went to work
Got a walk in
Got a good workout in
Thought about food, and realized the hunger did come and go.
Thought about what food would taste like much more in depth when I saw photos of it.
Pooped normally the next day (this one surprised me!)
Was much more conscious about the food in my first meal. I wanted to make sure it was something that would fuel me well after not eating.
Consciously ate and drank slower when I returned to normal. I didn't want to upset my stomach so staying mindful was a good way to ensure I didn't eat too quickly.
Thought about the fact that some people don't get the choice and privilege to fast. For some people fasting and feeling hunger is daily life.
I did feel hungry, but I also felt mostly okay.
I felt as energized as I normally do for a workout which was interesting to me because of how much pressure I think we can put on ourselves about "fueling up" to work out. I slept pretty well, too!
Overall, I don't know if I'll make fasting a regular part of my routine. I personally could see how consistent, long-term fasting might not be the best thing for fueling my athletic performance, so it really depends on what your goals are and how active you are.
I now know I can go 24 hours without food, and I can feel okay about it, and it definitely changed my perspective and relationship with food even in the short-term.
Thanks for reading, I hope this was helpful in some way! If you have more questions, shoot me an e-mail.