{"id":5618,"date":"2019-10-21T01:00:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T01:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/?p=5618"},"modified":"2023-01-30T12:20:04","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T12:20:04","slug":"my-first-two-day-fasting-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifehackerguy.com\/my-first-two-day-fasting-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"My First Two-Day Fasting Experience – 40-hours Without Food"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mention to anyone you have just completed a two-day fast and the reaction is pretty much the same. Why? What compels anyone to go without food for two days purposely?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Rather amusingly, well for me, is that most people are surprised you are still standing after going without food for two days! It just goes to show living in an environment where there is plenty of food, how the prospect of not eating is considered weird.<\/p>\n

The fact is it\u2019s really not that difficult, or at least it wasn\u2019t for me.<\/p>\n

I have followed an intermittent fasting schedule ever since I began my 90-day fat belly challenge back in July 2019. Because I follow an 18 \/ 6 meal pattern, this meant I was used to not eating for mostly 18 hours each day \u2013 for 3 months.<\/p>\n

This article is going to look at why I did a two-day fast in the place, the experience during and after, the benefits of two-day fasts, and what to watch out for.<\/p>\n

\"Empty<\/p>\n

Why Did I Fast for 40-hours?<\/h2>\n

This seems like the most logical place to start.<\/p>\n

I have been reading about intermittent fasting and the benefits of longer periods of fasting since following this meal timing protocol for the last 3 months.<\/p>\n

Although I am keen to lose body fat and lose the fat belly and moobs, there are many significant benefits for extended periods of fasting. I discuss more these in benefits of extended fasting<\/a> below.<\/p>\n

I have to admit that I was keen to see if I could even last 40-plus hours of fasting. My lifestyle is pretty comfortable since living life as an expat in Malaysia<\/a>, so I want to challenge myself more and put myself into uncomfortable situations \u2013 this certainly counts as one of them, but the question is how much of a challenge would it be?<\/p>\n

Why 40-hours?<\/h3>\n

I want to answer with a scientific answer supporting 40 hours as the magic number. <\/p>\n

The simple fact is I was thinking I would do a 48-hour fast but the logistics of this made it a little tricky. Aside from I wanted to make sure I suffered no side effects (see below).<\/p>\n

As it was my first multi-day fast, I considered 40 hours long enough.<\/p>\n

Check out why I started intermittent fasting in my articles on my fat belly challenge here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A quick cautionary word<\/h2>\n

It goes without saying that the content contained in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered in any way medical or health advice.<\/p>\n

Long periods of fasting are not for everyone!<\/strong> <\/p>\n

There can be side effects, some can be serious depending on your health. If in doubt, it\u2019s best to check with your physician. Doing an intermittent fast may be more suitable.<\/p>\n

If you have any pre-existing medical condition always consult your medical professional first before doing extended periods of fasting.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

How to Start a 40-hour fast?<\/h2>\n

Before I started my 40-hour fast, I did some research online – I know this can be dangerous, considering the amount of information out there. But I only looked at trusted sources like Healthline and WebMD for fasting advice (see references below).<\/p>\n

Getting started is really simple, as you basically avoid eating (or drinking anything with calories) for 48 hours. <\/p>\n

What can really help with preparing for an extended fast is practicing intermittent fasting frequently.<\/strong> I have been an 18 \/ 6 intermittent fasting protocol for over 3 months now and so used to no food for 17-18 hours each and every day! <\/p>\n

My typical intermittent fasting schedule is below.<\/p>\n

\"My<\/p>\n

Whilst the concept is straightforward forward it\u2019s worth noting what is possible to do during extended fasting. Most people don\u2019t realize that you can actually drink zero-calorie fluids other than water, such as black tea and coffee. Importantly though you cannot add milk to your tea or coffee.<\/p>\n

You won't struggle with this if you\u2019re used to drinking black tea and coffee. I used to be a milk tea and coffee drinker for 20-plus years but now very rarely drink milk. I found it only takes a few days to get used to drinking without milk \u2013 worth a go if you want to reduce or avoid dairy!<\/p>\n

Importance of staying hydrated<\/h2>\n

\"Himalayan<\/a>One important point about fasting is to ensure you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Be aware that if you drink a lot of black tea and coffee, you may need to drink even more water to compensate for their diuretic effects.<\/p>\n

To ensure I get some electrolytes when fasting I put a few pinches of Himalayan rock salt into 600ml of warm water a couple of times per day. There is no need to go for any supplements or rehydrating electrolyte sachets here, this is a cheaper and easier solution.<\/p>\n

You may notice the fancy bottle I use in the picture. This is a Joseph Joseph dot hydration tracking water bottle (you can find this on Amazon<\/a> for around $16<\/strong>) and is useful for keeping track of how many times you finish your water. After filling the bottle, you twist the lid, and a new dot appears. <\/p>\n

One important point about fasting is to ensure you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. You will certainly want to drink more than you would normally.<\/strong><\/div>\n

The idea is you make sure to drink at least four bottles worth of water per day. I find that I instead use this for tracking now as I always drink plenty of fluid each day (4-6 times).<\/p>\n

You will certainly want to drink more than you would normally. There is also the added benefit of drinking water, helping you to feel full.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benefits of Extended Fasting<\/h2>\n

With the popularity of intermittent fasting, more awareness of the benefits of extended fasts has become known.<\/p>\n

Really delving into the benefits of fasting for 24 hours or longer highlights really compelling research that is difficult to ignore. Especially if you are following an intermittent fasting meal schedule.<\/p>\n

The most profound benefits of extended fasting come from two things, the first of which you may already be familiar with: ketosis and the cellular cleansing pathway of autophagy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am familiar with ketosis, but autophagy was new to me – I won't go too deep into what this is as an excellent article explaining autophagy is here<\/a>. In short, the easiest definition of autophagy is;<\/p>\n

a metabolic process during which cells disassemble and remove their dysfunctional componentssource<\/a><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Scientifically Proven Fasting Benefits<\/h3>\n