Honestly, all the buzz about resting your digestive system made me start my IF journey – however, I started with 14 hours of fasting. I gradually took it up to 16 hours to test how it worked. And I won’t be lying that post the initial hiccup, I actually got used to it. That’s when I heard a fitness instructor recommending a 3-day water fast – an extreme form of IF. While 3 days sounded a lot, I decided to try it for 2 days and here is how it went.
Since I was used to fasting for close to 16 hours, my body was working fine until then. But once I crossed 18 hours, I started feeling ravenous, wanting to eat something but I resisted the urge. Some time later I started experiencing a mild headache. I kept on sipping on water and went off to get some snooze time. The first day was tough, and I did have a cup of black coffee to keep myself going.
By the second day, the hunger was tolerable and subsequently, even the discomfort was gone. I was surprised that my mid day, I was feeling generally fine. In fact it was a big feat to know that I hadn’t eaten anything for the past 38 hours! I was low on energy but high on motivation.
By hour 45, I was already thinking about what I would eat once the 48-hour period gets over. I had read somewhere that one should never break an extended fasting period by binging on unhealthy foods so I prepped a healthy meal with chicken, vegetables and a small portion of rice. Overall it went great and it felt like I gave my metabolic system a boost. I am planning to do it soon again, how about you?
Disclaimer: If you are planning to try it, I would advise you to consult a nutritionist or your doctor as this may turn out to be extreme for some.
Written by Pooja Sharma Kaur
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