Trying to fast for 120 hours? Am I crazy? Why would I do such a thing? I’m not a monk or part of any group that is required to fast. I didn’t run out of food. I even spend most of my day preparing and selling food. The question is, however, do I have enough discipline to do a therapeutic fast for 5 days? I chose to fast because I believe it is really good for my health; it is an exercise in self-discipline, and as a side benefit, it will potentially remove that stubborn fat ring around my liver and my waist. Jason Fung, MD author of The Complete Guide to Fasting as well as other books on health is a strong advocate of fasting for healing and preventative health care. I’m going to do this thing and share it – the good, the bad, and even the ugly if it appears.
Wednesday: I ate a nice lunch with plenty of protein and a delicious salad. This is when, on a whim, I decided to fast for five days, “just for the health of it.” The rest of that day went great. I got home and fed the children some really good leftover chicken and vegetables and I drank an unsweetened tea. After that, went to the gym to get a good workout and run in. Sleep came quickly after I got home.
Thursday Morning: I should have not worked out so late because today has been somewhat ugly. I only got 4 hours of sleep. Note to self: get a good night’s sleep anytime you are fasting. I am really tired and everything looks delicious; however, I’m fasting. Let me tell you, combining tired and fasting is not a good idea. To make it worse, my in-laws were passing through and they bought pizza for the family (pizza is one of my favorites). Boy! Did I have trouble not eating pizza. Rather, I drank a hot chai tea without sweetener. I went to bed as soon as politely possible.
Friday Morning: A good night’s sleep made a difference. I had loads of energy, but by the end of the day it was gone. I got home and made soup for the family. I drank a glass of water and a swig of pickle juice. What did I do next? I filed my taxes! Then I went for a three-mile run. It was not pretty but I finished. It wasn’t even my worse time, could have been better but could have been much worse. I just want to know why I was thinking of fried and baked chicken my whole run.
Saturday: I had a much better day and a lot of energy especially after drinking my tea; however, I was a bit hungry all day long, which I believe is a side effect of working with food. I took my lunch break, but I read instead of eating and that helped. I’m thinking that watching a show or part of a movie might help as well. This time I was smart; before I left work. I ensured that my wife had already made dinner and fed the kids before I got home. I do not recommend this very often, especially for me because dinner is a social event and family time in my house. We always strive to sit down and have meals together, even if I get home around 7 or 8 p.m.
Everything was going good so far, but I did not feel like working out this night even though it was a workout day for me. However, I did want to test my strength and endurance during the fast so I pulled myself up and went to the gym; did my pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, plus other exercises, and completed a 2.5 mile run. All I can say is that it went okay. I did not break any of my records, but I did much better than a few months ago. Burning calories that I have not eaten while fasting seems to have turbocharged some of the effects for the fast. I worked out, got home, made 3 dozen pickled eggs and did the necessary hygiene activities with plenty of energy, then fell asleep rather quickly. Part two of this column will be published next week in the February 20, 2019 edition.
