Hello there, have you ever fasted? If you have, have you gone 24hours without a meal? Well, I went 72 hours without food!!! Typing this out is even weird. I never thought I could do it but I did and I’m sharing my experience in this post.
A water fast is a deliberate attempt to change ones relationship with food. Oftentimes, we eat because it’s time to eat or we are bored not because we are hungry.
Fasting all day without eating anything after in the evening seemed like a challenge for me. I don’t eat much normally, but I love to snack and the fact that I wouldn’t be able to for 72 hours bothered me so much. I had never done anything like this but when I researched, I found out that some people have gone for as long as 10 days without food. This motivated me.
According to a research conducted at University of Southern California, fasting for three days can not only boost one’s immune system but also regenerate it. Starving the body kickstarts stem cells into producing new white blood cells which helps to fight off potential infections. This is good enough reason for anyone to try this.
I’m always hoping to try something new and I’m happy this water fast has been added to the list. For the fast I used the following;
-Bitters
-Lots of Water
-Lemon Juice(2 fresh lemons)
-Ginger
-Cameroon Pepper
-Organic Tea( Matcha, Peppermint, Licorice)
-Zero(fasting tracker app)
DAY 1
I woke up feeling normal. It was a Monday and I usually do a dry fast on Mondays for 19hours so I was all good.
7pm: I broke my dry fast with lemon juice infused water.
9pm: I had a cup of peppermint tea
10pm: I felt a little wobbly and light headed when I smelt my brother’s meal. I decided to drink lots of water.
I went to bed really early before 11pm cos I decided to sleep off my cravings.
DAY2
I slept well considering I didn’t eat for a whole day.
8AM: I started my day with two tablespoons of bitters.
9AM: I felt a little woozy and light headed. I thought I was gonna collapse. The funny thing is my tommy didn’t hurt but I just didn’t feel right. I managed to brew ginger tea and I added some cameroon pepper in the mix. After I had a few sips, I felt a vibration within me like I was pumped with energy. I decided to go get ready for my meeting.
2pm: I felt fine and kept sipping water.
4pm: I felt like snacking. I really wanted to put something in my mouth so bad. I just drank water which sustained me for some time.
7pm: I had a burst of energy from somewhere I don’t know. I had more strength than I ever had since the beginning of the fast and I caught myself jumping up and down.
8pm: I really felt like snacking bad so bad so I had another cup of licorice tea. It made me forget about putting something in my mouth for a few hours.
9pm: I still felt more alive with lots of energy.
10pm: My brother came home with grilled fish and yam chips and decided it was a good idea to come ask if I wanted some fish. The fish was huge but I could only stare at it as it went down.
11pm: I was still wide awake talking and chatting away. I didn’t complain to anyone that I didn’t have stamina. I felt intoxicated.
I made too many visits to the bathroom to pee and it was always a long one each time. I looked at my tommy in the mirror and it was the flattest I had ever seen it.
DAY 3
12AM: I was still up with too much energy so I had to look for sleep.
7AM: I woke up earlier than normal but I felt great. I wasn’t tired. I started my day with two tablespoons of bitters.
8AM: I decided to workout and use up the energy since I hadn’t exercised so I did a lower focus T25 workout.
9AM: I noticed a weird and dry feeling on my tongue. Some minutes later, I started feeling sleepy for no reason and it was definitely too early to nap because I needed to go about my day. I had a cup of matcha tea to give me a little kick.
11PM: My tongue was definitely coated and I felt like my mouth was peeling on the inside. My lips were also super dry.
1PM: My whole body was really dry. I literally had to bring out my hand cream and use it all over. I kept moisturizing my lips with my carmex lip balm.
2PM: I noticed the colour of my urine was very yellow even though I was drinking a lot of water.
4PM: I started feeling weak again and tried to take a power nap but I couldn’t sleep so I drank some more water.
7PM: I was so weak that taking a step felt like a chore. However, I kept counting down loudly which made me even more peckish.
8PM: I brewed some ginger tea and took a cup of tea while looking at the time.
9PM: I felt so tired and hungry. I think the fact that I knew it was almost time for me to break my fast made it harder for me. Everything looked like food. I decided to cut some watermelon and cucumber and I kept staring at it.
9:30PM: I broke my fast!!!! I couldn’t even eat much because I got filled up quickly.
The day after the fast, I still noticed changes in my body. I didn’t feel the urge to eat and I actually subconsciously fasted and ate one meal a day and I’ve been doing that ever since. I realized later that my body went into ketoses state during the fast which was what caused the burst of energy and yellow urine. It was actually chemical proof that I was consuming my own stored fat.
Overall, I dropped 4kg on the scale, my stomach is the flattest it has ever been and I feel great I achieved something I never thought I would.
Are you going to try a 72hours water fast?
Thanks for reading.
Mariam Shittu
MARIAM SHITTU 
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