My 3-Day Water Fast

I was originally planning to write a blog post about my three-day water fasting experience sometime later this week, but I've decided to write it today while everything's still fresh in my mind.

My fast started last Thursday after I finished my dinner at 7pm. The goal was to fast for three days (72 hours) and eat again at 7pm on Sunday.

People fast for a variety of reasons (religious/spiritual, health, etc). For me, it’s for health reasons. Prior to this, I had mainly done 24 hour fasts, usually once every 4-5 months, so this wasn’t exactly a regular occurrence.



Throwback to baby Laura in 2010 with my then-fiancé (and now hubby). This was back in the day when red-eye removal wasn’t built into all cameras.


The longest water fast I had ever done before this one was a 54 hour fast in 2010. I didn’t fast in 2010 for health reasons…or for any particular reason to be honest. I think the idea just popped into my head, and I always love a good challenge, so I spontaneously decided to do a fast without a time period in mind and with absolutely no preparation beforehand. It was rough to say the least. Hubby was eating the whole time and I was SO cranky. Hangry-ness at the max. Doesn't help that I have a super sensitive nose. And I also randomly caved in at the 54 hour mark after my beagle-like nose managed to sniff out some hot dogs from across a huge gymnasium. Ended up eating three (or maybe five, but who’s counting, right?) in a manner of minutes and calling it a day.


Fast forward to beginning of March 2021, and I was pretty confident that I’d be far more prepared going into this three-day fast. I've been doing 16:8 intermittent fasting since last summer (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating). I started tapering off all caffeine on Tuesday, and I tried to gradually reduce my portion sizes during my last meals on Thursday. I rented a cabin in the woods about an hour away from our house. Since I don’t have my husband’s level of self-control when it comes to food, I figured it’d be easier (and more relaxing) to do the fast away from home. No food temptations, no distractions, no good cafes or restaurants nearby (turns out there wasn’t anything at all remotely near the cabin. Unintended pun there, and I’m all about it). A part of me was nervous about the fast, but another part of me thought, “You’ve totally got this! Let’s get this fast over with and then move onto a five-day fast in April.”



Photos of the cabin that I booked on Airbnb. I’m guessing these were taken in the summer, because it was a lot more barren in-person, which is what I expected since it’s still winter at the moment.



How it looked in-person. Obviously not as lush at this time of year, as expected.


I’m now going to copy and paste below the notes that I took throughout the fast. My summary of what I thought about the fast and what I learned will be at the very end of this blog post (in case you don’t want to read all of my chronicling of the 72 hours).

Thursday

7:00pm: Officially Started Fasting. Eek! Excited And Nervous.

friday

7:05am: Actually am hungry. The workout’s helping me stay distracted though.

9:00am: Not hungry at all right now. I just miss coffee lol

12:30pm: Don’t feel as hungry as I normally do at this time (since this is usually around my lunchtime). I’m starting to feel a little cold though. This isn’t really surprising, as I normally start feeling a little cold around 11am each day when I do my 16-8 intermittent fasting.

1:15pm: Scratch that. I’m hungry.

3:15pm: Hunger pangs have faded. Feeling fine again (minus being a little cold).

6:00pm: Feeling pretty sluggish. On the upside, I just had a glass of sparkling water, which might have been the highlight of my day.

Saturday

6:30am: Didn’t sleep well last night, but it wasn’t terrible either. Both hubby and I had issues breathing through our noses around 11pm. Our nostrils and the inside of our mouths were suddenly as dry as the Sahara. Def think it’s from the fasting. Went away after about an hour though, and we both fell back asleep. Am I hungry right now? 1000% yes!

8:00am: Started feeling a tad nauseous (almost like when you have a hangover). Probably due to dehydration. Just drank a glass of water, and now the nausea’s gradually fading.

11:30am: Energy level is low right now. Fantasizing about food. Tried playing a card game with hubby. Lost both rounds. Kind of being a sore loser (doesn’t help that I’m normally super competitive).

4:00pm: Just watched a couple episodes of The Last Dance on Netflix. Helped me forget about food for a bit.

7:05pm: Got a bit more energy! I think it’s from the excitement knowing that I’ve just hit the 48 hour mark.

9:00pm: Started feeling really nauseous around this time. More than I’ve felt the whole fast. Like a BAD hangover. Actually ended up throwing up, but obviously no food came out (just a little bit of liquid). Did some research online, and this seems to be quite normal to get nausea with fasting. I expected to feel hangry but definitely wasn’t expecting to feel like this. Hoping this will pass so I don’t have to break the fast.

Sunday

6:45am: Woke up and thankfully the nausea seems to be gone. I do feel a bit dizzy when I stand up or walk around though. No hunger pangs at the moment.

8:15am: Just took a long shower and I’m feeling a lot better. My mind is clearer than it has been the whole fast. This means I finally have the brainpower to get some reading done.

11:15am: Starting to feel hungry again, but I actually welcome it, as it’s way better than nausea. Last night, I wasn’t remotely hungry but felt like absolute crap. Mind is still sharp! Just read all of Brave New World and am now working on Henné.

2:00pm: Just went on a walk outside with the hubby. Feel refreshed.

3:30pm: FaceTimed with my parents and didn’t think I was hungry...until my mom was showing me an organic peanut butter brand she wants to recommend to me (lol thanks mom), and my stomach started growling like crazy immediately. Guess I am hungry after all.

5:30pm: Omg. Only 1.5 hrs left. Can’t freaking wait.

7:02: Yayyyyyyy!!! Fast is complete. Refeeding with Subway and chips which isn’t ideal, but it’s literally the only place that’s open within a 30 min drive from the cabin.



A selfie on Sunday to celebrate not feeling nauseous anymore and actually feeling great!


As you can see from the above, the three-day fast was quite a rollercoaster ride.

Here’s a recap of what I'll implement again in future fasts:

• Bring a lot of water. We brought a TON of water, and I’m grateful we did, because I can’t imagine running low on water in a remote area like this cabin.
• Having books AND a laptop or iPad where we can stream movies and shows.
• Bringing the hubby along. It’s much nicer to fast with company, especially when it’s with the love of my life <3
• Trusting my body. I know some people claim they can exercise at almost normal capacity during water fasts, but everyone’s body is different. I felt fine to work out Friday morning (since I’d only been fasting 12 hours at that point), but I didn’t feel strong enough to exercise on Saturday or Sunday, minus two short walks. Even though I was mentally clear on Sunday, my body felt sore.
• Doing the three-day fast over the weekend. This ties into the above. It’s much easier for me to clear out my schedule during the weekend vs. only fasting on weekdays when my schedule is almost always packed.

And here’s what I would do differently next time:

• Bring water with electrolytes. Particularly important if the next fast is going to be four or five days.
• Don’t drink almost two liters of sparkling water in one day. I think that contributed slightly to my nausea on Saturday, since carbonated water is a bit acidic.
• Book a different place next time. As lovely as this cabin was, it does face a swamp, and even though it’s early March and temperatures were in the 40s, there were still a lot of bugs flying around, so I can only imagine how many mosquitos there are during warmer months. I’m also a tad allergic to mosquito bites, and I get quarter-sized welts almost every time.

A couple of random things that I didn’t mention in my notes:

• It seems like for extended fasts, some people have reported that their chronic skin issues cleared up completely, which is incredible! While I’m grateful and blessed to have pretty clear skin (combination of genetics and having a good skincare regimen), I woke up Saturday and was greeted by two sizable pimples. If you’re wondering why you didn’t notice them on IG Stories, it’s because I put some concealer on. Normally I try to let my skin breathe in the beginning, but I wasn’t in the mood to starve for three days AND have to stare at the zit nemeses on my forehead.
• Warning: Don't read if you're a little squeamish, as it might be TMI for some. Let’s just say my bowel movements became quite active…like literally 10 minutes after I finished my refeed on Sunday. For me it was very welcomed, as I’d actually been a little bit constipated before the fast. As soon as I woke up this morning, the bowels woke up again as well. Even though this seems to be a common occurrence after a fast, it doesn’t mean it will happen to everyone either. I’ve also read articles and comments where people who did water fasts said they were actually constipated for a couple of days following the fast.

To sum up my novel of a blog post, despite the 72 hour fast being tougher than anticipated, I would definitely do it again. I truly believe in the incredible benefits of water fasting, and now that I know that nausea can happen, I’ll be even more careful with my pre-fast preparations. And if I do happen to feel a little sick, as long as it’s not unbearable, then I know I’ll be able to stick it out and get through it. I would say that the relief and elation alone from successfully completing the three-day fast made it all worth it. Once again, my competitive Type-A personality loves to smash goals.

I’m planning to do another water fast in a month or so, and it’s likely that the next one will be longer than three days. I’ll do my best to share that journey with you via IG Stories, and perhaps even another blog post!

And thank you again to all of you who sent me messages of love, encouragement, and tips. I so appreciate it, and it definitely helped me stay motivated during the fast. Our Henné community is the absolute best!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a date with a lovely plate of salted cashews and pistachios :)

xoxo
Laura

Disclaimer: I am not a medical expert and am in no way offering any type of medical or health advice. You should consult first with a doctor or medical professional prior to deciding whether a fast is right for you or not.