Just finished a 4-plus days water only fast

Today about 1:30pm I ate my first food since Saturday noon: a bit over four days or 97.5 hours. Years ago I would have thought it impossible, but I’ve done a couple three-day fasts and a few two-day fasts, now several one-day fasts.

With my six-day exercise cycle that I start on the first day of each month, for months with a number of days not divisible by six, I’ve had to figure out what to do. I’d been experimenting with fasting.

Hunger comes and goes, though there are also feelings like wanting or expecting to eat that aren’t hunger. One of the things I value most about fasting is the self-awareness it brings. Also learning about being human. Also resilience and independence.

I recommend trying it and finding a way that works for you. If you have questions, feel free to ask, not that there isn’t already tons of stuff online about fasting. It teaches freedom and self-awareness.

As usual with such challenges for me, my twice-daily burpee-based calisthenics are close to the hardest part. I almost couldn’t finish my burpees this morning. To be fair, it’s a lifting day. I used lighter weights than usual, but consuming zero calories for four days doesn’t leave you with much energy.

Another big benefit: if I’m ever hungry with no eating options I like, not eating four days in a row, I don’t have to worry waiting until I’m home or some place with food I like. I can wait four days! For most of my life I would have thought any person would die without food more than a couple days. After my first three-day fast, I was humbled and pleased to learn that a large variety of people fast more than I do: old, young, male, female, rich, poor, etc.

Before and After Pictures

My goal in fasting is self-awareness, discipline, learning about being human, learning about nature, and personal leadership things like that, not looks, but it affects my body. I rarely think to take pictures to document these experiments of mine, but this time I did.

Before: kind of making muscles, but I like definition in my abs and I don’t see much of it, which happens to me during winter.