Coffee Break

Disclaimer – the information provided is not expert advice. As all of us have different body types, whatever worked for me may not work for everyone. If you’re fasting, be conscious of how you feel.

Context

Today marks the 7th day of my water fasting “experiment.” I’ve always been curious about fasting for long periods of time. Previously, my longest streak was only two days, but I didn’t notice any significant health benefits besides the unbearable hunger pangs. This Lunar New Year, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to fast for as long as I could since my girlfriend went back home to celebrate with her family, leaving me with the house to myself.

How it began

It all began when I did some research on how long someone can survive on just water and came across some articles and public stunts. One guy, Angus Barberi, even fasted for 382 days! He started at 456 lbs and ended up at 186 lbs, shedding a whopping 120 kg. Given the extreme nature of this type of fasting, it’s recommended that the person has a good amount of fat reserve during autophagy. I met this qualification as I weighed 205 lbs at 5.75 ft. There are many benefits to extreme water fasting:

• It is known to cure many underlying diseases such as metabolism, diabetes, thyroids, inflammatory diseases.
• In some cases it could also cure cancer as the autophagy may digest the cancerous cells and lower glucose levels which prevents cancerous cells from growing
• Fasting can also improve cognitive capabilities and overall well-being. In certain religions like Buddhism, intermittent fasting and extreme fasting are practiced. See: Buddhism
• Another perk of fasting is that it’s a cost-effective and quick way to lose weight. Plus, it’s free! No need for risky surgery procedures.

Preparation

• To prepare for my fasting journey, I made sure to consume Himalayan salt, as sodium is essential for the body.
• I also drank sparkling water as a substitute for more interesting beverages and tea for flavor.
• Black coffee helped me to stay focused during my programming sessions.

Day 1

• Went about my day as normal. I didn’t feel hungry at all as I previously always had heavy meal. I think I had Burger King the evening before. Hence my body was probably still burning that energy.
• I drank lots of water

Day 2

• I began to take a little bit of salt
• During Lunch times, my stomach was growling. I was not thinking about food at all and managed to get over it by being occupied. This is more of a biological clock where my stomach expected to digest some food.
• Went to the loo and it was black liquid.

Day 3

• My body began to feel weak. Drinking a lot of water and having some salt helped. This became the defacto method to overcoming exhaustions.
• I can feel my shoulder, forearm, and legs becoming slightly weaker. My movements were sluggish.
• The night before I had little sleep. Slept at 12AM and woke up at 6AM. My usual time is 8 hours. I almost never wake up at 6AM unless I’m catching a flight to go somewhere.
• Went to the loo and it was black liquid.

Day 4

• I began to notice some changes mentally. It was easier to concentrate long periods of time without interruptions and my mind was clear. During weekdays, I’ve always felt easily distracted looking at some youtube videos and watching some shows to procrastinate a little bit from my usual work. However with the increased cognition/awareness, I felt the contents of the youtube/shows were “boring”. It didn’t give me the same kind of dopamine than it did before.
• The night before I somehow slept a lot – 9 hours and woke up extremely thirsty. I was also sweating.
• I began introducing morning walks as part of the routine and light workouts. I did abs exercises hoping that’s the area that I can trim off more some weight effectively.

Day 5

• From the moment I began fasting, I was able to fall asleep faster than a narcoleptic at a lullaby concert. The only difference was how long I slept each night. I’ve always had trouble falling asleep because my mind races like a hamster on a wheel. I’m not sure if it’s work-related stress, life stress, or diet-related stress, but something definitely changed during the fasting period that allowed me to fall asleep so quickly. It was a huge relief for me since I’m also a light sleeper. Water fasting turned me into a heavy sleeper, literally.
• My sleep quality also drastically improved. On average, I was sleeping 5-6 hours a day, which is crazy because it’s like getting an extra 2 hours of free time in my day. I’ve always thought that I couldn’t be one of those “effective people” who adopted the “The Miracle Morning” because I needed full 8 hours of sleep
• I also went to the steam room, hoping to jumpstart my metabolism without excessive exercises.
• On average, I drank 2L of water per day, sometimes even more.
• I also became very sensitive to coffee, just one cup was enough to keep me going for the whole day, but it also had a diuretic effect so I had to continuously chug water.
• And lastly, I was surprised to find that my bowel movements were still solid, even though I hadn’t been eating for days.
• Wondered how David Blaine did it?

Day 6-7

• Just the night before, I slept at 12:23AM and woke up to find that it was 4:43AM. I laughed and yelled “what the hell?” I guess this means I’m on my way to becoming a self-respecting machine that contributes to society, all on just a few hours of sleep.
• As usual, I took my salt and drank water.
• I started thinking about all the money I was saving by not eating. I decided to treat myself to something exclusive and fancy, like an Omakase or famous food at the end of this journey. I calculated that by not eating two meals a day for 7 days, I saved around $98. I began googling the best food around me and watching Foodie YouTube channels like Ghib Ojisan. Big mistake. As I looked through his food reviews and imagined how the food would taste, my hunger suddenly shot up. Many bloggers say that hunger subsides after Day 3, but let me tell you, that’s not true. It’s more like you skipped lunch and you’re not as hungry anymore, but the thirst for satiation is always there.

• So, I stopped my food gathering research and went on with my day. I would say that doing this Water Fasting would be extremely challenging for those with family and friends who may be eating in front of you. You would have to avoid those situations to not succumb to your hunger.

Takeaways:

Day 1: 205 lbs

Day 7: 194.5 lbs.

Drinking 2L of water sometimes added 2 more lbs to the scale, but overall, I was losing around 0.5-0.7 lbs per day with minimal exercises and just a little bit of walking during my desk job. I want to continue because I haven’t noticed any particular side effects. The biggest benefit so far has been the extra time in my day since my sleep requirements have decreased as the days go by. It’s like getting a superpower. I plan to continue for another 7 days, until I have a social event to attend. If that gets cancelled, I’ll try 3 weeks in total.

I’m excited to see how my body and mind continue to change in the coming weeks.

I’ll continue to update my progress as I go along. Remember, everyone’s body is different and what works for me may not work for you. If you’re considering fasting, make sure to consult with a healthcare professional and be mindful of how it makes you feel.

Continued…

Day 7-10: The Ultimate Test of Willpower

I finally cracked on day 10. My goal was to go 14 days without food, but my body had other plans. As the dehydration set in on day 9, I found myself constantly chugging water and pushing myself to the limit with aerobic exercises. The result? My body was completely sore, my breathing was labored, and I was so lightheaded I couldn’t even keep down my own saliva.

But then, a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a juicy tangerine. Within 15 minutes of biting into the sugary fruit, I felt my energy levels start to rise. That tangerine was like a ray of sunshine in a dark, dark world. The next day, I celebrated my victory with Wings, Coke, and Oreos. But little did I know, my body had other ideas. The sugary treats made me feel sick to my stomach, and I soon realized that my relationship with processed foods had changed for good. My body was no longer tolerating the junk, and to my delight, it wasn’t even tempting anymore.

Now, I’m following the One Meal A Day diet, with the goal of reaching my target weight. I started at 188lbs, but after breaking my fast I weighed in at 196lbs. Although the sudden weight gain was a bit of a disappointment, I did some research and found that it was normal. The food alone can add 6-7lbs to your body weight, and the fluctuations can vary depending on your hydration levels.

In the end, the experience was worth it. I discovered that water fasting had some incredible benefits, including:

• The disappearance of some skin scars
• Faster recovery from finger injuries sustained during basketball
• A clearer mind and better mood
• Increased intolerance for processed foods
• A healthier weight.