Intermittent fasting is one of the most talked about diets (or let’s call it a lifestyle). If you listen to nutritionists and fitness experts talk about their daily routine, there are high chances that you’d hear them talk about following intermittent fasting (IF). From lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho to Dr Anjali Hooda, they all have been talking about the goodness of IF.
Honestly, all the buzz about resting your digestive system made me start my IF journey - however, I started with 14 hours of fasting. I gradually took it up to 16 hours to test how it worked. And I won’t be lying that post the initial hiccup, I actually got used to it. That’s when I heard a fitness instructor recommending a 3-day water fast - an extreme form of IF. While 3 days sounded a lot, I decided to try it for 2 days and here is how it went.
Since I was used to fasting for close to 16 hours, my body was working fine until then. But once I crossed 18 hours, I started feeling ravenous, wanting to eat something but I resisted the urge. Some time later I started experiencing a mild headache. I kept on sipping on water and went off to get some snooze time. The first day was tough, and I did have a cup of black coffee to keep myself going.
By the second day, the hunger was tolerable and subsequently, even the discomfort was gone. I was surprised that my mid day, I was feeling generally fine. In fact it was a big feat to know that I hadn’t eaten anything for the past 38 hours! I was low on energy but high on motivation.
By hour 45, I was already thinking about what I would eat once the 48-hour period gets over. I had read somewhere that one should never break an extended fasting period by binging on unhealthy foods so I prepped a healthy meal with chicken, vegetables and a small portion of rice. Overall it went great and it felt like I gave my metabolic system a boost. I am planning to do it soon again, how about you?
Disclaimer: If you are planning to try it, I would advise you to consult a nutritionist or your doctor as this may turn out to be extreme for some.
Written by Pooja Sharma Kaur
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