Don't Eat Today

Today I didn’t eat anything for 24 hours straight.

I could give you a multitude of reasons for it but the biggest one is the simplest.  The person I trust with my nutritional questions told me to.   

Starting my day learning that I wasn’t going to eat all day didn’t put me in the best of moods.  I’m one who prefers planning and preparing for action steps.  Today had no planning nor preparing.  Simply put, just do it.  

I loved it.  

I loved the feeling of completely buying into something.  The feeling of no alternatives.   I was going to do it.  It was going to go poorly or well.  After I completed it I would be able to truly understand what a 24 hour fast feels like.   All good things despite the hunger pangs.  

A few fasting thoughts that I experienced.  

Fasting demands proper hydration.  Drinking enough water helped to minimize feelings of weakness or fatigue.  

Fasting is one of the few applications for branched chain amino acids.  I sipped on them as I went about my work day and felt good doing it.  

Fasting demands light activity.  I coached, walked and golfed all day.  I didn’t break any personal records on the deadlift or mile but I did stay moving early and often.  The light movement helped to keep me energized without taking me into a state of fatigue.  

Caffeine can be a good supplement.  I don’t drink coffee all the time but did have a cup in the morning prior to leaving for work.  While there’s plenty of research discussing benefits of caffeine in terms of fat oxidation etc., it served simply to give me a feeling of energy going into the day.  A combination placebo and “real” effect.   

At the end of the day, Jessie mentioned that my breath stank, which I can happily say is not normal for me.  This was one of a few signs that I had entered ketosis by the end of the fast, altering my metabolic process to one mobilizing fat stores.   Pretty cool to live through and something that I will be chasing periodically in the future.   

All in all, a good experience for a multitude of reasons.  I’m in no way a major advocate for fasting but it certainly has its place in the regimens of many.   I’ll be adding it periodically into my schedule for the numerous health benefits it can bring.   

Stay curious!