A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with my coach about losing some weight.
Right now, I have a built in excuse as to why it’s not a good time because my wife is nine months pregnant so this of course makes my choices harder.
And I would never turn down a late night ice cream run for my pregnant wife (reality is she hasn’t even asked me to do one) because I want to support her.
I also had the argument that with four kids and practices every night for sports, it was hard to prepare meals that were healthy or low carb.
I have always kind of lived a keto lifestyle…. half ass at best, but this diet always makes the most sense to me but eating keto takes some time to prep food.
What I realized was I was making excuses for why I didn’t want to hold my self accountable with my diet.
Then, my coach challenged me. One of the best things about having a coach is being challenged and taken out my comfort zone.
He said that I should fast with him.
Being that I intermittent fast everyday I thought this should be no problem.
Then the words of fasting for 72-hour came out of his mouth and we now have a whole new set of issues.
Here is what I learned from my 72-hour fast.
HUNGER: Are you really that hungry? What I learned about hunger is that very rarely in my life am I truly hungry. What I found by doing this was 24 hours was pretty easy and I really didn’t have to many hunger pains. Then came the next 24 hours. From 36 -48 hours were the most challenging to me. My mind and body started to kind of go crazy but what I realized was I more cravings than true hunger. I was thinking about food more than I really had the need for food. It was eye opening to me as I was going through this how much food had become habit and that so much of when I thought I was hungry was actually just me craving food by habit. Can’t tell you how many times I went and stared in my pantry during March Madness this weekend only to remind myself that food was off limits. But the biggest thing I learned about myself is that I crave food more than I am truly hungry.
MY CRAVINGS CHANGED. I have always had a sweet tooth and I know I am not alone with this. One of the things that has held me back from diets in the past is the elimination of sweets, but as I fasted, I realized that I didn’t even want sweets. I wanted healthy foods. After I got through the first 48 hours, the last 24 were easier because I knew a meal was coming at the end of the day. But I wasn’t thinking about ice cream and cookies. I felt my body really wanting proteins and veggies. Naturally my body wants fuel – not sugar.
TIME FOR FOOD. Choosing meals has always been a chore to me. Now, I notice a pattern in my life where I was always wondering what my next meal was going to be. How exhausting that has been. Going through this fast made me realize that first and foremost I don’t always need food when I think I do. Second, I don’t always need a meal to survive. Third, I was a lot of time worrying about what I am going to eat and how I am going to get that done. I think a more simplified approach for meals moving forward will be a big impact on my intake. I don’t always need three courses for example. The bag of jerky will do just fine.
IT’S ALL MENTAL. The biggest thing I learned from this is that I am more powerful than I give myself credit for. Getting through the 72 hours was more of a mental challenge than a hunger challenge. Of course, I had my moments of hunger but it was a strong mindset that got me through. Knowing that food wasn’t an option really worked for me. I perform better when I have black and white guidelines. In addition to that, knowing that someone was going to hold me accountable on the other end really helps me out. I never want to be the weak link in anything that I pursue and this was no different.
After 72 hours here is what I can report:
– I have lost 8 pounds and motivated to lose more.
– My mind feels way more clear.
– My energy is just as high, if not higher because I am burning from a better fuel source.
– 48 hours seems short compared to 24.
– My wife still loves me (24-48 hours can create some irritability)
Now that I have gone through my initial 72-hour stretch, I plan to do at least 2-3 48 hour stretches this week. This seems so much more doable now that I have done 72 and realize I don’t need food to function. After that, I will transition into my normal intermittent fasting and a stricter keto lifestyle.
I am not recommending this to anyone and there are details you need to know before doing something like this to make sure it works for you.
I just wanted to share my experience with you about my mind and food.
This has helped change the way I view food forever.
