"I can't get out of bed... The blankets have accepted me as one of their own and if I leave now I might lose their trust."
~ Unknown
"Shiver me timbers"
~ Eugene Krabs
We're at the halfway mark... the chills and fatigue are beginning to set in.
As I woke up today, I was lucky in that I did not have the ferocious monster growling at me. No, instead I had what felt like a 50 pound blanket holding me down. I could feel every inch of my body pulling me back into my bed. It was a very weird sensation, almost like I was glued to my bed. Not how you would feel if you were tired as usual - something completely different.
I spent about five minutes trying to just rest before I got up, feeling as though I was slightly dehydrated. When I finally did work up the willpower to get out of bed, I got up, but way too fast. Nearly blacking out, I fell right back into bed where I had to spend about 2 minutes recovering. Again, please do not try this at home.
I got back up and made my way to the scale to weigh-in.
Day 3: 9:28 am
171.2 lbs
6.1% body fat
48.3% muscle mass
I spent this morning doing homework, not really feeling any hunger. Went to class, all was well. When I came back from class and sat down, I was tempted to scroll through my instagram feed. Once again, I was bombarded by food as I scrolled. My mind and body have been playing games all day. One moment I want to eat, the next I don't.
"I am ready to EAT. I want food. Not really though, I'm just bored. Wait, no, I actually do want food. No! I'm actually so close to finishing!"
How I'm feeling
As of 12 pm, I feel good. I have honestly forgotten about food at this point. I think being over half way through, I've garnered the willpower and confidence to push it all the way to day five.
I have begun to notice a myriad of different effects as a result of the fast. I've gone through periods of the day where I start to get a little jittery (worrisome? ehh..). I've also had a couple chills here and there, thinking this is because my digestive system no longer has any food to break down, therefore it is not giving off any heat as a result of the chemical processes. In general today I have been feeling cold, this also might be because of the influx of the cold and gloomy weather outside. One common observation by others who have completed the fast is having tunnel vision. I have begun to notice instances of this myself. The muscle fatigue is evident in everything I do though. From moving around to even just sitting in one spot. My legs especially just feel tired. I have also noticed, even though I am very very hydrated, my mouth has begun to feel dry. My lips are even becoming chapped. Not exactly sure why, but just some observations.
Why would someone go on a five day fast?
I find myself asking this question over and over. But fear not! There is a method to this madness.
Studies show that long term fasting leads to autophagy, which literally translates to "self-eating". This process is the body's natural way of cleaning out bad or unproductive cells, which leads to the production of newer, healthier cells.
Furthermore, during this fasting period, because I am not consuming any food, my body has no way to run off of glucose as it usually would. Having nothing to resort to except for fat and muscle proteins, fasting naturally reverts your body to ketosis. This is the process of the liver using fat to produce ketones, which become your primary energy source. So theoretically, you're burning fat to function. Seems pretty cool, right?
Additionally, by depleting your body of the glucose (blood sugar) that it usually uses to function, your body will naturally have a blood sugar "reset." So, if I were at risk for diabetes, this would be a great way for me to "normalize" my blood sugar levels.
But wait there's more! Studies also show that extended fasts have proven to decrease your body's toxic load. Toxins are natural byproducts of your day to day activities. The higher the toxic load you have, the more likely you are to have a number of adverse effects, including headaches, breakouts, and general fatigue.
So... I think these represent a pretty good basis as to why I decided to do this diet. But, if you're one of those people who's focused on the weight loss, I'll let the numbers speak for themself.
Day 3: 9:25 pm
170.4 lbs
6.0% body fat
48.0% muscle mass
Until day 4!
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