"I Tried Fasting and Didn't Die"

My Boss: “You should try fasting. It’s really incredible and I feel great.”
 

My nutritionist: “You should try fasting. I think you’ll be surprised, and you might even feel free from worrying about food.”

Me, to both of them: “No thanks, I’ll pass. Fasting isn’t eating and not eating is being anorexic and that isn’t healthy.”

TL;DR: I was so far off the reality I am embarrassed I was so judgmental.

Here’s what I learned from fasting:

Being hungry is not the hardest part of fasting; at all. And, if the hardest part of not eating isn’t being physically hungry… do we view food, eating and hunger completely backwards in this country? Is ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” complete marketing bullshit from the breakfast industry, and we’ve all been fed lies our entire lives? (See what I did there?)

Keeping my mind from wanting to eat was the biggest challenge. Boredom, thinking you should be eating, watching the clock...all your greatest enemies when fasting.

Stay away from social media. You know what Insta is full of? Food porn. You know what Facebook is full of? Tasty videos. You know what’s annoying? Looking at food online and not being able to eat it.

I felt phenomenal. For many reasons. 1) I did not have to worry or think about what I’m eating, or when I’m eating. You don’t really realize how much of your daily life is centered around eating or food, until you don’t eat for 24 hours. It was freeing not to pack snacks in my bag or plan my day around eating (or finding) high-quality meals. And, honestly, my stomach didn’t growl until the afternoon and the hunger did not overtake me as I assumed it would. I didn’t get dizzy, I didn’t feel light-headed, and I was not hangry (insert cute response from my imaginary boyfriend about how extra I am when I’m hangry).

Don’t pay for a maid - just fast: I was so bored while fasting at home that my apartment is spotless and I completed tasks that have been haunting me for months. Bonus: You don’t have to pay for food either so TBH it’s a win-win.

I’m hooked. I can’t promise you I’ll be doing a 10-day fast like Eve, but since my first fast I’ve done three more and I feel on top of the world. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I don’t really get hungry and it’s absolutely manageable (IF you stay busy).

I feel powerful and in control. I’m not really sure why, but being able to say no to food for 24 straight hours makes you feel like a boss babe that can handle anything the universe throws in your path including but not limited to: donuts, mean people, f*ck boys, fried foods and sales at Sephora, Nordstrom and Target.

I’ve been eating a high-fat, low-carb diet for about a year, so my body was pretty much already fat-adapted going into fasting. Meaning, my body was not craving carbs and it was using stored fat for sustained energy, which made it physically easier for me to fast.

If you’re reading this and are on the fence about fasting, I encourage you wholeheartedly to try it. Since I’ve been fasting I am eating less (even when not fasting), I feel in control of not only the food I eat, but also other elements of my life.

Go ahead, try it! I dare you. You might even be surprised! What’s holding you back from fasting? What are you scared of? Tell us in the comments and we hope you give fasting a try.