[Last updated 27th August 2019]
Recently there has sprung up a fad called the 5:2 Diet. The two-day fast is not to be confused with that.
About a month ago I was asked by a few people about this 5:2 Diet, and it sounded a lot like my own special fasting strategy.
But it wasn’t.
The 5:2 Diet is some adapted version made for weaklings, where you are “allowed” to eat 500-600 calories a day for two days of the week, and then eat completely normally for the other five days.
So, the 5:2 diet is not fasting. It’s just calorie restriction, and it’s vastly inferior to my 2-day fasting strategy for the following reasons:
- The 2-Day Fast gives you a natural high.
- The 2-Day Fast is a great exercise for Breaking out of Homeostasis.
- The 2-Day Fast gets you ripped pretty damn fast.
The 2-Day Fast is a 40-48 hour period where you don’t consume more than circa 50 calories at a time, to avoid activating your digestive system.
For Beginners: Fasting 101
Note: If you’re new to fasting, here are three summary posts I’ve written about two of the most famous books about intermittent Fasting.
- Part 1. Eat Stop Eat – 24 hour fast once or twice a week.
- Part 2. Fast-5 diet – ca 5 hours to eat every day and 19 hours fast.
- Part 3. My take on IF, bulletproof coffee and miscellaneous stuff.
I haven’t written a book on fasting, but I’ve done it for years.
Here’s my method…
Most people think that certain things in life are “set in stone”; they think hormonal levels are one of these things that cannot be changed.
I have good news for you: Those people are wrong.
You CAN change your eating patterns and how your body responds to hunger.
I speak from experience. I am never hungry (except after workouts).
This is great because:
- It saves me lots of time and money,
- It helps me stay lean,
- It makes me more productive and,
- It gives me much control over my behavior. . .
. . . (since I don’t have to think about food).
Is this hard?
–No.
It’s almost effortless because I’ve trained my body to go for long random stretches without food, and my hormonal levels have adapted.
How Eating Dulls the Mind
In your body there’s something called the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PN).
The ANS has to do with being active and doing stuff, the PN has to do with resting and conserving energy.
Your body can only activate one of these systems at a time.
Guess which system most people spend the majority of their time being in?
The PN.
When you eat you are activating the PN and it puts your body in a state of “rest-and-digest”, which makes you mentally lazy and demotivated.
–Just like a grazing cow.
“I don’t have to do any heavy thinking, because I eat all day long, every day.”
The 2-Day Fast will snap you out of this daze in a major way!
You’ll be able to think MUCH more clearly.
The 2-Day Fast as a Way to Break out of Homeostasis
Fasting is a great way to practice your willpower because it involves an easily observable plateau, where you’ll experience an initial hunger phase.
This urge you’re feeling, which is telling you to eat, is triggered by your hormones–in order to keep you in homeostasis!
Homeostasis is the biological process by which your brain and body:
- Strive to minimize stress and maintain balance,
- Avoid change and save energy and,
- Flee from discomfort and pain.
When you go without eating for 16 hours or so, you’re breaking out of homeostasis, getting the body out of a rut.
If you aren’t used to it, don’t freak out. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but it’s only your homeostasis, wanting to return to its normal state.
–This is the #1 reason why most people fail with fasting.
Since they don’t know about homeostasis, when they try to change something in their lives–and it feels uncomfortable–they think it’s dangerous. . .
. . . and they stop and quit!
But it’s not dangerous, it’s just homeostasis playing tricks on the mind!
The discomfort is only temporary, in the transition.
Many people who have never fasted before react to this like they’re going to die from starvation, but the initial spike of hunger is completely harmless.
When you do it a few times you’ll know exactly what’s happening, and it becomes easy to mentally brace yourself against it.
Why Doing a 2-Day Fast is a Good Mental Practice
The 2-day fast is a great way to break out of homeostasis because you get feedback quickly. And it’s easy to see how your brain and body will try to fool you into quitting. It’s good practice because it’s so damn predictable.
This hunger-plateau is hard to overcome for most people because they trust their emotions too much–and now their emotions are telling them to eat quickly or something dangerous is going to happen.
You must brace yourself for this oncoming barrage of negative emotions and strange voices in your head telling you to stop what you’re doing.
These are the lies your brain and body tell you to keep you in homeostasis.
. . . And stop you from pushing your limits.
Your brain is wired for saving energy and remaining comfortable.
When you do a 2-Day Fast you break out of your usual rhythm–the homeostasis. The body resists it and puts up a little fight.
However, the resistance stops after a couple of hours, once you have broken through the hunger plateau, and your hormonal levels adapt.
I experience the hunger plateau around 16-20 hours. After 21 hours, like clockwork, it stops and I achieve a natural high.
The 2-Day Fast as a Way to Get Naturally High
When you don’t eat for a while your ghrelin levels (ghrelin is a hunger hormone) will increase, and this gives your brain surges of dopamine (the neurotransmitter of pleasure and focus), which makes you more curious while improving your ability to learn things.
–This makes reading and studying great activities while doing a 2-Day Fast.
I once sat and read a book about Napoleon for 24 hours straight, with the exception of bathroom breaks.
I don’t think I’ve ever been as immersed in a book as I was then.
Two things usually happen to me once I get through the hunger-plateau:
- #1: Most notably, I experience an increase in cognitive and introspective abilities somewhere around the 20-hour mark after beginning the fast. This is accompanied by slight shivers as I slowly begin to get a bit colder. I also experience a tingling of energy in the back of my head.
- #2: Following this, I start getting into an incredibly deep state of focus. I can feel my brain flex. My brain is now in an activated state for many hours to come. This feels euphoric. It’s hard to describe it to someone who hasn’t experienced it. It’s like being curious about everything.
These sensations remain for a maximum of 48 hours (for me).
I’ve also done longer fasts (up to 80 hours), but I don’t particularly like it. I get weak and moody from doing it.
The 2-Day Fast is by far the most pleasant (and productive) fasting method, as it induces euphoria and increased focus.
The 2-Day Fast as a Way to Get Ripped
This one is a no-brainer.
If you don’t eat for 40-48 hours that’s a lot of time you spend in ketosis (fat-burning mode), effortlessly shredding unnecessary body fat.
I dropped from 77 kilos to 70 kilos in a 3 months by pulling 2-Day Fasts every Sunday through Tuesday. But then I stopped because it was too powerful, and I got scared–I didn’t want to lose more weight!
I still use do 2-Day Fasts occasionally, but not because I want to lose weight.
I might do it if I am busy and need to get things done. Or to practice breaking out of homeostasis to make sure my willpower stays strong.
How to Go on a 2-Day Fast:
Depending on how strong your willpower is, it’s going to be more or less easy for you to do The 2-Day Fast.
To make it easier you can:
- Drink water mixed with glutamine (the most common amino acid).
I randomly found out–by experimenting–that glutamine makes longer periods of fasting much easier, without losing out on the beneficial effects.
Glutamine will not activate your digestive system, because it is absorbed in your intestines before making its way down to the gut.
–Just make sure you don’t go over 50 calories at a time (about a full teaspoon).
Glutamine is great for getting a healthier stomach and also for recovering from injuries or sicknesses. For years I had a nasty stomach disease–candida albicans–and my gut would swell up real big and get gassy. Doing 2-day fasts played a BIG part in curing that.
To make the 2-day fast easier you can also:
- Drink coffee or tea however much you like.
When you combine coffee with the ghrelin-induced dopamine high that hits after ca 20 hours. . .
. . .You get into a state of fanatical focus and single-mindedness.
It’s great.
Recap: Why You Should Go on a 2-Day Fast
The 2-Day Fast is great because:
- It heals your stomach by giving it time off when you’re not digesting food. (Most people constantly have food digesting in their stomach!)
- It gets you ripped by switching on ketosis, burning fat effortlessly.
- It allows for longer periods of hard work and immersion, as your ability to concentrate and learn things gets dramatically heightened.
- It gives you a natural high, making you feel crisp and clear-headed.
- It breaks the cycle of incessant stimulation, boosting your self-esteem and sense of personal freedom.
- It is good practice for breaking out of homeostasis. Improving discipline, metacognition, and mind-body mastery.
Doing a 2-day fast is also good for knowing yourself better. You become better at detecting ways that your brain tries to fool you by means of rationalizations and excuses for why you should eat–and go against your decision to fast. And this ability isn’t just useful for fasting. . .
NOT QUITTING is a crucial skill for any type of success.
To make the 2-Day Fast easier:
- Drink about 5g of L-glutamine every 3-5 hours.
- Drink coffee or tea. They both suppress hunger and do not contain any calories.
Common questions I’ve received about the 2-Day Fast
But, I heard fasting is dangerous, and that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?
I’ve heard that too. But it doesn’t make it true. It’s just clever PR and propaganda, made to sell you bacon and cereal.
How do I know if I break the 2-Day Fast and activate my digestion?
You will notice if you break your 2-Day Fast by consuming too many calories, because then your stomach will start to growl and you will get hungry again. You will stop feeling clearheaded, and will start thinking about food instead.
I am afraid to try fasting for so long because I don’t know anyone who has done it.
The stoics did it to practice their discipline. Benjamin Franklin did it. Jakob Walter and other soldiers often did it. And you can check out the comment section of this post for more people who did :-)
How much sleep do I need when I am fasting?
Less than normal.
I can sleep for 4-6 hours when I do a 2-Day Fast and feel fresh still.
Can I end The 2-Day Fast by working out?
I often end my 2-Day Fasts after 40-48h fast by drinking some coffee, creatine, glutamine, and heading to the gym. I usually lift for about 40-60 minutes. This is no problem for me.
I have also tried lifting weights to end longer periods of fasting (50-80 hours), but I find myself becoming physically weaker and fatigued. So I don’t recommend doing that.
Now do a 2-day fast and thank me later.
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Interesting read. I have definitely done intermittent fasting enough to see some of those benefits (paleo dieter), but now I’m going to have to amp it up! What you describe seems like a more potent form of what it feels like to be on a ketogenic diet, which I have done 2-3 times for periods of a few weeks to a few months. This is difficult/uneconomical to maintain for longer periods of time without significant dairy consumption (or serious investment in quality animal and plant fats), so fasting sounds like a better alternative. If you ignore the popular knowledge, it just makes sense that our ancestors would have frequently gone long periods of time without eating (for lack of finding food).
BTW, I just downloaded the copy of your book and am very excited to see what you have to say.
I think you’ll find it satisfactory, Tom.
“If you ignore the popular knowledge, it just makes sense that our ancestors would have frequently gone long periods of time without eating (for lack of finding food).”
—> I absolutely agree with this. I almost find it hard to believe that the majority of people in the Western world eat a minimum of 3 meals per day (what might be average be? 5?).
I can’t understand how they get anything done. If I eat all the time I get lazy and complacent.
I’m glad to hear you got the book. Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions. Or to leave a review/comment on the book page of the site should you feel like it.
I’m planning on doing a 24hr fast starting tonight to get my body used to it.
I also don’t see how anyone does 3 square in a healthy way (preparing each meal themself). IFing and eating one big meal a day is enough work for me. I loved it when I could work on my capstone engineering project for as long as needed without having to break for food. Now that I’m working full-time I can skip lunch (flex time) and go home an hour early without any negative side effects.
Hey Ludvig Ive been trying this out for the past couple of weeks and I gotta say it feels a lot like how you describe it: being focused and calm.
Ive lost a bit of weight too. If you got more of these tricks lined up I’d like to hear them.
Kanye, I’m glad to hear things are working out for you!
I’ll keep that in mind. I got plenty more “tricks” lined up my sleeve.
Hey Guys I been thinking of trying the longer fast’s like a 48 hr one… I been doing IF(16/8) for about almost year and half and I seem to plateau on my gains..I’m stuck at about 9-10% body fat. I’m 5.7 weight about 155-160 . Do you think it will break that plateau?
-David
Thanks.
Hey David,
Impossible to say. But I would presume so. It did for me anyway.
A few days ago I just finished a 72-hours fast.
While it’s definitely liberating to not to have to think about food for a couple of days, I found that prolonged fasting takes a toll on your training performance.
I was able to squat four reps less with the same weight (I tested myself a couple of days before starting the fast, fully loaded with them carbz) and I underperformed on a bunch of other exercises.
Next time, I’ll try to stick to a 2-day fast. From my experience, this seems to be the sweet spot.
I see.
I’ve felt the same thing the few times I’ve done 48+ hour fasts. I think it has to do mostly with the fact that my body isn’t used to it since I don’t do it particularly often.
However, I don’t see a reason for going longer than 48 hours. In that case it would be to do it as a willpower exercise or to try to be like one of those buddhist monks who fast for weeks on end to get in touch with God etc.
If getting in touch with good will help me boost my squat strength, then I’m all for it :P
Evryone is different. Extended periods of fasting make me feel irked, sleepy, tired and weak.
Apart from rapid weight loss I don’t gain any other blessings. Well, willpower training maybe, but I don’t need it very much. I think I could subdue the whole mules population with my stubborness ;)
Having said that, I still fast regularly 33-36 hours every week.
That’s true. But it also has A LOT to do with whether your body is trained to run on ketosis or not. Personally I eat very little carbs, mostly from broccoli and spinach and some quinoa/brown rice.
This makes it easier for me to fast.
I would not recommend someone who has never even done IF (16-24 hour fasts) to go longer. It can definitely lead to you feeling weak and tired. It’s usually not dangerous, it’s just your hormones throwing tantrums due to being yanked out of homeostasis.
Recently in this holidays I am having huge meals and then fast for 40-48h, still leaning out, but I am worried about some health issues due to doing it more than once a week.
-Do you think i Should worried? or just continue and Stop doing it after Holiday season, maybe two or three times more are Left jaja
Great Blog, by the way. Found it by BoldandDetermined
-Elizondo Adrian
Adrian,
Thanks for the kind words.
I don’t think you have anything to worry about unless you suffer from some strange disease I don’t know of.
No doubt you’ll be very lean in a few months if you continue the fasting.
Man, I’m so glad I found this website :)
The best writing I ever done was always on a longer fast + some coffee. It never seizes to amaze me how well my brain works on a longer fast.
Btw, what’s your longest fast? Mine was 48 hours :)
I’m glad you like it Dejan!
I’m not sure if my best writing has been done while fasting (possibly), but my best reading definitely has been, and is. I can read non-stop for 10+ hours when I’m pulling one of these fasts. I become an information-gathering machine.
The longest fast I’ve done was actually just a week ago. It was just under 90 hours I think.
Yeah, the concentration level is something else … I need to start doing longer fasts again, as soon as I finish my “bulking” experiment :)
Have you experienced any lightheadedness or any other weird feeling/side effect, during the 90-hour fast?
-Dejan
Intermittent fasting is one of those things that have always sounded too good to be true to me. Especially if you add benefits like increased focus and better memory.. but because there’s no “buy my 300$ guide on the 2 day fast!” button, and the info is all laid out, and of course because it’s coming from you, it’s pretty hard to dismiss. Who knows, maybe it’s a leftover function from being cavemen and it has a survival property. Like enabling better performance to land a kill so you get the food you need to survive another week. Definitely going to try this, will have to see what it’s like for myself!
I know what you mean, it’s easy for someone who isn’t doing it to categorize it as some fad or a silly diet. But it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.
I agree with what you say about the cavemen leftover function. It makes a lot of sense from an evolutionary standpoint.
How often would you do this
Last year I did it about once a week (in addition to my 16/8 IF).
This year I haven’t done it that often. Maybe once every three weeks.
Is there anything wrong with more frequent, extended periods of fasting (such as this)? I know you mention somewhere that you eased back on the 48 hour fasts due to concerns about losing too much weight. Other than this concern, would it be possible to fast like this more often? I find the improvement in mental state fantastic–and I want to fast like this more often (I normally eat 1-2 meals a day but the results of this are negligible in comparison for me mentally). Is there any reason this might be a bad idea?
——————————————————
Also, interesting point about needing less sleep during a fast. I wonder how fasting influences REM % and quality of sleep. I know Tesla was a faster as well as a polyphasic sleeper -perhaps the latter may have allowed for the shorter time spent in bed.
Try and you will see :)
The worst thing that can happen is that you get extra hungry.
Regarding Tesla: I have thought the same thing.
I have done polyphasic sleeping and fasting too. But I couldn’t combine it with going to the gym.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but why do you want to get people to fast?
Because it made a big difference in my life when I started it. I’m not telling people to immediately start to do it as “extremely” as I do it.
It’s a very empowering feeling to KNOW that you don’t have to eat much. I’m currently 74 hours into a fast and I’m going for 100 hours (new record). I feel superb.
(Gotta beat Trevor’s fast! Haha)
I see where this is going. Let me know if you hit 100 hours. We’ll take it from there . . .
I broke the fast before 100h. Not sure how many hours exactly, but around 90 h I think.
Ate the largest meal in a long while.
Hey Ludvig I just read this post and the One about getting ripped. Very cool shit.
Im gonna give this fasting thing a try over the weekend. Ill let you know how it goes.
Maybe Ill even beat Trevors fast ;) but i wouldnt count on it :p
Good that you’re trying it out. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it (after the hunger goes away).
This is very useful information. I’ve been considering adopting a plan like this for some time. I have a friend who’s currently utilising the calorie-restricted method and swears by it. But I’m liking the sound of the cognitive benefits you describe here. It’s an unexpected bonus. A question: Do you ever have instances of the high lasting beyond the fasting period? Or does it taper off fairly immediately.
Calorie restriction works for sure, but it’s just so much more work.
Fasting is a lifestyle. It’s very easy once you get over the inital 2-4 weeks and your hormones adjust to the new eating pattern.
Yes, it tapers off rather quickly when I eat. Not sure how quickly, but probably within 30 minutes.
I love ideas like this. I have been on various Keto diets, 5:2 diets, low calories diets, bulking diets etc etc and had mild success with all of them. The longest I have been without eating anything is, I think, 24 hours.
I will try this in a week or so as a means to increase my insulin sensitivity.
Great post and ideas!
I see.
I’m sure it will increase your insulin sensitivity if you do it consistently, but I doubt it will make any drastic change if you just try it once or twice.
Thanks for you comment1
I agree, nothing works if you do it once. Real change takes discipline and consistency.
I meant that I will start doing it, rather than doing only once. I will try it, see how it feels and then maybe do it once a week as part of my current diet.
Yet, even if you do this once every so often, I believe it can have positive effects over a long period of time.
Ah, alright.
Let me know how it works out Jamie!
This is really interesting man. Up until I read your other post on what you eat on a regular basis I didn’t really know anything about fasting. But clearly it’s working at a really high level for you.
I also love how much time it would save in your daily life.
I wonder if the fasting you do works so well because of the bodies natural conditioning over hundreds of thousands of years. I doubt the cavemen ate three square meals a day. Fascinating shit.
Kevin,
Yeah you should try it. Me and Trevor already are ;)
Let me know how it goes. For some reason I am very keen on converting people to IF, probably because how much it has benefited me.
Today I’ve only eaten one meal (not counting some glutamine, raw cocoa, and creatine that I had pre-workout).
Thanks for the comment!
Hey Ludvig, I just finished up my workout so I’m reporting back how it went.
I’m not sure of the exact hour I ate my last meal (I hadn’t actually intended to fast for more than one day) but it was shortly after I got home from work last Thursday, which was noonish (I work baker’s hours . . . extremely early).
I ate shortly after I got home, so maybe 1-2pm. I finished my workout around 10:30am this morning, so roughly 92-93 hours into my fast (if my math is right). I kept it quick and light — just some pullups and shoulder/arm work. Here’s how it went . . .
I noticed zero decline in strength or endurance. I did notice that it took me a bit longer to recover during my first few sets, but by the end of the workout I was taking even shorter rests than usual. I didn’t get much of a pump, even less than when I’ve been going super low carb for a few weeks, but it didn’t make much of a difference. I did start to get some tightness in my sides towards the end of the workout. Not quite cramps, but unpleasant nonetheless. Maybe an electrolyte issue? It’s not the first time that’s happened to me so I’m reluctant to blame it on the fasting.
So all in all, I had a solid workout. I’m sure I could have done more and pressed harder, but since this was my first time working out so late into a fast, I played it safe. I don’t think I’d ever want to go super heavy after a long fast since I tend to get a bit light-headed at times when I’ve been fasting 48+ hours.
After my workout I crashed pretty hard. I was sleepy and just lied on the couch for a while. But I’ve crashed harder after workouts that were not fasted, so no biggie.
So I’ll be cooking up my meal soon and eating roughly 96 hours after my last meal. A full 4 day fast with workout. This shit CAN be done.
Thanks for the inspiration Ludvig! I just learned something new about myself after all this. Next up, the 5 dayer. Should be fun . . .
Cheers!
“…roughly 92-93 hours into my fast”
—> That’s some badass shit right there, very impressive!
“So I’ll be cooking up my meal soon and eating roughly 96 hours after my last meal. A full 4 day fast with workout. This shit CAN be done.”
—-> I’ve never worked out past 50 hours of fasting. This makes me want to try it as well!
I’m glad you stepped up and did this Trevor.
Same here buddy!
Been doing a ~17 hour fast every day (skipping breakfast) for two to three weeks now. It’s not that hard really. Been thinking about doing the 24 or 48 hour fast for some days now. Before you do the fast, do you eat A LOT? Like, stuffing up on as much food as possible?
Awesome man, that’s what I usually do as well.
No, I don’t deliberately eat any more food than I would usually.
PS: For anyone else reading this I recommend checking out Trevor’s link below on 70 hours of fasting.
Alright!
I read that one, really interesting. I’ll start with 24 hours though… >:)
Trevor, what an inspiring and unusual story! It makes me want to try this fasting thing out!
I just hope I don’t end up baking bread as I am gluten-intolerant.
:)
Do you notice much of a difference from day 1-3 after getting over the initial hunger plateau?
Hi Kara, I’ve never noticed much of a difference. The first day is usually the hardest. But after you’ve been fasting for awhile, even the first day becomes a breeze — I rarely get hungry anymore.
I’m currently 80+ hours in to my latest fast. I was gonna end it yesterday, but Ludvig’s post inspired me to give it one more day. I’m gonna end my fast with a workout and a huge-ass meal. Then I’ll report back here with how that end-of-fast workout went. As of right now, I’m feeling pretty damn good and energetic. We’ll see what happens.
You should definitely give fasting a try Kara. A simple 24 hour fast is a good way to start. It might be difficult at first, but it really doesn’t take long for your body to adjust. By the 3rd 24 hour fast it’ll be nothing. And you’ll come to the realization that much of your hunger is simply routine behavior. Fasting gives you control over that hunger.
I believe most people would benefit from fasting. But I’ll add this warning: fasting is NOT for people with a history of eating disorder. For the rest of us though, it can be a very healthful practice so long as we don’t get carried away with it.
And don’t sweat it Kara, fasting won’t turn you into a baker. No worries.
Cheers!
Solid advice. I agree 100 %.
People are overly controlled by their hormonal hunger. It’s pathetic to watch when doing group work with people and they have to eat a snack every second hour just to function normally…
I’ve been fasting for years Ludvig. You’re absolutely right . . . it’s a healthy practice for both mind and body. I started with a 24 hour fast. Moved to 36. Then 48. And lately 72 hours for a full 3 day fast.
It becomes very easy over time.
I only drink coffee (black), and sometimes a glass of wine, when I fast. No food, no supps. It feels great!
Cheers!
I couldn’t agree more.
Once you start fasting there is no going back, it’s just superior in any way possible once the initial phase of hormonal discomfort is passed.
I’ve done a few 3 day fasts, but I haven’t had the energy to break them by working out. Do you ever do that Trevor?
I haven’t yet. Though low energy has never been a problem at the end of one of my fasts. I’ve just never seemed to time up the end of the fast with a workout.
Makes me wanna give it a try. But then I’d have to wait until my workout tomorrow. That makes for a roughly 84 hour fast.
Hmmm . . . perhaps we’ll see.
I’ve certainly never had a problem working out after 24-36 hours fasting. Some of my best workouts came after 36 hours with no food. Never had a decline in strength or energy.
And the huge meal afterwards is just so damn satisfying.
As some added insight, my very first 3 day fast (74 hours, actually) was a life changing event. I knew I was doing something meaningful and important, but I didn’t realize at the time just how profound an effect it would have on my life.
Especially considering it simply started as a result of a bout of indigestion . . .
I don’t normally include links in comments, but if you’re interested, I wrote about that first 3 day fast on my blog. As background, I was a bread baker for over a decade before I quit baking out of disillusionment and bitterness.
At the time of my fast I was working at a computer company. During my fast (more accurately as a result of my fast) I came up with a post about lessons in passion I learned as a baker. It was my most popular post at the time.
And it got me thinking . . .
About bread. About baking.
And I couldn’t get it out of my head. That post brought back the passion. It brought back the love. And I came to a decision. That post (and that fast) set me on course to return to what I love — bread baking.
Well, that was a long story. Anyway, here’s the link to that original post about my first 3 day fast. I hope you enjoy . . .l
http://www.acalltoaction.net/74-hours-2-glasses-of-wine-and-zero-food/
Cheers!
I see. Let me know how it goes when you try it out!
Interesting that you found your passion through a fasting-induced moment of clarity!
That’s a cool post man.
Interesting stuff Ludvig. But what about working out, how is your 2 day fasting reconciled with a typical week of gym/workout sessions?
It would be cool to know.
Mike,
GREAT question. I will actually add this to the post.
The short answer is that I often break my fast with coffee followed by a workout, and then a huge ass meal. I will usually keep the workout to around an hour because after that point I’m drained, which isn’t weird because when you work out in a fasted state you’re using your body’s “reserve fuel tank” of glucose, and it runs out.
What is your post workout meal? How much carbs you allow yourself?
I don’t count anymore. I may have done earlier, but if so, it was 3 years ago. I don’t remember.
Lol, I like how you bash the 5:2 diet.
It really annoys me when “fads” like this pop up and everyone acts as if it was new under the sun.
You got that right my man!