I only really began paying attention to my fitness 2 years ago.

Having previously survived on a whimsical diet of regular junk combined with a conspicuous lack of heavy, intensive, or regular exercise, I found myself, at 19, “skinny fat” at best. In a stroke of fate, I discovered Ian Heskitt’s Strong Lift 5x5, and Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength, which set me down the path of weightlifting and obsessive bodybuilding diets.

After a year, I was squatting 270 lbs but GOMAD (drinking A Gallon Of Milk A Day) raised my body fat above 20%. My days with GOMAD and 5x5 came to an abrupt end when an ambitious deadlift attempt at 300 lbs hurt my lower back.

Luckily, I merely strained a muscle, and suffered no serious damage. But the injury made me quit heavy lifting heavily for several months. I experimented with more varied routines like Reverse Pyramid Training, and settled on PHUL.

To cut down on my body fat, I experimented with Ketogenic diets and Intermittent Fasting. Keto made me exceptionally lethargic, while through IF and carb refeeds, I managed to reduce my body fat down to the range of 15%. I practiced cyclic carb refeeds, which meant I fasted on Mondays.

Last week, I stumbled upon an article about a man who fasted for 382 days, my first impression was incredulity.

“382 days of Salt and Water?”

So I did more digging. I found

[a video about fasting and eating less] (

)

and then several articles which listed several purported benefits of fasting:

-MedicalNewsToday: Fasting ’Reboots’ the immune system

-USC: Fasting triggers Stem cell regeneration of immune system

-NCBM: Prolonged Fasting reduces IGF-1/PKA to promote hematopoietic stem cell-based regeneration and reverse immunosuppression

Fasting was also apparently pretty common amongst several religious sects.

The benefits purportedly includes:
-Alleviation of long term diseases
-“reboots” immune system
-mental clarity
-detox and body repair
-rejuvenation and prolonged life span

Following this train of logic, one could reason that on a long enough time scale, prolonged fasting could even ostensibly cure Cancer.

I went to bed that night unconvinced. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of What do I have to lose?

I decided to give it a try, and record my experience.

According to the advice I received from r/fasting, fasts lasting less than 7 days wouldn’t require vitamin supplements. The only thing I needed to supplement was a quarter teaspoon of salt, on a daily basis. Online forums point to period of struggle, frustration, and decreasing hunger through the first 3 days, as the body adjusts, then a period of normalcy as Ketosis takes place. The finally a feeling of deep, intense hunger that comes on after, when one will know that one’s body is starving, and that the fast needs to end.

I don’t know how long I’ll fast. I plan to survive longer than 3 days, then consider additional supplementation if I last longer than 7.

Last Saturday evening, I solemnly ate my last supper of 5 Scrambled Eggs and Russian Beef Goulash, while the setting sun casting shadows on my long stone table. I reveled in the final feeling of satiety I would have for a while, and went to sleep.

Day 1

I mixed half a teaspoon of salt with a glassful of water in the morning. I found myself drinking constantly as my mouth was constantly dry.

After noon a feeling of intense hunger rose on me. I drank a cup of Dark Roasted Coffee, and the feeling subsided.

I was more productive today that I had been in the whole of last week.

It was like a mental fog had been lifted from my mind. Thoughts were quick, accurate and I found myself extremely motivated to solve even the most difficult tasks.

After a few hours, the coffee did leave me with tension and anxiety, an effect it was typically prone. But overall, I found my energy levels constantly high throughout the day. My mind was lucid and focus intense. It was a good experience, but I’ll try to survive tomorrow without coffee.