Reflections on a seven-day fast.

I just recently finished a seven-day water fast, and these are my discoveries and reflections on the whole experience.

This was not my first 7 day fast. I’ve done one per year for several years now, and even though it’s always challenging and difficult, I always walk away with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I ate no food and drank water and sometimes a little bit of coffee in the morning. The point is no calories, whether solid or liquid. 

I like to do them at the beginning of the year, as a sort of consecration to the upcoming year. Jesus did a loooooooong 40 day fast before beginning His ministry, so I believe it’s a good idea to follow in His footsteps, even if it’s not as long of a period.

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’ll start by saying that fasting is very, very beneficial, not only spiritually, but physically and mentally. I’ll go over some of these benefits as I describe my experience.

Should you consider fasting? 

I absolutely think so. There are quite a few things to consider before diving in, but when done properly the rewards far surpass the temporary discomfort. 

Just a note, I am not a medical professional. However, I have been fasting regularly for years, and have done quite a bit of research in this area, all of which can be easily found online.

Fasting is an exercise in discipline, willpower, and self-control. These things do not come naturally to me, and I’ve found that fasting regularly helps to strengthen these traits, similarly to how working our muscles builds strength. If we don’t practice denying ourselves, we will often feel weak and fail in the everyday things that require self-control.

Fasting also creates a sense of humility and helps us to truly understand our needs and weaknesses in ways we normally wouldn’t experience. There’s something about being incredibly hungry and weak that reorients our perspective on how powerless we truly are, and yet creates gratitude and appreciation for the wonderful things in this world that we can take for granted. Like good food.

Does the length of the fast matter?

For sure. The longer you go, the more benefits you will experience. Although, it’s wise to listen to your body along the way to determine if you should keep going or not. Fasts are uncomfortable at times, but they’re never supposed to cause major distress or pain. Discussion with a medical professional is usually recommended.

There’s no appropriate amount of time for a fast, but I’ve found the more you practice, the longer you can go, and the better you feel. It all depends on what your goals are. 

Some people will do intermittent fasting, where you eat within a small, usually 4-6 hour window, and then go without food for the remaining 18-20 hours. This is beneficial if you do it regularly, like once a week or so. I love doing this from time to time. Although, it is not as beneficial as longer fasts, as I’ll explain later.

1,3, 5, 7, 14, and even 40-day fasts are regularly done by many all the time. But, you should know what to expect and be prepared ahead of time. 

It’s a good idea to start small and discover what your limits are. 

What happens during a seven-day fast?

Day one. 

The first day is never bad for me. From what I’ve read, most people say the same. I did normal activities, worked, and felt great. The body typically still has some residual calories and sugars in its system to keep you going for the first 24 hours. I never felt weak or light-headed, although the hunger really started to set in by the end of the day. 

It’s important to stay hydrated during this journey. The body is going through a lot and the more water it has available, the easier and less uncomfortable it will be for it to do its job.

Day two.

The second day was alright. I felt decent, not great. Very hungry, and beginning to feel emotionally volatile. Craving chocolate and Lifetime movies for some reason. 

The body is trying to figure out what’s going on and is having to reset and readjust many of its systems to accommodate fewer calories.

Day two is typically when the hunger hormone ghrelin peaks, so you feel hungrier than you normally would. This is often when people quit, (no shame!), but it does pass. It is a wave that you have to ride out, but once it passes, things become far easier. 

This is also when the body starts burning stored glycogen for fuel. Glycogen is stored using water, so when it’s released, so is the water. This means you pee a lot. Like, a lot. You will also lose quite a bit of weight, sometimes 2-3 pounds a day, but it’s mostly just water. Another huge reason to hydrate hydrate hydrate through the whole process. 

Let me tell you about Autophagy. Yes, it’s a word. 

‘Auto-phagy’ – “to eat one’s self.” 

Literally, self cannibalism.

When we stop supplying the body with the nutrients and calories it needs, it begins to look inward for sources. It doesn’t just burn stored fat for energy, but it will begin to disassemble and recycle existing cells in the body. This usually starts after 16 hours or so.

God designed our bodies so brilliantly that they will always use the most efficient and helpful methods to conserve energy and find what they need.

So, the body always takes the weakest, sickest, and unnecessary cells first, disassembling and reusing the material elsewhere. It is a glorious purging of the bad and reusing it for good. It is a clean sweep of the body, and the longer you go, the more of your bad cells become consumed. While keeping your overall health in mind.

These weak and deformed cells that get recycled are typically the major causes of aging, major chronic illnesses, and even cancer. That’s right. There are many stories out there of people who have successfully beaten cancer, simply by letting their own body break it down from the inside. All through a sheer act of survival by simply cutting off its supply of resources for a short time. There are many professionals out there who are convinced that cancer can literally be starved out. 

All that to say, the process of autophagy that the body goes through during a fast is simply remarkable, and I believe we will continue to discover many more health benefits from this process in the future.

Day Three.

Ugh. Day three was pretty awful. By far the worst day of them all. It’s the hump that I have to get over every time. I was very fatigued, a little nauseous at times, and had no motivation to do anything. Although, I still did what I needed to without many problems.  

Oddly enough, I wasn’t very hungry.

The window from 16-36 hours is typically when ketosis starts to set in. This is where your body converts from burning sugar and carbs to burning fat for energy by producing ketones. Essentially, after you’ve used up all of your available energy sources, you start burning what’s stored away in fat cells. Dipping into savings, so to speak.

So, waking up on day 3, you’ll most likely find yourself in deep ketosis and starting to feel the effects of the transition.

If you’ve ever done the keto diet before, you probably have experienced what is often referred to as the keto flu. It’s not actually an illness, but feels symptomaticly similar. Body aches, headaches, nausea, fatigue. These symptoms can usually be caused by the body being dehydrated and devoid of minerals and electrolytes. Again, hydrate. 

The body also dumps toxins that are stored in fat cells, helping to detox and cleanse its systems. This purge can create some unpleasant effects, but it’s a beautiful part of its maintenance.

I did take some supplemental minerals and electrolytes to help the body absorb and utilize the water effectively. A pinch of high-quality salt every now and then is very helpful as well.

Day four.

Day four was much better. Not fantastic, but a marked improvement from day three. It was also a Saturday, so I didn’t have many demands, which was nice. 

The hunger is real! I come up with an entire year’s worth of new recipes to try later during these things. It’s not an unbearable hunger, but it gives you an all new level of appreciation for food. Especially good food. I might secretly have an Asian food video addiction…

Day 5-7

This is where things got interesting. By day five, I was feeling pretty good and up and about doing my usual things. Most of the dreaded day three issues had receded, and I was able to do most anything with relative ease. It’s a weird dichotomy. I had energy but tired easily as well. Hunger was a constant, persistent companion who constantly reminded me that, perhaps I may have forgotten something…like eating.

I felt better every day, and by day seven I felt like I hit what is referred to as the “fasters high”. It was incredible. Apparently, this is something that can happen around days 7-9, and it brings a bizarre burst of energy, motivation, and mental clarity that can last for days. I experienced all of these things the last day, and I was almost sorry to break my fast. Almost. Maybe I’ll go longer next time. 

You’re supposed to go slow when breaking your fast and ease into eating again, so I got a salad instead of onion rings with my jalapeño, double bacon cheeseburger. Kidding.

Seriously though, we Americans can eat so consistently that we tend to lose the idea of what real hunger is. The food that I ate those first couple of days afterward was magical. It’s like my flavor sensors reset, and I could taste things I couldn’t before. I feel like I have a greater appreciation for food, yet I don’t need as much of it, or as often. We’ll see how long that lasts, but I am going to try to maintain this attitude perpetually. 

The benefits of fasting.

I’ve mentioned many benefits already, but I’ll reiterate and expound.

Physically speaking, fasting is one of God’s gifts to us to help us develop and sustain self-control and discipline. It’s also an incredible tool for keeping the body healthy and maintained. 

There is a purifying and cleansing that takes place, only possible because we give the body a break from having to digest and sort through everything that we consume on a daily basis. 

The ketones produced by the body during ketosis are natural brain fuel and they are known to increase mental clarity and cognitive function, as well as battle the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Obviously, there’s weight loss. This should not be the ultimate reason for fasting, but it is a perk. I lost 12 lbs over 7 days. The key is not to jump back into old ways and binge on Ben and Jerry’s. The body has been reset in a lot of ways, so take advantage of that and ease into a healthy diet plan.

Throughout most of human history, man has lived through feast and famine cycles. There would be seasons of harvests and feasts, and this would allow people to store up fuel in the form of fat for use later. This is a beautiful system God designed. 

The problem is if there are never seasons of famine, these unused stores can cause major problems. As odd as it seems, we need times of famine in our lives to bring balance. Fasting is a way to build famine into our normal routines. 

Food can become our master. It can rule our lives and drive us into the ground if we allow it. Fasting is a form of freedom and liberty from what can be a cruel and inhumane slave driver. We often feel that we love food, but oftentimes, we can unknowingly find ourselves worshiping it, sacrificing our money and health on the altar of gluttony. 

How do we know if food is our master? Try going without for a few days.

Food is good. Very good. It is a gift from God that we are meant to enjoy, but we should not let it rule us.

“You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Fasting is an incredible tool that God has provided for us. It has been used by countless peoples, cultures, and religions throughout history, and we would be wise to heed their understanding.

But, most importantly, Jesus fasted. And if He thinks it’s important, I think we should too.