Does a plant-based diet make fasting more difficult?

Two days into my fast (plus a prep day where I ate very little). Finding it just so so challenging. And reading the threads on here and how people have such an easy time with it discourages me despite it being my 4th fast of 2022. And so I got to thinking, does the fact that I weigh 120lbs (I fast for health and longetivity, definitely not weight loss) and eat a vegan diet come into play here? Does it make it more difficult?

Answer

I’m vegan and I weigh ~110lbs. There is some fat there but I have often wondered whether having more would make the process easier.

I think it depends largely on what your meals are like leading up to a fast. This time around I cut out carbs like rice and I didn’t snack on junky snacks like chips or Oreos, which I occasionally have. I added more fat to my diet in the form of nuts and made sure to only eat fresh veggies I prepared myself. I had tofu as my protein the last two days (for no reason it’s just what I had). I’m 70-something hours in and it’s been so much easier this time.

I also gave up coffee. I’m using caffeine pills to wean myself off so it wasn’t a sudden change. This has also really helped.

I don’t drink alcohol, soda or eat much highly processed foods. Salted chips and Oreos are the only ones and even then it’s not every week.