Decided I’ll try a 24 hour fast today. I’ve had coffee and water, but that’s it. I want to see for myself some of thr benefits I get. I’m doing this because lately I’ve felt very anxious and tired and it’s like my body is trying to tell me to do a cleanse, hence why I’m doing this.
Any tips or any benefits do you think that might help me with this?
If you feel anxious and tired lately, you probably need better quality sleep. Go to bed earlier and put the phone down before you crawl in. A water fast is a great tool to reset your digestion, kickstart fat loss, and test your willpower, but it’s not going to help you feel less anxious or less tired. In fact, it might do the opposite. There’s no such thing as a “cleanse”. Your body is constantly filtering your blood and getting rid of waste products.
As for tips, try to stay busy. Drink a lot of water, and make sure you get some electrolytes (a zero calorie Gatorade is a great easy choice for this, if not, then salt). The electrolytes will help you not develop a headache. And lastly, break your fast with a meal high in protein. A favorite of mine is eggs on toast with turkey bacon.
When you get more experienced with fasting you’ll start to realize that when your body is depleted of carbohydrates you WILL get hunger pangs, this doesn’t mean that you -need- to eat, although you will try to rationalize it to yourself that if the feeling is strong enough that you have to.
Ironically, fasting for longer periods than 24 hours is easier because after you’re over that initial hump, you stop feeling hungry after the 24-36 hour mark.
Caffeine is a great appetite suppressant so I think coffee will help! But if you’re just craving stuff and it feels overwhelming, distract yourself. Take a walk, turn on a funny show/movie, go window shopping at a clothes store, whatever helps distract you and occupies your mind for awhile.
As far as benefits, you will likely enjoy your meal for the day much more. This will also show you how much you don’t need to eat all day. It might help launch you onto a longer extended fast in the future because you see what you’re capable of!