I started extended water fasting regularly over a year ago. In the beginning I could only do max. 2 days and now I am on a regular 5 day fast. What I’ve noticed is the connection of emotions to food and how when you learn to separate your emotions from hunger, you are able to fast longer than usual. What this means to me is that I noticed how much I struggled emotionally… I would think about past trauma and generally feel extremely sad while fasting. My coping mechanism to eat was gone and I had no other way of coping with struggles.
Now I am just sharing this because I am on my third fasting day (out of 5) and I feel awful. I’ve been struggling with heartache and I noticed the fast being a lot harder than usual. Feeling like I want to quit but knowing myself that I will hate myself if I do that…
Any advice on how to handle emotions when you’re feeling really down on a fast?
I’m going to say what you don’t want to hear.
You were using a coping mechanism to deal with your emotions, you now actually have to deal with them.
There is nothing wrong with that either, having to actually deal with emotions vs drowning them in food. It might actually help you in the long run. You might think the only way you have to deal with emotions was food, but now you have time to experience them, and think your problems through. That’s the healthy way of coping with them, and the best way to do it in the long run.
I understand this.
Cortisol levels elevate when fasting. My best reccomendedation as a fellow faster is to limit caffiene and to consider taking Ashwaganda. There’s some evidence to support that it helps regulate cortisol levels.
You may be averse to this - like many of us- but if you have not already I’d strongly recommend therapy. There are even folks who can help with nutrition therapy.
Good on you for recognizing the emotion/food relationship on your own.