So anyway, I’ve been trying to accomplish an extended fast the last few weeks but have ended up just giving in and breaking early. The longest I’ve gone so far in the past two weeks was 42 hours. I’m aiming for 72 and just haven’t hit that mark yet. I’m not calling it a series of “failures”, I refuse to see it like that. If you decide you have to stop, then stop. Eat. Look after yourself. But nonetheless, it’s been disappointing that I’ve ended up breaking earlier than I wanted because of what seem to be pretty simple things, and one of them is hanger (you know, the portmanteau of hunger and anger).
I just get so god-damn hangry! And it doesn’t take long either. It usually starts by as early as the second day. I find my mind wandering onto things that annoy me and I start feeling really aggravated for no external reason. The aggravation is definitely internal in origin - there’s nothing happening around me that instigates it. I’ll stew over memories or fictitious stories of things that irritate me, or become preoccupied with things that normally stress me like work; and I say “normally” because it is normal for some things in life to stress us out, like work, but the preoccupation is what bothers me.
I’ve heard this can be pretty common while fasting, and it makes sense really. I mean, there must be a biological reason you get emotionally irritated when your body hasn’t eaten, it just stands to reason. So being reasonably common, how do other people deal with this? I’m a bit sceptical about asking, because I don’t really want the default responses you get from every blogger on the internet when you google the question. None of those ideas work, and I highly doubt most of the people writing blog entries about fasting actually fast themselves. What’s your experience with this been?
Great question! Before I can get hangry, I just start working on tasks I can’t stand but need to get done regardless. Bonus points if they have contingency tasks! Inevitably it becomes a game to me - how long can I go? Can I eek out 20 more mins and so on. It all adds up towards weight loss and wellness goals. Best wishes!
Plain iced tea. I was told the caffeine can stop hunger and it’s clearly been working for me. I suppose iced black coffee would work too, but I hate black coffee. I have hot tea occasionally, but I think being able to quickly chug down a glass or two of iced tea works better because it fills the stomach quickly. I’ve been going through a jug of iced tea every day, along with several glasses of water, and I’m almost never hungry, much less hangry.
Never really wanted or saw the point in doing 72 hours, but I’d imagine you need to prepare your body for that. Going ‘cold turkey’ would surely have the consequences you describe as your experience. Substituting eggs into every meal the prior week and drinking water when you get hungry has worked for me if doing extended fasts.