08/13/2026
DAY 3/Day 4-ish š FAST COMPLETE ā
I hit my 72-hour goal last night, but I knew I didnāt want to break my fast at almost 10 PM and then immediately go to sleep. So I waited until this morning and officially ended at 80 hours and 39 minutesš„
And Iām not gonna lie, Day 3 kicked my ass this time. The first time I did a 3-day fast, Day 3 honestly didnāt feel much different than Days 1 or 2. I wasnāt noticeably more hungry, exhausted, or miserable. Yesterday? Completely different experience.
I was SO tired. I had a headache for most of the day, had basically no energy, and genuinely did not want to get off the couch. Thankfully it was a work-from-home day because outside of working, taking Jax to daycare, grabbing some veggies from the garden, making dinner for the boys, and playing with our new juicerā¦I accomplished approximately āØnothingāØ š
And Iām okay with that.
Iām actually really curious why this round felt so different. Was it because I didnāt sleep well during this fast? Stress from all the wedding planning this week? Was my body possibly fighting off whatever Jesse and Jax have had? What I ate before starting? A combination of everything?
Probably impossible to know for sure, but it was a really good reminder that just because your body handled something one way before does not mean itās going to respond exactly the same way every time.
The biggest difference I noticed this time was my sleep. I did not get enough of it. The Zero app really emphasizes hydration, sleep and light activity during a fast, and I definitely think the lack of sleep caught up with me.
This morning I woke up, weighed myself, and saw my lowest number in a few monthsš I lost somewhere around 8ā9 lbs over this fasting cycle, BUT I want to be very clear: I do not expect all of that to stay off. A lot of short-term scale change during fasting can be water, glycogen and digestive contents, so I fully expect some of that number to come back up as I eat and hydrate normally again. The scale wasnāt the biggest lesson from this one anyway.
When I woke up this morning, I felt like I might pass out. That was my sign that I was DONE doneš I immediately ate my raspberry Greek yogurt with chia seeds, gave that a little time, and then had two of my homemade egg muffins with the Panera bagel I saved from work and some avocado. I had planned three egg muffins, but my stomach said absolutely notš so I listened.
Today is all about recovery and fueling my body. Lunch will probably be chicken, rice, cucumber and tzatziki, and dinner will most likely be a salmon bowl because I made one recently and remembered how much I freaking LOVE them.
As far as doing another 72-hour fast next month? I honestly donāt know yet. After how I felt yesterday, I have to think about whether that makes sense for my life. I have a family. I have work. I have responsibilities. I cannot regularly dedicate an entire day to being glued to the couch because I have zero energyš Maybe next month I stop earlier. Maybe I still do 72. Maybe I donāt do one at all. Weāll see.
Thatās another thing Iām learning through all of this: the goal isnāt proving how long I can go. The goal is learning my body.
FUN FASTING FACT: āBy around the 72-hour mark, your body has made a pretty major metabolic shift. Stored glycogen is significantly reduced, fat breakdown is increased, and your liver is producing much more ketones to use as an alternative fuel source. By this point, your brain is also using more ketones for energy instead of relying as heavily on glucose.ā
That is one of the things I find so interesting about fasting, it isnāt just about watching the number on the scale move. There are actual metabolic changes happening behind the scenes, and learning how my body responds to those changes has been one of my favorite parts of experimenting with it. This round definitely wasnāt as easy as my first one, but I still learned A LOT.
I learned how much sleep matters for me.
I learned that two fasts can feel completely different.
I learned that I donāt need to force myself to hit a certain number just because Iāve done it before.
And once again, I learned a lot about the difference between actual hunger, habits, cravings and my brain simply wanting stimulation.
So even though Day 3 humbled the absolute s**t out of me, Iām still glad I did it.
80 HOURS & 39 MINUTES COMPLETEš„
Now itās time to refuel, get some good food back into my body, prioritize sleep, hydrate, and see how I feel over the next few days.
And I honestly still donāt know what next month will look like. Maybe another 72. Maybe shorter. Iām going to decide based on how Iām feeling instead of deciding right now that I have to do the exact same thing again. Thatās kind of the whole point of experimenting with this for me, paying attention, learning, and adjusting.
***Disclaimer: This is simply me documenting my own experience with fasting and what Iām learning along the way. Iām not recommending prolonged fasting for everyone. Individual responses can vary, and anyone considering an extended fast, especially someone with medical conditions, taking medications, pregnant/breastfeeding, or with a history of disordered eating, should talk with a qualified healthcare professional first***
