Recently I was introduced to intermittent fasting, the keto diet, and full day fasting. I was a little leary to try any of them but I’m glad I did. Today I want to talk a bit about how to do a one day fast, some things you need to know and how to succeed.
Grab your favourite beverage (which should be sugar free…haha!!) and let’s go!
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Is it safe to fast for one full day?
Honestly, the jury is still out on this one. Some say yes, some say no. I would recommend you do your research, a lot of it, before you decide to do a full day fast.
You can check out these two guys Thomas DeLauer and Dr. Berg for more information on fasting, keto and so much more. I’ve done plenty of research and carefully prepared for a full day fast.
It’s important to listen to your body but most importantly, check with your doctor first before trying anything new with your diet. So to answer the question, is it safe to fast for one full day, yes it is. I promise you won’t starve to death after not eating for only 24 hours.
Listen to and understand your body
I think too many people forget to pay heed to your body talk and language. We ignore warning signs, aches and pains, take a pill or two and brush it off.
Bad bad bad. Please don’t do that. Your body is your temple and it’s the only you have or will get. You can’t return it and you certainly can’t repair it with a tylenol. When you try new things, tune into your body after a day or two and see what it says.
When I first tried intermittent fasting I almost passed out. My body hated me for it. I had to test my window times to see which one worked best for me and how to deal with the hunger pangs in the meantime. I learned to drink water and push my breakfast time back a abit and my body finally was ok with it.
Make sure to test and listen to your body. That’s so crucial!!
How to do a one day fast
Though I did mention intermittent fasting in this blog, I want to mainly focus on how to do a one day fast. There will be plenty more blogs on fasting to watch out for in the future!
Preparing yourself and your body for a one day fast is important. Set a time and date to start your one day fast and make sure you tell family or friends you can’t hang out and go eat with them. That’s just a bad idea.
Dave and I recently did a video on how to prepare for a one day fast. You can watch that video here.
It’ll be a different challenge for everyone I think. Because I live alone, I’m in control of the kitchen and the food that comes into the house (and my belly!). I know that in order for me to have a successful 24 hour fast, I can’t be shovelling junk food into my mouth the day before. It just doesn’t work like that.
It will require a lot of discipline on your part to keep away from bad food and stay committed to your full day fast. The one thing that helps me get through one is to remind myself “why” I’m doing it. I feel this is important for anything you are trying to achieve that may seem hard. Ask yourself why you are doing it.
The health benefits of pulling a 24 hour fast is reason enough for me to stay committed to it. According to healthline.com, here are just a few:
- fights inflammation
- enhance heart health
- boosts brain function
- lose weight
Click here to check out this great article by healthline for more benefits of 24 hour fasting.
Here are a few steps to follow to help you get ready for a one day fast.
One day fast tips
Though I can’t guarantee success, (only you can do that) if you follow these tips for your one day fast you are far more likely to succeed with it.
1 Set a date
Choose a date at least one week in the future to do your fast. Mark it on the calendar and set a reminder for one day before.
2 Clean out all bad food
If you have any junk food, bad carbs, sugar, etc in your kitchen, get rid of it all now. You need to prepare your body for your fast. It’s important to eat as clean as you can before you start your fast.
3 Stay focused
Remember why you’re doing this. It’s not to torture yourself though it may seem like that at first. Trust me, after the first few fasts, you’ll be ready and looking forward to your next fasts.
4 Make plans to stay home
Or, don’t make any plans to go out with your friends. The temptation to break your fast will be high. Best to just stay home and watch Netflix!
5 Prepare yourself mentally
I’m not gonna lie, it’s going to be hard. As soon as the hunger really starts kicking in you’re going to think you’re dying and you won’t make it. You aren’t dying, you will make it. Drink lots of water or black tea/coffee, whatever. Self talk will go a long way here.
“I can do this”
“I’ll be fine”
“It’s only 24 hours”
“Grow up” < (I use that one on myself a lot..haha)
The day after you’ve completed your fast
Yay you did it! You pulled off a full 24 hour fast. So now what? The first thing you want to do is run to the kitchen and eat your heart out. Don’t do that. You’ll end up with a sore belly and will undo everything you just did.
Start out by eating light foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, leafy greens, lean protein, good fats.
The one thing you don’t want to do is have a hamburger and french fries or any other greasy grub. Bad idea! This will not make you feel better, though tempting as it sounds. Trust me on that.
Start slowly introducing foods and go easy. You may find that you’re not even really that hungry anymore. You’ll be surprised at how your body reacts to these 24 hour fasts.
In summary
Fasting does the body good, there’s no doubt about it but it’s important to do it right or it will all be for nothing. Always listen to your body but most importantly, do your research. And of course, check with your doctor too!!
Iva