Undergoing a Prolonged Fast: What I Did, Why I Did It, & What I Learned

This past weekend, I undertook the longest fast I’ve ever done. I do intermittent fasting on a regular schedule, and generally do a 36- to 40-hour fast once each month (you can read about the whys and wherefores of those fasts here.)

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That monthly longer fast had gotten to be fairly straightforward, with few uncomfortable side effects, so I decided to stretch it out to 48 hours.

According to fasting and keto diet expert Thomas Delauer, prolonged fasting generates the following benefits, and more:

• rest for the digestive system
• healthy stress to the body that forces old, damaged cells to be eliminated
• increased ketone production (an alternative energy source to glucose that encourages fat burning)
• increased BDNF production (a chemical in the brain that increases the rate of neuron growth)

According to the Bible, prolonged fasting brings about these additional benefits:

• increased dependence upon the Lord
• demonstration of a sincere desire for his guidance and assistance during a trial

Remember Esther’s three-day fast?

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. – Esther 4:16

Unlike Esther, I did not undergo this fast because of a pressing issue in my life. Rather, I wanted to reap the health benefits, test my self-discipline, and increase my dependence upon the Lord to maintain a pleasant demeanor during the fast.

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Because cooking (and eating) is one of my favorite hobbies and means of showing love for others, I knew that last goal would be the most difficult to attain.

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. – Matthew 6:16-18

Just prior to my fast, on Saturday morning, I ate a couple of small meals, about an hour apart, and loaded up on healthy fats: a bulletproof coffee (coffee with butter, coconut oil, and half n’ half); an omelet with cheese, avocado, ground beef, and vegetables; and whole-milk Greek yogurt with various nuts, seeds, and berries.

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Healthy fats tend to stay in the system longer than carbohydrates and stave off hunger. That meal sustained me fairly comfortably through Sunday night. During those hours, I drank green tea, water with apple cider vinegar, and water with fresh lemon and lime juice. At one point, I drank a small glass of water with pink Himalayan salt dissolved into it to keep electrolytes in my system.

At this point, I felt fairly normal, and only experienced a bit of fatigue and a mild headache. Hunger pains disappeared after 24 hours or so.

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I was feeling good and perhaps a bit over-confident as I went to bed on Sunday night.

On Monday morning, I woke to flu-like symptoms: lethargy, nausea, and light-headedness. My normal workout was out of the question.

To stave this off, I drank more salt water. That decreased the nausea, but not the other symptoms. I decided to listen to my body and eat, a bit of salted chicken breast, followed soon after by coffee.

Oddly, I felt so ill that it was an effort just to chew and swallow a few bites, but I began to feel better almost immediately and ate a larger meal several hours later.

In the end, my prolonged fast turned out to be about 43 hours rather than 48 hours, but I still feel as though I accomplished my goal. I think my family would tell you that I was fairly cheerful, and I did pray throughout the day more than I usually do. (It’s interesting how much more important something like food becomes when one has decided not to have it!) My body also eliminated a great deal of waste and water weight, and I’m feeling lean and mean at the moment.

After undertaking this fast, I have renewed respect for those who can fast as long as three days, or even five days. I’m not sure if that will ever be attainable for me. But I can say, by God’s grace, that I will continue fasting on some level for my spiritual and physical health.

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What are your experiences with fasting? Do you feel it is needed in this age of grace? I hope my experience may prove helpful to those of you considering a long fast. I look forward to your comments.