3-day fasting log

Hey guys! I love reading other people's fasting logs so I thought I'd post mine. Ended up pretty long.

I knew I was going to try to fast this week cause I didn't have too too much schoolwork, and it would be my last 3-day shot before my mom is in town for my graduation. I ate a lot over Thanksgiving, but I swear that wasn't the motivation. The real motivation is this: I have a myriad of deeply embarrassing health problems and I was/am secretly, stupidly hoping fasting could be a miracle cure.

I did this fast as mental prep for any future longer "therapeutic" fasts I might choose to undertake, since I know the first three days are the shittiest. I'm not going into my health problems here cause I don't think any of them could possibly be affected in just 3 short days of any protocol, but that is my overall motivation/ longer term goal.

My more philosophical reason for doing this fast is because I think of it as a way of life designed to keep you sharp/alert/grateful. By not drowning myself in good things all the time I will appreciate them more. Also, for every day I fast I buy a canned good for the food pantry cause I'm saving money on food and it's a nice way to mark my achievement.

Day before (Sunday):

-heavy breakfast, fast food for dinner (fast food happens <1x month for me, but I think some flawed moral licensing having to do with my upcoming fast kicked in, making me feel like it was okay). Last bite before 6pm.

Day 1 (Monday):

-Shit my period is starting! Meh. I'll be fine.

-Shit I didn't write down 2 finals and one paper that are due this week in my planner! That's in addition to a monster programming homework and 2 papers in Spanish that are already on the agenda. Should I wait to do this next week?

-Nah.

-Ask my girlfriend if I told her I was gonna fast. No. Oh. Sorry. She is worried :(

-Go to pizzeria with girlfriend and stare at her as she eats.

-Bike to school.

-Feel pretty good in the morning. In the early afternoon my sense of smell becomes super acute and I start fiercely craving food. No physical sensations of hunger or discomfort.

-I feel a little distressed, but when I smell food I feel better. My interpretation of this is that if I don't have evidence of ample food all around me my less rational brain forgets that I'm not starving.

-Bike home

-Make my girlfriend some dank soup. Soup is my favorite food. Don't find it tempting in the slightest.

-Shit, I forgot I was signed up to volunteer in 30 minutes. It's a one hour bus ride or a 30 minute, vigorous bike ride. I don't have car. I take bike.

-I feel superhuman! Biking is easy! Nvm, can't make it up steep hill.

-Bus home.

-Overall I feel not too bad. Pretty energetic and happy. Not too deprived. Good day.

Day 2 (Tuesday):

-Volunteering at 9am - I decide to take bike despite some lightheadedness since I am invincible, and my sense of independence is more important than my safety.

-Make it 2 blocks. Park bike at bus stop, wheezing heavily.

-Take bus

-Feel really shitty and grumpy and tired at volunteering gig.

-Lady comes in and asks me for help. Helping people is nice. She takes down my hours so she can be back next week. Bad mood gone.

-Home

-School. I am excited because I realize I can cut one of my classes since I don't have any absences yet for the semester. I never used to cut class. What is wrong with me. I am garbage. Bad mood.

-Home on bike. I feel awesome. Hill that is usually tough is not any tougher than usual. Go to convenience store to buy my special lady a special snack. Checkout lady says I look tired. I do? I feel awesome. Should I feel tired? What if I am tired and just can't feel it. What does this all mean.

-Drink some boullion cause I can't convince myself to take any salt electrolyte water. Feel guilty cause it tastes like food.

-Derp around, a little homework, then bed.

-Girlfriend has me promise not to ride bike tomorrow. I tell her I want to extend fast to 4 days. That makes her nervous.

-Can't sleep. :(

-Summary: some mood swings, lethargy, grumpiness

Day 3 (Today):

-Wake up early and exhausted.

-Go to school on bus.

-Homework/class. Snooze.

-Oh shit I got wrong colored stole and tassle for graduation. Go buy right ones.

-I am awful. I wish I was never born. Who fails to plan shit for their graduation?

-I am ending fast today, not extending til tomorrow :(

-Life is pointless.

-Death Death Death

-Wait a sec. Hold my horses. I probably should eat something because I'm breaking fast in 3 hours anyways and I am feeling seriously depressed and catastrophising shit.

-Eat some peanuts. I'm not in ketosis yet and I didn't fast long enough to build up scary deficiencies so I don't worry about how to break it.

-tummyache

-Oh right, I haven't drunk water recently. Tummyache gone.

-Home

-Eat a mountain of kimchi.

-Huge dump. I am a little off put because it must have just been sitting there chilling for the whole fast. The longer the residence time of your poops, the greater your risk of colon cancer.

-BURST OF ENERGY! Off to grocery store to donate some canned goods.

Summary: Broke fast early because awful moodswing distracting me from finals

There you have it. I think I probably lasted long enough to get benefits of autophagy/immune system regeneration. I lost 10 pounds of water which I expect to gain back promptly once I reintroduce carbs. Trying desperately not to pig out before I am hungry again. Throughout I took salt/potassium/calcium/magnesium/ vit d/ b complex. It was a short fast but I wanted to do it right.

UPDATE Apparently refeeding carefully is still important even after a short fast!! Have had some nasty bouts of:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2871346

groooosssssssss.