Water Fast, day two: Approaching Bliss

archana
archana
Jul 22, 2017 · 5 min read

I want to share with you just how amazing this feels.

What’s a water fast? If you want to learn more, I recommend this excellent resource.

Fasting is such a mysterious thing, closely tied to the purest form of existence. The sensation of simply being is the main event of the day, and everything else becomes incidental.

If you’re looking for day one, it doesn’t exist. I didn’t write about how it felt yesterday, but it was uneventful possibly because it was my second attempt. The first was exactly one week ago, and the first 24 hours were fraught with short bouts of anticipation and hunger. That time I lasted 40 hours before I gave in and ended it a bit earlier than I hoped, but I wasn’t sure what I should have hoped. Those also happened to be the most symptomatic 40 hours of my raging cold; and though the fast felt great, those effects were hard to discern under the phlegm. I was pleased with how it went and couldn’t wait to try it again when I felt better.

Well, I’m still sick, coughing up phlegm, stuffy and mouth-breathing when I sleep, but I am so excited to do it again.

So I started yesterday, Friday, with the plan to continue through the weekend and possibly longer if I want. My last intake of calories was close to midnight between Thursday and Friday. That makes it easy to count the hours! I worked as normal all day Friday, except that I skipped my normal morning exercise of swimming, yoga, and biking. The first day of last week’s fast, I worked out hard for 3 hours and still felt all right, but this time I want to see how it goes without the added energy burn. (I used to train for triathlons so a 2-3 hour workout feels awesome for me.) So far, this feels great.

The amount of water I took in also differed between yesterday and the first day of last week’s fast. I had at least a gallon last week and yesterday I maybe had 2.5 liters, which is average for me on a normal day. I harken back to mountain climbing in the Rockies. The first few day hikes of climbing 14ers, I had to drink three or more liters each day. Then it seemed that I adapted and only needed a liter for the whole hike. Could that be happening here?

When fasting, the body uses energy reserves, like glycogen in the liver and muscles and eventually fat cells, and recycles the protein of old, dead cells and debris floating around in interstitial space.

Last night I turned in no later than 9pm, and probably closer to 8:30pm. As soon as I became horizontal, I had to start mouth-breathing again, which I don’t particularly enjoy, but we survive. Around 1:30am the storm started to roll in, and I got up to close the windows. I was also uncomfortable from being sick, and I had a bit of trouble falling asleep again. Last I looked at the time it was 3:40 and before I knew it I was up again at 8:20, feeling so peaceful, breathing so easily, and looking forward to living this day.

I’m normally child-like happy, but this is so effortless and fantastic. I feel lighter than air, in mind and body, like I could dance to silence. The grime and trash of the city don’t bother me. I hardly notice it. I don’t care about being stared at or cat-called or approached or cut off. Everything is beautiful, and it’s beautiful inside my body, too.

I’m not a music listener, preferring environmental sounds unless I want to focus and study music. But I had an irresistible urge to listen to some brilliant music and for the first time in ages walked around town with headphones, walk-boppin’ down the sidewalk. My ears somehow take in the music differently, with more clarity and appreciation of subtlety. I never want this to playlist to end. I’m in ecstasy.

Love pours out of me easily. I love where and all the people with whom I work, but yesterday and especially today, I feel even more joy and love toward them. Since we’re a remote company I don’t get to express this love often, but now I’m daydreaming of how I’m going to hug everyone (who lets me!) at our meet up later this year. Will I cry from the joy of seeing them? I could cry now just thinking about it.

Am I wrapped in a secret energetic haven that only the lucky experience? The only other time I have felt something akin to this was after long meditation practice, which feels like waking up from the deepest sleep with all the questions answered and no more doubts clouding the mind.

After 48 hours of water fasting (72 hours for men), the body goes into a ketogenic state, often associated with sublime feelings, clear thinking and the ability to work efficiently, increased energy, and loss of appetite.

Am I already in ketosis? I still feel an appetite but otherwise this is approaching bliss. How marvelous that the human experience contains something so richly fulfilling beyond anything material. I am in awe of this existence. What will tomorrow bring? I await with patient love.

My secret (not secret) desires:

Weight loss, anti-aging, and cleaner diet are all well-known benefits of fasting, as simple research reveals.

Anecdotes suggest that fasting can heal one’s chronic injuries and pain. I secretly hope that the scar tissue in my left foot will go away so that I can maybe one day run again. Running was my first love in life, back when I was 11 years old and had no friend but the path, the sunlight, the burn in my body. Nothing has taken its place since. I’m blessed to be able to give fasting a try, even if I’m still saddled with this pain for the rest of my life.

Same with my right hip joint which has been arthritic since the bike & Hummer accident 11 years ago. Among the injuries sustained, the hip has been the most problematic. I reached pain-free through posture alignment, massage, yoga, and strength training, but staying pain-free requires enormous effort (in my opinion) consisting of hours of exercise a day. What if I could exercise again without focusing on fixing my body and only because I love to move? What if living could be nothing more than the expression of the joy of existing?

archana

Written by

archana

Engineer at Elastic

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