Heyyyyyyyy you. Yeah, you with the bag of *healthy* chips. 🤨 I see you, and I feel your pain. For literal decades, I’ve not known enough about nutrition. For years as an adult, I thought I was making healthy choices…only to find out that those choices were masked with pounds of sugar and extra calories my body wasn’t asking for.

No wonder I’ve since developed a fatty liver. No wonder I found myself slowing down on hikes and getting frustrated at the gym. Sure, the weight was being pushed and pulled, the hikes were being hiked…but alas, my body was yelling at me from the inside out and I finally decided it was time to stop yelling back and listen instead.

 

Fatty Liver Diagnosis and the Wake-Up Call to Take My Health Seriously

If you’ve been following for a while, you’ll know that a few years back I was told I needed to lose up to 18 pounds because of finding out about my fatty liver. Weird to think your liver could be fat, isn’t it? 🤨

But the reality is that most of us have problems such as these and never even know it. Mine was figured out after going to several doctors wondering why my upper right abdomen hurt so much. It would just randomly ping me with pain, enough to make me go to the bathroom in the middle of my waitressing shifts just to sit on the floor until it subsided.

That was the wake-up call, I remember the exact day. That was the moment where I vowed to myself from the bathroom floor that I would no longer put up with this annoying pain and that I would finally go get it figured out. After many doctor visits and several even more annoying answers that were not the answer I was looking for (a solution to the pain), I was about to give up.

I talked to my PCP and asked if there was anything else that may be the cause, so she turned me onto a functional hands-on physical therapist that immediately pin-pointed the exact spot I was having issues with. (Without even telling her where it was).

We worked for months on this spot, and as she did, she explained that it was so painful because it was a very deep muscle that was extremely tight. (I thought this was ridiculously stupid, since I’d had internal exams at this point wondering what the heck the problem was). But she was right, it was that simple. So, I started adding more stretching, more physical therapy, and more mindfulness while doing so into my daily routines. It hasn’t yet subsided, but it’s significantly better than it was.

The point of this story is to remind you that getting things checked out that are bothering you is okay. If you know something feels off, don’t neglect it. Find the right healer for your situation and find your way away from pain. 🫶

Throughout this time period however, (from those internal scans), I did find out that I had a fatty liver, stage 2. Even more ridiculous I thought, since I was just barely 31 at the time.

Related:  You Say Fatty Liver, I Say Eff That.

Turning to Intermittent Fasting After Failed Weight Loss Attempts

A fatty liver is pretty common, it’s not really much to worry about most people will tell you, but this human prefers to live an optimally operating longevity-filled life, mmkay. 🤨 So, I got to work on researching all I could about how to heal myself. It’s been years, I’m nearly 34 now. But I do have a few more answers, and that’s a few more than I had when I started, so I’ll take it.

After years of failed weight loss plans, un-fun diets and restricting myself while pushing my workouts, I kept giving up. It’s hard enough (especially as an aging woman), to keep your weight managed, let alone get unnecessary weight off. The doctor made it sound so simple, though, it couldn’t be that hard, right?

I tried everything. I had years to do so, after all. After getting more and more depressed about the extra weight I had that I never thought I would, I was informed of a book about fasting. (Fasting like a girl, more specifically). I started reading and was instantly amazed at how you can transform your health with NO FOOD. It was magical and *again,* ridiculous all at the same time. There was no way all of these wonderful benefits could happen just because you didn’t eat for a few days, surely.

So, like any health obsessed human, I decided I was ready to give it a try. I knew I could do IF (intermittent fasting). I knew I could go without food for 24 hours…but 3 days? It seemed like I was about to enter an eternity.

What Fasting Taught Me About True Nutrition and Healing

Before I started my fast, I was a “healthy” eater. I used to suck at eating right but as I got older, I understood more and more about nutrition and properly fueling your body. But then as I continued to read on, I realized that I wasn’t really eating that healthy at all. I was still eating processed foods, in the wrong order, at the wrong times of day. I was still using the wrong things to fuel my workouts and the wrong things to recover from them.

Fasting has opened up a whole new world. It’s proven to me that it *does* actually work, as long as you follow the plan and trust the process. Not only did my fast help to heal some previous injuries (i.e. a knee that constantly ached while hiking or running or squatting, an elbow that clicked when pushing dumbbells…), but it also taught me so much about how my body operates, in such a short time.

It showed me that I can go without food. I don’t need to keep eating to heal myself. My body did that all on its own. Pretty cool, right?😎

It provided clarity and confidence that I could do what I set out to. I could accomplish goals and do the hard things that were on my path.

I could follow through. 

Being on a 3-day fast also made me forget about sugar. About carbs. About anything other than healthy foods that I craved and couldn’t wait to eat again. Things that would actually fuel my body and not drain it. I went for about 2 weeks before re-introducing sugar, and honestly, I kind of wish I wouldn’t have. It’s nice to have sweet things sometimes, or ice cream with the hubs, but moving forward, I’m still going to try to have less of it. (For context, I aim for 10g of *added* sugar per day or lower).

Life After the Fast: Bye-Bye Sugar, Hello Protein Power

Since the fast, I’ve been way more mindful of how many grams of sugar are in each processed item. Even if they look healthy, I assure you they are most usually not. Did you know that you can retain water weight from excess carbs and sugar? I didn’t, but now I know that if the scale moves up overnight, it makes sense to look at my previous day’s meals and see that it’s not from added fat, but from the carbs and sugar that I may have had before bed. (Carbs are fruit, too! Something else I didn’t know). 🍎🤔

I’ve also learned that timing certain meals to my cycle make a load of difference. There are times where it makes sense to indulge, to eat more, to eat less, etc. (But we’ll go further into that in another post). 🫶

For the last month, I have eaten significantly better. I prioritize protein, (even though I thought I was before, I wasn’t tracking it, so there was no real way to tell). And after that I prioritize fiber. Followed by healthy fats and maybe a teency bit of sugar to keep myself sane. 🤷‍♀️ (My go-to teency after-meal snack are these Hu Gems that satisfy cravings with just a few pieces).

I know now how to eat in the proper order, and have been intrigued to find out why that is. (Read more in the upcoming post about how AI has helped my journey immensely).

Related:  Healthy Hacks, Delicious Smoothies, and the Secret to Eating More to Weigh Less!

Surviving the First 48 Hours of a Three Day Fast

Before we get to that though, let me tell you what each day of the fast felt like. (from my personal experience)

It wasn’t easy. But then again it was. I was motivated by how I’d feel on the other side. If I would feel elated like so many people claim, or if I’d be drained and craving food like nothing else.

I learned that it would be a little bit of both.

While the first day was hell, it was only for one day. (It didn’t help that I randomly decided to jump into this right after a day of pizza and brownies and ice cream…it’s highly recommended to eat clean beforehand). I started my fast at 8:30pm on a Sunday. Monday morning was when I decided it was go-time. 💪

As Monday drug on, I started to feel drowsy by mid-afternoon. I wasn’t really hungry until then, but then it was like super hunger. I went on a walk with my husband in the evening to take my mind off of it, but could recognize that I was super lightheaded and in a brain fog the entire time. I didn’t sleep bad, but I didn’t sleep good, either.

The second day was alright. I continued my supplements and electrolytes (check out the list below)👇, and started to feel like I could actually accomplish this. I told my husband that I felt like if I could make it through the evening, I felt I’d be okay to make it the whole way. (And that’s exactly what happened). It was hard creating meals for my family while not eating myself, but I had tea during that time which helped my mind stay calm and focused on the goal.

Supplements that helped me move through the fast:

1. L-Theanine (Stress reducer and the nice chewable tablets made me feel like I had food without breaking my fast)
2. Berberine (Helps to enhance metabolism and reduce cravings)
3. Creatine (Supports muscle growth and repair)
4. Magnesium (Maintains muscle and nerve function while reducing fatigue symptoms)
5. Nuun Electrolyte Tablets (not just good for hiking!) 🥾
6. Green Tea & Lemon Ginger Tea (used in place of meal times to help me forget there was no food involved)

(Disclaimer: Please keep in mind these supplements have just been recommended based on my own personal experience, please make sure to consult you doctor before starting a fast or taking new supplements).

Day 3: Finding Energy, Letting Go of Hunger, and Breaking the Fast

When day 3 came, I *did not* feel energetic and all giddy like everyone on the internet said I would…until the late afternoon. 🤔 At that point I was nearing 60-70 hours and continued to keep my mind off things while tending to my garden. I was talking to my mom on the phone and noticed that I didn’t even care about eating anymore. The thought and desire for it had basically gone away and I mentioned that I could probably keep going.

Even though I didn’t, I made sure to refuel properly when 8:30 rolled around. Since it was close to bedtime and the first time I’d eaten in 3 days, I made sure to have a light portion and the right foods to reintroduce first to the good old digestive system that got some well-deserved R&R. (Check back in the future and on socials to follow what I’ve been eating or drop a comment if you have a specific question!)

(The “right foods” can look different for every person, and I’d recommend doing some research yourself or talking to a nutritionist about what may work best for you).

I also knew I’d be working out hard the next morning since I took a 3 day break. While I still included some light walking and stretching, I made sure to take it a little easier so that I didn’t burn out and give up.

Would I Do It Again? Spoiler: This Three Day Fasting Was Totally Worth It

Will I do it again someday? I think so. It was a wonderful start into my weight loss journey (I lost about 7 pounds in those three days), and even though this was mostly water weight, it was good enough to mentally make me feel like I was headed toward my goal weight. Which prompted me to continue eating better portions, weighing foods, choosing healthier snacks, tracking my calories, checking for that pesky added sugar, and maintaining a calorie deficit since then.

It’s actually been fun learning about how my body works and reacts to different foods, and recognizing how we store it as well. My personal goal is to remove the fat around my organs and liver, while maintaining and building muscle mass while I make my way to that goal weight.

This of course is a personal journey, and one that can look different for each individual. So if fasting sounds like something that you’re interested in, I would highly recommend giving it a try. *But first,* start with some IF (intermittent fasting) and maybe a 24 hour fast to ensure you’re okay to keep going.

It was 100% worth it in my opinion to go three days without food. Eating is just a habit after all. While we eat for fuel, we also eat for pleasure or when we’re feeling down, and becoming more mindful of when or how I do those things has truly changed my life over the past 4 weeks. I’ll talk about those changes more in the upcoming post, and share exactly what I’ve been doing to drop 10.6 pounds in the process.

Until then, stay weird friends. (and find your favorite fast)
Talk to you soon! 🥸

Thank You For Reading “Three Day Fasting, Big Reset: How It Jumpstarted My Weight Loss and Nutrition Journey”

Thanks for reading, friends! I hope my 3-day fasting story gave you a little insight—and maybe a smile. Here’s to health, balance, and finding what works for you.