I’m no expert when it comes to the “fasting” fad, but I can authentically speak to my personal experiences. There are people much wiser with much more flattering credentials that can speak to this topic. To name a couple, Steven R Gundry, author of “Unlocking the Keto Code”, and Jimmy Moore, “The Complete Guide to Fasting”, were helpful and filling resources for me. I’d also like to mention Elmer Towns, author of “Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough”, which really opened my perspective about Biblical fasts. Any or all of these are a great place to start if you want to educate yourself a bit more on this topic.
That said, here is my very amateur and raw take on this amazing, recent experience in completing a very successful 4-day, water-only, fast. Let’s do 3 points, just for fun.
Reflection Point #1: My previous history on fasts.
A group of close friends and I decided to tackle a 3-day, water-only fast back in 2016. The motive was completely spiritual related. The goal was to refrain from food to strengthen our relationship with God through vulnerability, self-control, and simple fellowship with each other. The decision was abrupt, and I dove in cold turkey. I was more of a follower and I jumped on the band-wagon. My rationalization was simple. “Fasting is Biblical and good. My friends are doing this. Sure, why not.”
For the next few years, I remember doing this 3-day fast about 2 or 3 more times. Each one was similar in its motive and experience. My posture was “sure, why not” for the most part. Although I enjoyed these fasts and I was successful in over-coming my food cravings, they were very difficult. I was moody. I didn’t have deep meaning in my heart when it came to my “why”. I made the fast more about me and my feelings of deprivation. I didn’t care to control my attitude and I probably burdened my wife and children with my lack of normal role involvement. I was beyond hangry most days. What I especially remember is just a selfish attitude at home. My focus was, “I have to get through this, just to get through it.”
The last thing I’d like to mention about these previous fasts is when I broke my fast, I was extremely emotional. Like, I straight up cried upon first bite. It wasn’t a Toby Maguire meme, but my body just filled with the emotion from the initial bite. My eyes filled with tears, and I cried a bit. It’s kind of funny, but I share this because I think my emotions were very much tied to the accidental, superficial goal I made for myself. This goal was the comfort of food. I was enduring fasting only because I knew I would get to eat again. This is not what I think fasting really was meant to do. Although I succeeded, I didn’t grow.
After a few years of this, I took a break from fasting. Then in Jan of 2023, I decided to do it again, but this time it would be different and this time, I was going to add a day for good measure.
Reflection Point #2: How was this fast going to be different, better, and more meaningful?
I like superheroes. I’m a big Marvel fan. I especially admire the physique that some of these guys reach for these movies. One day, I stumbled upon Chris Hemsworth’s workout routine. I thought to myself, “yeah Thor is in great shape, but who is the person who makes Thor? Who trains Chris Hemsworth?!” In 2021, I discovered Ross Edgley.
Ross not only trains the god of Thunder, but he himself is a superhero in real life. This guy became the first human to swim around Great Britain, completed a triathlon with a 100 pound log on his back, and climbed a rope the height of Mt. Everest! I read his books Blueprint, Art of Resilience, and The World’s Fittest Book. I became incredibly fascinated with the fact that we can push our bodies to do incredible things and it is the way to pursue longevity. You can also get to know Ross a little bit if you catch the Chris Hemsworth “Limitless” series on Disney+ (came out just last year). There is a great episode on Fasting that as well will inspire your inner Thor.
So far this sounds incredibly superficial. The context will resolve in a more meaningful way soon.
In 2020, my life changed forever. The 10-year company I built from the ground-up collapsed. A few months later, I lost my father and stepmom in a sudden incident. I was very much fighting depression and other things. I joke about it to people, but the thing I lost most was “confidence”. I’ve always been a confident guy, sometimes too much. Going into 2021, let’s just say I was not myself. I’ll admit, I had amazing faith. If it were not for my faith in Jesus, I would have not been able to wake up and “do” for the next couple of years. I am grateful for that.
Why am I saying all this? Well, context is important because going into this fast, I had some incredibly deep goals and I was in need of even deeper healing. I wanted to overcome, I wanted to grow, and I wanted to do it for the right reasons. What were my reasons?
I didn’t know if I could make it 4 days. 3 days were tough. 4 days seemed unrealistic, and I wanted to challenge myself.
In the past, my fasting burdened my family. I wanted to redeem myself and fast in a way that improved my involvement and presence at home.
I wanted God to show me something. I begged him to.
I wanted to grow in every way possible. Mentally, Spiritually, and Physically.
Reflection Point #3: The Fast
I’m in a Bible study with 2 other men. I’ve been in several Bible studies in the past decade. It’s funny, I refer to them as “Bible studies” but what they really are is simple Biblical friendship. We pray together, we help each other be better men through accountability/vulnerability, and we simply live life together with intentional time and family time.
Our group leader pitched the idea of doing a fast and it couldn’t have come at a more appropriate moment. I needed a fast and I needed to do it with some brothers.
Day 1: Sunday night at 6pm was the last meal I ate. I was not to eat until 6pm Thursday. One of the “monsters” I wanted to overcome was late-night eating. Even going to bed without my usual 10pm exploring in the kitchen was a change. The next morning, going without coffee was another hurdle. I normally intermittent fast so my coffee holds me well for a few hours. My goal was to keep busy, constantly pray, and text the guys throughout the day. Almost 24 hours in, I was doing pretty good! When the family ate dinner, I went for a walk with the dog. It was the 1st of many walks, but it was intentional time. The fresh air, headphones in listening to some good books, and time in prayer became my food.
I spent time praying for my body to heal and mentally, I knew that the initial 24 hours, my body was doing amazing things. Essentially, fasting cleanses our body of toxins and forces cells into processes that are not usually stimulated when a steady stream of fuel from food is always present. When we fast, the body does not have its usual access to glucose, forcing the cells to resort to other means and materials to produce energy. This is an incredible healing step, and I was embracing it.
Day 2: Again, not snacking in the fridge at 10pm was tough, but less difficult on day 2. This night I dreamt about food ALL night. It was hilarious. I remember drinking the most delicious smoothie of my life (yeah, a smoothie out of all things) and then spitting it out. Day 2 was also the day I felt like I could have chosen to be moody, but I chose to be kind. I tried very hard to be loving towards my wife and children. I also was very challenged during meetings at work. I had a very difficult time listening to people due to being very impatient. I took frequent walks and prayer time. Texting the boys helped a lot.
I know this 48 hour was a shift. Once you pass 24 hours of fasting, your body will enter a state called ketosis, where you're reliant on burning your fat stores for energy. As fat cells are broken down for energy, ketone bodies are created and released into the bloodstream. Ketone bodies act as fuel for the brain when glucose is scarce. Glucose is our brain's primary source of fuel, but ketone bodies provide the brain with additional benefits. Burning ketones can lead to a major uptick in your cognitive performance, mental clarity, and general sense of energy and well-being as you enter a multiday fast. Your brain also gets a boost around the 24-hour mark from an increase in production of brain-derived nootropic factor (BDNF)4. BDNF supports the growth of brain neurons. Not only is it correlated with improvements in long-term memory, coordination, and learning, but it's also thought to be key in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in later life. My family has a messy history of brain and mental issues. I knew more and more that this fast was good for me and the beginning of something I would adopt for the rest of my life.
Day 3: This was an interesting day because I felt a sense of euphoria. I wasn’t hungry, but it was more about me in full acceptance of this fast. My mood was positive. I had less patience, and I was still fighting my irritability. This was the day where I also felt God talking to me the most. I had this overwhelming message, “Shawn, you care way too much about what people think of you. Being thoughtful and considerate is a strength but seeking the approval of literally everyone, all the time, isn’t healthy. Lastly, by you caring too much about what people think of you, you are sabotaging what I can do through you and how you can be everything I created you to be.” This was so random but crystal clear. I knew this was an area I had to grow in and I was grateful for the supernatural message.
Another thing special about this day was that I got to food prep! I love to serve and cook for people. I volunteered to make the guys an amazing dinner to break our fast together. I’ll tell you that going to Costco after 3-days of no food was brutal. Smelling all the smells really messed with my brain, but it was also an amazing strength activity. I prepped the food, and it was very therapeutic knowing I would be eating in the next 24 hours.
At this point, I was also reminding myself of how my body was healing as I knew fasting:
Promotes blood sugar control by reducing insulin resistance
Promotes better health by fighting inflammation
Enhance heart health by improving blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels
Boost brain function and prevent neurodegenerative disorders
Aids weight loss by limiting calorie intake and boosting metabolism
Increases growth hormone secretion, which is vital for growth, metabolism, weight loss, and muscle strength
Extend Longevity
Day 4: Today was the hardest day, but I honestly believe that it was only hard because I knew I was going to eat today. My mind was being tested in a cruel way as I knew I would be feasting in just a few hours. The day dragged.
The boys and I wanted to push our limits, so we decided to meet at my garage at 5pm for a workout. Yes, a workout! We wanted to earn that meal and just see what our bodies could output in the 11th hour.
That workout was amazing. We did a half-Murph (150 squats, 100 push-ups, and 50 pull-ups) with a 1-mile run. I must admit, I felt GOOD! The ketones flowing in my bloodstream gave me super-powered fuel. It was the best fasted workout of my life.
Once you've been fasting for three days or more, your body enters a deep state of ketosis. All the previous benefits: Autophagy, the uptick in the production of beneficial chemicals and hormones, fat loss, and mental clarity continue to increase. That said, your thyroid hormones also start to get affected, as your body thinks it's starving. Longer fasts can help your body become more resilient to stress and exposure to toxins and that certain hormones produced at this stage can have beneficial anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.
And guess what? We ate after our workout. The spread we had was amazing. I made the best fajitas of our lives along with about 6 appetizers. We also had desert waiting for us. My buddy is a spirit-master and paired a beer or wine with every entrée. This meal was literally the best meal of our lives.
My favorite moment was our prayer before we took our 1st bite. 3 dudes, completely deprived but filled with faith and drive, shared an amazing moment.
After the fast, the next 1-2 days were strange. Eating was such a privilege and sharing meals with my family was a blessing. It was a reminder of how much we take food for granted. It was a reminder of how comfortable I have become as an American, as a suburban Dad, as a person who just surrounds himself with easy things. My take-aways can be summarized in 3:
Takeaway 1: Do things that make you feel uncomfortable and do it often. If you want to build resilience, embrace adversity and challenge.
Takeaway 2: I love my family. I take for granted how much they love and support me. Show up for the people who love you and love them better.
Takeaway 3: It’s important to serve and love others with all your heart, but you can’t let your motives be contingent on their opinion of you. Love others to love them because we are loved.
SCRIPTURE | Matthew 6:25-27
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life
Thanks for reading.