I have just completed a 36 hour fast. It was neither intended nor motivated by a physical or psychological malady. I fell into it by chance. It happened. The experience has been interesting so I thought I would add it to the blog.
First off, though, I have been doing intermittent fasting since June (I think). It was surprisingly easy to get into and maintain. In fact, I can only say positive things about it. I don't foresee any reason why I should abandon this meal schedule. It is effortless and rewarding.
I should also add that, in my opinion, the reason why IF has come easy to me is because I am doing a Paleo diet. This is not to say that only a Paleo diet works (for this), it simply means that it works (for this). I know that I would have not been able to do IF with my near-vegan or any of my other previous diets. It would have required an amount of determination and will-power that I know I cannot sustain. I know this because, over the years, there have always been occasions when, as in anyone's life, I have been forced to skip meals. It was never easy for me.
Which brings me to the 36 hour fast. Like I said, it wasn't planned. I was distracted, busy, otherwise engaged. There was no stress or hurry. It was simply that by the time I remember it was time to eat, I realized that I was not hungry. So I decided to skip a meal. Skipping a meal lead to skipping another and, before I knew it, I had not eaten during the entire day. I went to bed last night thinking about this. Why am I not feeling hunger pangs? Why did I not feel tired and without energy at any time during the day?
These are important questions because as I said before, we have all been in this kind of situations at one point and another. And, yes, I have had abdominal pain due to insufficient food intake. And, yes, I have experienced lack of energy when I have skipped a meal or meals in the past. In fact, I can remember situations when I "survived" from energy bar to energy bar.
So, again, why did I not have any of these symptoms yesterday?
I can only say that it appears that the Paleo diet allows me to manage my metabolism (food-wise) with more freedom than the previous diets that I have had over the years.
