5 Days, No Food: What I Learned
How Fasting Shifted My Mind, Body, and Relationship with Comfort
This blog is a space for honest stories, thought-provoking questions, and practical tools for personal and collective growth. It’s inspired by my work as a coach, facilitator, and founder of The Lost Art of Random Conversations — and by my life as another human doing their best to make sense of it all and enjoy the journey.
Recently, I embarked on a five-day fast—the first of my life.
Yes, that means five full days without food.
120 hours of nothing but water.
(Okay, fine—calorie-free electrolytes, herbal tea, and the occasional bubbly water snuck their way in. Gotta have some variety, right?)
If you had asked me a few years ago if I’d ever voluntarily go five days without eating, I would have laughed… and immediately reached for a snack.
And yet, here I am, very much alive, well-fed once again, and surprisingly energized.
So why did I do this?
Because over the past few years, I’ve been introduced to the transformative power of fasting—and after this experience, I have some thoughts to share.
First, a Quick Word on Fasting
Fasting is nothing new.
For most of human history, food wasn’t something we had constant access to. Our ancestors weren’t snacking on protein bars between meetings. They were hunter-gatherers, meaning they regularly went long stretches without eating.
And guess what? Our bodies are built for this.
It wasn’t until the 1970s and the rise of mass advertising that we were told we need three square meals a day to be healthy. (Thanks, cereal industry.)
Now, let me pause to say:
🚨 I am not a nutritionist.
🚨 I am not telling you what’s best for your body.
🚨 Fasting isn’t for everyone.
But I am saying this:
Many of us eat constantly—not because we need to, but because it’s all we’ve ever known.
And there’s something powerful about stepping outside that conditioning.
How I Eased Into Fasting
I didn’t wake up one day and decide to skip food for five days.
I eased in over time:
✔ 18/6 Fasting: No food for 18 hours, then eat within a 6-hour window.
✔ 24-Hour Fasts: Once a week, I’d go a full day without eating.
✔ 72-Hour Fast: Last November, I did my first 3-day fast. (Tough, but eye-opening.)
And then, this past month, when my mentor, partner, and two friends decided to take on a 5-day fast, I felt a mix of fear, curiosity, and excitement.
So, I jumped in.
Here’s what I learned.
5 Lessons From 5 Days Without Food
1. Food Takes Up a LOT of Time and Attention
Think about it:
Planning meals.
Grocery shopping.
Cooking.
Eating.
Cleaning up.
Thinking about what to eat next.
It’s no exaggeration to say that life revolves around food.
Without it, I suddenly had so much more time.
More space to read, reflect, write, move, and just be.
And it made me wonder:
What else in my life is taking up more space than I realize?
(A question I’m still sitting with…)
2. Community and Accountability Make All the Difference
Would I have lasted five days if I were doing this alone?
…Maybe.
Would it have been way harder and less enjoyable?
Absolutely.
Fasting isn’t just physically challenging—it’s mentally, emotionally, and spiritually demanding.
Having a group of people doing it alongside me kept me motivated when it got tough. And, believe me, it did.
And it reminded me:
Growth is easier when we’re surrounded by the right people.
3. Our Bodies Have Two Fuel Sources—And I Rarely Experience the Second One
Most of us run on glucose (sugar/carbs) 24/7.
But when you stop eating for an extended period, your body runs out of glucose and then switches gears—it starts burning fat for fuel instead.
This state is called ketosis—and while I’d heard of it before, I’d never fully felt it in my body.
The weird part?
By Day 4, I had:
✔ Steady energy
✔ Mental clarity
✔ Little to no hunger
My body adapted.
It was a fascinating reminder of how resilient we actually are.
4. Fasting Creates a Profound Sense of Gratitude for Food (and Everything Else)
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
And let me tell you—that first bite of food after five days?
Unreal.
It wasn’t just flavorful. It was sacred.
(For reference: bone broth, sauerkraut, jicama, avocado, and a hard-boiled egg absolutely rocked my world.)
Fasting reminded me how much I take food for granted.
And beyond that—how often I eat out of habit, boredom, or emotion, rather than true hunger.
It made me ask:
❓ What else in my life do I take for granted?
❓ What other comforts am I over-reliant on?
Fasting isn’t just about food—it’s about breaking patterns and relearning appreciation for what we put in our bodies.
5. Everything We Need is Already Inside of Us
This was the biggest takeaway of all.
We are so much more capable than we realize.
So much of our discomfort, cravings, and resistance is mental.
And when we push through it, we realize:
✔ We are resilient.
✔ We can adapt.
✔ We already have everything we need.
I walked away from this fast more in tune with my body, my mind, and my relationship to comfort.
And I know I’ll carry these lessons far beyond fasting.
Final Thoughts: Would I Do It Again?
Yes.
But not because I enjoy not eating (trust me, I love food).
I’d do it again because:
✅ It challenged me.
✅ It gave me clarity.
✅ It shifted my perspective.
✅ It was a priceless reset for my body.
And if you’re curious about trying a short fast (even just 24 hours), I say:
Give it a shot.
Not for the physical benefits.
But for the mental reset, the clarity, and the gratitude that comes with it.
Fasting is, above all, a spiritual experience.
Your Turn
🍽️😋 Have you ever tried fasting?
Or if you haven’t—what’s one comfort in your life you could experiment with stepping away from?
Drop a comment or send me a message—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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