3-Day Water Fast: What Does 72-Hour Water Fast Really Feel Like?

Lately, a multiple-day fast has been on my mind constantly and so it made me think - is it my body requesting a break?

I have done 24-hour fasts multiple times in my adult life and several years ago I dedicated an entire year to strict intermittent fasting (16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating).

Intermittent fasting has trained me to push my hunger to the limits. I remember at first, the hunger was unbearable but over time I got used to it and the suffering turned into a new lifestyle.

Now I don’t follow any rules but intermittent fasting left an imprint on how I eat. On most days, I don’t have the need to eat before 11 AM. And when I do, I just eat,

It helped me reduce the amount of food I was eating from 6 to 3 meals or snacks per day, and I believe it also improved my digestion.

Is it good for a woman? I don’t know. Many people are claiming it’s not good for women’s hormonal health but I think everyone should find what works for them and makes them feel amazing. And of course, learn to listen to their body because the body has its own intelligence.

At first, I intended to commit to a 7-day fast but I knew it would be a torture for me. So after reviewing all the benefits, I decided that a 3-day fast would be a huge success and a great way to experiment with longer fasting because it's something I’ve never done before.

So let’s see how this journey turns out and how each day feels.

First and foremost, find your WHY. Why are you getting into fasting?

I am not doing a 3-day water fast to lose weight. And I think nobody should use weight loss as a motivation. Most of the weight you lose during a fast is water and you will regain it within just a few days as you go back to eating.

My personal motivation for fasting is to cleanse my body, regain mental clarity, and push the limits of my mind as a spiritual practice of devotion.

The next thing you want to do is research what your body needs during a longer fast before you start the fast. Below you can find what I learned in my research process and hopefully, that will save you your precious time.

#1 Supplements

Your body is going to need a little mineral support since you’re not getting any nutrients.

These are the three recommended options:

1. Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

2. Magnesium supplements

3. Potassium supplements

During my fast, I will be supplementing my body with Shilajit from MANNA Vitality which contains all the essential minerals your body needs and much more. (This is not an affiliate promotion, I just love the product.)

Shilajit can bring 3 extra major benefits to your fasting: energy production, cravings reduction, and stress relief.

Join my process and get a real feeling of what the reality of a 3-day water fast looks like.

Day 0: January 31, 2024

I had my last meal of the day around 9 PM. I practically never eat this late but we had a dinner birthday gathering which was also an amazing opportunity to truly enjoy the last meal for the next week.

My friend cooked a delicious dinner and prepared a vegan dish just for me which was couscous with lentil sauce and salad. I did my best to eat a lot of fresh and healthy food to prepare the body for the fasting period.

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Day 1: February 1, 2024 - 24 Hours

11 AM: It’s officially day 1 of the 3-day fast. 11 AM is usually when I start to get hungry. I’m already feeling the hunger arriving but it’s completely manageable at this moment because it’s nothing new to me.

But the fact that I know this is meant to go on for an entire week makes me obsess about the feeling of hunger. Will I be able to bear it?

I usually struggle with drinking enough water throughout the day so this fast is also a reminder for me that water is essential and I absolutely need to drink more.

I’ve drank about 0.5 litres by now so I need to step it up. I cannot get dehydrated. Water is all my body gets.

2 PM: I’ve been noticing the instinctive need to get some food. Sometimes I realize I feel hungry and my first impulse is to go to the kitchen to get some food but then I remember that I’m fasting.

At this point, I’m already 17 hours in the fast which means my body has been burning stored carbs and is about to start breaking down fat to create energy.

I also decided to bring this detox to the next level and detox from social media. Specifically Instagram.

4 PM: I’ve drunk around 1.5 liters of water by now and noticed my urine is clear for the first time in months.

I do feel more tired and crankier than usual which could also partially be caused by going to bed late last night.

I don’t feel hungry but I do have cravings so I started to think about what food I should choose to break my fast with later on. I’ve read that you should break the fast with easily digestible liquids like broth and juices.

5 PM: I feel extremely tired which never happens during this time of the day so I have to take a little break from work and nap.

7 PM: I feel great again! Slightly hungry but it's all under control. I'm about to reach 24 hours and I'm excited to see how tomorrow goes.

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Day 2: February 2, 2024 - 48 Hours

8 AM: I woke up feeling lightheaded and weak but not hungry. I took the first dose of Shilajit to make sure I replenished the minerals in my body and did some near-infrared light therapy (which I like to do several times a week in the morning and evening.)

I am past the first 30 hours. I found out that at 24 hours, your cells begin to recycle old components and break down misfolded proteins such as those linked to degenerative diseases (dementia, Alzheimer’s). This process is called autophagy and it kickstarts immune system regeneration.

4 PM: I haven't felt dizzy since the morning. I went for a short cold ocean swim to wake me up before noon. The feeling of hunger is much milder today than it was yesterday. I've read that's thanks to ketosis which suppresses appetite.

I do think a lot about junk food, like pizza and fries, which I haven't had in a few months, but it's not something that would stop me from going.

I feel empty and lighter, not just physically but also in spirit. At this moment, I am sure I can do another day of the fast.

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Day 3: February 3, 2024 - 72 Hours

8 AM: It's finally day 3. At this moment I am approaching the 60-hour mark and I feel alright. I woke up feeling quite weak but took some salt and Manna to replenish minerals.

Knowing it's the last day makes it easier to keep going. But since it's recommended to break the fast in the morning - BREAK-FAST - I will wait until tomorrow to have my first meal. Or better to say, the first liquid that contains calories.

I didn't sleep well last night and I am not sure why. I have chronic lower back pain and I felt a lot of pain during sleep. I do believe that it's due to the kidneys (lower back and kidneys are tightly connected) and there might be some kidney detoxification going on.

12 PM: I went grocery shopping to refill my empty fridge (YAY!). I wanted to take a walk to introduce at least some mild physical activity during the fast. As I was walking, my calves were cramping a bit but luckily it went away. I also felt low on energy and had to breathe deeply to avoid dizziness.

7 PM: I spent the whole afternoon at a BBQ by the beach which was beautiful but also extremely challenging. I noticed my natural reflex of wanting to grab food without even thinking about it.

I did rethink several times today if I should end the fast earlier and just enjoy the food but I wanted to take advantage of the benefits that you get once you hit the 72-hour mark.

I was going to wait till the next day to officially break the fast but after resisting so many delicious temptations, I decided to break it tonight with vegetable broth to get the system ready for digestion.

I need to ensure I don't go too crazy with food the following day, otherwise, I will be sick. I will introduce the vegetable broth first (only the water, no pieces of vegetables), followed later by fruit juice, and plain vegan yogurt.

Starting with liquids is easier on the stomach but I'll also listen to my body and its needs.

Overview

I woke up the next morning with sore muscles, especially around my shoulders and calves. I wonder if it's from carrying the grocery shopping and my body being so tired that it caused muscle soreness.

I went back to eating normally again and didn't have any issues. I should have been more careful about what and how much I ate but luckily my body was able to process everything well.

One of the greatest lessons of this fast is DRINK MORE WATER. I woke up with my mouth completely dry and had to drink water right after I woke up which is something that I never do. Now, I have more motivation to keep drinking more because I was able to drink around 2 liters of water each day and felt good.

Would I do it again? 100%. I would like to do these fasts regularly, at least once a year to reset and heal my body, practice self-control and discipline, and prevent diseases.

It is a huge sacrifice in terms of time, energy, and especially comfort because you need to push the limits of both your body and mind.

#2 Select The Most Convenient Schedule

Day 3 is described by most people who have done a 3-day water fast as the hardest. So make sure that you don’t have any big mental or physical activities planned for this day.

Unless you’re trying to practice awareness and stretch your willpower to the maximum, you will want to find as many distractions as possible so create a list of activities and plans that don't require much energy that can keep you going.

I chose to start my fast on a Wednesday night to ensure I would go through the hardest phase during the weekend. My work requires me to be creative and I wouldn't want the fast to impact my performance.

#3 Eat Clean Before You Begin the Fast

It's important to give your body real food and prepare it for what's coming next. What you eat the days before you start your 72-hour water fast can impact the overall process of fasting.

Make sure you hydrate yourself and eat fresh unprocessed foods to support your body on this quest.

My Fasting Diary

Preparation for Fasting