Kwaru, one of my elder cousins had taken the courtesy of dropping me off at my family’s home during the December holidays. I had just finished high school, and I was elated about the rest I would get in the coming weeks.
He drove from Nairobi to Kisumu, roughly an 8-hour drive, and we had stopped midway at Narok and engaged in a local delicacy, nyama choma (roasted meat), for lunch.
We were pretty full by the time we arrived home, only to find that my mom had made an impressive lineup of cuisines as a way of welcoming Kwaru and as a token of appreciation for dropping me off.
The Luo community places significant importance on food as it is a central aspect of our culture. It is used to cement social relationships and demonstrate communal bonds. Inviting someone to your home is considered an act of friendship and kinship in the community.
Whenever visitors graced a home, they were welcomed with traditional cuisines such as kuon (maize meal), gweno (chicken stew), omena (silver cyprinid), and rech (tilapia). Even if you are full from a prior meal, a small taste is mandatory to adhere to ingrained customs of hospitality and respect.
My cousin spawned a second stomach and saw it through. I was spared as I wasn’t a guest and would eat way later that evening. The whole scenario was amusing, yet he appeared he had anticipated it, as he was able to gracefully get through what he had on his plate.
Clearing one’s plate and eating a significant portion is viewed as a sign of appreciation for the effort taken into making the meal. My mom took it personally if my brother and I didn’t finish our plates, so we made an effort to serve disciplined portions and ensure we finished them. I uphold this practice even when I eat out unless the food I am indulging in upsets my stomach.
Skipping meals is shunned, especially among younglings. While this may vary across different households, my mom ensured that we didn’t skip any meals during the day. Fasting was unheard of, to say the least.
The Pandemic
The pandemic was quite a strange time as you might recall. I still chuckle when I think about the masses of bathroom tissue people were hoarding in their homes for no sensible reason.
To be fair, I was also there.
People were going about flexing the amount of toilet roll they had, and there was this popular trend of people juggling toilet roll as if it were a football.
Having exhausted the movies, shows, and anime my friends had recommended, I started seeking new ways of keeping myself entertained. It was about that time when I started roaming on YouTube and Twitter, immersing myself in random content.
I underwent various phases, my initial focus being FIFA tutorials. I was taking many Ls playing the game with my friends at the time, and I sought to improve my defensive skills. I also went through a conspiracy theory phase, exploring different ideas about the Illuminati, gay frogs, aliens, flat earth, etc. Though implausible, several conspiracy hypotheses piqued my interest from time to time.
My dietary habits evolved as well, but negatively. I made Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub a fortune, thriving on all manner of fast food. Despite maintaining a minimal eating frequency of twice or thrice a day, my overall diet was lacking in nutritional value, compounded by a lack of regular exercise at the time.
The YouTube algorithm probably noticed an unhealthy trend in my lifestyle so it started recommending videos on healthy eating and exercising. That is when I stumbled across a YouTube video by Dr Berg, highlighting the benefits of prolonged fasting.
Until this point, my awareness of fasting was limited to its religious significance in some cultures. However, upon reading the comments, I was astonished to discover that people engage in fasting for therapeutic benefits. The algorithm capitalized on my initial interest, proceeding to suggest videos expounding on the advantages of fasting and how it can improve health.
Despite my initial skepticism, I found myself intrigued by what I was discovering about the potential benefits of fasting. The Scientific evidence in these videos challenged all my prior beliefs, exposing them as mere misconceptions. As I got more information about it and read of the benefits that people had gained from the practice, the more open I became to giving it a try.
A few months after the pandemic slowed down and as a sense of normalcy slowly returned, I resolved to experiment with a fasting lifestyle. I started with intermittent fasting, mostly 16/8, and as I got more comfortable, lengthened my fasting windows and slowly got into prolonged fasting. During this time I also started exercising and paying closer attention to what I ate.
My Current Fasting Regimen
Over the past year, I’ve clocked about 1900 hours of fasting. I have been using Zero to set my targets, track my fasting hours especially when doing prolonged fasts, receive useful tips, and engage in any fasting challenges people are participating in.
I mostly do OMAD (one meal a day) with sporadic occasions of 2-MAD, when grabbing lunch with friends or colleagues. My routine typically involves morning coffee or tea, followed by my single meal in the evening, usually consumed before 8 pm.
I have a fondness for traditional breakfast dishes, so when I break my fast on some days, I indulge in eggs (scrambled or as an omelet), bacon, sausage, and an avocado smoothie.
One aspect of adulthood that I appreciate is the freedom to dictate both the meals I enjoy and the timing at which I consume them, without having those decisions made for me.
I also engage in prolonged fasting. I undertake 48-hour fasts three to four times each month and extend to 72 hours approximately every 5–6 weeks. However, the frequency may decrease, particularly when I am in a different location for a while.
During these fasts, I mostly have non-caloric drinks like tea, water, coffee, Apple Cider Vinegar, and bone broth. For my breakfast, I typically opt for peanut mushroom broth accompanied by pieces of catfish or tilapia. Alternatively, I might have peanut or mushroom broth paired with boiled eggs. After a prolonged fast, it’s advisable to reintroduce food gradually, starting with light options such as soups or easily digestible proteins.
Benefits Experienced
1. Weight Loss
As I had broken down in my previous blog, when fasting you tend to eat fewer calories and your body shifts to burning fat as an alternative fuel source. My weight tends to fluctuate especially when my dietary habits change.
The week of Thanksgiving I probably had too much pumpkin pie and carbs in addition to eating more frequently than I normally would. I ended up gaining about 8 pounds. However, upon resuming my regular diet (low carb, high fat) and fasting routine the following week, which included OMAD and later a 48-hour fast, I lost about 5 pounds.
2. Mental Clarity
As I’ve become more accustomed to practicing prolonged fasting over time, I typically notice a heightened sense of mental clarity and focus that tends to set in around the second day.
While I can’t measure or show any metric for this, I generally feel a bit more productive during this time. This could be due to the high BDNF levels during this phase as I had explored in my prior blog. Numerous people on the same protocol have noted the same.
3. Healthier Lifestyle
When you fast you become a bit more conscious of what you eat so that you can maximize the benefits of the practice as well as mitigate any nutritional deficiencies that might arise. Since I started fasting, I mostly eat home-cooked meals, having control of what I put into my body.
This has compelled me to educate myself on nutrient-dense foods that can effectively fuel me in a fasted state, recognizing the crucial importance of the pre-fast meal. Furthermore, since I make most of my meals, I get to explore different recipes, and my cooking skills have improved as a result.
4. Fewer Meals, Fewer Expenses
It’s much easier to plan for a meal a day as opposed to two or three meals. Furthermore, you end up spending less money on groceries and food, making it easier to manage your budget.
Challenges Faced
1. Hunger and Cravings
I experienced this a lot during the initial stages of starting fasting. I would find myself fantasizing about different meals I would break my fast with. I would be scrolling through YouTube looking for new recipes that would take my omelet skills to the next level or innovative ways of preparing bacon with eggs. In such a state it was difficult to concentrate on other tasks.
Moreover, I used to be a massive sugar junkie, and I vividly remember a particular occasion when coming off a 48-hour fast, I was suddenly overcome by a powerful craving for Crumbl cookies. If you’ve had a Crumbl cookie, you’re probably aware of how monstrous and dense those things are. For context, the Chocolate Chip Crumbl cookie has more calories than a Big Mac (720 Cal vs 590 Cal).
I ate 3 of those in addition to my breakfast in a single sitting. I found it challenging to sleep that night likely due to the amount of sugar in my system and the disbelief in my mind regarding what I had just pulled off.
2. Overeating in the Feeding Window
Although my discipline around this has improved, during the initial stages of my fasting protocols, I had a habit of compensating for my fasting periods (especially prolonged fasts) by eating more than I probably should have.
This could negate the intended benefits of fasting especially if you’re trying to lose weight. As you may have experienced, eating an unusually heavy meal could render you unproductive, and at times you might even feel sick afterward.
3. Keto Flu
When you embark on prolonged fasts or even OMAD, your body undergoes a shift to burning fat. In this process, ketone bodies are generated to serve as fuel. If your body isn’t accustomed to this state of ketogenesis, you may experience symptoms of keto flu. These include fatigue, headaches, nausea, and at times irritability.
People also experience keto flu when they switch to a keto diet. I experienced this particularly when I started practicing prolonged fasting. Switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet allowed my body to adapt to a ketogenic state.
Additionally, I’ve successfully managed to alleviate the symptoms of keto flu in the past by consuming saline water or water infused with electrolytes.
4. Social Challenges
Coming from a culture where fasting is an unknown practice comes with its own set of challenges. Initially, adopting to fasting was difficult for me having grown up accustomed to eating at least 3 meals a day.
Furthermore, fasting can be challenging to maintain in social situations like family get-togethers or celebrations where food is central. I’ve learned to balance sticking to my routine with the flexibility to enjoy special occasions.
My Takeaways
1. Fasting, like building any habit, is like lifting weights
Adapting to fasting requires effort and time. When I initially began fasting, I had the ambition to jump into prolonged fasting immediately, even though I was still consuming three meals a day and maintaining a relatively poor diet.
Rather than a gradual acclimation gently extending my nightly fasting over time, I wanted immediate success. I was setting myself up for failure by endeavoring to rush the process, instead of exercising some beginner’s patience to develop the skill.
Attempting a 48-hour fast when you normally eat 3 meals a day is like attempting to bench 225 when you’re still working on pushups. You’re better off working on your push-up form.
Moreover, it’s a personal journey. Trying to fast for a certain amount of time because someone else is doing so when you’re not on the same experience level isn’t wise. The same way you should avoid ego lifting is the same way you should avoid “ego fasting”.
2. The Unscripted Moments Make Life Fun — Go With the Flow!
Food serves as a cornerstone in many cultures, acting as a means through which we connect with others. Whether it’s trying a friend’s delicious recipe or learning about a funny eating habit, it provides opportunities to share moments, tease one another, and reminisce.
My friends make fun of how slow I eat when we’re eating together. I occasionally find myself at a disadvantage during buffet meals, as they tend to navigate through the spread with remarkable speed.
In college, certain events would arise that prompted me to break my fast. For instance, there was this one time one of my roommates came into my room with a plate of fresh-cut fries, spiced sizzling steak, and grilled asparagus.
I was on the 3rd day of a 72-hour fast, heading for the home stretch. I thought it would have been rude to turn him down considering the effort he had put in. Furthermore, he’s a really good cook. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
I’ve learned to embrace compromise because such unexpected events occur occasionally, and when they do, it’s not the end of the world. Besides, these spontaneous occurrences add an element of excitement to life.
3. Life exists in shades of gray, not absolutes
When I started fasting I thought it would clash with my cultural background due to the vast differences. While I was keen on sticking to my fasting regimen regardless of my environment, I realized that adhering too rigidly only served to frustrate my efforts in establishing this new habit.
Initially, I thought I might have to abandon fasting altogether, but I discovered that with proper planning, it’s possible to find compromises in a way that works for me.
Rather than rigidly restricting myself, I aim to compromise by planning occasional exemptions from my normal fasting window to partake in meals with loved ones while still upholding my regimen the majority of the time. Factoring in these meaningful food-centric events helps make intermittent fasting sustainable for me rather than an impractical absolute.
4. Failure is part of the journey
From overeating to knowingly or unknowingly breaking my fasts too early, I have had a fair share of hiccups implementing this practice. I tend to be a perfectionist and I try to stick and see through the plans that I make.
When I encountered inevitable stumbling blocks while adapting to this new lifestyle, my nature would work against me at times, breeding discouragement rather than perseverance. During times of frustration, I would question why I was even doing this in the first place.
Getting comfortable with the fact that I will never have perfect control of my circumstances and that I can only do everything to the best of my ability, helped me come at ease with the numerous challenges I faced.
Life is too short to get overly serious or down on yourself. This motto has served me well when cultivating new habits, fasting included.
Conclusion
When I started fasting it was purely from a health-based perspective. It has been a nice addition to exercising and eating healthy. Through frustrations, failures, and successes I have learned a lot about myself and gained discipline that I endeavor to practice in other parts of my life. I have also learned to take life less seriously, and that as long as I am doing my best, that’s good enough.
I realized that staying on course day-to-day is what cements a behavior, not perfection. If I am consistent in making the right decisions most of the time, I am making a vote for the person I want to be. I believe this applies to any habit one wants to nurture.
James Clear puts it perfectly in Atomic Habits:
You don’t need a unanimous vote to win an election; you just need a majority. It doesn’t matter if you cast a few votes for an unproductive habit. Your goal is to simply win the majority of the time.