It’s not easy, but I know personally it takes a lot of will power and self control. I never have ever regretted fasting but I have regretted giving in and eating so I simply just don’t give in anymore because the feelings of guilt and the food aren’t worth it. You just have to develop mental toughness and the urge to power through. Not saying you aren’t strong by any means but I do have to say it does get “easier” the more you do it because at least for me, the benefits make it worth it and I want to keep that going.
I’m with you. I do occasional 48-72hr fasts for autophagy and the first few times really were difficult! As you do it more though I find it gets a bit easier as your body gets used to it.
Personally I know I’m a bored eater, so keeping busy and interested during my fasts is key for me. You might need to find your key to push forward.
You’re used to 16:8, do you break fast at the same time every day? If so your body is expecting food at a certain time which might be it crashes if it doesn’t get it. Maybe try switching up your routine, eat at different times and break that body clock cycle before trying for a longer fast. Just my theory, good luck!
You said it, you don’t have a huge amount of fat reserve. Peoples who do multi day are usually obese and/or gradually, over month, doing longer and longer fast. You are doings enough. I prefer to stick to an easier but feasible objective, to stay consistent over time.
I try to focus on the positive affects of fasting. There is a jpg out there on the web that shows what amazing things are happening in the body at what time/stage of fasting. Focusing on those positives really helps me through. Also I try to remind myself that the food is always there and how good it will feel when I have accomplished what I set out to do.
I’m about the same height and weight and I do think it’s different if you don’t have a lot of stored energy to burn. I tried to stick with 18:6 but after a few weeks, I couldn’t cope. Instead of my usual healthy home cooked food, I just started craving stuff I don’t ever want usually and I knew I was overdoing it. The benefits of autophagy and cell renewal will kick in as long as you are not eating for at least 12 hours and an extended fast is not really necessary unless you have a health problem you’d like to address. If you want some of the benefits of an extended fast while still eating a little, you could start with the fasting mimicking diet which has had very positive test results in chemotherapy patients and in tumour supression. This is a form of fasting very popular in europe.
It seems like you want to fast for the wrong reasons when you say stuff about being a wimp.
But then you mention autophagy which is a good reason to fast!
I practice then I preach 🤷♂️ so I suggest that you consider your body may already be doing all the autophagy stuff required because you have no weight to lose
It definitely isn’t easy, especially while watching TV and seeing food commercials! I drink a lot of water to quiet my stomach and distract myself with activities. My longest so far is 84 hours and it was tough! You also need to build yourself up to it, like training for a long run.