I just fasted for five days (120 hours). No food, just water, coffee, and electrolytes. I did zero preparation; I only decided to do it the day I started.

Here’s what I learned about myself:

Hunger is in the mind. Most of us eat compulsively out of habit, not because we need to.

After 3 days, hunger subsided and I started to feel very calm.

Days stretched out and felt much slower. We don’t realize how much time we spend eating.

I thought I would be irritable and triggered easily but I was actually much more resilient to the ups and downs of daily life. I found it much easier to let things go: most modern problems seem trivial compared to having no food.

I was weak as shit starting day 3 - this was the biggest downside.

My sense of smell got insanely good - today I was driving my truck down the street and could smell people cooking in their homes.

The fast was great for my meditation practice. I observed the experience of feeling hunger and could see how the accompanying feeling of self was illusory.

I definitely recommend everyone try an extended fast if they can at some point in their lives.

Here’s how I broke my fast. Will tell you if I go into shock and die after eating.