Day three hit differently than I expected.
Not the hunger — that was easier. The cold though? That caught me off guard.
24 degrees outside. Gorgeous spring day. And I’m standing there in the sunshine, absolutely freezing. That’s the bit no one talks about when they discuss extended fasting.
146.5 pounds this morning. Down 6.5 pounds in two days. Most of that’s water weight, I know. But the scales moving is still encouraging.
The bigger shift? Hunger pangs started to fade. For the first time across multiple fasts, day three wasn’t the hardest day. That’s progress.
The Physical Reality of Day Three
Physically, I felt pretty tired and groggy throughout the day. Definitely not firing on all cylinders.
Brain fog came and went. Energy was flat. Sleep wasn’t ideal — about six and a half hours — so that probably played a part.
Mood was fine. Nothing spectacular, but nothing dire either. Just one of those baseline days where you’re functional but not thriving.
Movement helped. I went out for two walks — one morning, one afternoon. Light strolling, nothing intense. But getting outside definitely steadied things.
The Cold Nobody Mentions
Here’s what surprised me: the chills.
It was 24 degrees. Warm enough for a t-shirt. And at parts of the day, I was genuinely cold.
This is one of those fasting side effects that rarely gets airtime. When your body shifts fuel sources — moving from glycogen to fat — your internal temperature regulation changes. You run cooler.
It’s not dangerous. It’s just… odd. Sitting in the sunshine, bundled in a jumper, while everyone else is comfortable.
Temptations and Triggers
The smell of fresh bread when I went shopping this morning was absolutely divine.
Then I popped round to a friend’s house just as they were cooking steak. The aroma hit me like a wall. My brain immediately said, “I want to join you.”
But I didn’t. Stuck to my guns. Kept moving forward.
Here’s the thing about food triggers during fasting: they’re sensory, not physiological. Your body doesn’t need the food. Your brain just wants the dopamine hit.
Knowing the difference helps. Doesn’t make the steak smell any less good, mind you.
Hunger Pangs: The Shift
This was the breakthrough moment for day three.
I’ve done extended fasts before. Multiple times. And day three has always been the hardest day — the point where hunger feels relentless and I’m white-knuckling it through.
Not this time.
The hunger pangs started to fade. Not disappear completely, but they weren’t as strong. They came in waves, stuck around for 20-30 minutes, then drifted off again.
That’s a massive improvement. And it tells me something’s shifted in how my body’s adapting to the fast.
The 60-90 Minute Rule
If you feel hunger during a fast, here’s what I’ve learned works:
Give it an hour. Maybe 90 minutes. Check back in with yourself then.
Most of the time, the hunger will have passed. Your body was just sending a routine “time to eat?” signal based on old patterns. Once it realises food isn’t coming, it moves on.
If the hunger’s still there after two hours — and your body’s genuinely aching for it — maybe that particular fast has run its course. For me today, definitely not. Carrying on.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Day three hunger faded — First time across multiple fasts that day three wasn’t the hardest
- Cold is normal — Fasting lowers body temperature as you shift fuel sources (24°C felt freezing)
- 6.5 pounds lost in two days — Mostly water weight, but encouraging to see scales move
- Food triggers are sensory, not physiological — Brain wants dopamine, body doesn’t need food
- 60-90 minute rule works — Give hunger pangs time to pass before deciding if fast is done
- Movement helps — Light walks steadied energy even on a sluggish day
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
0:01Hey everyone, welcome to day three of my
0:03health and fasting journey. Um, today’s
0:06been a bit of a mixed bag if I’m honest.
0:08Physically, I felt pretty tired and
0:10groggy throughout the day. Definitely
0:12not been firing in all cylinders.
0:15There’s been a bit of brain fog and some
0:19chills here and there.
0:21No one ever talks about how cold you get
0:23while you’re fasting. It’s been
0:24beautiful. 24 degrees here today. I’ve
0:27been freezing at parts. It’s weird.
0:30Sleep wasn’t ideal um last night, about
0:34six and a half hours. Um so that’s
0:36probably playing a bit of a part.
0:37Moodwise, it’s been okay. Nothing to
0:39write home about. Um but not too bad
0:42either. It’s just been one of those
0:44fine, not fantastic kind of days.
0:49There was definitely some temptations
0:51thrown my way today. Um the smell of
0:53fresh bread when I went shopping uh this
0:56morning was absolutely divine. And then
0:59I popped her on to a friend’s house just
1:01as they were cooking steak and it was
1:03like, “Oh my god, I want to join you.”
1:07Anyway, managed to stick to my guns and
1:10um just keep moving forward with this.
1:12Um I did go out for two walks, one this
1:14morning and one this afternoon, which
1:16I’m really glad about. Movement
1:18certainly helps um even when it’s just
1:20light strong.
1:22As for challenges today,
1:25apart from the food triggers, nothing
1:26worth mentioning. Weight wise down to
1:29146 and a half which is six and a half
1:31pounds off in two days. Um
1:37so that’s good. Um
1:40I know most of that’s probably water
1:42weight. Um and there’s not been any
1:45major shifts in how I look yet, but it’s
1:47encouraging to see the scales moving.
1:49Truthfully though, today’s been so
1:51sluggish. I didn’t really notice any new
1:53changes in my body or mind. Um, mainly
1:57because I’ve noticed that much. It’s not
1:58been the greatest day from a energetic
2:02point of view.
2:05Any tips for myself going forward doing
2:07this again, which I will do. Um,
2:12this is the first time in many fasts
2:14that I’ve done that day three
2:18the hunger pan started to die. They
2:20weren’t as strong. That’s a massive
2:22improvement for me because I’ve always
2:24found day three to be the hardest day.
2:26So dead chuffed about that to be honest.
2:31Um, with regards to hunger pangs,
2:34something to always think about.
2:36If you feel it, give it an hour, give it
2:3990 minutes, maybe even two hours. See,
2:42check back in with yourself. See how you
2:44feel. and
2:46hopefully
2:48you can just deal with it and it’s
2:50disappeared and you’re on to something
2:51new. Um, if it’s not and your body’s
2:56really aching for it, maybe it’s time
2:59you’ve had enough on that particular
3:01fast. For me today, definitely not.
3:04Definitely carrying on. We’ll speak
3:07tomorrow.
⚠️ Important: This is educational content based on evidence and personal experience. It is not medical advice. Speak to your GP before making changes to your fasting pattern, diet, or medication.
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