Fasting is a proven method of weight loss and fitness. It consists of fasting for a period of at least 12 hours and eating for the rest of the time.
These more or less long periods of fasting help trigger metabolic reactions. The latter makes it possible to set in motion mechanisms that contribute to weight loss such as ketosis.
If the minimum duration is 12 hours, the longest intermittent fasting is 96 hours. There is also 36-hour intermittent fasting.
It is the latter that we will explain to you through this article.
What is 36 hour fast?
Fasting 36/12 consists of fasting for 36 hours in a row or almost 2 days. For the rest of the week, you can eat normally. Intermittent fasting for 36 hours must be done 1 time a week for at least a month to really see its benefits.
What do we eat after a 36-hour fast?
Fortunately, no food is prohibited during this feeding period often rightly called the “feast” period. You will be able to eat a priori everything that goes through your head.
However, you will have to avoid rushing on the dishes that make you want without transition. Indeed, after a fast of 36 hours, the digestive system needs to be spared. You must therefore reaccustom it little by little starting with raw vegetables (cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, grated carrots …). It is ideal to break a young person because they are fresh, low in calories, and carbohydrates, and easy to digest.
Then have a hot drink like green tea or soup. This will help your stomach prepare for the arrival of more substantial hot food that you can take 30 minutes after that hot beverage. Then eat what makes you crave without counting calories. Listen to your stomach and take into account your satiety. And above all, avoid eating too much sugar. You may have a stomach ache, vomit, or diarrhea.
Sport and bodybuilding during fasting 36 hour
Regarding sports and bodybuilding, it will be necessary to avoid them during your fasting period. This could make you too weak or create cravings that are hard to break down. That said, it is quite possible to do so before you start fasting and during your feeding period. Be aware, however, that not doing sports during your 36-hour intermittent fasting will in no way be a brake on your weight loss.
Indeed, people following this fast lose up to 3.5kg. This loss is explained by the weight loss mechanisms that are put in place as the hours go by. First ketosis from 12 noon. Then the “fat burning mode” from 6 p.m. and finally autophagy from 24 hours.
During ketosis, the body has already almost depleted all these glycogen stores. He then begins to feed on fat. Fat-burning mode is a state where the body’s energy supply is 60% through fat. Finally, autophagy is a stage where the body “self-devours”. The cells are then cleaned. Unnecessary or damaged are destroyed or recycled. This process allows the body to “rebuild its health” with healthy cells. This is one of the benefits of 36-hour intermittent fasting. It is long enough to reach this stage which is not reached with the majority of intermittent fasts.
Benefits of 36-hour fasting
But these benefits don’t stop there. By reducing the number of calories to 37%, 36-hour intermittent fasting improves health markers. A study done on a group of people confirmed this (blood tests to support it). The benefits of intermittent fasting for 36 hours are better insulin resistance, lower cholesterol levels, and a sharp decrease in belly fat (waist circumference) which is responsible for cardiovascular diseases. This intermittent youth also reduces inflammation and slows down the aging of cells (which leads to diseases like Alzheimer’s).
36-hour intermittent fasting is one of the intermittent youth called ADF (Alternate Day Fasting). The intermittency of these fasts is done on days and not hours. Because of its difficulty, it is not a fast that can be performed by everyone despite these undeniable benefits.
Not everyone can fast 36 hours
People with a BMI below 15, adolescents, pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding or on the ART course, and people with diabetes cannot do intermittent fasting for 36 hours. This fast is also not recommended for people who have never fasted. If you are a beginner, start with intermittent fasting for 12h or fasting 16/8 before embarking on the young 36h. In any case, it will always be wiser to seek the advice of your doctor before undertaking such a fast and do blood tests before and after to see how your body reacts.
Tips for a successful 36-hour fast
To succeed in your 36-hour fasting, we advise you to find the best time of the week. The idea is that you are at home in peace. This will avoid temptations and energy expenditure that could very quickly install a feeling of hunger.
Before your 36-hour fast, fast at least 20/4 for at least a week and reduce your sugar intake so that you can do it without cravings.
In the meantime, isolate yourself to avoid annoyances and questions that would make you doubt. Practice quiet activities. Avoid TV and video-on-demand like Netflix which tend to make you want to snack. Listen to an audiobook, or music, and write down what goes through your head. Hydrate well. Drink plenty of water. Be aware that this young intermittent can also be done dry (without drinking water) for those who find it simpler.
To help you, you can also brush your teeth regularly and make a mouthwash. This avoids being bothered by the unpleasant breath that appears once the body is in ketosis.
For the breakup of your young, we recommend that you do not throw yourself on sweets that could very quickly increase your insulin again and restart the storage. Prefer to break your young with raw vegetables like cucumber which is low in fat, sugar, and calorie and contains a lot of water.
Testimonial on fasting 36hour: We tested it for you
For this test, our editor Lexa again volunteered. Here is his testimony:
I started fasting for 36 hours on Friday in the early evening. I didn’t put pressure on myself. I simply set the timer on my app (Fast Tracker) to perform a free fast and not a program (I think any phone timer will do. But there, it was still motivating to see at what stage I was (ketosis, fat burning, and finally autophagy).
The first 18 hours were easy. I didn’t look at the meter at all before that. My evening was peaceful, I listened to an audiobook and fell asleep with it. It was a busy morning. I only started to feel discomfort when my family started cooking (barbecue) and was oppressed by questions. That’s why I really recommend that people embarking on this fast stay away from temptation and people who are too curious or skeptical. The best? Don’t talk about it, keep it to yourself, and don’t make it a big deal. Ideally, isolate yourself (it’s only for 36 hours).
I almost cracked several times in the evening, I saw food in my head. But I weighed myself and held on! This fast allowed me to break a physical and psychological level. Then the night was restless. I was seriously hungry and felt that my body was in the middle of work. I had weird spam in my upper back. Before starting I was doing 124.8 and this morning at 7 am (Sunday 13 June 2021) when I woke up almost 5 min before the end of the 36 hours (I was hungry), I weighed myself and I was 122.1. That is a loss of 2.7 kilos. I feel proud and light and above all, I feel the desire to start again not only for weight loss but the confidence booster side and feeling of well-being! «
To conclude, one may wonder if the weight loss that results from a 36-hour fast is ultimately just water and if after the diet range, all the weight loss will not return. According to the return of our editor Lexa, the day after her food recovery which was totally normal (without deprivation or excess (pain au chocolat with tea, mince Parmentier, melon, ice cream, and evening grill) her weight was 121.8 kg. That is a weight loss of 300 grams. This confirms the claim that the body continues to burn fat even after the 36/12 fast is over.