26/03/2026
Every year I try to put myself in situations where comfort is not an option.
In 2023 that meant doing my first 4-day water-only fast. In 2024 and 2025 it was stepping back on stage after 6 years away and going through prep for Nationals and Europeans again. Each year had its own challenge.
As I entered 2026, the idea of doing another prolonged fast started coming back. While I still enjoy the benefits of the mental power and sense of liberating freedom that the 96-hour fast had unlocked for me, doing it again wasnāt something I was particularly excited about. If anything, the initial reaction was to dismiss it. But the thought kept coming back and over time it became harder to ignore.
Around the same period, I also received news of people I know being diagnosed with serious illness. Some older, some my age. Situations like that naturally make you reflect more on health and priorities.
So I decided to do it again, during Holy Week, but this time to go further than before.
The plan is to start on Palm Sunday after breakfast at 9.30am, and finish on Holy Saturday at 9.30am. Thatās 6 days or 144 hours of water-only fasting.
The PHYSICAL benefits remain the ones I had laid out in the below article:
https://www.mirrorfriendly.com/blog/4-day-water-only-fast-key-benefits-and-my-experience/
ā¦things like improvements in insulin sensitivity, reductions in inflammation, and the cellular ācleanupā process often referred to as autophagy. A āshorterā 3 to 4-day fast is already enough to trigger most of this, so for me the 6-day fast isnāt really about pushing that side further, and itās definitely not about fat loss.
The bigger reason for me is the MENTAL side. We often talk about discipline, but most of the time we operate within a comfortable range. Food is one of the few things we never really question. Itās necessary, itās part of our routine, and even eating well is seen as something positive.
Which is why stepping away from it, even temporarily, can teach you a lot.
Most people go through life without ever experiencing real hunger, only cravings. Thereās a difference. Sitting with hunger, noticing how it comes and goes, and not reacting to it straight away changes your relationship with it. For the same reason, Iāll also be cutting coffeeā¦ and anything with sweeteners. Not because they break the fast, but because I truly enjoy them. Itās part of the same principle.
Thereās also something simple behind this. When something is always available, you inevitably start taking it for granted. Removing it for a period of time resets that. It sharpens your appreciation for something as basic as eating, and even for the taste of whole foods. At the end of the day, this is also about proving to myself that I can still do hard things, not just the ones Iām already comfortable withā¦ and about learning to sit with discomfort instead of always trying to remove it.ļæ½ļæ½Another thing I noticed from my previous fast was the level of clarity that comes with it. Less noise around food decisions, fewer distractions, and generally better focus. This time I want to use that space more deliberately to think about life direction, purpose, priorities and goalsā¦ and hopefully give myself the push to act on things I know Iāve been putting off.
Itās also worth noting that this period will naturally create more time. Not just from removing food, but also from reducing training volume quite significantly. More walking, less lifting. A different rhythm for a few days.
Thereās also a SPIRITUAL aspect to it. Timing it during Holy Week is intentional. Traditionally, abstaining during this period often means avoiding things like meat or sweets. But if those are not things you particularly enjoy, then there isnāt much sacrifice involved.
Abstaining, at its core, is about giving up something you value and feeling that absence for a while. This is my way of taking that principle more seriously. As a believer, I also want to use this as an opportunity to get closer to God, rather than letting the week pass like any other.
This time I also want to get more objective DATA out of it. Iāll be doing a DEXA scan and blood tests before starting, and repeating both at the end. Not just to feel the difference, but to actually see whatās happening.
If anyone is considering doing this with me, feel free to reach out. It doesnāt have to be the full duration. It can be one day, two days, or even just a few hours as a starting point. Itās not something to jump into blindly, but if youāre serious about it, we can support each other through it.
Iāll share how Iāll approach the fast itself in the next post.
Sometimes itās not about adding more. Rather, this is about removing everything for a while and seeing whatās left.
