Mind-blowing simulation shows what happens when you fast for 36 hours to give body ‘full reset’
Many people struggle to lose weight and achieve their ideal appearance, but the truth is, it’s rarely easy or straightforward. In fact, weight loss requires time, patience, and persistence.
In order to reach their goal, people try different diets, use various shakes and pills, and go to even greater lengths — often at the expense of their health and overall well-being.
Most recently, intermittent fasting has been promoted as a healthy way of losing and maintaining weight, with a number of celebrities and athletes swearing by it.
In fact, intermittent fasting has been around for centuries before becoming a global trend.
Back in the old days, long before diet plans and macro tracking became a thing, people did not eat according to a schedule. They ate whenever they had food. Now, food is everywhere, at least in the developed world, which has revolutionized the way we eat.
“This has shifted our eating patterns,” said Dr Vicki Catenacci, a nutrition researcher at the University of Colorado. “People now eat, on average, throughout a 14-hour period each day.”
When food is always within reach, our bodies are almost never at rest from digestion. The good thing is that fasting gives them that pause.
Intermittent fasting doesn’t focus on the food you consume, but the timing of your meals.
If done correctly, intermittent fasting can help stabilize blood sugar and boost how your body responds to insulin.
However, it is not for everyone.
Recently, a popular YouTube channel shared a 55-second-long video that shows what happens with the body during a 36-hour-fast.
During the first four hours of not consuming any food, the body stars burning fat, which certainly leads to weight loss, but what happens next is rather shocking.
Just like with any restrictive diet, intermittent fasting can have side effects.
According to The Emily Program, some of the side effects — that don’t apply to everyone — are excessive hunger, headaches, dizziness, digestive issues, mood changes, bad breath, sleep disturbances, dehydration, excessive urination, and nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition among the rest.
The benefits, however, are impressive.
What happens after 8 hours without food
Approximately eight hours after your last meal, your blood sugar starts to drop. It is during this time that the body transitions from relying on blood sugar to relying on glycogen, which is stored in the muscles and in the liver. This stage is quite subtle, as many people experience it while they sleep, but it is the start of the body’s transition away from relying on constant fuel intake.
Around 12 hours: metabolic switching begins
After about twelve hours of fasting, the glycogen is depleted. As a result, the body relies on fat for energy since glucose is not readily available. The fat in the body is then converted to ketones, which can be used to fuel the body’s muscles and the brain. This is one of the reasons why fasting is associated with fat burning.
At this point, the levels of insulin are low, which is beneficial since the body won’t store more fat. Additionally, people who fast reported that they have clearer mind and consistent energy levels once this point is reached.
At 16 hours: autophagy turns on
Sixteen hours into fasting, the body’s process of autophagy becomes more prominent. Autophagy is the body’s natural recycling process. It involves the body’s breakdown of old, dysfunctional, or inefficient cell parts and the reuse of these parts to rebuild new, healthy cells. It is like a cleaning process for the cells.
This process is crucial for overall health and well-being. The body becomes more efficient and more resilient when it gets rid of the cellular waste. Autophagy is a natural process that occurs in the body, but it’s the fasting that seems to turn it up.
After 24 hours: fat burning and repair intensify
By the twenty-fourth hour, the body is in fat-burning mode. The body produces more ketones, reduces inflammation, and increases its sensitivity to insulin. This could be the reason some individuals report that they no longer crave as much food as they did in the beginning. They also report they are able to maintain their energy levels for longer periods of time.
At this point, the body has gone into a repair mode. It conserves its energy by eliminating non-essential processes while enhancing its survival mechanisms.
30 hours and beyond: deeper cellular renewal
Thirty hours into fasting is when the “deep cleaning” begins, and after thirty-six hours, the body reaches maximum autophagy during which body regenerates tissues and boosts your metabolism.
This phase is linked to regeneration and optimizing metabolism.
At thirty-six hours, autophagy can be at its peak. During this phase, the body is extremely efficient at recycling, repairing tissues, and dealing with stress. Metabolism is not slowing down; rather, the body is becoming more flexible with its metabolism.
A note of balance
While all of this sounds impressing, the reality is that fasting isn’t about taking the body to the extremes. Not every individual should engage in long periods of fasting, since even shorter periods of fasting allow the body to reap the benefits of the metabolic shift and the reduction of insulin.
The real key is to allow the body to take a break from the constant state of consuming food. This means whether it is through the act of overnight fasting, time-restricted eating, or spacing meals, the real aim is to get the body into balance.
The reason that fasting works is because it utilizes the systems the body was designed to work with. Fasting, done in a way that is safe and effective, reminds the body how to heal, reset, and work more efficiently, just as it was designed to do thousands of years ago.
Personal experiences
Many people gave intermittent fasting a go end up having many personal stories to share that extend beyond the information that can be found in the science. Some individuals report that they end up having more energy and being more alert as their body enters a state of ketosis. In one personal story, it was shared that the individual who was fasting with the 16:8 method noticed that they did not experience as much bloating as they did in the past as their body adjusted to the longer period of fasting.
Within online communities, there are many personal stories about individuals who attempt fasting for longer periods of time. Some individuals report that they can fast for up to 48-72 hours and notice that they end up with a higher level of focus as well as less inflammation in their body. However, they note that the fasting process can be challenging as the energy levels can decrease as the fasting period begins.
The person sharing this story noted, “Important: I don’t recommend anyone try this without careful preparation. I ease in with shorter fasts, clean keto-style eating, and always listen to my body. This isn’t medical advice — just my N=1.”
Experts in nutrition and health have also shared their opinion on intermittent fasting. Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, comments on how intermittent fasting may help put the body in short-term ketosis and may help with weight loss by making it simpler to know when to eat. However, it has not been shown to be more effective than conventional caloric restriction.
“You can’t follow it now and then and expect any significant changes,” says Dr. Hu, according to Harvard Medical School. “But if you get off schedule for a day or two, you haven’t negated your efforts. Just pick it up again and keep going. Eventually, you may see intermittent fasting become a part of your everyday life.”
Other scientific studies also discuss that the process of fasting causes the metabolism process to change from glucose-based to fat-based, which can help reduce the levels of inflammation, balance blood glucose levels, and also assist the body in various cellular processes such as autophagy, although the evidence supporting the benefits of fasting is mostly from animal and early human trials.
It is also noteworthy that not all experts are praising the benefits of fasting, as various studies also reveal that the benefits of weight loss from the process of fasting are similar to those from other traditional means of dieting, and the benefits such as autophagy are not well supported.
The above statements and opinions from real-life experiences and experts prove that although the process of fasting indeed causes various noticeable changes, it is not necessarily effective for all, and the key to the process is to consider it wisely and consult your healthcare professional about the process.
*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Intermittent fasting is not suitable for everyone. Consult a healthcare professional before starting, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have a history of eating disorders. Individual results may vary.