Tim Ferriss’ 3-Day Fasting Protocol - The Why, How & My Results
72 hours of craving ramen got me this.
Food is awesome. It tastes good, gives you energy, makes you happy and did I mention… it tastes good?
So why in the world would anyone want to fast for 3 days?
A few months ago, I read Tim Ferriss’ “Tools of Titans” and learnt that he goes a 3-day fast every month. It turns out that there are tremendous benefits!
While I do love a good bowl of ramen, I also like challenging myself to try new things and improve my health.
And I mean, if Tim Ferriss’ does it… may as well give it a shot, am I right?!
In this blog, I will go over the why, the how, and the results and include a mini diary that I wrote throughout the 3 days so you can see how I was really feeling!
Enjoy!
The Why
Tim Ferriss first stumbled upon fasting as a method to take on his Lyme Disease.
First, he went to a clinic to do a 7-day fast, and while it did help his joint pain and skin issues, it was excruciating. Needless to say, he did not like their method.
My reasons as to why I wanted to do a 3-day fast are a little different.
I don’t have any joint pains, not really anyways, and my skin issues are gone ever since I stopped eating dairy.
But, it turns out that not eating results in fat loss! Who would have thought?
When you fast, your body goes into ketosis. This means that there are no longer any carbs to burn, so it burns fat instead.
Fat loss is great, but that’s not the only reason I did it.
During a 3-day fast you can have the following benefits:
Body burns fat
Reduced inflammation
Autophagy increases heavily
Increased brain function/ability to focus
Immune system reset and regeneration
The benefit I was most interested in was the ability to focus. Given that I write and read all the time, and am currently trying to learn how to code, the ability to focus is an enormous benefit.
To be honest though, I also just love the challenge.
The How
The process that Tim Ferriss does for his 3-day fast is the one I decided to follow. It is a lot more “enjoyable”, and doable than just sticking to a water fast.
I didn’t do exactly what he does, but I came pretty close.
My fast started Thursday night after dinner. I finished eating at 630pm and from there I would not eat until the same time Sunday evening.
Typically, you want to eat slow carbs and some protein for your last meal. However, my wonderful girlfriend cooked some delicious pasta… so that didn’t happen.
Friday morning, I proceeded with my regular day at work. I brought a water bottle so I could drink on the road, had coffee around 3 pm, and then I came home around 430.
Upon getting home, I had tea with coconut oil in it. Delicious.
Tim suggests going for a 3-4 hour walk on Friday morning. What I did was go for a 30-minute walk, in the afternoon. Not quite the same.
The walk is so that you burn up your muscle glycogen stores. This means your body switches from burning glucose to burning ketones (what your liver produces when it breaks down fat) for energy.
For the rest of the evening, I alternated between a cup of tea, and a bottle of water with salt in it. The salt helps prevent headaches and cramps.
Saturday, after having a cup of tea with my coconut oil, I went for a 30-minute walk again. For the rest of the day, I once again alternated between tea and water with salt.
However, in the evening, I had another cup of tea with coconut oil.
And lastly, on Sunday, I didn’t got for a walk, but the rest was the exact same thing right up until I had my first meal in 72 hours.
Summary:
Thursday have your last dinner and preferably low/slow carbs with higher protein levels.
Friday you should have coconut oil (or exogenous ketones), go for a long walk, and have water with salt in it.
Saturday is the same as Friday.
Sunday you don’t need to walk, but keep up with the water, salt, and tea (or black coffee).
Tips:
Read a lot, or do an online course to pass the time.
Have drinks that don’t make you bored. I love tea and black coffee. However, treating yourself to sparkling water with a little lemon squeezed into it is incredibly satisfying in the last 24 hours.
In order to make your walk longer, download some good podcasts, or as Tim suggests, schedule phone calls.
Tell someone you’re fasting so they can hold you accountable. You’ll be tempted to eat far too many times and you want to stick through this!
Just do it.
The Results
Did I lose 10 pounds of fat, write a book and feel amazing? No, not really anyways.
However, the amount of extra time was beyond amazing.
Typically, I eat multiple times a day, and quite often, I’m going out to eat. That means driving to a restaurant and waiting on the staff to cook.
I must have had an extra 2-3 hours each day which instead, I used to read, write and learn to code.
If you’ve read any of my previous articles, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with optimizing productivity and happiness. In my case, productivity makes me happy. So the extra work time was awesome.
There’s more though.
The time I did have to work, I was extremely focused.
Thats right! The fast helped me focus better than usual.
In fact, on day 2 it almost felt like I took the pill from the movie “Limitless”. I got into a flow state incredibly easily and did so multiple times.
I was able to read faster and comprehend more.
I was able to write faster, without stalling to think.
I was able to think clearly, and effectively.
On top of all of this, I did end up losing a bit of fat.
And now, food is so much more satisfying.
Thoughts during my fast.
Everything above was written after I completed my fast.
It’s important to note though that it’s not all fun and games. You do get hungry, a little miserable and bored.
Because of that, I decided that I would include a mini diary of my thoughts throughout each day so you can have a better idea of what it is like to fast.
Friday - 9 pm
I’m craving a bowl of pho. Earlier, I walked by someone BBQing and the only thing I could think about is how good a bowl of soup would be.
Odd I know considering the guy was definitely cooking hot dogs.
All things aside though, I was so productive today. I actually finished everything I wanted to do and now I will have the chance to just turn off my phone and computer, and enjoy some shitty TV with Ally (my girlfriend).
Truth be told, I am looking forward to going to bed because the hunger is really starting to kick in and my brain is starting to feel as tired as my body.
Saturday - 4 pm
Yummmm coffee. I’m sitting at Empty Cup (a coffee shop) writing as I sip delicious black coffee.
I wonder how long I could fast if I wanted to go past 3-days? Maybe later this year if I have something I really want to focus on and have time off work, I will go for 7 days.
Earlier I was super hungry, but after I had my coconut oil tea, I was able to get into such an incredible mode of focus that I got so much work done.
It was like I took the “Limitless” pill. I was in full tunnel vision just hammering away at everything I wanted to do.
Okay, now I’m getting hungry again. And, I want to go see the Oppenheimer movie.
Saturday - 9 pm
I’m watching the Conor McGregor series on Netflix. To be honest, I’ve never really been a fan of him, but something I can admit is that I admire his mindset.
Seeing someone like him have such a strong mindset, and strict discipline makes it a lot easier to stick through and go through the whole 3 days of this fast.
As the day is slowly coming to an end I am feeling drained. I would loveeee to snack on some almonds, beef jerky or even better, a massive chicken salad with a lot of feta.
I won’t get to do that though, not for another 20+ hours.
Plus, it’s my friend’s wedding social tonight. I am happy for him and I will go there for a couple of hours to show my support.
I do look forward though to coming home and passing out. From there, I will be able to look forward to my first meal in days.
Sunday - 11am
I slept in as late as I could so that I wouldn’t have to feel my hunger as long. Usually, I wake up between 730-830, so an extra 3 hours was not easy.
But, I’m up and I actually feel pretty great.
Mentally, I have a lot of energy and my focus is above par.
Physically, I’d say I am at about 70%.
I most definitely am looking forward to my first meal in 7-8 hours. I’m dreaming of feta cheese, chicken, eggs, Cheetos, dim sum and a whole bunch of other random foods.
Sunday - 6 pm
Finally, it’s almost time. I’m about to go to a restaurant called “Pho Cuu Long”.
Yes, it’s really called that, and it’s incredible.
Currently, I have about 70% physical energy, but my mind is 150% focused. I am also much more energetic and talkative.
I’m going to order a large satay pho with double meat and will add vegetables.
This was awesome, I will do it again, but I cannot wait to eat.
Conclusion
If you want to do a 3-day fast, you can definitely do it. To be honest, it’s not that hard and this was the second time I did it.
Fasting for 3 days is mainly a battle between your mind and your stomach. If you have something to work on, say, an exam to study for, you will be fine.
My top recommendation would simply be to make sure to have your coconut oil, to alternate your beverage of choice, and to stay occupied.
The results are completely worth it, in my opinion, and I will be doing this every few months.
Please don’t hesitate to comment if you have any questions!
Thanks for reading!
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