Tomorrow, I start a 14 day fast ~

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Yes, that’s right. 14 days.
By my calculation that’s two weeks.

Maybe rather than say I start a 14 day fast, which indicates I will finish, I should say I undertake a 14 day fast, because that kinda gives me the option to bail out after day 3 if I walk into a pub and order a snitty with chips.

I’ve done fasts before – several 3 and 4 day fasts, two 6 day fasts.
But never 14 days.

Why 14 days?
To see if I can do it.
And to see what benefits might come from it.

Today is my eldest son’s birthday, and he’s a good cook so he’s cooking us – Jennifer and myself – something of a feast.
I’ll eat up big tonight.
Because it’ll be the last meal for two weeks!
Maybe…

Why am I doing this?

To detox:
To clear my system. I’ve been a bit wayward with my eating habits lately and I need to self correct. Too much sugar. Too much salt. Too much of too much.

To control my mind:
All random eating is because of random thinking. Control your thinking and you control your eating – and other aspects of your life as well.

To set myself a goal:
I’m a very goal oriented person. I learned early from something RM Williams once told me: To Say is To Do. I’ve never forgotten that.

To reset myself, physically:
This past year, thanks to COVID, I’ve spent most of my time writing – hence, sitting. Yes I’ve been doing exercise, either walking or bike, but it’s time to reset myself.

Isn’t it dangerous, fasting for this long?

I don’t know.
I guess I’m going to find out!

What am I going to eat / drink?

This will be a water fast, with sometimes miso soup – broth only – and perhaps sometimes beef bouillon – again, broth only. No solids, no juices, only black tea, green tea, and my requisite double espresso of a morning.

Double espresso?
Are you kidding?
What about the detox, you might ask?
What about my mental health, I might reply…

How will we know how I’m going?

I’m going to post a blog here each day to let you know how I’m going.
I’ll be totally honest. If I sneak a battered sav I’ll tell you.

I’ll discuss how I feel and what I do each day. I’ll post my daily weight, my percentage body fat and my blood pressure. And I’ll use the opportunity to talk about stuff. All sorts of stuff.

I’ll talk about the science of fasting. I’ll talk about the spirituality of fasting. As the days go by I’ll probably become incoherent and rambling and hence more interesting…

I’ll also post a photo of myself each day.
It’ll be interesting to see what physical changes I undergo.

Why am I going public on it?

Why am I going to blog it?
Put myself out there?

Because I want to make it harder for me to pike out. I’ll look a real dickhead if I quit after five days – which I’m perfectly capable of doing.

You’ll be shocked to discover how weak-willed, feeble-minded and craven I can be.
(Those that know me won’t be shocked at all, they’ll only be validated…)

But also, I believe that fasting is a legitimate health tool, if approached the right way. And I’ll be blogging about that too – the medical benefits of fasting.

That said, I will never encourage you to do what I intend to do. Statistically speaking, I believe that of those reading this right now, a very low percentage of you would be as stupid as me.

So that’s it then? You start tomorrow?

Yes, I start tomorrow.
Will I go the full 14 days?
Will I weaken and find myself clawing open a pack of Kettle Salt & Vinegar chips while guzzling down a can of Pepsi Max?
Will I find myself incapable of moving from the couch while watching The Office for the 4th time?
Will I deprive myself of essential nutrients and become a mumbling bumbling idiot – more so than I already am?

These questions and more will be answered over the next 14 days –
Or less…

CAVEAT: If I sense that this fast is doing me harm, or is having any kind of deleterious affects on me, I won’t be stupid or pig-headed, I will bail. Without shame…

31 thoughts on “Tomorrow, I start a 14 day fast ~”

  1. Because of my medical condition with my pancreas, I have to go on liquid fasts whenever I have a flare up. That is usually icechips and clear fluids for up to a week and the last one was about 2 weeks. Expect to be tired and loose some weight. Keep up your vitamines. I have liquid vitamines.
    Good luck !

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  3. Sounds to me like two weeks of colonoscopy prep, minus of course, the gallon jug of hell!

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  5. Good luck my friend. Being you, I know you’ll be totally (if not ruthlessly) honest, and that’s a reassurance for those of us fond of you, as I also know you will bail if it is bad for your health! Having done DryJuly successfully, and again since early December, giving up (mostly anyway) alcohol and taking on a lifestyle change to help me lose the many kg I’ve put on over the last few years (my blasted genes are catching up with me and the fat around my organs!!), I know a bit of what you’ll be going through, and will wait to hear what you come up with in your ramblings, verbal or otherwise! Hugs, Britta

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    • Ah Britta, very sweet of you, and yes I’ll be ruthlessly honest. I’m a bit anxious about it, but feel it’s something I should do. Great that you did the booze circuit breakers. We can do this stuff, if we put our minds to it. Miss you! Hugs too, Bill

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  6. Good luck Bill and good luck to those around you!I fasted last month. Started on the 28th at 7pm  and lasted until this morning around 9am.Regards  GarySent from my Galaxy

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  7. Hello Bill, I encourage you, 15 days fast is not only doable with no major problems, I did it, but it is a minimum to have true benefit of fasting. For me it was a little difficult around the 3rd and the 9th day, after that it was a bliss, I stopped at day 17th because of my ex husband but I could have keep going much longer. I really encourage you to stop drinking coffee and if you want the real thing not broth only water. Broth can produce very painful gas in your gut. And don’t forget to empty your gut with Epsom salt. At least one or two times if you don’t want to do enema every two days like in the Buchinger clinic. Big hugs. And have fun. Marie. Envoyé depuis mon mobile Huawei——– Message original ——–Objet : [New post] Tomorrow, I start a 14 day fast ~De : PGS the Way À : romarin64@orange.frCc :

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    Bill Bennett posted: ” Yes, that’s right. 14 days. By my calculation that’s two weeks.

    Maybe rather than say I start a 14 day fast, which indicates I will finish, I should say I undertake a 14 day fast, because that kinda gives me the option to bail out after day 3 if I wal”

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  8. Good luck with that, though 14 days without solids does sound somewhat extreme.

    My own strongest experience with fasting was my first, in 1993 to 1994, between my first and Second Caminos.

    I started with about two weeks of taking only liquids, but eating (well !! but one meal) every fourth day, then a month or so of eating every 3rd day, then a couple of months of eating every other day ; plus almost daily 20K or 40K hikes ; then I began that second Camino and one meal a day plus 40K. (couldn’t do it now ; I was still in my 20s ; but it’s a good regimen if you can pull it off)

    You make a good point about random eating, but there are addiction aspects too I think, and they’re more somatic than psychological. I have been on a low carb diet for about 2½ years, but now my gut seems to have shifted so that it is now outright rejecting them except in small and only very occasional amounts, which is weird. I had to mostly stop eating them anyway for my health.

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  9. Great!!!

    I wish you the best of luck, I will be watching and learning as I have toyed with this idea for a while now.

    Years ago I was on a liquid diet because of periodontal surgery, In ten days I lost 15 pounds and never felt off one day during that time. However, I did drink protein powder enriched vegetable juices which I prepared at home.

    You go, Bill, I am sure you will succeed!
    Arlena

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  10. I wish you luck. Not for me. I find it interesting you are challenging yourself to this 14 day fast, yet closing how stupid you are. That doesn’t compute to me.

    Simply walk the walk you choose and do it for no one but yourself. 14 days or 3 days, it is your walk.

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    • Hey Steve, great to hear from you. Hope you and Marilyn got thru the Texan freeze ok. Yes, doing it my way, as I do – and stupid? Moi? What do you think mate? 🙃

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      • I would never call you stupid, even if to reinforce your own thought about yourself.
        To me, this ill advised, but then I have never, and will never attempted. I frankly don’t get the point.

        Yes, we made it through the artic chill with no problems other than being incredibly cold for two days. Then to a friends house who had a whole house generator, and then the power came back on. Had one little nipple for a hose bib coming out of the outside wall, which broke, and I fixed it for $2.00. We were blessed.

        Give our love to Jennifer.

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          • It was an event. First time since 1889, I believe. Climate change may just be real.

            BTW, my daughter Erika is in the final stages of Leukemia. She has fought the good fight for 4 ½ years but it is about to get her. She went on home hospice over the weekend but decided to go back in hospital today for platelets, blood, and potassium, today. She is a trooper and faces it bravely, and just has not given up. She thought she had, but not yet.

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          • It’s been an amazing journey and she has found strength she did not know she had. She has been an inspiration for all. We will all get thru it. That’s the way life goes.

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  11. Steve,
    I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. For some reason I thought she had beat it. Not a time a parent or anyone should have to go through. Our thoughts are with you and your family. Keep fighting.

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  12. Bill,
    In the USA, parents take their children to dinner or cook for THEM on THEIR birthdays, not the other way around. Sounds like you Austin’s train your children better if they cook for you on their birthdays.
    Also, what’s with the Pepsi Max? I thought you were a Coke Zero kinda guy?
    Dale is always talking about fasting and the benefits of out with the bad and in with the good as many of our diseases are due to bad gut bacteria.
    A couple years ago I gave up all added sugar, then a couple months ago I gave up caffenated coffee. Now it seems I’ve become dairy intollerant. So I’m pretty close to fasting as without sugar, caffeine, cheese and sour cream there is little left worth eating ! Ha
    Where is Jennifer going on vacation while your fasting?
    Love you both
    LYNDA

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    • Haha – we’ve trained our children well Lynda. They are all good cooks. Henry last night did a beautiful Southern Fried Chicken with American styled biscuits and gravy. Jennifer’s sister Sue cooked a delicious carrot cake, which she covered in Smarties. All up it was a great birthday evening!

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