Fasting Side Effect 1: Hunger/Irritability

Before discussing this unpleasant, but not unbearable, side effect we think a discussion on the difference between appetite and hunger is relevant.

In basic terms, consider your individual Appetite to be the “set-point” at which your body operates. Everyone’s set point is different. Some people have little appetite in general, others have “normal” appetites in general but a “high” appetite for certain foods, while others have veracious appetites. What controls our appetite for what and how much we eat is certainly a complex subject - it's a complex interaction between things as diverse as the size and mechanics of your stomach, hormonal levels such as thyroid hormones, insulin, and naturally occurring steroids hormones to the deeper structures of the brain and hypothalamus.

Hunger on the other hand is a “sensation”- one that a person experiences when their body interprets what they are experiencing as a state of starvation. The Body attempts to stimulate feeding by generating “hunger” in the same way that it stimulates hydration by generating “thirst”.

During the first 24 hours and sometimes further into your fast, you will experience an increase in your appetite. This is because your blood glucose is dropping, your stomach is empty and multiple signals are being sent to the brain stating "Hey! We aren't on schedule here... let’s eat.” That's all it is though - just your body communicating with your mind in the most primitive way. Fortunately, you’re re-establishing a more complex mind-body connection when you fast. This primitive feedback loop has propelled many people into unhealthy diets that they feel are simply beyond their control.

After 24 hours, your body begins to enter a physiologic state called ketosis. Anyone who has followed the Atkins Lifestyle will understand the significance of this. Ketone bodies are a product of fat consumption and they have the effect of actually suppressing your appetite.

So in layman’s terms, “hunger” will be enhanced the first 24 hours but reduced thereafter while “appetite” remains the background set point at which the desire for food is first experienced. There are also psychological cues involved. American society is heavily loaded with subtle messages intended to increase consumption. Some of these psychological triggers are visual, some verbal, cultural, social… the list is endless. We therefore recommend that you avoid or limit your TV exposure, especially late night TV where visual cues related to carbohydrate loading and alcohol consumption are readily encountered. During your fast you can easily reduce feelings of hunger by limiting such needless triggers.

Take time to fully digest this information (pun intended) and increase your ability to truly enjoy your fasting experience- rather than experience it as a frustrating, difficult endeavor.