Structure. Keep everything else exactly as it is — including nutrient density, don't go low on nutrients — and add one fast per week for six weeks. Target 36 hours without food; start at 24 and build up if needed.
Allowed during the fast. Water with a pinch of salt or electrolytes. Black coffee or tea with nothing in it. MCT oil is fine and can push the fat-burning pathway earlier, but a little goes a long way — too much causes diarrhoea. Heavy cream is less good but still on the fat pathway. No milk, no half-and-half (lactose).
Don't go into total rest mode. Fasting is a sympathetic (stress) state, and resting hard promotes hunger signalling. Stay lightly task-oriented and moving — but don't overdo exercise either. Breathe calm in the midst of stress.
Hunger map. The signal gets strong around 16–18 h, calms down after that, then returns hard around 36–40 h. Expect individual variation — hunger comes in waves rather than climbing steadily.
In-fast tools. Calm breathing for irritability; faster breathing plus water and a pinch of salt to blunt hunger. Journaling is recommended — smell and taste sharpen. Use + Journal entry to timestamp how you feel.
Breaking the fast matters. Plan a nutrient-dense, balanced meal in advance — anything already on your plan is fine. The refeed is half the fast and the strongest repair signal.
Timing. Pick a day that fits your life and work around social meals. Last meal Sunday ~7–8 PM → breakfast Tuesday morning is 36 hours, effectively skipping Monday.
Don't fix the end time in advance — start, mark the clock, observe, and eat when the body is genuinely relentless. If it produces an energy crash that kills your work, it isn't worth it.