Why are the first 24 hours of an extended fast so difficult? You’d think the longer you went without fasting, the harder it would be.

But, no. Every time I do an extended fast, it’s in the first day that’s a killer. That’s when I have to deal with temptations, excuses, or rationalizations. Every time!

Resistance is at its strongest at the beginning of my fast.

It’s like getting a merry go round started. The initial effort is hard. It’s difficult. But once you get the wheel turning it doesn’t take as much effort to keep it going.

I find it to be the same with extended fasts.

After the first 24 hours, I’m still hungry. But it’s not a constant hunger. It comes and goes.

There are still temptations, but they aren’t as strong. And there’s a clear-headedness and focus that comes after the first 24 hours.

It’s almost like when you start meditating. And your monkey mind keeps trying to interrupt and distract you.

Resistance pulls out all the stops to derail that first 24 hours of my fast.

And even though I’ve done many multi-day fasts in the past two years, I still find the first 24 hours the hardest.

On the plus side, I know that if I can get past the first 24 hours, I’m likely to reach my target…

© 2021 Peter Gruner