I Didn’t Eat for 5 Days... Here’s What Happened!

Table of Contents

1. NARRATIVES

2. MOVEMENT OF THE DAY

3. STRETCH WITH ME

NARRATIVES
I Stopped Eating for 120 Hours (What I Learned)

Before We Begin: 

Let’s clear something up: I do not support disordered eating habits, and I don’t think fasting is the best method for fat loss. For me, this was a spiritual journey, a physical challenge, and honestly, something I’m super proud of. That said, fasting and starving yourself can be a slippery slope, so please take care of yourself and listen to your body. I wouldn't recommend fasting without a lot of serious thought.

Day 0:

I did not do any research before starting this fast, so I ate like normal — 3 meals, some snacks — and ended the night at 8:30 PM with In-N-Out French fries (probably not the best "prep" meal for a fast).

Day 1:

I felt great the whole day! I got hungry at the usual times, but it was easy to ignore. I even did a high-intensity workout and powered through the whole day without a single calorie.

Day 2:

Things got interesting. Tossed and turned all night with vivid dreams (which I never remember normally). Woke up around 11 AM feeling like my muscles had left the building — that workout the day before hit hard. Shoutout to my wife for handling the toddler and chores because I was WRECKED. By then, the hunger was next-level. Stomach growling constantly. This is when I discovered the magic of salt water — sodium is an essential electrolyte, and mixing salt in my water brought me back to life (kind of). I wish I had used an unflavored electrolyte powder because flavor didn’t help my cravings.

Day 3:

I continued to sleep poorly, but now I suddenly felt cold all the time, no matter what I did. Hands and feet were frozen. I lacked the carbs to “burn,” so my core temperature dropped. On this day, I felt hungry once, but as soon as I had some salt water, I felt better. I spent most of the day editing videos and brainstorming ideas. Surprisingly, my brain was ON FIRE even if my body felt like a cooked noodle. By evening, I had a HUGE energy dip. But toddlers don’t understand that someone who hasn’t eaten in 3 days might be tired. Still, I realized that chasing my toddler around (yes, for an hour straight) somehow gave me energy instead of destroying me.

Day 4:

I dragged myself out of bed at 9:30 AM to film a quick video for the MINIMALIST. After that, I became a human sloth, pulling myself from chair to chair to rest. I was just plain lethargic; the salt water stopped working its magic. However, my brain was A1. I was doing the best, most focused editing I’ve ever done (that was this video).

Symptoms:

• Heart pounding out of my chest (but HR was only 50–70 bpm)

• Still freezing

• No hunger

• Body aches

• Food looked amazing, but didn’t trigger hunger

And because life is funny, I ended up doing pull-ups and binge-watching fasting videos at 3 AM (after failing to sleep). Yep, almost 5 days fasted...and working out at 3 AM to fall asleep at 5 AM.

Day 5:

Finally! A good (ish) night of sleep. Slept from 5 AM to 11:30 AM — not perfect, but I felt amazing! My wrist health monitor detected my skin had elevated temperature all night, which usually means I’m sick, but my cold symptoms were gone, and I felt good! Energy was better too — still not "let’s run a half marathon" vibes, but I wasn't a complete potato anymore. I only had one major crash around 3 PM, so I took a "power nap" (I didn't sleep) and bounced back.

Breaking the Fast:

At exactly 120 hours — Friday, 8:30 PM—I had my first meal in five days. I broke my fast with bone broth soup and steamed veggies. Broccoli never tasted so good. Then… the hunger came back. I ate corn chips… waited… a cookie, waited…. More chips, another cookie, and more soup, and then finished off the night with another bowl of corn chips.

Stay tuned!

I’ll share what happened after the fast—the benefits, drawbacks, and whether I’d ever do it again. If you enjoyed this longer piece, please like and comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts and know if this kind of story resonates with you.

STAY FLEXY,

David

MOVEMENT OF THE DAY
CAT/COW

How to perform it:

Start on all fours in a tabletop position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists and your hips over your knees. As you inhale, arch your back by dropping your belly toward the floor, lifting your chest and tailbone—this is Cow Pose.

As you exhale, reverse the movement into Cat Pose: round your spine toward the ceiling, tuck your chin to your chest, and draw your belly button in.

Why it helps:

This movement mobilizes the spine and warms up the back, core, and neck muscles. It’s a great way to relieve stiffness and improve posture and awareness of spinal movement.

Watch me perform it here.

Quick Tips:

• Sync the movement with your breath: inhale for Cow, exhale for Cat.

• Keep your arms straight and shoulders relaxed.

• Move slowly and deliberately to feel each segment of your spine engage.

Pro Tip: 

Perfect as part of your morning routine or pre-workout warm-up. Aim for 30–60 seconds of slow, focused reps to really loosen up the spine.

If you're looking for a more organized Full Body Flexibility Program, check it out here!

STRETCH WITH ME
NEED SOME SHOULDER RELIEF?

Feeling stiff in the shoulders? This routine is perfect for improving shoulder mobility and releasing built-up tension. Don’t forget to subscribe to @WorkoutsbyDavid

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