I Did a 72 Hour Fast. Would I Do It Again? | NBTL Revisited

RUNNING IT BACK: NBTL Revisited 🎙️

This week we’re going back to the time my friend Heather and I decided not to eat for 72 hours. 

Would I do it again? Yes. Am I planning another one anytime soon? Absolutely not.

These days, I occasionally do a 24-hour fast, and I’ve realized I didn’t need to keep doing the extreme version to keep the part that worked for me.

We’re also talking about the endless “what I eat in a day” content, why I’m still looking for the woman eating pizza followed by the ice cream run, and the bigger question I keep coming back to.. what actually makes you feel good in your life?

A quick note before you listen: This episode shares our personal experiences with fasting and is not medical advice. Listening back, there are definitely moments where I confidently repeat things I’d read about fasting like I had suddenly acquired a medical degree in those 72 hours. I had not. Please talk with a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions about fasting or your health.

I took the part that worked for me and left the rest. Here’s the original episode.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Navigating Between the Lines, you guys. My name is Maggie Fowl, your host. We are running it back again. And this week we're going back to the time that my friends and I decided to do a 72-hour fast. Yep, 72 hours. I listened back to this episode, and the first thing I thought was, would I do this again? The short answer is yes. But the long answer is not anytime soon. Here's what I will tell you: is I did take something from this experience that I still do now. Every couple of weeks, I will do a 24-hour fast, maybe like 21 to 28 hours, depending on how the time goes. And before we go any further, this is not me telling you to fast. I am not a doctor. I'm not telling you what your body needs. This is just something that I've learned that works for me. I like food a lot, and I'm not going to be the person on the internet telling you what you should eat in a day. And I also would like to talk about that for a second because my Instagram lately is what I eat in a day, which I do not search that. So I do not know how Instagram is sending those to me. These videos get millions of views. So I did watch one the other day, and this woman, she looked like a model. Her breakfast was something like fruit and yogurt. She went on to do Pilates and she showed us that. Her lunch was oysters. She was also on a boat, by the way. This person was also on a boat. Her dinner was scallops. And I'm like, where, like, where's my people at? Like, I'm not saying anything bad about this woman. I love that for her. She's also a one drink on vacation. So like one day on, one day off. And she's just, that's not my person. You know, I'm not going to mirror what she does. That's just not me. I want to know, like, where's the people who are eating pizza for dinner? And then somebody's like, should we go get ice cream? And we're going to get ice cream. That's who I'm looking for. And can we zoom out on this for a minute? Because I think there's so much conversation about women's bodies again, right now. What we're eating, what we're not eating, protein intake, fasting, calories. Is your cortisol high? What's your blood work look like? Walking, lifting, don't eat this. Definitely eat that. And somewhere in all of that noise, I mean, it really is everywhere. I keep coming back to a much simpler question. And it's just what makes you feel good in your life? Because I know I love going out for pizza family night. I love ordering it in. I love the ice cream runs. I love vacation food. And I always want to order like what sounds good to me. I also really like the occasional 24 hours without eating, fasting, the 24-hour fast. Both can be true. For me, that 24 hours feels like a reset. Not because I'm like, oh, it just completely does something crazy to me inside my body. I just notice that afterward, I just feel a little bit more intentional. Again, I pay attention to whether I'm really hungry or like, do I need that snack? Do I not eat it? I appreciate my food more. And honestly, I like proving to myself every once in a while that I can be uncomfortable and still be completely fine. That's what works for me. And I think that's probably what has changed most since I recorded this episode. Back then, we were doing like the experiment. Can we make it 72 hours? What is this going to feel like? Are we going to lose our minds? My friend was doing it right alongside me. And this episode was basically us reporting back from the field. Now, I don't feel like I need the extreme version. I took the part that worked for me and left the rest, which honestly might be the bigger lesson here. We don't have to do everything exactly the way somebody else does it. We all have different bodies. We all have different things that are going to work. You don't have to eat the oysters. You also don't have to eat the pizza. You get to figure out what makes you feel good, what lets you enjoy your life, and what you can actually live with. Apparently, 72 hours taught me that 24 is plenty. So here we go. We are running it back. Here's our original 72-hour fasting experiment. Okay, we're gonna go. Hey guys, welcome back to Navigating Between the Lines. I'm your host, Maggie File. How is everybody doing this week? We've had a million snow days, so I know I'm not thriving, but we are we're hanging in there. Today's episode sits right in that honest space that we talk a lot about here. The space between discipline and grace, between curiosity and control, between doing the thing and asking, why are we even doing it? I have my friend Heather here with me today. Heather and I have been friends since college, which means we've seen all stages of each other. We've been in each other's weddings, we walked through big life transitions together. And most recently, we just completed a 72-hour water fast together. Things are better when you do them together. Now, Heather owns a local and thriving furniture store, My Hometown Furnishings. And there are a million directions we could take this conversation today, but we are going to be focusing on the fast, what it taught us, what it didn't. And we are also going to be talking a little bonus GLP ones, because let's be honest, it's everywhere right now, and people have questions. Before we go any further, quick disclaimer: we are not doctors. We are just two women in that 40-ish mark era, comparing notes, sharing lived experiences, and trying to make sense of what actually feels sustainable in this season of life. This is not about extremes, it's not about perfection, and it's definitely not about telling anyone what they should or shouldn't be doing. It's about noticing our bodies, questioning old habits, and having the kind of conversations we usually save for the voice notes with close friends. Heather, I'm so glad you're here. Thank you for having me. I'm pumped. This is gonna be just like a candid conversation. I feel like these are fun topics to talk about. Absolutely. I thought we'd start at the beginning because context matters. So you and I met in college, and let's be honest, we partied. We had fun. We yes, we definitely had fun. We ate everything, a lot of late nights, pizza as the last stop, not a lot of rules, and somehow the body still worked. Like zero effort, zero consequences, magical metabolism. Then you speed up. It's through your 20s, careers, kids, stress, hormones, and suddenly the same rules don't apply. Did you feel like that shift? Oh, 100%. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. It's crazy. Yep. Yep. So everybody's body is different. I know for me, things sometimes feel harder. I mean, I do, I would say I have an active lifestyle. I think we both have a pretty active lifestyle. But two active kids. Totally. But it's also you still got to work at it every day. Yes. I think it's just about recognizing new health trends or what can I do to feel better? There's so much out there. But the fast, the 72-hour fast. Let's talk about that because definitely an experience. Yeah, that was fun. Did you did you do that before? Um, I don't know if I've done just a water fast. I've done the shake fast, like the with the nutritional fake shakes with the detox. Okay. So I did that for like two to three days, but I don't think I've ever done just a water fast. Which, okay, I for me, I started last Saturday night. Yeah. So it's been, so we're eight days out. I was thinking about that. We are eight days out. Um I had started at around 8 p.m. So I ate a little bit later for me that night. And day one, I was totally fine. I felt strong, motivated, and very much like, I this is not a big deal. But mentally, I think I was so prepared for it. Yeah. You know, too. Day two, I think was a little bit harder. I was able to, you know, work out and do all of that and get through it. I had a slight headache. Um, and I was definitely noticeably noticeably a little bit more irritable. Yes, a hundred me too. Yeah. I think I gotta say, I only had one kid at home during this time, and I kept saying that, you know. So I'm like 36 hours in, I'm getting to be like 48 hours, and I'm like, I, if it was this week, yeah, and we had all these snow days, I mean, we had all the snow days last week, even if it was the end of the week, I don't know if I would have been able to mentally keep going and just drinking water. That was the hardest part for me. Cause I had two snow days. Well, I had Monday that I was driving home from up north. So I think I that was easier for me too, because it kept my mind off of it. Um, but Tuesday was a snow day, and then Wednesday they were able to go back. Which I I don't say that lightly, you guys. I mean, it is if you are like an overstimulated individual, which I am, same. I was like, uh what every bang I heard on the wall, I was like, oh, everything. Go downstairs. I'm just drinking water. I think I said that at one point. I was like, I'm not well. What's crazy though is I wasn't starving. Did you feel starving? No, I think I wasn't starving. I was like at night when I was sitting at night, and that's when I'd snack. Yeah. Those are my normal habits. Or I'd start seeing something on TV, like a commercial on TV or the recipes. The Monday night football. Yes. That's right. Yeah. Well, you had that. But yeah, that's the stuff that I would like, oh, that looks so good. But I wasn't starving. But I also feel like I was bloated the first two days, maybe from just drinking water. I felt I didn't have that like light feeling. I felt like that too. I didn't have the light feeling, and I don't know what I was thinking. I will say going into it, I was probably like I was ready, one mentally for the reset, but two, my body. I was like, okay, you gotta like you gotta chill. Like I've been on a little bit of a bender. And when I say bender, I mean like uh culverse the ice cream every night. We've been baking so much. I mean, it's been so cold. And Jimmy Johns has been on repeat. Yeah, and it does, it just none when you eat like that day in and day out. For me, I feel like shit after. Yeah, same. So I will say, I think I went into it too, even though, and I'll probably say this again, it wasn't about weight for me, like a weight loss thing, but it was curious because throughout people are like, You're only gonna drink water for three days. And I'm like, you don't understand. Like, yeah, I my body needs to pump the brakes here. Yeah. So it's just a good reset. Yeah. It resets everything. I think it was a good reset. What about your sleep? Did you sleep better? I slept better after. I slept really good on it, and now I've been sleeping good ever since. I had really vivid dreams. That's crazy. To me, that is I don't think I've I used to dream a ton. Yeah. And then I think it was like years. I think I went years, which I don't know what that says about my brain. But well, I like now that I think I don't dream a ton anymore. Like I used to when I was a kid too. But isn't the gut health? I remember not doctors, isn't the gut health and your brain health super correlated? Yeah. Which I think about that a lot because when I say about like the body working, I'm like, my body doesn't, I don't just wake up every morning and feel yeah like, oh, you know, back at it. And think about when we were in our 20s, I would wake up and I'd be like starving. Anything I ate the day before just was already gone. Right. I couldn't imagine doing a fast in my 20s. I would have never started. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Never. Oh my gosh. I can't eat or drink for yeah. Yeah, that's crazy. No, I know, but I think the sleeping was really good. I went a full 36 hours, maybe more, without coffee. That's impressive. Yeah. That I can't do. That was, I think, one of the things that I was the most nervous about was the coffee. Even though, like all the health people say, like, don't wake up and put coffee in your stomach. The first thing you do, that's literally what I do. I wake up and I make a cup of coffee. I have black coffee though. Well, I put collage in my coffee and I didn't when I was on the fast. Because would that break it? Yeah, that would have broken. So I didn't do that. But typically, I always just have black coffee. I know. My sister always used to say that too. Like, no, you can't have coffee right away in the morning, but it's just my routine. And again, I do think everybody's body is different and they do things differently. That's the thing, you guys. If you're listening, this is just our experience. And I think if you were to fast too, you could have a very, no, I'm serious. A very different experience because actually I did talk to somebody and she had done it a couple weeks prior. So our kids were hanging out. And I was like, I'm, you know, gonna start this fast. And she's like, No, I just did that. And I was like, What? You did? That was her experience. She said the sleep was really good. She said um she lost what did she say? She, I think she lost like eight pounds, which I was like, what? Which I lost seven pounds. I know that's crazy. I lost just under five. Okay. But I mean, again, like it that's not sustainable, sustainable. I mean, anyone is gonna lose weight not eating a hundred percent. But I do think it's eight interesting. Seven to eight pounds is in three days. Yeah. Yeah. That's crazy. No, I do. I do think that's crazy. I think the coffee thing, again, that was what I was the most nervous about. But actually last week, I had when I recorded the podcast, I came and I said that, I was like, I just had one cup of coffee and I thrived that day. So I do think that was really good. Day three, like at the end of it, I struggled. Those last four to eight hours, I was really struggling just because, and William, my son, he was like, Mom, you've got this. It's just because it's at the end, you know the end's in sight. And I'm like, That's probably so true. Is that the mental game of it too? I would, yeah. I mean, does you struggle at the end? Not towards the end. I struggled the first night. Okay. But I think that was just habit and boredom. Second night, I think the second was like the easiest for me, the second day. And then we were talking the second night, and I was like, okay, I'm kind of like now if I think about it. And I was like, no, I'm thriving. Yes. I'm doing great.

unknown 15:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Yeah. But um the third day, I wasn't really that hungry. But I also, because you ate at night, like your first meal, you were, you knew, and you knew what it was. I waited until the fourth day in like lunchtime. So I because I really didn't. Did you do longer than how many hours did you go? It was longer than that. Well, it was a little bit longer than 72.

unknown 15:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

But yeah, I don't know. I guess I didn't do just like I just kept thinking that my cells are regenerating. That's literally what I kept thinking. I was like, no, your cells are doing their thing right now.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

They are.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Yeah. Which is that is wild. Yeah. Okay. So when you get done with a fast like that, so basically your whole digestion and your gut, it's cleared. All the bad bacteria. I mean, this is what they say. Yeah. Right? Like this is what the science says that it you're cleared and it's basically like a full reset. Reset. So has have you watched Alone? Have you ever watched Alone? No. Okay. I mean, I yeah, me neither. I mean, I've seen parts of it, but I'm saying this because these people, they're, they're like basically starved for days. Yeah, naked and afraid. And sure, yeah. And then when you win or you get picked up, I don't know. I don't I don't want to be naked. I don't want to be afraid. I guess I have watched alone with the kids. I think you have to do bone broth. Remember, that's like what they bring you. And and anyway, so when you're done with the fast, that's what they say. You should just have bone broth and then ease your way into eating. Okay, you guys, I don't even know if I should admit this. Ivy I decks to do this. I was so hungry. And actually, we have one more friend who did this with us, and she made the bone broth, which was amazing, she made it for me. I know, it's probably amazing. It was so it was so good. I don't even think I like bone broth. And I was like, this is the best thing ever. I can't stand it. But I also had a roll, a white roll with so much butter. And I ate, I crushed it in like three seconds. And then I was panicked. I texted you. I was like, did I just ruin, did I just ruin my life on this? I just didn't eat and then I just put white carbs into my body. No, I mean, I guess it would depend on what your goal was too, which you did it for cell rejuvenation and just like a reset. Yeah, but then I mean I just like I mean, I guess you you definitely so you didn't reset your cravings. No, there was zero cravings. And then I was Justin actually helped me during for dinner, but like previous nights, he was very helpful in the kitchen because I'm like, I can't be in here. It did, even though I wasn't starving, if I was around the food and the smell, yeah, you just like let me try that, or that looks good. And it smelled so good. Anyway, he got home and I was like, I can't, I think I need the scrambled eggs right away. And then the other thing it says, scrambled eggs is a good thing to do, but you're supposed to wait like 30 minutes or 40 minutes, you know, before you so you're supposed to let the bone broth digest and then before you eat a meal. Because it's like a fresh see, I didn't do that. Okay, you didn't. No. I did I send you a picture of my meal? No. My first meal. Oh, it was I had scrambled eyes. Oh, maybe you did. Yeah, it was like looked really, really good. Avocado, you did avocado. Yeah. So I started off really good after the fast. And then it was like the day, the second day after the fast that I just I had everything. Well, I went to the gym. Yeah. I went to the gym the next morning, and I said to everyone there, I was like, okay, I made it. And if there was a China buffet here right now, I would eat the whole thing. There was not one craving. And then it's there's no school for the rest of the week, basically. I was like in and out of Nona's. I was getting the cinnamon rolls, the cookies, everything. I could not stop eating. Yeah. It's alarming. It is. But it was alarming because I'm like, you you think in your mind, and I know we talked about this. I think if I were to do it again, right? Mm-hmm. Actually, I wanted to ask you this. Did you have any doubts that I wouldn't do this or that I wouldn't complete this? No. Okay. I didn't. Only because I knew you wouldn't let like you would not let me down. Yeah. And I think that was my dra like if it wasn't for you doing it, I would have been like, that first night, I would have been like, forget this. I'll start again tomorrow. You gotta have a buddy. Yeah. You gotta have a buddy. Yeah. Somebody to hold you accountable. Yeah. No, I think that's really good. And what was I saying before? About the cravings. It definitely did not reset. Oh, yeah. I think eating everything. I think that if I were to think about it, the mentally preparation to know, okay, I'm gonna do this. It's 72 hours, whatever. I should have in my mind been a little bit more like, and you know, till Friday, so it was done Tuesday night. Yeah. Or even till Thursday, here's your meal plan. Instead, I was just off the rails. Yeah. Like I just was like, okay, I didn't eat for three days. I'm gonna eat whatever. Yeah. That's what I would have done if I was to do it again. That's what I would do and have my meals prepared. Not prepared, but like bought. No, totally. Then I'm sitting, I'm starving and I'm trying to like, yeah, I'm putting together, I had to do a shipped order because I'm like, I can't go into the store, the grocery store. There's absolutely no way. Because you would want to eat everything. I'd buy everything. But again, I think, you know, there's so much information and you know, you can't get wrapped up in all. But I think again, when you want to do something, that's what was so good about this, is because we I think we both wanted to do it for the cell regeneration and see what happens there and to feel better and to that and mentally for me too. Just to be able to do it. Yeah. No, I think it yeah, it's great. I mean, it's been eight days. I will say my coffee craving, like I only have like one and a half or yeah, one and a half cups of coffee now. That's well, here I am as I'm drinking a Celsius. Maybe it took me eight days to get back. Now I'm having more, but I prior would pump coffee. Like I could drink it all day and it's not a big deal. Oh, see, yeah. See, I just have my one during the fast, I'd had an extra. Like I was like, oh, okay, I'm really tired and I need one more. But usually I only have one in the morning. Okay, so every so often I'll have. Yeah. Well, it'll be curious to see how the rest goes. But I mean, it's just a lifestyle. Yeah. You know, and I think I think it's a good thing to incorporate into your like wellness routine. Like every so often, you know, like every six months or once a year. A hundred percent. And I think what they say about that just in there's all these cancer. Right now, you know, and all these younger people are being diagnosed with cancers, and they say doing a water fast is one of the best things you can do to kill bad cells in your body. Well, I think there's even other religions or other cultures that do it normally. I mean, they do it periodically. So, and it's just a part of their culture. And there's a lot of people who Jesse Itzler, I really like him. Yeah. And he, I follow him on Instagram. I don't know him. But he fasts, does a 24-hour fast once a month. Once a month? Yeah. I've thought about that. Like even like once a week, or like starting off your day or your week. Your week. Well, because even if you have, I mean, I'm I'm all about the wellness and the feeling good, but I'm also, you have to live your life. Right. That's the thing with these things, is I feel like I'm such a person who rides the line, you know, so hard on no, no, no, like I I wanna, I'm what Zen, and I'm gonna meditate and do all these things and be calm and just nothing but like whole 30, like we talked about before, you know, just like super clean foods to YOLO. Yeah. So it's tough out here for me. I'm the same way though. Like, and I always I have a problem. I just I love sweet, I have to have something sweet after my meals. Like even if it's just a little thing. Every time. And we always have like I enjoy food. I enjoy going out to eat meal. So and when it's not, again, it's not about the food. Like, I think that's the thing. Yeah, it is, but it isn't. It's like when I feel like crap though, after you eat like shit all weekend. Yeah, reset's really good a hundred percent. So this was the perfect timing. It was great. Okay, listener style questions. There was some listener questions. Did you get any questions from your friends? No. No, no one even knew I was doing it except for my kids. Well, my husband, he knew the second day. Yeah. Well, I mean, because the irrit irritability. Yeah. Well, he knew the first night, I guess. He was like, what is going on? Okay, so question number one. Do you think fasting is just another extreme trend? No. I think it's been around for like decades, for centuries. We've just, it's just not an American thing. I do. I just, yeah, I don't think it's a part of like our normal. I mean, I think it's becoming more of a thing. Well, yeah, because I feel like I see it everywhere. That's one of the drivers for me too. I'm like, I gotta do this. What are the bio people? The bi the people that are like trying to live forever. Oh. I literally have no clue. Let's just say the people who are wanting to live forever, like super longevity. Yes. So that's something they do. The fasting is the thing. I think I've watched actually a documentary on that. But these people, they're really not eating, and I couldn't live my life like that. No, they're yeah, they're extreme. Like they're, I mean, they do it like all the time or like weeks, which just does not make sense to me. No, but I just think it's been around forever. I just don't think it's an American way of life. I definitely get that. But yeah. Okay, question number two Um, is this healthy or just another way that we're punishing ourselves? I don't, I don't know. I'm not a doctor. I think it's healthy for me. I mean, I like the reset and the feeling that I got from it. So I definitely would do it again. Yeah, definitely an opinion base. I I I will say, and when I had spoken to a couple people prior, I was like, to one of my friends, I was like, no, you this would not be good for you. Yeah. So I don't think it's for I don't think it's good for everybody, but you have to know your body, know what you, you know, if you have if you're listening and you're like, you guys are crazy. Yeah, I get it. But if you're like, oh no, I want to do this, like yeah. I mean look into it. I mean, it's it's yeah, you're just choosing what you want to put in your body. Yeah. Yeah. And not for three days. Oh yeah, a million. Okay. Next question. Would you do it again? Yes. Did we answer this? Yeah, pretty much. I would. I I plan on it. I would too. Okay. Well, that's great. I'm gonna put that in my calendar. Next year. Um is hunger always hunger, or are we just uncomfortable being slightly uncomfortable? I think we're bored. Yeah. Like I really think a lot of my hunger is just boredom. Or snacking. Snacking. Yes. A lot of my snacking is just boredom. You know what's crazy is we eat as a family at like 5 p.m.

unknown 26:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:41

Actually I mean, that's not crazy with the schedules. With the schedules and sports, and the kids come home from school and are starving. So I'm saying that because I feel like we have a 5 p.m. dinner and then like an 8 p.m. dinner, and then our kids are going to bed later and later, it seems, just because sometimes they don't even get home until 8 30. But I'm finding myself, I don't uh like at 9 p.m., we're all in the kitchen eating. Eating. The ice cream's out, the leftovers are out, the pretzels are out, whatever. We always have but I mean the boy, they always have something before bed. 100%. I know. And as adults, I think they say it's like the worst time to eat is before you go to bed. But my kids are so like they have just usually just come home from practice. No, totally. So I'm like, yes, and they're talking. That's the other thing too. Yeah. They're Chit Chan, I want to be right there and I'm just eating what they're eating too. Yeah, same. I don't know. So I do think it's like a habit thing. But again, you guys, this is you gotta do whatever you gotta do that makes you happy. But I mean I think less snacks for me would be good. Same. Okay. Um, were you hungry? Definitely already answered that. Shockingly, not really, but I think it's such a mental game. Such a mental thing. Yeah. We said that too. Um we answered this one too. Did you do water only? No, we did water, black coffee. I did the raw LMNTs. Yeah. You did not do this. I didn't do any electrolytes. I did the H2O, these hydrogen tablets. Okay. Basically, kind of the same thing. Kind of. They just don't. I don't know if they have electrolytes or if they just do something to the water. But I did those and then tea. Which is also purple tea. None of that breaks the fast. Right. Um just like a random. The raw LMTs are the worst. Yeah. They're so horrible. Oh my gosh. So I could, I did choke it down because I was like, I wanted to make sure. Cause some people said you can get lightheaded, and I didn't want to get like that. I got that on the fast. Yeah. I got like that. I think I texted you that on like the fourth before I ate my meal. When I woke up that morning and I got up, I'd had my coffee. I got up to go get something, and I was like, oh my gosh. It took me a minute, like a full minute to like gain my which is not good. Like that's when it's not good anymore. Like, oh, and there was probably some other factors that went into it. Like I was just getting my period and all that hundreds. Oh shoot. This is probably not the greatest time to do that fast, but oh, and when I'm PMSing, I'm starving. Yeah. So maybe that's maybe that's why I'm so hungry and irritable. It's not the snowstorm or that we've been stuck at home or that whatever. Oh, that is too good. Okay. Um next question. There's a couple more. Did you do the Gary Brecka 72-hour fast? We did not. I don't, yeah, I don't know if there's any different. I had to Google it. I don't just to see what it is. Gary Breca is a guy. I take his um supplements. Oh, you do? So he's uh in the health and wellness space. He is. He has a company like 10X. So I took his gene test. Yes. And I have two of them. So I have the mother effer gene. Does fasting help with that? I don't know. It's it's something, it has something to do with the way your body like absorbs folic acid or doesn't. Okay. So I wasn't absorbing the supplements that I was taking. Oh, interestingly. Or I was only like only 30% of the city. And your body, like, how do you know if your body's working? How do you know if it's working or not? And that's what sold me. He's so I was taking all these supplements, I guess, that my body was only like I had the gene from one parent, not two. Okay. So I'm only absorbing like 30 or 40% or something like that. No, that is very interesting. That's crazy. That's such another thing because not to get off on a tangent, but did you this was a while ago. The Kardashians did this. They took that um age test. Oh yeah. Did you see that? I no. Okay. I mean, I saw it on just like a clip of it. So they did this test, the whole family, and it's you get blood work and they basically tell you how old you are based by your organs, your brain, or you know, all these different things. And I took it. You did? Yeah, because I was so interested. I I watched, I like watched that episode. I was like, I wonder how what my age is. This is a few years ago, but you know what? The best thing ever was my liver came back at 29 years old. Really? And I was like, this is the bet because you know I love I love a glass of wine. I love an espresso martini. Like I and just going back to college, I was like, my liver's 29. Thank god. Does it so it tests all your organ? Like, yeah, I think it gives you it gives you an age of like all your organs. And then it gives you your overall age. So I think at my overall age was like 34. Look at you. This was a few years ago. But yeah, I definitely was young. Yeah. My body came in younger than my age. I was like, oh yes. I'm really curious. I want to do that for for Ken and for me. You gotta do it. I'll say the test. I actually told so many people about it when I did it because I was like, this is fascinating. Well, I'm so curious. I mean, he stopped drinking almost 10 years ago. So, well, no, it's been eight. So I'm curious as to a hundred percent. How much how his liver you know, you know that I didn't drink for seven weeks when I was training for the canoe marathon. For that canoe. And I was talking to somebody last week after doing this fast. And I'm like, I think, I think I feel about it, how I feel about not drinking. Like it's not life-changing to be like for me, I didn't feel I get it why people stop if they don't feel good or it makes their body like I've known several people who are like, I just don't feel good. I don't have that. Like I can go to dinner and have a couple glasses of wine and wake up the next day and I'm I'm totally fine. Same. Yeah. So I think, I mean, I'm not like a crazy big, you know, but just in general, I'm like, yeah, I feel about that. Like it's not a life-changing thing. I was happy I did it because I was training and I wanted to be super clear. See, and Ken, I guess I should maybe, maybe I should preface that. Ken, he stopped drinking because he would always do it to kick off a wellness program. Yeah. And he'd always do it for like 30 days. So he did. And then apparently I made a comment about, well, I I went nine months without drinking. So he was like, he was like, Don't do it. That's his mindset. He's like, Well, I'll do it. So he did. And then after like nine months, he was like, Why? But I love that. I think there's such a space for that right now. And that's that's again. And I we're like, Go, I actually love this again. Told you this was gonna be a candid conversation. No, but everybody's gotta do like there's no right or wrong. You just gotta do what makes you feel good. Yes, that's what I keep saying. Like, no matter what path you go, these are our experiences. You could have your own experience. Right. Yes, you know. Okay. Last question. Let's go back to the questions. Last question. This was my favorite one because it just said, why? Yeah. I was like, oh my gosh, I love this question. Yeah. And with probably gonna repeat myself again, but I said, you know, there's so much information everywhere. And even though I try not to get wrapped, this fast had been calling my name for so long. Like I kept I've been talking about it for several years. You haven't. Have you heard? Yeah, exactly. So like just do it. And the bigger picture, you know, it was the anti-inflammation, the cell regeneration. I was like, I gotta do this. Yeah. And loss changes. You've been through like a loss, or you know, step thinking of my mom died of cancer. She didn't know she had. But that loss changes how you think about your body. You know, I think it could that be me or like my kids. And I do think about that a lot now with everything in the bigger picture. The whole idea behind the auto phage, auto, auto. Is it autography? Autophagy. Whatever. I'm gonna say it wrong again. A-U-T-O-P-H-A-G-Y is basically your body cleaning house. And that's what happens in that last, you know, 48 to 72 hour range. It's like recycling the damaged cells, reducing inflammation, and resetting your systems that don't get the attention when you're constantly eating. Yeah. So for me, it was like a whole bigger thing. Um that I thought was great. For me, it was just, yeah, let's do it. And I love a yes person. I can, I mean, I'm like, I could do anything for 72 hours. I mean, I cannot eat for 72 hours. But yeah. The mental like getting doing it mentally was huge for me. It is really good. I do think I actually, yeah, I mentally doing things is really good. And actually, I Well, they say you're supposed to do something hard every day, like mentally. Like do one hard thing and start your day off doing a hard thing. This was just three days of the city. That's why people do cold plunges, right? Yes. Yeah, that is. I'm not doing that. We have a cold plunge and I don't ever do it. It's really not the best. I don't think it's beneficial, as beneficial for women as it is men. So I have heard that too. Yeah. So that was my excuse. And I just hate it. Okay. I wanna pivot here really quick. I put this in my notes. Actually, I gotta pull up my phone. Okay. Did you see? Have you ever seen that 1970s diet that was in vogue? With the wine for breakfast? Yes. Okay, I gotta pull this up. And listen, you guys, this is I I really did not do this fast for like a weight thing or anything. I do think it's interesting that I was like, oh my gosh, I lost seven pounds. I gained a like it's obviously a lot of it was water weight. Um, but it's such a conversation, don't you think? Like everywhere you look, there's uh like a fad diet or how to do any of this and like the GLP one. The GLP one? I know. We're gonna get to that in a second. Hang on. I my phone just updated. I don't even know how to like use it anymore. Where's my pictures? Okay, this Vogue actually printed this crazy diet in the 1970s. I'm gonna post it because it's real. Breakfast, one egg, one glass of white wine and black coffee. Lunch, two eggs, hard-boiled as best, two glasses of white wine and black coffee, and then for dinner, five ounces of steak grilled with black pepper, lemon juice, very specific. Very remainder of the white wine, one bottle allowed per day and black coffee. That sounds could you imagine if they printed it to me. Like, could you? I mean, I think I would be hungry. I would be like hungry. Really? I think so. Because I am I'm such a cheeseburger or pasta type of girl. I do love a good pasta. Imagine if they posted something like that. Oh gosh, no. It's not even this is it's kind of crazy. I mean, I love it. But yes, besides the wine, it really is like my. I mean, I have extracts. I think I'm like, oh, what if I think I could handle the wine? I could totally handle the wine for breakfast. That's my well, I mean, yeah. I mean, I do love a mmosa, but yeah, I have to drive my kids. Anyway, a factor. Yeah, since I forgot about that. I do want to say this if you watch anything, Apple TV or whatever you're watching, it is GLP1 commercials everywhere. Yes. But do you get fly like everywhere I look? Yeah. So this is an interesting conversation to me because I feel like I know a lot of people, but not I yeah, I think I know a lot of people who've taken them or on them. Is it taken on? I'm not really sure. But that it's you don't really ask questions. Yeah. You know? Yeah. And I love so you. I've taken them. You have taken them? I've yes. Okay. So you can ask me questions. Yeah. I'm excited to ask these questions because when I thought about it and when we talked about this, I was like, I actually don't know a lot about it, right? Besides the ads or whatever you see. But I Googled it. Yeah. And I Google everything. And so I mean, if it's on the internet, it must be true. Just kidding. I'm totally kidding. But it says one in eight Americans have like at one point taken a weight loss medication. Oh, a weight loss medication? Is that the same thing? Or the GLP ones. Isn't it the same thing?

unknown 40:00

No. I mean, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 40:02

But it's but the G these weight loss medications. Well, I guess I don't know. I wasn't sp I wasn't specific. Yeah. Well, these I would believe it with me. You have to fact-check that. Which is crazy, but not. I just think it's interesting to me because like it's an interesting conversation because one, like I just said, you don't really ask questions about it. Yeah. At least I, you know, I'm like, oh, okay. Even though people that are open and they're like, oh, I'm on, I'm on the OZ or whatever. Yeah. What are those reels that's like at this and Ozempic allegations? Have you seen those? And it's like a glass. I'm like, no, it's so funny. But then when somebody nobody really likes says it. I know. No one talks about it. Yeah. But like for me, it was a significant weight loss. So it was, I mean, it was pretty obvious. So I'm pretty, and I was honest about it. Like when people did people ask you? Yeah. Did I ask you? Uh no. I think no. No. I mean, I think most people are like, oh my gosh, you look great. And I'm the type of person that I'm like, I can't, I cannot lie. If I have a secret about myself, I have no secrets about myself. I could keep your secret, but for myself, I gotta just I fold every time. And I couldn't be like, oh yeah, I'm just, you know, eating better and doing this. And I was, yep, I'm on. Well, because it's a little bit like gatekeeping. Yeah. Like it took a few months for it to not very long. Okay, hang on. So I what I wanted to say is I think, you know, we take, we as a society take medications for anxiety hormones, right? We're in a big hormone conversation right now. I know I have that with a lot of my friends, thyroid issues. But when it comes to weight or appetite, it's kind of like, oh, you like old school thinking is it's all about willpower and you know. But a lot of doctors are seeing GLP one. It helps people who are hormonally stuck. Again, this is this is this is a like a website that I got this on, especially women in their late 30s and 40s who are doing all the right things and still struggling. So for anyone listening who's unfamiliar, GLP1 medications work by mimicking a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, it slows digestion, and it signals fullness to the brain. They're often prescribed for diabetes, but are now widely used for weight management, especially people, especially for people dealing with insulin resistance, hormonal changes, a lot of hormones in there, or metabolic slowdown. So they say they're not magic, they don't replace lifestyle, and they're definitely not a one-size-fits-all. Right. So, Heather. Obviously, this is 100% your experience. Everybody is gonna experience things differently because there are side effects, right? So I want to hear your journey. Okay. When did you start this? Like it was about two and a half, three years ago now. And I did it for about I did like two rounds of it. So just over a year. Okay. In total. Can you walk us through that journey a little bit? And did you feel any guilt or hesitation before starting? I definitely did. I mean, it was still new and kind of a stigma around it, which I guess maybe there still is, because like you said, no one really talks about it. I don't really admits it. I don't know. I don't like I can't decide. I don't, I think it's one of those things you can't have an opinion on because I'm sitting here saying you got to do what's right for you. Yeah. So I don't, I don't think people can have an opinion on it. I mean, people have opinions on everything though, but I I don't. Right. Yeah. I think for me, I definitely had hesitation. I did a lot of research into it. There's a ton of podcasts out. There wasn't like a ton of information, but there was a lot of people that were having their experience. Um, looked at all the side effects, and a lot of the negative side effects had to do more so with like rapid weight loss than than the Medication itself. So which maybe because there wasn't a lot of information about it out about it yet, but I took a chance. Yeah. Um, and I had a really positive experience with it. So did you try other things? Oh, yeah. Before I mean this whole, like we talked about earlier, the whole shift, like my shift started right like at 30 when I had my first, my first baby. So it's been a 10-year journey of, and I've done keto, I did like vegan, vegetarian, intermittent fasting. I've, you know, and I'd like I want working out to be a lifestyle too. I just didn't, I would, I could do these things and I could lose 15, 20 pounds, but I couldn't like sustain it. It was more like a fluctuation. Yes. And I just needed something to, and the more research I did, a lot of people are like, it just kind of shuts off the food noise and it just kind of really suppresses your hunger. I needed it to be my like willpower. So I used it as a tool to, okay, it's yes, it's gonna help me lose weight, but I need to reset my relationship with food. I need to develop better habits. Um, so I just used it more as a tool. So I keep hearing that I've heard this a couple of times the food noise canceling the food noise. What's an example? Like, what's a food noise? Like it's not like like food wasn't my driving factor anymore. Like I wasn't constantly thinking about, okay, and I don't know, maybe that was just me, but what am I gonna have for dinner? What am I gonna have for lunch? Or what am I gonna have for how you thought before? Like, okay. I don't know. And there was just so much that and my portion sizes too, and like what I was eating, like I was also a binge eater. I mean, I also too, if you think about it a few years ago, I mean, we're still like post-COVID. Yeah, things got things were just crazy. Yeah, there was a lot of habits. I just need it to change and shift. And but I mean, along the wellness journey, like I I just I think with the GLP ones, if you use it more as a tool than, you know, oh, I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna take this pill and it's magic or this shot and it's magically gonna make me lose weight. I wanted to change my habits and to start a healthier lifestyle. Hang on. Is it a shot? Yeah, it's a shot. Like you administer yourself. Yeah, like I went to the place, they um I don't know how they do it now because there's different ones, but I think you can you like draw it now yourself. But where I got it from, they have the syringes. Yeah, they had the syringes. So I don't think I knew them. Yeah, I know, kind of weird, huh? Because yeah, I thought it was maybe like a pill or something. I don't know. Was there anything that surprised you about it? The appetite suppression, like the way it completely shuts off. You just weren't hungry. Food would repulse my symptoms. Yeah, did you get sick? I didn't get physically sick. I mean, there were a couple of times when I'd up my dose that I like, I don't know what it is, but all of a sudden I'd be sitting there, I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna get sick. And but nothing with not because of food. But when I'd sit down and like try to eat, it was, I mean, it's it was hard. But none of that stuff sounds good. Like that doesn't sound good to me. Well, it you had to, I had to get oh, I mean, not get over it, but it was just for like a day. And then it's like once you up your dose, you have these these side effects, but then you get past it. And I think, and that was kind of um so I did like six months of it, and then I took a couple months off, and then I did it again. And I did it, I did another round of it because the first round I wasn't strength training, I wasn't working out. And you lost a lot of weight. I lost a ton of weight. So it did what it was supposed to do, but I was just I was lethargic and I looked. Do you feel like you lost too much weight? I lost way too much weight for me. I mean, I lost like almost in total that time, probably like 40, 45 pounds. For me, that's a lot. That's a that's a ton. Yeah, that was way too much. I mean, I needed to get like 2530, but like the 45 was when I was like, oh. And you really just wanted it, like if I'm hearing from you, you really just wanted something that could kick start. Kickstart, yes. And change. I would say the best way if you're gonna use these GLP ones is to go into it knowing like I need to change my lifestyle. I need to use this as a tool to change my lifestyle and develop better habits. And okay, that was a couple years ago. Yes. So now I think it was like 2023. So now do you feel that though? Like, are you good? I'm good. Like now, I mean, I've gotten to a rut of like not working out. I had the back injury, and then yes, the holidays and everything. So I am now working with a trainer and nutritional guide and stuff. So just someone to like hold me accountable. But again, and I think just for anybody listening, this is like I feel like this is kind of a sensitive subject, no, or just like a wild subject, which I'm I'm glad. Like I love talking about this because I think my whole goal for this space is is maybe to talk about things that people are maybe nervous to talk about or they don't have somebody to talk to about with. So I love that. I think that's really great. Um but yeah, I'm an open book when it comes to it. No, but why what I also think is really good is everything that you're saying, it's not about like oh, I need to lose all this weight, or it's not about that specifically, it's about feeling the best in your body. Yeah. Right. And how you can, like you keep saying, the lifestyle and the nutrition and the working out, like it all goes hand in hand. Yeah. Yeah. It's all part of the wellness journey. Okay. So for anybody listening, like imagine this is a supper club or there's a new guest here. What would be the one thing that you would tell her about your experience? Um really my experience was positive. I would definitely say if it's if she's ready to make the change, it's something worth exploring. Sure. So yeah. And would you do it again? If I needed to lose the weight, yes. Like if I if I gained it all back, I I wouldn't do it again now because I'm doing different, you know, I've you have different things. Yes. And I've been able to maintain, keep the weight off.

SPEAKER_01 50:02

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 50:03

So I've been good about that. But yes, if I gained the weight back, I would do it again. Or if I could go back, I'd still do it. Like, well, I think that's the other thing. A lot of people are scared of what happens when you stop. Yeah. That's like a com that's something I have have asked. Like, well, what happens when you stop? So when I stopped doing it, my appetite was big. Like I was eating a lot, and I feel I feel like I lost so much weight and I wasn't doing it healthy. I wasn't eating the right foods either. Yeah. Um, you know, like enough protein and stuff. So I wasn't fueling my body right. That's why I feel like I gained so much weight. Also, I may have said this, but I lost like 45 pounds. So it was dramatic. So then when I stopped the GLP ones and I started eating like normally, but it seemed it was such a drastic change. Yeah. So that's why after like a month or two, I'm like, okay, I want to do it again. Cause I did probably gain maybe like 10 pounds back, which I needed anyways, but it was fast. Like it was a fast amount, you know, 10 pounds. So I did it again, and then I did it with, okay, I'm gonna eat right, I know what to eat, work out, and I had a good experience. But the second time around was a positive experience. Thank you for sharing that. I think for anybody listening, I think these are the things people don't talk about this. I never knew all of this, and nobody really is. I guess I don't think I would be comfortable saying so. For anybody listening, I mean, here's your little QA. I should add a QA if there's any more questions, DM. I also think the conversation is tough. I mean, I have a daughter, right? So for me, it's less about, I hate the word diet, right? Like it's less about like a weight loss versus I just want we have to be really strong. Yeah. Right. Like we're have to be really strong so we can like she's in sports and gymnastics, and it's all about fueling our body with the right things. I think that's the whole lifestyle piece that we're talking about. But I love that you said that it's a for you, it was like a Kickstarter. Yeah. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Yeah. So thank you. Good. Cause yeah, that's all that's how I justified it in my mind. I thought it was good. Okay. Thanks for sharing again. Absolutely. And going back to the fast, because we are, we did complete that. I also want to say that I'm really proud of us for doing that. Not because it was extreme, but because of the willpower, like we said. And I cannot stress it enough. You guys, if you're gonna do this, you have to be mentally prepared. That's one thing about me. If I put my mind to something, I can usually do it in the right headspace. And again, here's where I land. I don't know if I would recommend it to everybody. You wouldn't either. No. Yeah. Again, for me, yeah, I'm super glad I set out to do it. I'm glad I finished it. I'm happy to know that I'm mentally as tough as I think I am, but life-changing. Yeah, no, not life changing. I don't think it was life changing. But again, the amount of things last week that I was craving, alarming. I mean, I'm glad to know I could do it too before a um big event. You know, if you have to like fit into a dress too, like, hey, I'll just do the fast first. No, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. People do that, actors do that, actresses. I mean, every red carpet. I mean, it when you have an event or something, you want to feel your best. I mean, it's like get it having a wedding. Yeah. Right? People, there's all these like a wedding, how to look by best. So there's nothing wrong with that. That's the thing. That's no shame in that. But I think this whole conversation, it's more just about awareness. You know, and awareness doesn't mean perfection, it means knowing when you need structure and when you just need a donut because there's room for both things in this life. Yes. So if this conversation felt like one you'd want to keep having, follow navigating between the lines on Instagram. Come find me. That's where I unpack this stuff in real time. Heather, thank you again for doing this to me. I loved chatting this. Such a candid, good conversation. I love that. Felt like we were at lunch together. I know, I loved this. This was awesome. And I was thinking that maybe next time we can get into the some more important stuff like conspiracy theories. Heather's my conspiracy theory girl, you guys. So what do you think? Should we take a poll? We need a series. Okay. And you guys, I'm gonna do a poll. If you think we should do a series, let me know. Okay. Happy. Do what makes you feel good this week, you guys. Stay warm. Talk to you later.