On Day 3 of a 4-day fast. Went running Day 1, hiking yesterday, but will restrict to shit-posting today and tomorrow.

One thing about extended fasting you realize (I do it every three months) is that it’s not the hunger so much as the habit of eating.

Ever since you were a kid, you were rewarded with food, like a trained dog. You do a bunch of work, exercise, etc., you expect your reward, whether it’s sitting down to a good steak with potatoes, or just biting into a crispy apple and chasing it with a slice of sharp cheese.

It’s a pleasant part of your day you’ve come to expect every so often, and when it’s denied, you feel a bit cheated, like why am I even doing all this shit?

It’s less now than when I first started doing it, but I still find myself thinking, “what am I going to eat when I get home?” even though I know the answer is “a glass of water.”

Ultimately, it’s good — even aside from the myriad health benefits — to break the pattern of needing and expecting a reward of any kind even for a few days.

But maybe getting engagement for my shit posts is kind of a substitute reward, so please do not engage with this post.