Hi Wynand here,
Yesterday at 18:00 I ended my second 48‑hour fast. I broke it with a simple bowl of fruit and yogurt. I’ll share more as this journey unfolds—what changed, what surprised me—but for now I want to highlight something remarkable.
Last week I did my first 48‑hour fast. I had my last meal on Sunday, the 12th, then fasted from Monday through Tuesday. This week I repeated the pattern.
A couple of really positive things happened.
I never thought I could go to sleep without eating anything
Let alone wake up the next day and not eat for another 12 hours.
Yes, I felt a little hunger on Monday evening while my boys were eating (my wife joined me on the fast — 36 hours for her), but it passed. No snacking. No giving in. I realised that hunger is an emotion. (I’m not talking about the millions who literally don’t have food — I’m talking about planned fasting hunger.) And this hunger passes.
And guess what? I didn’t “die”.
I never thought I could win the mental fasting battle
Your inner voice is strong. It really is.
And if you don’t challenge it, it will derail you.
On Monday evening driving home (both weeks) I found myself reconsidering the choice. Almost convinced myself it was bad for me. That I’d given it a decent shot. The usual thoughts: “Maybe I should stop.” “Maybe this isn’t worth it.”
But I didn’t stop.
The hunger came. The thoughts came.
And they went — without yielding control.
What else am I capable of?
When you push through something you didn’t think you could do, your mind starts asking better questions.
Like — what else have I been avoiding? What else have I convinced myself I’m not ready for?
Maybe I really can start that marketing agency I’ve been circling for years.
Maybe I could train for something big — an Ironman? Or at least get fit enough to play veterans cricket again.
Or finally join that tennis club I’ve always said I would.
Because if I can say no to food for 48 hours — if I can sit in discomfort without folding — then maybe all those other things are also within reach.
There’s a quiet power in realising: I choose this. I own this.
I’ve always thought of myself as someone who should be able to handle things. But experiencing this fast reminded me in a very real way: mental fortitude is about acknowledging your inner voice and then letting it pass by without acting on it.
That’s what I found.
PS: If you’re thinking of trying a long fast — check with your doctor, listen to your body. But know this: the hardest part might not be the physical hunger. The hardest part might be staying present while your mind argues. And when you stay present, you build something more than endurance. You build trust in yourself.
PSS: My fasting journey is based on the work of the Panda Man himself, Kyle Newell.