What happens to your body when you push it to the extremes? While the idea of skipping ALL THREE meals of the day might scare you off a little, the reality is back in the day (when we were still cavemen), we weren’t eating throughout the day. Now we see a lot of people around us trying out different things that push the human body to extremes, just to see how it reacts to what comes along the way. For weight loss purposes or just experiment reasons as well, no matter the reason for your 36-hour fast, it is good to know what to expect. And of course it is not recommended for anyone and one should seek medical advice before leaping into something like this. That being said, here is what happens to your body when you do a 36-hour fast:

After 4 hours of eating, your body’s insulin levels start to dip and it turns to burn stored sugar. This is also called the ‘anabolic phase,’ aka a process where your body builds muscle tissue.

Your blood sugar levels start to decrease and your body will use glycogen for energy. This is called the ‘catabolic phase,’ aka a process where your body will take energy from the foods you have eaten before.

This is where the fat burning process starts as insulin levels decrease again. This phase is called ‘ketosis.’

After you have not eaten for 16 hours, a process called autophagy begins. This is where a cell breaks down and recycles its own components to maintain energy and cellular health.

This is where you begin to see major cellular repair. This is where inflammation in the body reduces and insulin sensitivity improves.

Once you have reached this stage, the growth hormone spikes which works diligently to preserve muscle and promote fat loss.

Your body has reached the maximum potential of autophagy. It has cleared away dead cells, regeneration of tissues has taken place, metabolism has been boosted and you’ve just hit the reset button for your body.