My Health and Fitness Journey – week 3 part 2
How the 5 Days only eating Sardines went!
The Sardine Fast
So now to the Sardine Fast, it sounds horrific and I guess it is, especially if you don’t like Sardines. The plan is to eat only tinned Sardines in olive oil, 3 small tins per day for 5 whole days.
The Science
A tin of Sardines in olive oil (drained) has around 21g of protein and 0g of either carbohydrate or fibre. Sardines are also packed with Nutrients such as 900mg of Omega 3, 382mg of calcium, 348% of daily B12, Vitamin D, Selenium, Phosphorus and Taurine. It also has extremely low levels of Mercury unlike Tuna.
The aim is that the glycogen reserves in your liver and muscles are used up after a period and your body switches from using glycogen and sugar to a Ketosis which burn fat instead and converts that to energy that the body and brain need.
Having taurine helps with hunger feelings and acts as a hunger suppressant.
What should Happen:
By day 2 you should be in Ketosis giving more mental clarity, reducing inflammation, and starting to sleep better. Hunger should also be lower, and it should feel easier than day 1.
By Day 3 your mood should improve as will cognition/brain function. Your thyroid should start to work more, and your body will be warmer and burn more Calories heating the body. By now you will have little or no appetite (getting sick of the fish no doubt) and your gut health will improve.
On day 4 you start to have more brown fat which is good for the mitochondria, and you start to see some weight loss. Inflammation should be significantly less across all areas of the body, and the skin should feel smoother and better.
On Day 5 you should expect even more weight loss, happy brain function, more flexible joints, and deep sleep.
My week
Day 1
no issues at all, I’d fasted from Sunday night 6pm to 1pm before I had my first tin of sardines and I was already in ketosis.
After work I went to the gym as usual but didn’t notice any difference between now and previous days. No drop in energy or performance. No issues with hunger.
I settled into a routine of intermittent fasting from around 8.30-9pm through until 1pm. I had my first tin of sardines in olive oil just after 1pm and a second around 4pm. I’d have my last tin when I got home after the gym at around 8.30pm.
Drink wise I was having plenty of water and plain Matcha tea, no milk or sugar. A black real coffee in the evening again with no sugar or milk. The instructions say to add in electrolytes, but I couldn’t find any that were unsweetened.
Supplements wise the instructions are to continue to take them during this fast, so I’ve continued with my NMN in the morning, Creatine after my workout, then Multivitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Magnesium and Nitric Oxide in the evening.
Day 2
Still felt exciting at eating only sardines and woke up feeling good. Nothing different to usual and no loss of energy. I didn’t feel very hungry, maybe just a little as it came towards the end of my fast and eating the sardines still seemed ok.
I felt sharp mentally and able to focus well while at work. Gym was good and pretty much the same as usual, still plenty of energy and not feeling tired.
Day 3
Hitting the middle of the fast felt good and I was seeing a change in my midriff area and feeling trimmer. Again, no feelings of being hungry and eating my sardine meals as a necessity rather than a need. Still ok with eating only sardines. Missed my 4pm tin so had two tins at night when I got home which was very filling.
I found zero calorie electrolytes and started adding them to my water in the evening. Gym was again ok and no issues with energy, strength, or anything.
Sleep has been good all week. Although I’m generally not feeling tired and have energy, by 10pm I’m sleepy and drop off to sleep straight away. The only issues I’ve had at night, has been waking up to pee due to the extra water I’ve been drinking. However, I am then literally straight back to sleep.
Day 4
Woke up early feeling sharp and good. Well rested. Wasn’t feeling hungry at all probably because of the two tins together the night before. Ate my lunchtime tin at around 1pm. They were still ok to eat, sardines are tasty, but I wouldn’t say I was really enjoying it especially the 4pm tin. Evening tin was ok which I had at 8pm and was nicer though as I added some extra black pepper and cayenne pepper for variety and the evening tins have some lemon and chilli flavour, so they are the best tasting. Did have a craving to eat or drink something else so I had a Coke Zero as a treat. I wasn’t really missing sugar but more crisps and the crunch.
Gym was again good and had to increase the weights on most machines. Still enjoying the gym and listening to podcasts while I work out.
Mood wise all week I’ve been in a good positive mood and cognition wise my mind has been sharp, and no brain fog all week so far. Usually, my brain is tired and after say 6pm I can’t focus but this night I was able to work on my Masters Degree project late on and still feel focused.
Day 5
Woke up feeling good and plenty of energy and a positive mood. Happy to have made it to the final day of the 5-day fast.
I checked my blood pressure, especially as I suffer from high blood pressure and take medication for it and it was good.
My hair is quite short so it’s hard to know how it’s changed or improved but my skin is looking better, not dry and seems smoother and softer.
The only issue is that I seem to have had constipation. I had not had a bowel movement for two days until the afternoon of day 5 and I am not sure if it’s the sardine diet or the fact that I’m eating so little with so little calories that my body is using almost all of it up? I was definitely constipated though.
As day 5 went on I wasn’t hungry at all and forced down my first tin of the day around 1:40pm and after that I got a bad headache. I didn’t feel so good and started to get some brain fog. It was like a day too much. At one point I said, “I’m going to fill up my bater wattle” and I had to stop and check myself.
I went to the gym and trained lighter than usual as I still had a headache and was feeling tired for the first time all week. I drank a full bottle of water with electrolytes during the workout.
I felt better after the workout and water so it could have been a hydration issue and the headache was less.
Interesting things about the Sardine fast and how it went:
Firstly, meal planning for the week was easy and inexpensive, even though I bought decent quality tins of Sardines.
- I’ve not had to cook a single meal all week - I usually make my lunches for work, but it has been as simple as sticking a couple of tins in my bag.
- The hardest part is missing the variety of food - after day 4 it’s a bit boring to say the least.
- I have felt full of energy and performed no different at the gym to before except on day 5 where I did feel tired.
- Mental focus has been sharp and good until the afternoon of day 5 when I had a headache and brain fog.
- I’ve not been tired but slept very well each night.
- My skin is and feels better and healthier.
- I initially had loose bowels for the first three days and then constipation, so it was not good on the digestive system.
- My cat has followed me everywhere I went lol.
Conclusion:
It’s good and it’s a quick boost, but 5 days is too long. It’s a bit of a gimmick diet but it can work short term and not all the claims made are completely correct.
Would I do it again? No but I will add in sardines to my diet as one or two tins a week!
Keep following as I continue my journey – coming up soon a 2–3-day water fast.
Don Marshall
Marketing & Sales Manager
Voyager Life
Link to Dr Eric Berg’s YouTube video on the 5 Day Sardine Fast: https://youtu.be/hmBCXFJoUcY?si=RD3l5DdendQfGQ2a
