Not the other way around – so before you join a gym, purchase a diet plan – make an appointment with your mirror
If you read my recent post, you know I was sitting on the couch, shirtless, staring at my belly, feeling defeated, and 42 hours into a fast with a goal to hit 48 hours.
Well, I did it. In fact, I made it all the way to 72 hours, then 96 … then decided to eat some healthy vittles after 98 hours of nuttin’.
What hit me harder than the hunger, the tiredness, or the urge to quit is something I’ve been saying to myself nonstop today:
The body follows the mind — not the other way around.
We live in a world that tells us to fix the body first.
Join a gym. Buy a workout plan. Take some pill. Try a crash diet. Buy new clothes. Find a partner and walk every morning, Change what’s on the outside, and then your mind will follow.
But that’s backwards.
You don’t get mentally strong because you lose weight.
You lose weight because you get mentally strong.
I didn’t wake up today with a flatter stomach. I didn’t step on a scale and see a 10-pound drop. Externally, I still look in the mirror and see that same belly — the one that took decades to build. But mentally? I’m a different person today than I was 48 hours ago, and 72 and nearly 100 hours ago.
Making it through that second night, pushing past the evening hunger, ignoring the voice that said “just one small meal,” and locking in a full 48-hour fast didn’t shrink my waistline.
It strengthened my brain.
And that’s where real change starts.
When your mind is locked in, the body has no choice but to follow.
I’ve read a bunch, and II’m well into nutritional ketosis — my body has burned through its stored glycogen and is now running on fat for fuel. My insulin levels are at their lowest in years, which means my body is finally allowed to release stored fat instead of constantly storing it. My blood sugar is stable, no spikes, no crashes, no midday slumps. Even my apoptosis (the body clearing out old, damaged cells) ramps up during longer fasts — I’m not just losing weight, I’m renewing at a cellular level.
But here’s the thing: none of that happens if your mind quits first.
Your body doesn’t decide to fast.
Your body doesn’t decide to keep going when it’s uncomfortable.
Your body doesn’t choose discipline over comfort.
Your mind does!
Like most people, I’ve spent years trying to change my body first — eating better for a week, walking a little, then quitting because I didn’t see instant results. I thought if my body looked different, I’d feel different. But it never worked.
I’m fasting to build the kind of mental toughness that doesn’t quit when it’s hard, when it’s boring, when the mirror isn’t kind.
The belly will shrink. The weight will come off. The energy is already coming back. I’m looking forward to wearing clothes I’ve not worn for 20 years! But none of it will last if my mind doesn’t continue to lead the way.
Today, I’m past 48 hours. I’m moving into my third consecutive day of fasting. I’m not starving. I’m focused. I’m clear. I’m proud — not because of what I see in the mirror, but because of what I feel in my head.
If you’re waiting for your body to change before you feel strong, let me save you years of frustration:
It doesn’t work that way.
Change your mind first.
Commit when it’s hard.
Push when you want to quit.
Show up even when the mirror lies to you.
The body always follows the mind.
Always.
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