Body stages Also worth knowing Card 2 of 5
Explainer card
Hunger
The hunger hormone ghrelin keeps its usual mealtime rhythm during a fast and does not climb steadily. Hunger tends to peak in the first day or two and then ease.
Background reading, never a stage. The timer never shows it, and it is not tied to any hour of a fast. In the app it sits under the stages, in Also worth knowing.
Sources
- Espelund 2005Fasting unmasks a strong inverse association between ghrelin and cortisol in serum: studies in obese and normal-weight subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005.
- Natalucci 2005Spontaneous 24-h ghrelin secretion pattern in fasting subjects: maintenance of a meal-related pattern. Eur J Endocrinol, 2005.
What studies measured, not a reading of your own body. Stop and seek help if you feel unwell; the signs to stop for are listed under Stop signs on the safety page.
Evidence edition 1.0 · last updated · How this is written