Hi! I went on the Fat Fast for ten days using recipes from Dana Carpender’s books. I lost eight pounds! It has been a good way to kick-start my progress.
Had my annual physical last month, checked thyroid, hormones, insulin, sugars, etc. A two hour glucose tolerance test (GTT) indicated that I need to step it up. Interestingly, all my other markers were great: A1C 4.7, low fasting glucose and insulin, CRP was ideal, lipid panel all good. The GTT fasting and 1 hour numbers were ideal, but the two hour number was high enough to diagnose Type 2 Diabetes! WHAAA??? Some serious insulin resistance still happening.
Hence the Fat Fast to induce deeper, faster ketosis.
Also tracking daily blood glucose and ketones to monitor progress more closely.
After ending the FatFast, I have stayed with those macros and just eaten more to raise calories. Macros are 85% fat, 12% protein, 3% carbs.
I also added daily supplements to moderate insulin spikes; Cinsulin, berberine (acts like metformin) and chromium picolinate. They dropped my daily glucose numbers by about 20 points, so I hope that indicates some insulin moderation as well. Several reviewers say supplementing with those helped them drop weight also. Crossing my fingers!
Over the winter my mom had cancer and we lost a different family member. Doc thinks the cortisol spikes from stress worsened the insulin issues.
How the heck are you doing?
Alternate Day Fasting turned ZC...back to fasting
@KCKeto I’m so sorry to hear about your family!! Yes, stress and cortisol and insulin go hand in hand…
Can you tell me about your fat fasting? I’d love to hear what you’re doing specifically.
My progress is…interesting. Long story short, my weight dipped for awhile when I was doing a TON of fasting, but it came back when I stopped. Had some food intolerance testing done and found out I’m intolerant to like…80% of the things I was eating (including butter, avocado, eggs, and beef…) BUT I’m hopeful. I’ve resolved some digestive issues by eliminating those foods and luckily, I’m not sick of zucchini, spinach, and bacon after 6 weeks. 
I just updated my post here…
https://www.ketogenicforums.com/t/food-intolerance-testing/31544/36?u=yayhowfun
Did you carb-up (150g or so) for 3 days prior to the GTT? I’m not sure the GTT results are even worth looking at if you are fully fat adapted and don’t carb-up for a few days before performing that test.
I averaged 80 to 120 carbs a day in the weeks prior to the test. I was fully fat adapted but carb count crept up while I was away from home for several weeks with a sick parent. Lesson learned!
I ate several small meals a day of about 250 to 350 calories. Kept the fat as high as I could. Her books and recipes helped me practice tracking the macros and calories, which has helped me tweak my daily consumption.
I did not exercise. After the Fat Fast I increased portions and gained two pounds back, but I’m still glad I did it. It helped cut sweet cravings, got me into deeper ketosis and really helped stabilize my blood sugar swings.
Here’s an example of one day:
Calories: 1303 - 121 grams fat, 49g protein, 11 g carbs. 84% fat
9AM: egg scramble with cheese, butter & cream
Noon: 3 sausage cheese balls
3: 1 tablespoon pesto
6:30: Mac & cheese with miracle noodles, creamed spinach
8:30: 1 peanut butter chocolate fat bomb
The Fat Fast protocol calls for 1000 to 1200 calories a day for a short period: a few days to a week at most.
Yeah, this is what I’m worried about… I’ve just started ADF and I can’t help feeling I’m just not eating enough on the “feasting” days. Not sure if I should be eating more protein to allow for the fasting days. Also… wondering if I should be taking salt on the fasting days?
My weight loss seems to have stalled on ADF (although early days) and I’m thinking my metabolism is definitely slowing down. I seem to respond better with EF.
My experience was similar. Between June and October I was fasting 3-5 days a week and feasting ZC on the weekends. Got from 230 (well, that was before June but still), down to 155. As soon as I stopped fasting after my hand injury, I packed on 30lbs. No idea what the breakdown of fat to lean was, though. In Oct was when I first joined my gym too, and they tested me at 13.9% BF. Today I took another test and though I’m 171 lbs my BF was still 13.4%.
Anyway long story short, I am pretty positive my consistent, weekly fasting royally tanked my metabolism for a while. Probably because I was too low of a BF% to go back to back like that. When I really get passionate about something, sometimes it’s hard to pace myself…I was TOO dedicated to something for once.
I know everyone touts fasting as the end-all, be-all most amazing thing ever, but it seems to me that it doesn’t agree with everyone.
This is me all the time, I go hard and I’m totally all-or-nothing.
I was also thinking that 1700 was kind of low, and 1300-1400 is definitely low.
^^This is my opinion, I am not an expert/coach. This is what I have learned from multiple experts and coaches for the past couple of years, and I became concerned when I saw that 1700 calories is a feast for you @KetoLikeaLady. I was thinking that it might cause a down-regulation of your metabolism.
I upped my calories since going off the DSK program. I got up to around 2000 for awhile. Now I’m around 1700 daily. I’ve reduced my cardio a LOT and am weight training 5 days a week instead, with a HiiT session or two each week. It seems sufficient, I’m afraid to eat more and end up gaining since I’m not riding my bike 100 miles a week like I was in the past.
It’s so stressful - “you’re eating too much” or “you’re not eating enough” - none of it makes sense. How can both cause the same problem, you know?
Honestly, at this point, I REALLY hope something is wrong with my hormones so at least I have an answer.
I really hope you find answers too!
Thanks for being real with your experience and helping this community track with you and learn from you.
I understand and can empathize with everything that you said, and have similar struggles (even with your last sentence). I pray that you will be able to figure things out.
Since suggestions/guidance is contradictive, perhaps mixing things up every few days is a good idea? Keeping your metabolism guessing? Also, the more we stress about things the more likely we are to hold on to weight. I struggle with that issue.
