Prolonged Fasting Question

(David) #1

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I’m a 35y/o, overweight, and prediabetic male. I found ketogenic eating a good while back, however, I have had serious difficulty staying on a ketogenic diet. I am constantly going on and off keto, and when I go off… I go WAY OFF! When I go back on keto, I always loose weight initially (water-weight), and will loose about a pound or two a week after that, this will only continue for a few weeks, then after that… for weeks on end my weight would stay exactly the same, and that frustration always leads to me breaking my diet, eating pizza, hanburgers, rice and beans, etc… Then, I go back on keto, and repeat this viscous cycle. The regular plateauing for weeks at a time has been the source of this cycle for me.

Then, late last year (2018) I discovered prolonged water fasting. Where you eat absolutely nothing for days, and drink only water. January 1st 2019, I made a New Year’s resolution and commitment to loose weight. On January 1st, I weighed 220 pounds, and at only 5ft 7inches tall, that is not good. I started following a ketogenic diet for two weeks, where my weight went down to 212, then… I water-only fasted for 4 days, and went down to 207. I resumed a ketogenic diet, and for weeks my weight remained constant at 207-208. Then, ten days ago… I resumed a water-only diet, and my weight this morning was 194! This is the lowest my weight has been in ten years! For ten days, I have ingested NOTHING besides water, and I feel perfectly fine! Better than fine even… I have plenty of energy, and I have been going to the gym 4-5 days a week. I have had no adverse side effects, and every morning when I weigh myself I am 1-2 pounds lighter than the morning before!

… Since my weight has a pattern of quickly plateauing/stagnation on keto, but drops quickly from prolonged water-only fasting, I am seriously considering alternating the two long-term. I was thinking I should eat keto on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and water-only fast Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I feel like I could keep this up long-term, or at least until I hit my goal weight (150 lbs). My question is this… would this be bad for me in the long-term?! Like, while I feel like this pattern could work well for me in terms of weight loss, is there something that I am not considering that is problematic with this plan?!

Also, alternatively… since I am still 44 pounds away from my goal weight… I was even considering eating on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday… then just like I am doing right now… water-only fast for 11 days straight going on a water-only fast Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday… THEN… Eating on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and doing THAT 11 day water-only fast, followed by a 3 day ketogenic diet in cycles until I get to my goal weight. Would THAT be bad for me?!I know that everybody here isn’t a medical doctor, but since this has been so fantastically successful for me, I am REALLY considering doing this, but I would like to know if there is something that is important that I am overlooking. I mean… today is February 6th 2019, and I am 194 pounds, exactly 37 days ago… I weighed 220, that is a 26 pound loss in just over a month, most of which was lost during the water-fasting!

I would REALLY like to know if I can keep doing this cycle of “4day water-only fast followed by 3 days of keto,” and/or “11day water-only fast followed by 3 days of keto” long-term in cylces until I get to my goal-weight. Or, if I am doing something that is going to hurt me in the long-run. Thank you for your advice!!!

#2

I can’t tell you if this will hurt us. Yes, us. But I’ve been on a similar regimen since August 2018.

I am also 5’7” and weighed 255 last April. I went on a mission and a really low carb but more lax and Atkins-like diet. I lost 20-25 pounds in 4 months but stalled. I then came across Dr. Fung’s Obesity Code about fasting, etc. It led me, thankfully, to this forum.

I did not take this way of eating as gospel but have let it be my guide and it is paying off. I also began strict fasting of various lengths — 36, 48, 72, 96 and so on up to five and a half days. I never go beyond 5 days because I am 68 years old and had a heart attack 15 years ago. So I don’t want to push it.

I eat Keto-like in my re-feeding days — usually Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then I fast 3-4 days.

The result has been another 40+ pounds of weight gone since August. I weighed in at 188 today (-67 pounds) following this Keto/EF method. I feel just fine and my blood markers are much improved (A1c at 5.1, down from 5.7 to start). Blood glucose has dropped to a window of mid 70s to mid 80s. (Today it was 63.)

I, too, have to watch what I eat when I go off plan. Those carbs are so inticing.

I think your plan is sound and you are young and can take more liberty with your fasting plan. Have at it.

For some Keto and tracking macros are central to their success. For me it is a philosophy and a great guide that steers me along a healthier eating path.

(David) #3

Thank you for your answer!!!

Its very comforting to know that someone else has found this fasting/keto alternating system helpful, and is doing it with such sustained success! I also learned about fasting from Dr. Jason Fung, and I read his book the “Obesity Code” from cover to cover, and I also read one of his other books “Complete Guide to Fasting.” His thesis was basically that insulin=obesity, and his argument to that end was very compelling. Since the two dietary approaches that are most effective at lowering insulin are fasting and keto, it seems obvious that they would be most effective at loosing weight.

Nonetheless, I have struggled with weight loss on keto. Having fallen off, and getting back on it, and falling back off again, and again, and AGAIN… SO MANY TIMES… I know what to expect on keto, and I know how my body will respond, and its been extremely frustrating! Like you said… “Those carbs are SO inciting!” And, if I am purposefully avoiding them, purely out of strength of will… in order for me to keep doing that… I need to be getting results! One thing I can say about keto is… that I basically NEVER gain weight on keto, regardless of how much or how little I eat, its like its impossible. However, when I’m over 200 pounds, I’m NOT looking for weight maintenance! On keto its ALWAYS the same story… my fist week I loose 7-9 pounds (mostly water weight), my second, third, forth, and fifth week I will loose an additional 1-2 pounds per week, which is fine. However, around that point… my weight loss just stops!!! I’ll keep following a strict ketogenic diet, and week after week… my weight will stay the same, which is heartbreaking for me, because I’m still SO FAT, and holding back from eating my favorite foods for months, without ANYTHING to show for it! And… inevitably… right around this point… I… RELAPSE!!! Then, as my weight balloons back up, I jump back on keto, and the cycle just repeats all over again…

Whereas, on water fasting… IT DOES NOT WORK LIKE THIS!!! Every single DAY that I water-only fast, my weight drops 1-2 pounds!!! It does NOT stall, its does NOT fail!!! Its extraordinarily cheap to do, I save money, I loose weight, I look better, I feel better, and day after day I can visibly see results occurring! Today is my 11th day of an 11 day fast, and I do plan on eating again tomorrow (Friday), and also plan to eat again on Saturday and Sunday as well, but will be back on a water-fast on Monday.

This is a system that I believe can/will work for me, fasting 4 days every week, and eating for 3. This year I have already successfully completed a 5 and an 11 day fast, and I have seen more weight loss from that, then I have EVER seen doing ANYTHING else!!! My friends and family think I’m crazy, and seem to think that I need longer “re-feeding periods” in-between fasting cycles, but I don’t see why?! I’m not a doctor, but I just don’t understand why I cant do concurrent cycles of 4-11 day fasts, with three days of eating. Maybe there is an important reason, but I don’t know what it is?! I mean, my goal is to loose weight, and… where keto struggles, fasting doesn’t!!! Its never an unpleasant surprise when I hop on the scale during a fast! Yet, on keto… I have wanted to punch the bathroom walls in the morning!

I realize I cannot fast forever, so I am limiting my fasting intervals between 4-11 days, followed by three day re-feeding intervals, and then back to fasting. So far, I don’t find any fault with this plan, and knowing that you have done something almost exactly the same, with sustained success is extremely encouraging!!! So I really want to thank you for your answer!!!

#4

No problem, we share a common Keto/fasting regimen. Have at it. Like they say here, if it works for you.

In fact, as I read your reply I was eating a few Whisps with good salty potted meat to end a 4-day fast. Will eat light tonight and then again Friday and Saturday then I’ll be off to a 3-day fast before meeting with my cardiologist. I’ve lost 48 pounds since my last visit. His reaction should be interesting.