Weight loss stall during ef, how is this possible?

#1

Hi, new here I stumbled upon this forum while looking for new information on extended fasting. I’m on day 11 of my first extended fast. Everything has been going along fabulously. Aches and pains I didn’t even recognize I had along with those that plague me daily have disappeared. I feel renewed, i can now sit, walk, sleep, exercise without pain. Memory loss has disappeared. Inflammation has left my body, all good stuff. Weight was falling off until 2 days ago. I’ve lost 13 pounds which is great but the last 3 days have me puzzled 2 days ago I dropped .2 pounds, yesterday .1, today I gained.2. My body temperature has incr. a 1/2 to full degree while fasting.What gives? I’m trying to cure my ai but I am also so done being fat I want it gone! Is a plateau normal while water fasting? Seems impossible.

My back story in a nutshell: 13 years ago I was a very fit 189 pounds. LBM was 150 or 155 iirc. Got pregnant and gained 90 pounds in 4 months. I managed to stop the weight gain at that point by swimming an hour a day and managing my diet. After my sweetie was born I struggled to lose the weight doing low fat, cutting calories etc, I should add I nursed for over 5 years so there wasn’t any low fat during those years. While trying to figure out secondary infertility learned about paleo. My weight crawled down to 214. I did some blood testing 2 years ago and found I had hashimoto’s and was hypothyroid. Treating it naturally and using AIP diet for 2 years I got down to 207 but dropped 2 sizes. Totally frustrated in October I tried keto, lost 5 pounds first week. Decided to try a 3 day extended fast to support my friend with cancer I felt so good it’s turned into 11 days. The disease has robbed me of I think 30 pounds of LBM so while I am 3 pound’s away from my original prepregnancy weight I am 3-4 sizes away. I am guessing I have 60 pounds of fat to burn if not more. Currently, I drink lemon water with salt and cream of tarter every am. Rest of the day is water with real salt and trace minerals and tea. I add a little mct oil to my tea, less than 1/4 tsp to cut the tannic acid as it makes me feel sick.
Oh, I am a triathlete so I stay pretty active I walk an hour every morning, 1/2 an hour before bed, normally bike or run when my body allows, do 25 kettlebelll swings and deadlifts with a 25 pound bell daily, every few days add in lunges, squats, arms. During the fast I’ve done a few days of kettlebelll when I felt like I wanted to, I’ve continued my walks. I was on the Master’s swim team but put that on hiatus for the last 6 months.

I was 5’10 before I started shrinking ( probably 5’8 now) large frame (wear 36 length jeans), men’s gloves, size 12 shoe ( you get the picture I’m not petite), 51, no meds, supplement otc desiccated thyroid w/ liver, vit d, k2, selenium, b complex, dhea, dgl.

Okay, not really a nutshell more like a coconut shell.

#2

I can’t give you too much detailed advice except that weight changes - even during fasting - don’t usually follow a nice clean line. If EF works for you (and, wow, it really sound like it does! “Renewed” is a lovely word and the rest of that paragraph was amazing!) it’s a wonderful tool you can use along with whatever AIP keto protocol helps your symptoms and overall health, and it sounds like the addition of EF will continue your overall downward trend in weight.

There might be some small thing - a slight rise in inflammation from one of your exercise sessions - that contributed to a bit of fluid retention, and you’ll see the scale drop again soon.

(Dan Dan) #3

Are you fat adapted :thinking:

(Doug) #4

I often feel a little “revved-up” when fasting, too - plenty of heat, like the body is really working and burning stuff. The weight fluctuation is going to happen, and you are talking about tenths of a pound. Electrolyte balance - the amount of salt and other minerals you take in along with water - can make for swings of full pounds; no worries, usually. The overall trend is what’s important. :slightly_smiling_face:

(OM) #5

Are you at menopause? If not maybe AF is coming and that might lead to some water retention for a while…

#6

The in. body temperature is welcome as it is always in the 97’s so seeing 98.5 is quite welcome.

#7

Well, we don’t use that word around here because I want one more baby but probably no AF.

#8

Good question. I think so I can do a sprint triathlon on an 19+ hour fast.

#9

I am thinking you are correct and it is a hydration issue as a few hours after I weighed myself this am I was down half a pound. But I know I can gain 4 pounds in 2 hours just drinking my morning tea and the water I take with supplements.

(Dan Dan) #10

wow :star_struck:

You are definitely adapted :sunglasses:

Good luck and much success in your journey with IF/EF Keto WOE :slightly_smiling_face:

#11

It’s entirely possible to stall for a few days or even gain weight during an extended fast. Both have happened to me. It’ll resolve itself quickly. It’s just water retention. No worries.

#12

Good to hear, it’s getting annoying. I gained almost a pound and it’s frustrating. I did drink a bit extra yesterday as I have a sauna appointment today and wanted to make sure I was hydrated. I’m waiting patiently for a drop. I’m 2 pounds from a psychologically significant goal point. I’m doing this fast to heal my ai disorder but the significant weight loss was very healing psychologically.

#13

Update, the upward climb continued today. I dropped the bit of mct oil in my tea and my glutathione supplement which has monk fruit sweetener in it. Hoping to see some downward movement tomorrow a.m. beyond frustrated at this point.

(Marie Dantoni) #14

I gained 2 lbs once during an EF…fluid retention. Give your scale to someone you don’t like

(What The Fast?!) #15

I’ll just leave this right here…

25360134_10155254791011909_1166643527_n
25360134_10155254791011909_1166643527_n.jpg840×307 24.2 KB

#16

I sure hope that’s it. I’m starting day 14, would like to call it done after tomorrow but not if I’m gaining. I really want to stop in the next weight ‘decade’ down.

#17

I dropped down almost a pound overnight. I did just figure out that my nuun electrolyte tablets raise my blood sugar from 63 to 73 immediately. I can only image what it is doing to my insulin level :frowning:

I am finding that I feel great in the mornings and afternoon but come evening I am literally grinding my teeth and clenching my jaw. I feel like I am white knuckling it through my evenings. Through trial and error I found out last night that the electrolytes seemed to help. Obviously, those are out. Does anyone have experience with this phenomenon while extended fasting?

#18

Thanks!!

#19

I’m in day 7… and this is something that I am struggling with badly. It’s verbatim as to what is happening to me this go around and much more pronounced then the previous 5-7 day EFs and my 1 15 dayer. Did you find anything that help or did you just power through? I feel that my electrolytes are on par, and I’m pushing a little more salt to see if that helps. Nothing does, short of going to bed early :slight_smile: Today is ok because I’ve got a bug going around, and I’m just not hungry… will be interesting to see what happens tonight around 6:04pm - it’s literally the same time every night.

#20

It did get a little easier, showers and epsom salts baths helped. I stay focused on fasting topics on the web. Focus on the weight I want to never see again, being symptom free for 3 weeks has been amazing. All that helps me power through. Right now it’s harder. I’m just powering through. But my resolve is wavering. I only have 2 more days to get through to hit 21 days. I am 4 pounds away from where I wanted to be when I ended this fast.I’m trying hard to get through Friday. I think I’ll have broth Saturday morning even thought I have my volunteer gig that night. I’ll just hope for the best. Good luck in your quest. You can power through.