The fasting journal · matched to fast day 54
Day 54. No More Naps
Day 54 and John is under the gazebo in a red shirt with the gnome. After six straight days of gains the scale went the other way. He calls it and moves on. He has bigger plans to talk about.
Numbers first. 187.3 pounds this morning. That is 1.6 pounds down overnight after a 0.5 pound gain the day before. Total change is 41.3 pounds in 54 days from the 228.6 start on August 1. BMI 28.4, body fat 30.9 percent, muscle 37.5 percent, 1970 calories burned. Ketones logged at zero.
Equilibrium
Yesterday I gained 0.5 pounds. Today I am down 1.6 pounds. So as far as I am concerned, I reached equilibrium with the water.
For six straight mornings the refeed pushed the scale up as his body took back the water a long fast drains. On day 53 he said he did not expect to gain much more. A day later the number dropped. He expects it to fluctuate like that going forward and he is happy with where he is.
MedlinePlus describes how the body keeps its fluid balance steady. When the stores are full, small ups and downs from day to day are normal. The trend matters more than any one morning.
Full for real
With regard to why I feel great, lots of reasons. First of all, I am finally eating some food.
The broth with soft vegetables fills him up. He walks away from the table content. He laughs about the broth only days. He would get to the bottom of the bowl. Geez. That was it until tomorrow. Not anymore.
No more naps
I do not take any naps during the day anymore.
He used to need 20 or 30 minutes in the afternoon just to reengage with life, as he puts it. Now he gets about seven to eight hours at night and the energy carries him through the day without any problems. I close my eyes and I wake up and it is like wow, it is amazing.
MedlinePlus lists 7 to 9 hours a day for adults. His nights now land right there. It was not always this smooth. His sleep had a rough stretch early in the fast before it settled.
The strips are retired. He stopped testing on day 53 because every morning read zero. The site logs ketones as 0 from here and the photo above is the last strip he tested.
What comes after the refeed
The ladder stays the same. Broth now. Protein next week. Starch after that. Then he gives a clue about what comes next.
I am gonna change all my habits. I know they say change one at a time and it is easier. That is not the way I am gonna drive this thing home.
His list has three parts. Eating, meaning when, what and how much. Exercise, meaning what kind fits his age, when to do it and how to keep burning visceral fat while he eats. And sleep. He wants to understand why each change matters and then follow a strict regimen. MedlinePlus frames weight control the same way, as habits that last. It echoes what he said on day 50 about doing the work to keep the win.
The count
Day 54 of the 90 day calendar. The water fast ended on day 45 and the refeed is nine days old. There are 36 days left on the calendar. More on the habits to follow, he says. Cheers.
Quick answers
Why did John's weight go down on day 54 after a week of gains?
Because the water regain is done, in his words. From day 48 to day 53 the scale climbed every morning as his body refilled the water and glycogen a 45 day fast drains. Then day 53 added only 0.5 pounds and day 54 came in 1.6 pounds lower at 187.3. John reads it simply. As far as I am concerned, I reached equilibrium with the water. It is just gonna fluctuate like that going forward. MedlinePlus explains that the body works to keep its fluid balance steady. Once the stores are full, small daily swings are normal. One lower morning is not a trend, so he keeps weighing daily.
Why did John stop taking naps?
Because he does not need them anymore. On day 54 he says he used to take 20 or 30 minute naps during the day just to reengage with life. Now he gets about seven to eight hours of sleep at night and has enough energy to keep him going all day without any problems. MedlinePlus lists 7 to 9 hours a day for adults, which puts his nights in that range. It is one person's experience, not a promise. His sleep went through a rough patch early in the fast before it settled. His doctor follows his health through the monthly bloodwork.
What habits does John want to change after the refeed?
All of them at once, on purpose. He knows the usual advice is to change one habit at a time and says that is not how he plans to drive this home. His list has three parts. Eating, meaning when to eat, what to eat and how much. Exercise, meaning what kind fits his age, when to do it and how to keep burning visceral fat while he eats. And sleep, meaning how much he needs. He plans to research all of it and then follow a strict regimen. MedlinePlus frames weight control the same way, as a set of lasting habits rather than a single diet. He promises more on that to follow.
Why is the ketone reading zero if John did not test on day 54?
Because he retired the strips. On day 53 he said they were just showing up zero, zero, zero all the way through, with no ketones in his system. That is what you expect once real food is back and the body burns incoming fuel instead of stored fat. The site keeps logging ketones as 0 for the rest of the refeed so the daily data stays complete. The strip photo on this page is the last one he took, on day 53. If his plan ever calls for testing again, the real readings go back on the board.