Executive Summary: 42 hour clean fast added per week, and after 2 weeks, it broke a plateau of 1.5 months. I am a nearly 47 year old postpartum female sticking to a strict dairy free ketogenic regimen. Weight loss from adding this extended water fast is 176.8 down from 180. Non scale victories reported: Improved vision, skin, hair, disappearance of scars and skin tags. Husband finally started to notice- after 2.5 months!
*edited to add my daily and water food intake see below
I have been intermittent fasting since July 5, 2022 while sticking with a strict low carbohydrate food intake (25 or less carbohydrates per day). I had recently gotten stuck at 180lbs and was trying to figure out how to break the plateau.
To break this plateau I am following a strict clean fast when I am not in my ketogenic feeding window. Water, black coffee, and unflavored sparkling water. I was dirty fasting before and couldn’t break my plateau. I will probably not go back to dirty fasting after this breakthrough.
After 2 years of carrying around postpartum pregnancy weight I finally broke out of the “obese” category for my BMI, hallelujah!!
Me: 5”6’, nearly 47 years old, previously very fit and slim until a (wonderful!) surprise pregnancy at age 45! HW: 218 after having my baby Starting weight 203lbs CW: 176.8 Mini—Goal: no longer in “overweight” BMI by my birthday in late November - for me, 155lbs GW: 125lbs which is my favorite comfortable weight from most of my life.
In 10 weeks I will be 47 years old. I am just so motivated by the results I am seeing on intermittent fasting combined with a dairy free strict ketogenic regimen! My weight loss is (now) averaging 2lbs per week.
I am now doing one longer water fasting period each week (42h) in addition to daily 20:4. It’s working beautifully! After 2 weeks I broke a long pleateau.
What I eat when I am not in my fasting window:
Minimum of 1600 high quality whole food keto calories per day, up to 1800 a day if I am refeeding the day after ending a long 42h fast. I am on a dairy free healthy ketogenic food intake with large amounts of low carbohydrate green vegetables, a small amount of low carbohydrate berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries) lots of avocados and eggs, tuna in olive oil, salmon, some chicken and occasional beef. I haven’t been impressed with any keto “replacement” item, so I’m not bothering with shakes, bars, or alllegedly keto bread. I include high fat nuts like macadamia and walnuts. On a refeed day I start with bone broth and wait for an hour before a meal.
Water & fluids: A minimum of 100 ounces of water on normal days (20:4) and black coffee in the morning. I clean fast exclusively. On my long fasting days (42h) I increase my water intake to 140 ounces of water per day to make up for the water that would be in my food. I add electrolytes with extra potassium and calcium. I quit dairy at the beginning of the fasting journey and probably will not go back to it. After 50 days dairy free, I tried one day of using heavy cream in my non fasting window and my face and back broke out and my abdomen bloated badly. That was enough to convince me that I should stay off it for good.
Here are my significant non scale victories:
Body recomposition from fasting is quickly visibly reducing my abdomen, hips, thighs and butt. I added a daily Gua Sha body scraping routine and the results are stunning. Try it!!! I got a extra large body Gua Sha tool from Amazon and move it in upwards motions towards the heart. It’s moving the water and breaking down the fiber bands underneath my skin which is improving my shape and (I hope) breaking the cellulite bands too. It can leave some bruising if you are taking anything blood thinning so before doing it read up. It’s even breaking up my back fat. Crazy!
My wedding and engagement rings are at the jeweler’s being resized because they are too big!
I am fitting in some of my favorite pre-pregnancy clothes for the first time since 2019.
My feet are going back to their pre-pregnancy shape and my arches are coming back. My foot calluses are lessening.
Scars and skin tags are disappearing from all over my body.
My skin looks AMAZING. It’s literally the best it’s ever looked. My pores are visibly smaller.
My hair is very bouncy now and it’s behaving better. No longer greasy.
My energy levels are great. I have a toddler, a family of 7, a regular job and a side business as a photographer. I am finally feeling good every day with energy for everything.
My husband FINALLY said something to me about “maybe starting to fast with you “ last night- a major thing because he hasn’t even acknowledged my weight loss at all. (Yes I’m annoyed)
My eyes changed after pregnancy and yesterday I noticed that for a few minutes in the morning, I didn’t need my glasses! I am still trying to figure that one out.
I am putting all my “fat clothes” in a bag today and taking them for drop off. I have had to buy all new bras, underwear, shirts, pants, and shoes! I am down four clothes sizes.
This is so awesome! I also started in July, will be 44 inDec, and been having babies for the last 21 years (I have nine and my baby is under 2yr). So I have so many years of holding on to this weight. I’m starting to think I’ll need to do the few days of water fast to get things jump started. I’ve lost a few pounds, but not much. Anyway, this was encouraging…thank you for sharing. You’re doing awesome!!
Congrats!! This is exactly what I’ve done to break through a weightloss slowdown! All those NSV are amazing! I’ve only started the 42-48hr extended fasts and I’ve already noted glowing skin and swear my brown spots have lightened. I’m excited to hear you’ve lost skin tags, I developed so many during my pregnancy so I hope it’ll happen for me too. The tummy/hip slimming is happening and my husband finally noticed too just yesterday and he’s like “wow, you really have lost a lot of weight!” He’s thin though, always has been so I will continue this alone in the family but I love this community to share with and enjoy reading about everyone’s victories!Keep on keeping on!!!