Monday evening I was frustrated. Four weeks ago we had begun trying the carnivore diet. For me, it was an attempt to try something different to hopefully break out of a 6-month stall in my weight loss journey. Yes, that’s right. I began exercising and eating much better 1 year ago. Over the course of 6 long months I had managed to lose 22 pounds. That is pretty slow, but my body has always resisted weight loss, no matter what diet I tried. Still, I felt much better having lost those pounds than I did before.
Then, around June of 2024 it all came to a halt. My exercise program, which consisted mostly of running, continued strong, hitting the treadmill 6 times per week. Food choices were still largely much better than ever before. But the weight would not budge. My 2024 goal was to lose 30 pounds and maintain that loss for the full year. I was falling short of my goal.
Going Carnivore
Carnivore seemed like a reasonable change. No more carbs at all. Just meat and eggs. I imagined this would help my blood sugar as well, which had been getting to the pre-diabetic levels. I was insulin resistant for sure. Random tests of my blood sugar showed elevated glucose levels way beyond the time that my body should have brought them down.
And, for the 4 weeks on carnivore, my blood sugar was better. It wasn’t perfect, but my readings were now more consistently below 120 prior to a meal (ideally you should be below 100).
But the scale didn’t move. And I was not in ketosis (per the reading on my Ketostix). So on a chilly Monday evening I made the decision to try a 72-hour fast. I took my last bite of food around 8pm on Monday and kissed eating goodbye for a few days.
FASTING
Fasting is an interesting experiment from a physiological and scientific perspective. Fasting is a practice as old as humanity itself, woven into the spiritual, cultural, and health traditions of civilizations across the globe. From the ancient Egyptians who believed fasting purified the body, to the Greeks like Hippocrates who saw it as a healing tool, fasting has served a dual purpose of discipline and transformation. Religious fasting—prominent in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism—often symbolized devotion, repentance, or preparation for sacred events. In modern times, fasting has also gained popularity for its health benefits, proving that this ancient ritual continues to resonate, bridging the spiritual and the practical across millennia.
The purported benefits of fasting on the body are many, though as a pharmacist I always recommend taking such data with a grain of salt. Be leery of the person who tells you “this method is the ONLY method to get healthy and lose weight.” Ignorance is generally more confident than knowledge. And wisdom usually favors a less dogmatic approach. Nevertheless, I think the evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant experimenting with fasting as a way to promote healing and weight management.
So, with a plan in place to fast for 3 days, I launched into my week.
DAY 1 – TUESDAY
On Tuesday morning I got up and poured myself a black coffee with a little heavy cream. Those would be my last calories for the next 3 days. Heavy cream is mostly fat, and I wanted to nudge my body one last time into fat burning. I drove to work and completed the day with almost no hunger pains to speak of. I drank mostly water and zero-calorie, un-sweetened seltzer. After work I hit the gym and ran my 3.1 miles on the treadmill as usual.
Blood Sugar: 117 (7pm)
Weight: 210 pounds
Ketones: Trace
DAY 2 – WEDNESDAY
Wednesday is my “long” day. I drive into Boston for work. I woke up feeling fine, with no real hunger pains or headache to speak of. Had a black coffee and off I went. I was busy enough all day that I really didn’t think much about eating. I walked through the hospital cafeteria to buy a seltzer. The food smelled really good. Pizza. Buffalo chicken. Even the salad bar looked amazing. But the truth is I wasn’t terribly hungry. This is a mental game at this point. Focus on work. Stay hydrated. Ignore the food thoughts. I hit the gym after work as usual. Only got in 2 miles because I had to get home to a Zoom meeting with some of the officers at my church. By the time that meeting was over, it was almost time for me to go to bed. The blessings of a busy day!
Blood Sugar: 105 (6pm)
Weight: 208 pounds
Ketones: Trace
DAY 3 – THURSDAY
Made it to the last full day of fasting. Woke up feeling a bit different. I can’t say I was dizzy or uncomfortable, but my body definitely had a different feel to it. Something was happening. Maybe a little lightheaded, but not exactly. Still no unmanageable food cravings. I drank my black coffee and headed to work in Newton, Massachusetts for the day. I definitely was thinking a lot about food! Between meetings I was flipping through food pictures on my Instagram. Brisket. Mac and cheese. French fries. But while my brain was telling me to just give in and go buy something in the cafeteria, my stomach wasn’t really complaining about the fast. Nor was I having headaches or any other significant discomfort. This was just a willpower battle now. I needed to make it through 1 more day. As usual, I hit the gym on the way home and did my 5K on the treadmill.
Today was the day that the results really started to show up! Blood sugar was the lowest number I have seen (83). Weight was significantly down. And ketones were being created! I was burning fat for fuel! This was the goal. I was very happy!
Blood Sugar: 83
Weight: 205
Ketones: Moderate
DAY 4 – FRIDAY
I woke up around 4am as usual for me. I made it! 72 hours without eating. Actually, to be accurate, I stopped eating food at 8pm on Monday. So really it has been 80 hours since any food (72 hours since any calories). I feel good. I went downstairs, turned on the coffee pot, and poured myself a cup of java with some heavy cream. No sugar or sweeteners. I have given those up. I really was not starving or even craving food too badly. I had 1 small slice of sausage just to remind myself what food tasted like! I’ll ease back into eating today, with a focus on fats and proteins to try and maintain my ketone burning status.
Blood Sugar: 90
Weight: 204.8
Ketones: Large
CONCLUSION
Fasting, as a dietary strategy, is not for everyone. I am a firm believer in the “do what works for you” approach to weight loss. If you are not insulin resistant, I suspect fasting may not be needed. But for those who are (and there are lots of us) it might help to bring your body into a carb-free state for a while to give your cells a break from the insulin spikes caused by carbohydrates. Do your own research and decide for yourself.
