The fat fast is a technique brought by Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution – used by people who are metabolically resistant and have trouble with their induction. Let me first say that fat fasting should be used in 2 situations and 2 situations only:
- Breaking through a 2 week or longer plateau.
- Inducing yourself into ketosis quicker, whether you are just starting keto or you had a cheat day.
It is important to stress that a fat fast should only be followed for a few days maximum as it does not provide sufficient protein and other nutrients. It is also not recommended when you are very slim and don’t have significant fat stores.
To be clear: You should not fat fast consistently. It is only for people starting a ketogenic diet and want to be inducted into ketosis faster, or for people that are on a long (2 weeks or more) plateau.
Understanding the Fat Fast
The lack of carbohydrates and protein will allow your body to depreciate your glycogen stores quicker, also allowing your body to go after the fat stores, like we want it to, to use as fuel.
Fat fasting will force the body to undergo lipolysis so that it burns up fat that is stored in the body.
Lipolysis is a process involved in the breakdown of fats, converting triglycerides into glycerol and free fatty acids. The longer you fast, the more of these free fatty acids will be released. Why is this important? Well, fatty acids are used by the liver to create small amounts of ketone bodies and used as fuel.
Lipolysis cannot happen if there is a significant amount of glucose coming in, but since 80% – 90% of what you will be eating are fats, you don’t need to worry about excess protein or carbs converting into glucose.
What is Fat Fasting?
So, what exactly is a fat fast? It’s eating between 1000 and 1200 calories a day, where between 80% and 90% of your calories come from fat, and fat alone. You break these 1000-1200 calories into 4 or 5 meals a day, eating in blocks of 200-250 calories per meal.
It is normally done for 2-4 days but is never recommended to go for more than 5 days. Going longer than this will start to put your body in a real “starvation mode” and your muscle mass will begin to be metabolized as energy at a faster rate – the exact opposite of what you want.
Hungry? You most likely will be at first, but once your body starts adapting to the way you are eating, you will notice a drop in your hunger. This is because you will be eating your meals in frequent intervals with high amounts of fat, which increases satiety levels.
If you’re doing a fat fast, I recommend doing a 3 day fast. This normally drops about 5-8 pounds of body fat and water weight. When you enter back into a normal diet, expect to put back 2-3 pounds of that weight.
Should You Do a Fat Fast? The Potential Benefits
The fat fasting technique is essentially an accelerated version of the keto diet. This is because it requires you to restrict calories, carbs, and protein to lower levels than you would with a long-term ketogenic approach.
By eating in this way for a few days, you can speed up the pace of experiencing the benefits of keto, including:
- Rapid weight loss. The combination of carb and calorie restriction usually leads to a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per day (of body fat + water weight).
- Breaking through weight loss plateaus. If you have been experiencing a weight loss stall for two weeks or longer, following a fat fast may be an effective strategy. To learn more about how to bust through plateaus on keto, follow this link.
- Increasing ketone levels. Whether you are transitioning into ketosis or trying to achieve deeper levels of ketosis, fat fasting is one of the fastest ways to do this.
However, as with other highly restrictive weight loss approaches, the fat fast can come with a few downsides as well. This is why it is not recommended nor sustainable for long-term dieting.
What are the Side Effects? Fat Fast Drawbacks
Along with the potential for rapid weight loss and ketosis, the fat fast can come with a few side effects. The most common drawback is called the “keto flu” — a collection of flu-like symptoms that we may experience as we adapt to the keto diet.
Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to remedy these symptoms, such as maintaining proper hydration, increasing electrolyte intake, and taking MCT oil. To learn more about the keto flu and how to avoid it, follow this link.
Other than the keto flu, the fat fasting technique can also cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar, blood pressure, hormones, and weight. For this reason, it is best for anyone who has diabetes, heart disease, endocrine-related issues, or an eating disorder to consult with their healthcare practitioner before implementing a fat fast.
What to Eat
So let’s get to it. What should you be eating? That’s up to you.
There’s not all that much choice you have, as you have to keep the calories relatively low and the fat very high. Try to aim for foods that are almost pure fat: avocado, macadamia nuts, cream cheese, fat bombs.
Feel free to mix meat in there, but be careful about the amount of meat you actually eat. As most of it will have a good amount of protein, you want to be sparing.
Chicken, tuna, turkey, bacon, prosciutto, etc. will be a nice addition to get a bit of protein in your system and add some extra flavor to your dishes.
Below, you can see some options for single meals:
- 2 tablespoons of Raw Coconut Butter (this is blended coconut meat, not the same as coconut oil)
- 1 serving of Spiced Bacon Deviled Eggs
- 1-2 servings of your favorite Fat Bomb
- 1 serving of Cheesy Creamed Spinach
- 1 serving of Egg Salad Stuffed Avocado
- ½ medium avocado mashed with 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise (home-made if possible)
- 2 oz of mackerel, salmon or sardines (cooked or tinned) mashed with 2 tbsp. mayo (serve on 1-2 small lettuce leaves to make keto-friendly fish tacos)
- ½ serving of Keto Mocha Mousse
- 1 cup of Keto Proof Coffee
- ½ cup of Iced Ketoproof Green Tea
- 1 oz. Macadamia Nuts
- Macadamia nut butter with 2 oz. cream cheese
- 1 oz. chicken with 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 2 egg yolks with 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
- 1 cup Coffee with ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 slices bacon (be careful with this, as it dwindles under 80% calories from fat)
- ¼ cup heavy cream whipped with Da Vinci Flavored Syrup
- 2 oz. sour cream with ½ cup cucumber
- ½ serving of sugar-free Jell-O with ½ cup whipped cream
Three Day Fat Fasting Meal Plan For Keto
Day 1
- 1 cup of Keto Proof Coffee
- 1 serving of Spiced Bacon Deviled Eggs
- 2 servings of Savory Pizza Fat Bombs
- 1 serving of Cheesy Creamed Spinach
Day 1 Macronutrient Breakdown
- Total Calories: 1,076
- Total Carbs: 10.98 g
- Net Carbs: 6.54 g
- Total Protein: 30.76 g
- Toal Fat: 102.59 g
- Percentage of Calories from Fat: 85.8%
Day 2
- ½ cup of Iced Ketoproof Green Tea
- 2 servings of Jalapeno Popper Fat Bombs
- 1 serving of Egg Salad Stuffed Avocado
- ½ serving of Keto Mocha Mousse
Day 2 Macronutrient Breakdown
- Total Calories: 1,036.95
- Total Carbs: 17.39 g
- Net Carbs: 10.79 g
- Total Protein: 21.21 g
- Toal Fat: 100.1 g
- Percentage of Calories from Fat: 86.9%
Day 3
- 1 cup of Keto Proof Coffee
- 1 serving of Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs
- 2 servings of Savory Pizza Fat Bombs
- 1 serving of Cheesy Creamed Spinach
- 4 servings of Coconut Peanut Butter Balls
Day 3 Macronutrient Breakdown
- Total Calories: 1,196.68
- Total Carbs: 17.04 g
- Net Carbs: 12.02 g
- Total Protein: 40.33 g
- Toal Fat: 110.39 g
- Percentage of Calories from Fat: 83%
How to Implement The 3 Day Fat Fasting Meal Plan
By making the recipes in this meal plan, you’ll have plenty of extra servings that you can use to kick-start your regular ketogenic diet or extend your fat fast for another day or two. Feel free to substitute any fat bomb recipes for the fat bombs recommended in this meal plan (you can find some more fat bomb ideas here).
If you would rather keep your fat fast as easy as possible, then simply pick a couple suggestions from the list of suggestions above and eat between 1000 and 1200 calories of them during your fat fast. Just make sure you are getting 80- 90% of your calories coming from fat. You’ll find the perfect example of how to keep your fat fast as simple as possible below — no need for fat fasting meal plans or food prep.
Making It Easy
If you’re unlike me and just love cream cheese, then you can snack on a full 8 oz. block of cream cheese for the day along with a cup of coffee with 2 1/2 tbsp. coconut oil in the morning.
A block of cream cheese with a ketoproof coffee is one of the best ways to do a fat fast, as it is:
- 1020 Calories
- 97g fat (86% calories from fat for the day)
- 8g Carbs (3% calories from carbs for the day)
- 16g Protein (6% calories from protein for the day)
- Easy – one of the most important factors.
Key Takeaways for a Successful Fat Fast: Quick FAQs
Let’s trim the fat from the fat fast technique with these simple questions and answers. For more detail, scroll back up to the relevant section or click the links provided.
Who is the Fat Fast Helpful For?
Anyone who is looking to:
- Enter deeper levels of ketosis quickly
- Break their long-term weight loss stall
What are the Benefits and Side Effects?
The benefits include rapid weight loss and significantly higher ketone levels. The primary side effect is the keto flu (which you can learn how to remedy in our keto flu guide).
Who Shouldn’t Implement a Fat Fast?
Anyone with the following conditions should consult their healthcare practitioner before trying a fat fast:
- Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)
- Heart disease
- An endocrine-related condition
- An eating disorder
How Do I Follow a Fat Fast?
Follow these three rules:
- Eat around 1000 to 1200 calories a day
- 80-90% of those calories should come from fat
- Consume 4-5 meals a day with roughly 200-250 calories in each meal
For some fat fast meal ideas, check out the keto recipes and foods listed above.
What Should I Do After the Fat Fast?
The best way to maintain and build on your weight loss results is by following a sustainable and healthy diet for you.
To learn more, read through our guide to maintaining keto results for life.
Sources:
What is the danger of fat fasting if you are not metabolically resistant? Evidence?
It is more geared toward going on a fat fast for 5+ days. It doesn’t say that it is dangerous, it says that it is potentially dangerous. In a sense that if you are reducing your calories to 1000 per day, and your fat stores cannot cover the energy output, you will be digging into your muscle tissue to get the appropriate energy as your body enters real “starvation mode”.
Short term, fat fasting is not really a big deal, but I just prefer to get the understanding that it -can- be dangerous. Sometimes people like to go to the extreme, and I don’t want to advocate the extreme. This should be used in moderation.
Hello witch is the best calorie counter to use , MFP is telling me i should have 1330 calorie daily / carbs 166 /fat 44 / protein 67/ sodium 2300/ and sugar 50. is that amount in grams, or what. if so can you please break it down for me please thank you.
Hey Esther,
I actually coded a calculator for keto on the website – you can find it by going to the navigation bar at the top under “Keto Diet”. Hope that helps.
I can not seem to find the keto diet on the site any where.
Annette, check out the menu on the top of the site – there should be many links to resources for the ketogenic diet.
Craig I have searched it and find nothing. Wonder if they removed it. I know that the macros sadly have to be put in in even numbers. We asked about that and they said at this time they were not planning on changing it. Wish they would.
Annette, I’m not sure if you’re talking about MFP or this site. There was never anything on keto for MFP, but if you’re talking about this site then you can just go to the top of the site and choose your section:
As for MFP, you can come pretty close to your macros, so you can still use it as a really great tool rather than something that is set in stone.
Ok I was talking about MFP from the above comment I thought that was what you were referring to. I do use your keto calculator
Ah, gotcha 🙂
>If you’re unlike me and just love cream cheese, then you can snack on a full
Think there is a typo in there!
Great article!
best wishes,
mike
Thanks for pointing it out, but it’s not a typo – I don’t really enjoy cream cheese on its own 😉
What about someone who cannot tolerate dairy? Can you help describe what a fat fast should look like for someone who is Paleo with no dairy?
Sure! If you’re going on a Paleo route, you’d want to do something with a lot of fats/oils.
Fatty pieces of grass fed meat, with some coconut oil/olive oil to top it off.
Organic, free-range egg yolks will be really helpful to get your fats in also – with some olive or coconut oil.
You can go after macadamia nuts (I don’t know how strict you are to interpreting Paleo, but usually they’re allowed).
And of course, just straight up coffee with coconut oil – no heavy cream.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask!
This is just such a blessing! My body NEEDS this lifestyle change, but getting started is not easy, thanks for all your info and hard work! YUMMMMM
No prob Tracy! Best of luck to you and keep in contact about your progress, I’d love to hear 🙂 As always, if you need any help or have a question, I’ll do my best to answer.
I am new and went through your FAQs. Very Helpful and easy to use. You recommended MyFitnessPal, but I signed up and it only counts calories. Can you recommend another site?
Lynn,
I answered your question on the FAQ page. Please try not to post the same question in multiple place on the website 🙂
Can I use a little Stevia in my coffee for this or will that screw it up?
Larianna,
Yeah you can use stevia no problem. Just try not to use too much of it because some peoples bodies react differently to it. But you should have no problem if you’re just sweetening a bit of coffee 🙂
what should the other macros be if you are consuming 80-90% of kcal from fat? 3% carbs and 7-17% protein? 5% carbs and 10% protein? thanks in advance for any additional info. great site, really appreciate all the great tips!
Tami,
With fat fasting you want to take in mostly fats (as you said 80-90%). Usually to get that high there’s only a few foods you can eat (cream cheese, whipped cream, macadamia nuts). So whatever the other macros are doesn’t matter that much. You obviously should go as low carb as you can, but with the amount of calories, and the amount of calories coming from fat – it’s pretty hard to go over your daily values for both carbs and protein.
thank you for the feedback!
No problem Tami!
Can I begin my three day fast with bulletproof coffee? Then cream cheese the remainder of the day?
Gena,
Sure you can – just make sure you’re keeping within your calorie limits: 1000-1200 calories.
Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply and awesome sit – I accidentally asked twice – sorry!
can I have black coffee during the day?
Yes, you can – but primarily water as your source of fluids.
Also – do you work out during this fast?
Normally I have 2 routines. I either eat and then workout, or workout then eat. I normally make my workout and eating windows next to each other so the nutrient uptake is at the greatest points.
Okay, I started the fat fast today and I am feeling a tad week. I wasnt sure if you worked out during the fat fast – BUT I think a cup of coffee should get me some energy – thanks!
Oh sorry James, I totally misread the title of the article. I thought you were referring to the intermittent fasting article. On fat fasting, you CAN exercise but I wouldn’t fat fast for more than 2 days if that’s the case. If you exercise, do it on an empty stomach (preferably in the AM).
LOL – no worries – THANKS!!
Could I do a fat fast for 2 days purely on bulletproof coffee? I love the stuff and wouldnt find that too difficult.
Georgia,
Yes – you could do that if you wanted to.
Hi. Very interesting article.
Can i use the bullet proof coffee on this fasting days?
Thank you so much for all the advise.
Carolina,
As it says in the article, yes you can.
I had bariatric surgery. Can I use some of the bariatric products on this way of eating for example, protein pancake mix, protein shakes, protein bars?
Thanks for the advice!!!
Beth,
As long as the carb counts on them can fit into your macros, then you shouldn’t have a problem. I’ve never heard of that brand so I’m not all that sure.
I appreciate this being covered so well. I have fat fasted for a day or 2 periodically when I just felt like I had eaten too many weird foods or lost my sense of what I need. I find it to be a nice appetite reset. If you spend a lot of time thinking about what to eat, then it is really nice to have a few days here and there where everything is incredibly simple.
The big downside though is constipation. Without much that is fermentable for your gut bacteria, this can be a bit rough on the little buggers. I use a probiotic, prebiotic, psyilium blend to offset this.
Medium chain triglyceride (mct) oil is also really helpful both for avoiding constipation and for kicking ketosis in quicker. Just don’t take too much at once….or as Dave says: “disaster pants”.
I have been frequently surprised how much energy I have for workouts on a fat fast, including heavy weights and HIIT. It may be due to previously stored glycogen, I guess. But women’s muscles store and use fatty acids better than men’s generally, so who knows…
Hey Alison, thank you! I love your tips, awesome addition 🙂
is it one cup of coffee for the whole day or a cup every time you eat from the cream cheese? sorry I’m new to this
Mario,
If you’re new then I suggest not doing a fat fast. Read more and learn more about the diet first, and if you hit some kind of plateau in a few months – then use the fat fast method.
Hi Craig…is it OK to drink homemade beef broth with coconut oil on the Fat Fast?
And since I eat Paleo with no dairy, no nuts, is just eating avocados, egg yolks and coconut and olive oil OK?
Could I eat a little steamed spinach and watch the carbs?
Thanks for all your wisdom!
Cindy, yes all of the questions you asked are acceptable for the fat fast. Watch the spinach and take a multivitamin while you’re fat fasting instead. The broth, avocados (they are iffy, so watch out), egg yolks, olive and coconut oils are fine. 🙂
Why are avocados iffy? And what about the whole egg if you are eating enough fats that should be ok right? I had a cup of spinach to my day and my carbs were still under.
Sunny, you can eat pretty much whatever you want that is high in fat while doing fat fasting. You want your diet to essentially be 80-90% total calories from fats alone. Avocados are fine and eggs are fine as long as you can fit them in to your macros.
Can I eat five meals of macadamia nuts to do this fat fast?
Brenda,
You technically COULD, but I think it would shoot you under 80% fat. Nuts have protein and carbs, so I’d suggesting including something that is higher in fat percentages than just macadamias.
Hi Craig thanks for the reply,
I’m actually having some problem with my diet, would be great if you can give me some advise,
I started Atkins Phase one two weeks before a Marathon, and my weight dropped from 51kg to 48.5kg, and just two days before having to run a marathon I thought I wouldn’t have enough energy to finish running the whole thing without having any carbs, so I did a carbs loading… And after the marathon I was soooooo hungry and was craving for everything, so I ate like a pig.. Pizza pasta rice cookies chocolate steak sausages gummy bears ice cream etc… .. Two days later i feel like its time to go back to “normal” , so I started phase one again, but it’s been two weeks and my weight didn’t change at all, I’m now between 50.5 to 51kg, my target is to get to 47kg and stay there..,
So what can I do?
My phase one menu will be like :
Breakfast : three hard boiled eggs. Black coffee with a sip of almond milk ( just to take the bitterness away)
Lunch : a portion of salmon or chicken or beef with two cups on leafs
Snacks : babybel cheese or sausages ( no carbs), or atkins Bars
Dinner : similar to lunch
Please help… ;_;
I’m 163cm tall by the way
Brenda,
Judging by what you’re eating, you are probably not getting enough fat and eating too much protein. Too much protein can also knock you out of ketosis, through a process called gluconeogenesis (you can read more in my other articles about this). I suggest dropping the amount of protein you’re eating, and eating way more fats.
Hi, I did a fat fast for 3 days a couple weeks ago and it worked well for me, I lost about 5 pounds. Is it ok to do it more than once alternating with an induction-like schedule?
Jeff, I don’t really suggest doing it very often. Only really if you need to break a plateau.
If all this things works for breaking the plateau, you would be my life-saver Craig 🙂
I’ve been stuck in same weight for months.( more than 6 months ) Whatever I tried, the result was same. It is so frustrating.
My body already adjusted for low-carb/paleo/IF/keto ( not enough obviously )
Now, try to figure out what food can I eat during fat-fasting while stick Paleo. As far as I understand I can consume Bulletproof Coffee/ Green Tea, egg yolks with olive oil or coconut oil, olives ( I marinated my black olives with olive oil and some herbs ) , macadamia nuts. Am I wrong?
I am gonna give it a try for 3 days, I hope it is works for me too. Fingers cross!
I wish you the best – all that stuff you listed is just fine 🙂
Hi,
I have decided its time for me to make a change, I’m 22 years old my height is 5’7 and weight is 282 lbs. I am extremely out of shape. I want that to change, I work in an office which I am sitting down most of the day. I want to begin dieting, I read this article but I am still confused on what to eat and what not to eat.
I would really appreciate any help and advice on what to do and what not to do.
Thanks,
Sam, this article is on fat fasting. Check out the other articles on the site for ideas on what to eat. I don’t think you need fat fasting until later on if you hit a plateau. Hope that helps!
Thanks for posting, this is helpful. Is there some magic to the 80% threshold? I was thinking of trying the fat fast with slightly higher protein to keep my daily intake closer to my normal minimum. Most of the extra protein would be in the form of my BCAA+Glutamine workout drink which I take when lifting. Based on MFP the plan I came up with is 1200 calories, 70% fat, 2% carbs, 28% protein. This would still be a significant deficit for me (TDEE of ~2500 without workouts) and heavily fat-biased.
Rory, to be honest I don’t recommend the fat fast to you. It’s pointless to do in your situation and you’ll only be giving your muscles more strain. I’d say just keep to your normal regimen. This is mainly for people having trouble getting into keto.
Thanks for the feedback, I was hoping to use it to break through a plateau. I’ve been on a keto diet since mid-November (minus a few days of holiday cheating) and have lost about 15 lbs. But in the last few weeks I have stopped losing and been stuck at the same weight. I was hoping to use the fat fast to get me losing again to knock off the last 7 lbs toward my goal weight.
Based on your TDEE, I think a fat fast would be counter-productive to your goals though. I’d suggest cutting dairy, nuts, or other things out of your diet before suggesting a fat fast. You could also consider dropping your protein and upping your fat (drop calories by ~5-10%) for a few days to see if that knocks you out of the plateau. Just because you’re exercising heavily, I don’t really recommend it to you. In the end, it’s really up to you what you do to your body – just giving you my personal thoughts.
Thanks, you are probably right that some less drastic tweaks to my diet will probably be more productive. Appreciate all the info!
I think so – I’d rather you get better results than coming down to a quick fat fast to get over the plateau. 🙂
Ok, so this article says that if I’m new to Keto then I should do a fat fast to get into ketosis faster. I eat relatively healthy. Is this right or not? I’ve been on the Keto WOE for at least a week. Should I attempt this? I really want to get into ketosis.
Elisa,
If you’ve been doing this for a week you should already be in ketosis, so this is not that necessary.
ok you say to eat a block of Cream Cheese all day and a bullet coffee?? This is all I eat?? So I could have the cream cheese in celery and eat them all day for 2 days!? I have been dieting Atkins since the first of the year and I haven’t lost any weight I have lost inches but that was at the beginning?? HELP!!
Linda, if you haven’t started Keto yet, then I suggest doing that first before trying to do a fat fast. Atkins and keto are different, Atkins allows for much more protein and Keto doesn’t.
Great job Craig! Let me set the table here. I’m 51 yrs old, 5′ 9 1/2″ tall, 190 lbs. (i put on 20 + lbs over the winter) I really don’t have much trouble losing weight, but have wanted to adapt this eating lifestyle for some time now. That said, from May through October, I’m a softball junkie. I play at twice time a week, and umpire as well. I don’t mind working out, but am just getting back into it…(yeah..Winter can do that to ya) I realize it’s just an excuse, so shame on me. Here’s my question(s). Are there acceptable substitutes for some of the suggested foods? The only nuts I can stomach are sunflower seeds & peanuts in the shell. Not a fan at all of coconut, cream cheese, or mayo. I guess what I’m asking is it possible to substitute some of the foods you mentioned? I hope this doesn’t sound too trivial, but I’m kind of a picky eater. I appreciate any info you can give me on this. Thank you in advance for any further information, and keep up the good work!!
Bobby,
If you’re picky about what to eat then I don’t suggest a fat fast. Take a look around the site and you’ll get ideas of plenty of other foods you can eat on this diet 🙂
Is this safe for someone that has had RNY Gastric bypass?
There’s a number of people that have had weight loss surgery that are doing this diet. I think it is fine!
On your calculations for the fast, the protein % doesn’t seem right.
1020 Calories
97g fat (85.6% calories from fat for the day)
8g Carbs (3.1% calories from carbs for the day)
16g Protein (11.3% calories from protein for the day)
16 grams of protein would equal to 64 calories, which would only be 6.3% of the calories.
Just want to get clarification, as I’m trying to track my own fast numbers. 🙂
Thanks
Fixed it – sorry about that, was a mistake on my part – thanks for pointing it out!
Hope you can help me or so, well, im stalled and it is very frustrating, i started to train 5 days a week boxing, crossfit and insanity, i had a low carb diet at first but i have a insuline resitance and that diet was very pushy for my lifestyle and low metabolism, and i gained weight, feel depressed, then i tried the fat fast and worked, then i lose 12 pounds in 2 months or so, but now im stalled almost for 3 weeks, tried fat fast twice and keto, also intermitent fasting, i used to take a more protein because dont want to lose muscle, but changed that to do keto right, now im on fat fast again this week, but i gained 2 pounds, im taking also T3 and ephedrine to help my tyroid, chromium, i feel BAAAADDDD because im working my ass off and not loosing like the other girls in the gym… the only thing that i didnt tried is to stop the splenda flavored water because i dont like plain water, but ill try the next week… agggghhhh!!!…. hope u can give me an advice or something… thanks… Mexican super frustrated obese girl…. (need to lose more than 30 pounds)
Gabriela,
Just judging by what you wrote, are you sure you’re eating enough food to fuel your workouts? It sounds to me like you might be undereating and causing metabolic problems. Try using the calculator on the site to figure your macros out so that you can see what you are eating compared to what you should be eating.
Do you eat a plain block of cream cheese or do you add something to it or spread it on vegetable?
You don’t have to eat it plain, but you can. You could also add some spices to it and whip it up to make it more palatable.
So can you go over the grams again for 1020 kcal
97g fat
8 g cho
16 g Pro ????
Right, fat has 9 calories per gram, protein and carbs have 4 calories per gram. That gives a total of 969 calories with some extra calories from other micronutrients that aren’t fully accounted for in those macros. When I break it down in MFP, I get 1020 calories in total.
Today’s %. I had 1 % carb, 9% protein! and 90 % fat. Someone told me not enough protein. Yes I do workout 6 days a week. My calorie intake 1400. Right on target. If I am doing something wrong please. Advise me. Thanks.
That sounds just fine Michie, but if you are working out 6 days a week, a fat fast may not be for you (unless it’s only a few days). If that’s the case then everything sounds just fine!
Is there something I can drink instead of the coffee? Can I just put the coconut oil in hot tea instead? I recently overcame my caffeine addiction and don’t want to drink coffee and end up chugging caffeine again.
Of course Sabrina, you can use Tea or even chicken broth. Tea does contain caffeine also, but it is delivered slower, so I think you may prefer that way.
Just bought some extra virgin coconut oil today for the first time… Oh boy!! where have you been all my life!!!.I was having trouble hitting my fat % but not any more, I think I’m going to have the opposite trouble now.. trying to not eat the whole jar !!!!! YUM freakin’ YUM !!!!! I will be able to try a fat fast now anyway.
Margaret, I used to hate coconut before I started keto and now I just can’t get enough. I know exactly what that feels like 🙂
Can you eat too little on a fat fast? I’m on day two, and have had only 300 calories so far (it’s 4pm) and I’m stuffed. Will this slow down progress?
Also, is it necessary to leave the two hour window, or is it ok to ‘graze’ on the allotted food (not exceeding calorie intake, and keeping macros correct) throughout the day? Thanks!
Sarah, it’s fine to graze when you’re fat fasting but the calorie count you have is really low. I wouldn’t suggest going so low on calories for a long period or doing this many times over. Just go for 2-3 days maximum and then switch back to regular macros 🙂
Thank you for the fat fast information. One question I have is how do you combat the daily caloric limitations when your morning starts out with such a high caloric content such as 700-1000 with some of the recommended recipes. I am currently eating 1650 per day and sticking as close as possible to my ratios and net carb count. But wondered about how to plan the day’s remaining meals if I only have 500-600 calories remaining for the day. Thank you!
Julie,
When you’re doing a fat fast, you normally only eat 1000 calories or so for a few days. That said, I recommend a BPC in the morning (coffee + 1 tbsp. butter + 1 tbsp. coconut/mct oil) and then a block of cream cheese. That can be spread between the day or eaten straight up if you want.
Right now I do intermittent fasting so I only eat in a window of 4-5 hours in a day. I eat 3 large meals at night and during the day I really don’t get too hungry if I’m keeping up on my fluid intake. If you’re having a problem eating 1650 calories you could spread them out more. I only give guidelines here so 600 calories in the morning might be reduced to 300-400 calories to leave you room for larger lunches and dinners.
Hope that helps!
Hi Craig, when you say a “block of cream cheese”, do you mean an actual 8oz (226 gram) brick of cream cheese? if so, could I say whip it up with some cinnamon and spread it on celery throughout the day, having started the day with a yummy cup of BPC? I’ve plateaud… 🙁 Thanks for the amazing site!
Hey Jenny,
Yes, that’s correct. When I say a block, I mean 8 oz. cream cheese. The cinnamon is fine, but the celery may not be. It has some carbs in it and may take you from the fat % needed for a fat fast. Just make sure they work into your macros and you should be okay 🙂
Hi Craig,
I am wondering if keto cheesecake will work. The idea of eating a piece of cheesecake and a cup of coffee since to resonate with me. I am going to do this fat fast for 4 days. I have already entered the recipe of the cheesecake into my fitness pal and if I have two slices with two cups of coffee my macros will be met spot on. I am wondering if I need to make the cakes smaller and distribute them during the day. As you mentioned that the calories should be spread out.
Cynthia, you can do that but why the Fat Fast for 4 days? I believe you were participating in the topic in the facebook group also and people are clearly saying that it should only be used for a stall of a great period of time. If I remember correctly, (and I apologize if I’m wrong, because there’s 9,000 people in the group), I remember seeing you posting about doing one not long ago?
Either way, the amount of meals you have is up to you, but I don’t recommend doing a 4 day fat fast, and I don’t recommend it if you’ve done on pretty recently.
Thanks Craig for your concern. There are other Cynthia’s on the blogs you may be thinking of one of them. I have never done a fat fast. I have been on keto since November and I have not lost any weight. However; I want to continue this WOE because my health has improved, I enjoy the foods and it is right for me. I am 5″2 and have tried to make changes to the diet here and there nothing has worked. This is the reason why I want to do it for 4 days.
I see. Well, give it a try and see what happens! I normally would say if you aren’t losing weight to double/triple check macros/protein intake but it seems like you’ve done that already 🙂
I have tried many things. From reducing calories to increasing calories. My macros are 80%, 15%, and 5%. The reason for the diet is to heal my body. I know that it will take sometime but I was hoping to see some result by now. I do not have a gallbladder. Maybe my body can not tolerate fats. I started at 159 calories and now I am at 166. I look thinner in the face, go figure…My doctor says that blood work seems well. He even did a cortisol panel just to make sure. I noticed that other ladies that are 5″2 also struggle. I appreciate your help
Sure thing. Your thyroid panel is also good I assume? I hope that you find something that works for you – the healing properties won’t subside even if the weight doesn’t come off anyhow 🙂
How long should the fat fast be for someone like me stalled since November?
I would just try 2 days, 3 days max to be honest at first. If you haven’t lost any weight (and I don’t know how much you have to lose) there could be a number of reasons for it.
My husband is following this WOE by default has lost 30 pounds effortlessly. He is 100% sedentary seating at a desk all day and losing….
Males tend to have smaller amounts of metabolic damage, higher BMRs, and more muscle mass. Most likely the reason 😉 If you have metabolic syndrome, you should eat some 0.5g protein per pound of lean body mass. If you don’t, aim for 0.7g protein per pound lean body mass. Protein can cause a lot of stalls for a lot of people, so just putting it out there.
Can I put erythritol in my coffee/cream cheese?? Or does that mess it up?
Nancy, you could but I suggest keeping the fat fast completely sweetener free.
i am doing IF and would like to try a fat fast. could i do a fat fast with 2 large meals?
Megan,
Sure you could do a fat fast with 2 large meals instead of 5 smaller ones.
Craig,
I started low carb at the first of 2014 due to type 2 diabetes (12 years plus gestational 23 years ago) and have managed to drop my readings down to prediabetic ranges from an HgbA1c of 7.9 (thank you ADA and whole grains) and I am off my Metformin since late March- yippee! I am still working on lowering those numbers further.
Early in 2014 I lost 20lbs by carb restriction (Bernstein), ditching dairy and grains due to intolerance and glucose spiking. In early March I hit a plateau which I believe is because it was a long time weight preset point for me. That makes my plateau 16 weeks now and I have been continuing my daily research and switched to a LCHF protocol in mid-May but no more weight loss to date; just the early 20 lb loss.
Below are my stats, if you would be so kind, could you tell me if I have something wrong, please? I suspect that I am severely metabolic resistant due to genetics since this disease is rampant in my family and I started my weight gain at puberty which is also an indicator of extreme carb sensitivity. I have fasted in the past for 36 hours and I felt great with no problems and am wondering whether I should: fast normally, fat fast or intermittent fast to jump start things again or something completely different. By the way, I have my doctor’s blessing on the fasting.
My stats:
51 year old female, just officially in menopause now
5’2″
current weight 175 lbs (was at this weight for years, 20lb gain was a thyroid attack in 2013, normal since)
MFP set to following:
1,300 calories
carbs 5% or 16 grams (easy for me to do this)
protein 15% or 49 grams (have to struggle to consume more protein than this)
Fat 80% or 116 grams (easy peasy, I love fat more than the carbs I have found)
Sleep: 7-8 hours nightly
Water: 10-12 glasses a day or more
Fiber 21 grams daily goal (inulin or psyllium in addition to mostly green veggies, for health, not constipation)
I hit those numbers regularly and am still more sedentary than I ought to be. I don’t mind exercise but I am also a genetic sitter-type as opposed to a genetic mover-type and I have to fight that propensity.
Things I have tried tweaking to date but no resulting weight changes:
deleting psyllium/inulin, raising fat from 65 to 80%, reducing protein (some people are more efficient at converting to glucose via liver), eliminating alcohol, eliminating butter.
I purchased a Nova Max meter and my ketones were in the “sweet spot” of 2.1 then fell mysteriously to 1.2 after no dietary modifications yet still on above macros…weird.
Soooo…any ideas on my wacky body? Thanks!
Addendum:
I also eliminated all sugars early in the year and have tried dropping all artificial sweeteners too but no effect. I also dropped nuts in case I was over consuming-nada. I can’t think of what else to change other than add a ton of exercise.
I also start my days with bulletproof coffee with either 1 or 2T each coconut oil and Kerry Gold butter (fat depends on my plans or if I am just consuming the coffee alone for breakfast). If I eat the 1T each I usually have a boiled egg with that.
Thanks!
Hey Mumsies,
Do you currently take any supplements or eat organ meats to make sure you are getting your full take of micronutrients? What is your bodyfat % so that I can take a look at your macros and see what I get against them?
I wouldn’t suggest fat fasting, but from what I see, you may be eating slightly too little. I would need some more information to help see what your macros should be and then I can help out more!
I am having problems posting but will keep trying
I saw the comment you made saying “I think my reply got eaten” and this one, but I did not see the one that was an actual reply 🙁
To Cynthia : I hear your pain, lady… I am 5’1″. ( My hubby says I should sue the highway department for building the road to close to my butt! ) *When you are a shortie, a 5 lb gain looks like 15 on you. I have a LOT of trouble losing weight too, but I also have thyroid issues and PCOS, as well. Low-carb is the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me. It is no longer a “diet”, but a lifestyle. I also have epilepsy, and the ketogenic diet has pretty much eliminated my seizures.
~*~ For other epileptics on here : Google : “ketogenic diet for epilepsy”. YOU WILL BE AMAZED! It has been shown in many studies to as effective, or sometimes even more effective than medication. It seems to be an especially powerful tool in the control of childhood epilepsy. ~*~
>>> A tip for you, Cynthia, and other women : I have learned skimping on the sleep will hamper weight loss. ( As women, we do so much for our families, and there is always that temptation to skip on the sleep. ) Skipping sleep will stall me out every time. ) Also, aggravates my epilepsy :-<
***I just wanted to thank Craig for pointing that out about the difference between Atkins & Keto. ( I did not actually know that. ) May be that would explain why I have learned that playing/adjusting the fat ratios in my diet can prompt a loss??? HMmmmm… Thanks, Craig for the "illumination" – LOL!
Hello Craig,
Thank you for helping me to evaluate all of this! I am reposting since my previous attempt is lost somewhere in cyberspace. To answer your questions, I do eat organ meats (beef heart, calf liver, and kidney) but not every single week.
I will list my supplements for you below. I did your posted keto-calculator and here is what I entered for your comparison:
175 lbs, 42 % body fat*, sedentary, 20% deficit and it gave me 1,381 calories, 20g net carbs, 61 protein , 117 fat.
Here are the supplements as promised:
Curcumin, 665mg, 2 capsules a day (blood glucose assistance & antioxidant)
Resveratrol plus, 300 mg plus 20mcg trans-pterostilbene, once capsule a day (for antioxidant)
Insulow, 4 capsules a day, (100mg R-ALA and Biotin 750mcg for blood glucose assistance)
Evening Primrose Oil, 500 mg, 2 caps per day (synergistic with Insulow)
Calcium & Magnesium, 3 caps per day (each contain Vit D3 600 IU, Calcium 1g, Magnesium 500 mg and Zinc 10mg)
B Complex with C, one per day (contains Vit C 150mg, B1 10mg, B2 10mg, Niacin 25mg, B6 4mg, Folic Acid 400mcg, B12 15mcg, Biotin 30mcg, Pantothenic Acid 5.5mg) recommended for Metformin users due to B vitamin depletion
Vitamin D3, 2,000IU once a day
Krill oil but I ran out today, I have Algal 900 DHA on hand so that is 2 capsules a day containing 900mg Algal DHA
Digest Gold + Probiotics (probiotic)
Thursday MFP Totals. I was deliberately raising calories via more fat.
1,594cal
5 carbs (3 net)
42 protein
157 fat
2 fiber
1,626 sodium
If you want to see what I ate I can send that, too.
I have been told in the past that I may be eating too little and be in a starvation mode but my calorie count has naturally declined with the absence of the carbohydrates and I have to make myself eat enough now. I have not been at that reduced level for long; maybe a month since starting LCHF. I did bump my calories up and managed 1,600-2,000 range for a week but I actually gained 3 lbs so I am not sure what was up with that. After dropping the calories to match my appetite (the 1,300 mark) I lost the 3 lbs again. It is really weird.
My hubby and I both think that I look most like the 30-34 percent group in the imaging on your site. My description more closely sounds like the 40-44 percent group with a waist size of 35.5. I have an old BMI from 2011 when I weighed 174 lbs and it was 32.41 so I would think at first glace that it would be close since I am atm only one pound more than that. I have also used a calculator at keto(hyphen)calculator(dot) ankerl (dot) com that told me that I was 44% so, you can see my confusion especially since this is supposed to be a reliable calculator. I am not sure which one is accurate so I tossed in 42% on your calculator just to see.
Well the percentage of body fat is going to impact your macros by a lot, so I suggest you get a tape measure and find out your measurements to do that (there are many calculators online that will help if you measure to find your body fat percentage). From seeing all your other comments, the first thing I’d do if I were you is make sure you have a solid body fat % reading so that you can get proper macros.
Once you have that, I suggest you take a look at all your medication again. Talk with your doctor about reducing the amount of medication you take. If you’re eating fats on keto, it should be relatively balanced so I don’t think you need the omega 3 supplements (assuming you’re eating plenty of good/balanced fats). I have read about diabetic medication stalling weight loss, so I’m not sure if that would be the case here – but if your blood sugars are fine and you don’t see the need for it, then I would talk to your doc about that to make sure he’s okay with that.
Other than that, you seem to be really on point with things, sorry to say I don’t have too many other suggestions other than those.
Thanks Craig, I will get out the tape measure and do that. I am not on medication, just vitamin supplements. I got off of my Metformin in late March for a CaT scan and never went back on because my sugars were getting really great. Actually Metformin can help with weigh loss in some people but I never saw that myself over the years unless it just kept me from gaining more than I did.
Thank you so much for your time and help!!
Sure, I think I misunderstood then – I thought you were on medication because I had never heard of some of the things you took so I assumed they were prescribed. I hope you can find the proper macros and hopefully that will help!