Has anyone tried the Fat Fast?

[andrrreag]

Hi,
I am discouraged. I have been on extended induction now for six more weeks in addition to the two but have not lost more weight or inches. Still at 2 pounds, 2 inches. I work out 5x a week, but I am just not seeing the results.

The first time I went on induction a year ago, I lost the weight/inches I wanted to lose in the 4 weeks and fit into my skinny jeans that I love. I am still not fitting them and want to try the Fat Fast for 4 days.

Has anyone who's been stuck in a stall tried the Fat Fast and if so, what happened?

[mjett37]

Fat Fast

I have not heard much about this fat fast but maybe you could be building muscle urplequ:

[hulagrl1120]

I have yet to read someone who has success with it...have you had your menu analyzed yet to make sure there aren't any areas that could be causing the slowdown in weight loss?

[andrrreag]

I've had my menu analyzed for one day, a day I overdid it on eggs, but I have otherwise followed induction to the letter, esp. as I noticed no changes, and I'm not even sure my egg day was any big deal.

Normally,

breakfast: 3 bacon/3 eggs
lunch: chicken caesar salad (2 cups romaine)
dinner: medium to large steak with 1 cup romaine salad or veggies
snack: 3 oz cheeze and/or turkey slices

Work out an hour in the mornings (stairmaster) or an hour on free weights/ellipticles -- one day weights, one day cardio is my routine.

This last week I began to cheat in ways that don't altogether break the rules -- whipped cream with Splenda atop a 6-carb cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory -- still under 20 carb day.

Thought I'd try the fat fast 4 days and go back on strict induction 2 weeks to see if my ketone sticks begin to turn purple again and if I jump start weight loss. I'd be really happy with 5 more pounds in the next 4 weeks.

Concerned that if I don't do this I'll eat something that sabatoges mental and physical progress. I have lost 2 pounds and firmed up a bit but still not halfway to my goal for the amount of working out and induction time I have put in.

I know this diet works. It has worked before but a lot easier.

[Desertthorn]

Before you do it, read the book about it one more time and make sure you want to do it. I gather your not in ketosis.

[Piasabird]

I've never tried it but I have heard from people who have, that the weight lost during the Fat Fast comes right back on after you quit doing it.

Didn't Dr. Atkins recommend doing a fat fast only as a last resort to getting into ketosis? Is that why you're wanting to do it?

I remember last summer when I started bikeing and the scales wouldn't budge at all! I was so discouraged. BUT, I noticed that my clothes were getting baggier, so I knew that something was up. I was replacing fat with muscle which weighs more and that's why it looked like I wasn't losing. Oh, how I wish I had taken measurements before that! So, be sure to take measurements. Don't just go by the evil scales!

You're not alone in saying that this plan seemed to work better their first time around. I've read other low carb boards and I read an article about this very subject. And then some people also say that it's just a theory. It's called "One Golden Shot". Send me a pm and I'll send you a link to the article if you want to read it.

BUT, just remember that this is just a theory and you can succeed at this WOL even if you have to be a little more dilligent this time around.

Good luck on your low carb journey!

[not2late]

You have a 10 pound weight loss goal. You've lost 2 pounds during your 14 day Induction if I recall correctly. Most people can expect to lose 5-10% of the weight they want to lose during that time. You lost 20%.

Fat Fast is for those people who are severely metabolically resistant to weight loss. From your Induction results, you are not metabolically resistant to weight loss at all.

See what your caloric intake is, because you might be a bit low (it's hard to tell from what you posted).

[andrrreag]

Thanks for the advice.

Well after my first day on this fat fast, I tested for ketones tonight and turned purple, so now I feel better, like I'm not just spinning my wheels.
I haven't been hungry either. So far, so good. :yes

I'll stay on 2 more days and check my measurements. I hate the scale, so weigh once a week. I have mostly relied on the tape measure and how my clothes fit.

I also understand it's not wise for people who are not severely metabolic resistant. I just couldn't tell what was up, and I was spun and close to eating a whole pizza.

[Bikini Bound]

I've never tried it but I have heard from people who have, that the weight lost during the Fat Fast comes right back on after you quit doing it.

Didn't Dr. Atkins recommend doing a fat fast only as a last resort to getting into ketosis? Is that why you're wanting to do it?

I remember last summer when I started bikeing and the scales wouldn't budge at all! I was so discouraged. BUT, I noticed that my clothes were getting baggier, so I knew that something was up. I was replacing fat with muscle which weighs more and that's why it looked like I wasn't losing. Oh, how I wish I had taken measurements before that! So, be sure to take measurements. Don't just go by the evil scales!

You're not alone in saying that this plan seemed to work better their first time around. I've read other low carb boards and I read an article about this very subject. And then some people also say that it's just a theory. It's called "One Golden Shot". Send me a pm and I'll send you a link to the article if you want to read it.

BUT, just remember that this is just a theory and you can succeed at this WOL even if you have to be a little more dilligent this time around.

Good luck on your low carb journey!

She did state that she lost no inches/weight and that she was hoping this would jump start her into ketosis.

I personally wouldn't do the fat fast, I just can't get that strict on myself but it seems appropriate in this instance to see if it helps.

Piasabird, can you post the link to that article? I would love to read it! Thanks

[not2late]

Caution about the ketostix....

They don't tell you if the fat you metabolized is the fat you ate, or the fat from your body. Since the Fat Fast is a high fat diet, it would make sense that the ketostix are turning color.

Editing to add...

Dr. Atkins recommended the Fat Fast only for those people who are severely metabolically resistant to weight loss because it's not without risks to your general health. If you've lost the 5-10% (or more), then you aren't metabolically resistant to weight loss.

[G-Mom]

I've never tried it but I have heard from people who have, that the weight lost during the Fat Fast comes right back on after you quit doing it.

Didn't Dr. Atkins recommend doing a fat fast only as a last resort to getting into ketosis? Is that why you're wanting to do it?

I remember last summer when I started bikeing and the scales wouldn't budge at all! I was so discouraged. BUT, I noticed that my clothes were getting baggier, so I knew that something was up. I was replacing fat with muscle which weighs more and that's why it looked like I wasn't losing. Oh, how I wish I had taken measurements before that! So, be sure to take measurements. Don't just go by the evil scales!

You're not alone in saying that this plan seemed to work better their first time around. I've read other low carb boards and I read an article about this very subject. And then some people also say that it's just a theory. It's called "One Golden Shot". Send me a pm and I'll send you a link to the article if you want to read it.

BUT, just remember that this is just a theory and you can succeed at this WOL even if you have to be a little more dilligent this time around.

Good luck on your low carb journey!

She did state that she lost no inches/weight and that she was hoping this would jump start her into ketosis.

I personally wouldn't do the fat fast, I just can't get that strict on myself but it seems appropriate in this instance to see if it helps.

Piasabird, can you post the link to that article? I would love to read it! Thanks

She did Atkins last year and lost the weight and inches she wanted to:

The first time I went on induction a year ago, I lost the weight/inches I wanted to lose in the 4 weeks and fit into my skinny jeans that I love.

The least amount one needs to lose, the longer it takes. Andrrreag, just a reminder that Atkins is not a "diet" but a way of life. It is not meant to be a quick weight loss scheme, or you may risk the very real possibility of yo-yo dieting each year.

As far as I know, the fat fast is not healthy for people who are not metabolically resistant. Please don't use Atkins as a crash diet, you need to adopt it as a new way of life.

[andrrreag]

When I began a year ago, I didn't comprehend Atkins as a way of life, so I lost the weight and began binging shortly afterwards. But I felt awful with the sugar again! This time I actually read the book and began to understand how the low carb life suited me due to my obsession/addiction to sugars and processed flour foods.

I am one that once she starts cannot stop, can go all day eating donuts, cheesecake, without any veggies. I'd feel really depressed, anxious, irritable, and was an insomniac with panic attacks.

Today I sleep great, have more energy and feel more in control of my life. Atkins is my way of life now.

I am obsessive though -- the reason for trying the fast when I wasn't seeing the same results I'd seen my first time in induction. I waited the 6-8 weeks to see if something changed. It did not, so I'm not sure what happened.

On day 2 of the fast, I have lost 1/2 inch off my chest, waist and hips but will not do it longer than the recommended 4 days.

[JoanOH]

I posted this back in June, 2004 and will cut and paste it here for you. This is my (experienced) opinion on the Fat Fast:

I've lost 61 lbs but want to lose another 25 by October when I go home to visit old friends who don't know I've lost the weight. A week ago I started to panic -- got out the Atkins book and read about the Fat Fast. Completely ignored the sentence that says it should be done ONLY by metabolicly resistent people and it could otherwise be dangerous. Pft. Not me.

I started Saturday morning. I ate only the stuff on the Fat Fast list. I felt just fine all day Saturday. DH and I worked outside for 6 or 8 hours, which is pretty standard for us on the weekend these days.

Sunday morning I could barely get up. I just wanted to sleep. This from a person who JUMPS out of bed every morning between 5-6am after only 5-6 hours of sleep. I am a HIGH ENERGY person - until this fat fast.

I had horrible muscle weakness throughout my body and a nasty nasty headache. I ignored it and decided to keep going and ate only from the fat fast on Sunday as well.

By Sunday afternoon I suffered incredible exhaustion, but EVEN WORSE, I suffered true emotional depression and the most god-awful carb cravings I've ever experienced. I have not experienced ANY cravings since the first two weeks of starting this WOE 7 months ago, but because of the fat fast my body was SCREAMING for carbs.

By Monday morning I couldn't take it anymore and started eating my normal Atkins foods. At work, I almost screamed at a co-worker over something that normally wouldn't have phased me at all. I was edgy, depressed, out-of-sorts and feeling physically worn out and just plain terrible.

It took me a good 3 days to get back to being my high energy pleasant self again.

I didn't lose any weight, I gained almost uncontrollable cravings for carbs (if I'd had any carb food in the house I don't think I would have made it through without binging), emotional depression, physical lethargy, muscle weakness, mental weakness (fuzzy headed feeling) and probably risked losing my job if I'd continued on the fat fast.

I learned a HUGE lesson. I would not wish that fat fast on my worst enemy. There are altneratives that are SMART and HEALTHY and those are what I'm doing now -- up'd my water intake, increased my exercise from 3 to 6 days a week, monitor my carb intake much more closely AND gave up artificial sweeteners. I've done that in the last 5 days - and lost 3 lbs.

Dr. Atkins knew what he was talking about -- that fat fast is ONLY for a small percentage of metabolically-resistant people and should not be played around with just because you've lost patience with the rate you're losing. There are healthy "drastic" measures you can take -- more exercise; more water; post your menu for review; cut back on cheese, sodium-laden meats, caffeine, artificial sweeteners; use fitday religiously to watch for carb-creep.

I can't tell you how strongly I feel about this. THE FAT FAST IS DANGEROUS to both your mental and physical health.

And by the way - I actually met my weight loss goal last October simply by sticking to the plan TO THE LETTER, taking my vitamins/supplements, drinking water and exercising. No cheats, no "just one bite's", no excuses.

Joan J

[not2late]

Your body a year ago isn't the same as it is today. Some low carbers talk of a "golden shot"---in which they don't get the same results the second or third time around that they did the first time they did it.

http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/goldenshot.html

[andrrreag]

I am on day 3, and though I've read nothing positive here about the fat fast, specifically related to someone who isn't clinically metabolically resistant, it is working and I feel fine. I haven't had any carb cravings, or even felt hungry. I am a little tired so haven't worked out these 3 days -- would be too stressful on my body with the low caloric intake, but I am fitting into my skinny jeans now. :icondance They are tight, but I can button them and have lost 1 inch off my chest, waist and hips.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but will let you know if I keep it off. If I can do induction for 2 weeks after the fast without gaining back, I'll consider it a success.

I'm not sure what I've learned because I still don't know what I was doing wrong. I was very strict on 2-week induction and stayed on it six more weeks with a caloric intake on average of 1900 and working out. 2 pounds/1 inch in 2 months was just too discouraging for me.