The fasting journal · matched to fast day 11
Day 11. The Metallic Taste That Means The Fast Is Working
Eleven days without food. 21.4 pounds gone. And the strangest part of today is a taste in my mouth that I cannot brush away.
21.4 pounds in 11 days
The scale said 207.2 this morning. We started at 228.6, so that is 21.4 pounds in eleven days, about 9.4 percent of me. Past the twenty pound mark and still moving, a pound and a half down from yesterday.
The quiet numbers keep doing their thing too. Body fat percent is down from 42.3 on day one to 36.4 today. Muscle percent went up again, from 34.5 at the start to 35.9 now. Eleven days with no food and the muscle share of me keeps climbing. Every reading lives on the bloodwork page.
I am doing well. Feeling good, feeling strong, no problems. Except for one weird guest.
The metallic taste
I have this metallic taste in my mouth and it is hard to get rid of. If you have never fasted deep into ketosis, this one surprises you.
Here is what happens. The ketones burn in your body, they get in your lungs and the taste comes out through your mouth. Your own breath carries it. It is not coming from your teeth or your stomach, so no amount of brushing kills it. Nothing you can do about it.
The strip stayed pinned at the top of the chart again this morning, holding at 16. So the taste is not a problem. It is a receipt. The engine is burning exactly the fuel it is supposed to burn.
Water and now electrolytes
The second flag today was thirst. I was feeling a little bit dehydrated and after day 10 taught me what a missed day of water feels like, I am not playing with that again.
So two changes. I have increased my water intake to a gallon and a half a day. And I am going to start electrolytes, with a little bit of salt. Eleven days of zero sodium in and plenty of water out, it is time.
Day 11 done
Eleven X marks on the calendar. Seventy nine days to go.
That being said, you have a good day and I will see you next time. Cheers. 💧
Quick answers
Why does a water fast cause a metallic taste in your mouth?
Deep ketosis is the reason. When your body burns fat, it makes ketones and one of them, acetone, is volatile enough to leave through your lungs. It comes out with your breath and lands on your taste buds as a metallic or fruity chemical taste. John hit it on day 11 with his ketone strip reading pinned at the top of the chart. His take was simple. It is expected and there is nothing you can do about it.
How do you get rid of keto breath while fasting?
Mostly you wait it out, because the source is your own exhaled breath, not your teeth or your stomach. Brushing and tongue scraping help the edges. Drinking more water helps a dry mouth from making it worse and John raised his intake to a gallon and a half a day partly for this reason. As the fast settles and the body gets efficient with ketones, the taste usually fades.
When should you add electrolytes on a water fast?
John made the call on day 11, the moment he noticed real thirst and a slightly dehydrated feeling. On a water fast you take in zero sodium, potassium and magnesium from food and your kidneys keep flushing them out. His plan is more water plus electrolytes with a little bit of salt. His fast is doctor supervised with monthly bloodwork, which is the safety net behind choices like this.
How much weight can you lose in 11 days of water fasting?
John's number is 21.4 pounds in 11 days, from 228.6 down to 207.2, about 9.4 percent of his starting weight. The early days carried the big water and glycogen drops and the pace has now settled near a pound a day. Body fat percent has fallen from 42.3 to 36.4 since day one while muscle percent rose from 34.5 to 35.9. Every daily reading lives on the bloodwork page.