The fasting journal · matched to fast day 19
Day 19. A Rash Scare, a Benadryl and a Rule Worth Keeping
Nineteen days without food and the scariest moment so far had nothing to do with hunger.
First, the scale. 201 and yesterday explained
The scale said 201.0 this morning. Started at 228.6, so that is 27.6 pounds gone in 19 days, 12.1 percent of my starting weight. And I lost another 1.8 pounds. Nice.
Remember yesterday? The 0.2 day that had me a little upset on camera. I said it would fluctuate, that your body does what it needs to do on its own schedule. One sleep later the scale let go of 1.8 pounds. That is the whole lesson about daily numbers, filmed live across two days without me planning it.
The itch that turned into a scare
Now the real story. I had a situation that has never ever happened to me before. I had an itch, I went to scratch and I scratched it. Did not think anything of it. But later that night I took a look at it again and it had turned into a fully grown red area. Like an infected area or something.
You could imagine. I am panicking. What is this about? Why is this happening? Does this have anything to do with the fast? Nineteen days without food and your mind goes straight to the worst version.
So I called for reinforcement. I spoke to my wife and she was like, well, put some ointment on it and take a Benadryl. And there is the question I had never faced before. Do I take Benadryl while I am on a fast? I did not know how my body was gonna react to it. Strictly panic mode. I took the Benadryl and went to sleep.
The deal I made with myself
Before I fell asleep, I am thinking to myself, if this thing keeps growing, whatever it is, it could be a bug bite for all I know then I have to stop the fast. Not a problem. I will stop the fast. Maybe a couple slices of pizza. Let us be real, I will get the whole pizza pie, start feeding myself, take the medication and get myself better. Then I would be talking to you guys saying, well, we tried. I had to end the fast.
I want to be straight about that part. The goal is 90 days but the goal has an exit ramp. If my body needs food and medicine, it gets food and medicine and the video that day would just be a different kind of honest.
Morning report, it turned out not to be the case
I woke up this morning and took a look at the rash. It is getting smaller. It is going away. The color of my skin is coming back. So there you are. Just thoughts going through my head, with medication and stuff like that. Never had to do that before but that is my little drama for the day.
The rest of the morning board was business as usual. The ketone strip came back at the top of the chart again, body fat percent down from 42.3 to 34.7 since day 1, muscle percent up from 34.5 to 36.4. The engine kept running right through the drama.
Day 19 done
Nineteen X marks on the calendar, one pound away from breaking 200. That being said, I am gonna let you guys go. You have a nice day and remember, listen to your body. Cheers.
This is a doctor supervised fast with baseline bloodwork on record. Do not attempt an extended fast without medical supervision and talk to a doctor before mixing fasting with any medication. John built up to this over 15 years of shorter fasts.
Quick answers
Can you take medication during a water fast?
That question belongs to a doctor, not to a fasting video and John would say the same thing. What his night shows is the honest version of how it goes. His wife suggested ointment and a Benadryl, he hesitated because he had never taken anything 19 days into a fast and then he took it and watched how his body responded. This fast runs with medical supervision and baseline labs, which is exactly the setup you want when a surprise like this shows up. Anyone considering an extended fast while on regular medication needs that conversation with their doctor before day 1, not on the night something flares up.
What happened to John's skin on day 19?
He scratched an ordinary itch during the day and thought nothing of it. That night the spot had grown into a red, inflamed patch that looked infected enough to scare him. It could have been a bug bite for all he knew. He put ointment on it, took a Benadryl and went to sleep. By morning the patch was visibly smaller and his normal skin color was returning, so he kept the fast going. He is telling the story anyway because panic at 2 am is part of a 90 day fast too, not just the clean weigh ins.
Would John actually stop the fast if something went wrong?
Yes and he said it plainly before he knew the rash would fade. His deal with himself was simple. If this thing keeps growing, I stop the fast, not a problem. Eat, take the medication, get better and tell the audience the truth, we tried and I had to end it. That mindset is the opposite of the stunt version of fasting and it is why the fast has a doctor, monthly bloodwork and a stop authority that is not John's ego. Day 90 is the goal but it is a goal with an exit ramp built in.
How much weight has John lost in 19 days?
27.6 pounds in 19 days, from 228.6 down to 201.0, which is 12.1 percent of his starting body weight. Today's drop was 1.8 pounds, right after yesterday's 0.2, a perfect example of how daily numbers swing while the weekly trend keeps moving. Body fat percent has gone from 42.3 to 34.7 since day 1, muscle percent from 34.5 to 36.4 on his home scale and this morning's ketone strip came back at the top of the chart again. Every reading is on the bloodwork page.