The fasting journal · matched to fast day 8
Day 8. The Cranky Phase, The Highest Ketone Reading Yet, And What I Actually Drink
Eight days without food and the body is doing fine. It is the mood that wants to pick a fight. Let me explain.
The scale said 211.4
Another 1.1 pounds down this morning. 211.4 on the scale, which makes it 17.2 pounds in eight days from the 228.6 start. That is about 7.5 percent of me, gone in just over a week.
For the receipts, here is where this whole thing started.
Same scale, same floor, eight days apart. 228.6 then, 211.4 now. Body fat has moved from 42.3 percent to 37.6 and muscle percent keeps inching up, which is exactly the pattern you want to see. Every number lives on the bloodwork page.
The deepest ketone strip yet
The morning strip logged 16 mg/dl, the darkest reading of the fast so far. The week went 0 then 5 then 8 then 4 then 8 and now 16. Strips swing with hydration, so I read the trend and not any single morning and the trend is one direction. The fat burning machine is fully on.
The cranky phase
Physically, nothing has changed. I feel pretty good. I have energy. I am living my normal days.
But I want to talk about the mental state of my being right now, because I am starting to feel cranky. And here is the thing. This is normal for me. I have done a 40 day fast and an 83 day fast and the crankiness shows up right around this point every time. It is not a red flag, it is a mile marker. I know this stretch of the road and it will continue all the way through.
That is the part of long fasting nobody puts in the highlight reel. The body adapts faster than the mood does. You just ride it.
What I actually drink
DMs were asking me what I am eating. The answer is the same as day one. Water, Celtic salt and electrolytes. That is the whole menu.
The salt and electrolytes are not a loophole, they are the safety rail. A fasting body keeps dumping sodium, potassium and magnesium and if you do not put them back you get cramps, headaches and worse. I learned the cramp lesson personally on day 6. The monthly bloodwork my doctor runs checks exactly these numbers.
Day 8 done
Eight X marks on the calendar. 82 days to go.
So that being said, you guys have a good day and I will see you next time. Cheers. 🩸
Quick answers
Why do you get cranky or irritable during a water fast?
Mood dips and irritability are among the most commonly reported effects of prolonged fasting and John knows this phase well from his 40 and 83 day fasts. The usual suspects are shifting electrolytes, low insulin, rising stress hormones like cortisol that keep fuel flowing and the plain psychology of watching other people eat. For John it reliably shows up around week two and stays in the background for the rest of the ride. He treats it as weather, it passes through and knowing it is coming is most of the defense.
What do you drink during a water only fast?
John's complete answer is water, Celtic salt and electrolytes. Nothing else. The salt and electrolytes are not cheating, they are what makes a long fast survivable. A fasting body keeps flushing sodium, potassium and magnesium and without replacing them you get cramps, headaches, weakness and heart rhythm risks. That is also why his supervision includes monthly bloodwork with an electrolyte panel.
What does a urine ketone reading of 16 mg/dl mean?
On the Keto Mojo strip chart 15 to 40 mg/dl is solidly in the moderate ketosis band and 16 is John's darkest strip of the fast so far, up from readings of 4 to 8 earlier in the week. Urine strips swing with hydration, so a single morning is never the story but the eight day trend from 0 to 16 says his body is fully running on fat. Blood ketone meters are more precise, urine strips are the honest budget tool.
How much weight can you lose in 8 days of water fasting?
John lost 17.2 pounds in eight days, going from 228.6 to 211.4, about 7.5 percent of his starting weight. The first days were dominated by water and glycogen, with drops as big as 4.4 pounds in one day. The pace has now settled near 1 to 1.5 pounds a day, which is much closer to true fat loss. His day 8 change was 1.1 pounds.