The fasting journal · matched to fast day 9
Day 9. Under 210, The Strip Stays Dark, And The Morning My Joints Went Quiet
Nine days without food and the loudest news of the morning was silence. My joints did not have anything to say. Let me explain.
Under 210 for the first time
Another 2 pounds down this morning. 209.4 on the scale, which makes it 19.2 pounds in nine days from the 228.6 start. That is about 8.4 percent of me, gone in nine days. The 210s are behind us now.
Body fat is down from 42.3 percent to 37.0, muscle percent is holding at 35.8 and every number lives on the bloodwork page.
The strip stayed dark
The morning strip logged 16 mg/dl again, matching yesterday’s deepest reading of the fast. On camera I called it maxed out, because that color sits deep in the dark band of my chart. Two dark mornings in a row beats one. Strips move with hydration, so I read the trend and the trend went 0 then 5 then 8 then 4 then 8 and now 16 twice. My body is burning the fat efficiently.
The morning my joints went quiet
Here is the part I actually want you to hear. I woke up this morning with very little joint and muscle discomfort.
If you are 56 and you have carried extra weight for years, you know that first minute out of bed. The ankles report in, the knees report in, the back files its complaint. This morning there was almost nothing. To me that means the inflammation in my body is coming down and that is exactly what I watched happen on my 40 day and 83 day fasts.
The weight is what people see. This is what I feel. And this is the reason I keep doing this.
Otherwise, I am feeling good. I am feeling energetic. No problems.
Day 9 done
Nine X marks on the calendar. 81 days to go.
I will see you next time. Cheers. 🩸
Quick answers
Does water fasting reduce inflammation?
Reduced inflammation is one of the most studied effects of prolonged fasting. When the body runs on ketones instead of glucose, inflammatory signaling quiets down and research on fasting has measured drops in markers like C reactive protein. John's version of that data is simpler. On day 9 he woke up with very little of the joint and muscle discomfort he is used to carrying, which for a 56 year old body is a loud signal. One good morning is not a study but it matches what the fasting literature predicts around this point.
How much weight can you lose in 9 days of water fasting?
John lost 19.2 pounds in nine days, going from 228.6 to 209.4, about 8.4 percent of his starting weight. The early days were heavy with water and glycogen losses and the pace has now settled at 1 to 2 pounds a day. Day 9 was a 2 pound drop. His body fat percent has moved from 42.3 to 37.0 over the same stretch while muscle percent has held steady, which is the pattern a supervised fast wants to see.
What does it mean when a ketone strip stays dark for days?
John's strip read 16 mg/dl for the second straight morning and on camera he called the color maxed out because it sits deep in the dark band of his chart. Two dark mornings in a row matter more than either one alone. Urine strips swing with hydration, so the trend is the honest signal and his nine day trend went 0, 5, 8, 4, 8, 16, 16. That is a body fully switched over to burning its own fat for fuel.
Is it normal to feel energetic nine days into a water fast?
By day 9 a faster who has fully entered ketosis often reports steady, even energy and John says exactly that. Feeling good. Feeling energetic. No problems. The rough patch for him was days 3 to 4, when the body was still switching fuel systems and the cranky mood he flagged on day 8 is still around in the background. Energy and mood run on different clocks during a long fast. His doctor supervision and monthly bloodwork are what let him trust the good days.