Five Hours Changes Everything
Day 17. Ketones maxed out at 8+. Glucose down to 5.3. GKI at 0.3 — full autophagy mode. Numbers wise, brilliant.
Reality wise? Absolutely shattered.
I only managed five hours of sleep last night. No chance for a nap today. And that lack of rest turned what should have been a straightforward fasting day into a mental slog. Energy was decent for most of the day, but hunger was through the roof. Cravings hit hard — sweet things, crisps, crackers, cheese. The lot.
This is what sleep deprivation does when you’re fasting. Your hunger hormones go haywire, and suddenly willpower becomes proper hard work.
Here’s what I learned on Day 17.
The Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story
On paper, today was a metabolic win:
- Ketones: 8+ (maxed out the Ketomojo meter)
- Glucose: 5.3 mmol/L
- GKI: 0.3 (deep autophagy territory)
- Weight: 13 stone 2 (down slightly from yesterday)
- Steps: 15,000 (probably overdid it given the sleep situation)
But those numbers don’t capture what it actually felt like. Bone-deep tiredness. Constant hunger. Fighting cravings all day.
The biomarkers said I was flying. My body said I needed sleep.
The lesson: Numbers matter, but how you feel matters more. If you’re running on five hours and can’t squeeze in recovery time, even perfect ketones won’t make the day easy.
When Hormones Take Over
Here’s what happens when you’re sleep-deprived and fasting:
- Ghrelin goes up (the hunger hormone)
- Leptin goes down (the satiety hormone)
- Your body naturally craves quick carbs and salty snacks
Add in 15,000 steps, and you’ve got a recipe for a proper snack attack.
I wanted crisps. I wanted crackers and cheese. I wanted sweet things. Not because I was genuinely hungry in the physiological sense — my ketones proved my body had plenty of fuel — but because my hormones were screaming for quick energy.
It’s the body’s survival response. When you’re tired, it wants fast fuel. When you’re fasting, it can’t have it. That tension? That’s the challenge.
The good news: I got through it. Plenty of water, electrolytes (Aqualibra), and just staying aware of what was happening. Awareness doesn’t stop the hunger, but it stops you acting on autopilot.
The 30-Year Milestone
Today I hit 13 stone 2. That’s the lightest I’ve been in 30 years.
Let that sink in. Thirty years.
And honestly, I had no idea how heavy I’d really been for so long. The fat’s melting off quite evenly now, but I’m still looking chunky in spots. It’s wild to see the body shape shifting and realise just how much I was carrying.
Eye-opening. Empowering. A bit surreal.
This journey isn’t just about the number on the scale. It’s about recalibrating what “normal” actually looks like. For three decades, I thought I was fine. I wasn’t fine. I was just used to it.
Sleep Is Non-Negotiable
Today’s big takeaway: Sleep is just as important as what you drink and how you move.
On five hours, fasting isn’t impossible. But it’s mentally exhausting. The cravings are harder. The willpower drains faster. Everything takes more effort.
If you can squeeze in an extra nap, do it. If you can protect your sleep time, prioritise it. Future me, anyone on this journey — please remember this.
Resting is just as powerful as fasting itself.
I didn’t have the luxury of a nap today. I will make time in future. Because this day was hard work, and it didn’t need to be.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Rest is non-negotiable — On five hours sleep, fasting is mentally brutal
Sleep deprivation messes with hunger hormones — Ghrelin up, leptin down, cravings through the roof
Numbers don’t tell the whole story — Great biomarkers don’t mean an easy day
13 stone 2 = lightest in 30 years — Eye-opening to realise how heavy I’d been for so long
Autophagy at 0.3 GKI — Deep metabolic repair mode, eating myself silly (in a good way)
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
0:00Hey everyone, it’s day 17 of my journey
0:04and I want to share honestly how things
0:05have gone today. Physically, my energy’s
0:10actually been good for most of the day,
0:13but my hunger’s been through the roof.
0:15Mainly because I only managed five hours
0:17of sleep and couldn’t squeeze in a nap
0:20today. This evening, I am shattered.
0:24Hence, I’m filming this a bit earlier.
0:27Um,
0:28I just want to bed. Moodwise, I felt
0:32pretty steady, but as the days wound
0:34down, the exhaustion’s hit hard. That
0:37lack of sleep definitely made things
0:39tougher. The cravings for sweet things,
0:43crisps, crackers, and cheese
0:46were real today. They’ve been hard work.
0:51Still,
0:53I did plenty to support my fast and
0:54health. lots of aqualibra, water,
0:56electrolytes, and I got a massive 15,000
0:59steps in. Probably that’s what’s tipped
1:01me over the edge with such little sleep.
1:04Um, it’s just bone deep tiredness now.
1:10Hunger was really the only challenge.
1:13Um,
1:15and I’ve got past it, I suppose.
1:19So, that’s good. On the bright side, my
1:22ketones have shot up. They’re over
1:23eight. That’s maxed out Makita Mojo. Um,
1:27it can’t measure past eight, so it just
1:28went high eight, which made me laugh.
1:31Um, glucose is at 55.3. GKI is at 0.3.
1:37Basically, I’m full on in autophagy,
1:40eating myself silly. I guess it’s um
1:43it’s a good thing. Um weight went up
1:47slightly, a quarter of a pound um
1:51today, but overall the big picture is
1:53amazing. I’ve also noticed my body shape
1:56shifting, too. The fat’s melting off
1:58quite evenly,
2:01but I’m still looking chunky in spots.
2:04It’s really wild to realize. I’m 13
2:07stone 2 now. That’s the lightest I’ve
2:09been in 30 years.
2:13It’s made me see how much heavier I
2:15really was for so long.
2:19And I had no idea. Genuinely no idea.
2:23Eye opening but empowering.
2:28Food for thought. When we’re sleepd
2:30deprived, our hunger hormones go
2:33haywire. Grein goes up. Leptin goes
2:37down. And the body naturally craves
2:41quick carbs and salty snacks.
2:45Add in lots of walking and you’ve got a
2:47recipe for a snack attack. That is why
2:50resting is just as powerful as what you
2:56as what you do with drinking
3:00and just looking after yourself
3:05when you’re fasting. Sleep is just so
3:08important.
3:10Today’s big takeaway has got to be that
3:12sleep’s absolutely key.
3:16Future me, anyone watching this that’s
3:18on this journey, please remember on five
3:20hours, it’s not even impossible. It’s
3:22mentally so hard to keep on track. If
3:26you can squeeze in an extra nap, it
3:28really does make all the difference. I
3:30will be allowing myself extra time. I
3:33didn’t have that luxury today. I will be
3:35in future.
3:37Remember this journey is about real
3:39health, not just the number on the
3:41scale. If you like this video, please
3:45hit like and subscribe. It really helps
3:47to get the message out to more people.
3:50I’ll see you tomorrow, day 18.
⚠️ Important: This is educational content based on evidence and personal experience. It is not medical advice. Speak to your GP before making changes to your fasting pattern, diet, or medication.
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