The Reality of Day 20
If I’m honest, today felt rough around the edges.
Not dramatically awful. Just… off. Energy sluggish, brain foggy, movements heavy. The kind of day where you’re going through the motions but not quite firing on all cylinders.
The culprit? Four hours of broken sleep. That odd cycle of shivering then overheating all night. Never quite settling. Never quite resting.
Hunger was calm during the day — manageable, even quiet. Then 5pm hit and it came roaring back. Walking through town earlier didn’t help either. Those tempting food smells lingered longer than usual.
Moodwise, I’m fine emotionally. Just tired. Foggy. A bit slow.
But I still showed up. 12,000 steps. Some sunlight. Electrolytes. K2 and D3 supplements. The basics that keep me ticking even when sleep doesn’t cooperate.
When Sleep Fails, Hunger Roars
Here’s what poor sleep does to your body: it throws your hunger hormones completely out of whack.
Two key players:
- Ghrelin — the “I’m hungry” hormone (rises when you’re sleep-deprived)
- Leptin — the “I’m full” hormone (drops when you don’t sleep enough)
When you only get four hours of broken sleep, ghrelin spikes and leptin plummets. Result? You feel ravenous at odd times, even if you didn’t feel hungry earlier in the day.
It’s not willpower. It’s biology.
Your body is desperately trying to get quick energy to compensate for the rest it didn’t get. Carbs, sugar, anything that spikes blood glucose fast — that’s what your brain is screaming for.
So on low-sleep days like today, the cravings aren’t just in your head. They’re a real, measurable biological response.
The Science: Sleep Deprivation and Metabolic Chaos
Sleep deprivation affects more than just hunger.
When you’re running on fumes, your body also:
- Increases cortisol (stress hormone, drives fat storage around the middle)
- Reduces insulin sensitivity (makes it harder to regulate blood sugar)
- Lowers growth hormone (needed for repair and recovery)
- Impairs decision-making (harder to resist temptation)
All of this compounds during a fast. Your body is already adapting to low glucose, switching fuel sources, managing ketone production. Add sleep deprivation on top and it’s like asking your phone to run intensive apps while the battery’s at 10%.
It’ll work. But it won’t be smooth.
The shivering-then-overheating cycle I had overnight? Classic sign of your body struggling to regulate temperature while managing low glycogen stores and poor sleep recovery.
Small Wins Still Count
Even though today felt sluggish, I still moved forward.
Weight this morning: 12 stone 13¾.
That’s under 13 stone for the first time in years. A milestone I wasn’t expecting today, given how rough I felt.
The lesson? Even the less-than-perfect days count.
Progress isn’t always linear. Some days you feel sharp, energised, unstoppable. Other days you’re dragging yourself through treacle just to hit the basics.
Both matter.
The fact I still did 12,000 steps, got some sunlight, took my electrolytes and supplements — that’s not nothing. That’s keeping the foundation intact even when the structure feels shaky.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Weight broke under 13 stone — 12 stone 13¾, even on a rough day
Poor sleep = hungry hormones — Ghrelin rises, leptin drops, cravings spike
Sleep deprivation compounds fasting stress — Your body is already adapting, lack of rest makes it harder
Biology, not willpower — Those 5pm cravings were a real hormonal response, not weakness
Small wins still count — 12,000 steps, electrolytes, sunlight kept the baseline strong
Ready to Start Your Own Rhythm Reset?
If you’re navigating post-fast glucose spikes, refeeds, or any other metabolic surprises, the 14-Day Rhythm Reset walks you through the body’s repair logic — not just the textbook version.
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
0:01Hi everyone. It’s day 20 of my fasting
0:04and health journey. And if I’m honest,
0:06today’s felt a bit rough around the
0:08edges. Physically, my energy’s been
0:11sluggish, both mentally and physically.
0:15Probably because I only managed about
0:17four hours of broken sleep. I had that
0:20odd shivering then too hot thing going
0:22on overnight,
0:25which didn’t help. Um, hunger was calmer
0:28during the day but came roaring back
0:31this evening about 5:00
0:34and when I was wandering around town
0:36earlier today, those tempting food
0:38smells didn’t do me any favors.
0:41Moodwise, I’m doing okay emotionally,
0:43just a bit rough from the fog and
0:45fatigue, but I still showed up um and
0:49tried to help myself with acquies.
0:54Did 12,000 steps today. So kept moving
0:57some sunlight
0:59um electrolytes for some K2 and D3 again
1:05which are definitely needed. Um
1:10especially on those days that feel a bit
1:11harder.
1:14When sleep’s poor, your hunger hormones,
1:16Kroin, leptin, can get thrown completely
1:18out of whack. That’s why you can feel
1:21ravenous at odd times even if you didn’t
1:24feel hungry earlier. It’s your body’s
1:26way of trying to get quick energy to
1:29make up for lost rest. So on low sleep
1:32days, be gentle with yourself. The
1:35cravings are just in your head, but
1:37they’re a real biological response.
1:42Even though I didn’t notice any big
1:43shifts in my body or mind today, it has
1:45been just a bit foggy all day. Um,
1:50I know that these less than perfect days
1:52have still moved me forward. I’m down to
1:5412 stone, 13 3/4 which is nice. Broke
1:57under 13 stone.
2:01If you’re on this journey, just remember
2:03every day counts, even the sluggish
2:05ones. This is about real health, not
2:07just weight.
2:09If you like this video, please hit like
2:12and subscribe, and it really helps to
2:14get the message out to more people.
2:16We’ll see you tomorrow on day
⚠️ 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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