The Seven-Day Checkpoint
Seven days of refeeding after a 21-day fast. That’s the milestone. And honestly? I’m feeling brilliant.
Energy’s steady. Digestion’s calm. Sleep’s solid at six and a half hours. Two regular bowel movements today with no symptoms, no complaints. Emotionally, I’m settled and stress-free.
This is what a successful refeed looks like. No drama. No digestive chaos. Just the body quietly getting back to work.
The refeed period is where you find out whether you rushed things or did it properly. And after seven days, the evidence suggests I got this one right.
What I Ate (And Why It Mattered)
Kept things simple and gut-friendly:
- Red pepper soup — gentle, warming, easy on digestion
- Crackers with cheese — added some density and satisfaction
- Kimchi and sauerkraut — fermented foods to support the microbiome
- Chicken katsu for tea — protein, fat, flavour, all in one meal
I also had two light walks in the sunshine, plenty of water, a couple of coffees, and a couple of cans of Dash earlier this afternoon.
Nothing extreme. Nothing restrictive. Just real food that ticked the boxes: satisfying, balanced, and tasty.
The fermented foods were intentional. During a refeed, your gut flora starts to bounce back. Kimchi and sauerkraut help encourage a more diverse, resilient microbiome. That can boost mood, support digestion, and help stabilise appetite.
It’s not just about the calories. It’s about what you’re feeding your gut as well as yourself.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Weight this morning: 13 stone 7 pounds (189 lb). Holding steady.
But here’s where it gets interesting. The measurements:
- Chest: Up half an inch
- Waist: Up two inches
- Hips: Up half an inch
- Thigh: Down an inch
- Neck: Unchanged
That feels like a cracking result after seven days of refeeding. The waist is up — that’s normal after reintroducing food. Glycogen refills, water retention adjusts, the body recalibrates.
But the thigh’s down an inch. That’s a signal that fat loss continued even during the refeed.
One thing I’ve kept up throughout this week: intermittent fasting. Started the refeed at 12:12 (12-hour eating window). As of today, I’m at 17:7 (seven-hour eating window).
The eating window tightened naturally. I did a couple of 14:10 days in there, and the rest were pretty much 16:8. The body didn’t demand constant food. It adapted.
The Gut Connection
Here’s the insight for the day: Your gut flora rebounds during refeed.
When you fast for extended periods, certain gut bacteria go dormant. They don’t die off completely, but they’re not thriving either. When you reintroduce food — especially fibre-rich, fermented foods — those bacteria wake up and start multiplying again.
Fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut deliver live cultures that help restore diversity. A diverse microbiome is linked to better mood, improved digestion, and more stable appetite signals.
This isn’t just about weight. It’s about rebuilding the internal ecosystem that keeps everything running smoothly.
Think of it like a garden. You’ve let it rest over winter. Now you’re planting seeds and feeding the soil. The results take time, but the foundation matters.
What’s Next
I’m wrapping up this 21-day fast and seven-day refeed journey. Going forward, I’ll be checking in with weekly updates instead of daily logs.
Meanwhile, I’ll be sharing daily videos diving into the Way More Than Weight Loss methodology:
- Fasting (extended and intermittent)
- Whole, non-UPF foods
- Gut microbiome health
- Autophagy and cellular repair
- How all of this merges together to help us live better, healthier lives
The goal is simple: show you how these tools work, share the evidence, and help you build a system that fits your life.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Steady refeed = no digestive distress — Seven days in with zero complaints
- Measurements show positive body composition — Thigh down an inch despite refeeding
- Intermittent fasting tightened naturally — Started 12:12, ended at 17:7
- Fermented foods support microbiome recovery — Kimchi and sauerkraut help restore gut diversity
- Weekly updates replace daily logs — Transitioning to broader WMTWL education content
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.
👉 Get the 14-Day Rhythm Reset Guide (free)
💪 Want ongoing support? Join Rhythm Club for £30/month (includes FREE app access, community, and weekly accountability calls)
🔽 Read the Video Transcript
0:02Hello everyone. It’s day seven of my
0:04refeed and honestly I’m feeling really
0:06well. Physically my energy’s been good.
0:09No digestive issues at all today. I
0:11managed a solid six and a half hours
0:12sleep and had two easy regular bowel
0:15movements. No symptoms, no complaints.
0:17Emotionally, I’m feeling perfect, really
0:20steady and settled. Today was genuinely
0:23easy and stressfree. No challenges or
0:25temptations have popped up at all. To
0:28support my recovery, I kept it simple.
0:31Two light walks in the sunshine, plenty
0:33of water, usual couple couple of cups of
0:36coffee, and a couple of cans of dash um
0:38earlier this afternoon. As for food,
0:41I’ve had red pepper soup, some crackers
0:43with cheese, some kimichi and sauerkraut
0:45with them for that gut boost, and
0:47rounded things off with a chicken cats
0:48for tea. Kept it satisfying, kept it
0:51balanced, and very, very tasty. On the
0:54numbers front, weights holding steady atTex
0:56137. In in terms of measurement, I’ve
0:58noticed my chest is up half an inch,
1:00waist by two inches, hips by half an
1:03inch, and my thigh is actually down an
1:04inch, neck’s unchanged. Honestly, that
1:07feels like a cracking result after seven
1:09days of refeeding. One thing I’ve
1:11noticed over this week is that I’m
1:13settling in a lot better now. I’ve also
1:15kept up intermant fasting throughout
1:18with my um eating window gradually
1:20tightening. I started at 12:12 and as of
1:23today it was 177. Um did a couple of
1:261410s in there and the the rest were
1:29pretty much um 168.
1:34Quick insight for the day. During
1:36refeed, your body’s gut flora starts to
1:38bounce back. Those fermented foods like
1:40kimchi and saukraut help encourage a
1:43more diverse, resilient microbiome that
1:45in turn can boost mood, support
1:47digestion, and help stabilize appetite.
1:50It’s not just about the calories. about
1:52what you’re feeding your gut as well as
1:54yourself.
1:55As I wrap up my 21-day fast and 7-day
1:58refeed, I’m plan to check in with weekly
2:00updates going forward. Meanwhile, I’ll
2:02be sharing daily videos diving into the
2:03weigh them more than weight loss
2:05mythology. Everything from fasting to
2:07whole foods, the gut microbiome,
2:08autophagy, and how all of this can merge
2:11together to help us live better,
2:13healthier lives. If you like this video,
2:16please hit like and subscribe. It really
2:18helps to get the message out to more
2:20people.
⚠️ 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.
Questions? Email hello@waymorethanweightloss.com
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