What 10 Days of Refeeding Actually Looked Like
Five pounds up. Then three pounds down. Then settling at a two-pound gain overall.
That’s what happened after my latest extended fast. Not what I’d hoped for, but steadier than I’d feared. This is what refeed rhythm actually looks like when you track it honestly. Your body doesn’t read from a spreadsheet. It shifts, settles, and finds its own pace.
This week brought more than weight wobbles. Twenty new fermented foods now fizzing in my cupboard. A surprise return of allergies I thought I’d left behind 18 months ago. And one bizarre fitness moment where I couldn’t manage a single sit-up on day one, then knocked out 12 reps the next day.
Here’s what riding the refeed waves taught me about patience, gut health, and why your body sometimes freezes before it shifts.
The Weight Wobble (And Why It’s Fine)
Up five pounds over the first 10 days. Not ideal. But here’s what matters: I lost three of those pounds over the next four days. Now I’m sitting at a two-pound gain from my pre-fast weight.
That’s refeed rhythm. Your body’s getting used to food again after days of fasting. Glycogen stores refill. Water weight shifts. Digestion restarts. It’s not fat gain. It’s your system recalibrating.
The key? Don’t judge the process too quickly. Day three looks different to day seven. Day seven looks different to day fourteen. Give it time.
Apart from one rogue nut binge that sent my gut racing for the exit, digestion stayed calm. No bloating. No discomfort. Just steady settling.
Twenty Fermented Foods (My Cupboard’s Now a Science Lab)
This week I went full fermentation nerd. Twenty new recipes now bubbling away. Some ready, some not. All fizzing, tangy, and properly lush.
First bite this morning? Lovely. That sharp tang, the fizz on your tongue, the complexity you can’t get from shop-bought versions. This is microbiome food done right.
Why ferments matter: they’re living foods that feed your gut bacteria. The more diverse your microbiome, the better your digestion, energy, mood, and immune response. It’s not just about yoghurt and sauerkraut. It’s about variety.
I’m looking forward to trying them all over the next 10 days. Each one’s a different strain, a different flavor, a different benefit. This is gut health you can taste.
Sleep, Energy & The Dog Who Broke My Streak
Sleep danced around this week. One glorious 11-hour catch-up after a couple of long walks. Then one restless night thanks to the dog we’ve inherited for the week.
Energy stayed remarkably stable despite the wobbles. Hovering in that lovely 7 to 8 range most days. Mood and focus followed suit. That’s what steady eating patterns do when you’re not fighting constant blood sugar swings.
Fasting flowed smoothly. Averaged 15:9 for the week. One day at 12:12 (after the sleepless night left me ravenous). One day at 21:3 (21 hours fasted, three-hour eating window). The 12:12 was the only moment cravings fired. Otherwise, cruised through with food really aligned.
The Allergy Surprise (Turns Out I’m Not Quite Done)
This was the week’s biggest disappointment. I thought my allergies were behind me. Stopped using inhalers 18 months ago. No skin rashes since I changed my eating patterns. Clean bill of health.
Then we took on a granddog for the week. Day one: fine. Day two: tight chest. By day three I’d used my inhaler three times. First puffs in 18 months.
No skin rashes, which is progress. But my respiratory system’s clearly not fully healed yet. That stung a bit. Still, I mucked in with the dog. Daily walks. He’s great fun. Just a reminder that healing isn’t linear.
The lesson? Don’t declare victory too early. Bodies heal in layers. Some faster than others.
The Sit-Up Mystery (Frozen One Day, Fine The Next)
Here’s the strangest thing that happened this week. Decided to try some exercise. Sit-ups seemed like a simple test.
Day one: couldn’t manage one rep. Not one. I couldn’t get up. My core had frozen. No idea what was happening. Felt like my body had just… locked.
Day two: 12 reps immediately. No warm-up. No struggle. Just worked.
What shifted overnight? No clue. But it taught me not to judge a return too quickly. Your body sometimes freezes before it shifts. Give it a day. Try again. Don’t write yourself off based on one data point.
The Cracker Topping Tweak (Ditching Cheese, Keeping Flavor)
One thing I’m changing going forward: my cracker game. Used to load them with cheese. Tasty, but half the calories were coming from dairy.
New approach: ditch the cheese, keep the flavor. Butters, fermented spreads, tomato, chilli, chutney, homemade chilli jams. All the taste, fewer calories, more variety.
One thing I’m watching: insulin response. Chutneys and jams have sugar, even homemade versions. Will they cause spikes without the cheese buffer? Don’t know yet. But I’ve moved to homemade, so hopefully that’ll help.
This week I’m going to enjoy them and keep an eye on how they land on my body. That’s the beauty of tracking: you test, you watch, you adjust.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Cracker toppings matter — Ditched cheese, kept flavor with ferments and homemade spreads. Watching insulin response closely.
Weight wobbles during refeed are normal — Up 5 lbs, then down 3 lbs, settling at +2 lbs overall. Your body’s recalibrating, not failing.
Fermented foods = living gut health — 20 new recipes this week. Diversity matters more than volume.
Allergies can resurface unexpectedly — 18 months clear, then three inhaler puffs in one week. Healing isn’t always linear.
Fitness freezes don’t mean failure — Couldn’t do one sit-up day one, managed 12 the next day. Bodies shift overnight sometimes.
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
0:02Hi, this week I rode the waves of
0:04fermentation, fairy companions and
0:07focus. It began with a bit of a weight
0:09wobble. Up five pounds over the 10 days,
0:12now settling at a two pound gain. So, I
0:14lost three pounds over the last four
0:16days. It’s all part of the refeed
0:19rhythm, I guess. Um, my body’s shifting
0:21again after a fast and it’s getting used
0:24to the food that I want to eat. And
0:26that’s okay. In fact, it’s steadier than
0:28I feared.
0:29not as good as I would have hoped. Um,
0:32physically, nothing concerning has
0:34cropped up over the last 10 days apart
0:36from one rogue nut binge and that
0:39probably doesn’t call it strong enough
0:43that left my gut racing for the exit
0:45ultimately. Um, that moment aside,
0:47digestion stayed mostly calm, helped no
0:51doubt by the incredible lime uh lineup
0:53of fermented foods that I’ve made. uh my
0:55brew 20 new recipes this week that are
0:58now fizzing tangy and lush in my
1:00cupboard. Some are ready, some aren’t.
1:02Looking forward to trying them all over
1:04the next 10 days. Uh but that first
1:06bite, the first one this morning was
1:08lovely. Um sleeps danced around a bit. A
1:11glorious 11 hours um catch up yesterday
1:15followed a couple of long walks and one
1:17restless night the night before thanks
1:19to the dog we’ve inherited for the week.
1:22Um, energy stayed remarkably stable,
1:24hovering in that lovely 7 to8 range. My
1:27mood and focus has followed suit. Um,
1:31fasting’s flowed smoothly mostly. Um,
1:34I’ve averaged at 159 for the week. I’ve
1:37had one day at 1212 and one day where I
1:41fasted for 21 hours and ate for three.
1:43Um the 1212 slipped in after the
1:47sleepless night and sugarf filled day
1:49that I’d had that day which left me
1:51ravenous the next morning. So I started
1:53eating too early. That was the one
1:55moment that cravings have fired. Um but
1:58otherwise I’ve cruised through the week
1:59with food really aligned. Emotionally
2:03the biggest jolts have come from my
2:05granddog’s visit. Um I thought my
2:08allergies were behind me but it turns
2:10out they’re not quite done. three
2:11inhaler puffs this week having not used
2:13it for 18 months. No skin rashes. Um,
2:18but I’ve still mucked in with the dog.
2:20We’ve done daily walks and he’s great
2:22fun. Just a bit disappointed my
2:24allergies aren’t behind me like I
2:26thought they were. The real surprise,
2:28crack him health situps. Tried some
2:31exercise. Day one, I couldn’t manage one
2:33rep. I couldn’t get up.
2:36Wasn’t sure what was happening. Day two,
2:38managed to do 12 immediately. So that
2:41was okay. But I’ve no idea what shifted.
2:44It was as if my body had frozen. But
2:46anyway, something has shifted and that’s
2:49taught me, I guess, not to judge a
2:50return too quickly. As I look ahead, I’m
2:53keep keen to keep nudging my weight down
2:56gently. One thing I’m tweaking um my
3:00cracker topping game. I’ve ditched the
3:01cheese, half the calories, and kept most
3:04of the flavor with butters, different
3:06fermented um flavors,
3:09tomato, chili, chutney, and chili jams.
3:12And I do wonder if that’s going to cause
3:15me an insulin spike. So, it’s something
3:18to watch for. Um
3:21but I’ve moved to homemade, so hopefully
3:24that’ll help again. Um,
3:27this week I’m going to just enjoy them
3:29and um keep an an eye on how they land
3:32on my body without the cheese buffer.
3:35So, here’s to a week of flavor, focus,
3:38and the long view of good quality
3:40health.
⚠️ 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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