Shivering in 22-Degree Heat
It’s 22 degrees outside. I’m wearing jumpers and joggers. And I’m absolutely freezing.
Day 19 has been a proper test.
Started with decent energy, but it drained away as the hours passed. Mentally dull. Hunger ravenous all day. Food smells? Pure torture.
But here’s the other side of that coin: I stepped on the scale this morning and saw 13 stone.
Last time I weighed 13 stone, I was 22 years old. That was 30 years ago.
This is what metabolic shift looks like — uncomfortable, confusing, and absolutely worth documenting.
The Struggle (Let’s Be Honest)
Today’s been hard.
Physical symptoms:
- Energy drained as the day went on
- Cold to the bone despite warm weather
- Shivering in bed last night until I wrapped up in layers
- Seven hours of broken sleep with a two-hour gap in the middle
- 7,500 steps done, but felt every one of them
Mental state:
- A bit dull, not sharp as usual
- Mood okay but fragile
- Hovering on the edge of wondering if 21 days is enough
- 42 days feels miles away — like some mythical number rather than a goal
Hunger: Ravenous. All day. Constant cravings for fat, salt, yogurt, nuts, and berries.
Every food smell felt like torture.
This is the unglamorous side of extended fasting. The bit nobody posts about with triumphant background music.
The Win (Because It’s Massive)
13 stone today.
Read that again. Thirteen stone.
Last time I saw that number, I was 22 years old. That’s 30 years ago.
Let’s put that in context:
- Five stone down from my heaviest 18 months ago
- One stone 13 pounds down in the last 19 days alone
- Clothing sizes: From XXL to Medium tops
- Tried on a Small t-shirt yesterday. It fit. (Probably just the brand, but still.)
- Stomach starting to look flat. Properly flat.
This is not minor progress. This is life-changing progress.
And it’s happening while my body’s complaining loudly about the process.
Why Your Body Feels This Way
Feeling cold and ravenous during an extended fast is your body telling you it’s shifting gear.
Your metabolism is running on stored fuel. As fat stores drop, the hormone signals for warmth and satiety can fluctuate wildly.
Think of it like this: Your body’s ancient survival system is trying to keep you alive. When it senses fuel running low, it does two things:
- Turns down the thermostat (conserves energy by lowering body temperature)
- Screams for food (sends hunger signals to get you hunting/gathering)
These aren’t failures. They’re your body working exactly as it should — even if it’s deeply uncomfortable.
Take it from me: today and yesterday have been really uncomfortable.
But discomfort doesn’t mean damage. It means change.
The Question (21 vs 42 Days)
Here’s the honest bit.
I’m questioning whether I push to 42 days or stop at 21.
Most experts advise 21 days as the maximum for extended fasts. There’s a reason for that. Your body can handle significant calorie restriction for a period, but beyond three weeks, the risk-reward balance shifts.
Right now, 42 feels like a fantasy. Some mythical number rather than a realistic goal.
And that’s okay.
Health isn’t about rigidly sticking to numbers. It’s about listening, adjusting, and honouring where you’re at.
I’ll keep checking in with my body day by day. If Day 21 arrives and I feel strong, maybe I continue. If I feel like I’m forcing it, I stop.
Flexibility isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
The Real Lesson
This journey is so much more than just weight loss.
It’s about:
- Understanding your body’s signals (not just ignoring them)
- Respecting limits (even when your ego wants to push through)
- Staying real with yourself (admitting when it’s hard)
- Celebrating wins and acknowledging struggles
Today taught me that you can hit a massive milestone (13 stone!) and still feel rubbish. Both can be true at the same time.
Progress isn’t linear. Some days you feel like a superhero. Some days you shiver in bed wearing joggers in summer.
Both are part of the process.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Cold symptoms are normal — Body conserving energy by lowering temperature during extended fasting
- Milestone achieved — 13 stone (last weighed this 30 years ago at age 22)
- Five stone total loss — Down from heaviest weight 18 months ago
- Clothing transformation — XXL to Medium, Small t-shirt fits
- 21-day expert recommendation — Most experts advise 21 days maximum for extended fasts
- Flexibility matters — Listening to body signals beats rigid adherence to numbers
- Hunger fluctuations expected — Hormones (leptin, ghrelin) fluctuate as fat stores drop
- Progress isn’t linear — Can hit major wins and feel rough at the same time
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)
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
0:00Hello. Day 19 of my journey
0:04and oh boy, today’s been a proper test.
0:06Physically, I started the day with good
0:08energy,
0:10but it’s really drained away as the
0:12hours have gone on. Mentally, I felt a
0:15bit dull, not as sharp as usual,
0:18and hunger’s been absolutely ravenous
0:22all day long. Even though it’s 22
0:25degrees outside, I’ve been cold to the
0:28bone.
0:30shivering in bed last night until I
0:32finally loaded off for about seven hours
0:35very broken sleep with a two-hour gap in
0:37the middle. But that only occurred after
0:40I wrapped up in jumpers and joggers. I
0:43was just frozen solid.
0:47Moodwise, I’m okay, but down fragile.
0:52I’m definitely hovering on the edge of
0:54wondering if 21 days is enough. 40 deal
0:58feels so far away, like miles at the
1:02moment, like some mythical number rather
1:05than a goal.
1:07Every food smell that I’ve um gone past
1:11has felt like torture today. Constant
1:13cravings for fat, salt, yogurt,
1:18nuts, and berries.
1:21But despite that, I’ve done what I can
1:23to back up my body. Loads of water,
1:26coffee, aqua libra, some dash, my
1:29electrolytes, D3, K2 vitamins, and I’m
1:33managed to get up 4:30 in the morning.
1:37Some sunlight with 7 and a half thousand
1:39steps between my sleeps.
1:41Um,
1:44suppose for a win,
1:47I got I’m 13 stone today, which the last
1:51time I looked at a scale and it said
1:52that I was 22. That’s 30 years ago.
1:56That’s five stone down from 18 months
1:58ago and one stone 13 pounds from the
2:01last 19 days of this fast, which is
2:04massive and worth celebrating.
2:07Even my stomach’s starting to look quite
2:10flat almost, which is massive bonus.
2:14Currently, I’ve gone from an extra extra
2:17large
2:19um to medium top size and I even tried
2:24on a small t-shirt and it fit. I
2:28appreciate that was probably just the
2:29brand.
2:31Feeling cold and ravenous
2:35during an extended fast is actually your
2:37body telling you it’s shifting gear.
2:40Your metabolism is running on stored
2:43fuel. And as fat stores drop,
2:47the hormone signal for warmth and
2:50society can fluctuate
2:52wildly. It’s your ancient survival
2:56system trying to keep you alive.
2:58So all these signals mean your body’s
3:01working exactly as it should, even if
3:03it’s uncomfortable.
3:05Take it from me today and yesterday it’s
3:09really uncomfortable.
3:13Today’s reminder to myself and to anyone
3:16watching, it’s completely normal to
3:19question yourself when you hit these
3:21tougher patches.
3:23This is where we learn what our true
3:25limits feel like and we stay flexible.
3:29Health is not about rigidly sticking to
3:32numbers. It’s about listening,
3:34adjusting, and honoring where you’re at.
3:38If I could say anything to my future
3:40self,
3:42what to you guys, it’s this. There’s a
3:45reason that most experts advise 21 days
3:48as the maximum time limit for longer
3:51fasts.
3:55So, if 42 does feel like a fantasy right
3:57now, which it does, that’s okay. I’ll
4:01just keeping in checking with my body
4:03day by day.
4:07This journey is so much more than just
4:10weight loss. It’s about understanding
4:12your body, respecting its signals, and
4:15staying real with yourself.
4:18If you like this video, please hit like
4:20and subscribe.
4:22It really helps to get this message out
4:23to more people. I’ll see you tomorrow on
4:26day 20.
⚠️ 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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