Day 36. Caught my girlfriend’s bug. Felt absolutely dreadful. Couldn’t think straight. Couldn’t see straight. But here’s the weird bit — fasting was… easy.
I woke up expecting a rough day. It was a fasting day, and I was still paying for yesterday’s cake fest. Then the bug hit. Twenty-four-hour thing that knocked me sideways. Two naps. Useless as a chocolate fireguard all day. Energy? Five out of ten at best. Mental clarity? Four. Maybe three.
But hunger? Barely there. Mild murmurs, nothing more. Turns out when your body’s fighting something, it doesn’t really want food. Fasting became the path of least resistance.
When Your Body Chooses For You
I’m 28 hours into the fast as I’m recording this. Glucose 87.7, ketones 0.8, GKI 7.4. Minimal autophagy happening — the body’s adapted, but yesterday’s sugar is still in the system.
Three good days before the cake. One sugar fest and you’re starting from behind the line. That’s metabolic memory for you. It’s real, and it’s sticky.
But the illness changed things. When you’re fighting a bug, your body prioritises healing over hunger. It’s not romantic — it’s physiology. Immune response takes energy. Digestion takes energy. Your body picks one.
Today, it picked healing.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (But Context Matters)
The GKI score of 7.4 isn’t impressive on paper. That’s barely into light therapeutic ketosis. If I’d been chasing autophagy or deep fat adaptation, I’d be frustrated.
But context matters. I’m ill. I ate cake yesterday. My body’s doing damage control on two fronts. The fact that I’m not ravenous is the win here, not the ketone level.
This is what I mean when I say metabolic flexibility matters more than perfect numbers. It’s not about hitting the “right” GKI every time. It’s about your body being able to adapt — to switch fuel sources, to prioritise repair, to not panic when food isn’t coming.
Yesterday’s sugar fest? That set me back. Pre-fast prep matters if you want maximum metabolic benefit. One meal can shift your baseline more than you think.
Two Lessons From Day 36
First: Fasting when ill can be surprisingly manageable when your body doesn’t want food anyway. I’m not recommending you fast through every cold — that’s between you and your GP. But in my case, fasting aligned with what my body was already doing. No fight. No willpower. Just… alignment.
Second: Metabolic memory is real. Three good days don’t erase one bad one. If you’re planning an extended fast or targeting autophagy, what you eat beforehand matters. Clean slate or sticky mess — you choose before you start.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Context beats numbers — A GKI of 7.4 isn’t “bad” when you’re ill and recovering from yesterday’s cake. Adaptation matters more than perfection.
Fasting during illness can be easier — Your body prioritises healing over hunger when fighting infection.
Metabolic memory affects your fast — What you eat before fasting impacts glucose, ketones, and how quickly you adapt.
Ready to Start Your Own Rhythm Reset?
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
Day 36. Caught my girlfriend’s bug. Felt absolutely dreadful. Couldn’t think straight, couldn’t see straight. But here’s the weird bit — fasting was… easy.
Its a fasting day. Still paying for yesterday’s cake fest.
Woke up feeling awful. Not the sugar — the actual bug. Twenty-four-hour thing that knocked me sideways. Two naps. Useless as a chocolate fireguard all day. Energy? Five out of ten at best. Mental clarity? Four. Maybe three.
But hunger? Barely there. Mild murmurs, nothing more. Turns out when your body’s fighting something, it doesn’t really want food. Fasting became the path of least resistance.
Twenty-eight hours into the fast. Glucose 87.7, ketones 0.8, GKI 7.4. Minimal autophagy. Body’s adapted, but yesterday’s sugar is still in the system. Three good days before the cake, but one sugar fest and you’re starting from behind the line.
Two lessons here. First: fasting when ill can be surprisingly manageable when your body doesn’t want food anyway. Second: metabolic memory is real. Pre-fast prep matters if you want maximum metabolic benefit. One meal can set you back more than you think.
If you’re curious about structuring your own fasting rhythm without the guesswork, I’ve built a free 14-Day Rhythm Reset Guide. It’s yours. Link in description.
Day 36. Sometimes the body decides for you. See you tomorrow.
⚠️ 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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