I maintained a 15-hour fasting window every single day for 11 days. I was disciplined. Consistent. Stuck to the rhythm.
And I gained 11 pounds.
13 stone 5 when I started the refeed. 14 stone 2 when I stepped on the scales on Day 11. Crisps early in the week. Puddings and chocolate toward the end. Here’s what I learned: you can’t out-fast certain choices. Not over 11 days. Not when food quality drops off a cliff.
This was 21 September 2025, the end of an 11-day refeed period after a long fast. The fasting windows were solid. The food inside those windows? That’s where things went wrong.
What Happened During the 11-Day Refeed
Day 1-3 of the refeed were crisp-heavy. Not just one bag. Multiple bags. Salt. Crunch. Convenience. Even with 15-hour fasting windows maintained daily, my weight jumped from 13 stone 5 to 13 stone 13 in three days. Seven pounds. In 72 hours.
I told myself it was water retention. Glycogen refill after the extended fast. Perfectly normal for a refeed period.
Which was partly true. But not the full story.
Days 9-11 brought puddings, chocolate, and more crisps. Ultra-processed carbs. Sugar bombs. Salt bombs. By Day 11, the scale read 14 stone 2. Eleven pounds up from where I’d started the refeed.
Measurements told the same story. Waist: +0.5 inches. Hips: +0.5 inches. Chest: +1 inch. Thighs: +1 inch. This wasn’t just water weight anymore.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Sleep was solid throughout—averaging 8 hours per night. Movement was consistent. Fasting windows were maintained at 15 hours daily without exception.
But food quality inside the window? Terrible. And the scale showed it.
Here’s the data:
- Start weight: 13 stone 5
- End weight: 14 stone 2
- Total gain: 11 pounds
- Daily fasting windows: ~15 hours (maintained consistently)
- First 3 days: Crisp-heavy eating (gained 7 pounds)
- Days 9-11: Puddings, chocolate, more crisps
- Sleep: ~8 hours average
- Measurements: Waist +0.5in, hips +0.5in, chest +1in, thighs +1in
The fasting discipline was there. The food discipline wasn’t. And that’s what made the difference.
The Petrol Station Analogy
Think of your eating window like a petrol station. You can stop for fuel every 15 hours—good fasting discipline. But if you’re filling the tank with contaminated petrol (crisps, puddings, ultra-processed junk), the engine still runs rough.
Clean fuel matters as much as how often you refuel.
Fasting creates the space for repair. Food quality determines what gets repaired. Ultra-processed foods bring a triple whammy: salt equals water retention. Starch and sugar equal glycogen plus three times the water weight. Ultra-processed equals insulin spike and inflammation.
You can’t out-fast that. Not over 11 days.
The Lesson: Fasting Windows Aren’t a Free Pass
I don’t regret this refeed. It taught me something valuable: fasting discipline without food quality discipline is half the job. Both matter.
I got complacent. I assumed the 15-hour fasting window would carry me through. It didn’t. The scale corrected me. The measurements corrected me.
If you’re fasting but eating rubbish inside your window, you’re doing half the work. Food quality matters. Always.
Lesson learned.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Fasting windows alone aren’t enough — You can’t out-fast ultra-processed food choices over multiple days
- Food quality = fuel quality — Clean whole foods vs crisps/puddings makes the difference, even with consistent fasting
- The triple whammy — Salt (water retention) + starch/sugar (glycogen + 3x water weight) + ultra-processed (insulin spike + inflammation)
Ready to Build Sustainable Fasting Habits?
This refeed taught me that fasting discipline only works when paired with food quality discipline. If you’re looking to build both into your routine without the mistakes I made, start here.
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🔽 Read the Video Transcript
Eleven-day refeed after an extended fast. Started at 13 stone 5. Ended at 14 stone 2. Gained 11 pounds. Crisps early in the week, puddings and chocolate late. Here’s the lesson: you can’t out-fast certain choices.
This was 21 September 2025, end of an 11-day refeed period after a long fast. I was maintaining 15-hour fasting windows daily. But food quality? That dropped off a cliff.
Day 1-3 of the refeed: crisp-heavy. Not just one bag. Multiple. Salt, crunch, convenience. Even with 15-hour fasting windows, weight jumped from 13 stone 5 to 13 stone 13 in three days. Seven pounds. In three days. I told myself: “It’s just water retention. Glycogen refill. Perfectly normal.”
Which was partly true. But not entirely.
Days 9-11: puddings, chocolate, more crisps. Ultra-processed carbs. Sugar bombs. Salt bombs. By Day 11: 14 stone 2. Eleven pounds up from where I started the refeed. Waist: +0.5 inches. Hips: +0.5 inches. Chest: +1 inch. Thighs: +1 inch.
Sleep was solid — averaging 8 hours. Movement was consistent. Fasting windows were maintained at 15 hours daily. But food quality inside the window? Terrible. And the scale showed it.
Here’s what I learned: fasting window length matters. But it’s not a free pass. Food quality inside the window matters just as much. Crisps, puddings, chocolate = triple whammy. Salt equals water retention. Starch and sugar equal glycogen plus three times the water weight. Ultra-processed equals insulin spike and inflammation. You can’t out-fast bad food choices. Not over 11 days.
11-day refeed (post-extended fast). Start weight: 13st 5. End weight: 14st 2. Total gain: 11 pounds. Daily fasts: ~15 hours. First 3 days: crisp-heavy (gained 7 pounds). Days 9-11: puddings, chocolate. Sleep: ~8 hours average. Waist +0.5in, hips +0.5in, chest +1in, thighs +1in.
Think of your eating window like a petrol station. You can stop for fuel every 15 hours (good fasting discipline), but if you’re filling the tank with contaminated petrol (crisps, puddings, ultra-processed junk), the engine still runs rough. Clean fuel matters as much as how often you refuel. Fasting creates the space for repair. Food quality determines what gets repaired.
I don’t regret this refeed. It taught me something valuable: fasting discipline without food quality discipline is half the job. Both matter. I got complacent. The scale corrected me.
If you’re fasting but eating rubbish inside your window, you’re doing half the work. Food quality matters. Always. Lesson learned. I’ll see you next time
⚠️ 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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