Day sixty-five. Thirteen stone one. My lightest weight in seventy days. I should’ve been celebrating.
Instead, I wrote this in my journal: “Today I HATED FASTING.”
Mood: 5 out of 10. Energy: 5 to 6. Mental clarity: 6. Melancholy all day. Every step felt heavy.
Best physical result. Worst mental day. And that’s not a contradiction—it’s the lesson.
Most people don’t show you days like this. They show the wins. The energy highs. The “fasting feels effortless” posts. That’s the highlight reel. And it’s misleading.
Because it makes you think everyone else finds this easy. That you’re the only one struggling. Rubbish.
I’m ten weeks into a structured fasting reset. I’ve lost 4.5 stone over eighteen months. I’m adapted. And I still had a day where I hated it.
Here’s why I’m showing you this—and what I learned from my worst day.
Day 65: The Numbers Don’t Tell the Full Story
Let me walk you back to Day sixty-four. Evening. I’m running an extended fast. Started at 30.5 hours. Planning to push through to forty-four hours total.
Last week of the challenge. I wanted to finish strong.
Between hours twenty-four and twenty-eight, I’m arguing with myself. “You should break it. You’re tired. Have a soup.” “No, keep going. You’ve done this before.” “But you feel rough.” “Push through.”
I took my biomarkers at twenty-four hours. Ketones: 0.6. GKI: 6.7. Mild ketosis. Nothing dramatic.
I decided to push through. Pride, basically. Forty-four hours. Done. Went to bed.
Woke up on Day sixty-five. Four hours sleep. Quality: Five out of ten. Felt broken.
Got up. Did my morning weigh-in. Thirteen stone one. Lightest weight of the entire seventy days.
Should’ve felt great, yeah? Victory lap. Proof the system works.
I felt nothing. No excitement. No energy. No sense of achievement. Just flat.
Here’s what I wrote in my journal:
- Mood: 5 out of 10. “Just melancholy all day.”
- Energy: 5 to 6. “Did 8,000 steps but felt every one today.”
- Mental Clarity: 6. “I am glad I work for myself and had the option to not be client-facing.”
- Rating for the day: A begrudging 5.
- Quote: “Today I HATED FASTING.”
Everything felt like wading through treacle. Brain fog. Not sharp fog. Just dull. Holding a conversation felt like hard work.
I forced myself to do 8,000 steps. Felt. Every. Single. One.
Worked from home. Glad I didn’t have clients to see. Couldn’t have fronted that.
What Went Wrong: Extended Fast + Sleep Debt = Guaranteed Crash
I knew this from Days fifty-seven and fifty-eight. But I pushed through anyway.
Because it was the last week. Because I wanted to finish strong. Because I thought I could power through.
Pride.
Lesson learned: You can’t out-willpower biochemistry. Every time.
Day sixty-five was hard because I stacked three stressors:
- Extended fast (44 hours)
- Sleep debt (4 hours)
- Last week pressure (wanting to finish strong)
Remove one? Probably fine. Stack all three? Crash.
It’s not about fasting being “hard” or “easy.” It’s about context.
Good sleep, short fast? Easy. Sleep debt, extended fast? Brutal.
Why I Didn’t Quit: James Clear’s “Never Miss Twice” Principle
After Day sixty-five, I wanted to understand something. Why did one brutal day not derail seventy days of work?
I found the answer in James Clear’s research. Atomic Habits. And he’s got this principle: “Never miss twice.”
Here’s how Clear explains it. You’re walking to work in January. Icy pavement. You slip.
Two choices:
Choice 1: Get up. Brush yourself off. Keep walking. You’re five seconds behind schedule.
Choice 2: Sit down on the ice and wait for spring.
Most people choose option two.
“I’ve ruined it. I had pizza Friday night. Week’s destroyed. May as well order Deliveroo all weekend, start fresh Monday.”
One slip equals five seconds lost. Sitting on the ice for three days equals hypothermia.
Clear’s principle: “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”
One slip-up is life. Two is a choice.
Day sixty-five was brutal. I hated fasting. Mood five. Energy six. Melancholy all day.
That was one slip. Not a slip in behavior. A slip in how it felt.
The question was: What do I do on Day sixty-six?
Path 1: “Fasting’s too hard. I’m done. I quit.” (Sitting on the ice)
Path 2: “That was rough. I’ll prioritize sleep tonight and get back on tomorrow.” (Get up, keep walking)
I chose Path 2. And Clear’s research proves that’s the difference.
One hard day doesn’t break the pattern. Quitting because of one hard day does.
The Truth Nobody Shows You
Day sixty-six. I went to bed early. Eight hours sleep. Quality: Eight out of ten.
Woke up feeling human again.
Mood: 7 to 8
Energy: 7 to 8
Mental Clarity: Back to normal
One good night’s sleep. Everything reset.
I didn’t quit. I didn’t think “fasting doesn’t work.” I didn’t abandon the pattern. I just recovered.
By Day sixty-six evening, I got a letter from my GP. Blood test results. All markers: Normal range. Optimum health. Twenty months medication-free.
Day sixty-five was the worst day. Day sixty-six reminded me why I was doing this.
Both days matter.
Most people don’t show Day sixty-five. They show the wins. The lightest weight. The energy highs. The “fasting feels effortless” days.
That’s the highlight reel. And it’s misleading.
Because it makes you think: “Everyone else finds this easy. I’m the only one struggling.”
Rubbish.
I’m ten weeks into a structured fasting reset. I’ve lost 4.5 stone over eighteen months. I’ve been fasting regularly for two years. I’m adapted.
And I still had a day where I hated it.
The truth: Fasting isn’t always easy. Even when you’re fat-adapted. Even when you know what you’re doing. Even when the system usually works.
Some days are brutal.
Three Reasons This Matters
Reason 1: You’re Not Broken
If you have a hard day, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Doesn’t mean you’re not adapted. Doesn’t mean you should quit.
It just means you’re human.
Reason 2: Context Matters
Day sixty-five was hard because I stacked three stressors: extended fast, sleep debt, last week pressure.
Remove one? Probably fine. Stack all three? Crash.
It’s not about fasting being “hard” or “easy.” It’s about context.
Reason 3: Honesty Builds Trust
If I only showed you the good days, you’d think:
- “This worked for Neil because he’s got more discipline.”
- “This worked for Neil because he doesn’t struggle.”
- “This worked for Neil because he’s different.”
None of that’s true.
I struggle. I have brutal days. I hate fasting sometimes.
And I still got results.
Because the pattern matters. Not one hard day.
What to Do When You Hit Your Day 65
Here’s what you do when you hit your brutal day.
Step 1: Recognize It’s Temporary
It feels brutal today. Tomorrow will be better. Especially if you prioritize sleep tonight.
Day sixty-five: Brutal. Day sixty-six: Human again. One good night’s sleep.
Step 2: Don’t Stack Stressors
If you slept poorly: Don’t do an extended fast.
If you’re stressed: Don’t push through a hard fast.
If you’re having a brutal day: Break the fast early.
Stubborn: “I’ll power through no matter what.”
Intelligent: “My body’s telling me something. I’ll adjust.”
One leads to burnout. One leads to sustainability.
Step 3: Track It
Write it down.
“Today was brutal. Mood 5. Energy 6. Slept 4 hours. Extended fast was too much.”
That’s data.
Next time you’re tempted to do an extended fast on four hours sleep? You’ve got evidence it doesn’t work.
Step 4: Get Back On (Never Miss Twice)
Day sixty-five: Brutal.
Day sixty-six: Back on.
One slip equals five seconds lost. Get up. Brush yourself off. Keep walking.
Don’t sit on the ice and wait for spring.
One bad day is life. Two in a row is a choice.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Fasting isn’t always easy — Even when adapted. Even at Day 65. Some days are brutal, and that’s normal.
- One hard day doesn’t break the pattern — “Never miss twice.” Day 65 didn’t undo 70 days of work. It was part of the process.
- Don’t stack stressors — Extended fast + sleep debt = guaranteed crash. Context matters more than willpower.
Ready to Start Your Own Rhythm Reset?
Day sixty-five taught me something critical: The hard days don’t mean you’re failing. They just mean you’re human.
And they definitely don’t mean you should quit.
If you’re ready to start your own fasting journey—with realistic expectations and a sustainable approach—grab my free guide below.
👉 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
Day sixty-five of my Rhythm Reset. Quote from my journal: “Today I HATED FASTING.” Mood: 5 out of 10. Energy: 5 to 6. Mental clarity: 6. Just melancholy all day. Every step felt heavy. Also the day I hit my lightest weight. Thirteen stone one. Lightest point of the entire seventy days.
Best physical result. Worst mental day. Here’s why I’m showing you this.
Right. Day sixty-four. Evening. I’m running an extended fast. Started at 30.5 hours. Planning to push through to forty-four hours total. Last week of the challenge. Want to finish strong.
Between hours twenty-four and twenty-eight, I’m arguing with myself. “You should break it. You’re tired. Have a soup.” “No, keep going. You’ve done this before.” “But you feel rough.” “Push through.”
Took my biomarkers at twenty-four hours. Ketones: 0.6 GKI: 6.7 Mild ketosis. Nothing dramatic.
I decided to push through. Pride, basically. Last week. Want to finish strong. Forty-four hours. Done. Went to bed.
Woke up on Day sixty-five. Four hours sleep. Quality: Five out of ten. Felt… broken.
Got up. Did my morning weigh-in. Thirteen stone one. Lightest weight of the entire seventy days.
Should’ve felt great, yeah? Victory lap. Proof the system works. I felt nothing. No excitement. No energy. No sense of achievement. Just… flat.
Mood: 5 Energy: 5 to 6 Mental Clarity: 6
Here’s what I wrote: “Mood at best a 5. Just melancholy all day.” “Energy a 6. Did 8,000 steps but felt every one today.” “Mental clarity held it together but I am glad I work for myself and had the option to not be client-facing.” “Rating for the day a begrudging 5.” “Today I HATED FASTING.”
Everything felt like wading through treacle. Brain fog. Not sharp fog. Just… dull. Holding a conversation felt like hard work. Forced myself to do 8,000 steps. Felt. Every. Single. One.
Worked from home. Glad I didn’t have clients to see. Couldn’t have fronted that.
Extended Fast + Sleep Debt = Guaranteed Crash I knew this from Days fifty-seven and fifty-eight. But I pushed through anyway.
Because it was the last week. Because I wanted to finish strong. Because I thought I could power through. Pride.
Lesson learned: You can’t out-willpower biochemistry. Every time.
So after Day sixty-five, I wanted to understand something. Why did one brutal day not derail seventy days of work? Found James Clear’s research. Atomic Habits. And he’s got this principle: “Never miss twice.”
Here’s how Clear explains it. You’re walking to work in January. Icy pavement. You slip.
Two choices: Choice 1: Get up. Brush yourself off. Keep walking. You’re five seconds behind schedule.
Choice 2: Sit down on the ice and wait for spring. Most people choose option two.
“I’ve ruined it. I had pizza Friday night. Week’s destroyed. May as well order Deliveroo all weekend, start fresh Monday.”
One slip equals five seconds lost. Sitting on the ice for three days equals hypothermia.
Clear’s principle: “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.” One slip-up is life. Two is a choice.
Day sixty-five was brutal. I hated fasting. Mood five. Energy six. Melancholy all day. That was one slip. Not a slip in behavior. A slip in how it felt.
The question was: What do I do on Day sixty-six?
Path 1: “Fasting’s too hard. I’m done. I quit.” (Sitting on the ice)
Path 2: “That was rough. I’ll prioritize sleep tonight and get back on tomorrow.” (Get up, keep walking) I chose Path 2. And Clear’s research proves that’s the difference.
One hard day doesn’t break the pattern. Quitting because of one hard day does.
Day sixty-six. Went to bed early. Eight hours sleep. Quality: Eight out of ten. Woke up feeling human again. Mood: 7 to 8 Energy: 7 to 8 Mental Clarity: Back to normal
One good night’s sleep. Everything reset.
I didn’t quit. I didn’t think “fasting doesn’t work.” I didn’t abandon the pattern. I just recovered.
By Day sixty-six evening, I got a letter from my GP. Blood test results. All markers: Normal range. Optimum health. Twenty months medication-free.
Day sixty-five was the worst day. Day sixty-six reminded me why I was doing this. Both days matter.
Most people don’t show Day sixty-five. They show the wins. The lightest weight. The energy highs. The “fasting feels effortless” days.
That’s the highlight reel. And it’s misleading. Because it makes you think: “Everyone else finds this easy. I’m the only one struggling.” Rubbish.
I’m ten weeks into a structured fasting reset. I’ve lost 4.5 stone over eighteen months. I’ve been fasting regularly for two years. I’m adapted.
And I still had a day where I hated it.
The truth: Fasting isn’t always easy. Even when you’re fat-adapted. Even when you know what you’re doing. Even when the system usually works. Some days are brutal.
Three Reasons This Matters
Reason 1: You’re Not Broken
If you have a hard day, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Doesn’t mean you’re not adapted. Doesn’t mean you should quit. It just means you’re human.
Reason 2: Context Matters
Day sixty-five was hard because: Extended fast (44 hours) Sleep debt (4 hours) Last week pressure (wanting to finish strong) Three stressors stacked. Remove one? Probably fine. Stack all three? Crash.
It’s not about fasting being “hard” or “easy.” It’s about context. Good sleep, short fast? Easy. Sleep debt, extended fast? Brutal.
Reason 3: Honesty Builds Trust
If I only showed you the good days, you’d think: “This worked for Neil because he’s got more discipline.” “This worked for Neil because he doesn’t struggle.” “This worked for Neil because he’s different.” None of that’s true. I struggle. I have brutal days. I hate fasting sometimes. And I still got results. Because the pattern matters. Not one hard day.
Day sixty-five. I hated fasting. Mood five. Energy six. Mental clarity six. Melancholy all day.
Also the day I hit my lightest weight.
The paradox: Best physical result. Worst mental day. That’s the lesson.
Truth 1: Fasting isn’t always easy Even when adapted. Even when it usually works. Some days are brutal.
Truth 2: One hard day doesn’t break the pattern “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.” Day sixty-five didn’t undo seventy days of work. It was part of the process.
Truth 3: Honesty matters more than highlight reels
You need to see the hard days. Not to scare you. To prepare you. So when you have your Day sixty-five, you don’t think you’ve failed. You just think: “This is hard. Neil said it would be sometimes. I’ll recover.” And you do.
Four Steps
Here’s what you do when you hit your Day sixty-five.
Step 1: Recognize It’s Temporary It feels brutal today. Tomorrow will be better. Especially if you prioritize sleep tonight. Day sixty-five: Brutal. Day sixty-six: Human again. One good night’s sleep.
Step 2: Don’t Stack Stressors If you slept poorly: Don’t do an extended fast. If you’re stressed: Don’t push through a hard fast.If you’re having a brutal day: Break the fast early.
Stubborn: “I’ll power through no matter what.” Intelligent: “My body’s telling me something. I’ll adjust.” One leads to burnout. One leads to sustainability.
Step 3: Track It Write it down. “Today was brutal. Mood 5. Energy 6. Slept 4 hours. Extended fast was too much.” That’s data. Next time you’re tempted to do an extended fast on four hours sleep? You’ve got evidence it doesn’t work.
Step 4: Get Back On (Never Miss Twice) Day sixty-five: Brutal. Day sixty-six: Back on. One slip equals five seconds lost. Get up. Brush yourself off. Keep walking. Don’t sit on the ice and wait for spring. One bad day is life. Two in a row is a choice.
Today I hated fasting. I’m showing you that because you need to know: It’s not always easy. Even at Day sixty-five. Even when you’re adapted. Even when the system usually works. Some days are hard. And I still lost a stone over seventy days. Because I didn’t quit on Day sixty-five. I recovered. I adjusted. I kept going. “Never miss twice.” The hard days don’t mean you’re failing. They just mean you’re human.
Quick reminder: This is what happened to me on Day sixty-five. Your experience might be different.
Educational content, not medical advice. Speak to your GP before changing your fasting pattern. Your body. Your journey. Your decision.
Next up:
“3.5 Inches Off My Waist in 70 Days.”
Weight tells one story. Waist measurement tells another.
And mine tells a better one.
See you there.
⚠️ 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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