CarbSmart.com Your trusted guide to the keto, low carb, intermittent fasting lifestyle
Includes 17 Atkins Fat Fast Recipes!
01/28/13 Recipes updated and modernized by Dana Carpender, now formatted for easy printing.
06/21/16 All recipe photographs updated.
A Fat Fast is short, 3 to 5 day cycle when you follow a strict weight loss meal plan to induce ketosis and break through any metabolic stalls. When used in addition to your regular low carb healthy diet plan, your Fat Fast jump starts weight loss whether you’re going low carb for the first time or powering through a plateau.
[bctt tweet=”Atkins Fat Fast – Breaking A Low Carb Weight Loss Stall – Includes 17 Atkins Fat Fast Recipes!”]
 by Dana Carpender, Amy Dungan & Rebecca Latham |
 by Dana Carpender & Andrew DiMino |
Introducing CarbSmart’s Fat Fast Cookbook:
- Are you having trouble losing weight, even on the Atkins Induction phase?
- Have you lost weight successfully on low carb, but hit a plateau or started to regain weight even though you’re still following your low carb diet?
- Are you looking for a way to add more healthy fat to your low carb diet?
- Are you interested in jump-starting your weight loss the low carb way?
Learn more about CarbSmart’s Fat Fast Cookbook.
Life in the Low Carb Lane – How to Break a Keto Plateau
You might also hear a Fat Fast being called the Atkins Diet Fat Fast or the Fat Fast Diet – they’re the same thing. A Fat Fast as outlined by Dr. Atkins in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution is a tool that low carbers who are metabolically resistant can use to get themselves quickly into ketosis. Ketosis means that our bodies are using stored fat for energy, which is exactly what you want it to do, right?
The Fat Fast is also used by many low carbers (myself among them) to break a weight loss plateau or get back on track when they have gone off-plan.
Since the classic Atkins Fat Fast is pretty strict, I’ve included 17 quick fat fast recipes near the end of this article.
Simply put, an Atkins Diet Fat Fast consists of a 3 or 5-day cycle in which you consume just 1,000 calories a day. 90% of those calories should come from fat. Important note: a Fat Fast should not be extended beyond 5 days because it is deficient in protein. After your fast is over, you can go back to your regular low carb diet plan.
[bctt tweet=”A Fat Fast is a 3 or 5-day cycle where you consume 1,000 calories a day, 90% of calories from fat.”]Dr. Atkins states that eating 4 or 5 mini-meals is better for getting our bodies into ketosis than eating one large meal, especially when you’re doing a Fat Fast. During a Fat Fast, you may consume either four 250-calorie mini-meals or five 200-calorie mini-meals.
Consuming these small meals frequently throughout the day actually works better than complete fasting, and you’ll have an easier time with it than you would if you ate a glob of cream cheese in the morning and fasted for the rest of the day.
In his book, Dr. Atkins specifically mentions cream cheese and macadamia nuts as the “perfect” Fat Fast foods.
Ten ounces of cream cheese would be an entire day’s food allotment; divide the cream cheese into five 2-ounce servings. You could also opt for 5 ounces of macadamia nuts split into five 1-ounce servings and consumed throughout the day if you like that better…or you can get ideas from the recipes in this post.
[bctt tweet=”Cream cheese & macadamia nuts are perfect Fat Fast foods, but CarbSmart has a bunch of delicious free Fat Fast recipes, too.”]You might be looking at those serving sizes and thinking: that’s not a lot of food. You’re right.
I find that when I do an Atkins Diet Fat Fast, I think about food constantly. I don’t obsess about food because of hunger – surprisingly, I do not get hungry on a Fat Fast – it’s just because I can’t have any of the foods that I really want, so I kind of obsess about it.
A Fat Fast makes regular strict low carbing look absolutely luxurious. Good thing it’s only a few days.
I’m going to be completely honest here:
I hate, loathe, and detest doing a Fat Fast.
I get grumpy because I get frustrated. My family says that I don’t, but that just makes me think that they don’t notice the difference and maybe, just maybe, I’m a pretty grumpy person all the time. It’s either that or the kids are ignoring me in the same way they do when I tell them to clean their rooms or do their homework. Or perhaps they simply value their lives and know when to keep their mouths shut. The survival instinct is very strong in my brood.
Another important note: “But I was doing the Fat Fast!” is not a legitimate legal defense for mayhem or murder. I know this is true. I’ve checked.
OK, I know what you want to ask me: “If an Atkins Fat Fast diet is so incredibly awful to get through, why do you do it, you stupid woman?!”
Well, you might not say the “stupid woman” part because you are ever so polite, but I know you’re thinking it.
But seriously, why do I do it? Because it works for me. If I am not in ketosis when I start a Fat Fast, I am when it’s over. If I am having cravings to beat the band and hanging on by the skin of my teeth, when the Fat Fast is over the cravings are G – O – N – E and I’m perfectly happy to go back to munching on chicken legs and salads. If I’ve hit a plateau and stopped losing weight, my weight loss is jump started.
When I look back at the results, 5 days of being grumpy isn’t all that bad.
Let’s Talk About Fat Fast Weight Loss Results
[bctt tweet=”I’ve done a 5 day Fat Fast a half a dozen times & each time I lost 5-8 pounds!”]I’ve done a 5 day Fat Fast a half a dozen times in the last three years, and each time I lost between 5 and 8 pounds during the cycle. After I go back to my usual low carb weight loss meal plan, I gain 2 to 4 of those pounds back, but have always ended up with a net loss of 2 to 4 pounds.
Your experience may be different from mine. The only way to find out for sure is to try it.
Of course, a lot of people don’t even consider doing a Fat Fast diet to get into ketosis or to break a stall because they can’t stand the idea of subsisting on plain cream cheese and/or macadamia nuts for 3 days, and I don’t blame them. I don’t know about you, but I would be more likely to be able to cut off my big toe with a dull paring knife than I would be able to gag down 10 ounces of plain cream cheese. My throat closes up at the very thought.
And I don’t particularly like macadamia nuts, either.
Well, I don’t have to choke down plain cream cheese or eat macadamia nuts, thank goodness, and you don’t, either.
Dr. Atkins lists several alternatives in his chapter on a Fat Fast, and although caviar and avocados don’t appeal to me, you may very well like them.
I have also developed a list of alternative food choices for a Fat Fast, which I’ve listed below. Some of them don’t quite come up to the “90% of the calories from fat” parameter, but they come close enough and have worked for me. I find that these Fat Fast recipes make the cycle much more pleasant, even if I still get pretty grumpy.
Fat Fast Free Recipes (My Atkins Fat Fast Menu)
There is one further plus to a Fast Fast diet which I haven’t mentioned yet:
Unlike a lot of diet meal plans, there is very little food preparation involved in the Fat Fast. None of the ideas or recipes listed below will take you more than 5 minutes to prepare.
[bctt tweet=”CarbSmart.com has 17 FREE easy to make Atkins Fat Fast Recipes all with photos!”]Fat Fast Coffee with Heavy Cream Recipe
Fat Fast 4 Strips of Bacon Recipe
Fat Fast Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Recipe
Fat Fast Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery Recipe
Fat Fast Pork Rinds and Sour Cream Recipe
Fat Fast Pork Rinds With Sour Cream Dip Recipe
Fat Fast Peanut Butter Stuffed Celery
Fat Fast Flavored Whipped Cream Recipe
Fat Fast Sour Cream Cucumbers Recipe
Fat Fast Tuna Salad Recipe
Fat Fast Egg Yolk Dip Recipe
Fat Fast Peanut Butter Pudding Recipe
Fat Fast Float Low-Carb High-Fat Recipe
Fat Fast Gelatin-Flavored Whipped Cream Recipe
Fat Fast Cream Cheese Gelatin Chunks Recipe
Fat Fast Chocolate Whip Recipe
Fat Fast Gelatin Whip Recipe
Do you have any favorite Fat Fast diet tips, tricks or recipes? Please let us know below or email [email protected].
Further Reading About Fat Fasting
- Find over 35 free Fat Fast Diet Recipes.
- Atkins Fat Fast Really Is As Awesome As I Thought by Dana Carpender
- Can You Do The HCG Diet and Atkins Fat Fast At The Same Time? by Dana Carpender
- Update: Slow Burn Workout Goes Well On My Fat Fast by Dana Carpender
- The Fat Fast Is It For You? by Jacqueline Eberstein, RN
- Using the Fat Fast & A Ketogenic Diet For Menopausal Weight Loss
 by Dana Carpender, Amy Dungan & Rebecca Latham |
 by Dana Carpender & Andrew DiMino |
Introducing CarbSmart’s Fat Fast Cookbook:
- Are you having trouble losing weight, even on the Atkins Induction phase?
- Have you lost weight successfully on low carb, but hit a plateau or started to regain weight even though you’re still following your low carb diet?
- Are you looking for a way to add more healthy fat to your low carb diet?
- Are you interested in jump-starting your weight loss the low carb way?
Learn more about CarbSmart’s Fat Fast Cookbook.
Back to Life in the Low Carb Lane by Di Bauer – CarbSmart Magazine’s editor offers her view of low carbing and helpful tips to make low carbing easier and more productive.
Back to CarbSmart Magazine – the online resources for hundreds of articles supporting the low carb dieter, diabetics and people reducing their sugar intake.
I’ve started the Fat Fast today! Unfortunately I can’t say it has been a complete success so far. I was so hungry this morning that I ate 950 calories of cream cheese by 12 midday. (Crap!) Since then I’ve been drinking a heap of water and then I just ate a can of tuna in oil. (Which brings today’s caloric intake to 1150… Sooo I went slightly over my 1000 calorie limit, but its still a HUGE difference from what I was eating which was around 2200 a day. Tomorrow will be a better day, as I won’t be stuck at home staring at the cupboard, ill have work to distract me 🙂 Anyway, today’s starting weight is 68kg (150 pounds) … I plan on going for the 5 days 🙂 ill do my best to update everyday, wish me luck!
Yes let us know how it goes. I am starting today also. Need to drop several pounds of boob to fit into my mother of the bride gown by may 25. Fingers crossed!
Just started today. Made 5 1oz bags of macadamia nuts, 3 bags down, only 2 left. I’m a 215 pound male who is used to eating over 3000 calories a day, so I’m dying.
Stick with it Greg, you should see the difference.
I lasted 4 days and lost 4kg! Had an atkins binge on the 5th and 6th day.. (By atkins binge, I mean I ate way over my calorie intake but kept my carbs under 20g, just ate my fat fast food for the day, plus add on a big juicy steak, extra peanut butter and lots of cheese and sugarfree chocolate) and only put on 1kg, so my loss stands at 3kg! Currently 65kg! Doing another fat fast for a few days to lose my last 5kg! I can sum up my fat fast experience as very easy and simple. I still worked 9 hour days, on my feet for the entire 9 hours, didn’t feel overly hungry either and no lack of energy. The only reason I binged was because of 2 social outings I went to, and of course I got home from these outings and ate an atkins dessert of SF choc + peanut butter. On my fat fasting days, I ate 90% of my calorie allowance before work, (cream cheese or peanut butter, 900 calories worth) drank 1 black coffee.with cream for lunch and 1 can of tuna in oil for dinner, everyday my intake was 1200 calories. )Not even at the 1000) and still lost the weight 🙂 I really recommend the fat fast.
WOW!!! Way to go, Rebecca!!! I just started the fat fast today and you’ve just motivated me to get through it! lol I’m doing it for 4 days just like you. And what a relief to know that you can go over on calories a bit and still lose. I like to take hour-long walks at night so I’m sure I’ll be fine if I bump it up to 1200. 😉
Hi, this is my 1st day. I am ready for bed, and starving,,,, before I started today’s FAT FAST, I have been on induction for 2 1/2 weeks, and have lost a big 0 lbs. my cloths fit a bit looser, but I want that DAM scale to move down,, Maybe it’s my age, 52, had breast cancer 5 years ago, and gained 50 lbs.from cemo. So I really need to loose this weight. I am very determined,, So I hope this FAT FAST works… Anybody else having a slow weight loss from menapause, or CEMO, please let me know what worked for you. Thanks,,, {can’t waite for breakfast,,, I’m starving}
Sherry, like yourself I am older, and spent 3 months on Atkins and lost a whopping 5 lbs. — pretty discouraging ! This was even with the introduction of fencing and snowboarding once a week which are very high calorie burning sports. I started the Fat Fast 5 days ago, along with walking 3-4 miles each day, consuming 72 oz. of water, and voila ! 5 lbs. in one week. For me, because I eat bacon for a couple (or more!) meals, my protein levels did not drop too low. I probably should be taking a multi vitamin each day, but didn’t (too hard to choke them down !). Good luck, and hope this works for you.
I would go to intermittent fasting right now! Start out with NO breakfast. Move to 20-23 hr fast. If your tough try a 48 hr fast. There are diminishing results beyond 48 hrs.
Your story is my story. Had breast cancer in 2007, age 47, survived the ordeal, lost and gained 22kg’s. Tried numerous diets to lose this weight to no avail. In 2013 I started the Atkins diet and continued on Prof. Tim Noakes LCHF diet. I established that I was insulin resistant and subsequently lost 18kg’s on this diet. A year later, feeling healthier than ever, it was the best solution to my problem. I Highly recommend this diet to anyone who is insulin resistant, diabetic and struggling to lose weight on other diets. It works if you stick to the diet and then it becomes a way of life. Good luck on your journey to looking and feeling good.
To the author of this page – thank you for such a great laugh! For all of us fighting the battle of the bulge – and feeling grumpiness of starting a new program (carb withdrawals) – it helps us to see we’re not alone!
I did Atkins … oh… 20 years ago – and lost 52 lbs in a year and then, like so many others – fell off the wagon. Actually – the reason I fell off the wagon was because after a year of following only phase 1 (my bad!) – I was having a very bad body reaction to it. You know – it might not have even been a year I was on it. Anyway – because of my own stupidity (yes, I can follow a plan – but not all the rules apply to me…ahem…like the original Atkins saying to do phase 1 only 2 weeks and then gradually adding in carbs… if I remember correctly – there were fewer than 20 carbs in the original Atkins – and it was all protein… so by not following the rules – well – there were consequences).
So – after 2 babies – my weight was not in a happy place (and no – didn’t gain the weight during pregnancy – gained it after when breastfeeding and dear hubby would fry up a mess of french fries and say “honey – you have to eat them – I made some for you too – you need to keep your calories up when you’re breastfeeding… then it was nachos, the chicken wings… then ice cream…and of course he couldn’t just eat by himself!!!). So 2 years ago I followed IP – and lost 37 lbs – but kept plateuing and couldn’t figure out why. After reading another Atkins book – I realized it was because (at least I’m hoping this is the fact – since I started Atkins 4 days ago again) – that it was because I wasn’t varying my food varieties every day. I would eat salad every day with IP… and eat the same shakes and puddings everyday (because I didn’t care for the fruit drink mixes, etc).
So – as I was reading a post on Atkins Forum – I read about a fat fast – and didn’t know what it was (I guess I haven’t read the latest book – need to get it now!) – so thank you for writing this page with the great recipes. I know that when I hit a plateau – there’s something out there I can follow to kick start everything again.
Plus – the humour was great!!!! (***Note: “But I was doing the Fat Fast!” is not a legitimate legal defense for mayhem or murder. I know this is true. I’ve checked.) LOL!!!!
I’m loving the fat fast! It’s my first time trying it – I never needed it before, but now at age 40 my weight won’t budge anymore even on the strictest low-carb/exercise plan. Two weeks a month, carb cravings are out of control & sabotage my efforts. I’m used to not eating a lot of food at any time, so the small servings isn’t a huge departure from my normal life. I thought this would be torture, but I’m actually enjoying it a lot. From the 1st day, my annoying appetite was finally curbed & the carb cravings stopped (I started this fast during peak carb-craving time). I’m eating mainly plain cream cheese, which I like & is easily portioned. So far, I’m not tired, my mind feels sharp, & I’m feeling good, so I’m not experiencing any negative side effects. Hope to be in ketosis soon! I miss Dr Atkins.
Hey I think I will make a cheesecake as I could eat that all day long. Going to try this fat fast. Wish me luck!
Gretchen, that sounds yummy! Let us know how your fat fast goes! We are rooting for your success!
I did the fat fast the first time with the cheese cake and it did not do well. Someone said cream cheese inhabited weight lose. The next time I did more chicken or tuna salad with lots of mayo. This time I lost 5.5# in 5 days. I have kept most of my weight off, although looking to go back on the fat fast for at least 3 days if not the 5 as I would like to jump start losing some before Christmas and all the eating. I did make a pumpkin cheesecake w/splenda for Thanksgiving, although I did have some mashed potatoes. Hope to stay on Low carb better for Christmas.
Interesting. Now I want to do an experiment. Might wait till after the holidays, though.
Hey,
Hey,
I am 21 and developed a thyroid condition 2 years ago, which resulted in a whopping 20 lb gain. I am working on it with natural remedies and vitamins but losing weight is IMPOSSIBLE!!.
I tried induction but I did not lose anything. So I am going to try the fat fast.
Another big problem is I can’t eat dairy so my menu is a little depressing but hopefully it will work. It is 82% fat 12%protein 7%carbs
After reading your article and all the comments I am really motivated to stick with it!
I don’t think I can do it three days in a row but I will alternate fat fast days with induction days…
Wish me luck 🙂
Good luck!
Also, am I to assume from this that you’re on no thyroid medication at all? Be aware that low thyroid can increase your risk for other health problems, including heart disease. Have you considered looking for a doctor who prescribes Armour Thyroid, the natural dessicated thyroid tablet? It’s been a godsend for me.
Don’t know what supplements you’re taking, but I’m sure you know that iodine is essential for thyroid function. Thyroid hormone also contains tyrosine, an amino acid, and selenium. I had to cut back on my Armour Thyroid a little when I started taking all three. Worth looking at, at any rate.
Thanks Dana!
I am seeing a holistic healer right now who has helped me tremendously in the past with other issues. I will speak to my doctor about the Armour Thyroid if this doesn’t work .
On another note can you eat veggies like lettuce on induction??
Yes! Dr. Atkins actually specified that Induction should include 2 cups per day of very low carb salad vegetables or 1 cup of salad and 1/2 cup cooked low carb vegetables. So yes, lettuce is fine.
Dana, in “the new atkins for a new you workbook” page 13, colette states that to achieve the recommended minimum of 12-15 n/c per day we have to eat roughtly 6 cups of salad veggies and 2 cups of cooked.
which version are you reading? i like yours better <3
(not sure if this posted ca
use i hit a key but if it did and needed to be moderated just del this repeat 🙂
in the new atkins for a new you workbook, collette states on page 13 we need to eat 6 cups of raw veg AND 2 cups cooked to meet the 12-15 netcarb requirement.
which version are you reading dana? cause i like yours better. 8 cups of vegg/day is NUTZO
Hey,
so I completed the fat fast today and I felt really great! I was not sure if eating veggies was allowed but I calculated the carbs and it all fit the proper fat fast guidelines.
Here was my menu. Please let me know what you think:
1. 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk with 1 tbs of mayo – coffee with splash of almond milk, stevia and little splenda
2. 1 oz almonds
3. 1 oz walnuts
4. 6 oz romaine lettuce, 1 tbs mayo, 1 tbs flax seed oil, spices 1/2 cucumber
5. 6 oz romaine lettuce, 1 tbs mayo, 1 tbs flax seed oil, spcies, 1/2 cucumber
6. decaf coffee with splash of almond milk , stevia and a little splenda
The total nutritional info:
1,000
84% fat
9% protein
7% carb
I see no problem with this; I’ve eaten very low carb vegetables on my fat fast, too, particularly lettuce and cabbage.
Glad you liked it! I really do feel best when I’m in measurable ketosis.
What do you do about fiber on the fat fast? Any recommendations to avoid constipation? I tend to be prone to it if I don’t take a fiber supplement. Are sugar free fiber supplements okay?
I eat shirataki and nuts on my fat fasts, both of which are high in fiber. I also sometimes eat lettuce salads with olive oil for the fat. That said, all that fat has a tendency to, uh, grease the skids. Indeed, the first day or two I’m more likely to have the opposite problem.
To answer your last question, I don’t see why a fiber supplement with no other carbs/protein/fat would be a problem. But again, be sure you actually need it.
I can see short term but this sure looks unhealthy to me. Also if you have to lose just a few pounds might be ok. No fruits and veggiesthough?
Do you have to take vitamins?
I started Weight Watchers which it the total opposite of fat fasting in Jan and to date have lost 55 pounds. Lots of fruit and veggies and you can stay on it all your life. It is just common sense and portion control.
You can expect to lose up to 2 pounds a week, but more is not unusual.
Since you fill up on veggies and fruit you are never hungry, I am eating constantly. Seems like this fat fasting is not only unhealthy but you are hungry while you are doing this. I would be super cranky trying to stay on this.
I assume you think my fat fasting is unhealthy because it is, indeed, very high fat, and you still believe that fat is unhealthy. I assure you, since increasing fat as a percentage of my diet, my health has improved, including getting off of two blood sugar drugs.
And I think you’d be surprised at the degree of appetite suppression that deep ketosis creates.
I just had blood work done, and posted an article about the results, which were excellent. Take a look.
If this is just short term no problem. If you just have a little weight to lose no problem. What about fruit and veggies, I see nothing like that here.
Jane,
I am happy that WW worked for you, it didn’t for me. Not everyone’s body will respond the same to any diet. On WW (two different times) I was CONSTANTLY hungry and thinking about food all the time. I found that a low carb approach has worked best for me. With the fat and the protein consumed I was not hungry and was able to eat much less calories in a day. The appetite and cravings are gone. In the past when I consumed too many carbs (no matter from fruits, vegetables, cereal, or chips), my stomach was rumbling within an hour to be fed again. You need to understand that the fat fasting being discussed here IS a temporary plan to help break a plateau. I don’t think anyone has been promoting it as a long term solution. On the regular low carb plans there is room for fruits and vegetables.
I actually lost 20 lbs on weight watchers. BUT, my blood sugar almost doubled! My doctor put me on metformin. Now I am on Keto and blood sugar is dropping steadily. Different bodies. Lost 25 on Keto (but it took 3 months!) and hoping the fat fast will get me out of the stall. I am 73 and I know that is part of it.
I wouldn’t want to follow a diet where I had to eat constantly. I am not an herbivore and it is not appropriate for me to graze. And a diet too low in animal foods is going to set you up for other problems later.
Counting points is also a pain. Once you get used to what you would typically eat at a given carb level it makes the rest very easy. You don’t have to stay 100 percent on top of counting like you would with points as long as you’re not stalling or gaining.
This is supposed to be temporary, if you read the article. No one said do it forever. The author states very clearly that going longer than five days will cause too much protein loss. It’s a metabolic reset, nothing more. You’re not just losing weight–you want to lose *fat*. Ketosis is the way to get there. Low-calorie makes you lose muscle and bone too, because most low-calorie eaters cut out the foods they need to maintain those tissues.
I know this is an old conversation but I am posting it for anyone else who comes along.
Thanks, Other Dana!
Oh forgot my blood work is very good too, with a loss of 50 pounds I now have gone off blood pressure and cholesterol medication.
My fat fast foods include asparagus with butter or wasabi mayo, coleslaw with mayo/sour cream dressing, and a romaine salad with plenty of olive oil. That said, I’ve never fat fasted for longer than 6 days. The rest of the time, I don’t monitor calories, just make sure to weight my diet toward less protein than formerly, and more fat — and the easiest ways for me to get more fat include very fatty vegetable dishes, like the pan-fried cauliflower in duck fat and Amish butter I made last night. 😀
Thanks for this blog on fat fasts. I don’t see any specifics about what is actually being eaten at each meal. I’m getting the impression that you either eat P.B. or cream cheese, or macadamia nuts all day until you reach your 1000 cal. bench mark. It’s too little info. How do you eat through out the day especially if you are cooking for a family? I’m extremely insulin resistent and know this is what I need to do to break through the inability to lose in induction. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
We’re going to do a Fat Fast cookbook, but here are some things I eat:
1 ounce of pepperoni, microwaved on high for 90 seconds, till crisp, spread with 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
1 ounce macadamia nuts OR pecan halves sauteed in butter
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese spread on about 1/2 ounce of pork rinds, with sweetened jalapeno slices dotting the cheese
Tofu shirataki fettucini with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon parmesan
Mushroom caps stuffed with either chive-and-onion cream cheese or Boursin, and baked with just a tiny bit of chicken broth in the pan, to keep them moist
Coleslaw made with sour cream and homemade mayo
Traditional shirataki turned into Sesame Noodles with a tablespoon each of almond butter and coconut oil, plus a little ginger, soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, and dark sesame oil
I often start the day with two eggs scrambled in a whole tablespoon of coconut oil — this more protein and calories for a “feeding” than is traditional, but I love eggs and have chickens in the yard, and if I do this I stay higher fat the rest of the day.
We plan to have a book out in ebook format by January.
Hope this helps!
Well I just finished a full week of my fat fast. I chose to extend it a few days because I had only lost 2 lbs. by day 4. I’m very excited to report that I lost a total 4 lbs. in 7 days!! This was sooo rewarding!! I’m a 56 yr old female that felt like I was never going to be able to lose my menopausal weight gain. I’ve decided to continue to count my calories by adding 200 more including more veggies. Just wanted to share!! Please respond if you feel I should leave the calorie counting and just go straight to induction. Thanks for all the info.
Actually, I’d probably increase protein just a smidge, since straight fat-fasting is a little protein deficient. Divide your healthy body weight in pounds by 2, and aim for that many grams or slightly fewer per day. (I used to eat considerably more protein than this, but have learned that my body turns it into sugar far too readily.) At 4 calories per gram, you can add, say, 20 grams of protein and still have room for a good big dose of extra veggies.
I’m assuming you need to drink at least 8 cups of water a day while doing the Atkins Fat Fast???
I don’t make a point of it, I just drink my usual gallons of tea.
Why are calories restricted to 1,000? Is this the same for people of any weight/body fat composition?
That’s what Dr. A recommended, and what Kekwick and Pawan used in their original research. Remember, this is only short term, maybe 3-6 days.
My IR has finally driven me to the Fat Fast, though I find it a challenge to get the 90% fat goal. I use Livestrong MyPlate for recording intake, but I suspect I need not be too obsessed with the numbers, since they show 5oz macadamias 88.7 fat, 2.5 carbs, 3.7 protein. So far I’m over 80%. I appreciate your suggestions, ideas, for food options. Also found some good ideas in several places. Today I had a chocolate mouse using solids from a can of chilled coconut mlk, about 1c, whipped, with 20g Lindt 99% melted and cooled with some heavy cream then added with a few drops stevia. Very satisfying. Hlad to find a place where others are also using this FF plan.
Hi,
I have been following Atikins for 1.5 years and have been 20pounds from goal for the past 7 months. I finally had enough, read this post yesterday morning and started the fat fast. My intake % as follows: 90% fat, 7%protein, 3% carb. I drank tons of water (which is normal for me) and ate cream cheese, butter, and bacon. My calorie intake was 1250 (not 1000 as recommended). I gained 0.4 pound this morning. . .anyone else gain on their first day of a Fat Fast – or is this unique to me?
Thanks for the article and tips! I usually eat low carb, but fell off the wagon too much as Thanksgiving approached and happened. Sunday I weighed myself for the first time in 2 weeks and had gained 5 pounds, so I went on a fat fast diet. I lost 5 pounds the first two days and hit my normal average weight! Sticking with it through Thursday or Friday to try to kick a few more, than transitioning back to my normal low carb eating. Yay!
HOORAY! HOORAY!
back in august i went on f.f. and lost 4 lbs. in 7 days. i was very excited and hopeful that i was on the right track to weight loss. I made the decision to not eat ANY grains b/c they stalled my weight loss progress, even the lo-carb stuff. It’s now the end of Nov. and i’m a little disappointed with my overall loss which is only 10 lbs. I’ve been very disciplined and wondering if I should go back to either the f.f. or stay lo-carb but go back to counting calories? I admit I’m not sure of the total cal i consume in a day but i don’t think i’m eating that much. I will eat a tbsp of pb if i start to feel hungry midday. Any advice will be appreciated!!
I think the first thing to do is keep track for a few weeks, so you know exactly what you’re getting. You may, indeed, need to count calories as well as carbs. I also find that I do best if I limit my protein a bit; I shoot for about 70-80 grams per day, instead of the 120 grams I was formerly getting. But start with simple tracking. I have My Fitness Pal on my phone, the free version, I think, and it’s reasonably easy to use. It wants me to limit my fat and eat more carbs, of course, but I ignore that part.
Dana,
I’m starting the fat fast today with my husband and have one question. You say in the article above that you usually gain back a few pounds after stopping the F.F. and going back on your restricted carb diet. Do you know why this should be so? Do the carbs on a consistent low carb diet really add up to that much weight when contrasted with the F.F.? Or is it water weight? What’s the reason for it? I ask because I can’t help finding that fact a bit discouraging. Thanks much,
Jo
thanks for the advice. i’ll use the app as suggested. that will help me keep track away from home.
Thanks for all the great information!! I’m curious, do you eat two or three of the above recipes? What exactly do you eat in one day? I know it’s 1000 calories but how do I do that from the above info?
Dana
I started the ff today.
Breakfast was 1 stalk celery with 1 1/2 oz cream cheese.
Lunch was 1 can Sardines with 1 pepper shooter
Snack was 12 queen green olives with 2 1/2 oz cream cheese
Dinner was 2 stalks celery with 2 oz cream cheese and 2 tb spoons of chuncky peanut butter (no sugar)
I ended up with 1244 calories – 80% fat, 14% protein, 6% carbs.
Is this close enough for the ff. I was reading some of the recipes. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try one or two. I’d really like this to work – I’ve been at a stand still, only losing 5 pounds in 4 weeks. Also, I’ve only been slightly in ketosis, according to the sticks.
Thanks for any comments
Jodie
I find the FF works for me if I stay above 80% fat and around 1200 calories, though I shoot for more fat and fewer calories. I can’t imagine that you won’t go into a pretty deep ketosis if you keep it up for a couple of days, unless there’s some overwhelming metabolic reason not to.
I have been on Atkins/low carb for 3 1/2 months…I’m down 42 pounds. I’m not sure what you call it but I have a cheat meal every weekend eating whatever I want followed by eating under 5 carbs the following day. After the no carb day I just go back to my reg 20 gram carb limit . It seems to work since I haven’t gained any weight from the cheat meal. The only down side is I go into a carb coma after my cheat meal (so worth it at the time..lol) I love reading all the comments and tips on here, it gives me motivation to see this through!! I have another 110 more pounds to go, I made a promise to myself that I would ride on the fair rides with my two boys!
Sat- cheat meal
Sunday
2 boiled eggs w/spicy mustard
2 pieces of smoked Gouda
Coffee w/ heavy cream and Splenda drops
I cup of pork rinds
Salmon
Steak with Bernaise sauce
I congratulate you on your weight loss achievement but must caution you on your “cheat” day. The system you’re following is not Atkins. The great Dr. would never have approved the idea of ingesting foods that he knew, and all lo-carbers know, are unhealthy, especially for those of us considered obese. I would recommend you do bloodwork to monitor your blood glucose. I tried the one cheat day program myself and found that my body(every BODY is unique) started craving hi carbs again and I became highly insulin resistant, to the point where my doctor wanted to put me on meds.. You are obviously able to handle the insulin surges, but the overall effect of eating grains and sugar WILL slow down your weight loss. The only way for me to get back on track was to do the f.f. and it took 7 days for me to see any results. I’m now back to good health(excellent blood work) and losing weight again. This reply is offered in concern and from personal experience.
Thank you! I just had bloodwork done and all my levels are great…for the first time ever I am not anemic! My glucose is 80(fasting) and overall cholesterol is 145…I’m Asian so my cheat days consist of rice products;)
like the recipes.. good job..
Yay! Thanks!
Love the recipes! You had me laughing through a lot of your post. I am on my second day of the fat fast. The recipes will really help. Thank you so much!
I have been doing the Fat Fast for a week and have not lost any weight or inches. I am 35 years, 5’2″, current weight: 160 lbs, goal weight: 125-130 lbs
My daily meal plan as follows:
Breakfast: 2 eggs fried in coconut oil with 4 slices nitrate free bacon. Tea with heavy cream and 1 Splenda.
Snack: 1 oz macadamia nuts
Lunch: 2 oz rib eye steak cooked in coconut oil with half avocado
Dinner: same as Lunch ( alternate between steak and chicken)
According to carb tracker app, this comes to 900 cals: 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbs
I dont like gyms but I walk 3 miles 2X a week
Am I eating too little? I am so frustrated.
only 2oz steak for lunch and dinner? I’d say you’re eating way too little if your intake is only 900 calories. I’m not on Adkins myself, but I am on a high fat, low carb plan. your bigger concern with any low carb diet is to keep carbs low, not necessarily calories, and fat high. if you’re hungry, eat something (!) low carb (meat, cheese, any of the snacks listed above). Web MD has a metabolism calculator. Check that out and it will tell an estimate of you body’s caloric needs just to FUNCTION let alone give you the energy to work out. Going below that will tell your body it’s starving and you won’t lose weight. My guess is you could probably close to double your intake (keep your fat/protein/carb macros consistent) and actually see loss. But I’m not a dietician – this is just what has worked for me.
source – been HFCL since January, lost 3 inches and 25 lb, I DON’T count calories, just carbs, fat, and protein. There’s a ton of advice out there on low carb diets. Good luck!
Alisha,
This is a Fat Fast. The goal is to consume 1000 calories daily at approx 90% fat. The purpose is to kick start ketosis and/or break a plateau. It is done for 3-5 and is not intended as a permanent weight loss strategy. Use if metabolically resistant. Not sustainable as it lacks sufficient protein.
This really isn’t a fat fast. most people doing low carb/high fat (atkins or keto), keep their carbs at 5% every day and even lower during a fat fast. Your fat should make up 90% of your calories during a fat fast
fat fast is 90% calories from fat. your percentages aren’t right so that’s why it’s not working. cut down on the protein and increase the fat!
try running a keto calculator (you can google many of them) It will tell you where you should be for your goal weight, age, height, activity. It breaks down total calories, fat, carbs, protein. It will keep you sane when your stumped.
I have been on Atkins for 5 days now and haven’t lost 1 lb or anything yet!!! please help. This is what I normally eat
Eggs and meat or meat and cheese
2 cups of salad and 1 chicken leg
meat and veg
coffee no vream or sugar lots of water and gren tea
I also exercise 3 times a day
I meant 3x’s a week 🙂
When you say “1 chicken leg” are you meaning a drumstick or a leg-and-thigh quarter?
And are you adding butter, oil, etc to your food? Because a low carb diet should not be a high protein diet, it should be a high fat/moderate protein diet. I have done far better since I started limiting my protein to about 80-90 grams per day and getting 75-85% of my calories from fat. Jimmy Moore has written about this, too.
Dana, got your Fat Fast book and also downloaded and read Carbsmart magazine, LOVE THEM BOTH!!! Day 2 of my fat fast and so far so good. I thought I read somewhere that after 5 days on the fast you do 2 days of ?? Something and then resume low carb diet. What was the 2 days??
Jackie Eberstein, who was Dr. Atkins’ right hand for thirty years, says that when people have a lot of weight to lose and are badly metabolically resistant, she puts them on a rotation of five days fat-fasting, 2 days of Atkins Induction. They continue the 5/2 rotation until they’ve lost all they need to lose, or can’t handle it any more, whichever comes first.
I think the longest I’ve fat fasted without a break was 8 or 9 days. The longest I know of in a clinical trial was 10.
I like the concept but I think I’d be really tired of cream cheese/peanut butter after a day or two.
Does the original fat fast mean I only have to eat either 10 ounces of cream cheese or 5 ounces of nut
Or does that mean both as in 10 ounces of cream cheese and 5 ounces of nuts?? Plz clear this
And are you adding butter, oil, etc to your food? Because a low carb diet should not be a high protein diet, it should be a high fat/moderate protein diet.
This is some of the best advice I have ever seen anyone give to someone starting on Atkins.
Great advice and great recipes. You’re doing a fantastic job.
I was in a week long stall. I jog daily, 50 minutes, and usually after a run I could count on a small amount of weight loss. Sometimes a large one. But this week my weight wasn’t budging. I decided to eat a bowl of cereal and rice milk 30 minutes before my next run. Did my run and boom, dropped a pound and a half, and have kept losing with the same pre workout carb load. My theory, eating carbs before a workout puts my body into a carb burning mode. When my body runs out of easy carbs to burn it switches to fat. I can usually feel when I run out of carb energy as I hit a wall, but I push through it.
can i do this if i do exercise?
Dana, I bought your ebook Fat Fast Cookbook, downloaded it on my IPad but now it’s gone. Is there any way I can download it again without having to buy it again? I have no idea how it would just disappear, any thoughts? Thanks for any help.
Judy, I have replied privately by email on how to re-download the Fat Fast Cookbook.
If you are downloading to your browser on the iPad, it will not be automatically saved to the iPad because the iPad does not have a normal file system to store the book too, BUT once you download it to the Safari again, you will want to tap the screen and in the top right corner of the screen and a button will appear that says “Open In..”. You will need to save the file in the iBooks or Kindle app which will store it on your iPad.
Sincerely,
Andrew
I could live on the peanut butter/cream cheese. My 6 year old calls it peanut butter cheesecake pudding and it makes for a nice desert for him. I drizzle chocolate coconut oil over it (homemade magic shell).
I am curious what I would eat with lactose intolerance? Has anyone tried this with dairy free options? Although the peanut butter cream cheese sounds incredible, and I am sure I could eat it everyday, but with major consequences!!!
Jamie, I am lactose intolerant too. I live in the UK and can get lactose free cream cheese and cream. If you are in the States and can’t find this, I recommend using coconut cream – refrigerate and use the thick cream in place of cream cheese. This is a very healthy fat! Coconut oil is a great fat and you can buy this in a jar. Very yummy stuff.
Awesome article.
I’m on my third fat fast — i started with a 3 day long (lost 7 lb), 2 days low carb, 5 days fat fast (lost 6.8), 2 days low carb, and now another 5 day. I’ve lost nothing this week, i’m still trying to get back down to what i gained over my 2 days low carb (2 lbs). I’m also dealing with constipation, which i think is most of the problem. I’m eating mostly macadamias or 1 oz chicken + 2 tsp mayo. I’ve tried coffee with heavy cream to try and get things “moving” but haven’t had much luck. I also take Benefiber 3 times a day. Any advice?
I have learned over the years that if I add magnesium to my diet, I become more regular. Your body might need to adjust to the new diet, but after a while, if you don’t become regular, you should take a 200 mg magnesium capsule. If you get no results, then take 2 caps the next night. Keep adding one cap each night until your body is regular again.
Magnesium adds water to the bowels, making your digestive system more responsive.
You should try magnesium citrate powder, it will get things moving. Start out with a low dose and adjust as needed.
Constipation can be very painful, I have several weapons of mass destruction in my closet.
Pericolace 2x a day with FiberStat 2x a day.
or
Drink something extremely hot followed by something extremely cold.
or
Hot coffee with a packet of sugar free hot chocolate added.
Is it 90% of calories from fat or 90% food volume fat?
90 % calories from fat. That means that you won’t be eating a a lot of meat since that throws off the ratios quite a bit even though it has a lot of fat, because it has much more protein. Hence foods like cream cheese, mayo, macadamia nuts and cream.
Maybe this is what I need to get myself keto-adapted.
I have some questions, I recently started a keto diet and kept my carbs under 20gm per day. This is because I suffer from insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and metobolic syndrome. The dr told me the only way I would lose weight is to cut carbs. I lost 8 lbs the first week, however day nine I woke up very nauseous, light heated, and dizzy, I took my blood sugar and it was 45, I had to eat two glucose pills to bring it up. How do you avoid hypoglycemia on a low carb diet?
you need to eat the 90% fat and very little protein, not just keep carbs low. did you do this? i am prediabetic, metabolic syndrome, pcos yet i still managed to have good sugars. lowered but not below 76. never felt dizzy.
perhaps you also did it too long. wait a week or two btwn fat fasts and eat copious amts of low glycemic vegs and adequate protein along with lots of fat. i dont think i’d fat fast longer than 5 or 6 days. even shorter as i get closer to my wgt.
How do you avoid hypoglycemia on a keto diet. Nine days into mine I had a blood sugar reading of 45 and had to take blood glucose pills. I am pre-diabetic and insulin resistant and was told by my dr the only way I could lose weight was to cut carbs.
along the lines of bulletproof coffee but above with cream, i make a fatty green drink with cream. 3 eggs, 1/3-1/2 16oz bag cut n washed greens, little salt, some vanilla, either cinnamon and lime/lemon juice or use cocoa powder. also needs 1/2tsp stevia glycerite or to taste and of course the 1/4 c of cream!! i blend the greens first in 2c of water for a long time, up to 3 min for kale n such. then add in rest. by this pt the drink is warm so i finish by adding 6 ice cubes and as soon as theyre completely crushed i pour.
if the greens are too many carbs for fat fast, like kale might be, use spinach or even half a bunch of parsley.
rite now im not doing dairy so im just eating coconut oil after as its too cold to add to the drink. or using coconut milk for some of the liquid as 1/3c has the same fat as 1T oil. im not eating eggs either so i have to have separate protein…nope whey powders out cuz its dairy n im not eating nuts n seeds either lol
u ppl that can have these basic thngs dont know how luxurious ur diet is!
What about full fat unflavored yogurt on the fat fast?
Thanks!
I just cant get my fats up to 90%. My meals for the fat fast consist of
2 tbsp of cream cheese
1 slice of turkey breast
Coffee with
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tbsp. of butter
1 tbsp. of coconut oil
1 oz of macadamia nuts
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp. of mayonnaise
1 oz of tuna
2 tbsp. of mayonnaise
4 tbsp. of sour cream
That is my usual day, it totals up to 1074 calories, 106 grams of fat, 10 net carbs, and 21 grams of protein. Only about 78% fat.
Manny, that’s actually 89% fat.
Hello, I have been doing the fat fast however, instead of eating the cream cheese plain I’ve been making them as stuffed jalapeno peppers seasoned with garlic salt and cayenne pepper. I have been eating 4 per day, 1 ounce cream cheese in each pepper. However, I was wondering if the seasoning or the peppers will stall me from reaching ketosis? I’ve done the fat fast once before and lost 8 pounds in 4 days. This time around by day 4 I didn’t lose so much as a pound.
Thanks!
It is possible that the spices is stopping your weight loss but more likely it is just your body temporarily adjusting. Don’t get discouraged and keep up the great work!
Andrew
Can someone advise in Grams, not percentage, of Fat, Protein, and Carbs one should intake with a 1000 Calorie plan?
1000 Calories
? Fat
? Carbs
? Protein
90 % calories from fat.
@ Learning: Here is a website that may be of help to you: http://caloriecontrol.org/converting-calories-to-grams-of-fat/
I’d really appreciate someone giving me ideas on what to eat to keep the percentage at 90% fat…. I can not eat pate or caviar, are these just suggestions ? I know there are probably lots of choices, I just need a little help…
Thanks
hello, I was wondering if drinking a “green” drink everyday would make me not go into ketosis or stall my fat burning process while on the fat fast.
Thanks
Micah
thank you for the ideas
Cream cheese gelatin chunks are surprisingly delicious!!! Can’t wait to try the other recipes and get started on my first Fat Fast. Menopause has been rough and all the keto and calorie counting (18g carbs, 1800 cal/day) is not budging any of this weight gain. Fingers crossed this gets things moving the right way!