How to transition from weight loss to maintenance mode?

July 13 2019 by , medical content by in Dr. Jason Fung, High blood pressure, Intermittent fasting, Q&A, Weight loss

How should you transition from weight loss to maintenance mode? Are there guidelines for fasting for health benefits and not weight loss? Is it true that we can never lose fat cells, but only shrink them? And can fasting cause high blood pressure?

It’s time for this week’s Q&A about intermittent fasting and low carb with Dr. Jason Fung:

Life-long maintenance

I do not see too much information about the transition from weight loss to life-long maintenance. It is possible I am just missing it. How do we know when to maintain and what is the recommended plan to do so? Some LCHF plans, like Atkins, give a path to maintenance. What are your thoughts on life-long maintenance?

Thank you,
Zack

There is no specific transition. Weight loss will generally plateau at a specific weight. Sometimes that weight is too high, and that means changing the dietary regimen. The principles all remain the same. Eat if you are hungry. Do not eat if you are not. If you want to lose more weight, increase fasting periods. Eat real foods. etc.

Dr. Jason Fung

Intermittent fasting for health benefits but NOT weight loss?

Hi there,

I have been following a ketogenic diet for 14 weeks and really enjoy it. I’ve lost about 15 lbs (7 kg) in that time and my BMI is now around 20. My main reason for starting the keto diet was for the health benefits (I have moderate ME/CFS) and I’ve seen an amazing reduction in brain fog and slightly less disturbed sleep. I’ve read about autophagy and I think it could really improve my health even further.

Having watched your (and other) videos on fasting, the emphasis tends to be on weight loss and my concern is that I don’t particularly have very much weight left to lose… but yet I really want to give intermittent fasting a try!

Is it possible to fast without invoking weight loss? Are there any particular guidelines available on fasting for autophagy and not weight loss?

Thanks!
Emma

Fasting is simply a part of a normal cycle – feeding and fasting. That is why there is the English word ‘breakfast’ or the meal that breaks your fast. You can’t break a fast if you are not fasting. If you are fasting more, you’ll lose weight. So limiting the fasting times or if your weight is too low, doing it less frequently allows you to fast without losing weight.

Dr. Jason Fung

Fat cells for life

Is it true that we keep all the excess fat cells we have ever generated and that lipolysis can only “shrink” the existing cells?

Andrea

I believe so. Even for those people with minimal visible fat, there is some fat stores. In extreme cases, perhaps it may not be true, for all practical purposes, yes. It doesn’t make any difference clinically, though.

Dr. Jason Fung

Fasting causing high blood pressure

Asking about possible reasons why blood pressure would increase during fasting. Not asking for medical advice.

Attempted 72-hour fast which had to be stopped at about 58 hours due to hypoglycemic symptoms; sweating, shakiness, fast heart rate & palpitations, weakness and headache. High blood pressure was noted and it took two weeks for systolic pressure to normalize and about four weeks for diastolic.

Currently fasting was tried again and stopped at 36 hours due to sweating and heart palpitations. Next day, normal feeding, then the next day fasting attempted again which was stopped at 19 hours due to headache and elevated blood pressure.

I have searched for information regarding this and it is limited, most discuss benefits of fasting to help lower blood pressure.

Your insights are greatly appreciated,
Christina

Fasting causes certain hormonal changes. Insulin goes down but other hormones (the counter regulatory hormones) go up. This includes sympathetic tone, noradrenalin, cortisol and growth hormone. It is possible that your body responds exuberantly to these hormones to cause the symptoms of hypoglycaemia. It is also possible that you are becoming hypoglycaemic and developing symptoms. High blood pressure may occur due to these hormonal changes.

Dr. Jason Fung

(If you have difficulty fasting or experience symptoms like this patient reports, we at Diet Doctor would recommend that you refrain from fasting until you have been evaluated by a qualified health care practitioner.)

Q&A videos

MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Women's questions introduction
01:36
In this video series, you can find expert views on some of your top questions about low-carb and women's health.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Is low carb bad for gut bacteria?
02:14
Can a low-carb diet be potentially harmful to your gut microbiome?
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Is saturated fat bad?
07:29
Low carb is great. But could the saturated fat clog your arteries and kill you? Top low-carb doctors answer this question.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY

Top Dr. Fung videos

Diet Doctor Podcast #64 with Jason Fung
1:07:58
Dr. Jason Fung is well known for pioneering the use of fasting as a medical intervention to aid weight loss and treat diabetes. In his new book, The Cancer Code, Dr. Fung applies that same approach to cancer.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Part 7 of Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
05:01
Dr. Fung gives us a comprehensive review of what causes fatty liver disease, how it affects insulin resistance and, what we can do to reduce fatty liver.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
The 7 benefits of fasting
07:33
Dr. Fung's fasting course part 4: About the 7 big benefits of fasting intermittently.
What to do instead of counting calories
16:02
Why is counting calories useless? And what should you do instead to lose weight?
MEMBERS ONLY
Insulin toxicity — Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
09:03
Dr. Fung looks at the evidence on what high levels of insulin can do to one’s health and what can be done to lower insulin naturally.
The top 5 tips to make fasting easier
05:19
Dr. Fung's fasting course part 8: Dr. Fung's top tips for fasting
Breakfast! Is it really that important?
07:08
Dr. Fung's fasting course part 6: Is it really that important to eat breakfast?
MEMBERS ONLY
The perfect treatment for diabetes and weight loss
45:20
Do doctors treat type 2 diabetes completely wrong today – in a way that actually makes the disease worse?
How to fast - the different options
06:47
Dr. Fung's fasting course part 3: Dr. Fung explains the different popular fasting options and makes it easy for you to choose the one that fits you best.

Intermittent fasting for beginners

A keto diet for beginners

Earlier Q&A

Intermittent fasting Q&A

More with Dr. Fung

All posts by Dr. Fung

Dr. Fung has his own blog at idmprogram.com. He is also active on Twitter.

Dr. Fung’s books The Obesity Code, The Complete Guide to Fasting and The Diabetes Code are available on Amazon.¹

Diet Doctor will not benefit from your purchases. We do not show ads, use any affiliate links, sell products or take money from industry. Instead we’re funded by the people, via our optional membership. Learn more ↩