14-Day Water Fast: Fat DOWN, Muscle UP ft. Dr. Christy Kesslering | EP 149

Learn about the Healing Power of Prolonged Fasting: HERE **What if everything you’ve been told about muscle loss and prolonged water fasting isn’t the full story?** Dr. Katie Deming welcomes back Dr. Christy Kesslering, a fellow radiation oncologist who left conventional medicine to focus on metabolic health. Christy didn’t just complete a supervised 14-day water fast. She tracked what happened before, during, and after it. She collected DEXA scans, body-composition measurements, toxin testing, insulin levels, cholesterol markers, and inflammation data. She wanted to understand what her own clients experience during an extended fast and see what the numbers could reveal about what was happening beneath the surface. The results challenged one of the biggest fears surrounding prolonged fasting. As a 58-year-old postmenopausal woman, Christy lost body fat while her follow-up DEXA scan showed an increase in lean mass. But the numbers are only part of the story. She also walks you through the difficult middle of the fast, including back pain, aching tissue, skin changes, shifting inflammation markers, and the gradual return to normal during refeeding. Dr. Katie and Christy also explore why rest is an essential part of a supervised fast, what happened to Christy’s triglycerides and cholesterol-related markers, and why changes during fasting need to be interpreted differently from routine lab results. **Chapters:** 00:05:00 - Escaping the Workaholic Hamster Wheel 00:05:42 - The Health Data She Tracked 00:09:21 - What Happened to Her Muscle Mass 00:11:07 - Losing Fat While Gaining Lean Mass 00:16:11 - Why Fasting Differs From Calorie Restriction 00:23:53 - Disconnecting From Fight or Flight 00:28:13 - What Hunger Felt Like After 14 Days 00:28:56 - The Detox Symptoms Began 00:30:25 - Her Inflammation Markers Rose 00:31:24 - Why Triglycerides Changed 00:33:30 - What Fasting Can Do to Cholesterol 00:36:54 - Temporary Inflammation During Healing 00:39:11 - Healing Can Look Messy First 00:41:14 - What Her Toxin Testing Revealed 00:45:01 - How Insulin Shifted During the Fast 00:46:36 - The Possible Autophagy Turning Point 00:48:59 - What Happened to Her Liver Markers This conversation offers a rare look at prolonged fasting through the experience of two physicians examining both the physical process and the laboratory data. You’ll learn why rest may matter as much as not eating, why temporary lab changes can be misleading without context, and what Christy’s results suggest about the fear of losing muscle during a properly supervised fast. **Press play to hear the data that challenged the muscle-loss narrative.** Connect with Dr. Christy Kesslering: https://www.kessrx.com/ **Join Dr. Katie's 3-Day Guided Fast, for expert support, daily live calls, and a community to fast alongside:** Sign-Up  Follow Dr. Katie Deming on Instagram **Watch on** Youtube **DISCLAIMER:** The Born to Heal Podcast  is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Individual medical histories are unique; therefore, this episode should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease without consulting your healthcare provider. A thought-provoking podcast explores cancer through the lens of holistic medicine and functional medicine, discussing causes of cancer, metabolic health, and unconventional approaches like water fasting, fasting and autophagy, and detox, while weighing fasting benefits against chemo side effects and radiation side effects, sharing stories of a cancer survivor navigating chemotherapy, natural medicine, holistic healing, and even spiritual healing on the path toward cancer remission and holistic health.