The Fast Patch & Autophagy: A Simple Reset for Lifelong Weight Strugglers
- Dr. Zachary Laboube
- Jul 24
- 5 min read
By Dr. Zach L, Author of HCG 2.0 and Founder of InsideOut Wellness & The Fast Patch
If you're reading this you're not only familiar with HCG 2.0, you’ve likely lost weight with HCG 2.0. That means you already know something powerful: your body can change and YOU can make it happen. And, if you've lost weight, you might have put some of it back on. You’re not alone. Most of our InsideOut Wellness community has spent years cycling through diets, regains, good runs, and setbacks. You're not the exception, you're the norm. I've always said, losing weight with my HCG Diet 2.0 is the easy part - the hard part is keeping it off.
So what’s next after HCG? How do you stay in control without living in diet prison of ups and downs?
I’d like to introduce you to something that’s been a game-changer for me and for many of my patients around the world: strategic water fasting—supported by The Fast Patch.
Before you scroll away thinking, “No way. I can’t go without food!”—stick with me. Fasting sounds harder than it is. With structure, support, and a mindset shift (this is the key), it becomes one of the most empowering tools you’ll ever use for weight maintenance, metabolic health, and food awareness. Fasting will change the way you look at food - You'll be wishing you would have done it much, much sooner.
What Is The Fast Patch?
The Fast Patch is a topical patch system (sold in 6-packs) designed to support you through short, structured fasts. The protocol is simple:
One 24-hour fast per week
One 3-day fast per month
That’s it. No daily calorie logging. No macros. No endless “Is this allowed?” list.
The patch helps by gently curbing appetite, supporting calm, and improving fast compliance—so you can focus on hydration, reflection, and resetting your body’s natural rhythms.
“The Fast Patch isn’t another diet—it’s a pause button that helps you listen to your body again.”
Why Fasting Matters After HCG
Many in our InsideOut community used HCG 2.0 to shed unwanted fat (and do it efficiently). But maintaining that loss requires two big things:
Nutrient quality and metabolic awareness.
Interrupting old habits before they sneak back in.
That’s where fasting shines. Short, regular fasting windows give you built-in checkpoints—moments to observe: Am I eating from hunger? Habit? Stress? Convenience? The simple act of pausing exposes the patterns that quietly lead to regain.
And once you see them? You can change them.
Awareness Is the First Step to Change
If you’ve struggled with weight most of your life, odds are high that eating patterns happen on autopilot. Breakfast because it’s morning. Snack because you’re bored. Late-night nibble because the TV’s on. A weekly 24-hour fast interrupts that autopilot.
During your fast you’ll find yourself reaching—mentally or physically—for food you didn’t need. That moment is gold. That’s the awareness gap between habit and choice. Capture it. Name it. Journal it. Decide differently tomorrow.
Fasting makes the invisible visible. Once you see the habit, you can rewrite it.
Autophagy: Your Body’s Internal Spring Cleaning
Now for the science—kept simple.
When you stop eating for long enough, your body shifts from digesting food to repairing itself. One of the key repair pathways is called autophagy (auto = self, phagy = eat). In plain language: your cells identify worn-out, damaged, or junky parts—and recycle them.
Think of it like clearing out the junk drawer and using the parts to build something better.
Potential benefits linked to fasting-triggered autophagy include:
Cellular clean-up and renewal
Reduced inflammation
Metabolic efficiency
Support for healthy aging pathways
Improved skin appearance (many people notice a glow after longer fasts)
That last one? You’ve told me you see it. I do too—my complexion improves dramatically after a 3-day fast.
Fasting & Insulin Sensitivity: Why It Matters for Weight Regain
One of the biggest drivers of weight gain—especially rebound gain—is insulin resistance. When your body is constantly exposed to food (especially refined carbs and snacks), insulin stays elevated. Over time, your cells stop responding well. The body stores more fat. Hunger gets noisier. Energy crashes.
Fasting helps lower baseline insulin and improves insulin sensitivity. That means:
Easier fat mobilization
Fewer energy dips
Less reactive hunger
More predictable weight maintenance
If HCG got the weight off, fasting helps keep your metabolism honest.
But Isn’t Fasting Miserable?
Surprisingly—no. Not when:
You’re properly hydrated.
You use electrolytes (lightly salted water, mineral drops, etc.).
You have The Fast Patch for support.
You’re mentally prepared that hunger comes in waves… and passes.
Most people find the first fast is the hardest. By fast #2, they’re shocked at how manageable it feels. By fast #4, many look forward to it: a break from cooking, deciding, logging, snacking—a mental vacation from food.
What to Expect When You Develop a Fasting Routine
Here’s what InsideOut patients and early Fast Patch users commonly report:
Clarity of Thought
Many notice sharper focus and increased productivity during fasting windows—especially once the body transitions to burning stored fuel.
Better Skin
After the monthly 3-day fast, skin often looks clearer, calmer, and more hydrated. You’re reducing inflammatory inputs and activating cellular cleanup.
Improved Sleep
Short fasting cycles help regulate circadian rhythm and reduce nighttime digestive load—leading to deeper, more restorative sleep.
Less Craving, More Control
When you break the eat-from-habit cycle, true hunger becomes easier to recognize—and easier to satisfy with quality foods.
Emotional Reset
Fasting reveals when food fills boredom, stress, or loneliness. That awareness is the doorway to real change.
Where The Fast Patch Fits In
The Fast Patch was designed to make all of the above easier—especially for people who’ve struggled with weight and don’t want another high-maintenance plan.
Each 6-pack covers:
Four weekly 24-hour fasts
One 3-day monthly fast (using 3 patches)
Built-in rhythm: reset, observe, adjust
Apply the patch, hydrate, stay active, track insights. Repeat.
The SAD Truth… and A Better One
Most Americans live on the SAD (Standard American Diet)—high calories, low nutrition, constant eating. It drives insulin problems, inflammation, and weight gain even in people who work hard to “eat healthy.”
The better truth? When you give your body what it truly needs—nutrients, time to repair, metabolic breaks—it rewards you with satiety, better mood, better energy, and resilience.
Ready to Try?
Step 1: Start with one 24-hour fast this week. Water, black coffee, herbal tea with lemon allowed.
Step 2: Journal when you wanted to eat vs. when you needed to eat. The more information you have, the better prepared you'll be for your next fast.
Step 3: Use The Fast Patch for support on your next fast—and notice the difference.
Step 4: Build toward your first 3-day monthly reset. That’s where most people feel the real cellular shift.
Helpful Links (add site URLs when posting)
Shop The Fast Patch
Fasting Quick Start Guide
Autophagy Explained
Ozempic vs HCG Diet – What You Should Know (existing InsideOut blog)
Join the InsideOut Community (Facebook Group)
Final Thought
You’ve already proven you can change your body. Now let’s help your body change you—your habits, your metabolism, your mindset around food.
Awareness is the first step.Fasting gives you that pause.The Fast Patch makes the pause possible.
Let’s reset—together.
Dr. Zach is the author of HCG 2.0: A Modern Adaptation of the Traditional HCG Diet and founder of InsideOut Wellness and Weight Loss.
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