The FastDay Forum

It seems like fasts after a big weekend are the hardest.

I hope that's it MaryAnn. I actually just want a 6 inch sub with ham and salad.. it would keep me in my calories but I know its not a good idea to have carbs on a fast day.

I have seen (on Biggest Loser) that you can ask Subway to hollow out the bread on their subs and they will scoop most of it out leaving just a thin layer of bread. That would save both calories and carbs. Never actually tried this; just saw it on TV.

Hi Lil. I sounds like its time to change your routine. I have re-wired my brain to consider fast days something of a treat, not just for 'repair' reasons, but I take the trouble to make something really tasty and push my imagination to make food that is tastier on fast days than normal days. I also eat twice a day (in my case mornings and lunchtime because I work out).

Examples:

Bulletproof coffee (coconut oil and butter), always feels like a 'treat' to me. All that fat feels very luxurious on a fast day.

Small beef steak or fresh tuna steak or shrimps with a lovely salad

Any Hairy Dieters meals. My favourites are chicken tagine, prawn korma and low fat, no sugar tea loaf (yes I have cake on fast days sometimes!)

Zero noodles with a tasty pasta sauce

Eggs or prawns cooked in a tin of spicy tomatoes (garlic and smoked paprika)

Anything 'thai'.

'Temple-mode' day which is a green juice (juiced apples, celery, cukes blended with kale or spinach), just sipped through the day.

You could switch to 16:8 also to mix it up a bit. But don't give up, you have come so far. I think the trick is to manage it around your way of life, but don't feel you are depriving yourself.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply

Karen, I think you're right.. I need to start making my fasts a bit more exciting. It's a really long day for me today. On top of a rubbish nights sleep after a busy weekend, I've been to work and college and now just off to the recording studio to lay down a track. I'm tired and grouchy to be honest - although I know that this shouldn't make me turn to food.

I'm gonna go a bit easier on myself.. go get my Subway and a long black, hope that the scales are OK in the morning and then eat what I like tomorrow, being careful not to splurge too much.

I agree with @rawkaren. Mixing it up a bit has gotta be worth a try. A few months back I found myself dreading fast days too, I didn't really do anything about it and became complacent and it didn't take long for me to fall off the wagon. I put on over a stone and felt absolutely awful and was kicking myself for not sticking at it. Stick at it, you'll be glad you did!! And you already have the experience to know that you CAN do it I'm back on it now and that stone is going but it was really really hard to get going again, worse than when I started 5:2 in the first place!!

Hi Lil I find the best fast days are when I can be by myself and just chillax. I am coming around to the fast day being the repair/replenish days. As Karen says spoil your self. For me just being by myself and in my garden and no pressure. So I pick the days where I can do just that

I find the bullet coffee is a luxury too and the coconut oil butter kills the appetite for hours. Being busy also helps then I find the energy kicks in and I can get lots done. Sure I have days that I blow it but as you say you want to keep doing this. Hope this day panned out for you. And you find your new groove

Carbs schmarbs! Go get your Subway and enjoy. If you order from the low fat range and don't get cheese or a bad sauce you still have enough left over for something later on. Nom nom nom!

http://www.subway.com.au/assets/documen ... 202010.pdf

Oh, how I empathise with your predicament, Lilsmiler!
I went to 2 days of 700 cals, as I found I just couldn't hack the 500 (less, if my TDEE is to be believed).

In fact, some weeks I had 3 days at 800 cals (shock, horror, probe...)

Yes, I could probably have lost it quicker if I'd stuck to it, but in all honesty I think, if I hadn't modified it, I'd have just given up and put the weight back on.

I have found a way that works for me - it may not work for everyone. Good luck in finding 'your' way! x

I agree with fishbaum go ahead and enjoy a subway, I think its good for our bodies to mix things up a bit.

So much good, sensible advice here from Karen's 'make it more exciting' ....Gillymary's 'treat it as a repair day'...............Fishbaum's ' enjoy it but chose carefully'....... And Pennyforthem's modifications to keep you on track.

You now have no excuses, have you

Ballerina x

hi Lil

just saw your post and I can sympathise with you, I find spreading my 500 cal throughout the day the only way to cope with it... I tend to get irritable when I fast and I don't like it one bit!
so in the morning i'll have a black coffee and a crumpet or a pancake( carbs I know grrr but still loosing lol) about 100 cal, and either 200 cal for lunch and another 200 for dinner or 100 lunchtime and the rest in the evening..then I can treat myself to one yummy low fat/cal ready meal
I don't bother with cooking on fast days, I just make it easy, simple and keep myself busy all day... I try not to fast when working, but sometimes it cant be avoided..and it can be a struggle with food everywhere arghh!!
anyway sorry for the long ramble, I hope you feel better soon about fasting, hang in there.. just like Penny said find out what works for you by tweaking and re arranging things a bit all I know is that not eating all day till evening wont work for me, I just cant hack it lol!
good luck hun x

I'm on 20/4 currently I.e. No food from 7pm until next day after 3pm, or later if I'm feeling ok with it. I have a couple of soft boiled eggs to break the fast then a bowl of chunky veg soup later. It seems to help take the edge off the feeling of desperation that can creep in sometimes.
If you're feeling that hungry then perhaps best to listen to your body and give it a little help.
Good luck honey :0)

Maybe you could try going on a maintenance plan for a few weeks. It might make a big difference for you. You can then go back to 5:2 when you feel ready.

I think it's normal to go through phases when you don't feel like fasting or when you have phases of what you eat takes over your life to the exclusion of everything else so that you don't actually enjoy what you are eating.

So enjoy your subway - you never know you might even weigh a little less tomorrow! If not, you'll still feel much better. It's not as if it's the end of the world and you do already have a healthy BMI.