The FastDay Forum

Well after having been away again for 11 days at Burnham on Sea in our touring caravan and a lot of junk eaten I have put 3LBs, so had a fast day yesterday and on my second one today but finding it hard going and now have a headache but drinking lots of water. What do other 5:2 folk do when they are on holiday do you just eat what you want or do you still have 2 fast days a week? Im afraid to say but biscuits and chocolate was my downfall while away and my weight is creeping back up again and I thinking of taking a break from 5:2 for now and just stick to a 2000 calories a day for a while to see how that goes as we are going away in April to Cornwall for 3weeks and having a 10 days away in May and find it really hard to do this WOE !!!
Not sure what I should do to be honest and really do not want to gain all my weight back that I lost and it seems like we will be touring more now that we have a new caravan but its not helping me keep my weight off. Would like to hear what you would do many thanx.

Hello and, oh dear! Some things in my eating life are just no longer negotiable like, breakfast, NEVER eat now, not ever! I did try when we went away with friends and everyone was tucking into loads of food early in the morning so I ate for England as well on day 1. On day 2 I had a very light breakfast as I felt so uncomfortable starting my day full if food. day three saw me back to just black coffee and no one else cared as long as they could eat as much as they wished. I think the trick is when you have found a way that you are emotionally happy with and it suits you then why stray, even on holiday? I never find my holidays are enhanced in any way shape or form by overindulging in food which I would not eat if I were at home. A lot of people find that being away from home and overeating are mutually dependant so this may be a mind set which you can work on to separate the two things, not easy I know. I have no Magic formulae for you, I'm afraid as this is such a personal thing and we all have our own way of dealing with it but I wish you well and hope you can find your own successful path......oh, and have a great holiday, that is the most important thing.

Ballerina x

Sorry to hear about your gain. It's not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things. What I do is just have one meal a day that I really enjoy and don't eat the carbs. We often prefer to go out for lunch than at night and that works just fine for me, in fact I always lose weight on holiday.

I have also found that I have made permanent changes since 5:2. I never eat breakfast and I don't miss it I also found I lost weight when we went away recently as I fasted the days we travelled, perhaps going slightly over and I more or less kept to one meal a day, made reasonably healthy choices which is what I prefer now anyway and even with wine in the evenings came back a little lighter. Sure I go mad sometimes but try and make it the exception not the rule. Ballerina is quite right though, it is a very personal thing and you have to work out why you overeat at certain times and what changes you can make that you will be able to live with and maintain. Good luck and enjoy your holiday.

When on holiday, I don't have any fast days. I don't generally eat breakfast, though, like other folk here.
However, I do eat and drink what I like the rest of the time on holiday. As a general rule on a 7 day holiday, I almost always put on half a stone, so I'm really impressed that you only put on 3lbs! I do find that it comes off pretty quickly, once I return to my 4:3 routine on return, so don't worry too much about the gain.

Like others have said, you have to find what works for you. I know it does me good to break out from the routine now and again, but always look forward to getting back on it and getting back to my comfortable weight.

Hi @mariondot40, I totally empathize with you as I am in much the same situation! We started caravanning 18 months ago, and will be doing more in future. And whenever I am away from home, controlling what I eat seems to be much more difficult and I invariably put in weight. In my early days of 5:2, I used to lose it easily with 2-3 fasts in quick succession, but nowadays I find that much harder.

If I am active when away, the damage is certainly less, and generally we are active when on holiday (eg the 5 hour strenuous bush walk and climb we did yesterday!). So do lots of walking, swimming, cycling, canoeing, whatever you can while on holiday.

With regard to fasting, I have managed the odd fast day on previous trips, but have decided that if I don't feel like it, I am not going to - as per @lovemyparrot's advice to me!! If we are doing a lot of driving in the morning, I do try not to eat then (as once I start eating, I need to keep eating or else I get nauseous) so can do a partial fast.

Food-wise, at home I do have breakfast most days now, although for a long while I had given up breakfast as per so many here. (I reintroduced it on advice from carorees when I was battling constant hunger, and it helped with that tremendously.) Now I really try to use how hungry I am as the decider as to whether to have breakfast. And I seem to manage that okay. At home, I have scrambled eggs and porridge, but while away, cereal is easier and I so enjoy that!

If I have gone without breakfast, I do try to have as long a fasting period as I can. Very occasionally I might go without lunch, but generally just have lunch as late as possible. But I don't restrict my calories to fast day amounts!!

For lunch, if we are going to be out and about I prepare a ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce leaves instead of bread - thanks to forum members for that suggestion - and lots of salad veggies that are easy as finger food. If at the camp, I make up a huge mixed salad with tinned tuna or salmon. Dinner is usually a stir fry, curry, a multi-veg meal of some description. And berries/orange for dessert.

But I do also have carbs - this trip we have been having a hot cross bun with butter for afternoon tea. And some creamed rice as well for dessert. And a chocolate biscuit or 2. And cakes if we visit a bakery. I still love all these foods. And if I have been very active, I find the carbs much more satisfying and enjoyable than protein and fats (though I do have nuts and cheese as snacks).

However, we don't visit bakeries and cafes and tea shops (etc) very often - or I would be having a lot more carbs. So perhaps you can limit the eating out to only a couple of times a week...???

Daytime is not too bad for managing my food intake as we are generally busy. Evenings are the problem, just like when I am at home... too much chocolate... Having a very satisfying dinner and dessert helps. And not having that first piece of chocolate...

I am trying to use hunger and what I really fancy as my guide as to what to eat. I do try to select the healthier alternatives first (might not sound like it!!) but if I want that buttered bun, I will have it, and enjoy it.

As others have said, having a good time is the most important thing, and I am sure that is what you are doing. You know what strategies work for you in managing your eating, so try to employ as many of those as you can.

Good luck and best wishes and happy camping!

I've tried both on holiday: not fasting at all or trying to squeeze in as many fasts as I could. I have often gained weight on holidays (in fact I've never completely gotten rid of what I gained in Xmas 2013 after reaching my lowest weight in decades), but not always. Sometimes I gained when I fasted and sometimes I didn't gain even though I didn't fast. What I find on holidays is that I tend to eat good solid meals, and I don't snack a lot. This is definitely a good thing. I try not to eat three big meals when on holiday. If I have a big breakfast, for example, I skip lunch. But more frequently I skip breakfast. When I eat out, I try to pick sensible options, though something I know I'll enjoy.

Actual fasts on holiday are difficult, unless I'm visiting family, and have a bit more control over what I eat. On my last trip, though, I succeeded in a couple of fasts, since some coffee shops around the US now carry things like boiled eggs and cups of carrot/celery/bell pepper sticks. Having said that I still managed to gain a bit of weight somehow

I think the way forward for me is to not worry too much, but be sensible on holidays, and just deal with it when I get home.