The FastDay Forum

Hi @sourbaby I am from the Boston, MA area. I have been fasting about 1.5 years and have lost 38 lbs. I don't know anyone personally that follows the 5:2 program but have met a few folks who 'intermittent fast' (same thing). Just remember here weight lose is a big industry and how could there be any money to be made if simply skipping a few meals a week is the answer. My weight loss journey has been a bumpy road of ups and downs. It does take a lot of willpower. And everybody is different. For me, at age 58 weight loss is slow but I have learned that over and above 2 days fasting I have to eat carefully on feast days limiting carbs. Basically I don't consume sugars or wheats but once a week and got s very physically active job. This forum has been enormously helpful and educational and well worth checking in daily. Good luck on your journey and remember this is a new way of eating for the rest of your life.

I'm too new to this to have any real "go to" foods, but I'm sure I'll end up with some favorites. Right now I'm sticking with my post-boot camp breakfast of a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk with a scoop of vanilla egg white protein powder stirred in, 130 calories. That is often all I have until dinner time except black coffee, hot green tea and sometimes a beef bouilion cube. For dinner I like to take a couple cups of broccoli slaw and saute it in a little olive or coconut oil, throw in a little protein of some sort and a TB of stir fry sauce. Fills me up!

Any tips will be greatly appreciated!

What is brocolli slaw (im from Oz so may not be used as a term here).. im guessing cabbage and brocolli chopped up?
youve just reminded me i have to use up that protein powder i bought .

Any other U.S. brand specific suggestions?

Hi, @peebles, I fell in love with your recommendation of Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar. I also recommend their brand of 0% Greek yogurt, their cottage cheese and many of their hummus dips, particularly the garlic hummus dip at only 50 cals for 2 tablespoons. In fact, I don't know what I'd do without Trader Joe's - my favorite place for all things, fast day or everyday.

[Tracieknits]

Well @Lori I don't eat until dinner, so I have a lot more options.
I often make up a pot of something lovely on Sunday that we can eat for our Monday fast day dinner:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chili-w ... -chocolate (I don't add the sugar)
Or I might make a broth based soup

If I'm cooking that evening, it's usually just a slab of lean protein and a bunch of veggies. I roast some of them, especially cauliflower and asparagus - can do it with a bag of frozen prepped!

I find if I eat anything for breakfast, I get obscenely hungry. So I have two cups of espresso, each with 1 tbsp milk in it. Then nothing but herbal tea all day, and maybe a cup of bouillon in the midafternoon, if I'm really hungry.

We have a soup tonight that has a lovely hot italian chicken sausage in it, with onions, bell pepper, a roasted butternut squash (cubed), a can of white beans and a ton of baby spinach, seasoned with garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes for kick.

Sounds awesome Tracie! I get too starving after boot camp to wait until dinner time. Wish I could!

I also just read about taking a couple Fiber gummy supplements in the afternoon to get you thru, so I got some of those and I'll give them a try today.
Well, boot camp done, car dropped off to be serviced and I'm at work. Whew! It's been a whirlwind morning!

Have a great day everyone!

Here to represent Michigan ! Started 5:2 April 2013 after seeing Eat, Fast and Live longer on local PBS. Am also surprised there aren't more enthusiasts in my area. I used to talk it up amongst family and friends but stopped when I didn't get much positive feedback, oh well, I'm still maintaining while they are still searching for that magic pill.

I agree Peebles.......Dr Oz........Ugh!

Broccoli slaw is just shredded broccoli and maybe a few carrots and some purple cabbage for color. It sautes very quickly and makes a very filling fast day dinner with a dab of a nice spicy stir fry sauce and a little protein.

I'm sitting here staring at the Vitafusion gummies that I bought. I tried one yesterday and it was good! I do want to wait until I'm hungry to chew a couple and then have a cup of hot tea as a chaser.
Welcome Brougham.....I'm so glad to see lots of participation here!

Let's make it a point to check in with everyone most days. Just to say what we're up to and how our plan is going.

@Lori That's a great idea! I love reading all the posts from people around the world, but some US support would be very welcome.

@lovemyparrot, I am hooked on TJ's too, though it's a 35+ minute drive each way to get there, and I can't buy much that is frozen except in Winter unless I remember to pack a cooler full of ice.

I used to adore their three colored Humus, but they changed vendors and the new one isn't as nice. But there is something about garlicky treats and flavors that can sometimes send me into wanting to keep eating more than I need to eat. So I avoid them on fast days.

Another new discovery that has been making my eating more interesting is Annie Chun's Thai Peanut sauce which I only can find at Whole Foods. It's much too expensive, but 1 tbs gives a wonderful flavor to anything I put it on. I use it on Grilled chicken, brown rice, stir fried slaw on fast days and dumplings on non-fast days. I have tried making my own Asian peanut sauces but never had one quite this good. I think it is the lactic acid and saki they add to it that gives it a nice bite.

I really wish I could find a nice beef dish that didn't have too many calories. Even though I eat almost everything at dinner, I only 435 calories to work with. Subtract the FAGE and add in the soup (which I think helps control hunger) and a cup of cocoa, and I'm stuck with chicken, turkey, or a small amount of ham. I occasionally have tuna, too, but there is so much mercury in it I avoid eating it as a regular thing. The actual amounts of mercury in tuna are higher than what you see on web sites because the measurements they are using were taken quite a few years ago and the mercury levels in the ocean have risen due to coal burning.

Hi everyone.
@Juliana.Rivers, you can buy broccoli slaw at woolies. I microwaved it then put chilli con carne on top on a fast day and it was lovely.
Xxx Julianna

Hello !
I'm in the USA, too. I started a long time ago - also after that New York Times article someone else mentioned. After reading that, I looked up Dr. Mosley's show and started up! I love 5:2 and tried to spread the word, but every one thinks this diet is crazy. I agree with the above posters, it's just such a change from weight watchers and Atkins which have lots of snacking, that I think people are scared of it or think it's an eating disorder. Oh well!
I usually stick to progresso soups and a variety of veggie burgers on fast days. I don't like to cook or shop too much when I'm fasting.

Happy this fast day is nearly at an end. This was the hardest fast I've had so far. I'm not sure what the problem was, but I nearly caved. Came in at exactly 500, so I made it! I wish I was one that could go all day and just eat at dinner time, but I think I'm going to have to find a way to be able to eat a bit at lunch and just have a lighter dinner. Just didn't feel good at all today. No matter, tomorrow I can eat and I'll figure something out for Wednesday.

Stay strong everyone!

Hi everyone.
@Juliana.Rivers, you can buy broccoli slaw at woolies. I microwaved it then put chilli con carne on top on a fast day and it was lovely.
Xxx Julianna

Thanks @JuliannaI will look out for it. Juliana

Also in the US from Washington state. I have successfully talked my sister and brother-in-law and a friend into 5:2. But they had never heard of it prior to my conversation. They all love it. I started 1 and half years ago and reached my goal, but have slipped and am back on the program. Only 5 lbs to go.

Stay strong everyone!

Representing Colorado here. I found 5:2 from the same NYT article that many others read. I also have met mostly with people who think it's too wacky to try, but I have managed to convert my neighbor - well, all I did was tell her about it, as I'm not really into prosthelytizing. My husband calls 5:2 "your cult"! Yes, it's a joke, he does approve.

Perhaps it needs the likes of Dr. Mehmet Oz (The Dr. Oz show) to give it some attention in one of his programs to get it out there.
Some of the popular diets (e.g Atkins Low Carb diet and Pritikin diet) was founded by Americans and its a bit of a NIH factor in play (not invented here principle)

Agree with the other comments, @Juliana.Rivers. Dr. Oz is not someone we want as a spokesman. Also, took a moment to realize you weren't talking about the National Institutes of Health (NIH to most of us here)

I'm in the US, Washington State, west coast, so Pacific Time. Yeah, I think that the lack in the US is partly due to people not knowing about it, which is due to the inability to find a way to make a buck off of it (other than books, which are already out there, so...). And I rather agree about Dr Oz...I swear, when these people become celebrities, something goes wrong with their head and they cater to the lowest common denominator. (I used to like Dr Phil; now, he's just into the sensationalism along with the rest of them.)

I have a friend who really needs to lose weight (BMI 35), but he's terrified of not eating. For now, I've given up talking about it to him, just being a good example. He's one of those guys who thinks he has to clean his plate; when he, my son, and I go to a local favorite restaurant (a vegan Chinese place, lots of faux meat--it's so weird, being at a restaurant where I can eat everything), my son and I always bring home half or more of our meals--just because it's more food than we can eat, and we both hate being stuffed--my friend eats all of his.

I like the idea of a US tent; can someone start that? Or should this be it? I love the people from all over, particularly the Brits and Aussies (sometimes I feel the need for an interpreter!), but it'd be nice not to be the last one on the fasting today forum all the time (feels a little lonely, when I know I'm the only one awake online). Plus, I can now indulge my love of Trader Joe's; the closest one is 9 miles one way; but they are putting in a new one that'll be only about 3-4 miles, can't wait!

Any other American vegetarians I can swap recipes with? (ovo-lacto; just can't seem to give up cheese...yum) One of my favorites is the Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken(less) strips; so easy to fix, so versatile! I just have to watch snacking on a few while cooking...