The FastDay Forum

Hello every one
I have a question for you I find when I eat on a feast day I still count my calories as Im sure that if I did not count then I would eat more than I should.
So my question is how many of you do not count their cals and still have a loss?
Im still stuck at Plateau but at least I have not gained so that good for me

[Tracieknits]

Pro tip -- I no longer call them feast days. I call them "normal" days or "feed" days. I found when I was calling them "feast days" I was grossly overeating.

I am sadly one of those who doesn't understand how much food is too much - I have to count or I will overeat above and beyond my TDEE.

I've only ever counted fast-day calories. These are the most important ones to get right.

With time, quite early in the process actually, you'll find that it becomes unnecessary to track feast day calories because you'll naturally be eating less. You'll be satisfied much sooner than before.

From my experience the closer you get to a normal BMI, the more you'll be aware of the effects of what you eat.

A natural tapering of feasting/fasting and calorie balance eventually comes into play. Your body finds a happy place and wants to stay there. Fighting it - to finally hit some initial target that most readily admit to grabbing from thin air - can take considerable additional effort.

Pro tip -- I no longer call them feast days. I call them "normal" days or "feed" days. I found when I was calling them "feast days" I was grossly overeating.

I am sadly one of those who doesn't understand how much food is too much - I have to count or I will overeat above and beyond my TDEE.

I'm with Tracie on both accounts

I don't call them feast days, otherwise it give the impression I can overindulge. I call them normal days.

And I'm a daily counter and daily weigher - it's a habit I've got into and don't trust myself yet to be able to do without. It's working for me but who knows, may be with time?

I think feed day calorie counting depends on how much you have to lose/ want to lose
I need and want to lose about 3 more stone,so i cant leave it to chance as i may well miscalculate!
If i was at my optimum weight or very close, i wd only roughly estimate feed day cals x

I am an inveterate counter!
Not only do I count base line calories, but fibre, protein, carbs and fats.
It works for me.

I hate counting calories so I did to start with on fast days but never on feed days. I have a good idea of what's what roughly but no, it drives me barmy. Plus I cook a lot and it's fiddly.

However, I am a daily weigher and Libra gives me a total for calories over or under and that's really useful. So since Christmas I've gained a wee bit but was actually only eating 80 ish cals too much. When I was losing weight it came in handy as I was actually undereating by way too much and with the exercise I do, that's not optimal.

But for me, the relaxation about food in general is what I need on feed days, then I really never cheated on fast days for the whole year which is the key, sustainability over the longer term. You could argue I've not lost as much as other people but I needed to work with my own psychology and it's not been too traumatic losing 3 stone.

I've morphed into 16:8 with actually very tight control, somewhat ironically now that I'm maintaining for a while, as I adjust...!

Could we please stop referring to non fast days as "feast days"?

they are normal days after all

Hi @mariondot40, I never counted calories on non-fast days on my journey to goal weight, I just became more conscious of what I was eating. I ate between meals less often, had smaller amounts of high calorie food at meal times, substantially reduced or even cut out some foods (bread, rice, pasta) and ended up generally not having breakfast - I now have to have about 400cals a day less than when I started, in order to maintain weight, so brekkie has been one thing to go.

However, now I am maintaining, I AM (roughly) counting calories!

Hi Mariondot40. I've never counted calories on normal days and to be honest didn't really count on fast days after the first few weeks. I have lost weight consistently if perhaps at less than the average 1Lb/week. But I'm happy and couldn't have done it any other way. Have a look at my progress tracker if you want.
First thing I did though was dump breakfast altogether. Along with this my appetite has decreased so I eat lighter lunches and smaller teatime portions, so I'm guessing overall I eat less than 2000cal on normal days. I have also cut back on carbs but by no means eliminated them from my diet.

I guess it depends on how much people have to lose and what their relationship to food is like as to how strict or not they need to be.
Good luck with whichever style you choose

Hi!

At first (started IF in Oct) I ate whatever I wanted on 'non fast' days. This caused me to get "sugar hangovers" on my 'fast' day(s), so I soon cottoned on to go easy on the sugar, including wine. I use Fitness Pal-phone app (set at my 2167 cals) to keep me in line. On my 'non fast' days, I eat (and track) good foods; nuts, fruit, fish and the odd treat. Since Nov. I crave good foods on my 'non fast' days, no longer desire the junk - all good in Whoville.

I also call them normal days. The beauty of the WOE for me is that you can eat and drink 'normally' 5 days a week. I count calories obsessively on fast days and write them down in a book but I don't count the rest of the time. My appetite has altered naturally and I 'pick' less but I know that if I want something I CAN have it. I also still drink alcohol at weekends which was my normal pattern before fasting. My weight loss is pretty slow but it was always like that for me on any plan and this is sustainable in the long term so the weight loss gradually accumulates.

I don't count calories full stop. On fast days, I don't eat. On non fast days, I eat whatever I feel like. My weight loss has been slow (I lost 11kg from Feb to Dec last year), but painless. I've always eaten well (balanced ) but just too much of it. And yes, probably too much alcohol. That I have cut down on. But for this to work for me long term, it has to be 100% sustainable! and counting calories (for me) just isn't.

I don't count calories on my normal days. I lost 18 KGS from march to November last year. I've maintained the last 2 months while on holiday. since I started after reading this forum I now skip breakfast as I was never a fan and have a 16:8 approach on normal days and this is no hard ship and a relief really. I am also eating much lower carb. once again not counting carbs but making it doable for me- replacing white carbs with healthy fats- avocado,butter,coconut oil,cream and milk. a really exciting time for me in the kitchen. best bit- no guilt!! can I really eat that butter,pork belly fat/crackling/double cream??? yes! but noton a fast day.
xxx julianna