The FastDay Forum

I have been doing the 5:2 for almost a year now. I have not lost any weight or inches. I do not have a thyroid issue, just have been going through menopause. I fast on Thursday and Saturday eating protein and only vegetables and eat from noon to 6pm only on fast days. But when I am off my fast days the next morning I am craving bread, carbs and sugar all day long. I cannot seem to control my hunger and end up snacking all day long on carbs and sugar. Has this happened to anyone else? I just started doing 4:3 fast now for 3 weeks and still have not lost any weight and the cravings are the same so what am I doing wrong???? Any help would be appreciated.

[Tracieknits]

I have to wonder if it's a thyroid issue. I'm having a heck of a bout of hyperactive thyroid right now and I'm craving carbs like CRAZY (which is probably why I'm not losing weight).

The stock answer, of course, is that everyone is different, and some people may crave carbs after, but usually people find their appetite and carb cravings a bit blunted after a fast day.

The other standard advice is that eating carbs make you crave carbs, so perhaps generally lowering your carb intake might help.

But seriously, I think there's something to the thyroid thing. When my thyroid is too low, I don't crave carbs quite as much. When my thyroid is too fast, I'm a carb monster.

[Debs]

Youda1, you don't say which part of the world you are in, but I am in the same boat as you so you are definitely NOT alone in this! I am peri menopausal and am struggling to get any weight off, and like you crave carbs badly.

For me, I wonder if it is seasonality, the days are shorter at the moment and I am prone to SAD which does bring carb cravings. I also think that for some of us being menopausal brings additional problems. It doesn't affect everyone, but I think it does me.

I have tried cutting down my carbs and have done so successfully and am hoping that this does have an effect over a longer time. I am going to get my thyroid tested too, just to be double sure.

I do feel for you though, we are both in the same boat-you aren't alone and the fact that you have kept going is a huge testament to your will power!!

[carorees]

It sounds to me as if you are using up all your glycogen stores during the fast and not tapping into your fat stores at all, so the day afterwards your body just wants to refill the glycogen stores (glycogen is the stored form of glucose which its a limited supply held in the liver and muscles).

The reasons why your body is not switching on fat burning could be too high cortisol (are you very stressed?), too high insulin levels and possibly thyroid.

If it is too high insulin then low carbing would help, if stress or thyroid that's not quite so easy!

When you say your thyroid is OK, did the doc just test TSH? Unfortunately that only tells you how much your body is stimulating the thyroid, not how much thyroid hormone is actually active in your body. You would need to ask for further investigations. Do you have any symptoms of thyroid disorder?

The articles in the fasting section of the main site on fasting and stress and fasting with thyroid conditions may be helpful.

Thanks for all the replays. I will certainly try harder at eating low carb after my fast day. Yes I have been stressed and when I am stressed that is when I crave the carbs. My hormones are fluctuating so much that I think it is the main reason I am struggling. I will stick to it and hope things will take a better turn.