The FastDay Forum

Hi,

I need some advice... I am very happy with 5:2 and am pleased with the weight loss I've achieved so far. I don't find the fast days particularly hard BUT on a regular basis I keep having days when I completely go off the rails. Any tips on how I can stop myself doing this? I don't even really know why I do it - it's like a self punishment thing or something!

@Pookie, thanks for posing the question, I'm going to follow this thread closely as I also have similar issues.

I have days, especially after a fast day, where my stomach feels like a bottomless pit and I eat and eat and eat and don't feel satiated.

People have suggested mindful eating and eating only when your hungry, but when I'm in the middle of one of these phases, nothing satisfies me until I feel really really really full

Sorry to hear you are struggling. One thing that helped me was to reduce my sugar intake. Anything that has a high GL or GI can trigger the hunger monster. I ended up going low carb (although I'm far from that at the moment), but I'm still managing to fast.

[Betsysgr8]

Sorry to hear you are struggling. What foods/drinks are you breaking your fast with and the day after fast? Perhaps, it is as Karen suggested and has something to do with having high GL or GI. Or it could just be a phase that will soon taper off as you get more used to fasting.

I've found that by letting myself have one 'naughty' thing and saying that if I really want to have something else afterwards, then I can, I usually don't want anything else. The one thing is enough to satisfy my craving.
Having said that, I'm having a bit of a munchies phase this afternoon! I'm trying to distract myself on the computer until it's tea time.

Sorry to hear you are struggling. One thing that helped me was to reduce my sugar intake. Anything that has a high GL or GI can trigger the hunger monster. I ended up going low carb (although I'm far from that at the moment), but I'm still managing to fast.

Good point, I usually have muesli or porridge made for breakfast after a fast - I know that muesli has a bit of sugar so I'll change this and have eggs or a green juice and see what happens.

And now that you mention it, I do go into a bit of a spin with carbs ... over the weekend I had some white rice with veggies, followed by muesli followed by poached eggs on toast - all of them not bad on their own but together and as an evening meal ... hmm, yes you get the picture!

Thanks

Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I really don't know why I do it, it's not a craving for anything in particular. I think I'll try Chris's suggestion - actually allowing myself a "naughty treat" and hoping that takes care of it!

Hi @Pookie And @jeninboston+ (@Jo05 may help you ). For me changing to 16:8 days thus forgoing breakfast and the obvious sugary and carb laden cereals so my cravings reduced greatly i dont crave foods the same as before dont get me wrong im only human and the chocolate calls from time to time, also started reducing carbs even further by stopping the bread at lunchtime then onto the evening meals and a reduction of potatoes replacing them with the lower squash, celeriac, turnip, and butternut squash all these are not only lower but also more flavoursome and filling than the common tattie.
All these changes have given me dramatic results with some of my health issues.

Hello Pookie, I have the same problem. I can focus really well on fast days and manage to eat normally for a week or so. Then one day (like today) I try to fast, massively fail and then proceed with a binge.

I had an upset stomach over the weekend, so when my appetite returned I found it impossible to fast. Not only did I not fast but I also ate everything in sight.

I'm not sure what triggers this, have you always had issues with going off the rails? I have. I am still guilty of the all or nothing approach. Maybe allowing just one day a week where you can eat whatever you want might help?? Good luck.

@Sue.Q - great advice. I've been following the low carb tent entries for a while, it's becoming apparent that carbs are a derailer for me

Wouldn't it be great if someone put on a seminar educating us all about the intricacies and pitfalls of healthy eating - saying eat plant based isn't enough because I could eat bananas and grapes and tomatoes and peas and wonder why where I'm going wrong

Can definitely relate to the problem of derailment - so you have my total sympathy & understanding.

I fasted on Mon & am doing today as well. Yesterday, I had 2 slices of toast, one for breakfast, one for lunch - which is actually an improvement in itself as before discovering 5:2, I would have sworn it was illegal to put only one piece of bread in the toaster!!! Despite having toast at lunch, the naughty voice in my head told me to polish off the last of my son's birthday cake......as the Tupperware needed washing! Honestly, it was not a small piece....I cut it into 3 pieces to eat it.....stuffed my face rather more quickly than I should (probably thought "eat it quickly..before you have time to come to your senses!!!")..........and the sad result was...guilt, shame...slight anger, great dollops of disappointment and a horribly over-full feeling in my stomach

I then continued the downward spiral later on in the evening........5 crispy duck pancakes (yum) followed by a family bag of Galaxy Counters......groan. I have absolutely no idea how many calories are in such a bag.....millions probably

I only buy the family bags because they work out much cheaper than a single serving bag......but sadly I lack the willpower to restrict myself to, say, 8 Counters & no more! Clearly an "all or nothing" kind of gal!!

The simple fact is, these bad habits will take me time to unlearn because I have had them for soooooo long. Any day that I don't do it will be a triumph (though I stick religiously to 500 cals on fast days, no problem) - that's the way I am looking at it.

So, cut yourself a bit of slack maybe, but try to look into why you do what you do. Personally, I am trying to fill a huge emotional void...that really can't ever be filled anyway! The trick will be to replace food with other, healthier, non-food things. But what might they be? Answers on a postcard please................

In the past I have found Paul Mckenna's "I can make you thin" to be helpful. He encourages "mindfull eating" and has a 25 min audio cd that you can use to take some time out while he gently reminds you about what you are aiming for (huge simplification, and I haven't used it in a while.
Maybe this will help on Feast days