The FastDay Forum

After 4 months on 5:2 I'm starting to think I'm excercising on the wrong days!
I swim laps twice a week and have been doing them on fast day mornings.
However I've had to change routine a few times lately and am noticing that the fast is easier when I haven't swum that morning.
Do others find this, and is there any benefit from excercising on empty?

I used to find running difficult on fast days. It didn't change my appetite, but I just didn't have a lot of energy. I seem to have gotten better at burning fat, though, because even long runs are fine on fast days.

My past experiences (pre 5:2) with swimming is that it always makes me very hungry. I have no idea why that is...

I also run on fast day mornings and it doesn't make me hungry. I don't swim but I think Gigi55 is right. Swimming is the one physical activity that tends to make you hungry, that is likely because of exposing your body to the cold water. Same as we are hungrier in cold weather. Our body wants to worm-up so it requires energy.

I find walking helps stop hunger pangs on fast days, and I'm pretty sure no other exercise makes me any more or less hungry. I don't swim for exercise though, and think that the others who pointed out that swimming might be a more "hungry making" exercise could well be correct.

Yes I agree on all the above. When I used to swim pre 5:2 it was an exercise that would make me hungry not long after finishing.

I now walk and I find it keeps hunger at bay.

Thanks for all your helpful opinions.
The water was extra cold this morning in the outdoor pool so that must be why I'm suffering today!
I have some arthritis so swimming is a great non weight bearing exercise for me so I'll just have to suffer the hunger pangs in silence or change my days.

I find it a suppressant. I go to the gym at lunchtime on fast days and it distracts me utterly from eating. Sometimes I go at the end of a fast day and that seems to work too - I've never tried doing the exercise at the start of the day though.

I do a 4/5mile walk on each of my 3 fastdays I quickly found this to actually work as a suppressant for me which considering the amount of weight I've got to lose comes in VERY handy thank-you very much lol
But if it ever becomes difficult I would swap around Sue

I agree with Sue, walking is great for fast days.
Swimming always makes me want to eat chips! Or anything else junky, don't know why it always has.

I ride my bike 12 miles every day, if it's a fast day or not... it's my commute! But I don't really notice that much of a difference these days... it isn't what I thought initially, but I'm doing well with it.

I find exercise stops me from feeling hungry on fast days, I always try to fit some in! Up until a couple of weeks ago I was training for a swimming competition so I swam a lot but I didn't feel hungry after, I did have a hot drink as soon as I was finished though, it was my post swimming treat!