The FastDay Forum

Hey everyone

So pretty much from the beginning of the year, after my 5:2 Christmas break, I just haven't been able to stick to only 500 calories.
I haven't gone that much over, but they're probably more like 600-700.
Anyone else like this?

Lil

Not me. I have struggled with fasting since Christmas and moving country, but do tend to stick to between 250 and 500 cals. As my TDEE is only 1400, anything more than 500 calories I would consider a bust - so I have frequently bust fast days. This is because a 'proper' fast should be 25% of your normal daily intake. I'm hanging on in there for most 5:2, but a couple of times I have only done 6:1. This is the first week I'm on ADF since November.

Yeh I know I'm cheating a little going over but for weight loss I still think it works (for me). Maybe I shouldn't call them fast days anymore!

It's great you don't go over!

Lil

If it's working, I wouldn't worry about it too much. 6-700 calories will still give you a pretty big calorie deficit.

I don't go over but I remember @PennyForthem once posted that she regularly went over to around 700 cals on her journey of losing over 20 kilos. Am I correct Penny? I know hearing that helped me feel better for the odd times I did go over.

Correct there, @julianna. In fact, except for the first few weeks of fasting, I struggled to stay under 500, so happily set my target at 700/800 and accepted that I'd lose at a slower, but more sustainable rate. Having now lost 52lbs, I'm still fasting one day a week at around 800 cals, but the downside is that I must maintain at my TDEE of around 1300 cals on a daily basis. If I go over, I just cut down the next day. It works for me and I've got into the swing now and hope I'll be able to maintain for as long as health/circumstances allow x

I confess. Me too.

Im often 600,700 and 800 and yes, ive lost 5kg of my target 6kg (rounding a bit). Maybe slower than others round here but this is sustainable. My almond milks and cottage cheese portions on a feast day just make me go over.. sometimes i sneak in one slice of bread but again, for me, in my mind its fine.

Maybe its ok cause i do 4:3 so i have an extra day of calorie restriction.

as Julianna says, if it works, keep doing it.

Yeh at times lilSmiler! But 600 - 700 cals is still helluva lot less cals than what i ate in my pre fasting days
Life is too short to agonize over these things,and i spent far too many years goinf off diets coz i hadnt stuck to them to a 'T' then felt like a failure
Of course i wd be a lot slimmer now if i hadnt aimed and missed at perfection!
Do what works for you on that day...MM and the Fasting Police aren't gonna come round and raid your house if you don't!

I try but this is a certain time of the month and my eating habits go a bit down by the wayside. Still loads better than they did before starting this WOE

[carorees]

If you fast all day and then have your 700-800 cals that's like the Eat.Stop.Eat fasting method invented by Brad Pilon many years ago.

Scientifically speaking, it's the time with no carbohydrate intake that brings most of the benefits of fasting. The longer you can go without food the better because you get more fat burning, but if you can't go without food go without carbohydrates. This will keep you in fat burning mode. You may lose weight slower but you'll still gain the health benefits.

I eat a load of cashew nuts yesterday so that pushed up my cals but thought that would be better than the usually choc and bread I want.