The FastDay Forum

I seem to be getting through the fast days well. I am not eating until the evening but as soon as I do it seems to click a switch and I then feel really hungry as soon as I have eaten. I have so far resisted this urge and have lost 17lb in 6 weeks which I am really happy about (as I have a lot to lose) - this way of eating seems to suit me.

My problem is the following day after a fast. I feel absolutely starving hungry! And want to eat everything that isn't strapped down. I am counting the non-fast day calories at the moment as I know it will be very easy for me to go over the top and I am limiting myself to 2000 calories a day - which seems a lot.

Does anyone else feel like this and what do you do to make it stop

[Moogie]

I'm afraid this isn't something I've experienced, in fact for the most part it's quite the opposite and I'm not hungry until much later on.

What sort of things are you eating for your fast day meal? Are you hungry at bedtime or have trouble sleeping after a fast?

Hello Ggirl

My first 4 fasts had me very hungry the next morning (break the fast at 7am)- starving! like, I wanted 3 pieces of toast, cereal, fruit etc., but found I was back to normal by lunch time.

Things that help my fast:
lots of water, as in 3 litres
not much sugar the day before the fast.

It gets better and you work out what is best for you.

I think it takes time for our bodies to regulate.

I've always had the opposite happen-I go to bed on a fasting day thinking of all the food I'm going to eat the next day, and then I wake up not hungry at all and most times don't even eat anything till noon or later. It's really strange!

Am being really sensible! Had a fast day yesterday and had a meal of steamed veg, rice and fish and a low calorie jelly for afters. Got up this morning and had egg on toast and have just eaten a tuna and salad sandwich. Maybe I should try not eating at until lunch time the day after a fast. It seems as soon as I eat I seem to flip a 'hunger' switch!

Will also try drinking more - something I am not good at...

I would blame the rice & the bread, but as an ardent low to no refined carber I would! Did you know that a slice of bread has the same affect on your blood sugar as one tablespoon of granulated table sugar...in fact it's slightly worse! That's what can make you hungry.

[Moogie]

Yes, I'd be inclined to blame the rice on a fasting day - unless it was brown rice maybe?

[Tracieknits]

*Usually*, no, I'm not terribly hungry at all the next day and I eat pretty reasonably. However every once in a while, I am FAMISHED and really want to overeat the day after a fast day. I'd say once every six weeks or so. I haven't been able to pin down any specific reason like hormones or eating too many/too few carbs. It's a mystery.

YES YES YES!! For me, it's purely psychological! Even though in my conscious mind I know this, there is something in my sub-conscious driving me to 'refuel' after fasting - i'm working on this (very hard) by trying to be more mindful and stopping to think before I eat. This works if I catch myself before delving in, but once i'm in that's it! I've got an app (pocket hunger coach - or something) that I've started using to help me reflect on whether the hunger is physical or emotional.. It's early days!

If you have a lot of weight lose and are exercising regularly, you may find that your daily feast day allowance, your TDEE, is actually higher than 2000. Mine is 2663 kcals a day when I add in the 4 bouts of exercise a week. Quite simly, you may not be eating enough.

I'm not normally hungry the day after a fast, I sometimes can't even face lunch. But the day after that, then I could eat the contents of the fridge and probably start on the fridge itself.

YES! I'm always extremely hungry on the day after a fast day and even worse if it is the day in between two fasts! I wake up hungry every day so my breakfast is my absolute favourite meal..... more so after a fast day, in fact I will have my bowl of porridge and feel like my stomach is saying "And.....?" so I have to go out and do something to take my mind off having seconds! Annoyingly, I've never ever developed that "don't want to eat as much" thing that other fasters have..... it is a constant fight for mind over matter! I'm fine with a full fast day but I really can't get the hang of 16:8's either......