The FastDay Forum

I tried to fast yesterday and then give up mid-afternoon, told myself I would fast today. Today started off well and then I cracked again mid-afternoon. What's going on??? Why can't I do this??? I am feeling more hungry on fastdays but that didn't used to bother me. I'm going to try again tomorrow and then again on friday. I'm just worried I can't do it anymore. I hate this feeling of guilt. It feels like when I was doing WW, telling myself I'll start again tomorrow. I'm not sleeping well at all at the moment, only getting 4 or hours a night, that may have something to do with it. I'm going to get an early night tonight and keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Wish me luck, I need it.
Dee

Sorry that you are struggling @justdee, why not take a break for a day and then try again? Maybe you need a 'feast' day to make you feel better?
Please don't feel guilty either we all have a blip from time to time.
Good luck with your next fast

Craving carbs is something that happens to me when I am tired. It usually sneaks up on me and before I know it I've eaten the crisps, cake, bread, friut (especially dried fruit).
Try again after some decent sleep. All your body is doing is gaining energy quickly, through eating carbs instead of sleeping.

Edit: Count the last couple of days as 16:8 as well. They are not failed fasts, just a varient on the theme.

[Moogie]

*hugs* Hey Dee, sorry to hear you're struggling.

Sounds to me like there's more to this than meets the eye. Are you under some kind of stress at the moment causing the lack of sleep? If you're awake longer your body will be wanting more calories for fuel and if you're stressed you may be inclined to stress-eat.

Don't make things worse by forcing yourself to fast. Just relax for a week or so- don't go nuts on the food, but just be mindful and aim to maintain. It sounds like you need a break and a bit of a reset. Let the stresses get worked out and come back to 5:2 when it doesn't feel like such a chore. If you can maintain without it for a couple of weeks you'll feel good. If you regain a little it may set you back on the straight and narrow.

Fasting should never feel like a chore or obligation. If we can help with anything here to cheer you up or work through whatever's on your mind just ask and we'll try to be here for you x


As another thought, could this be some kind of famine reaction like CandiceMarie recently posted about?

[carorees]

Whoa! @Justdee! Stop there and ask yourself "how can I fast successfully if I have under-eaten the day before?" See, you don't want to be trying to fast each day and getting so hungry that you can't get by on 500 cal.

How many calories did you eat yesterday all told? I'll bet it was nowhere near your TDEE. So you need to have a day between fast attempts. In fact, as you caved in mid afternoon, you must have had a reasonable fast before you broke the fast, so unless you ate continually until bed time, yesterday was a 16:8 day and looks like today is as well. That's great...it's a different method of fasting than you have been doing but it's not a failure. No Way!

My advice is to have a normal day tomorrow and then try again on Thursday or Friday.

You also need to get a good night's sleep. Fasting and not sleeping puts too much stress on your body and you won't lose much weight in that state! Give yourself a break.

[carieoates]

Oh Dee I'm sorry you are struggling.
Maybe have a little snack/ meal or hot drink just to get you through. Fill up on drinks. That's all I can think of, some days are easier for me than others.
Don't beat yourself up about it, as stress won't help. Get that early night and plan your way to success.
You'll do it when you are good and ready luv.

Hi @justdee Only one thing to say SNAP and where's my fasting buddy gone!!! I posted on Friday after my weigh-in being up 1kg again so had normal weekend trying not to overdo the calories and pledged 2x 500 cal fasts plus 1x half/semi fast this week!!!
Since then other plans have been made and had to swap.
Yesterday day 1 of my back to basics plan went well because of the "stuff" in my life at moment I'm very busy and Mon was good + think true fast. And as I've been taking advice from the "low carbers tent " I cooked up loss of veg including the new ugly ones to go with my chicken breast Wow the tastes and flavours were so lovely but I'd cooked far to much and went and finished the lot but had to leave half my chicken I was so full and stuffed, got up today not hungry and another busy day so decided to go for today also coz I don't mind back2back that's gone well only because I'm determined I really want + need to lose these other 50lbs and I decided there's only me that can make that happen yes I gave myself a good talking to not a sympathy talk because I'm mad at myself for losing control alas my damage was about 5lbs and no way am I going to let it get anymore, I never get on scales after the weekend but because I'd had medication for my water probs took one sat+sun. my last kg had gone, water weight and carbs also add to retention so why not join me again this time cutting a few carbs and increasing the veggies.
Some of your could be water and as @Julieathome said certain food keep us awake and increase the cravings well I certainly didn't get them last night, + slept like a log.

Hi @justdee. I think its time to hit the re-set button and just go back to basics. I think its hard this time of year anyway and you just need to be patient with yourself.

I think everyone has already given great answers. This is a particularly bad time of year, though and you are definitely not alone, so don't be too hard on yourself. Why not take the rest of the week off and start afresh on, say, Monday? Once you get back into the right frame of mind you'll be fine I'm sure. Don't forget that during a fast day you need to remind yourself that you can eat x tomorrow. Tomorrow is a wonderful day

Bean xx

Oh Dee honey, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. Maybe just forget this week, try working on your sleeping pattern and start off again next week. Give yourself a break hun, you'll start to develop negative feelings about fasting if you keep trying and failing. Just forget it for a few days and start again Monday. I hope you get some sleep soon, we're here if you need to talk about anything xx

<snip>...I am feeling more hungry on fastdays but that didn't used to bother me. ...<snip>... I'm not sleeping well at all at the moment, only getting 4 or hours a night, that may have something to do with it. ...<snip>

Stress => increased cortisone / cortisol => knackered sleep patterns => stress... etc.

And raised cortisone / cortisol are *known* to wreak havoc on metabolic processes (and yes, thems that involve insulin and leptin in particular); there's loads of literature on it, but this might re-assure you that "it's perfectly normal" (albeit bloomin' annoying)

What is the potential link between stress, cortisol, and appetite?
Animal and human studies have demonstrated that cortisol injections are associated with increased appetite, cravings for sugar, and weight gain (12). Epel et al. demonstrated that premenopausal women who secreted more cortisol during and after novel laboratory stressors chose to consume more foods high in sugar and fat. It has been thought that cortisol directly influences food consumption by binding to receptors in the brain (specifically, the hypothalamus). This can stimulate an individual to eat food that is high in fat and/or sugar. Cortisol also indirectly influences appetite by regulating other chemicals that are released during stress such as CRH (corticotrophin releasing hormone), leptin, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) (12-13). High levels of NPY and CRH and reduced levels of leptin have been shown to stimulate appetite (13).

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20 ... tisol.html

So, really, what the others said! Gie yersel a break lassie. Chill. Next week is soon enough. I'm also suffering with a major dietary huff - so need to take my own advice too - think there's a lot of it about just now (dietary huffs, that is).

xxx FatDog

Thank you all so much for your advice. I was going to keep it to myself and solider on but I'm so glad I didn't. Here's the plan: first I'm going to really concentrate on getting some good sleep. I know it will all be a lot easier if I'm well rested. Tomorrow I will do a half fast because I find that part of the fast easy. Then if I'm sleeping better I'll do a full fastday on Friday. If I'm still not sleeping well by Friday that will be a half fast too. Then do my normal Monday&Friday fast next week.
I have the least stressed life you could ever imagine. But at the moment I'm trying to find somewhere to move to. And that's keeping me awake. I live in a little village in spain and my daughter will be going to high school in september. The closest high school is an hour away so rather than move closer to the school we're going to move to a whole new area of spain, a fresh start, new adventure. The only problem is, how do I choose where to move to? It's driving me crazy. I have to find somewhere by March so I can register my DD at the school to start september. I'm looking for some where near Valencia so if any of you lovely forum folk know of a great place around there, please let me know.
Thanks again everyone
Dee

Hello justdee - so sorry you are having such a tough time at the mo.
I think all the advice you have been given is spot on & great, so really I am just dropping by to give you a virtual hug and to remind you to try to be kind to yourself.
Remember that we are in this for the long haul.....and there will be blips along the way for everyone. You are just having a blip at the moment.....& this will definitely pass.
Hang in there.....& keep posting as we are all here for you.
Take care xx

Such great responses and thank you for reaching out Justdee because we all learn
. Could this be a case of the dreaded Famine Reaction? In any case, definitely, ease up, take a bit of a break, eat up on non fast days. Hope you find a new home soon. I'm sure you will. Sounds so romantic, I must say, a village in Spain.