The FastDay Forum

One of the things I love about fasting is how it makes you appreciate food so much more. And I mean healthy foods not 'treats' which I boycot other than when I'm away on a weekend or holiday or it's a special occasion. But I was never a meat eater, other than in a burger bun lol. Now I love meat, I never ate steak now I eat it once to twice a week. I was never a fan of salad unless it was dripping in dressing, now I eat it without and it all tastes delicious. If I'm fasting like yesterday and I'm out to dinner because I only eat one meal a day I have all my calories so I eat steak and salad! I can't tell you how delicious that tastes on a fast day, and how filling it is.

The other thing I love is how this WOL curbs my appitite on NFDS. This to me is what makes the fasting so much easier, knowing that I actually enjoy fasting, I love the control I now have over everything that goes into my body. That my body doesn't crave rubbish foods. To no longer be compelled by the fridge talking to me at night while I distract myself with TV, my phone, iPad etc but knowing I would cave and eat some more refined carbs and gain more weight. On an average none fast day I consume around 11/1200 cals from my 1966 TDEE. This helps me to lose more weight above and beyond my fast days.

That said I struggled yesterday, I was hungry come 2.30. Quickly drank a bottle of water, felt bloated and it passed. But it came back with a vengence at 4.30 lol. I did manage to muddle through to my usual dinner time of 8pm. And after instead of feeling I had just eaten enough and was satiated I was craving sugar!!! I didn't have any though. And why was I like this... Because I ate sugar all over the weekend, had regular bread instead of low GI and had it every day. I had a chocolate croissant and 3 desserts in 3 days, sweets, nuts etc.... It just went on and on lol oh and fries! Anyhow the upshot of all this is I was left struggling and craving yesterday and today I still want to eat even though I've had sufficient food!

Which brings me to my impending holiday of 10 fabulous nights half board in a beautiful hotel in Tenerife. The food is fabulous there. Of course I'm happy to gain weight on holiday, this is life! I gained 3lbs over the weekend but after the croissant on Monday morning I cut right back and fasted yesterday. This morning I'm shocked to get on the scales to see it's reduced to 222.8lbs. On Friday I was 223 on Monday I was 226! So I know I can pull it back. It's not so much the gaining weight, that's part of a holiday. And I will try at breakfast every other morning to just eat fruit and not all the lovely pastries etc lol. Evening meals will be fine as I'll eat lots of fresh seafood and fish, I will have to watch the desserts. And of course there's my fave drink... Prosecco and or Cava! Although I can't drink night after night so I won't binge nightly on that.

My biggest worry is getting back into fasting when I get home. I know I will be desperate to fast as I was yesterday. But I didn't really struggle when I first started fasting, in fact it was positively easy from day one! I live alone so I only have to buy food that I need and want and I never have anything in that can cause any damage lol. I eat out 3 nights a week but we are both happy not to have dessert and make good food choices. Before I started fasting I was a carb junkie, totally addicted to them. They spoke to me night after night from the kitchen begging me to come and eat them.... Crumpets, bread, teacakes, creaks etc. Not chocolate, not cakes or biscuits although of course there were times I did also have those. I'm worried that after 10 days of holiday I will find fasting really hard because I'll have consumed sugar regularly. I was eating sugar prior to fasting but not really desserts and it's that kind of sugar that I get addicted to quickly. Hence I just avoid it in day to day life. Best laid plans and all that though, healthy breakfasts alternative mornings and the same with dessert. But on a 'vacation' you literally vacate your life and I'm not sure how good my resolve will be to try to eat well. I'm guessing I'll gain a stone !!! Because I reduce my TDEE so much. It's 1966 and I rarely go over 1200. Obviously that means I gain rapidly once I add sugary or high fat foods.

What have your experiences been of weight gain on holidays and how was it getting right back into fasting after?

[carieoates]

Hiya.
There are two ways to approach this.
1. Eat what you want when you want and put it right when you get home.
2. Stay mindful of what you eat and put it right when you get home.
Either way you will almost certainly gain a bit as you will not be fasting but you know how to put it right.
I've recently returned from a fortnight in Florida staying in hotels. I only gained 5lb but unloaded it in two good fasts when I returned.
You seem to have changed your eating habits for the better, and even though you had a blow out at the weekend you know you're allowed now and then only human after all.
So my approach on holiday was to skip either breakfast or lunch. I had some deserts and alcohol. But when you've come as far as us with regards to eating real food you make unconscious decisions to go for the fish, the steak , the chicken and not the pasta, chips and rice all of the time.
So relax, and do what now comes naturally and see how you get on. If it doesn't work out you'll know what to do next time.
The first fast when you get back may be easier maybe not we are all different. Salty drink in the afternoon usually helps me.
Have a super hols. I love the canaries.

I agree with carieoates, but if I was as worried as you are then I would probably try and not go overboard with food and eat only two meals per day (are you half board?), with a healthy breakfast containing for example fruit and yogurt and a protein meal in the evening (as you did when you went out on a fast day). A steak, chicken or fresh fish with lots of vegetables are very filling.
On holiday the experiences and the time off work should be the enjoyment and not the food (although occasional treats are OK)
Maybe you can reward yourself with a gorgeous summer top if you manage a healthy day and reward yourself that way.

As you mentioned in your post, you have learned so much and that you find enjoyment in simple foods now, why should that not apply on holiday? I think you could do it.

I have a problem when I go on holiday as I tend to visit family who keep dishing up food all day and feel rejected if I don't eat. In a hotel nobody knows or cares what you eat.

A holiday in such a beautiful place Now, back to normal. And, if you think of it, back to new normal is a tiny bit harder. I do think the thing that messes us up is the sugar/simple carb stuff. I don't think I have ever had a hard time rebounding from wigging out on steak or fish or even super-rich sauces. I forgot to note how long you've been at this, but I've been doing 5:2 and maintaining about 2 years now. I've found that, even on holiday, I need to keep a lid on sweets and carbs. Two things that keep me from going overboard: 1) It has to be reaaally good quality, delicious food. Being "mindful" if I am really still hungry and when and if I am satisfied. I'm not a big breakfast person, so I usually snack on a few nuts in the morning. But if we go out for breakfast, then lunch is nuts. Lunch is usually moderate--I serve myself a small or medium amount and don't eat it all if I'm not still hungry. Dinner is the same. I eat and drink what I want, but I really think about if it is really what I want. Then I give myself the chance to stop when I am satisfied. If I have dessert, it's small, really good, probably dark chocolate. I know you will figure out what works for you.

Some good advice here. I'm afraid I'm one of those annoying people who loses weight on holiday. Normally because I don't have a kitchen to tempt me. I use eating windows and have just one meal a day that I really, really enjoy without any guilt.

Thanks guys, all brilliant advice!

I do only eat two meals generally lunch between 1/2 and dinner between 7/8 but lunch is normally quite small, egg on toast or a banana and peanut butter. We are half board so it will be breakfast and dinner most days. I've been fasting just over 14 weeks now.

I'll have access to the Internet and might keep a food diary which may help me to eat less sugar lol. I will probably still enter my food as best I can on my fitness pal. I like keeping track.

I can't believe you loose weight on holiday lol, how do you manage that. I seem to have a mindset of enjoying good local food when I am away so food is a part of the holiday that I enjoy. I just have to not let that be a good enough reason to over eat but still enjoy.

Thanks

I will be trying to apply all this good advice too when on a bus tour of Italy in a week or so.

Breakfast is the only meal supplied every day, and I know it will be almost all sugary carbs. I will try to stick to fresh fruit, plain yoghurt, muesli/oats. Will take nuts and a bit of dried fruit for lunch. Some dinners are included or optional (ie pay more), which we will have. It is my first time in Italy, and I want to sample local produce and cooking. Limiting the quantity will be the key, but not easy...

Good luck JayeGirl for managing your intake too!

@Sassy1 and @JayeGirl If it is local cusine you don't want to miss out that is fair enough but local/ Italian food is often very healthy, just consider the fresh fish, the meat etc, looots of tomatoes and salads. Even pasta is not the devil it is painted to be especially if it is accompanied with a pure and plain tomato sauce etc and a salad. The problem is always processed sugar and that is mostly not part of local cuisine.

I am like rawkaren - when not in my own home I am usually OK because I don't eat big portions at a main meal. It is the snacks and treats in between that are my downfall. That is just not an issue when away (apart from visiting family then it is worse than being at home.

@JayeGirl, although it is certainly possible you are "physically" addicted to simple carbs ("baked goods" as I term them, are also one of my downfalls), the level of apprehension says that it's mostly mental. And since you haven't been 5:2ing all that long (good job, by the way; 40+ lbs in 14 weeks???), you may not have overcome your fears regarding "what will happen in the long run" (since we have mostly all regained at least once).

I've been 5:2ing for just over a year; early on, I thought, wow, this is so easy, I'm just losing weight and will reach target (which would have been almost 60lbs from my start weight) before my first fastiversary...well, not so much (about halfway, 30lbs down). I've plateaued and have been losing very slowly for awhile... But...what's changed is I truly consider this my Way of Life, the way I'll eat for the rest of my life. Given that, I'm not in a big hurry to "lose it," more interested in keeping off what I've lost, since I've already gotten two of the biggest goals I had for losing weight--blood pressure down and knees/feet don't hurt. Plus, I'm hopeful that losing slowly will help my skin to compensate and not end up as icky saggy parts. Can you also point to some positive interim results to help keep you going?

Two things to consider:
1. You are losing very quickly, and are limiting CALORIES (this isn't about sugar, it's intake) as well on normal days. Are you sure you aren't going into famine/starvation/whatever mode? Note that while the jury is out on exactly how this works, many of us have noted that when we significantly limit food intake for a longer period of time (beyond 24 to 36 hours fasting periods), it catches up with us in the form of excessive and compulsive hunger/eating. I haven't yet read (being in the U.S., the libraries here don't have her books ) it yet, but some here recommend The Don't Go Hungry Diet by Amanda Sainsbury-Salis as having a lot of good sense advice.
2. Re: the mental aspects of this ongoing/everyday restriction--Perhaps you aren't like me; but over the years of dieting, losing, regaining...I've found that when I add too many rules/restrictions/NoNos/limitations--I WILL end up throwing the baby out with the bathwater and ditching the whole thing. Maybe if you could be a little more flexible on a daily basis, your "mind" won't need to tempt you into out-of-control eating of "forbidden" items.

Another good piece of advice that I generally try to follow is to have only the truly high-quality naughty items (after all, we don't really NEED pastries, but without indulgences, is life worth living?). Don't compare yourself to those who (seemingly) have no trouble disciplining or limiting themselves; you are a wonderful person and not "bad" just because you enjoy food! And being kind to yourself should enable you to pursue this WOL permanently... Oh, also look at Yoni Freedhoff's book The Diet Fix; he talks about what makes a diet doable long term (or not).

Great advice @ferretgal! Agree totally re too many restrictions often leading to diet fatigue and then giving up.

One of the tenets of 5:2 is that you don't have to make any changes to what you would normally eat on your non-fast days when not on a diet. Of course, if there are healthy changes you can (gradually) make without feeling deprived, then that is great.

As you will have read, I have become a fan of the "Don't go hungry" approach. By examining my hunger before I eat, I am often finding that in fact I don't want that carby food after all. Even if my initial thought is that I do! Sometimes I still chose to have those fun foods, as Amanda Sainsbury-Salis calls them, but by concentrating on my hunger level, I have also become less likely to overindulge thoughtlessly.

It's a pity her books aren't not readily available in the U.S. Could you recommend their purchase to your local library?

Dear @JayeGirl, I hope you don't read this as discouraging... I love reading your posts - you have such enthusiasm and seem very upbeat and I wish you all the best for finding a sustainable strategy for managing your weight.

Great advice @ferretgal! Agree totally re too many restrictions often leading to diet fatigue and then giving up.

One of the tenets of 5:2 is that you don't have to make any changes to what you would normally eat on your non-fast days when not on a diet. Of course, if there are healthy changes you can (gradually) make without feeling deprived, then that is great.

As you will have read, I have become a fan of the "Don't go hungry" approach. By examining my hunger before I eat, I am often finding that in fact I don't want that carby food after all. Even if my initial thought is that I do! Sometimes I still chose to have those fun foods, as Amanda Sainsbury-Salis calls them, but by concentrating on my hunger level, I have also become less likely to overindulge thoughtlessly.

It's a pity her books aren't not readily available in the U.S. Could you recommend their purchase to your local library?

Dear @JayeGirl, I hope you don't read this as discouraging... I love reading your posts - you have such enthusiasm and seem very upbeat and I wish you all the best for finding a sustainable strategy for managing your weight.

Hi Sassy,

Thanks for your advice and guidence. I will add foods back as and when I feel the need for them or if I feel deprived. At the moment I don't because on a day to day basis I just don't crave or want them. My two things that I love on none fast days are... A skinny cappuccino which is like dessert to me and either a banana with peanut butter spread on it and sometimes have it on low GI bread. It's delicious. I used to drink at least a pint of skim milk a day, more like 1.5! I still like to have some milk in my diet and what better way than a lovely coffee.

I'm thinking the alternate days for sugar is the best way to go on holiday. I could eat it daily but I know that aI would then be very upset with the weight gain which would be massive plus I just don't want to start back up from there. I wasn't eating lots of sugary desserts when aI started fasting do I was lucky that it all came easily. But not so easy after a weekend with lots of sugar, so annoying lol.

The easiest vacations to lose weight on are on a sailboat in less than flat seas. Hubs used to joke that it was Chris's Rough Water Diet. I would usually lose about 10 lbs. in two weeks on the boat. I wasn't seasick the whole time, just not very hungry. That and all my cooking had to be done on a 2 burner alcohol stove. It was great though. I wish I could wave a wand and be back on the boat gently rocking and watching the fish and seagulls off Catalina Island. Beautiful!

The easiest vacations to lose weight on are on a sailboat in less than flat seas. Hubs used to joke that it was Chris's Rough Water Diet. I would usually lose about 10 lbs. in two weeks on the boat. I wasn't seasick the whole time, just not very hungry. That and all my cooking had to be done on a 2 burner alcohol stove. It was great though. I wish I could wave a wand and be back on the boat gently rocking and watching the fish and seagulls off Catalina Island. Beautiful!

Wow I will join you on that diet and holiday! Sounds idyllic.

Hi, @JayeGirl! My take on holiday eating is a little different from many on this forum - just different, not necessarily better, but it is personal to me.
I have been following this WOL for two and a half years and maintaining for quite a lot of that time. I love carbs, especially sugary foods, and when I am on holiday (usually cruises) I eat loads of them, plus I drink more alcohol than I normally would! I deny myself nothing that I want!
This inevitably leads to weight gain but my golden rule is to get straight back to fasting the day after my return! It usually takes me two or three weeks of 5:2- ing to remove the surplus weight, although I have found that more recently, my gains have been smaller and I do make (very slightly!) better food choices.
The others have given you very good advice and it may be that you are able to take it but I just wanted to offer an alternative option on how holiday eating can work! Whatever you decide, I hope that you have a brilliant time!

Hi, @JayeGirl! My take on holiday eating is a little different from many on this forum - just different, not necessarily better, but it is personal to me.
I have been following this WOL for two and a half years and maintaining for quite a lot of that time. I love carbs, especially sugary foods, and when I am on holiday (usually cruises) I eat loads of them, plus I drink more alcohol than I normally would! I deny myself nothing that I want!
This inevitably leads to weight gain but my golden rule is to get straight back to fasting the day after my return! It usually takes me two or three weeks of 5:2- ing to remove the surplus weight, although I have found that more recently, my gains have been smaller and I do make (very slightly!) better food choices.
The others have given you very good advice and it may be that you are able to take it but I just wanted to offer an alternative option on how holiday eating can work! Whatever you decide, I hope that you have a brilliant time!

Hi Stowgaye,

I think this is pretty much what I will do, but I will try to still listen to the 'am I hungry rule' lol. I know I will lose it when I get back, I just know weening myself of carbs/sugar will be a nightmare lol.

Just been trying on lots of summer holiday clothes that wouldn't go near me last year, this year... A bit big! Lol.

Thanks All