The FastDay Forum

Hi all

On my Fasting days I am planning on taking 3 x 200cal slimfast shakes for breakfast/lunch/dinner

Is this OK? Or for some reason not recommended?

Rob

Hi Rob and Welcome
For me and many members its a NO
I'm doing 4:3 because of the amount of weight I need/want to lose and quickly learned that evening meal only is best for me at least and good wholesome real food when I began in April I had the summer ahead and a massive salad with chicken breast or fish was a mainstay on fastdays, you need the protein and vegetables to bulk and fill you up therefore you get better meals and not the boring shakes that are probably full of crap anyway,
Best of luck and you'll soon find what suits you best but waiting all day isn't as hard as it sounds providing you keep occupied and hydrated

I'd stick with real food if I were you - just as Sue Q said above - the protein and veg thing rather than loads of carbs (they just make you hungrier) because you can have a massive plateful and I'm sure it would feel more satisfying than shakes. I too find it easier to eat one meal in the evening and just drink plenty of liquids in the day (mainly water, but the odd black tea). I find that eating kick starts the hunger.

I'm with Sue.Q, who knows better than me.

For me, a huge part of this way of life is about learning to make informed sustainable food choices every day - for ever.

Can you honestly see yourself drinking slimfast shakes two days a week for the rest of your life?

I've never tried one, but I wonder what's in them? I like to know what my food is/where it's come from. I try to eat fairly 'clean' (if a pre-packaged 'something' has more than five ingredients or something my Gran wouldn't have recognised/I can't pronounce then I don't want to eat it).

Maybe try skipping breakfast (it's not too long until lunch time), then a lowcal veggie soup if necessary - after all it's then not too long until dinner time... Then maybe chicken breast (no skin or fat for cooking) and a huge pile of veggies or salad? If you can save most of your calories for the evening, that's a huge chicken breast and veg!

Certainly for me on a fast day, protein (white fish or chicken) and loads of veg is mostly the way to go for dinner. Or something well spiced, maybe some veggie chillie or curry (hot) with cauliflower rice?

@madmittens - 'Can you honestly see yourself drinking slimfast shakes two days a week for the rest of your life?'

This is a very good point and the answer is no!
Your question has made my mind up that slimfast is not the way to go..

Thanks!

Rob

One of the things that 5:2 has done for me is make me really appreciate food. So after a day of water, possibly a miso soup or cup of bouillon I sit down to a really tasty meal which is so satisfying. Last night (fast day) we had turkey with loads of veg. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it and how full I felt afterwards. I just don't think I'd get the same satisfaction from a glass of slimfast in the evening. That would make me positively miserable! Good luck with your fasting, whatever your choose to eat

Here is a breakdown of 'Chocolate Royale Slimfast drink

This Slim-Fast shake contains only four real ingredients (nonfat milk, sugar, cocoa and canola oil); coupled with a whopping 19 chemical additives.

Sugar is listed as the second and fourth ingredient – and that’s never a good sign.
Trans fats in the form of hydrogenated soybean oil.
There’s one refined sweetener (maltodextrin) and two artificial sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame).
And there are a slew of random additives that are hard to pronounce: calcium caseinate, cellulose gel, mono and diglycerides, potassium phosphate, soybean lecithin, cellulose gum, carrageenan, isolated soy protein, artificial flavor, potassium carrageenan, and sodium citrate

I have two meals on a fast day (1pm and 7pm) and keep it simple eg chicken and vegetables or a salad. Some people buy ready made calorie counted meals from the supermarket. Others fast for 36 hours - so many variations for you to try out and see what suits you.

I'd step away from anything with sugar and carbs on fast days and eat REAL food. The great thing about this way of eating is that you can enjoy your food, just less of it!

I agree with everything the others have said. Doing a slimfast shake diet is too much like food deprivation and will make you dread fast days instead of embracing them. The fact that you say you couldn't see yourself doing this for the rest of your life answers your own question really. 5:2 is all about a WOE for life. There is nothing more satisfying (for me anyway) than going without all day and feeling like you have cleansed yourself from all the bad foods and additives consumed on feed days only to enjoy a nice healthy meal in the evening and boy do you enjoy it when you eat it!

Personally I think Slimfast shakes are for "quick fixes" and not a sustainable way of eating for life.

Good luck with whatever it is you decide to do!

Here is a link to the Hunger switch thread. It explains why so many of us don't eat till the evening meal or don't eat at all (liquid fast) on a fast day.
resources-links-f3/topic1499.html

I started with just an evening meal of plain low calorie protein, usually plain chicken or fish, with salad or stir fry, to more complicated meals then back to no food on a fast day. For me its easier.

If you plan your fast day meals ahead, then keep the food prep and cooking quick and simple, it makes a fast day a no fuss day. You could even walk into your local supermarket and buy a big bag of mixed salad leaves, a cooked chicken breast or a tin of tuna and some tomatoes and you're sorted in the simplest way. A tin of soup for lunch without the bread and you will still be under your 600kcals for the day.