The FastDay Forum

hi
the title pretty much says it all:-)
how do you decide / plan what to have for your 500 cals
I am trying to get through till evening meal and i keep thinking i will have this and then 5 mins later i will have that
the problem is i have to shop for it on the way home and if tuesday was anything to go by i'll be chopping and changing my mind for another half hour in the supermarket
next week hopefully will be a bit more organised and hace some fish etc so that i dont have to think

jeniben

Hi jeniben, I tend to make a big pan of homemade veggie soup which is very filling, healthy & low fat which leaves room for an after dinner treat, which is always a bonus

I had porridge yesterday morning and an apple, then found i had only 150 cals for tea which wasnt great! Im going to research some soups for lunch and meal options for tea - something like Birds Eye fish portions which are really nice and see if I can do better next time! Im going to be nerdy and make a list of options for fast days !

I would love to be able to go into marks and spencer and buy a ready meal which is what I did when I visited the uk, but unfortunately I can't.
I get quite stressed thinking about what to have so prefer to have something that's easy to count the calories.
On some days I cook something from scratch which is already calorie counted.
I have used ww recipes, and recipes on line.
I like fish and sometimes have calorie counted frozen fish or fish cakes.
Last night I had 2 fish cakes, broccoli and roasted tomatoes which was well within my 400 calorie allowance. I then had a 2 finger kit kat with a cup of tea which took me to 400.
I track my food on a fast day on my fitness pal.
Oh forgot I had a small apple too.
I eat all of my calories in one hit as when I eat it riggers my appetite.
Good luck.

"How do you decide..."

By quite simply following the recipes in the 'Fast Diet' book?

For me on 600 cals, I've found the recipes very satisfying. I much prefer them to say an M&S CountOnUs or FullerLonger.

I find M&S a life saver - today I have 2 chicken and bacon pasta salads at 230 calories each - it doesn't really feel like im restricting my diet ( except for missing breakfast). I would love to be able to make stuff from scratch but then I find quick and simple works best for me and it also stops me thinking about food, therefore keeping temptation away. Any supermarket does low cal ready made meals, soups and salads. I think the trick is to be prepared - once I have bought something it is that or nothing at all

I go for the easy option - a mixed salad bowl from Tesco with either 100g pack of cooked chicken or a tin of tuna for lunch (and a 10 cal sugar free jelly pot) then a low cal ready meal for less than 300 cals. I order everything for the week online so I know in advance the exact calorie count for my two fast days = no stress, and not having to think about food on those two days makes it easier - then a drink fizzy water and black coffee throughout the day so I don't need to worry about those calories either.

I'm only on my 4th fast but I tend to just have a bit of what I fancy - not being a big salad/vegetable person I wouldn't feel very satisfied eating a huge salad, and would much rather have some beans on toast (which I plan on doing tonight!) which I enjoy more. I also like the security of something already calorie counted like a ready meal.

No breakfast
Lo cal cuppa soup @ lunch-time
Ready meal or a little of what the rest of the family is having....will swap their chicken, sausages, meatballs etc for quorn version.....much lower in calories, and relatively tasty.
For me it is important that the children see me eat at lunch-time and tea-time, as don't want them to see Mum is starving herself. They dont notice breakfast as it is generally a rush, and I can say I eat after they have gone to school.

Thanks all

Shazzam will have to investigate some low cal soups for lunch tho I am trying to go till tea time

Saggy Catfish is a good odea - will have to get some in and I LIKE lists,so will have to spend the weekend coming up with something

Bellalou sgree regarding the eating triggers thing thats why i want to try and be able to go till tea time- this week at work everyone seems to be eating really nice smelling stuff ...grrrr

lastchance will have to have a look at the book

starsky M& S sounds a good idea - will have to go in on a feed day tho

traceylike the idea, will give it a try

staceyi'm lucky i love salads and veg....except when its freezing cold like today

gottabe good idea to let the kids see you eat

thanks again all for the suggestions
jeniben

M&S have a soup deal buy two & get one half price. The Chilipottle Pork soup is spicy & delicious. Also have found Waitrose Chilli Bean & Bacon pasta sauce is filling & again delicious, you could have half with a small portion of pasta, or have all of it on its own. I find the spiciness slows my eating so it seems even more filling.

Sometimes I don't decide, and it's all totally ramdom. Or I could say flexible, which sounds better. Today I was up in London with my teenage son, and ended up splitting a late lunch with him even though I usually go through til evening on fast days, but otherwise I'd've had to come out of the closet about all this (as he knew I'd had no breakfast before getting the train). Anyway, I was feeling rather weak and dizzy by then, so I think that was the best thing. Now, I just need to limit dinner to about two forkfuls, and I'll still be within the day's quota.

I do a ready meal (albeit infrequently) but more usually I make a vegetable curry in advance and eat it with a little rice for my single 500 cal meal.

I have a cup a soup for lunch then a meal I have made and frozen, today was bolognaise with veg easy quick and tasty.

Hi

Isis thanks will check out the soup deal

emmflexible random is my style too at the moment but i think i need to be a bit more organised, though hubby has said when it gets warmer he will join me in salads etc - lucky guy never needs to lose weight

Bssh & Riel i really must try and find time to do some batch cooking - that seems a good way ahead

cheers all

jeniben