The FastDay Forum

I was quite shocked that it had no effect at all ,I felt less hungry than I normally do when I have my usual porridge ,I will be skipping breakfast again on my next fast day on Monday

I also skipped breakfast last fast day...turned it into an all day tea/coffee and a little juice. Worked out fine for me. My goal was to accelerate the healing process which I understand happens when you don't weigh down your system with digesting poisons.

I get hungry too after I eat, so I too am skipping breakfast and having a broth or miso at lunch as i'm really looking for something then and a savoury hot drink helps me heaps - and loads of herbal teas too. I have been Calorie Counting since January and now that i have discovered this plan I tried alternate day fasting this past week. Did Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (today). I also ate about 1000 cals healthy foods, on the other days - It's been a bit of a stretch but its given my weight loss a good boost with 2.9 kg. loss this week - I am in "obese" category at the moment, so aiming for "overweight" I have also been walking daily for 30 minutes, NOT speeding along but walking with purpose.

I get hungry too after I eat, so I too am skipping breakfast and having a broth or miso at lunch as i'm really looking for something then and a savoury hot drink helps me heaps - and loads of herbal teas too. I have been Calorie Counting since January and now that i have discovered this plan I tried alternate day fasting this past week. Did Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (today). I also ate about 1000 cals healthy foods, on the other days - It's been a bit of a stretch but its given my weight loss a good boost with 2.9 kg. loss this week - I am in "obese" category at the moment, so aiming for "overweight" I have also been walking daily for 30 minutes, NOT speeding along but walking with purpose.

Hi Marie, do you mean you eat only 1000 cals on feed days?

Hi Lynn
Yes only been eating 1000 cals on non fasting days recently as I want to shift weight more quickly - previously I had been eating 1200 every day and if I had a social event I might go to 1500 cals.

Maybe I buck the trend but I love breakfast, I usually have an egg on toast or cereal or porridge. I have been having two egg whites and a whole egg on fast days and that's been keeping me full til lunch. I might give no breakfast a go but I'm nervous as I hate the idea of not being able to function at work.

Like most other posters here I skip breakfast on fast days (and lunch too in my case), but your strategy works for you so stick with it! I think it is significant though that you are eating mostly protein (i.e. egg) and not simple carbs for your fast day breakfast. Do you ever have that piece of toast on a fast day, and if so have you noticed if that makes it harder going? I think it might...

I can't quite believe it but I skip breakfast on my fast days too! It's so much easier to get to lunch without eating first thing. Hunger doesn't reach me until around midday now. Before 5:2 I thought I would collapse if I went without breakfast! The thing I find now is that I'm really full after a small lunch of about 200 cals and then starving about an hour later. I may have to try skipping lunch too, although not sure if I can make it through the whole day without eating. Think I'll try though.

I agree Emy. I have to have breakfast and then a mid afternoon snack and then save 300 calories for dinner. It works for me and I have continued to lose. As you can see, there are different ways to do this and pick what works for you ! This is a life plan, not a diet and I just love it

Dsmith30,
What kind of things do you have for a mid afternoon snack?

I usually have a Minestrone cup a soup 91 calories

[carorees]

Hi Lynn
Yes only been eating 1000 cals on non fasting days recently as I want to shift weight more quickly - previously I had been eating 1200 every day and if I had a social event I might go to 1500 cals.

What is your TDEE? I can't believe it is under 1000 cals a day which is what you day you are eating. This is a rather unhealthy way of doing 5:2 and not sustainable. To get the best out of th is way of eating you need to eat up to your TDEE on feed days. In fact, we are beginning to see a pattern where people say "I over-ate last week on my feed days and wasn't expecting to see a loss but I lost more than usual". I think that a big difference between feed and fast day calories gives the best results so I'd advise you to eat more on feed days. Work out your TDEE and try to keep around that level.

Hi Lynn
Yes only been eating 1000 cals on non fasting days recently as I want to shift weight more quickly - previously I had been eating 1200 every day and if I had a social event I might go to 1500 cals.

It definitely doesn't work that way, you're just starving yourself. You are averaging 857 cals a day over the week and that's not enough to keep you functioning properly.

Don't mix calorie controlled diets and 5:2, either calorie control every day to 20/25 % of your TTD (whatever it is) or calorie restrict by fasting.

TDEE i have just calculated it as i didn't know it before you people asked me about it.(Caroees and BBT053) its about 2200 cals. So should I be eating all 2200 on non-fast days or 20% of that?? That seems so much I'm scared I won't lose weight. Last night i went to a Vietnamese restaurant; after consuming 400 cals during the day before the restaurant meal, where i shared a Rice Hot Pot, steamed chicken and veg and Salt & Pepper Egg Plant. I didn't feel that I overate and I also had 2 glasses of white dry wine and this morning my weight is already .8 pounds up.

I shouldn't worry about an overnight weight change, that is not really meaningful. As a rough rule of thumb, 1lb of body weight = 3500 calories, and it doesn't sound as if you overate your TDEE by 1800 calories, and maybe not at all.

The basic idea is that you eat your TDEE on normal days, and 25% of that on fasting days (which is approximated by Dr M to 500 for women and 600 for men). You don't need to eat much less than your TDEE on normal days and your shouldn't eat much more, at least not regularly.

Thanks Dominic