The FastDay Forum

My next fast day is tomorrow. I plan to be at the pub Irish music session, and I will have exactly one pint of Smithwick's ale, at 200 cals. The other 400 will be spent on reasonably nutritious food.

I don't know if I'll be completely hammered after that one pint, after so little food at dinner, or if it'll cause some water retention or weight gain. Strictly speaking, alcohol tends to dehydrate, so I probably won't notice any difference. We'll see what Friday brings.

TO CURB YOUR SWEET TOOTH ON A FAST DAY ,I MAKE UP SUGAR FREE JELLY MADE UP WITH DIET LEMONADE I PUT 100G OF FROZEN FRUIT IN BOWL THEN ADD JELLY ON TOP THIS IS ONLY 80 CALS FOR THE WHOLE LOT ENJOY

For me 5:2 works because instead of having to have will power every day, it is enough if I have it twice a week. That is doable. I can manage the thought "I really would enjoy that piece of chocolate, but I can wait till tomorrow". After all, it is just a thought - I do not have to believe everything I think
Research suggests will power is like a muscle, you can train it to become stronger, but if you overwork a weak muscle, it will fail. Twice a week is a good training program for me.
Losing weight is not the hard(est) part - but maintaining the loss long term. Learning that I can have treats, but I don't need to have them every day, is an important part of that for me. Also, there are many reports on this forum of people going off the deep end once they start snacking. If your reaction pattern is like that, I would wait for the next day, and then allow yourself that treat.

I agree about having something sweet on a fast day can then send you off the deep end. On my last fast day I skipped breakfast and lunch and then rewatched the Horizon programme during the afternoon to occupy me and help me through. At teatime I was very hungry and decided to do pasta for tea with Philadelphia as a sauce and a little grated cheese on top - normally I would think of this as a "naughty" meal but I served it in a small bowl so it looked like I was having plenty. I found that when I had finished my smaller than normal portion of "naughty" food I was satisfied in all ways - not hungry, not craving anything and pleased with myself that I'd stuck to the 500 calories (in fact it was less when I did the calculation on My Fitness Pal) - in my head I could see the bacon and eggs I could have for breakfast the next day. In the event, the next morning I was still feeling pleased with myself when I got on the scales and ended up trading in the bacon and eggs for an apple and an orange! I think I managed to fool my "naughty" desire. Maybe something like this could help?