The FastDay Forum

I pile the chillies into my fast day dinner, and roast my veggies too. Hot drinks, sitting by the fire or hot baths all help too. Winter can't last too much longer, don't give up!

I work in an air-con'd office even in this weather. I wear so many layers I look as if I am putting weight on, only me knows I'm shrinking underneath. 7 weeks to hols and counting down, Get the sangria chilled.

If it helps, there is good evidence that cold exposure is good for us. It increases thyroid function, stimulates production of brown adipose tissue which generates more heat keeping us warmer and burning up more calories and like other forms of mild stress makes us stronger! So let's embrace it!

Wow! I like the idea. Very interesting.

I also notice that my body has totally adapted to the cold this winter, which is why I keep the heat down to around 60 during the day. If it gets too warm now, I feel really uncomfortable.

UPDATE:

I'm finding the 5:2 way of life far too difficult this week with being off work (works much better when I'm busy) and the cold weather. I've had the heating full-on, worn layers and even had an extra electric heater (dreading the bills) and was STILL cold. I find that when I eat just a few calories more I warm up significantly and my grumpiness goes away.
So, for this week and next, I'm doing a modified version - 3 days of eating 900 calories and 4 days of normal eating. I started yesterday and noticed my mood improved dramatically and while still cold, it wasn't that 'chilled to the bone' cold I've been experiencing on 5:2.

I've only done 2 fast days so far but have been freezing too, to the point where my nose is constantly running and everyone asks if I have a cold. None fast day today and no runny nose, surely that's not a coincidence?

Hey, I know that this is an older post, but I stumbled to it on google and thought maybe I would throw in my observation, if I may. Note, I have never heard of this 5:2 program. I do, though, live a lifestyle that seems pretty similar. As far as cold goes, I just spent a year in the pacific northwest of the United States. I found denser foods to help a lot with keeping warm. Also, I found myself craving thicker fats as it got colder, probably to help thicken the blood up a bit. And often I went down the line of foods that I eat to confirm that my body was indeed specifically wanting something denser, and that it wasn't just some passing craving that would fade. I have STRONG vegetarian/even vegan ideals, but I would go down the line and eventually if something persisted long enough, I usually eventually honored that as body wisdom. Maybe it was the sensitivity, but sometimes upon eating a little bit of meat, for instance, I was incredibly thermaled up. Also, I became more conscious of simple sugar intake. Didn't stop per se, but became more limited. The cold itself, actually helps to stimulate your bodies metabolism and also helps to tap into your body fat and use it as fuel, which warms you. But I noticed that many times it is not wise to too unnaturally force a fast when your body is persistently telling you otherwise. I found that many times it seemed that when you are sensitive to the body and you listen, then you can get on a slow burn plateau, and the natural transition into a fast is much more wholistic and smoother. In short, cold weather is not the same as hot weather, and the diet will most likely change, for a reason. ---take this with a grain of salt because a lot of times I question my own writing.

WoW.. thanks for the post, I think I understand what you are saying, but my body WILL be fasting Mon & Thurs even if it doesn't want to, I'm in charge for a change now.