The FastDay Forum

I'm on week 12 of 5:2 this week and already completed my 2 fasts (wanted to enjoy Easter) and the last couple of weeks my body seems to have given in to the regime and I'm losing weight more steadily and a little more than previously, I am finding that fast days are easy physically now and I don't even suffer hunger pains or headaches as I did at the beginning. I've lost 15lbs so far but I'm in this for the long haul as have 4 more stone to lose. Mentally I'm struggling a bit though as though I'm bored of it or ironically as I've just eaten 2 chocolate croissant and they were yummy and guilt free I'm feeling a bit deprived! I'm not hungry as I now recognise that feeling far better. Hoping this is just a phase as I adjust to finally having a decreased appetite and the whole eating like a thin person which although my body seems happy to do my brain hasn't caught up! Popping into budgens this morning I've bought croissants (now gone) and two share packs of chocolate which my body doesn't actually want and I'm not actually craving as I used to. I think there may be lots of contradictions in this post, can anyone relate? Think I need reprogramming!

I think when you "live to eat" rather than "eat to live" as such, you have a totally different attitude to food. Some people simply eat when hungry, stop when full and that's that - they don't particularly snack, they don't over eat, they don't crave particular things - they simply eat in order to survive.

I'm an emotional eater, if I've had a bad day, I want chocolate (and wine!), if I'm happy, I'd prepare a yummy meal (probably not a very healthy one) or get a takeaway, if I'm upset, I want cake or chocolate or just something sweet. IMHO eating becomes a habit associated with different emotions for certain people and if I don't eat when those emotions crop up, I feel "empty" and like I'm depriving myself.

Some people eat to a clock - they eat when they've been programmed to eat; breakfast at 7am, lunch at 12noon, dinner at 6pm with snacks in between - probably the same for them, when they try and break this habit, it seems unnatural and like they are depriving themselves.

It's like you mentally get bored (as you said) and because the regime hasn't settle mentally even though it has physically - you almost just want to go back to how you were before, as that felt more normal to you.

Like you say, we need to be reprogrammed, I would love to know how long that actually takes! But I do totally know what you mean.

It sounds as though your body is saying one thing and your head another. I am sure it is just a phase and perhaps it is a key to the reason you have put on weight over the years? Can you treat yourself to something other than food? A magazine or a new lippy maybe. It sounds as though you need to indulge yourself. Good luck getting through this tricky patch.

I seem to be doing the same, buying chocolates (because I can) and eating them even when I'm not craving them (because I can). Must be the rebel in me, because it's not doing my waistline any good. I quit smoking nearly two years ago after a lifetime of the bad habit, and my metabolism is seriously slow. I have not gained any weight, but not feeling the benefits I should, probably because of overdoing the things that are usually taboo on a diet.
Will have to rein in my splurges, and eat 'normally'

Thank you for the replies, think you're right in the emotional eating, habit and rebellious streak! Its definitely what led to me being overweight in the first place! i put on 4 stone in a year after a very strict diet in my early 20's and have carried it ever since (now 35), i only put on another stone recently after having a baby. I need to mentally catch up with myself! I'm sticking with it as clearly it's working and I've never managed to lose weight without constantly feeling hungry and deprived and falling off the wagon! This method is great and actually easy for me to stick to, I wish I could treat myself with something else, but think I'd need to be more disciplined to do that! Luckily despite my rebellions I am still losing weight, so guess I will continue on and hopefully my brain will catch up! Wish I could see food as fuel!

I'm a 'by the clock eater' as Sophieh mentioned...25 years of teaching and now 12 years of office work and my body tells me when its 12:30 and Im due lunch or 3:30 and I'm due tea break ...conditioned like Pavlov's dog!!!
But 5:2 is definately retraining me and teaching me what 'hunger' feels like and only to eat when I am actually hungry!
The other weird thing I am learning is what I like to call 'the sliding scale of hunger' and equally 'the sliding scale of being full'??
Now I can eat dinner and stop when I am no longer hungry but before I am full(let alone stuffed!) this is something my husband(who is 'naturally' thin) has always been able to do...it used to irritate me when he left things on his plate and I would say 'oh youre not that full that you cannt eat those last 3 mouthfulls!' but Ive learnt now that taking smaller portions and eating until I am no longer hungry is so much better ( I can always go back for more but rarely need to) if any of this is making sense??
Mariposa...I went through a phase of eating 'everything' the day before my fast day because I couldnt have it (even though I didnt want it?) the next day ...and then 'everything' the next day because I had just fasted!!! lol...but thankfully that part of me is taming down too...Its a whole different 'mind set' for me but slowly I think Im having a better attitude to food in general !!

Well the rest of the day has meant the demise of a bag of munchies! Opps! They were yum though! Guess I'm a work in progress...