The FastDay Forum

Please note, fasting is recommended for people with a BMI of 20-27.9. If you have a BMI over 28 and are looking to lose weight, please get in touch to discuss the right LighterLife programme for you.

Surely those with a BMI of 20 are considered to be well within the normal range and so don't need to lose any more weight?

Surely those with a BMI of 20 are considered to be well within the normal range and so don't need to lose any more weight?

That's what I was thinking. I'm confused

For me its best to ignore these money making schemes. Real food without preservatives and organic where possible does it for me to stay healthy.Its not very expensive, my appetite has diminished on feast days as I have fewer cravings and seem to only tolerate smaller portions. Still I'll eat sweets if I feel like it but don't seem to crave it as much.I feel these commercial money makers defeat the purpose of eating for health and longevity.

Surely those with a BMI of 20 are considered to be well within the normal range and so don't need to lose any more weight?

I just cut & paste from the Lighterlife site.

Strictly speaking a BMI of 18.5 upwards is considered healthy, and fasting may not be just about losing weight.

I don't know what the LighterLife packets are like, but I can see the appeal for someone that doesn't want to have to count calories or plan meals on fast days. I used to eat diet powerbar type things for work lunches just for the convenience.

LighterLife has been around for a while in the UK and Ireland as a VLCD (very low calorie diet), and from searching I see that a few people here on the forum have had success with them before (but the weight has crept back on afterwards, the familiar story).

Now they have launched 'LighterLife Fast' which is their version of Dr M's fast diet. Aimed at people with BMI of 20-27.9 it seems to follow Dr M's prescription except that you buy from them food packs which give you all your nutrition for the 2 fast days.

They say their plan guarantees full nutrition on a fast day. 'You can have the porridge for breakfast and then a soup or a bar for lunch, followed by a "meal" and a mousse or a shake for dinner.'

They have no commercial connection with Dr M and the Fast Diet. Nor with me...

Only a matte of time until someone tried to cash in! Trouble is, the absolute joy of a fast day is biting into some lovely healthy grub - apples, veg, fish nothing ever tasted so good. And as others have said you remember that delight and reach for an apple on your normal day too!

I refuse to eat chemicals knowingly and try not to unknowingly eat them. Real food every time just a bit less of it. I have vowed to never knowingly eat a reduced fat or sugar product, unless of course it comes that way naturally.

I know what you mean HR. I had to go with hubby to the hospital today and he was starving after his tests and made a bee-line for the WRVS shop. I strood there thinking that I'd fasted yesterday and in theory I could choose what I wanted. I walked out with just a bottle of water! This WoE does make you think more about what you eat. I always feel light aand perky after a fast and never want to spoil it with heavy stodge and certainly not with stuff that has ingredients that read more like a recipe for semtex!

I think it is a bit of a con but I can see it might help some people. I like real food too much to ever do weird powder shakes....

This week I had Mexican pizza with ham and veg on it and a small side salad with a bit of a dressing. Then had Strawberries, raspberries and squirty cream, a clementine and a curly wurly all for 625 cals... I'd rather have that any day than manufactured powder....

As most of you already said, it was only a matter of time before the diet mafia got in on this. I think one of the reasons - at least for me - that this WoE works, is the fact that you can eat anything ie real food on fast as well as on feast days. This has brought me in touch with wholesome foods again, by which I mean veggies, fruit, yoghurt, tofu etc. As long as you eat sensibly healthy people cannot get malnourished with this way of eating. Perhaps this does not hold true for people with certain conditions, I haven't enough medical knowledge to determine this. A GP could sort this out.

I have used SlimFast in the past, but only found it useful on those days when I was unable to cook, because I was travelling for my work. A plate of salade/bowl of soup seems to be so much more satisfying. So these products might occasionally be useful, but on the whole my plan is to stick to genuine food, preferably in my case home-grown veggies and the like.

Good honest nutritious food all the way........however, as I have stated on a previous thread, I am at a really busy time both professionally and personally so dont always have the time to cook good nutrious meals staying within my 500cals. so as a temporary measure, I am using Herbalife replacement meal shakes and ready meals as it is quick and easy.
I dont for one moment plan to stay on these, this is just to get me through the next couple of weeks without falling off the wagon.