The FastDay Forum

Me to I find it very difficult with the kids and hubby around, Hard at weekends, so never fast at weekends, hard on FAST days if hubby is home. I have a 17month old so do find it hard with him so easy to taste his food checking temp or even without realising nicking some. Got 2 weeks coming up with other son home (as we are in france different holidays) hoping I can cope, though both kids love carrot soup which does make lunch simpler.

Well, in our religion (Islam) we also have the concept of fasting, so my older son understands why my husband and I aren't eating/drinking during the days in Ramadan or if we do any optional fasts throughout the year. I haven't discussed the 5:2 diet with them explicitly; I don't think they need to know about it at this age anyway. I'm happy to focus with them on healthy food choices, since I haven't done a good job of that with them until now (hopefully I will!)

though both kids love carrot soup which does make lunch simpler.

My turn to ask for a recipe Would you mind sharing yours for carrot soup?

Zahra, if you don't mind me asking, unless I am mistaken in your religion you don't even drink water during the day?
If that is so, how do you combine it with drinking lots of fluids, as 5:2 (and most diets) asks you to?

BTW, I too make carrot soup. The base is carrots boiled in water with a stock cube. Then I use a hand blender to mash them and add spices. Coriander is good with carrot, ginger, ground pepper and perhaps some cumin.
If I don't mind adding calories, I add some low fat cream, a wee dram of olive oil and some crumbled feta cheese.

I'm a SAHM (1 yr old and 2yr old). It is hard having to prepare food for them. Sometimes I even find myself mid-prep sniffing a lump of cheese like some kind of cheese addict!
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Thank you for the giggle! I know what you mean, I got home yesterday to my toddler eating toast & butter, I wasn't sure I had the willpower to resist!!

I'm lucky that I'm in the office 3 days a week so it is far easier to resist especially as I can pop for a walk at lunchtime to avoid people eating around me. You can't really do that with a small child!

I love that there is a starving smilie this site is so well put together!!

I think it is really important to stress with children the health part and not the 'fat' part. I work with teens and, although I know weight is a big issue, body image and unhealthy attitudes towards food is a huge problem with pre-teens, boys and girls. It is causing very stressed and anxious children, as young as 6, who are concerned about their "fat tummy". They often gleen these attitudes from their mothers who are always dieting or going to the gym.

I think it is really important to stress with children the health part and not the 'fat' part. I work with teens and, although I know weight is a big issue, body image and unhealthy attitudes towards food is a huge problem with pre-teens, boys and girls. It is causing very stressed and anxious children, as young as 6, who are concerned about their "fat tummy". They often gleen these attitudes from their mothers who are always dieting or going to the gym.

Mums can destroy the way a child sees his/her body in second. It can take a single word and a toddler worries about a fat tummy or butt...

Carrot soup is literally chicken stock (for whole family 2 cubes) carrot probably 8-10 large ones 1 onion boiled and blended.. sometimes i add coriander and sometimes so spice/curry to make it different!

It is easy for me when I am at work, but when I come home in the evening and have my dinner it is so hard not to eat some off of my daughter's plate because she never finishes her food! When did I loose that ability to leave food on my plate?! I do know why my husband is so grumpy on the end of a fast day since he's been feeding her all day without being able to eat. He said the first week he found himself feeding her a lot more treats that he wanted (cookies and crackers and cheese and such). Haha, I really don't know how I would handle it.

Thanks all! I am so glad there are others all in the same boat. My stomach just rumbles hopelessly when I am baking with them, but I just dream of my dinner! I tell them that no I am not eating until tonight because I would like to lose a little weight. If they ask why I just explain that Mummy has eaten some things recently that have not been good for her, and that by fasting I will feel better. At the same time I reinforce how wonderful my children are, that they are 'just right' and they must never let anyone say that they are otherwise. If they ask why they can eat chocolate but not me, I just say that as children all the energy from the chocolate gets used up, but for adults we do not run around as much so we do not use up all of that energy. They seem happy with that!

I made a cake on Sunday evening and didn't have any yesterday on my fast day when everyone else was, and also had to forego some chocolate cake a friend had made in the afternoon. But today I had two pieces of my cake I usually skip breakfast and have lunch and dinner on fast days and sometimes get mine ready just before everyone else's if I'm very hungry. For example yesterday I had salmon and stir fry veg/peas for dinner and the family had the same with a baked potato. Theirs took longer as I put the potatoes in first. While they were cooking I cooked my salmon steak and stir fry in the pan which were done in a few minutes and ate mine first.

Zahra, if you don't mind me asking, unless I am mistaken in your religion you don't even drink water during the day?
If that is so, how do you combine it with drinking lots of fluids, as 5:2 (and most diets) asks you to?

Great question! You're right, we don't drink anything during an Islamic fast. Also, the intention for the Islamic fast is important. We have to do it for God and not to lose weight, etc.

For those reasons, I don't combine my 5:2 fasts with Islamic fasts, I just do the 5:2 fasts the normal way with fluids and the 500 cals. But I actually did an Islamic fast yesterday, unconnected with 5:2, and it was so tough since I haven't done it in awhile and I wasn't used to going without water. Once the fast ended at sundown, I didn't count my meal calories and had a big ol' plate of chicken pasta and two pieces garlic bread with cheese for dinner. It was epic!

But you're right, being able to drink water and tea makes all the difference and makes these 5:2 fasts very manageable.

And thanks for the carrot soup tips!