The FastDay Forum

Hi guys,

Getting through my first fast today. But thought I might mention something I do that might help future (and current!) fasters.

I keep a little notebook on me at all times to help with emotional eating, and found it to be a great support today more so.

Basically I just write the time down, how I was feeling physically (tired, awake, hyper, any headaches, fine, etc), how hungry I am on a scale of either 1-10 (1 being not hungry, 10 being so ravenous you would bite the bum of a cow while it was still mooing) and my emotions at the time - was I irritable, happy, calm etc and if it applied, what was I doing at the time, was I on the bus full of people, was I lying in bed, at work stuck in a meeting, etc.

It doesn't have to be an essay, just a couple of sentences max! If anyone is interested, I'm happy to draw up a sheet for you to fill in instead.

Here's a little shot of what mine looks like so far:

[carorees]

Great idea!

Since starting 5:2 I seem to have lost the urge to eat in response to emotion (or I haven't been that emotional, not sure which!). I think that having to get through the day with no food (I do a 24 hour fast and have one meal in the evening) means that the link between emotion and food starts to break down.

Hopefully, the notebook together with the fasting will help others to break the link as well.

What a good idea. I will use this for feast days as I over eat without feeling hungry. Thank you

I've done something a little different today. I've noted down all of the negative feelings (physical and mental) and emotions that I'm experiencing as a result of over-indulging yesterday. I'm hoping that it will serve to remind me of how I will inevitably feel if I give in to my compulsive appetite on my normal days! gotta be worth a shot

......also, I think the notebook idea will encourage a bit more of a mindful approach towards hunger and eating

I've always been an emotional eater. Feel like crap, eat chocolate to feel better. Feeling good, eat chocolate as a reward...etc - you get the idea.

I'm hoping after doing this for a couple of months I can get to the point of not eating at all during the day and have a light supper before going to bed.

I've done something a little different today. I've noted down all of the negative feelings (physical and mental) and emotions that I'm experiencing as a result of over-indulging yesterday. I'm hoping that it will serve to remind me of how I will inevitably feel if I give in to my compulsive appetite on my normal days! gotta be worth a shot

Remember to note the positive feelings as well! They're just as, if not more important!

The last thing you want to do is churn up all those negative responses to food and the feelings of guilt. Food can be fun too and an adventure!

Food is not just fuel for the body, it is it's medicine too. Any wonder why chicken soup makes up feel better when we have a cold? It's all those vitamins we're losing out on in the form of vegetables, protein repairs our cells and we get hydrated for an increase of water - just watch the salt!

I've always been an emotional eater. Feel like crap, eat chocolate to feel better. Feeling good, eat chocolate as a reward...etc - you get the idea.

I'm hoping after doing this for a couple of months I can get to the point of not eating at all during the day and have a light supper before going to bed.

That could have been me writing that! Just wanted you to know that it didn't take me a couple of months - I switched after about a couple of weeks to having only water or green tea all day, and then 500cal meal at about 7 ish. In fact, I'm doing it now! I prefer it this way.

I log my food on my fitness pal and keep a little food diary on the food notes bits of how I'm feeling throughout the day and what I weighed first thing each morning. It's interesting to look back and really helps me. I do this on fasting and feed days.