The FastDay Forum

I had great weight loss and waist reduction in my 1st week last week. I did Monday and Wednesday having 250 cal evening meals only. Then on Friday felt good so did another fast day but had a larger dinner - about 800 calories.

Question is I'm tempted to do 4:3 this week again but not sure if that too much like a crash diet? Whilst I'm a newbie and motivated and quickly approaching my pre-pregnancy weight I'm tempted to do a month of Monday, Wednesday & Friday (or if 5:2 I'll do mon and thurs).

Do people think this is too strict and setting myself up to fail or an opportunity to get a booster start to this WOE?

[Moogie]

If it works for you and you're happy doing it then I don't see why not, however our stats seem to show little difference in the weight loss results tour 4:3 and 5:2. See how it goes and remember this diet is flexible and should fit around your life - so you can swap to two days anytime you like, and even go back to three days if you want

I do 4:3 as often as possible. If I have social things on a Sunday I don't fast but if I'm having a lazy day with the dogs about the house I add it in. A lot of the research on the doco (human & rodent) seemed to be ADF rather than 5:2 and even tho stats here show little diff between 4:3 and 5:2, that's sort of comparing apples & oranges. You probably need to do weeks of each and check ur progress between those for YOU. I feel 4:3 (almost ADF) seems to offer both weight loss and health benefits. But I agree with Moogie - whatever feels good for you and what is sustainable for you is best.

I've been doing 4:3 almost from the start - mainly because I was feeling so strong doing this WOL. I've had good consistent weight loss, which has encouraged me to keep going, but sometimes doing 3 days is harder, so on the third day I sometimes allow myself to have 600-700 calories. If you feel strong enough to do 4:3, then go for it.

I am planning to do 4:3 this week Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I have been slip sliding into my bad old ways since the beginning of April so want a bit of a reset this week. Worst case, I will have done my two days on Monday and Wednesday and Friday will be a bonus.

I do 4:3 when I can. It makes me feel in control.

I say give it a go. I'm tempted to do ADF because I notice having a natural urge to do that...on a fast day I look forward to my feed day and on a feed day I look forward to my next fast. Unfortunately it wouldn't go well with my social life at the moment. I'm making do with expanding the length of my overnight "fast" (between my last meal of one day and the first of the next.

Only you can judge if trying 4:3 and failing at it will cause you to burn out. How have diets and problems on them effected you in the past? I know from experience that I risk burning out if I get too concerned about numbers and specifics so I keep calorie counting and weight tracking to a minimum. Others are motivated by them. I could try 4:3 or ADF and switch back to 5:2 without it effecting my motivation, but maybe not everyone could. If you suspect that you are setting yourself up to fail, then maybe you are.

I do 4:3 when I can. It makes me feel in control.

I agree and it has worked very well for me. However as others said it does depend on the person.

Yes, that's true! I know I'm a control freak and having 3 days between fasts drive me insane.
Next couple of weeks will be a real challenge since I'll probably have 5 days between fasts!
Greek Easter is on May 5th, which means no fasting on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I have dinner plans for Thursday and guests from abroad on Sunday and Monday.
I'm doing 4:3 this week (Mon, Wed, Fri -if my schedule goes as planned) and I will fast for two consecutive days next week (Tue, Wed) but the next fast will be on Tuesday. That's 5 non-fasting days. I'm panicking already!!!

I do 4;3 as often as possible to stay focused, or else I go crazy over the weekend

I did saturday and monday and ready to do wednesday as well. I feel comfortable with 4:3 though I'm very new to this diet and I really don't know for how long I can go on.

Thanks for advice. So it seem 4:3 is quite popular and I agree that I too look forward to fast days on feed days, as a result am quite calorie conscious on feed days. If I do 4:3 then I can relax a bit knowing another fast isn't far away. When the novelty wears off ill revert to 5:2 or even 6:1.

Thanks all. I'm happy now that I'm not going OTT if I choose 4:3 for a while :0)

I think I'm going to try 4:3 this week. I obviously was a little too free with the food over the weekend as the scale was up a pound this morning (fast yesterday).

I've done 4:3 since I started a month ago, and I really like it. Last week was a bad week for me--all sorts of stressors leading all sorts of emotional eating. I didn't have one really successful fast day, but because I had three half-hearted fast days, I didn't do as much damage as I could have. I've sorted myself out, and I'm back in full force, actively enjoying my fasts.

Do what works best for you, but don't be afraid to give 4:3 a try.

I'm trying 4:3 for the first time this week, after a month of 5:2. Today is fast number 2, fast 3 for the week will be Friday. I am likling it more - more regular, without a long gap between fasts. I also like to eat well on feast days, so this evens out the calories.