The FastDay Forum

Hello menfolk - my boyfriend is interested in trying 5:2, but is having a hard time wrapping his head around "not eating". He is very active (does all the digging at our allotment, helping with the carpentry work, etc, plus takes doggy for a run a few times a week, and goes to bootcamp). He has a terrible terrible relationship with food. LOTS of sugar in the form of low-quality British chocolate (sorry sorry). Also very mindless snacking. He doesn't know much about nutrition and calories, so I'm not sure if this is the best long-term plan for him (thinking just getting him to eat fruit and veg and fewer carbs over all might be more low-maintenance), but thinking 5:2 might at least make him more aware of what he's popping in his mouth (especially when stressed).

So, how to help him adjust to eating only 600 calories in a day? 1 big meal? snacking on celery? little meals? he stays busy at work, but in some ways that is bad because that is when the mindless snacking happens (he is surrounded by snacks). Have him start with a higher calorie count and reduce each week? Start with 1 fasting day then move to 2? Do 16/8?

Not to overgeneralize, but men and women do seem to have different perspectives on food and dieting, so thinking a guy's thoughts might be helpful here. He has about a stone to lose. Thanks!

I would say let him do some research on 5:2 and get him using this forum as well. Make sure he knows it’s just weight loss but there are many other benefits to this way of life.

For me I started off by skipping breakfast and having lunch (normally soup) then something to eat at dinner. I have a few small snack options available if they are required (Like low cal hot chocolate and low cal jelly etc). When I first started I got bad breath so had sugar free mints always to hand.

It sounds like your boyfriend is similar to me and that in work there is plenty of treats readily available. One big step for me was identifying that my constant trips to the biscuit tin was just mindless eating and I cut it right out. Now - I say to myself do I really want them and If I am actually genuinely hungry I go to the shops for a healthy snack.

Lately I have moved away from two meals to one large meal or a liquid only fast but there was no way I could of done that at the start.

I would recommend trying to keep to the 600cals from the start, but if he is struggling start higher and slowly reduce down. Although that is something I have not done, and if he spends his 600cals wisely I am sure he will be fine.

I also have a sweet tooth and was not very aware of calories but you quickly learn and as its only twice a week, so it’s not that hard.

Also I always try to get my fasts in when I am working as just find it easier, as leaves the weekend free for meals out and some lovely beer.

If he has any questions please be free to ask me or indeed anyone on here. I have found the support of this forum very useful and motivational.

Good luck

Thanks, Legoman. He's not a Forum type of guy, so doubt he'd read through things here. I mostly tell him about what I'm reading.

His biggest issues are the mindless snacking (even healthy things), and the emotional eating (usually sweets when he's stressed). And sometimes both at the same time.

He wanted to start today (it's my fast day too), and first thing he ate a banana! I asked if he knew he just ate 100 calories, and he said he thought fruit was ok (and probably also just grabbed it because it was there). So there isn't really an awareness of how to count calories, and I am not sure if this will be too onerous a process for him (even only twice a week). Anyway, he's at least willing to try it, so I'm not going to discourage it, but do want to find ways to help him ease into it. I know it'll get easier for him in coming weeks, but he's the type that often gives up because beginnings are hard.

I told him to snack on carrots and peppermint tea today. He's got a busy day and has to go to a few different places, so hope that helps!

Thanks for the advice!

Having a range of drink options (but not Options, in my case) and saving all my allowance till the evening worked for me - you get past being hungry quite quickly if you realize it is not going to lead to coma or worse! Get him off rubbish chocolate onto 90% Lindt, which is mainly fat and protein and probably the perfect foodstuff... Ban bananas in the short term - too easy! He has to find out that he can work & play perfectly happily in the fasted state even if there are occasional pangs - he must just Man Up!

Hi, good luck to you both.

I started out following a few of the breakfast recipes from the MM book, and have found that these set me up well for a fast day. I prefer either a couple of poached eggs on a piece of sourdough toast, or scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Both high protein, and get me through from breakfast (at about 7:00) to dinner (at about 6:30pm) with little effort.

I don't snack during the day on fast days, just drink black coffee, green tea, and water.

Hope it goes well, I was initially unconvinced when my wife told me about this, but found it so easy from day one...

I'm just finishing off the data collected from men in the recent Questionnaire.

It's on a Google spreadsheet

you can see there how much people eat and what meals etc (it's quite wide)

thanks, PhilT, I'll take a look. If what/how people eat is fairly variable, then it seems attitude/approach is more important than process in terms of successfully managing the fast days. Perhaps Pete is right and I should just tell him to Man Up.

I will say, he's lost 1 stone since I moved in about 10 weeks ago, simply because I cook a lot. And this is even with all the crap (and I confess to liking my cheats too - pizza, ice cream, and homemade baked goods!). But the weight loss has stabilized for both of us, and I think 5:2 might help him without having to restrict the spuds.

Hi badtzmaru5
the motivation and interest as really got to come from him.

If he is not into worring about food/calories ect he could try what I do. I only drink on fast days and eat what I like on normal days.
Its simple and easy todo and works for me

You have to get him to take ownership of the 'project'. Best is if you could get him to watch the original Horizon programme (there's a link to it in our FAQ I think) - preferably without you there! Or you could try leaving the book lying around for him to pick up. If you push him too hard he's likely to resist because let's face it dieting is for girls right?

If he can take it on board for himself he will realise that this is a way he can take control of his own healthy future, and yes maybe lose some weight along the way too. Then you never know - he could become the one pestering you about fast days...

I was actually thinking I should have him watch the program. I'll see if I can find it online. I wonder if it would come on TV again?

He's definitely interested and motivated - I haven't suggested he join me, but today he decided he would. Of course, he didn't really know anything about it, and I didn't want to "lecture" so it was all a "let's see how it goes" kind of day. In any case, I think he managed to stick quite close to 600 calories, so success! Now we'll see how he feels tomorrow and if he's game to try it again (my next fast day is Thursday).

I did tell him that if he does 2 fast days a week, he stop feeling so guilty about all the candy bars. That would motivate me!

[Betsysgr8]

You'll find a variety of links to the horizon program here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18 at least one of them should work for you.