The FastDay Forum

Its going to be incredibly difficult for me to 5:2 the next couple of weeks - with various birthdays, work engagements, and social catch ups that revolve around eating, I'm trying to plan alternatives!

I have no doubt this is something everyone has dealt with along the way so would love to hear your thoughts please! Today we had a work lunch so I skipped breakfast and I'm yet to have any dinner (considering skipping altogether). Do people just try and handle it like this or are you more structured with eg 16:8?

The only time I stopped fasting was during a very sad time. Even on the week before Easter, I managed to fast 3 days (although they were consecutive fasts).

Will you have something to do every day? Won't you have one or two days that you won't be doing something?

I've had about 5 missed fasts since December. I've decided that I am not going to fast when I am on days off, on holiday, or if there is a special occasion. On those days I won't skip meals, I'll just not go overboard with "treats" and stick to Paul McKenna's rules (eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full etc etc) and then get back on the fasting horse when possible. Enjoy the next couple of weeks, sounds fun!

I agree with you Campanula, I refuse to fast on weekends and I wouldn't whilst on holiday either. They're supposed to be fun! (Fun = eating lovely things!).

Thanks for your reply TML - do have the odd day here and there so should be able to at least manage 6:1, just trying to figure out if I should try and make up for it a little on days I can't fast properly. I'm yet to see any significant weight loss so I don't want to let myself off the hook these next 2 weeks as I'm still waiting for everything to 'kick in', ha!

Ah thanks Campanula - lots going on, flatmate s birthday dinner Thursday, drinks out friday, then next week have dinner with friends on the Wednesday then off to Copenhagen for work with clients Thursday/Friday. So defintely hope to at least do 6:1, but just don't think it'll be enough!

Hi cheekylou
I have recently returned from holiday and did not fast at all, I go away to have a good time maybe on future holdays I may skip the odd meal.
I lost my first of many stones before my holiday and did fast day on my return in fact doing 4 of 8 ish to repair damage done!! Gained of course but I can do it again unlike other diets good luck Sue

I'd say go ahead and have fun and if you can fast 2 or 3 days in 2 weeks you'll be fine. Don't stress over food while you can't fast anyway, just enjoy yourself!!!

I skipped a fast last week because I was sick, and in the week end I felt better but I just can't fast on week-ends.. maybe try a 16/8, I tried it today and it was rather easy.

I will do mini fasts - such as skipping a meal, to make up for it because in the end, we are just trying to create a calorie deficit, and that can be done by skipping meals, or doing 16/8, whatever. I do like the normal fast day, but seems there are a number of ways to accomplish the deficit as well. The key is to not eat more on the next meal where you lose the benefit.

I think we've all had weeks like that. If there's any way even to get one fast day in there do it. Otherwise, either accept that if it's really only for a week or so, it's not going to kill you to miss a fast day or two.

Or try to compromise. If it's a day where you have a birthday dinner to go to, then can you do a mini-fast? Have a 500 calorie dinner the night before and then fast until the next evening?

Sounds like you have a fun couple of weeks coming up. Similar advice as above. If its a dinner then fast until dinner time, it's still some sort of calorie restriction. The main thing is to enjoy yourself and get back on track when the fun is over.

Would say yes, but... I have several weeks vacation coming soon and do not plan to fast (but will be eating excellent food at all times!). At all other times, I do keep it up since otherwise there would be a lot of conspiring. Illness, meetings, festivities, etc always seem to crop up...I just try to save my calories for the evening meal part. If joining others for a meal and I don't want to eat, I just drink black coffee and chat.

Life happens and you can't beat yourself up over it. There are 365 days in the year so that equals approximately 104 fast days if you fast 2 times per week. Plenty of other chances to fast for sure!

I have had a couple days I planned to fast and then something at work came up that was completely unavoidable, I was corralled into a work lunch, and it would have been very awkward to eat nothing in front of my boss/colleagues. Fortunately we chose a restaurant with calorie/nutrition info posted online and I picked out a low cal option so I stayed within my calorie intake plan that day.

Other times I've taken tompan's approach - to simply drink tea or coffee and chat/be social; I have told people that I will be eating later but can't eat at that time. People will offer you everything they have around them, but eventually get it - that you are eating later..not right at that time... At least they are happy I drink all the diet soda they have!!


Today, after fasting all day, I was planning on coming home and eating some low cal veggie sausage links before calling it a day, but my 11 year old son got invited to a very last minute cookout at his friend's house (we were all invited but my husband was at work). Saying "no" was not an option (nor was dropping off my son and leaving), so I quickly grilled my veggie sausages and brought them with me, along with other cookout food items for the others to eat. I did explain that I had to eat the sausages for that meal. They wanted me to eat their food, which I'm sure was fantastic, but the mom tried some of the sausage links and loved them, and I managed to avoid all the other food items. I did this without alerting my son to anything unusual (he just knows I'm eating healthy but I haven't gotten into explaining to him that I'm fasting when he's not around).

Hope this helps!

I just had one of those weeks. My fast days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Monday was a long weekend last week and I had a family day Friday. Given it was time off and I wanted to have fun with the kids, I just skipped my fasts on the days off.

As everyone has said, life happens. The one thing that makes the fasting diet acceptable fir me is the flexibility. Go with the flow, enjoy the functions and get back on the wagon afterwards.

Or alternately, what I have done if it is only a single social engagement, fast for the day and eat normally at the engagement. Since I do not eat until dinner on my fast days, thus will be close to a fast day, just without the rigid caloric restriction at the end.

Yes, it seems we've mostly come to the same conclusion... fast around a social event. I recently had a big weekend that involved social events on Friday & Saturday nights and a brunch on Sunday. I followed my usual fasting menu for the whole 3 days to reduce the impact of the not so healthy (but really yummy) food choices at the events and managed to maintain my weight without gaining. Fasting for me included berries & cottage cheese for breakfast, miso soup for lunch and steamed vegies with eggs for dinner. I was really pleased with the results. Enjoy

Fast or no fast...life is going on regardless. Sometimes, I drag my feet and refuse to give up my fast day. Other times, I go with the flow and just enjoy life with the people around me. I used to always plan on 4:3 and then if life got in the way and I only got in two...well, these things happen sometimes. But, if I have a 5:2 planned I am much less likely to be persuaded to give up my fast day for an unplanned social event or treat. I might consider changing up my days if I think it won't be too much trouble. Big events like major holidays, weddings, immediate family birthdays, vacations are planned in advance and I don't intend to deprive myself at a celebration. I fast the day before or after or deal with the fallout when the vacation is over.