The FastDay Forum

Hi all,

I've just realised I'm going to have to miss my fast tomorrow because my hubby forgot and came home with some lovely treat food for tomorrow's dinner to cheer me up (bad couple of weeks). It wont keep or freeze and he was so pleased with himself I don't want to make him feel bad. I will also freely admit to wanting to eat the goodies he's bought

My problem is I feel so guilty about missing a fast. I can't do Friday or Saturday due to prior commitments and if I do Sunday it will mean doing 2 days in a row which I don't want to do and I'm not moving my Monday fast as I enjoy that one.

Anyone got any ideas for things I can do to offset the guilt

Please don't! I missed 3 fasts a few weeks ago and I caught up perfectly, I didn't even gain weight.
Could you do a half fast (1000 calories) on any of the following days? Or try two fasts in a row? It's not that hard!

Or you could just do a Ballerina and do a 16:8 and just eat your treat food in the 8 hr window

No need to feel guilty. It's your diet/WOE.

Why not fast till your evening meal, then eat the lovely food your OH bought. That way you will still get a part fast in.
I have done this and felt relaxed in the knowledge that I have at least reduced the number of calories I would have had if I hadn't part fasted.

Just enjoy it as a one off.

I haven't read up on 16:8, I'm not sure how it would work. I for one know I can consume many many calories in the space of 8 hours. What's the theory behind it?

Half fasts may be a possibility. Does it increase the likelihood of slipping into starvation made though?

In order to slip into starvation mode you need to starve for many consecutive days. If 2 days of 5:2 can't do that, I don't see how one day of 1000 would...

You eat what you would normally eat in a days time, but in the 8 hour window. The trick is you don't overindulge during that time - You eat the same amount you would normally eat for the 3 meals just in a shoter period - sensible. I think I read somewhere that because of the differences in men and women, that the optimal window for women was shorter, like 6 hours, as opposed to 8 hourse for men. Might have been the Eat Stop Eat book, who was the one that came up with the 18:8 program originally, or it may have been leangains.com who was one of the early originaltors of the IF program.

Starvation mode kicks in much later than one day as TLM13 said.

My fast days are; evening meal Wednesday as normal on a feast day then nothing but drinks till my evening meal on Thursday when I have my one and only meal of 350-500cal. I next eat at breakfast on Friday. This pattern is repeated for all my fast days.
This is a common way to fast.

Good look tomorrow.

Don't feel guilty-The beauty of this way of eating is that if life gets in the way it doesn't matter fasting ha got to fit in with your needs not the other way round or it wont be sustainable long term but turn into just another failed diet.
Enjoy your unexpected treat and your thoughtful husband and start again on Monday would be my advice!

[carorees]

Yes, I'd just skip breakfast and lunch and then eat your lovely OH's dinner!

You are all lovely helpful sensible people Thank you all.

I think the way forward is as little as possible tomorrow during the day then I might try the 16:8 thing this weekend and or half (1000 calorie) fasts and go back to Monday and Thursday next week. Combined with some exercise that should knock my over developed guilt complex into shape. I've always thought that if my self control was as well developed as my guilt I would be a size 8