The FastDay Forum

Just wondering what people's experiences are in terms of getting used to fasting. We're on our second fast day today (first day was Wednesday). It was probably easier than I thought it was going to be, but it was not easy, and my husband said he went to bed last night thinking 'oh no, we're fasting tomorrow'. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it either.

So does it get easier? Does your body get used to it and not mind so much when you're fasting?

[janeg]

Hello prairechicken and me prairiechicken
it does get easier- honest.
There can still be off days but the feelings of hunger diminish - I rarely feel hungry in fast days now . On my 47th of this year!
My fisrt fasts were awful- truly terrible and I'm so glad I stuck it out. Can't say I'm at teh 'yay! I'm fasting tomorrow' stage but it's a way of life now.

I've been going 3 weeks now and I get tummy rumbles at about 3/4pm and I'm having to learn not to eat my evening meal too early as it then makes my evening torture but apart from that its gotten much easier, especially if I go outside and enjoy the sunshine to help me forget that I'm fasting. As time goes on I expect I won't feel those rumbles either. It takes time to adapt. Keep yourself busy is the trick I find.

I've been doing this for 5 months now and for me it hasn't got any easier. On fast days I'm constantly hungry but for 5 days I can eat properly and as I'm getting results, I can deal with it. Much preferable to being hungry every day as I am on other 'diets'!

I have lost more weight on 5:2 than any other diet but this is also a way of eating/life. If either of you get results it spurs you on. I would say your determination will get stronger, the forum is wonderful and there are variations to the theme which you may try.

I would advise get 5:2 solidly under your belt first and I regularly fast Monday and Thursday as many others do same days so there is heaps of support but there is always some thread on who is fasting each day,

Finding low cal nutritious meals is another learning curve. There are some absolutely fabulous soups in the recipe threads and salads are big and come in low calories. apps such as my fitness pal to count calories. It is a lot of fun you will find. Best of luck

Yes I've found it's got a lot easier as time has gone by and I've had positive reinforcement. I feel better overall and I've lost weight and that's a great motivator. I'm up to about 20 fasts I'd say and some of them seem quite effortless and I DO sometimes say "fasting tomorrow, yay!". On the other hand, some days are tougher than others - I had one about 10 days ago where I was completely over it and was ready to quit at about 2pm. But didn't.

Good luck.

Up to about 10 weeks,I was hungry and stuff, so took it quite gently.

Lately, no problems at all and now I don't really notice. I've also managed to get to the all day fast until 5pm too in the last couple of weeks.

I was really hungry this morning so had breakfast, so I still do listen to what body needs, just ignore the brain now and it seems to have gone quiet on the hunger tantrums!

I wouldn't say it ever gets 'easy' but it certainly becomes more bearable.

The worst thing for me is late evening snacking. I often find my evening meal is not enough to keep me full so I find it hard to stay away from the cupboards at night!

[carorees]

7 months in and I don't really feel hungry at all on fast days now. No headaches either...just feel completely normal. I may get a slight hunger pang at about 3pm like others have mentioned but it's no bother to wait until my only meal of the day at around 7.30. I did notice that the high intensity exercise is harder if done later on on a fast day but other exercise seems ok. I went swimming yesterday evening (fast day) and had no lack of energy. On a feed day, by contrast, I often feel hungry!

Yesterday was a tough day, and they come probably about 1 fast in 10. I felt hungry late in the day, and I was out, and my get up and go had got up and gone. My legs felt like lead. But after my evening meal I livened up. I ate all my calories for dinner and I went to bed happy.

I normally tackle my hunger by eating some protein, that realy works for me - I couldn't do that while I was out yesterday.

On some of those 1 in 10 days I am hungry all the time, it's good to go to sleep and think of breakfast! I say far rather that sensation than the pangs of diet starvation.

Normally I just feel a bit hungry on occaisions during the day and go to bed wishing I could have eaten just a little bit more and thinking of breakfast the next day.

Hope that helps,

It does get easier, there are days when I wake up and go, on no it's a fast day, the feeling passes. There are days when I go get pretty hungry for a few minutes and then it passes. Hot beverages and fizzy water help me get through the hungry moments.

I found the first couple of weeks a bit challenging but now (after twelve weeks) I quite enjoy the fast days. I usually fast on Mondays and Thursdays and that has worked well for me, just before and after the weekend. From the very beginning I have saved my calories for one meal in the evening (like quite a few other people here), it seems easier to leave the eating as late as possible, in order not to 'throw the hunger switch' and also to have a more substantial meal. I think it's well worth the effort to persevere. Good luck to you both!

Hi, for me the first couple of weeks were a mental challenge, fast no.2 being the worst. Now I look forward to them, kind of a strange thing to look forward to but.... Hey ho. I save all my cals for the evening meal and make sure it's very tasty. Good luck to you both.

Been on 5:2 for 4 months and yes it does get easier. I have worked up from having to have something for breakfast,lunch and dinner to just a cup of tea in the morning then a light lunch around 1pm and a low cal dinner about 6.30pm. At first I really struggled and planned fast days for when I was at home so not using much energy. Now I can happily do a fast on a work day (in a local supermarket so plenty of stacking shelves, lugging boxes and standing on my feet all day) and on a day when I'm home I'm not adverse to washing, ironing, hoovering, cutting the lawn, washing car etc. I find keeping busy helps. Good luck and hope you stick with it.

Short and sweet - YES! I'm at 10 weeks and the last couple weeks have been a breeze.