The FastDay Forum

Does anyone else find they are fine on fast days, but awful on normal days? I try to avoid calling them feast days…

I know the point is you shouldn’t calorie count but I don’t think that means you can eat porridge for breakfast, 4 biscuits at 11, 2 packet of crisps at 12, 2 slices of toast and honey at 12.30, 1 packet of crisps and a chocolate bar at 3, a slice of cake when you get home, pasta Bolognese, ice cream with chocolate sauce, and then popcorn at 9pm!!

Yes, that is what I ate yesterday.

I’m currently 9 stone 8 and stuck here, which I rather suspect is to do with having days like the above.

I seem to be all or nothing. I can do the fast days fine, but then struggle to regulate myself on normal days. My plan for yesterday was porridge for breakfast, biscuist with my tea at 11, toast or a yummy sandwich for lunch, and then whatever I wanted for supper – lasagne with loads of cheese and a couple of ciders. If that is what I wanted. As to me, that is how normal days should be – eat NORMALLY. Enjoy what you want to eat – carbs, some alcohol, cheese, but not the mental binges I seem to indulge in :S

I think to myself, Emily, why are you doing this? But I just say (in my head, not out loud or my colleagues will think I am a bit crazy) oh its fine, just be good the rest of the week…. This doesn’t work so well if you say that to yourself EVERY NORMAL DAY haha.

I am on a fast day today. Aiming for 300 calories to try and help with some of the excess from yesterday…..

I will see how my normal day goes tomorrow.

I have had the same problems. This is my 5th week and I have finally come to the realisation that I need to focus more in the week. I am keeping to low carb for my 3 week eating days and then I have the weekend off. We will see how this goes. Try just controlling your intake more on a week day, it might help.

For me the urge to feast on feed days has lessened, and I think it will get better for you too.

I don't know if lots of fast carbs affect you the same way they do me, we're all different, but if you like me have a general gross physical feeling, like your mood and thinking is affected and you're sluggish and hungry despite being full, then I recommend starting your feed days with a good portion of slow carbs and plenty of protein and fat.

I love reading others people's opinions of this lifestyle, and it's good to see how other people deal with things.

I have only just started this diet (last Friday) and I fasted again on Monday. I found that yesterday (a non fast day) I felt terrible. Eating normally (and I didn't really overindulge) made me feel so bloated, full and sluggish. It makes me want to fast everyday.

Has anyone else felt that way? Is it maybe something to do with my stomach shrinking?

Yeah i'm the same, can't eat as much the day after a fast, feel really full and bloated! but i'm trying to teach myself to stop when i'm full instead of finishing what's on my plate!

I find I'm not hungry on fast days but ravenous on the following day. It's quite hard not to overeat, but I'm trying!

For lots of people, this is a phase, particularly if they have been quite restrictive previously. It passes and then things get easier. I still have to remember to eat less though as I'm smaller now and my stomach reacts if I try to eat too much.

It is "what you like" (content) not "everything you can eat" (amount), which is slightly different.

It's taken me much longer to adjust to feed days than fast days. Yesterday, I had to up my intake though as I've got to the point where more food doesn't somehow feel right and I was beginning to lose too fast.

[Moogie]

A lot of us seem to go through this phase in the early stages, before long the novelty of being able to eat all those previously 'forbidden foods' wears off and normality can resume

That's not to say you can never have a good old pig out day I tend to allow myself a lot more freedom at weekends and then try to stick to more healthy foods during the week, less snacks. My loss has certainly slowed now and I know I need to cut back a bit now I'm that much smaller than when I started but it's still coming off and I'm still enjoying my food so I'm not too worried - I could do this forever

Hi,
I am new to this WOE and this is the first time I have posted . I'd like to ask a question but am not sure if this is the right thread or not? Anyway I'll give it a go....

This is my 3rd week (6th fasting day today) and so far I have lost 5lbs with absolutely no difficulty at all and I even enjoy the fasting days (made easier because I am doing them when I am working and there is NO temptation to eat). I eat my 500 cals in the evening because I just find it easier that way. I am in danger of becoming a 5 2 bore because I wish this had been around years ago - I might be slim then.

My question is - how much should I be eating on 'feast' days? I find my appetite is less but I read on here about people restricting cals on feast days and I'm not sure why - I thought the point was to eat 'normally' but not go OTT? Years of counting cals (and failing) have made me a bit paranoid about what 'eating normally' means - I find on these days I'm eating around 1700 cals but my TDEE according to the progress tracker is 1900 - should I be eating that amount or what? Help!

Hi lg

I have only been on this for 5 (this is my 6th) weeks really.

The way I view it is 500 cals on your fast days, and your TDEE on your normal days

However, if you aren't eating up to your TDEE - but you are still losing weight - I wouldnt worry

if it is working for you, keep going!

My issues is I massively binge on the day after fast days. whoops. Will aim for 1800 calories on normal days!!

I have been following the 5:2 for a few weeks now and find it easy didn't follow it on holiday but got straight back on when home, when i watched the Horizon programme and read the book it definitely states that on non fasting days you can eat whatever you want so I don't understand why we have to restrict our calories as it is the fasting days that do the good, so I very confused I eat well and drink on feast days and I am losing weight.

I think it is explained in our 'What is the 5:2 fast diet' (see link at top of page):

It is not 'eat as much as you like' 5 days a week... A lot of folks have misunderstood a key point of this way of eating. It's "eat what you like" as in no foods are forbidden, it's not "eat as much as you like". So, you can have that piece of cake and not feel guilty, you can have dinners out and takeaways. But remember that if you overeat on a daily basis you are obviously not going to lose weight or get healthier even with 2 days of calorie restriction.

Having said that, emilymeg I notice that almost everything you ate on that 'bad' non-fast day consisted of carbs, and quite of lot of them high GI too. Not against the rules at all, but from my own experience I think you might find it easier if you ate more fat+protein when you got hungry, they don't trigger the munchies in the same way, and protein in particular makes you feel more full.

I don't think I am hungry when I eat. I just like the taste of food, and it holds a strong 'reward' feeling for me. Also, if I get bored I eat!

So really I just need to remind myself I am NOT hungry, so there is no need for that 5th packet of crisps

Barbara, I heard that as well before I started, and my intial thought was b*llocks lol. If I ate 500 twice a week (1000 calories) and then binged on 3000 calories worth of pizza and chocolate the other days (15000) I would eat a total of 16000 calories a week. and I would balloon!

So I view it as I can eat normally 5 days a week - including cheese, carbs, wine, doughnuts, biscuits, etc. if I want, up to my TDEE each day (which for me is around 1900). I then have two days a week of 500 calories. this is 10500 calories. For me, its just an easier way than trying to aim for 1500 calories (10500 in a week) a day.

There are also added benefits to fasting. I cant remember what - I think it helps your body repair? and increases metabolism?

and its 10 times easier than calories counting every day

Love the carbs myself and its no wonder why. They hit the pleasure center in your brain and who doesn't want pleasure. Its the very same area of the brain that keeps an addict using. Yes carbs are addictive! Once I realized that concept I have had much better control of them. I have used chocolate whey protein powder with fruit and water ice to make smoothies that helped overcome my desire.Good luck.

I've had a couple of non-repair days when I've done this. The way it's been working for me, is I have my two 500-600 repair days, and on Monday, Wednesday and most of Friday I track with MyFitnessPal to no more than 1,200-1,400 (I am just under 5 foot) depending on exercise.

Then, from Friday night through to Sunday I am a complete lush, with rich food, wine, choccies and cheese

Life is good! (Apart from the bloated, sluggish, self-loathing of Sunday evening, approx 9pm)