The FastDay Forum

So I'm just back from an 11 week driving/camping holiday with my beautiful family. Before I left I'd lurked around here after stumbling upon the doco on 5:2, and as a previous low carber, thought it might be a more manageable way to handle such a long break.

It worked really well, I didn't weigh myself before but list at least a dress size and found it quite easy to maintain this Woe on the road. However returned home and just couldn't fast, not only that I ate and ate and ate for 7 days straight (ice creAm, chips, massive bowels of cereal and pasta, pastries were all on the menu). So today I finally managed to stop the binge and fast successfully but I'm wanting to explore the over eating. It has been a problem previously, mostly in response to eliminating certain food groups (like carbs), then binging on them in spectacular fashion. This hasn't been an issue for months since starting 5:2 since the whole point of it is there is no "bad" foods!

So why the binge? I think it was in response to my dismay at being home after a wonderful, brilliant holiday, and from summer like weather back to freezing cold. Will continue to reflect and hope it was just a small blip and not a sign of old patterns re-emerging. Would welcome others thoughts and experiences.

I love your typo Waratah

massive bowels of cereal and pasta

I'm still laughing!
I get times when I go back to bingeing just when I think I have it under control. I'm sure that you will be able to get back to 5:2 now that you have managed to do one fast successfully.
Good luck

[Betsysgr8]

Welcome back and glad you've had a successful fast. I think you are right, holiday is over and it's back to old business as usual, you comforted yourself with carbs. You've had a bit of a carb fest but hopefully the fast day will sort you back into your new-normal eating habits.

Hello Waratah,

Funny, I was going to post something remarkably similar to your post today and ask for some help from the lovely forum folks. I have fallen off the wagon as well, after a trip to D.C. I had been following 5:2 with a near religions devotion for about 6 months before that, but now find my motivation has flown the coop and my lost weight is finding its way back to me. As I didn't have much weight to lose in the first place, this is really bothering me. I too have been trying to discover the loss of discipline. I think you are right about being back from holiday. Maybe we will both find the desire to get back on the wagon! I'm sure plenty of people around here will give us a hand up. Good luck! To the both of us. Allons-y Waratah!

I get it - I've had the same thing where I sabotage a great week with a huge binge. From all I've read about bingeing, the best thing to do is be kind to yourself and move on. No punishing or guilty feelings. I think sometimes the body wants it's old weight back!

Yes you do have to be kind to yourself and I know you will move on. Those types of carbs are very addicting so it makes perfect sense that its very hard to stop eating them. Those foods actually trigger a primal part of the brain to demand more of that pleasurable stuff. It's tough cause it happens to me too. I just try and tell myself if I eat this I know more will come and is that what I want?

Hi waratah.
I did a very similar thing. Went to Spain for 2 weeks and had a wonderful holiday with the family and actually managed my weight easily by using 16:8
Then came home and lost the plot for the next couple of weeks.

I suspect a case of post holiday blues is at work here.
I only just got back on track last week and I'm delighted that I've come back to the forum.
If u can manage to get a week or 2 of fasting under your belt I'm sure everything will settle down

Good look with it

It's been my experience that not having at-least some vague idea of what to have for the next meal is the perfect storm for a test bite of this leading to a nibble of that - losing track of the amount of what's eventually been eaten.

By the time you figure out you've overdone it, it's already too late.

Better to pick a broad category like:

I want soup.

or

I'd like a sandwich.

and then find the ingredients for it, than to say:

Oh, look crisps!

and start munching on the bag while you look for something more to have with it...

The former approach works to complete an already established goal and keeps you mindful of what you are doing; the latter approach satisfies every little urge but never ends.

Hi and Welcome back wow that was some holiday!!! Binging well you're only human + we've all been there + done that and Worn the bloody tee shirt out So now back to reality and one successful fastday under your belt, don't dwell on the past but concentrate on '' nipping it in the bud'' because its so easy to basically eat what/when you want but takes forever to remove the lbs once they stuck to you ( I should know)
Good Luck with 2nd fast + getting your head in the right place Sue

I had an urge to eat a bag of crisps /chips the other day. Down they went and the memorable thing was I felt sick and the oily fatty taste lingered long and so too did feeling of how unhealthy. I am hoping to remember that unpleasantness next time I might be seeking a salty snack

@gillymary Nuts! FatDog

Oh @FatDog I wish it had been nuts as I would have not felt so yuck

Lol coffee time glad you enjoyed my typos! Not used to typing on my phone, but yes the binging certainly affected the bowels too!!

Feeling much more positive this morning after yesterday's fast, it's 7:45 and have had a coffee but not hungry for breakfast yet, love that a fast can reset the body the way it does.

Thanks for the replies and encouragement all!!