The FastDay Forum

Yesterday was a scheduled fast day but I was sick. So I decided to skip my fast for the first time in almost 3 months. Now I am feeling better, but I am faced with trying to "make up" my missed fast today, which is a cardio day for me. I generally schedule my fasts for my cardio rest days. I've only done cardio on a fast day once before and that was when I had to shuffle my workout schedule a bit to accommodate a trip to my parents' house.

On that particular fast day, I had the day off work and was going to be spending most of the day just sitting in the car. So I did my cardio first thing in the morning (I usually do it in the evening after work), before my body had a chance to realize I was fasting. Then I had a restful day just riding in the car until we got to my parents' house. Where we had a 500 calorie dinner (I always eat my fast day calories in one "big" meal at dinner time).

Today I have to work until noon, so the earliest I'll be able to do my cardio is around 12:30 or 1:00. By that time my body will be missing both breakfast and lunch. Plus I won't be able to eat immediately afterward, having to tough it out until dinner time.

So, my two questions:

1. Do you fast when you are sick?
2. Do you work out on fast days and, if so, how do you schedule your workouts in relation to your eating?

I've only been sick once since I started 5:2, and I did fast. I wasn't so sick, though. Also, I do work out sometimes when I fast. When I first started 5:2 it was difficult, but it doesn't bother me now. Even on a day like today, when fasting was a struggle, my workout was fine.

[Moogie]

I wouldn't worry too much about missing a fast, it's only a day out of a lifetime

As for fasting when sick, I've been mildly poorly a couple of times when fasting and on one occasion I probably shouldn't have fasted (but didn't realise until I felt even worse that evening) and the other I was fine, didn't feel like eating anyway. So I'd say listen to your body, sometimes when you're ill you naturally want to avoid food anyway, so an ideal time to fast (just make sure you have something nutritious when you do eat, to help get better!).

As for working out on fast days, I do 25-40 mins on the exercise bike each day. Not really a work-out I know, but I just do it whenever I can fit it in and on a fast day it varies from first thing in the morning until just before I have dinner - no ill effects from it and I always feel pretty good after breaking a sweat when I'm fasting!

I wouldn't bother trying to "make up" a fast day. Deal with today as you normally would and move forward.

1) I wouldn't fast when I was sick. In his book, MM cautions not to fast when sick.

2) I do work out vigorously/aerobically for 90min+ one fast day a week, at the end of the day (after my last meal). Timing is purely because that's when my MA class is, but I don't have any trouble with it and I am not at all hungry afterwards (I don't snack at all afterwards until 7am the next day).

Everyone is different, though, so you have to see how you feel about it. Some feel better exercising with an empty tummy and others can't do it at all. The first time I found a definitely mental roadblock during warmup, but since my activity is mentally taxing, I get caught up in the activity and don't psyche myself out about how tired I should be because I didn't eat. haha

I will workout on fast days If I feel up to it, sometimes I do and sometimes I dont. Yesterday was a fast day and I ran 6 miles and it felt great. I have had fast days in which I wanted to workout but I just couldn't get motivated enough or physically just felt drained, probably from lack of sleep though.