The FastDay Forum

[carorees]

Dominic: Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) released during fasting...thought to be responsible for the alertness, raised mood and improved memory seen with fasting. Triggers growth of new nerve cells! Cool stuff!

Thanks for clarifying thisDominic and Carorees. I will try breakfast and then nothing till dinner tomorrow plus milkless tea. Must say I find the prospect very daunting!

[carorees]

I think you'll be surprised that you won't feel any hungrier than if you had had a tiny breakfast and lunch, less if anything. Let us know how you get on!

I will do, Carorees. I will also try the Ceylon tea, Woody. I think it's habit, isn't it - I have always eaten three meals a day and never snacked between meals. It's a habit of a lifetime which is why it's so hard to break. Am getting peckish now but worse I am feeling cold. The WW soup I have at about 2 is the thing that keeps me going and warm till dinner time. Didn't Michael Mosley say that men found going without meals for 12 hours easier than women? I've also done quite a hard exercise class this morning too.

[carorees]

Well I'm a woman and I find going without food for 24 hours easier than spreading the calories! I suspect he is basing his theory on the glycogen storage capacity of men vs women's bodies, whereas I believe that a lot (or most) of the hunger is due to psychological effects rather than what is going on in the body!

Tried it and it's ok...

[Tracieknits]

I have to second Carorees - for me it's a *lot* easier to fast if I'm not taking in calories at all. I can easily go until dinner time. But once I start eating, I want to keep eating! So 500 calories makes for a nice evening meal that fills me up and keeps me happy. I have switched to black coffee on fast days, but some earl grey tea sounds lovely right now.

Done 11 hours! Almost time for dinner. The worst is over. What I've missed more than anything is my tea with milk. How weird! I think I'll treat myself after dinner later with a nice hot mug of the stuff.

Have got used to tea without milk today but am really looking forward to a lovely cup tomorrow PG tips and milk.

Felixcat, with your user name it would be even more difficult to eschew milk, even for a day! Just broke my fast with porridge made with semi-skimmed milk and blueberries and enjoying my first mug of tea with milk. I find I could do the 12-hour fast after all - I think you're right, Caroline, to say the hunger is psychological. But it was very successful thanks to doses of I-player programmes I'd missed last week - and a double dose of Miranda!

If you don't like fancy tea and prefer normal, then I would try the "Blend of Both" from Tetley. It's a mix of normal and green tea and isn't as bitter as normal tea on it's own so is ok without milk. It's nice with milk too.

Thanks for the link, a very interesting article, - it is too late for me today, I have had 3 cups of tea with a little skimmed milk, but from now on it will be black or peppermint, and I will keep tea with milk for a treat. If you are denying yourself food anyway, it is not much worse to do without milk in tea.