The FastDay Forum

I am currently reading The 5:2 Diet Book by Kate Harrison that is an easy read of her own experiences & was on special offer for kindle on amazon. She refers to eating days as feasting days that I find more attractive than feeding days. Should we not be enjoying food when we do eat & appreciate it as a joyful occasion putting an end to what many, myself included, have viewed as a guilty pleasure because of the many " diets " I have been on. On fasting days I feel as though I am getting more in touch with my own body's processes so my previous attitude to eating is changing more to one of appreciation of the quality of what I will choose to put in my body rather than what was previously the quantity of food?
Isis

[Moogie]

Hi Isis & welcome
I think a lot of us have learned a great deal about our eating habits through doing 5:2 and certainly have learned to listen more to what our bodies need rather than just what we fancy.

I still have plenty of 'treats', but I don't feel guilty about them like I used to. This way of life has been a real revelation to me!

The only problem with the word "feast" for me is the overtone of indulgence and special-occasion-ness. Which isn't a good attitude for me to cultivate because I am by nature a foodie glutton and I don't need any encouragement to enjoy myself in the culinary department. I prefer to have real, unrestrained "feast" days occasionally, and just ordinary days in between fasts the rest of the time. In my own head, I call ordinary days "non-fast days", which isn't very catchy, but it does encapsulate the sense of normality that I hope will prevent me from cracking open the cheese and port five days a week.

Thank you Moogie & Ember for your thoughts. I do agree that we can't have proper feasts everyday but I suppose I have never thought of myself feeding! it is a little too farmyard. Perhaps the word eating is a good compromise for me!
By the way my fast day has gone well & I have just eaten steak, mushrooms, carrots & green beans & I will end with a banana. I hope your days went well. Onward & upward!
Isis

I always call them food days as I didn't like the terms 'feasting' or 'feeding' either.

Hubby laughed when I told him I was on the 'fast food diet', bur he's joined me now, so it can't be all bad.

Actually, I agree that the 5:2 has improved my enjoyment of food and has changed my food choices more than anything else I tried before. As nothing is really banned, I don't feel guilty for eating cake or chocolate. But something inside me also doesn't want to ruin it all by overdoing it too much. So weirdly I eat better on my eating days than I did before. I was always looking for ways to squeeze another fatty sugary "treat" into my calorie or points allowance. I turned away from the better carbs, in order the get a hit of the bad carbs and stay within my allowance. Now I don't feel anything is banned, but I seem to eat with better balance as I crave the bad stuff less. I know I can have it, but for now I can choose the good foods first, because if I really want it, I can have some chocolate tomorrow/later/or anytime on an eating day. Knowing I can means I don't need to right now. And when I do have it, instead of feeling idiotic and guilty, I enjoy it for it's own sake.

I hadn't really thought about it until I read Isis' post, but this has been a welcome benefit from this WOE.

Well, I say 'non-fast' day which is a bit of a mouthful but don't like feast or feed.

Is it just me or do both sound a bit odd?

Feast day, then I can justify having Pizza