The FastDay Forum

I'm fasting today and it has become a bit of a habit to miss breakfast, drink tea and coffee black and sit down - like I am at the moment - with a bowl of fruit for lunch. My fruit selection includes plums, grapes, watermelon, pawpaw, fig, grapes and strawberries. I also put in a few nuts. I have no idea of how many calories this would entail (I don't weigh anything) but I would like to keep it around 200 calories so that I can 'save' up 300 calories for my evening meal (usually grilled fish with some steamed or roasted veggies). Does this all sound OK to you all or do you think I am overdoing it? Should I always weigh everything? Your opinions would be very welcome! Martin

I'm unable to sleep, ATM, and just saw your post.

Whereabouts are you? I'm guessing Sydney - but somewhere on the East Coast of Oz!

I've always found it important to weigh everything - then I know exactly where I am. I can't think of anyone on this forum who doesn't do this on their fast days at least. Maybe if they've been doing it long enough for it to become automatic.

The trouble is there is a lot of calories in fruit - you're much better off with veg, I'm afraid. Nuts are very calorific. Although your lunch does sound very attractive!

If you can keep your lunch down to 200 calories, then you will indeed have 300 cals spare for dinner - 400 if you are a bloke, as I suspect you are?!?!?

But weighing takes the guesswork out - so I'd strongly recommend a good set of digital scales. After all, this is for life, right?

Best regards, B&W

I'm off back to bed now, see if I can sleep!

Fruit can be quite calorific, and can also increase your appetite (some have quite a high GI, especially watermelon and dates, so I avoid on fast days during the day. I save all my calories for the evening when I can have a decent meal and a piece of fruit after.
Here is a list of GI values - it is best to stick to low GI foods on fast days.
http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/

[carorees]

The fatsecret website is good for giving you the calorie content of say, 1 plum, a cup of watermelon, that kind of thing, so you can get an idea of calories without weighing. Of course it will not be completely accurate but I do use it for the low cal items, resorting to weighing/measuring the high calorie things.

For example,
1 (5.5 cm) diameter plum = 30 cals
1 cup diced watermelon = 46 cals
1 mdium pawpaw = 119 cals
1 medium fig = 37 cals
1 grape = 3 cals
1 medium strawberry = 4 cals
1 almond = 7 cals

Fruit can be quite calorific, and can also increase your appetite (some have quite a high GI, especially watermelon and dates, so I avoid on fast days during the day. I save all my calories for the evening when I can have a decent meal and a piece of fruit after.
Here is a list of GI values - it is best to stick to low GI foods on fast days.
http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/

I never thought that Watermelon have high GI !!!Ohlala

fattening up your liver ?

Thanks for the posts! I can see that I will have to invest in some bench-top kitchen scales. What do you recommend? I think I heard that IKEA sells a good set.(I live in Adelaide, South Australia).
I signed up for "fatsecret" even though I think it is a terrible name! Good information though.

[carorees]

I know, fatsecret is ridiculous, I wonder why they went for that name?