The FastDay Forum

Hi Everyone

I just wanted to ask a question about liquid consumption on fast days. I think that I drink a lot over the course of the day - several cups of tea (real and herbal) and 4 - 5 big glasses of water. However on Monday, my last fast day I had a banging headache all day and into the next day too, I had to take loads of paracetamol and aspirin to get it to finally shift on Tuesday pm. The other thing that I've noticed is that the night after the fast day I'm getting up maybe four times for a wee and they're BIG!

Today is my sixth fast day and it seems to be going well today, no headache and I'm on my third glass of water.

Advice please.

Thanks.

[Betsysgr8]

Welcome to the forum Nome! Sounds like you are getting enough water, perhaps you need a bit of salt? Try a cup of bouillon, oxo or miso soup (5 - 40 cals). I find that will all the extra peeing going and the extra fluids that I flush out a lot of salt so a cup of bouillon early afternoon helps me.

[Moogie]

You should find that when you've been doing this a while that you don't need to drink to excess on a fast day like in the early fasts. I drink about as much as normal on a fasting day now, 1.5-2 litres - no more getting up in the night or being up and down all day!

I have always drunk alot of water (no tea, coffee or soft drinks), but have stepped it up on the 5/2 to keep the hunger pains at bay, but also because I suffer with headaches virtually every day, and also throw in migraines.

I sometimes find my headache can get more accute at times on the fast days (I am actually feeling the pain more right at this moment!), so I usually try more water.

Its usually a signal to eat for me(as the headache normally lifts a bit after eating). I now miss breakfast, have a light lunch then dinner on my fast days.

I will see how I get on but maybe introduce a bit of salt to see if that helps. Its very difficult for me to monitor headaches when I suffer all the time normally, but I do notice a difference on the fast days. In the beginning, my headache on fast days was a massive improvement, but not so much now

I reckon I get through 3 litres of water a day on fast days(but do have to get up in the night)

[janeg]

You may be drinking too much and subsequently dehydrating yourself by flushing out the minerals and salts you need. Take a look at the colour of your wee. It should have some colour,,pale lemon is good- honest! If it's clear you're overdoing it and need some salts and minerals. You can buy rehydration salts or use a pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of sugar in a tumbler of water. Or try stock cubes/bullion. Also, if you drink tea or coffee try and have the same amount as usual so as to stop any caffeine imbalances. As Moogie says, it settles down the more you fast, and it's still miserable to go through. Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks everyone, that's really interesting and helpful. I fasted yesterday and it went really well, no headache and plenty of fluids. Had a salad for tea and a wee glass of wine (first time on a fast day - big mistake!). Was up FOUR times in the night for a wee and then woke up this morning with a belter of a headache.

It's almost as if I'm dehydrating myself overnight by weeing so much. I'll cut down the fluids a bit and have some bouillon on Monday's fast and see if that helps.

Thanks again.

Just replying to myself in case it helps others. Yesterday on my fast day I followed the advice above and all was well. Fast day went really well, no headaches and only up once in the night and no headache this morning.

I sipped 3 pints of water over the course of the day, had a mug of tea first thing, a mug of coffee about 11am, a small mug of bouillon around 3pm and a final mug of tea after my dinner. So I think I was just over doing the fluids. Looking back on it I think that I drank about this amount before I started on 5:2, so probably didn't actually need to up my intake.

Thanks again,
Nome

[carorees]

You should find that when you've been doing this a while that you don't need to drink to excess on a fast day like in the early fasts. I drink about as much as normal on a fasting day now, 1.5-2 litres - no more getting up in the night or being up and down all day!

Yep, same here! It took a lot longer for the need to drink lots to abate than the headaches and feeling grumpy did to resolve though.

As a side note, depending on the type of tea, it may by acting as a diuretic.