FastDay User Blogs

Julieathome wrote: Something I have noticed is that before 5:2 my husband was always complaining that the treats had all gone before he got a look in. Namely a bar of chocolate or a cake, would be bought and his share would be eaten within hours, before he decided he fancied it, 3 days later. In other words he has a normal relationship with food, sugary, treat foods are just that treats.

Now, I have a cupboard of treats, bars of chocolate, mini muffins, biscuits. Talking about biscuits, I used to have to BAN biscuits from the house because I didn't have any control over biscuits. Open the packet and I would eat the whole packet, to myself, dunking them in tea and whoosh, 10 minutes later they were gone 700kcal+. Half the time I didn't remember or realise I was eating them. But now, there are 6 packets of biscuits in the house, I have eaten 4 biscuits in the last week, four individual biscuits, not four packets in the last week.. This would have been unheard of in the past. We have had to stop buying in weekly treats because they are just stacking up.

Somehow, 5:2 has rewired my brain to a more normal setting. Sometimes I look at the treats and think to myself, 'why isn't any of this attracting me. Why can't I just dive in and be a pig?'. I'm not restricting myself in any way, I'm not even thinking of the calories and possible consequences because I know a blow out is always correctable by the next fast, it just is a present fact of life that I don't want any of this stuff.

The treats at the moment include a 5kg bag(yes I did say 5kg) of sugar coated chocolate balls, a deal from 'Approved Food', I put my hand in the bag yesterday, brought out a handful and let all but two trickle back into the bag. Unheard of before 5:2.

I'm in the middle of reading the book 'The Feel Good factor' by Patrick Holford. (I recommend it for anyone suffering from depression or the 'blues') The book points to insulin resistance or lowered insulin sensitivity being a factor in carbohydrate craving, which I have suffered from for as long as I remember. I have always, after every meal, no matter how full I am, needed to have a bit (huh! a bit, who am I trying to kid, a lot) of something sweet to feel as if I have had enough to eat. I still get the craving occasionally, but a couple of grapes sorts it out now instead of the whole fruit bowl or half a cake. I do wonder if my insulin balance is now coming more under control. I really hope so, although none of my blood tests have ever shown any signs of diabetes, its always been a background worry for someone as overweight as I am.

I hope you all find as I have that your sweet tooth diminishes in ferocity. I now enjoy my treats much more, I savour the flavour and appreciate the skill that goes into making them, whilst also finding that mass produced 'stuff' no longer tastes right.

Have a good fast day one and all.