The FastDay Forum

I'm currently working my notice in a friendly office full of women who are dieting all the time, so fasting hasn't been an issue. I just skip team lunches on fast days and join in on non-fast days.

However,I'm starting a new job (which I'm super excited about) at BA head office in a few weeks. I'm worried that my team is going to be all corporate business people who think I'm weird for skipping lunch 3 times a week. I don't want to fall off the wagon just for the sake of looking 'normal' but then again I don't want to give people a weird impression of me as a super controlling dieter on my first few days.

I'm toying with the idea of eating my 400 cals at lunch instead of dinner, as I could probably have a sandwich and some veg, but I'm worried about being starving at dinner and not getting through the rest of the day with nothing to look forward to.

Plus what if they invite me for a 'first day' lunch, or everyone eats in the canteen or Starbucks and nobody brings in their own lunch.

I've just started to feel super positive about this WoE and I'm now worrying myself about falling off the wagon!

I'm on 4:3 so fast Mon, Weds and Fri. Perhaps I should just bring in nothing on my first day, and fast if it seems possible. If I get invited to 'first day' lunch I will go along and perhaps see if I get to know people enough to explain why I won't be eating everyday, and just have a 5:2 week.

I think this is just lots of my 'new girl' insecurities coming out, 'what if nobody likes me!' etc.

Has anybody else got experience of going into a new environment and having to explain why you don't eat all the time?

I think you are worrying yourself FAR too much. The reality is: Most people only notice and focus on themselves, so they probably won't even notice you skipping lunch. If you get invited your first day, I say be sociable and go with them and even eat something. You can either skip dinner that night or just decide to do a 5:2 that week.

Congrats on your new job! You will be fine! Trust me!

Here's my 'take' on it; don't get too hung up about fasting during your first week there. You'll have a lot else to think about!
If you want to 'fit in' (I'm sure you will anyway!!) why not take a salad with some tuna or chicken (if you're not veggie). Steer clear of sandwiches as they're relatively high carb/calorie.
Sounds like a fantastic opportunity for you and pretty soon you'll be able to return to your WOE.
Do let us know how you get on!

I wouldn't be at all surprised if you find that some of your new colleagues are also fasters! Just play it by ear for the first few weeks and make contingency plans so you can eat lunch at work or save your calories for dinner as the case may be. Best of luck anyway!

I think there's loads of truth in what Melinda says,and good strategy advice from her,penny and cally...all very wise ladies..! X congrats on yr new job!

Thank you all! You're right - people won't actually care what I eat and I'm just working myself up about it. I'm going to try my hardest to stick to some elements of the WoE and just play it by ear I think. I'm quite the planner in life in general so going to have to learn to be a bit more spontaneous while I settle in.

Sometimes all you need is an objective viewpoint to put everything into perspective. I don't start until 30th June but will let you know how it goes

The week off between jobs will probably end up being more of a challenge, I sense lots of afternoons in the park with my Kindle but without my purse or any food will be the answer to that problem! Quite looking forward to it!

Thanks again

Its only natural to look towards anew jobwith a mixture of excitement and apprehension..but you WILL look back and smile and wonder why you ever worried about yr lunches..chances are,half the office will be dieting,the other half will be " between diets" and there may be one or two lucky ones who can eat whatever they want Ggrrrr! Have met a few of them in the course of my office life! X

Wow Congratulations on your new job well done you
As others have said concentrate on you job, you could go prepared with a salad bowl/dish I bring a feta cheese salad in well under 70-100 cals plenty leaves, with celery, peppers, cucumber, radish anything you can think of with a very small sliced/cubed tomato and a very small amount of feta ie: one block = roughly 300cls on my fastdays when
I "have" to do lunch I use about one eighth of a pack
(38/40cals) cut up into very small cubes looks
very big meal
Mostly it's what people think they see, my hubby see's me eating an enormous feta salad 3/4 days week basically full of fresh air, once your new colleagues get used to actually seeing you around they will be wrapped up in their own duties to notice what you're doing.
However if they do the lunch trip to the pub your problem will be bigger so choose wisely then start to decline their invites on the days you fast, it will be surprising if non of them on are on some diet or other so feel the water before explaining your fasting routine then maybe you'll recruit a few newbies.
Good Luck@lottie89 with your job and trying to fit
in the fasts.

Maybe the first week, as you are getting your "sea legs," you could do 16/8's. That way, you just won't eat until lunch, anyway (and no one would notice that). Sort of take the pressure off.

But I still stand by my original statement and tell you that I believe you have nothing to worry about in that regard (meaning fasting on the job). I have been fasting for almost 9 months, and it only came up once, and that was recently. A co-worker asked me if I'd like to go get sushi with her for lunch that day. I said, "No thank you. I'm skipping lunch today." She did give me an odd look, but this is someone who obviously has never skipped a meal in her life, and meanwhile, I have (very noticably) lost almost 25 pounds.

The victory was as sweet as the lunch would have been.

ha ha

I agree with Melinda, just skip breakfast and do not eat anything until lunchtime - but do drink plenty of water or tea or coffee with no sugar/creamer (if you can). That way you have cut one meal off your day, then be sensible in what you do eat. Best of luck and Congratulations on your new job!