The FastDay Forum

Not good today. As you know from another of my posts I suffer severe mental health problems and really down today. Can't be bothered to do anything then feel bad for not doing anything!
All I want to do is go to bed but will feel even worse. Fasting today too and because I am crap at cooking (never made anything from a recipe in my life) I am clueless as to what to eat. Just had cup of tea and a farleys rusk. I read all your posts about home made broths and soups and feel so inadequate because I don't cook. Need to go shopping but know I will buy rubbish. I have such a sweet tooth I can't even have my tea with a sweetener like I tried on my 1st fast Monday.
It is so annoying knowing there are loads of things I could be doing but I really have no interest whatsoever apart from sitting here smoking feeling angry and sorry for myself at the same time.
Sorry to post this but a problem shared and all that.

A very very BIG hug from me!!!

Really sorry you're having a bad day. I know you'll get plenty of support on here though on my fast days, one of my favorite things to eat is a smoked chicken breast slice sandwich. Lovely brown seeded bread, mayonnaise, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion and lettuce. No cooking at all and tastes yum

I don't advise going food shopping on a fast day though unless you have very strong will power.

Take care x

Hi Jaine, Not sure I can help much but I just wanted to reach out and give you a ((hug))! I'm fasting today - my son is a personal trainer and he advised me to have protein shakes if I cant work out what else to eat - I must say they are a real help if I'm out and about too so I dont have to negotiate menus at cafes etc on a fast day. When I have lousy days I find that I can trick myself into being productive by giving myself just 1 task to do and a time to complete it by, and tell myself that's all I need to do - I write it in colour on a large piece of paper and when I have achieved it I can tick it off - on good days I realise I could probably cope with just one more task - and off I go, thats usually enough to get me started......silly I know but hey!

Oh bless you, we all feel like that at times, but you seem to have got the lot all in one go. As you probably know deep down, sitting there smoking and feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do you any good at all. I am not going to soft soap you - if you don't make any effort then you will stay exactly as you are. If that is what you want, then that's fine. But I get the idea you really do want to change things in your life. So if you are not confident to follow a recipe from a book, how about watching recipes on you tube? You can find all sorts on there. Failing that, just dissolve a stock cube in boiling water and drink that - it's what I've done today along with munching 3 sticks of celery. It's not exactly Cordon Bleue but works for me. If you don't have celery, do you have a carrot? Cucumber? Peppers? Anything like that will satisfy you a bit. Sugar free jelly is also very good as a sweet treat, or even a low cal chocolate drink. If you want to eat something try adding the low cal chocolate sachet to a low fat yoghurt - it tastes like chocolate mousse. If you go cold turkey on the sugar you will have a rough time, but eventually you'll lose the taste.
Get up and go out for a walk, it will keep you from brooding too.

Veggies are your best friends, they don't even need cooking!!!

Try not to think about fasting, read a book, watch a dvd, organise your shoes or undies...

Hi from a brand new member!

I agree with previous poster, when you are in a low mood, just set yourself one task to get yourself moving in the right direction. And I'd say you've already done that by posting a call for help on here, so well done.

I don't cook either and I've never felt inadequate about it! Just lucky that I don't have to. I'm about to have my WAday* lunch of a tin of tuna with beans, sweetcorn and chili;some corn thins; some raw veg and a nectarine.

* I call my fast days WAdays for "Wheelchair Avoidance days". My father has spent the last 12 years in a wheelchair due to diabetes, and I don't want to end up the same.

best wishes to you

[Tracieknits]

*hug*

I hope you're seeing a doctor about your MH issues. I know how hard it can be to struggle with those!!

Don't beat yourself up about not being able to cook. Do you have a library where you can borrow Jaime Oliver's "Ministry of Food" or "Food Revolution" cookbooks? He's got a passion to teach people how to cook their own food. I guess he's got a program too, but I don't have access to that, being on the wrong side of the pond.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/jami ... f-food/4od

[Tracieknits]

Welcome to the forums, Kentishlass!

Wow, that's a great way to look at fast days! I'm sorry your dad's ill, but it's great that you're taking it on yourself to not join him.

Kentishlass (from Kentish Town, I gather?), hello and welcome!

I like WAD! Better than WAG and you get to lose weight too, LOL!

Hi Jaine,

I'm not posting a lot at the moment due to being on holiday and not wanting him indoors to feel left out, but you caught my eye and I'm glad you came on here for support because, you know what, that's what we are all here for. We all understand, some have been there and at least the one's who haven't been there are kind enough to try and bolster you through this. This place is a wonderful 'no-mans land' where you can just vent whatever it is that you feel is destoying you at this moment in your life. Like others, I can only send you a virtual hug but, sometimes that is all we need, so here it comes........got it? good!

Ballerina x one more for luck

Hi and a huge hug from me. Don't beat yourself up about the cooking thing it's not for everyone. What about some ready meals. They will have the calorie count all worked out and it's one less thing to think about. Please take care of yourself.

Hi - perhaps I can help on a practical front (that's so me):

Here are some thoughts to address the no cooking issue (on fast days)

- turkey slices or low fat cheese on bread with lettuce, tomatoes and mustard if you like. I know a lot of people avoid carbs. But if you go for smaller slices of whole wheat / grain - that can work out to be around 200 calories.

- salad mixes with ham, smoked salmon, tin of tuna in brine or spring water or cottage cheese thrown in. And low / no fat dressing. Add some chopped apples, strawberries for sweetness. Again, you can have a nice salad for 200 - 250 odd calories.

- Lean Cuisine (or similar frozen low calorie meals). Not the best option but at around 220/230 calories, not a bad option. Prick (with fork), zap and eat.

- Low calorie supermarket soups with low fat crackers or toast

- Weight Watchers Rich Toffee Bars if you can get them. Yummy, sweet and around 100 calories. I go for bulk food on fast days (so I do cook low carb, lots of vegetable meals) but if I had a real sweet craving one of these normally does the job.

- Eggs (at around 60 calories a pop). Boiled, poached, fried (with spray oil), scrambled. Easy and quick. Have with salad and low fat dressing or squeeze of lemon if you don't want to zap up some vegetables.

- low fat yogurts with fruit

Hope it helps and you feel better.

Well you all spurred me on and I just got back from shopping. Bought veggies, fruit, crackers, low fat yogurts and a couple of my favourite innocent veg pots. Just made some no sugar jellys (see I'm even cooking now ).
Just looking at recipes in an old scrap book where I stored some I fancied making.
You lot are angels. Thank you x

Jaine So happy to hear your slump is behind you. We would have worried about you, you know. wishing you success and look forward to reading about the weight going down.