The FastDay Forum

I'm in and totally not feeling it!
Wind is whistling around the house which I hate and there are bins and leaves flying all over.
Want very much to eat toast under a duvet and watch a girlie film but must keep busy and focus on christmas goal!
Only 5 more fasting days before Xmas for me. I can't work out if I am excited about the food or worried about the weight! Maybe a healthy combination of both?
Good luck all xxx

Fasting as usual today. Just had a warming mug of bouillon, it helps with the grumps and dizzys as it contains much needed salt and is just 12 calories.
Wild weather keeping us grounded and I really should be writing cards/wrapping presents but can't be a****. Fasting ennui?

Edit: Gosh I got proper grumpy this afternoon helping a patient OH do Christmas stuff! Should be put down :0.
Just eaten two soft boiled eggs, hoping to resume a sunnier mood soon ...

Second fast of the week for me. I am trying to get rid of the two pounds over my target weight, which I reached in July, before Christmas. I dropped five pounds last week, so I am not hopeful of a loss this week - maybe next week, though! Lots of things I should be doing but instead I am browsing the forum. Those Christmas presents won't wrap themselves!

Good luck, everyone, onwards and downwards!

I'm in today, feeling ok so far.

Bringing up the rear as always today
It's interesting to hear about weather events on the other side of the globe. Hope things have calmed down in the UK! We're hitting lows of -17 degrees C here (see - I speak metric, but only as a second language). Makes it hard to motivate to get out there for a walk. But on the other hand, exercising in the cold burns even more calories, so... right....
I hope everyone's fasts weren't too difficult!

@Gimmick -17C!! that's brutal! Good luck, it is hard to stay motivated in that cold but keep at it

Am in bed after a fast day that's been difficult. Had to cheat just now and stuffed half a slice of bread in me to stop the hunger pangs, otherwise I won't sleep. I must have had at least 650 cals today Strange how some fast days are so much easier than others

I live in Norfolk UK, where our beautiful coast is getting a battering. Fortunately though, where I live, the Kings Lynn flood defences have held. Huge sluice and Lock affairs, and flood gates. They were put in place after 1953 when a previous tide surge flooded the town and quite a few people died.

Sue

Yes I fasted but didn't get to come on here yesterday. Sorry. I actually only had 300cals yesterday. I don't know how I did it!

I am only posting this now because this is POST 98 and I will soon become a "lifer".

I'm in today! Not an easy fast, as I was at a meeting staring at cookies for 4 hours. I stayed strong, though! Just had a nice white bean and pasta soup and looking forward to a breakfast tomorrow! Hope to end this crazy plateau. It's good practice for maintenance, right? Staying at the same weight for 6 months???

This is in response to jeninboston's query.
Fast days are easier to manage because there are tight parameters around the day in terms of how much to eat, and through experience I have learnt how to successfully get through these days without exceeding the calorie allowance. And I like how I feel the next morning. And there are only 2 a week in general.
Now that I am close to my goal weight (and have a reasonably low BMI), my TDEE is much lower (-450 cal) than when I started 5:2, particularly because I am also at a lower activity level now due to knee reconstruction. Therefore in some ways non-fast days feel like being on a low calorie diet, as I feel I have to watch what I am eating. So I do feel deprived and crave the sweet sugary processed foods that were responsible for me being overweight in the first place... And most days I give in to those cravings, tho at least I do seem to be able to stop before I get to bingeing level. So this is why I need to stick with 5:2, so as to not put on weight, as opposed to losing weight. And this does concern me, as it means my total food consumption is not as healthy as it should ideally be...

Thanks Sassy1

My TDEE is also low (around 1,200) calories per day and I do still count calories on the feat days otherwise I'd keep thinking I can eat 2,000 calories without gaining weight

What I'm experimenting with is does the two day fast @550 calories (that's what I'm averaging) affect my desire and need for food the other 5 days. Ive read a few blogs from folks who say their appetite settles down and there isn't such a huge craving and feeling of depravation on feat days

I've only done 4 fasts so far, but for me, the day after has been tough and seen me crave all kinds of naughties but my weight seems to be stable. So whilst my diet isn't the most healthy that one day after, the weight is ok.

So my question to me is, how stable would my weight be if I was just watching calories every day? I suspect those cravings will still be there so at least with 5:2, I can go close to 2,000 one day a week without worrying about gaining weight.

I'm still trying to figure it all out; though a part of me would think that by age 50 I should know how to feed myself

Thanks Jen
If we knew how to feed ourselves, we probably wouldn't be on this forum or need 5:2!!!
It is very early days for you on this WOE, so based on the experience of many others on this forum, your cravings are likely to reduce in time and/or you will be able to better manage them without too much effort.
Make sure you have a good look around the forum, and do some searches to help, as you will find many topics that cover this issue.
And agree with your comment that the situation re cravings wouldn't be any easier on a normal low cal diet - in fact, the feature of 5:2 that you highlight is one of the reasons 5:2 works for so many of us when low cal diets have not.
Best wishes as you continue your journey