The FastDay Forum

Tomorrow is my 4th fasting day, but there's my husband work do at 9.30 pm.
I can't switch my fasting day to Friday (Saint Valentine's) or Saturday (Big meal out on a week end away). What do I do? Can I have 300 cals worth of food before I go out and then count the other 200 as 2 glasses of wine (it's a stand up bouffet)? I know it's not exaclty healthy, but I don't see any other option. No, sticking to water is not an option, cause I know I won't, let's face it...

Why not - you know it's not healthy and not something you would ordinarily do, but it will keep it a fast day if you resist the buffet- so enjoy your night out.

I would fast throughout the day and then went for a meal/do and be sensible (to as much extent possible), especially if it's a buffet, but wouldn't worry about calories. Next week you can do 4:3 or just carry on as normal

I'd skip the Fast and start again next week, there is a distinct chance that with very little food and a couple of glasses of wine it could turn into a 'falling down' buffet.
The beauty of this WOE is that you can adapt it to fit into your life

What I would do: Like Sian says, I wouldn't go with the 300 calories plus 2 glasses of wine at a husband's work do. After 2 glasses on a near-empty stomach (or more than 2, be honest,if you can't stick to water, can you stick to 2?) I'd be trying to pash the boss, or something equally shaming. Also like Sian, I'd skip the fast tomorrow, and get back on track next week. But that's me, now, in my second year on 5:2.

What you should do: well, you know yourself best. You have set yourself a 30 day challenge. IMHO 5:2 isn't for 30 days, it's for life. But maybe you need the 30 day challenge to make you do it at all. If I pass one fast day in a life of 5.2, no biggie. If you pass one fast day in 30 (or actually, one in 8 fasts), will that make you give up altogether? If so, then suck it up. It's only 30 days, you committed, now do it. Tomorrow is a fast day. Save 200 calories for the buffet. Have a plan in place on how you will stick to the 200(eat all the tomatoes and lettuce leaves off the garnish, one serve of the leanest looking meat and a smidgeon of cake?) Drink sparkling water. Feel good about yourself and look forward to St Valentine's day and the big weekend.

Come on, how special is buffet food and work-do wine that it is going to derail your commitment? Stick to it. Once you have this success under your (ever-looser) belt, you will find it so much easier to do next week's fasts, and the next.

I think SianS is right. I tried this the other week and found two glasses (which normally would not be a problem for me!) felt more like two bottles of wine and then it was all wasted anyway as after the wine my willpower went out the window and I scoffed a family size bag of crisps and a ton of cheese and biscuits
I think it would be better to restrict your calories a bit on the other days.
Good luck

Save all you calories till the evening, stuff your face with as much salad as you can get on your plateswith some plain chicken or fish. Have sparkling water with a slice of lemon. Its your body after all and no-one not even your husbands boss can tell you you have to drink alcohol(or be the designated driver).
Or put a line under it and enjoy the meal.
I bet there will be skinny-minnies there who put three things on their plate, mush it up a bit, and manage to fiddle with it all evening without any of it passing their lips. You can do this at a stand up buffett as every time you think someone has noticed you aren't eating, move on to another person to talk to. As you walk up to them have the item of food at your mouth, but put it down, out of politeness of course, before chatting to the new person.

There are tactics to every situation, there is also not having a fast, or doing a 16:8. This diet is not in control of you and your social life. You are in control of it. Adapt the diet to suit the situation you find yourself in on the day.

@kentishlass, the 30 day challenge is only for my FIRST 30 days.... if this works for me I am going to be a faster for like, hopefully. But I really want to set myself that first target to be motivated.
My husband says we can skip the do, but I don't want him to skip it on my behalf because I get the feeling he thinks we should go, I suppose we could go and only stay there an hour and I'll just have to put a corkscrew in my mouth :-/

@humptydumpty Life's to short to miss the do
if it was me the method I use is to fast all day with nothing to eat then eat + drink whatever I want then payback time make the next weeks fasting Very good ones but go steady with the booze perhaps every other one non alcoholic.

I would either:

- skip the fast for the week (I've found I'm in no rush at all to lose weight now I know it's just slowly but surely coming off) or

- fast for 24 hours, then go out and enjoy myself - making sure I ate something pretty substantial before any alcohol. Breaking a fast with alcohol is a bad bad idea.

Second option still gives you a 24 hour fast, plus keeps you in the rhythm of fasting, especially because you've only started fasting recently and are still building the habit.

Enjoy it. That is what fasting is about. There is always another day.

[carieoates]

2 choices in my opinion.
1. Forget the fast, there's always next week, just as long as there's not an excuse every week to start again of course.
2. Don't eat till late in the day and make it a 16.8. But as Sian says watch out for the falling down juice.

[Tracieknits]

I would do as Sue suggests, fast all day with only water, coffee, tea, and broth/bouillon/oxo cubes, and then just eat and drink at the buffet without worry or care.

However - eat slowly and mindfully. Try to make *mostly* healthier choices. Try your best to take small portions of *anything you want*, eat them slowly and make sure you don't stuff yourself. You can always get back and get a second small portion, but chance are, once you put something on your plate, you're eating it. So take small portions.

I'd go for the 24 hour fast then enjoy your night out. I used to worry about doing this, and breaking my fast with a glass of wine, but I've done it a few times now and had no ill effects so far.

Enjoy the function I say but you could try to be restrained just to test your resolve. Lots of mineral water in between or with those wines. Mega salad sounds like a good plan. In the end it is only a fast and the beauty of 5:2 is that it is like a sliding rule move it to another day.