The FastDay Forum

Hi all,

I'm a 38-year-old female, 5'8", currently weighing 164 lbs. (down from 170 this past Friday, 2/9/18) and I'm doing ADF. I fast from 7 pm, through the following day, until I break my fast at 11 am on the third day (I guess a 40 hour fast?). I've been doing well so far, keeping up with water and green tea and seltzer when the hunger pangs hit. My goal is to be at 150 pounds, as I have hit this weight before and felt fantastic. I'm also doing yoga 5 days a week and a brisk walk 3 of those days.

I wanted to try ADF because I've gone without eating for a full day before (stress, being busy, whatever the case) and I've never been a breakfast person so intermittent 40-hour fasts don't scare me. That being said, I am HUGE into junk foods, sweets and Diet Coke and cannot shake the cravings while I'm fasting. I will admit that I've only done 2 full day fasts (this past Saturday and today) so maybe it gets better, but does anyone have any advice? I've been trying to avoid going anywhere that has junky foods but I made my youngest a pizza for lunch and turned Bilbo-Baggins-wants-the-ring when I saw it coming out of the oven. Any help, guidance, advice or "I've been there, it gets better" would be soooo appreciated!!

Thank you

Welcome picklesfoley !

Sorry for the delay. It seems that new members don't automatically appear in the "View new posts" option but do appear in "View active topics".

I'm smiling at your alias as I write this. Very creative !

Your weight and height places you at the upper end of the normal BMI range. Enviable for many. Since you've been at your goal weight before, it's obviously do-able again. Realize that as you get closer to target, the results can often take a bit longer.

Be advised that this site frowns on discussions of full fasts longer than two days due to what's become dogma from the early days. The science has moved on but the official position on this hasn't. That said, congrats on your efforts to date. (Many of us in maintenance (who revisit occasionally) understand from additional research and experience with he-who-must-not-be named fasting.)

For modern societies, hunger is both the symptom and a result of high carbohydrate intake. Carbs spike insulin secretion which lowers blood sugar, which then makes you very hungry once again. This is a vicious cycle that gets no chance to rest because we often compound the problem by eating something every two hours or so. Eliminate carbs (and all snacks) and hunger can disappear completely because your body reverts to getting all of the energy it needs by releasing our energy reserves - fat. This cell-level biological conversion takes anywhere from a few days initially for sedentary individuals to around 4-6 weeks for those who favor HIIT or high endurance activities. (BTW, diet drinks also affect insulin secretion.)

Cravings - a dopamine-based form of addiction - are another matter not addressable in a short post. The solution most often includes getting between the triggers and our unthinking, automatic, reflex-like reaction to them. Start small and work up.

Unless faced with diabetes, the early focus on carb restriction is not necessarily permanent. Most can carefully reintroduce it to some extent by redefining what "normal eating" means and by discovering our body's tolerance of it. I love artisan bread and a good pizza. Just not every day.

Does it all get easier? Absolutely. Its a different way of living - an adjustment to match what our body's have been demanding of us all along to get and keep us healthy. We just weren't listening.

Thank you for your insight!! It's great to know that it'll get easier. As I was waiting for my post to be approved I fell off the wagon completely and have been eating as usual the past 2-3 days. I woke up this morning feeling awful about it and how quickly I gave up, so I'm starting anew today. I have reminders set, apps downloaded and I've sought support from my family members who promised to keep cheering me on until I figure it out on my own. Thank you so much for your response to my post and your support as well

Hi. @picklesfoley, and welcome to the Forum. I have read your plan for zero calorie fast days and am concerned that you are setting yourself up for a 'fail'.

The original 5:2 Fast Day diet called for 500 calories (for women) to be consumed during the fast day. The reason for this was because it was considered too difficult to go for, effectively, 36 hours on zero calories over a long period of time. This WOL (Way Of Life) is not a fast fix and is designed to be able to slot into ordinary life for ordinary people.

At the start of any 'diet' when willpower is strong and inspiration high then liquid only fast days may be possible but why bother? Why not take advantage of your 500 calories? Spread them over the day as two or three small meals or, as I did, have one reasonable sized 'proper' meal to look forward to in the evening of your fast day. This is not 'cheating' or breaking the fast; it is the recommendation of the original proponent of 5:2 and is not considered to reduce the benefits to your body of fasting. At least consider it and then, maybe, you won't be reporting that you have 'failed' your fast days but may actually reach your goal weight in a timely but comfortable manner.

I am sorry if this sounds rather 'preachy' but over the years I have seen so many newbies start this WOL in too 'gung ho' a way and they drop out after just a week or two because they have made it so difficult for themselves. I wouldn't want that to happen to you just because I hadn't pointed out a different way. Good luck, whatever you decide.