The FastDay Forum

After researching fasting for the last three months, its time to give it a go.

I'm a shift worker who's gained 10kg in the past four years and as someone who used to be fit and run 10km three times a week, it annoys me to think of what I've lost and gained (and annoyed is the most polite way to say what I really think). I'm 165cm tall and 79 kgs. No medical conditions - just want to prevent any coming my way!

I've tried dieting - that doesn't work. I've tried exercising like the devil and watching what I eat - that's a short term solution. And I'm a big believer in Einstein's theory of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. So here I am! I'm going to start with the 5:2 plan and see how I go. Today is the first day of my first 500 calorie days.

I'm scared about being hungry; really scared. And I don't know why...

Anyway, ready to put it on the line. Here I go!

Hello, @Twerpence, and welcome from a fellow faster in the UK! I'm sorry that you haven't received a welcome from anyone else but it does happen from time to time. I hope that your fast day yesterday went well. If it didn't then let us know what happened and we'll try and help you. If it did, then well done, that's the first step of the rest of your life.

I have been 5:2-ing for well over four years and believe me when I say that being hungry is never immediately fatal! Many newbies are worried about this because, in most first world countries, it is something that we never usually experience. It really is nothing to be concerned about. Hunger pangs will pass if you ignore them and then they will come back later on, so you ignore them again!

This topic has been dealt with on many threads on this forum so you can use the 'Search' facility to get ideas on how to cope with it. I only have one meal in the evening on a fast day so I make sure that I fast on a day when I am busy, I have lots of zero calorie drinks (in my case black tea but it can be anything), I visit the 'Fasting Today' thread on the forum a lot and just decide that I will not give in to my body's demand for food!

I hope that this helps but be assured that you are very welcome to ask any question you like and someone will try and answer it. Good luck.

Welcome and good luck.
I am also new. And the being hungry is easy for me during the day but when I get home I struggle not to habit eat.
So I guess for me it is finding my weekness and trying to overcome that.

I am also finding that half a chicken stock cube in hot water as a tea is nice for something satisfying (more then black tea and coffee anyway).

Welcome @twerpence from another Aussie.

How is the fasting going? Often the fear of something can be worse than the actual thing, so hope that is how you found it was with hunger!! It can be hard to deal with hunger pangs, but learning to manage feeling hungry is something that fasting can help you with. I find that keeping busy is what helps the most, and drinking unsweetened liquids.

When I first started 5:2, I had 3 small meals a day, and that worked very well for me. I did eventually move to the one evening meal a day. Experiment with recipes to find a meal that you find satisfying. Different foods work for different people, but avoiding white and sugary foods is a good idea. Lots of veggies and a good protein source worked best for me.

I empathize with your weight situation. I was exactly the same. I found 5:2 an easy way to lose weight, but I still struggle with dealing with my main reason for why I was overweight (comfort eating, especially in the evenings). And I am afraid to say that I find fast days much more difficult now.

But don't let that put you off! Stick with the basic 5:2 for at least 6 weeks and see how you go. Make modifications then if you need. If through this process you are able to find ways to address the cause(s) of your overeating, then so much the better! I know that shift work can make good eating habits a challenge...

Best wishes and good luck!

PS I loved being reminded of Einstein's theory of insanity. Applies to me in many situations...