The FastDay Forum

Hi, I'm Catherine, two fasts into the 5:2 diet, and struggling! I was so distracted by hunger at work yesterday, I'm not sure it's fair on my employers to be fasting regularly on a work day!

My previous diet regime (Slimming World) has been nonrmal-carb, low-protein, so I'm not enjoying effectively cutting out carbs (oh, the calories!) on my fast days, although I am enjoying the pile of vegetables for dinner!

I was intrigued in The Book by one of the tips, which is to try dieting 2pm to 2pm, or some other 24 hour period, rather than for a single calendar day. I'm tempted to give it a go, but it does seem rather a cheat, allowing as it does for an early lunch one day, then a late lunch the next day. You are not affecting the same number of meals, and you are not fasting for the same period (since with the normal day-long fast you really don't eat from bedtime on one day until breakfast two days on).

I was just wondering if anyone on here has tried this approach and, if so, how you are getting on with it?

Thx
Catherine

If you're really hungry, try eating something small. I ate a breadstick (22 cals)rather than be ravenous. This is hard but not impossible. Over time, I find the need to snack less but if I'm really hungry, I eat. Just something small is enough, then stop.

[carorees]

I think you should work put what kind of calorie reduction you will get over the week. It might be too small a decrease for you to be able to lose much weight.

Take your TDEE calculation (link to calculators in FAQ below), multiply by 7. Subtract all the cals you will eat in a week. If the number you are left with is under 3500 you will not even lose 1 lb in a week.

It will all depend on how you eat before and after the 2 to 2 period. If I were to do this, I would go for a complete fast between 2 and 2 and be careful not to over eat on either day before and after the fast.

oh and what Caro says!

Hunger comes in waves three or four times a day. You may find it beneficial long-term to learn to recognise your hunger and accept it, rather than get bogged down fighting it. You'll be ravenous for five minutes and then it'll go away for a couple of hours.

Personally, and I appreciate that we're all different, at week six and with fast day number 11 under my increasingly loose belt, I barely register hunger any more. I don't even think I GET hungry until I start eating.