The FastDay Forum

Hi everyone

I bought the book on Saturday, read it over the weekend, and am starting on the Fast Diet tomorrow.

Like a lot of you, I have been dieting most of my adult life (30 years!) and lost weight, piled it back on, lost it again, back on again.....every time I went on a diet I swore it was the last time I would be that heavy, but the weight over the years has slowly increased so I am now a good 45+ lbs overweight:

I've lost a few pounds recently by cutting down on portion size, and found out something interesting: I started having breakfast later and later (when I was hungry rather than when it was officially breakfast time) and found that most days I could actually do without having any at all. And several days I was so busy I didn't get around to eating my lunch until 2-3pm in the afternoon - so I have a feeling this way of eating is going to suit me.

I'm not the sort of person who can cut out certain foods for a length of time: in fact the thought of not being able to eat what I want makes me want it even more, so usually diets last a few short weeks at most.

I'm hoping that this is the diet that turns it all around. The fact that I can eat whatever I want (even though I may have to delay gratification for 24 hours or less) is highly appealing. Even so, today, the day before I start on the fast diet, I am looking around the house and thinking that I need to eat all the chocolate in the house before I start so I won't be tempted by it - the classic dieting mentality of deprivation (I have so much in the house as it was birthday recently, and mothers day today!)

I am thinking of having a fast start and doing a 4:3 fast for a couple of weeks: has anyone else done that, and how long should I keep it up if I find I can stand it?

Hi arie and welcome!

Good luck with your first fast tomorrow.

The results in the progress tracker have shown that doing 4:3 doesn't really result in any faster weight loss than 5:2, so it's up to you which way you do it.

Hi arie, I'll be fasting with you tomorrow, my first time doing Monday/Thursday - I've done 2 weeks with 2 fast days with only 1 day in between & although I don't find the fast days difficult (I eat nothing all day, just drink 1.5 littes of water & then have a low cal evening meal) the one day break doesn't feel quite right, I'm thinking 2 days will be better.

What a delight this WOE is

Hi arie and welcome!

Good luck with your first fast tomorrow.

The results in the progress tracker have shown that doing 4:3 doesn't really result in any faster weight loss than 5:2, so it's up to you which way you do it.

Ah, thanks Jemima, I'll check that out.

Hi arie, I'll be fasting with you tomorrow, my first time doing Monday/Thursday - I've done 2 weeks with 2 fast days with only 1 day in between & although I don't find the fast days difficult (I eat nothing all day, just drink 1.5 littes of water & then have a low cal evening meal) the one day break doesn't feel quite right, I'm thinking 2 days will be better.

What a delight this WOE is

Hi Annie

I think my fast days will be in a similar style to yours: drinking lots of fluid all day, and then eating one meal at night.

I love the flexibility of this diet - you can move your fasting days around to suit, so it's not restrictive. I just need to get out of the dieting mentality which is telling me to eat all the food in fridge this evening because I won't be able to tomorrow

I am joining you and starting tomorrow- going to do a Monday and Thursday I think. Dont think I can do without my porridge for breakfast but will make it with water then maybe cup of soup lunchtime and main meal? Going for plenty or herbal teas!!

I will be fasting tomorrow also with you. I have to eat breakfast because I get up at 0430 for early work. I eat breakfast, small snack in afternoon and dinner to equal
500 cal. Works for me ! Also lots of H2O !!

Hi Arie, I,along with my partner and four work colleagues are all starting tomorrow too!!! I have felt a bit like you today too - a feeling that I need to 'stock up' before tomorrow!!

I have decided to take a few bits to work tomorrow for lunch (crudites and fruit ) in case I am desperate but ideally I would like to last until the evening without anything as I am sure that once I start eating I will get really hungry!

It will be interesting to see how we all fare tomorrow!

Welcome arie,
Your story sounds just as if i wrote it myself!! I can relate to it all. I have been doing this WOE since the end of January and am the lightest I have been for over two years. I actually look forward to my fast days now because it makes me feel so positive and in control. I will be with you tomorrow and Thursday I wish you luck on your journey.

Hi everyone,
Im a newbie here and have almost finished the book! I want to start the diet tomorrow but im struggling a bit with meal plans on my fast days.
So a little back story. Im 22 and i have been dieting on and off since i was about 15 and feel very self conscience with my size. im 5'7-8 ish and 13 stone 4lbs (size 16)
ive decided to do the 5:2 diet to start but considering 4:3 because i want to lose 3 stone. im also going to do a 1pm-1pm fast. also im thinking of having a 400 cal main meal at 7:30 then using the other 100 cals for breakfast the next day. but this is flexible as im not a bit breakfast person, fruit would do.
Any information or advice from anyone will be greatly appriciated.

I'll be fating tomorrow - the start of week 7 of my 5:2. Good luck on your fasts everyone. Those who're just starting - you'll probably find the fast days to be a lot easier than you feared. I certainly did - never had a problem meeting my calorie target in 1 of them so far! Best advice I can give is - drink lots and lots of water. But make sure there's a toilet nearby!

I read the book over the weekend and it made me look forward to starting. I start the plan on Tuesday. Monday I am going to prepare my meal plan. Wish me luck.

Wow, so many new starters and regular fasters to inspire us I've got my herbal teas and water at the ready.

Have an enjoyable fasting day, everyone!

Hi all. I am on my second week having had 2 fast days so far. I tend to only drink water and lemon and ginger tea or fennel tea during the day and have a low cal meal at about 7pm. This consists of lots of fresh veg - cauli, brocolli, carrot, beans and serve it in a bowl with instant gravy made from granules and some mint sauce! Its like having roast lamb without the rozzers and meat but sooooo delicious, very filling and low on calories, I might have an apple later and find I am very full and probably have eaten under 500 cals! Result!
Having "worked" so hard on a fast day I have been feeling that I don't want to go mad on the 5 days so as not to undo all the good! Also I tend not to refer to the 5 days as feast days as that kind of implies pigging out. Safe to say you do not need to restrict your eating on these days but have in mind the reason the weight might have gone on in the first place!
Anyway good luck to all those fasters out there today - me being one of them

Hi everyone. This is day 1 for me. I'd like to lose 1.5 stone and decided that it was time to stop looking at the book and just to set my mind to it. I exercise fairly regularly at this time of year until about November when all motivation seems to go and every year at this time I start the slog of losing the same weight as the previous year. I started today with a 2 mile walk/run because I find exercise suppresses my appetite. I'm fairly sure eating breakfast will set me off wanting to eat, so I have decided to eat nothing until 4.30pm when I get home when I will have baked sweet potato and tuna salad. Its 8.23, I've had my first coffee and feel determined and certain I can do this thing! Good luck everyone.