The FastDay Forum

Hi, I'm very new to this. I'm in the planning stage, and intend my first fast day to be Monday 25th march. I've been reading and now need some help from more experienced 5:2 ers. I need a basic go to meal plan for my first fast day which I can repeat again on my 2nd. I intend to ease myself in with the 3 small meal with 500 calorie goal. Main evening meal has to be edible for a family and quick to do (busy evenings with children on out of school activities). Hope you can help, have ordered some recipe book but they not arrive for a day or two. Many thanks

Hello and welcome!

I tend to only have a main meal and usually go for something simple like fish or chicken and lots of veg, usually roasted as it is easy!

Would the family be happy with that - you could always do them some rice, pasta or potato to go with it?

Hairy Dieters is a good book for ideas - there is a thread on here where we are all singing its praises and quoting our favourite recipes!

Good luck for Monday - post in the 'Fasting Today' on Monday and let us know how it is going! x

[carorees]

Same as Rachel here too I'm afraid so can't help with the three small meals approach. I knew from the start that 3 mini meals would leave me hungry so I opted to just have one normal sized meal at dinnertime. All I need to do is have the same as the rest of the family but with no potatoes/rice/pasta or whatever. I replace pasta with courgette 'pasta' or rice with cauliflower 'rice' which works really well.

Hi Queen B,
I'm not very creative in the kitchen, so I need my fast days to be really simple and not have to think or plan too much. Like the other ladies, I don't have breakfast, but I find I need something to eat by about 2 o'clock. I usually just have a boiled egg then or a 1 egg omelette with some tomatoes and greens thrown in, if I've got a bit more time. My evening meal is nearly always the same on fast days, I buy a bag of prepared stir fry vegetables from the supermarket and cook this with some chicken sliced up, then add a dash of Blue Dragon sauce for a bit of extra flavour. It only takes about 5 minutes and it's really tasty and filling. The rest of the family could add a generous portion of rice to theirs. During the day, before I eat, I tend to drink green tea with lemon or flavoured mineral water, as I don't like normal tea or coffee without milk and sugar I'm afraid.
Hope this helps.
Evie

Hi Queen B, I started out by doing 3 meals a day, so I'll try to help!

Start with the meal you're sharing with others. I'd go for something where you could add in some bread/ garlic bread to the others meals, and keep your own portion small. Omelette with salad and bread, or ratatouille with garlic bread, or grilled fish and asparagus/ leeks/ cabbage, with some baby potatoes for the non-dieters.

Have a boiled egg or half a grapefruit for breakfast, and some light clear soup or cupasoup for lunch (add a crackerbread with dairylea light if you can spare the calories).

Hi Queen B, and welcome to 5:2! I've been tracking all the food I've eaten since I started this way of eating, so you can find some ideas on my blog - http://fastdays.wordpress.com/ - recipes as well as ready meal suggestions. Hope that helps!

I have a question but not sure this is the right thread. Ive just started this diet which I love love the idea of, however I have been following the dukan up until Monday which was my first fast day, next one tomorrow. On my feast days in between ive been eating less than 2000 cals but blanced which has included carbs, more than what I have been eating for about 7 weeks. Already I can feel a bit bloated and im not sure by monday if I carry on like this im going to record a loss! Any thoughts or anyone in a similar situation? I was wondering if the fasting benefit may take longer to kick in? Thanks for any help

Wow, you are a friendly bunch! Many thanks, may look at just two meals then, lunch post gym then family meal in evening. Just need to hunt out recipes now..... I already have the hairy dieters cookbook, so will start there. Nice to know I already have something you all seem to rate

2 meals works great for me. Better to adjust into this slowly.

BBC Good food site has lots of 2-400 cal recipes too.

Hello QueenB.

I find with having about 600-700 calories instead of the prescribed 500, at the moment I can lose 1 lb a week. I tend to have a banana, coffee with a little milk and water in the morning, then do two meals or a variation from the Fast Diet book - eggs, lean meat/fish, lots of veg, one about 12pm and one about 5pm. Then I might have another couple of cups of coffee/tea in the day with a little milk and/or a cup of Bovril. So it's sticking to the plan with a bit extra for milk.

I haven't yet gone right down to 500 cals a day in four weeks, but will maybe have to when I get to normal BMI and also eat slightly less on "normal" days. I eat about 2000 - 2300 calories on normal days.