The FastDay Forum

Hello All, and glad this board exists - I am new to 5:2 and happy to have found it. I have about 15 lbs to go after a good loss on Weight Watchers but WW loss was slowing down.
I'm active, middle-aged, and have always eaten healthy.
I did my first fast day last Tuesday and it went well, although I think I didn't eat correctly. I spaced 5 100-calorie high protein meals (fat free greek yogurt, deli chicken breast, low-fat cheese) throughout the day as normally I get the shakes if I don't eat every few hours.
I felt FINE!
I repeated this yesterday and by late afternoon I started feeling light-headed. I had my last 2 oz of deli turkey around 8pm, and was feeling VERY light headed by the time I went to bed. I woke this morning feeling the same. I just had some coffee and Kashi cereal with banana, and don't see much improvement.
Please help with suggestions as to how I can fix this so I don't get the light-headedness. I drank a decent amount of water yesterday, probably could have been a bit more. I DO want this to work.
Thank you in advance!

Hello sakigemma and welcome to the forum, great to have another in our growing international community!

There are no rules about how to eat your 500 calories in a day so you didn't "do it wrong". I would say some light-headedness is quite common in the early stage of 5:2 and might be to do with lowered blood sugar levels?

Many of us (especially those who have been doing it for longer) have found that it is paradoxically easier to eat much less often on a fast day. Eating makes you hungry, although high GI carbs are the worst which you have wisely avoided.

Actually I have always kept off all solids until the evening, when I can then afford (in calories) to have a pretty decent meal. Apart from water which you are already doing the other liquids that can help are tea, coffee (I wouldn't worry too much about a drop'o'milk in there too), and herbal teas. Also bouillon or miso soup. These all help to fill you up without hopefully setting off the dreaded munchies.

Don't do two fast days in succession, you weren't trying to were you?

The more you have been used to grazing through the day the harder the switch to fasting is going to be - but the more worthwhile. Grazing is natural for cows, not for humans

Good luck and let us know how you get on...

Welcome to the forum and the WOL ( not a diet) and good luck.
I live in the US too and been doing this for a month. I eat 100 cals in the morning and another 100 for lunch and save 300 to dinner. this works best for me. I also combine proteins and complex carbs. 100 cals packets of instant oatmeal microwaved with water are very helpful to me in my fast days.

Oatmeal fan here, it keeps me full for a good 3-4 hours!
Anyway, back to the topic, Sakigemma, how about a couple of multi-vitamins?

[carorees]

Hi there

You might be interested in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2721
From another faster who was experiencing lightheadedness the day after a fast.

You could consider increasing your salt intake to offset the "sodium diuresis of fasting" which is a well defined phenomena where you lose sodium in urine while fasting or on reduced carbohydrates. If you have high blood pressure seek medical advice.

You could also back off the protein in favour of some fat for the same calorie intake.

Wow, you are all SO helpful! Great suggestions here. I really want to make this work.
I didn't do two days back to back, I did a Tuesday and a Friday. Looks like I'm headed to the same pattern this week, so I will take your excellent suggestions and hope for a better day. I don't want to give up - keep the support coming, I need it! Thank you!