The FastDay Forum

Hello - I am a real newbie.

I did my first fast yesterday, didn't feel too hungry, but had a terrible headache from about 2pm and felt really weak and shaky. I did drink a lot of water - had porridge for breakfast with black coffee, a couple of crispbreads with a tiny bit of humous lunchtime and minestrone soup for dinner - then had to go to bed early as felt so awful. Still felt terrible for most of today (non fast day) and even had to go to bed for an hour this afternoon. I had a barocca this evening and I am starting to feel a little better, although still very tired. I was planning on fasting again tomorrow, but not sure I can deal with this if it is going to make me feel so bad.

Does it get better? Should I carry on? What about doing 2pm - 2pm? - but that seems like cheating to me. Will it still work?

I have about 15 kilos to loose, would really love to do this.

Thank you.

I wonder if it was caffiene withdrawl or dehydration? My first couple of fasting days, I took it easy and didn't do much- just trying to ease into it and not stress my body too much. I never miss my morning coffee either. I drank extra water and lots of herbal or fruit teas.

It has gotten better for me. I just did my 4th fast yesterday and felt completely fine.

Thanks for the reply. I think I am going to fast again tomorrow - might throw in an extra coffee though! (and a bit more water maybe?)

Fingers crossed for a better fast #2!

It does get better! If you get headachy, eat some cucumber and celery. Both are incredibly low in calories, and have a high water content. Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory properties and celery is full of electrolytes that will replace lost salts.

Take care x

[carorees]

Your body is struggling to turn to fat burning for energy because it hasn't had to do so for so long, so you are low on energy as you're running out of glucose (stored in the body as glycogen). When you eat on the day after a fast the first carbs go to replenish your glycogen store so you are still trying (and not succeeding) to burn fat. When your symptoms improve it's a sign that your glycogen stores have recovered and you have enough glucose for energy. The next fast will be easier because your body will swap to fat burning more easily. And of course burning fat is what we want!

Dehydration and caffeine withdrawal make things worse.

If you are worried about the next fast allow yourself a few more calories (maybe 800) and try to ease yourself in to the fasting process by reducing your calories each fast day. It really will get better very quickly!

Hi Funnygirl did you have 500 calories you had nothing of substance to eat ,I feel less hungry if I just have an evening meal ,I would have never thought I would be able to go all day without breakfast and lunch but I find that easier ,just make sure you drink plenty of water and it does get easier good luck and I hope you soon feel better

Thank you everyone.

I think I might up the calories a little tomorrow and see how it goes. I just don't want to give up so early.

Good night x

Hi Funnygirl,
I save all my calories for a proper dinner. I have just green tea and water all day with a cup or two of Bovril at lunchtime and mid afternoon. I find the bovril really useful, also Hartleys 10 calorie pots of jelly. If you really can't manage it then give up and try again another day. It's really easy once you get going. I have done 5 so far, tried another today (2nd this week) but gave up at lunchtime. Ate healthily anyway, so could have been worse!
Hope you manage better next time. Good luck, looking forward to hearing how it goes.

It does get better but I felt like that when I first started. I think the idesa is not to do one day after the other but two days a week with days in between. Don't give up. It does work. I actually look forward to my 2 days now.

Oh and the other thing I find useful is low calorie hot chocolate, good as an evening snack.

Hi Funnygirl, Today is my second fast day and I'm finding it so much easier than my first fast day last Thursday. I've decided the reason for this is that I'm keeping it simple; I mean REAL simple. For breakfast today I had a Fruit and Nut Kind Bar (200 cal); I had lunch at Panera Bread Company which consisted of a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a whole wheat baguette (300 cal). It has been a very satisfying day! True I don't have anymore calories for supper but that's the point; the more hours before eating again, the more my body can "repair". For the next few hours before bedtime, I'll drink water or herbal tea and welcome any hunger pangs that may come. This is so much easier than obsessing about what to fix to eat Worrying about what to eat and what to cook was always what "did my diet in" whether it was Weight Watchers or whatever...too much focus on food! This WOL is so much easier!

I had my 2nd fast day yesterday, and it was way better than the first. On the first day I was hungry, dizzy, and not happy about it. I thought the day would never end. Then the day after, even though I was eating what I wanted, I felt very cranky and shaky. This time around I didn't feel nearly as hungry, no dizziness, and no crankiness today. I feel really good!

Stick with it. It's a lot for the body to adjust to, but I'm sure it will.

Been doing this for almost a month. The first two weeks the night of fast days I felt like I was getting the flu, achy, chills, felt cold. Also had headaches which lasted into feast day even after I ate. In week 5 now and don't have those problems on fast days anymore.

I think Carorees (who I'm learning is one smart lady)is correct about the body learning to use glucose stores. I have found it nearly impossible to lose weight on any "diet" or food plan in the past 10 years. This program is working for me and it's surprisingly easy to adapt to.

Wishing you luck! Karen

[Tracieknits]

Welcome to the forum Swasson48!!

I am having exactly the same symptoms on today, my first day. Picked the wrong day to do it as I am under a bit of pressure at work so the dizzy-thing (worse than I am usually!) is not helping.

I figure it is just the adjustment my body is making as explained elsewhere in this thread and I keep reminding myself about all the starving children in the world who go days without food. Remember what your mother used to tell you when you left food on your plate? Damn, she was right...

Down here in New Zealand it is only 3pm so I still have a few hours to go before I can rip into my 2nd meal of the day. Maybe I should call that meal-ette...I am so hungry I don't think it is going to be a pretty sight - like some sort of feral animal.

Anyway, failing all that I keep reading the posts by 5:2ers who experienced the same but survived to tell the story and more importantly; lose weight.