The FastDay Forum

Hi All,
I only decided yesterday to give this way of eating a go. I downloaded the Kindle vision of the book and jumped straight in this morning.
2 Ryvita with soya spread for breakfast with a mug of tea.
250 cal protein shake for lunch and this is the bad bit .....
A jam donut at 4 pm because they were there!
I am hungry right now and have just eaten a pear and two satsumas and now I WILL survive this evening on tap water.
Wish me well please, I need the moral support.
~Rachael

[Tracieknits]

At this point, I would be tempted to just call it quits, eat a good dinner and try again tomorrow. You need some proper planning for a fast day!

First off, if I eat in the morning, I'm doomed to a great deal of hunger throughout the day. It seems to turn on hunger. When I do not eat breakfast, it's much easier.

Now note I said "easier", not easy.

Diets entail willpower. For me, I like this diet because my willpower is only tested for about 8 hours a week, instead of all week, every week. I start my morning with black coffee. It's pretty easy to push the hunger aside in the morning and just get on with black coffee and water - especially since I have been doing this a few months.

At lunch, my belly might give a slight bit of a rumble. I can usually quell it just fine with a cup of herbal tea.

Afternoons are where it gets harder. This is when I need my willpower. I used to drink a cup of chicken bouillon/broth when I got stomach growlingly hungry. It's a great strategy (and only 10 calories per cup). I would remind myself that whatever it is I want, I can have it TOMORROW - and I would have it tomorrow! Early on, I found that the stomach rumblies would go away after about 10 to 15 minutes and a warm drink. Now I no longer am intimidated by a rumbling, hungry stomach. I know it won't last.

Then, at about 6pm, my family sits down to a nice 500 calorie dinner. There are soooooo many good options for dinner at 500 calories.

I would really urge you to do some proper planning and get a bit of shopping done so you are truly ready for your fast day. I don't advise three meals, hold out on eating as long as you possibly can! I always have a can of soup ready as a backup in case i get really hungry - there are a lot of varieties that are pretty low calorie and friendly to this diet plan, clocking in at 150 calories or less for the whole can. I'm talking about the larger size ready to eat Progresso types. Then know what you are going to have for dinner. Google a good calorie counter online (like caloriecount.about.com) and/or use the recipe section of this forum.

Good luck!!!!

Hi Rachael and welcome !
loads and loads of moral support!!
I find if I eat in the morning that Im hungry all day ...so I dont
I survive on water and tea
and save my calories for my evening meal
This evening I had some baked salmon and a plate of ratatouille 260kcal and it was delish
that leaves me enough for a light supper
Im against shakes and bars etc....its everyones own personal choice I know...but ...for me....this is a way of life and my life is going to be full of good healthy fresh foods...not shakes and bars?
Think about your next fast day and perhaps scroll through a few of the recipes so that you have a good idea of how you want to use your calories
I DO wish you well and you will get loads of help and support on here xxxx

As usual great advice from Tracieknits and Virginia, I have to admit I followed the forum, read the book, talked to OH and took time to plan before I embarked on 5:2, once my head was in gear with all the facts and did the finite planning I was ready to go. Great support on this forum so keep reading to get inspiration from fellow 5:2 ers

Excellent qdvice from the above posters, I can't add a whole lot except to say that it does indeed sound best to draw a line under today & din't count it as your first day. Tomorrow may not be a good day for it either, you have to be mentally & physically (i.e. food-wise) prepared, otherwise you're setting yourself up to fail.

Take a bit of time, plan it out & go for it when you're ready. After the first day, it only gets easier

Welcome, RosyBlue.

Don't despair - fast days get easier as your body gets used to the 5:2 system. And if one particular fast day is just too hard to manage successfully (it happens!) then the joy of this system is that you can always give up and fast tomorrow or the next day.

Good luck!

Hi Rachael Welcome!

I'm a new starter too and was in a similar boat to you just yesterday. I jumped straight in and decided to fast my first fast day but like the people above found that as I ate soon after I got up it made me more hungry and it was very difficult. Personally, I gave up though actually ended up eating a lot healthier and a lot less than usual! Added bonus!

Today I didn't have anything in the morning except some sugar free squash. Am the kinda woman who needs a lot of milk in her tea/coffee so avoided that particular option. I also felt more mentally prepared... partly I guess because I now know what bits I found the hardest about yesterday... my weaknesses, if you like.

And thankfully today has been pretty damn good so far! Planning a nice early night as well.

I think it definitely will get easier for you (though I am of course not speaking from experience). Maybe take it a little slower and start the next day when needs be. My experience is that beating yourself up for anything (whether hunger or having to start something afresh or whatever!) is not all that helpful so if you're not already, just be as kind as you can to yourself!

Lots and lots of luck and moral support. Let us know how you get on.

xxx

Hiya and welcome!

I must admit that I am the total opposite of the above posters. I have at least 4 (small) meals when I fast and I keep my hunger in control this way.
Don't be discouraged just try to find YOUR way of doing this.

I usually fast when I'm at home but if I find myself fasting and outside I always keep a snack in my bag. It's usually rice&corn cakes. They have 25 calories each. If I'm some place where there is food or the smell of it and I get tempted, I just take out a rice cake and eat it slowly. You can do the same with carrot or cucumber sticks, if you prefer a veggie.

Hi Rachael, I don't know in total how many calories you had so far but I will still count it as a fast day , ok maybe you had more than the suggested 500 calories but its much less than you would eat on a normal day. It's your first day so well done for getting trough it, it will get better I promise. I would still count this as a fast day, don't try to fast again tomorrow, have a couple of days of normal eating, then have your second fast.

Thank- you all for the excellent advice and for your support. I will read the recipe book I bought and plan a few meals for fasting days and once properly organised start over.
I have certainly eaten less calories today than I normally would have done so that is a plus Malteserr. I will make my next fast day Thursday because shy then I will have got organised for it.
I really appreciate the advice I've received, thanks again.
~ Rachael

Hi its my first day too, and I underestimated how hard this would be, feel very hungry but am determined, knowing i can eat tomorrow keeps it going. Any strategies to help? how did you all get used to this feeling of hunger?

Hi Rachel,
Here is what I have just posted to Miranda, I thought it may apply to you as we'll,

Hi Miranda ,
Hope it all went well for you. Don't panic if it takes you a few goes before you get the hang of things. I tell friends that if they cannot face only 500 calories then just start with a higher number and reduce the calories every fast day til you reach your 500. If you think you have, say, a spare 300 or so calories in case you need a safety net then the 500 might not seem so scary.

However you both manage it, I wish you luck, you will do it and you will feel wonderful, so go girls, go!

Ballerina x

Hi RosyBlue - lots of good advice already posted on here - get organised that's certainly been part of my secret/success - and we'll see you back here again on Thursday for your next fast day. The fast days DO get easier and some of us even look forward to them as a kind of mini, mini de-tox after feast days ! Good luck - see you Thursday

Hello RosyBlue - I also started very soon after finding out about the 5:2 fast diet on the internet and have benefited from the friendly advice and support on this forum. Good Luck on your Thursday fast!