The FastDay Forum

Hi Folks

I am making my second stab at the diet after losing a couple of stone before Xmas. I haven't weighed myself so I have no idea how much I put back on, i'd guess around half a stone. I have decided I wont be weighing myself at all, I became a bit obsessed with the scales every morning.

Just wondering if anyone else is doing a full fast rather than eating the 500/600 calories? I asked Dr Mosely about this on Twitter and he said it would be fine. I want to maximize the fasting benefits and I actually find it easier.

As I haven't done this way before I wanted to see if anyone had experience of this and whether they had lost weight or inches. I have dinner around 6pm on the Sunday for example then don't eat till around 8/9am on the Tuesday.

My husband has done this just as an experiment and found it fine. He said he didn't feel any hungrier in the evening than he had in the afternoon.

He lost the same amount as me last week when he did this fast but seems to have lost a bit more this week.

He's saying he might keep fasting this way but since he doesn't need to lose more weight, I think it might be OTT.

Sounds like you did great before Christmas. Good idea on the scales - can become an obsession!

Thanks that's good to know, ill be be able to tell with the clothes msyelf soon enough hopefully.

Good luck Paddy.

My clothes feel looser but the scales don't seem to have moved much this week. Something must be happening!

This is my second week of fasting, in my first week I did 1 day complete fast and the 2nd day I just had a fat free yoghurt and a handful of blueberries. I didn't have any ill effects and just felt a little hungry about 8pm but it passed and I didn't wake up in the slightest bit hungry. I was amazed to see I lost 6lbs in my first week.

Today is my first fast day of the week and again I have chosen to completely abstain from eating, just hoping I get a good weight loss this week!

This seems to be the topic of the moment! See my posting just a moment ago about Dr Mark P Mattson's view here: http://www.52fastdiet.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=417&p=2911#p2911

I tried to do a full fast on Tues - But only got till 8pm, then felt like I did when I first started this... Week, tired, grumpy.
So I gave in and had something to eat.
I decided to try full fats as it seems that once I eat it makes me more hungry.
First tried having my 500cals in one evening meal, but would get to about 9.30-10pm and eat.
Today is a fast day (im on adf) but I am going out for a meal tonight, so that's that one out the window! Will not eat until the meal and then see what salad starters are on the menu perhaps!

I'm a full fast advocate and have been since reading Mattson's comments on the blog link Dominic posted, last October. My view is that the health benefits are optimised by truly fasting ie not eating anything. I also like to exercise on a fast day, either road cycling or swimming, as this helps to deplete primarily muscle glycogen plus some from the liver. I also find exercise makes a fasting day easier and helps to warm you up on these winter days.
I fast from breakfast to breakfast drinking only water, fruit teas, coffee. On the really cold winter days I have caved in a few times and had some veg soup in the evening. I think it takes a few weeks to build up to doing a full 24 and wouldn't advocate trying it straight off the bat. It's worth remembering that 5:2ing is about practising something that is sustainable. If 24 is too stressful then drop back to eating 600 thru the day.
I don't think I've lost much weight (1kg or so?) but trousers now too loose and feel that some fat has gone around my tum and bum plus had improved bloods after 10 weeks incl bp.

How long did it take you to build up to a full fast Skippyscuffleton?
I have just read the eat/stop/eat book that someone posted the link to on here and that has given me a whole load of information!
I am after three weeks for the first time not getting tired on fast days and could try some exercise, but tbh I hate exercise lol

Arcoiris - doing a full 24 was never my original intention, reading Mattson's comment 2 mths after starting 5:2 was when I converted and it wasn't too difficult, still wouldn't say it's easy though. There are some nights I happily retire to bed early. If I were you I'd slowly ease your way into it, maybe try doing it 1 day a week eg a Monday and when that becomes the norm go up to 2 days.
Good luck

Arcoiris - doing a full 24 was never my original intention, reading Mattson's comment 2 mths after starting 5:2 was when I converted and it wasn't too difficult, still wouldn't say it's easy though. There are some nights I happily retire to bed early. If I were you I'd slowly ease your way into it, maybe try doing it 1 day a week eg a Monday and when that becomes the norm go up to 2 days.
Good luck

yes thanks for the good advice - this makes sense to do it gradually. My prob is I am having one meal at dinner and at around 9.30-10pm my brain is telling me fast over and I eat. So I thought I would be better doing a full fast to try and stop this.
I will indeed try this or see how long I can go once a week before I need to eat something.

paddy29 - I fast 3 days a week this way Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

So from Saturday evening until Monday morning then eat normally that day and then from Monday evening until Wednesday morning etc.,

I find that some days are easier than others and soon I may mix things up again and introduce the 500 cals into 2 of the days.

Although the longer periods are great for the health benefits, I feel sometimes that the weight loss may be slowing down...although slow is good and as long as I continue to go in the downwards direction all is good

Bev