The FastDay Forum

I am a bit anxious about my first fast day. I normally eat breakfast as soon as I get up.. I am going to try feel excited instead (about a new start/ positive changes etc) when I wake up but I'd love anyone who has had positive results with this lifestyle to leave a few words of encouragement to see me through the day. Cheers in advance.

Today my first fast day so I'm a little anxious too. I'm planning to drink plenty of water, going to try and avoid tea and coffee, maybe have my eleven o'clock one at work only. Ryvita with cranberries are a sweet treat. I always fast during Ramadan and never have a problem but dieting normally is very difficult, don't know why. Lunchtime I'll buy my dinner then run out of time to eat my lunch. so thats my plan so far !

You can do it, Teresa! I have to say you're braver than I was. I was extremely tentative when I started - mind you, this was before the Horizon programme, so I was on my own, at the time.

My tips are:
Hold off eating as long as possible. Treat yourself with low calorie drinks - black (filter) coffee was my drink of choice to begin with - now I find water, both hot and cold, to be absolutely fine.

Remember, if you do have something to eat, that by doing so you turn on the 'hunger switch' and you'll feel hungry for a while until the switch is reset.

Food takes 20 minutes before activating the 'satiety' hormone, so, set the timer when you eat, and don't go back for seconds until that timer's gone off.

Keep busy if you can - distraction therapy! I used to spend the day fantasising about the foods I would eat on my eating day.

Remember, you're only a day away from eating whatever you like.

I'm going for a 24 hour fast myself, ATM, and, since I finished eating at 7.30, I'm 6.5 hours into the fast already!

When I rise at 9 in the morning, I'll have fasted for 14.5 hours. If I was working, I'd have an extra 15 minutes in bed by not having breakfast - and there'd be no washing up!

Best wishes - and good luck!

B&W

Hi, I have only been doing this for a couple of weeks, today is my 5th fast. I have a small lunch at work then a WW meal in the evening and I find this works for me. I have only had a problem on one day, last Monday, where I was hungry all day but I knew it was only for one day then I could eat as I liked so got through easier then if it was a calorie counting diet when it is going to go on indefinitely. Good luck today, though I don't think you will need it.

Today my first fast day so I'm a little anxious too. I'm planning to drink plenty of water, going to try and avoid tea and coffee, maybe have my eleven o'clock one at work only. Ryvita with cranberries are a sweet treat. I always fast during Ramadan and never have a problem but dieting normally is very difficult, don't know why. Lunchtime I'll buy my dinner then run out of time to eat my lunch. so thats my plan so far !

Thanks Lisa. And best of luck to you. If you can fast for Ramadan you can do this! I am going to try save the bulk of the 500 cals for an evening meal. I might have a cuppa soup earlier in the day. I'll see how it goes. I would normally have eaten by now but I feel fine so far. I am thinking 'If I feel a hunger pang that's fat being burnt. Yay!' instead of 'I want pizza!'.

You can do it, Teresa! I have to say you're braver than I was. I was extremely tentative when I started - mind you, this was before the Horizon programme, so I was on my own, at the time.

My tips are:
Hold off eating as long as possible. Treat yourself with low calorie drinks - black (filter) coffee was my drink of choice to begin with - now I find water, both hot and cold, to be absolutely fine.

Remember, if you do have something to eat, that by doing so you turn on the 'hunger switch' and you'll feel hungry for a while until the switch is reset.

Food takes 20 minutes before activating the 'satiety' hormone, so, set the timer when you eat, and don't go back for seconds until that timer's gone off.

Keep busy if you can - distraction therapy! I used to spend the day fantasising about the foods I would eat on my eating day.

Remember, you're only a day away from eating whatever you like.

I'm going for a 24 hour fast myself, ATM, and, since I finished eating at 7.30, I'm 6.5 hours into the fast already!

When I rise at 9 in the morning, I'll have fasted for 14.5 hours. If I was working, I'd have an extra 15 minutes in bed by not having breakfast - and there'd be no washing up!

Best wishes - and good luck!

B&W

Some good advice there- thank you! I am not a tea or coffee person so I am just lashing plenty of water into me and plan to walk and read and do a lot of cleaning (I don't work on Mondays, I figured I would be way too grumpy if I had to go to work and be hungry). I think the main thing is to be positive and notfeel sorry for myself. After all it shouldn't be such a huge deal and like you say I can eat well again tomorrow (I am counting cals but I have enough to satisfy me)... What you said there about 'the hunger switch' makes a lot of sense. Maybe I will hold off on eating anything until this evening. And then eat nice and slooooowly.

Hi, I have only been doing this for a couple of weeks, today is my 5th fast. I have a small lunch at work then a WW meal in the evening and I find this works for me. I have only had a problem on one day, last Monday, where I was hungry all day but I knew it was only for one day then I could eat as I liked so got through easier then if it was a calorie counting diet when it is going to go on indefinitely. Good luck today, though I don't think you will need it.

Cheers Riel. I am going to hold out today until the evening to use my cals and then on Wednesday because I work from 12-8pm I am going to have a ligh lunch/light dinner to keep me from getting to grumpy! Yeah, it certainly appeals tro me that the feed days are going to be more fun than they were when I was trying to stay between 1200-1350 cals per day. I am still counting to make sure I stay in deficit but it pleases me to see I have plenty to play with for the rest of the week. Thanks for the encouragement.

Hi there
This is my first day too. I have started with my daughter and sister and we all hope to be successful. So far today I am feeling good. I do have a terrible fear of being hungry though so am a little anxious. Good luck to you too and we can do this! x

[carorees]

Good luck all you first fasters! I think overcoming the fear of hunger is one of the biggest wins of doing fasting! Once you really understand (as opposed to knowing but not experiencing it) that nothing bad will happen if you skip a couple of meals and that hunger just comes and goes, you will feel so liberated!

Just keep drinking plenty to keep the headaches at bay. And if you do get a headache or feel a bit wobbly just remember it is your body protesting at being made to burn fat for fuel for a change...once it has learnt how to do this, fast days will be a doddle.

Hi all,
This is my 12th day of fasting. I had headaches for the first few fasts, but luckily that seems to have settled down now. When that happened I just went to bed early, and still do sometimes if I'm fasting and feeling a bit lethargic or and eyeing up the kids 'treat' box with too much interest...
Good luck and keep busy

Hi there
This is my first day too. I have started with my daughter and sister and we all hope to be successful. So far today I am feeling good. I do have a terrible fear of being hungry though so am a little anxious. Good luck to you too and we can do this! x

Hi! Well it's almost 6pm and I have had a 94 cal soup and lots of water so far and I am amazed that I haven't had one bad hunger pang! I can't believe it. I am feeling absolutely fine. I told my mother what I was doing and waited for the 'Oh that can't be a good idea' but instead she's decided to do this too. She even bougt us both a copy of the book. Hope you and your daughter/sister are having a positive first fast too. And I hope each of them proves as easy as this one for me.

Good luck all you first fasters! I think overcoming the fear of hunger is one of the biggest wins of doing fasting! Once you really understand (as opposed to knowing but not experiencing it) that nothing bad will happen if you skip a couple of meals and that hunger just comes and goes, you will feel so liberated!

Just keep drinking plenty to keep the headaches at bay. And if you do get a headache or feel a bit wobbly just remember it is your body protesting at being made to burn fat for fuel for a change...once it has learnt how to do this, fast days will be a doddle.

Thank you Carol. I am feeling really inspired. Expected today to be hellish!

I am feeling really positive. This first fast is proving to be so easy I am shocked! Thank you for the encouragement. Going to hit the bed early tonight with the 5:2 diet book that my mother kindly bought me today. She's going to do this herself. She doesn't use the internet so I am going to support her on the phone as much as I can.

Hi everyone, this is my first day as well. Saw the horizon program last year and although I thought it made sense,I was nervous about fasting and feeling hungry. Bought the book last week and read it over the weekend, what have I got to lose, apart from the excess weight. Have fasted from yesterday evening 8pm and have not fainted yet !!! Find all the online help and advice really useful, have had eaten sugar free chewing gum today when I felt hungry and that seemed to help.

Hi everyone, this is my first day as well. Saw the horizon program last year and although I thought it made sense,I was nervous about fasting and feeling hungry. Bought the book last week and read it over the weekend, what have I got to lose, apart from the excess weight. Have fasted from yesterday evening 8pm and have not fainted yet !!! Find all the online help and advice really useful, have had eaten sugar free chewing gum today when I felt hungry and that seemed to help.

Good for you, Suzy. I think this could be a great start to a new way of eating. I am excited now. No fainting here yet either. Yay!