The FastDay Forum

Hi folks,

so this is my first fast day; I've fasted before (not for a while though - and it's always a bit freaky after time away), and I usually employ an eating window of 6-8hrs most days, so, on 5:2, this is my first ... I'd like to call it "repair" day as I saw another member do so (I think it has more appropriate connotations). Nighttime is my dangerous time, I never eat breakfast anyway, and I am often studying or busy through lunch, but come nighttime I could eat my own child! With that in mind, the majority of my calories will be eaten at night.

Here is what I have planned:

Morn: 200ml orange juice = 88
150ml milk (for tea) = 49
5 PM: Weight Watchers meal = 245
100g frozen vegetable = 45
15 garlic mushrooms = 60 (boiled, then seasoned with garlic salt.)

Total: 487

And here are the rules I'll be following:

Feed: Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon.
Repair: Tues, Thurs (although I may do another repair day on fridays - I'll see how I feel at the time)

Feed = 1500 kcal, Repair = 500 kcal
(average per day = 1200)

Eating window = 2-10PM most days (the window position may change if I don't feel like eating until later, but it'll not go over 8 hrs, and might loosen up at the weekend)

Weigh Day = Wed

No refined carbs on repairs days, and reduced anyway on other days.

I may reduce my feed days as I went for the 1500 yesterday and found it quite difficult without eating crap like chocolate, although it may have been because I left it until 4 to eat (I've been employing an eating window of 4-11pm for a while), so I think I'll need to get into the habit of eating a bit earlier.

Some of these rules are subject to change depending on the needs of a new job I have a conditional offer for. But that's about it.

I hope to journal a few times a week, and I look forward to reading everyone else's and sharing in our 5:2 ups and downs.

Oh yeah, this isn't a diet for me as such - I have a little weight to lose to get to where I was happier a couple of years ago, but if this is in harmony with my body it will be for life with any appropriate adjustments. Eating is something I've never quite found a way of that suited me, so I am looking for a lifetime solution.

Thanks for reading.

I am sure a lot more experienced people than I will comment. Best of luck

Oh dear - am I doing something wrong?
Thank you for the luck Gillymary.

Sounds like a good plan to me so, go ahead and let us know how it goes. The joy of this regime is that it is not rigid so you can make adjustments as and when you feel like it. You have thought it out sensibly and it looks like a go-re, keep us posted on your success.

Ballerina x

Thank you Ballerina. I appreciate your evaluation and support.

I will keep this updated.

I have to say, I'm looking forward to the more energy and better sleep I've seen reported!

Don't bank on better sleep for a while, most of us take some time to get back our normal sleep patterns after starting this. Another thing to be aware of is feeling cold on your fast days, that also will adjust but it does take time. Don't let anyone convince you that what you are doing is wrong or harmful, go with your gut (pun intended) instincts, if it feels right for you then IT WILL be right for you. If you don't immediately look like a been pole, don't panic, or give up, I was a VERY slow starter on this but once my body got the message there was no stopping it. Actually, there was but I just kept going throughout my plateaux and it got started again.

This has been a catalogue of do's and don'ts, mostly don'ts, sorry for that but I just wanted you to be aware of SOME of the POTENTIAL pitfalls that you MAY encounter along the way. Hopefully you will not experience too many of the aforementioned discomforts but if you do, DON"T GIVE UP!!!! This works and some of us have an easy journey and some of us not so easy, I hope you have an easy time, good luck

Ballerina x

Not at all Ballerina, all the information you have given me is realistic, helpful and positive. A reminder that changes take time is always welcome - I lack patience!

I think I'll be OK with the coldness, I'm used to it, the eating window usually results in that, and I also have a circulatory condition which basically has me used to being freezing on and off.

I won't be aiming for beanpole status - at 5'8 is wouldn't be a good look. I start to look ridiculous under 120lbs, and at 31 I can't afford to lose anymore facial fat.

Thanks again for all your advice, and well done on your progress - I have read your maintenance thread, and while you may not have found exactly what works for you, getting to maintenance and feeling better inside and out is an achievement in itself. Very inspiring.

Well, just a wee update - at 8.39pm the same night!
I'm surprised at how I feel. I followed my planned menu, although couldn't finish the vegetables, and I'm just having the last of my pre-portioned milk in a decaff tea.

I've noticed that a lot of members hit the sack earlier on a repair day, and I can see that happening tonight. Although I did sit an exam today, so that may be more to do with why I am wiped out.

I've been thinking about it though. I used to purposefully exercise on my fast days back in the day (2 years ago), I think I read that it encourages fat burning, so that may be why I feel tired today - the extra exertion - I'm not inactive as such, but I've spent the last week barely leaving the couch to study, and today I walked a couple of miles to and back from the exam, and the exam itself was 2 hours.

Well, I guess the main point of the post is that I'm pretty chuffed my foray back into fasting has went well on the first day, and I'm enjoying the sleepiness that's slowly coming over me.

Here's to a successful first repair/fast day!

Great to hear it went well hope the exam was also successful, I'm sure it will be. When you have time it is worth looking at some of the nerdy topics as they deal with things like exercise before breaking fasts, mental alertness keener whilst in a fasting state, how to get your dress size to turn into your shoe size and not the other way round and other fascinating things to keep you awake,

Keep posting, we love to hear how everyone is getting on,

Ballerina x

Nothing was wrong it_is_time i meant there are a lot of fellow fasters with a wealth of knowledge who would give you support as exactly as Ballerina has done.

Great to hear it went well hope the exam was also successful, I'm sure it will be. When you have time it is worth looking at some of the nerdy topics as they deal with things like exercise before breaking fasts, mental alertness keener whilst in a fasting state, how to get your dress size to turn into your shoe size and not the other way round and other fascinating things to keep you awake,

Keep posting, we love to hear how everyone is getting on,

Ballerina x

Me too! Thank you for the encouragement Ballerina. Even though I wouldn't have meal until around 4, I would usually eat something before an exam, but I didn't yesterday, and I managed to remember much more of my study content than usual. It was a 3rd year exam, so the hardest yet. My next repair day is tuesday and I have my next exam on that day, so will be interesting to see if I remember as much then.

Yeah, I'll need to check out those topics - are they in any particular section?

Nothing was wrong it_is_time i meant there are a lot of fellow fasters with a wealth of knowledge who would give you support as exactly as Ballerina has done.

Ah Ok, thanks for letting me know GIllymary. And your input is just as valuable as a fellow 5:2'r

So, I slept a sound 8 and a half hours last night, and I feel great this morning. Not sure when I'm going to break my fast, I'm still in the 4pm eating habit, TBH I'd like to extend the fast to 7PM, but I have to study and I'm not sure a fast that long would benefit me mentally - then again, maybe it would?

So I decided to squeeze in a wee repair day yesterday and I slept so soundly last night, and feel great today. So my first week will be more of a 4:3 than 5:2, and I may just stick with that if I continue to feel this good.

Next challenge starts next monday, as it's my quit smoking day! Not au naturel however, I have tried cold turkey and NRT in the past, but my 13 year habit just persists, so today the doctor prescribed me Champix. I am feeling really positive about it as I am sleeping well and feeling really good in my body, I am also hoping that the repair days will support my body's detoxification process, so here's to banishing all the nasties!

Hope everyone is having a great day.

best of luck giving up those ciggies
Will be the best thing you have ever done. It is doable, yoU can do it
Many of us have managed before you, be kind on yourself