The FastDay Forum

Ok so I've only been doing this for two weeks now and I've had four fast days. The first week I used the skip breakfast, light lunch and semi decent dinner technique. This was OK but come 21:00 I felt really, really hungry.

So this week I've skipped both breakfast and lunch and just had a really good tea. By doing this I've found that I'm full at night and in fact I've had some calories left over [again not sure if that is good or bad].

So I'm just after general thoughts! I know there's no law to say one way or the other is right but still a good verity of views would be good.

Thanks

Axt

Hi Axter & welcome

You'll find quite a few of us here only eat a dinner on our fasting days as it keeps us from feeling hungry in the day (by not triggering the appetite with food) and fuller at night. Sometimes I'll save enough cals for a low calorie hot chocolate before bed, other times I end up with a good 200 cals to spare and not feeling the need to consume them!

I tried the same thing yesterday and survived my fast much better than usual. I did try a liquid fast a while ago but that was too much for me. Yesterday I was able to eat enough in the evening to stave off the grumpiness and hunger I usually get.

And another one in the one meal club. For my first 6 fast days ,I did the light salad lunch, maybe a yogurt during the day, and Apple with some PB2 later on.

But yesterday I wanted to try a recipe that would use most of my daily 500 calories, so I opted to not eat all day.

Thinking it would harder, I was surprised to actually find it easier. I think as soon as you eat something, anything, it triggers the hunger signals, making you feel hungry on and off all day.

Once I pushed thru the the afternoon, I found I was quite fine, waiting till, then REALLY enjoying my dinner.

I guess this whole WOE is a matter of mixing it up, finding what works, and keep your eye focused on, TOMORROW

Happy Fasting all!

I tried skipping breakfast and lunch also and at first it's quite hard, but on such days I try to drink more (tea on normal days and water on hot days). Works for me!

I'm in the minority here as I still eat breakfast, lunch and dinner on fast days. I don't find it triggers my appetite in the same way as some do, I seem to be the opposite. I wake up hungry but a small meal is enough to satisfy me until lunch and the same again until dinner.

I can honestly say I've never felt more than peckish since starting this. Maybe it's because I was always a grazer before - I could never eat huge portions but ate little and often (just the wrong things!).

It's trial and error to find what suits you best I think, we're all different

Indeed, the flexibility of this way of eating is key to its (and our) success!

I've done a few liquid only fasts (0-50 calories) and didn't find them too hard but I got bored of them to be honest, I missed my game of 'what lovely, tasty, healthy food can I eat for 500 calories or less?'

Skipping breakfast and lunch is a way of life for me now. Sometimes I do think about having breakfast for a change but I know once I start I find it hard to stop so best delayed to dinner time. Yesterday was the first time I did a 25 hour liquid fast and I found it easy but I was dying to eat something towards the end and glad I could because I was getting snappy and irritable with the kids. Must say this morning I felt quite weak so not sure what I did wrong (didnt have any sugar yesterday either).

Sounds like a plan to me!

Every fast day seems to be different for me. I eat my muesli for breakfast but that has meant any time between 6am and 6pm. I find if I force myself to wait until evening to eat, then I have a harder time not overeating or snacking after dinner. Then some days I don't *want* to eat until dinner and overeating isn't a problem. I've even done a few liquid fasts.

I've learned what level/type of hungry means I need to eat otherwise suffer the consequences later on. Wow...now that's some helpful advice, isn't it?

I am on week 6 of fasting and thought i would find skipping breakfast and lunch really hard as I love eating! I actually used to get the shakes if i got to the hungry stage so I was very surprised to find that I CAN survive on 1 cup of coffee several green teas and lots of water until 7pm when i have my dinner. In fact the hunger pangs tend to disappear early afternoon and I forget all about not having eaten anything. Sometimes I will have some spicy lentil & tomato soup late afternoon or even a 10cal sugar free jelly just for the taste to keep me going.

It is definately all about what works for you though.

I am new here and I am on my 3rd week. I had problems when I started with skipping breakfast so now I try and wait until about 10am to eat.

I have something filling like a vegetarian omelette and so far have been having a small steak with veges for tea. During the day I have a handful of strawberries and a handful or cherry tomatoes if I feel peckish.

I find it much easier having something to eat first thing in the morning but it might be because I workout first thing in the morning so I need to get some energy afterwards. I don't think I would be able to forgo breakfast completely.

I've been doing the 5:2 diet for 10 months and have lost 36 lbs? My dr adviced I take it carefully as I'm on thyroxine and make sure I eat an hour after I take the drug.I have taken Mimi's approach from the book have breakfast(2 eggs with mushrooms) lunch(homemade soup of 20-50 cal) and dinner.
2 weeks ago I tried just breakfast and dinner and managed fine but I took 1 fast day off for Christmas and about lunch time today was doing it a bit tough. My other half made me a salad snack of a few lettuce leaves, a celery stick and a slice of capsicum. I was reluctant to eat it as I wanted to train my body to just have breakfast and lunch but he insisted. What I want to know is should I be trying to refine my fast? My total calories today were 400.

Hello Beavergong,
the lovely thing about this WOE is that you do what suits you as long as you stick to the basic guidelines. What you have been doing has been working. You seem to have been averaging just under a pound a week which is what is kind of expected for many people
Can I ask why you feel you should 'refine' your fasts?
Lots of us are finding that returning to the routine after a wee bit of a relaxation/blow out is throwing us a wee bit. Sure it'll settle down and we'll all get back to it!

Think you should do what is right for you b@beavergong. Sometimes I have one meal, sometimes two and sometimes three! Leaving 16 hours between meals is supposed to speed up the loss. See @ballerinas thread at the bottom of her signature. Congratulations on your amazing loss!