The FastDay Forum

Husband had horrible problem with canker sores for 20 years, tried everything from holistic to prescription treatments. Finally got SLS free toothpaste and rarely has a single sore. SLS is Sodium Laurel Sulfate. He's shared his experience with several other people with the same problem and all have had positive results. In the states it's a bit hard to find... hidden on the bottom shelf of the dental product area with the special mouthwashes etc.

thanks for the tip fogging I will definitely look out for it anything worth a shot at this point.

So, I took this up to kickstart my weight loss & help with insulin resistance. The rest of my vitals are still pretty good.
I'm only 3 fast's in, now doing 3 small meals on my fast days but so far my experience is wholly negative. Whether this improves over time is anyone's guess.
Side effects I've been experiencing:
Temperature fluctuations - jumper required on fast days then extra hot the next day.
Headaches - doesn't matter how much water I drink, I still end up with a headache & I'm not doing this to swap food for paracetamol
Dizzy spells & shaking - after I nearly fainted yesterday I changed tack & had a snack. Felt much better within minutes
Cranky - I'm a total b***h to my kids for at least 4 hours every fast afternoon. Eating the 3 small meals rather than 2 did nothing to help with this
Lethagy - I have so little energy on my fast days that just getting the dishes washed feels like hard work & I'm in bed 5 minutes after the kids. The day after a fast day is only marginally better & I currently feel like I'm losing 4 days every week.
Muscle aches - lifting my arms hurts. This doesn't help when combined with the lethagy
Bowels - from one extreme to the other. Need I say more.
Physcological - I'm spending the day before & the day after my fasts looking for extra snacks. Something I never did before this. I'm currently putting this down to the deprivation factor 'I can't eat xyz tomorrow so I better cram it in today'. This is SO counterproductive to the main aim and my health.
Illness - I currently have my first cold in about 5 years. Maybe it's just a co-incidence.
I've been fructose free (for health benefits as well as weight loss) for 3 years now & was slowly losing but had stalled a little & was hoping this might be the kickstart I needed. Now I'm not so sure. Other than a few headaches in the first week as I withdrew from sugar I never suffered any nasty side effects like I am on 5:2. Perhaps it's just not for everyone.

Negative side-effects so far (week 2): I'm beginning to realise I'm going to have to buy new pants for work.

2 weeks in with 4 fasts completed . I had a migraine on first feed day on 2nd week and pains in tummy got too much yest ! Even after my soup I was hungry ! But last night I described my mood as serene to my husband and I feel so calm now ! On fast days I'm a little manic at work but I feel that's my body burning fat I actually feel it happening it creeps up on me ! Constipation has always been a problem for me and I haven't been for 3 days ! More water needed x

I am very new to the 5:2 diet and am only into my second week (today is my 4th fast day). I have already had an awful experience...

I start the day feeling fine, a bit hungry and light headed but fine. As soon as I eat my evening meal (I usually leave 300 cals for this and use up 200 for lunch) I have been violently sick, very bad stomach cramps, extreme dizziness and diarrhea! I have also been unable to stop burping... they seem to come every 5 seconds or so! It's horrible! I really want to continue with the fast diet as loads of people I know have done very well on the plan, but I think it's dangerous to carry on if this keeps happening!

Has anyone else had a similar experience, will it get better and any advice?

Thank you!

Hi 03mghanem,

I'm feeling much the same about calling it a day. Interesting you mention burping. I've been really gassy too. The other end. Sorry TMI :s Maybe just another side effect??

Simoneee, Maybe you should bump your calories up a bit more, while your baby may not be breatsfeeding all the time, you still are producing and that requires more energy. I would try 800 - 1000 cal fast days then gradually step down by 50 cals per fast.

03mghanem wrote: I am very new to the 5:2 diet and am only into my second week (today is my 4th fast day). I have already had an awful experience...

I start the day feeling fine, a bit hungry and light headed but fine. As soon as I eat my evening meal (I usually leave 300 cals for this and use up 200 for lunch) I have been violently sick, very bad stomach cramps, extreme dizziness and diarrhea! I have also been unable to stop burping... they seem to come every 5 seconds or so! It's horrible! I really want to continue with the fast diet as loads of people I know have done very well on the plan, but I think it's dangerous to carry on if this keeps happening!

Has anyone else had a similar experience, will it get better and any advice?

Thank you!

You don't have any of the tummy issues with lunch? What are you having for lunch?
What are you having for dinner?
Your symptoms are EXACTLY what I experience with dairy products, are you lactose intolerant?

I have had problems with dairy in the past, but no I've been eating things like stir fry with rice noodles or prawns, chicken, salmon, that sort of stuff... no I haven't been having the problems with lunch although yesterday (not a fast day) I had the same thing when I'd eaten lunch... it's like my stomachs going into shock! lol

Simonee - have you altered your caffeine consumption having started 5:2? If so, that might be the cause of your headaches. If you want to cut out caffeine, best to do it gradually, and include feed days (i.e., don't do a fast day with no caffeine, then a feed day with the same amount of caffeine you used to drink).

I think that for anyone experiencing severe side effects it's worth stepping down into fasting. Start with an allowance of 1000 cal and reduce by 100 per week. This should ease your body into it.

My Husband is fasting with me. He started begining of april and seemed to be ok until this week when he has been getting cramp in his ankles in the night, several times a night. he is type 2 diabetic has high blood pressur and is on statins for colestral. He has loads of fluids during the day and a good meal early evening. His choice of fastig.Just wondering if it is any of the medication he is on or mayme totally unrelated.Any thoughts Caroline ? P.s. I dont know if he has lost weight or inches as he wont weigh or measure !

I used to get horrendous leg cramps at night, I started drinking milk and eating dairy again, and no more cramps. Before I started including the dairy, I would take a potassium gluconate with a big glass of water and they would slowly dissipate or I would take a bath with Epsom salts, I think the magnesium helps. Caroline may have more and better advice for your hubby.

Thanks Betsysgr8 I did wonder about potassium being low with all the peeing.