can I take extra calories on fast day if I do exercise?

This topic contains 8 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by TracyJ 9 years, 10 months ago.

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macbeth101

11:13 pm
18 Jan 15
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I’ve just started the diet, but have a long hilly bicycle commute to work 5 days a week, and am struggling on the fast diet. I feel sick and light-headed on the journey home, which I’m not sure is very safe while cycling on busy city roads at rush hour.

The book insists that it’s best to exercise on fast days though, and that I should feel better. This isn’t my experience though, what am I doing wrong?

I’ve worked out with a smartphone app that I burn around 300 calories each way on this commute, so could I just eat something with that many calories before I set out? The result would be no different from someone doing the fast diet who isn’t exercising right?

simcoeluv

11:18 pm
18 Jan 15
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Hi Macbeth and welcome:

Wrong. Your exercise is included in your TDEE so you would be over eating.

I’m curious – if you are on a weight loss diet, why would you want to eat more, rather than fewer calories?

Here are some tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

macbeth101

12:21 pm
19 Jan 15
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But most people I know on the FAST diet don’t cycle 16 miles a day. And what is TDEE?

600 calories a day means a 1900 calorie deficit. So if I cycle off 600 calories a day, and eat 1200 calories that day, that means my deficit is still 1900 calories – so I will lose weight. The only way I could gain weight while doing my commute is to eat over 3100 calories a day – which I’m not doing.

macbeth101

1:22 pm
19 Jan 15
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Just looked up my TDEE, and mine is around 2500 on a weekend, and 3100 on a weekday.

TracyJ

1:45 pm
19 Jan 15
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I’m confused macbeth101, how have you worked out your TDEE? The calculator on this site would not give you 2 different numbers for weekdays and weekends?

If you WANT to eat more than 600kcal and your TDEE works out at more than the ‘Mr Average’ 2400kcal then you can divide whatever your ACTUAL TDEE number is by 4 and eat up to that limit instead if you like. Be aware however that as you lose weight and approach the 2400kcal TDEE you should switch back to 600kcal on fastdays.

If you are very early in the 5:2 lifestyle you may need a little extra help to get through an exercise heavy fastday – just until your body gets used to the extra demands. Make sure you are drinking enough water and if you are then also make sure you have a little salt too to ensure you’re absorbing the water properly. If you still really feel that you need a boost before your bike ride then maybe try a whey protein shake (made with water if you want to minimise fastday calories or milk on non-fastdays) or you could eat a few almonds before setting off?

You WILL get used to exercising on a totally empty stomach, it honestly gets easier. I will be doing a 1 hour pilates class, a 40minute walk, a 45 minute Body Combat class, 1km in the pool and a 30 minute swimfit class before I eat my 500kcal today. It’s totally doable and has been for a very long time now. You’ll get here too.

macbeth101

1:57 pm
19 Jan 15
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I put light for weekends and heavy for weekdays.

I will try taking my calories before the cycling, and hopefully that will get me through. I’m not really prepared to tough it out though, as it’s not safe (on a bike on a busy road isn’t the safest place to faint).

TracyJ

11:30 am
20 Jan 15
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Totally understand that macbeth101 & you should be kind to yourself to start with, just until your body is used to it. I would not eat your entire calorie allowance BEFORE exercise though if I were you.

The ONLY time I ever felt absolutely beside myself with hunger, headache & light headed was when I ate my 500kcal BEFORE I swam 3K on a fastday. After a swim I’m usually not particularly hungry & occasionally had to force myself to eat my 500kcal but after THAT swim I was RAVENOUS. Your body may react differently but I would make sure to leave yourself some calorie allowance after your ride, so that you don’t feel that you have to ‘fall off the waggon’ if you can’t face the hunger for the rest of your evening.

I would recommend something small and protein rich before your bike-rides and saving most of your calories for AFTER. Maybe allow yourself and extra 100 or so kcal, in the form of these light pre-cycle boosts, until you get used to fastdays and feel able to go back to around the 600kcal mark?

macbeth101

11:53 am
20 Jan 15
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Thanks Tracy, just before my ride home last night I had 300 cals of porridge, and it was fantastic – kept me warm too in the zero degree evening it was.

I felt fine when I got home and just ate a slice of toast and an apple that evening.

So in total I had:

500 cals for breakfast (300 immediately used cycling to work)
200 cals for lunch
300 pre-cycle home (used on the cycle home)
200 evening toast and apple

That gives me the 600 calories that weren’t exercised off.

I reckon I’ll continue with this method and see how it goes. I’m sure half the effort of this diet is avoiding overeating on non-fast days (when I tried it two years ago, I would find myself ‘loading up’ the evening before fast days)

TracyJ

12:27 pm
20 Jan 15
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Yeah, you definitely want to avoid loading on the night before (especially carbs) as you feel a million times hungrier the next day if you do that.

Good luck with your plan I hope it does work for you. I wouldn’t expect too much from it though, as it isn’t supposed to be 600 calories on top of 600 that you intend to work off the same day. It is supposed to be 600(or as close as you can get) in total. I get that you want to up that to bed into the diet and I think you’re right to be kind to yourself in that way to an extent but 1200 calories is not really a fastday, especially as there is no point in your day (by the sounds of it) where you are actually ‘fasting’ for any great length of time. You ‘might’ see a little difference in weight, hopefully you will but any health benefits will have to come just from that weight loss rather than from any effect to your IGF-1 levels, as you’d need a ‘true’ fast period of more than 14 hours or so, twice a week to see IGF-1 results.

Anyway – best of luck for now – I hope the easier start helps you bed into the 5:2 lifestyle.