I find that on some non fast days it is difficult for me to control my eating and I over eat sugary treats and “junk” foods. This undoes any benefit I gain from the fast days. Any suggestions how to get better control?
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Hi suffti
Welcome to the forum, I think this is your first post?
Many of us have had this problem, and there will be a number of topics with discussion on this. “Sabotaged!” covers this to some extent, particularly in its earlier posts.
Are you in your early days of this Way Of Eating? Giving in to cravings tends to be more of a problem when we first try to change what are often habits of a lifetime.
Have you calculated your TDEE, so you know about how many calories you can eat on non-fast days? You can then work out what you can eat on non-fast days, and then will be mindful of what you are eating. Lots of people advocate writing down everything you eat, as it does seem to help limit what you eat.
Remove all the tempting food from your house, if you can.
Drink water, tea, coffee, etc whenever you get a craving.
Do some exercise instead of eating the craved food.
Make a list of 10 things you can do instead of eating the craved food.
Try 16:8 or 18:6 – ie only eat within a 8 or 6 hour window each day.
Work out when you are most vulnerable to give in to cravings, and work out strategies in advance for how you will deal with it.
I am sure others will have other ideas, and do have a look around in other topics.
Let us know if you find a strategy that works for you.
Good luck π
Sassy
Yep! I was there this weekend just been. I am finding it gets easier, as long as I don’t eat the first ….. I know it causes a lot of debate on here, but I also have a calorie target on my non-fast days. For me, it helps me make wise choices – know how much that bowl of chocolate cereal is, I can choose to eat it and spend the rest of the day struggling to resist having everything else in the cupboard, or I can choose nuts or something low carbohydrate (which is what works for me) instead.
There are two foods: Nutella and a look alike, which I have no control once I start, so I have made an agreement with my mum (chief gettingincontrolofeating support person) that I am not eating any more this year.
I am trying to plan my exercise around when I am most likely to feel like grazing, as Sassy also suggested. Good luck π
You know, it really does get easier but you can still fall off the waggon and hit every drumstick, starburst and jellybaby on the way down even a year or so down the line. My weigh in day for the month was this last Saturday and I’d been doing fine up until last week and then the time change and Halloween hit and I don’t know quite what happened to me but if I managed to squeeze in just under 2000 calories on just one of my non-fastdays I’d be very surprised. And so, it came to Saturday and I’d lost precisely nothing since last month. I think I actually probably lost my usual 2lb in the run up to last week and then utterly sabotaged myself with half a ton of ‘left over’ halloween sweets dumped in the office ‘snack bowl’ on Friday. Oh well, note to self: we all have bad weeks and at least I didn’t put any weight ON π
Keep on truckin’ everyone.
Hi TracyJ,
I’m betting this has happened to all of us who have been doing 5:2 for awhile. Not to worry, at least you didn’t gain and my guess is that this week you will be extra careful on non-fast days. As far as I’m concerned Not Gaining is almost as good as loosing, if you have done this for awhile. At least now we all know what we can do that is effective and we know that we CAN control our food intake. Even if we do slip up every once in a while.
Just keep on, keeping on.
Quick
Hi suffti, I empathise with you. Posters have also given some good advice which I can relate to. For me over eating seems to happen in the same location – my home. Last night, Monday, was a fast day, I had been for a sauna, returned home about 9.30 pm and was desperate for alcohol and crisps etc. Similar cravings to my non fast days. I simply removed myself from the location where I usually succumb, ie my favourite seat in the lounge and went to bed. Result – another successful fast day.
This is a simplistic explanation for me. A friend of mine cured her nightly 2 glasses of wine at home by simply moving from her favourite chair where she settled with her wine to another in her lounge. A great deal of our cravings are simply psychological and we need to find triggers to combat these cravings.
Please take on board the good advice given by the posters who have replied to your concerns and try to work out some positive actions that will help you.
Good luck.
A small advice which may help you: try to minimize wheat intake – this wheat flour is said to enhance appetite and has some bad effects on your insulin level. In the “Aetiology of Obesity” (on u-tube) Dr Jason Fung put his fingers on wheat quite often.
I’ve noticed since I’ve started with alternate day fasting (ADF or 10in2) in April 2013, I can’t snack on wheat that often anymore.
The book “wheat belly” is quite informative on this issue (even though I wouldn’t underline all statements).
Just take oat cookies, rye four or whatever as replacement – even “organic” and brownish wheat flour may cause junk food attacks!
Additionally, give yourself some time – this urge will settle sooner or later…at least, in ADF it did but still, sometimes, I have a bad binge attack leading to a bad stomach at night…maybe helpful to change the path!
q.
@couscous
” I simply removed myself from the location where I usually succumb, ie my favourite seat in the lounge and went to bed. Result β another successful fast day.”
Great move and strategy.
You interrupted the association that you have with the seat and consuming.
β°
Hi Couscous,
this is a great strategy. I have been practicing it from the day I started 5:2. If I hadn’t I’m sure I would not have been as successful as I have been.
My alcohol intake (never very big) has become almost non-existent.
Keeping to the 5:2 lifestyle is really a matter of experimenting until you find a way that you CAN do it.
Quick
To be honest I used to keep fast at least a day in a week but when I used to eat the very next day then believe me its really like UN-controllable for me,, I used to go on eating,, go on eating,, unless n until I used to feel that my stomach is full and its a must that there should a sweet stuff in it.,, Hahaha
Can’t control myself π
Navigate here
“Socializing over fasting, otherwise people get nervous.”
I don’t do it because it makes people nervous. Socializing is to me very healthy, having a laugh with friends or family. So I do choose that over fasting simply for my mental health.
Especially here in China where my social life is practically non-existent, the times I do get the chance to eat out with a colleague I savour and even skip my evening workout for it.
Oh gosh yes, this was me too! The first week I ate so much on my first day following a fast, that I made myself sick! But as everyone else has said, it really does get easier. Even the rumbles get less!! Hang in there, I’m only one month in and its so much easier already!!! Good luck!! Meg
http://meg-made.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lose-day-tuesday-v.html
Thought I’d also post about wheat here too as it explains why just having a taste of some foods leads to bingeing.
Yesterday I innocently started watching an online video featuring American cardiologist Dr William Davis. I stumbled on it as Iβm interested in low-carb eating.
He reveals whatβs been done to wheat over the past 30 β 40 years and why it’s contributing to rising obesity, food allergies, diabetes, blood pressure, dementia, balance problems, addictions, IBS, reflux, arthritis, crohn’s disease, asthma and possibly autism, migraines and more.
He explains that the protein gliaden is the problem in the wheat grain, not so much gluten. Gliaden is apparently an opiate that causes appetite stimulation. And explains why wheat is now included in commercial foods that previously never had wheat, eg soup. He also reveals the dangers of gluten-free products.
I had no idea about this secret manipulation of our food, let alone the extent of it. While I’ve cut down since following 5:2, I can’t see myself cutting all starches and sugars, especially with Christmas on the way. However, it’s very disturbing to think about some the possible ramifications.
Urge you to watch. It runs 55 minutes and pre-dates his book. The message is SO revealing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47QlothkpsE
Heather
Hi Nika,
I just thought that rather than start a new post I’d add the information about wheat where it was relevant, so that those who’d commented before would see it.
BTW, I’m not promoting any books. I haven’t read the one the doc wrote. It was the detail in the YouTube that I thought would be of interest to others. I added it here as it explains why having just a little of some foods can lead to binging.
Heather
Hey Heather π
Adding the exact same comment to several topics can be seen as just that; marketing. This being a personal-style forum I quickly get annoyed when people do this, the wall of text and then linking to something. You could just say something personal towards what has been said before and then just post the link saying “Here’s a clip about wheat use you may find interesting, I’m sure I did!” because above you said you’d post something explaining how small tastes of food leads to bingeing but then never return to the topic (because it was a copy-paste comment).
I have so far only clicked one link on this site and that was towards a blog of someone she only linked once, not throwing it around like some other links on this site.
Anyway. Just my 2 cents. Nothing personal or whatever, I’m not one to hate, just give my opinion π
Hi Heather,
Thanks for the link. A timely post for me, as I have been gluten free this month, and then had a non gf cookie last night, and then probably ten more (with cream cheese and jam!!). I have read his book and find it very interesting – particularly as I have long been aware of my inability to stop once I start with certain foods, and because I have always had a bit of a pot belly, even when I was Ironman fit. In my first month of 5:2, the last two weeks of which were wheat free, I lost 4.5 cm off my belly but much less from everywhere else. The video is a good reminder for me to keep doing what I believe is healthy (and what works!!). Funny to see him pre bestselling book ;p
Hi Nika,
Thanks for explaining. I’m new to posting on a forum, so not quite clear about the rules. I had thought that those who’d previously discussed wheat would find the info sooner. Clearly it would have been better not to cut and paste the way I did. It is such significant research that the cardiologist has provided that I wanted to reach as many as possible. I’m in Melbourne Australia and I notice that the timing of posts means some get lost easily.
Iwant2Bincontrol – it’s really good to hear that you’re doing so well going gluten free. I don’t have the book, but the message in the video was so profound. I’ve been doing the semi-fast part of 5:2 for almost five months. As calorie counting has never worked for me I decided to use the low carb approach. After seeing a link on the forum about Diet Doctor I really embraced LCHF and it’s working brilliantly. I’ve been having some carbs just one or two days a week (weekend). It’ll be more with Christmas coming, but having watched that video I’ll be much more mindful than I’d planned. BTW the video was well before the book, so it wasn’t a presell, it may not have even been thought of.
Heather
HeatherFast
we will always repeat articles/thoughts/posts/links on this forum
because u r right about timing
things do get lost in this forum & also r worth
repeating ad infinitum
so please continue posting ur very important links
we do appreciate ur postings
i do discuss this dr & his reviews of his book
we also talk about the grain brain author dr permuletter
if u click on my name u will c many topics concerning ur concerns or might just like
thanks 4 ur input
looking 4ward 2 ur future postings
i’m finding out that even when i thought i would get binge on a lowcarbhighfat day i don’t want 2 so that really helps 2 π
take care
usa
USA – thanks for your friendly encouragement. I will check out other links by clicking on your name.
I’ve continued to think about the manipulation of wheat ever since watching the cardiologist’s video. I notice there are other interviews with him and eventually I’ll get to all of them too. While his research results are alarming I still think it’s better to know because knowledge is power. Thanks again.
Heather
Maybe you should stick your link onto some of wiltldnr’s threads π
@wiltldnr by the way. Could you perhaps lay off the Enter key a bit? And perhaps replace it with typing out words a bit more instead of writing your posts like you’re texting someone? 2 = to, 4 = for, c = see, r = are, stuff like that. It makes your post very tedious to read. And you constantly keep speaking in the “we” form, like your opinion reflects that of everyone else. Well, it doesn’t reflect mine, because I come here for encouragement and chit chatting with other forum members, not to be spammed with links, so I’d appreciate it if they’d be stuck in a few places, not all over the site.
So sure, create a thread with links and stuff, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because I’m sure there are people who enjoy them!
Again, my opinion. And I’m sorry this discussion started on your thread Suffti! Didn’t mean to hijack! π
heatherfast & Nika
heatherfast
“Iβve continued to think about the manipulation of wheat ever since watching the cardiologistβs video”
so have i
but the 1 that really has clarified my whole path in life is dr fungs lectures who has taken all the research of up 2 2013 &
it ties it all up
u might like this link b low since u r a writer & w/ all ur other assets
please add 2 this go 2 the b4 last post it is the newest complete stuff
there r allot of things there & ur additions will b welcomed
everything a newbie/poster might want 2 c, use & read
http://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/everything-a-newbie-might-want-2-c-use-read/
looking 4ward 2 ur topics & posts
take care
usa
β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β β
Nika
concerning the word we/repeating
it is true many people on this forum have said 2 keep repeating due 2 like heatherfast’s concerns about timing.
also it is simply impossible 2 read everyone’s topics/posts 2 find out if u r repeating a person’s topics/posts b4 posting don’t u think Nika? it is a very large forum growing super fast.
2 all
happy nonfastdays & fastdays & 5/2 & 4/3 & 6/1 & adf or 4/2/1 or 3/3/1 or 5/1/1 or adf w/1 & the fdl (fastday lifestyle) π
Fatbasterd, looking back over this thread I located the post by Nika to USA which prompted your remark. I think the post in question was harsh. I very much value USAs knowledgeable contributions to the forum. If others want something lighter-hearted they
should ignore this type of post, not lay into the poster. Your post about Mila however was downright rude and meant to achieve what, exactly? There is a lack of manners on this site at the moment
this thread has turned totally weird–not sure why someone would comment about something said way back in November. There is another thread also where a few people can’t let sleeping dogs lie–let’s lighten up and focus back on supporting each other in this WOL. Wouldnt like it to be said that while we are all losing weight and getting healthy we have developed short fuses as a result!!!
happy fast days this week
and thoughts to our Northern Hemisphere pals who are having such a hard time and oh our aussie mates too,fires and floods what a time of it.
This has been a big problem for me.
I’ve been doing a solid block of three days. Sometimes on the third day I cave and binge, or the day after I’ll binge.
What I have found, when I consume artificial sweetener say pepsi max; that seems to promote hunger a lot, making it harder not to binge.
On days where I’ve had interrupted sleep (kids) or I’ve stayed up past my bed time, I have much larger hunger pangs and less self-control.
Lastly, on my fasting days I normally skip all meals except dinner without too much problem. I find eating a meal promotes hunger and can often open the flood gates. I’m not sure how to deal with this, I’ve tried to fill up on lentils but that doesn’t seem to help. I think starchy or sugary foods definitely make the after dinner cravings worse. I think eating right before bed may help, since any cravings will be while i’m sleeping, but that’s not an option since we eat as a family).
Tracy, hi
Depending on carbohydrate intake you can can gain or lose weight that is just the water needed to bind glycogen (stored glucose): about 4 grams of water to bind 1 gm of glycogen. Unless you are low-carb adapted, when you fast you (initially) use glycogen from the liver and exercise uses glycogen in muscle. So burn an ounce of glycogen, lose five ounces that will come back immeidately when you eat substantial carbs again.
I lose about 4 pounds every fast day it seems (three fasts so far) and regain most of it on the following non-fast day. Any true weight loss is hidden under this oscillation. It might be best to only compare weighings from the same point in the fast/nonfast cycle.
Before doing any fasting I was mostly trying to do portion control and exercise. I suffered with hunger a lot. Then I cut most of the added refined sugar in my diet (from ~60g/day to less than 20g/day) and most of my hunger vanished. That is the primary reason I felt I could give fasting a try. Over the months I experimented and I found that if I had a high sugar day I would feel extra hunger that day and some into the next. When I had two high sugar days in a row the hunger was much worse for more than a day. So for me avoiding sugar most of the time avoids the worst of the binging. I still tend to overeat on peanuts.
Probably different people have different triggers, I just seem to have a low tolerance for sugar and the impact is I have a harder time with hunger if I have too much of it.
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10:34 am
4 Nov 13