Different ways of managing your fasting days

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Different ways of managing your fasting days

This topic contains 313 replies, has 181 voices, and was last updated by  bigbooty 7 years, 1 month ago.

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  • @martinh: thanks 4 ur input, congrats on ur 7.5lb loss. i never thought of sushi i’ll c if there r any near ono pa usa did not know they were so low in calories. maybe sashimi will b lower in cals.
    i have 500 cals on fast days have lost 10 lbs. it was my seventh day of fast mon friday. 1200 to 1600 non fast days. this is the first time i tossed and turned all night not a wink. hence, responding 2 u. any suggestions?
    that is so true about being absorbed in meals 2 find. the list i had was calorie free foods. i was concerned if i should eat more since it is has no cals. ur right need more protein.

    @wiltl: I would make sure you don’t eat too little on non-fast days. 1200 sounds a bit too low for me. Non-fast days are not meant to be ‘eat whatever you want’ days, but at the same time, you don’t want to eat so little that you go to bed hungry, or wake up on a fast day feeling hungry as well. Just a bit of common sense eating. I don’t think it matters if you go over your calorie intake (2000) on a non-fast day. As long as you don’t crazy (takeaway food is very calorific) you’ll find your non-fast days should average out to around the 2000 mark.

    If you’re tossing and turning all night, you may be hungry (a cup of tea works well for me around 9pm) but I tend to find, asides from stress/issues in work etc, a common issue is using gadgets such as TVs, iPads, the internet, etc. The more external inputs you have, the more active your brain is, and it’s not so easy to tune out and relax. Reading a book or doing something not too taxing can help you unwind before bed. Browsing ipads, the internet before bedtime can often get the brain going and have the opposite effect.

    @martinh: i read @ night b4 bedtime last night was weird.it is hard to get 2 2000 cals never thought i would say that. i’m eating stuff i would never eat b4 on non fast days for many years. hot garlic glazed wings angus cheeseburgers even my super favorite nacho cheese doritos
    sugar free ice cream bars etc i can’t get it 2 2000 i’m full weird but cool. i make sure that whole grains dairy vegies fruits and proteins are balanced. what is funny i was gaining weight on good healthy food b4 if. 4 the first time i’m losing. example of a 500 cal day does not take long 2 get 500 not in order

    Total Calories

    Butter, stick, unsalted
    1 pat (teaspoon)
    36

    Cabbage, green, raw
    ½ cup, chopped
    11

    Cheese, cream, light
    1 tablespoon
    30

    Chicken, breast, boneless, skinless, roasted, grilled, or baked
    ¼ cup, cooked, diced
    55

    egg extra large
    1 extra large egg(s)
    85

    English Muffin Thomas Light Multi-Grain
    1 muffin
    100

    JAM Apricot Preserves Sugar Free, with Fiber Manufactured by Polaner
    1 tablespoon
    10

    Jell-O Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Snack
    1 snack size container (4 oz)
    60

    Kale, raw
    ¼ cup, chopped
    8

    peas 1/2 of 1/4
    ¼ cup
    15

    rice br 1/2 of 1/4
    ¼ cup
    29

    Shrimp,small without fat
    12 small shrimp
    60

    Your Menu Total
    500 cal

    the highest of 1600 cal splurge day
    Total Calories
    Beef, steak, grilled or broiled, lean only eaten
    1 small steak
    214
    candy Sugar Free Pecan Delights Russell
    2 small piece
    380
    Chicken Wings Buffalo Style Glazed perdue
    6 mini drumstick
    480
    Chicken,canned kirkland 1/2 OF1/4 (2.5 oz)
    ½ can (5 oz)
    10
    egg extra large
    1 extra large egg(s)
    85
    Kale, fresh, cooked (no salt or fat added)
    ¼ cup
    9
    nuts mixed unsalted ann’s house
    ¼ cup, shelled (32 nuts)
    230
    Onion, green, raw
    1 small
    2
    rice brown, Fried healthy w/ veg
    1 cup
    196
    Your Menu Total
    1606

    i was full again twilight zone time???
    appreciate ur constructive critiques they r very welcomed

    Oh dear, wilt dnr I think you need to get out more!!!
    You seem to be a bit over obsessed with the calories here(speaking as someone who has been on a “diet” half her life), even I’m not that obsessed with calories!!
    Get busy with something else… your job, a hobby, some exercise you enjoy if your health allows!
    Good luck with the 5:2 eating plan.

    @vivi18: it’s just http://www.supertracker.usda.gov it transforms ur food into cals in seconds. copy paste for info only. it tracks ur physical activity 2. i’m luckily off today. did not get 2 sleep @ all last night. it has totally taken me off track. curious on what people r eating, feeling on this new lifestyle, it’s exciting. always will encourage graceful help.

    My fast days are from waking until bedtime and I’m on my 3rd week. I’ve found it easier not to eat breakfast and to make do with white coffee, herbal tea and pick at a handful of blueberries during the day. This keeps me going until my evening meal (salmon and fresh runner beans a fav). Eating breakfast seems to wake up my appetite – I just get too hungry!

    maabof – I agree with you on this one – I feel pretty knack’d the next day. Weird!

    Hi All,
    I started the Fast Diet today!!! I’m also a wee lassie at 4′ 10″ tall. I stuck to the 500 cals today which I split into breakfast/lunch at 1pm and dinner/supper at 6pm; tho I may change that to later depending on how hunger prevents proper sleep, as I have yet to experience that joy 🙁
    I really can’t find a good calorie counter for my LAPTOP,I don’t want one for my mobile as suggested in the book as I don’t have a big data contract.
    I also don’t want to get hung up like ‘wilt dnr’ (sorry) but can anyone suggest a good calorie counter please (not the google one or similar for mobiles). Thanks

    Hi.
    I have a small lipoma on my arm and since starting the diet it has shrunk remarkably. Lipomas are not reduced in line with weight loss, surgical removal is the only way reported to get rid of them. I haven’t lost that much weight but I reckon that such a reduction in size of the lipoma is a visible reminder of the good work it is doing! Anyone else found anything similar?

    bingo2013 you can download my fitness pal on to your laptop free. I did and its really easy to use and covers every brand and type of food

    I’ve been eating lunch and dinner on fast days instead of breakfast/dinner. Can I have a bit of 2% milk in coffee (1 tablespoon?) and still consider the morning a fast?

    Any tips for shiftworkers, especially nightshifts ?

    I am looking for some advice please.
    I cycle to work every day and do high impact sport one day a week.
    I have been doing the 5:2 diet for a little while (currently on a break) but I really struggle with the fasting days. I tend to get headaches (I try to drink lots of fluids) and feel really lathargic by mid afternoon. I have tried increasing the calorie count to around 800 over the 36 hours.

    Plus it seems to be getting harder not easier over time. On the other 5 days I have an insatiable appetite.

    I am not particularly lean but do not wish to loose weight. I am trying this lifestyle for the other health benefits.
    Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks jcph

    how many hours between the last meal on a fast day before eating your first meal on the feast (or non fast) day. does it have to be a full 24 hours or would 12 or 16 hours between meals be ok

    I’ve been on the 5/2 diet for a few weeks. I am in the habit of drinking tea with skim milk and sweetener, which I love and also sustains me when I’m not eating. I’m worried that I’m not really fasting even though my calorie count is within the daily fasting limit.

    @lollyzam and Anna. How you consume the calories on the fast day is up to you. Cups of tea, coffee and random bits of fruit and veg are fine as long as you’re aware of the calorie intake throughout the day. Eating the day after a fast day can start anytime you want.

    @jcph. I would take the calorie burn from the cycling into account and add that to the 500/600 fast day, otherwise you could struggle. Also, if you have a desk job then mid-afternoon can be hard and you could move around the office more, socialise with colleagues to take your mind off food. Drinking tea helps.

    @adockery 1973: This may help a bit:
    http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/topics/shift-workers.htm

    So even if you dribble out your calories over the allotted 24 hours, you will still lose weight? Your body will still consider that fasting?

    BTW, this was my first time trying to communicate in this fashion and it was really nice to get a response, let alone such a helpful one!

    @leni417. I believe as long as you just consume 500 calories per day you’ll be fine. Over a week you need roughly 2000×7=14,000 calories. If you consume 2000×5 on non-fast days and 500 on fast days, you’ll not eat 3,000 per week. They say 3,500 calories is approximately a pound in weight, but I’m finding I’m losing 1-2 pounds a week.

    Eating in dribs and drabs could be regarded as fine since you’re still losing 3000 calories per week. However, I wouldn’t recommend eating, say, 10 small snacks in a day. Your fast day will most likely be 1 or 2 meals with protein in it. I eat at 1pm and 5:30pm on fast days (approx 200 calories each),a banana at 11am and coffee/tea and water at other times. All under 600 calories for me. I don’t think the gaps between meals make a difference, however, I realise that between my 5:30pm meal and 9pm tea, I don’t eat the next morning until 9am, so that’s a good 12 hours.

    Thanks, Martin. I never eat past 7pm and don’t rise till 8am (because I hit the snooze), but I’ve been doing that for a few years now. It works for me. I still need a way to curb the noshing. It’s all healthy, but I’m afraid during the day I’m not really fasting in an optimal way. Admittedly, so far I’m also having trouble not over eating a little on my off days. I’m still working out the details!

    Tomorrow will be my first fast day. As a serial dieter I am feeling a bit out of control with regards to what and how to eat on feed days – not sure I’ve ever eaten “normally”… generally I have a tendancy to undereat or overeat and I’d hate to undo the good of the fast day by overeating on a feed day. I’m thinking I should just try and relax about it and see how the first couple of weeks go…? Will keep you posted.
    Loving the positive stories, keep them coming please!

    I’m wondering if anyone has experience with fasting evening-evening (say 8pm-8pm). Being Jewish, I’ve done that once a year for the past few decades, on Yom Kippur. Of course, that’s a 100% fast, with neither food nor water. What has always made that seem reasonably easy is that I don’t miss a supper, although I have one of awfully early, and the other somewhat late. I’m wondering if going 8-8 with zero calories (just water, seltzer, coffee, and tea) might be as beneficial as any other scheme.

    Thoughts?

    Hello Everyone! I have been doing this program for 3 weeks now and it is going great other than the fact that I am having HORRIBLE trouble with heartburn and acid reflux on my fasting days! Was wondering if anyone else out there is having the same problem? I have emailed Michael and Mimi and asked them, but haven’t heard back yet. I fast on Monday and Thursday and split my 500 calories with 300 at bfast 7:00 a.m. and the other 200 at supper 7:00 p.m. I have had to take Prevacid AND Tums throughout the day on my fasting days and it STILL isn’t taking care of the darn heartburn! I don’t want to have to stop the fasting! Any thoughts or suggestions! Thanks!

    I am just starting to do this. My question is. Anything wrong with grazing those 500 calories? I do get headaches when I get really hungry. Even if I am staying hydrated. I drink about a half a gallon of water a day(plus other 0 calorie beverages) and work out an hour a day.

    @bingo2013. I have been using a few sites that are very helpful. They are free. However you do have to register. My-calorie-counter.com myfitnesspal.com and calorieking.com. Calorie king is very helpful because it gives you the option to choose your own measure, not a predetermined amount. It does not offer a food log though.

    @Dailydoodle. I think you should do what feels comfortable for you but I think eating meals is a better option. As well as the impact of having more food in your stomach and feeling full (ish), I believe there’s also a psychological hit as we’re programmed to eat meals and snacking doesn’t have the same feeling of reward.

    dr mosley on rachel ray show!

    http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/fast-diet/

    The Fast Diet: How One Viewer Did on the Program

    http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/i-fast-dieti-how-one-viewer-did-program/

    i like how she said you go overboard

    I’ve been doing the fast diet now for 5 weeks, and on fast days have consumed my 500 cals in 3 meals spread evenly across the day, all featuring carbs as my job is pretty active and I need the energy! I typically have poached egg on wholemeal toast, 1 /2 carton of soup + 1 ryvita, and 1/2 tin sardines on wholemeal toast for supper + 1 ryvita with 1tsp low fat cottage cheese on it.
    I was convinced I wouldn’t lose much weight – if any- because of eating normally (including treats – oh yes) on the other 5 days, but also because of the fact I was spreading my meals out and not fasting truly for long enough.
    I don’t know what my bloods are doing (hopefully they’re good though – after all, that’s the main reason for doing this diet) but weighing myself after the first 4 weeks I’ve actually lost 7lbs. I fully expect that to slow down, but just wanted to share my experience with anyone else out there who finds it easier to spread their meals across the day.

    Also – if it helps anyone – I am hypothyroid and on thyroxine, and (so far) have had absolutely no problems with doing the fast diet and having this condition.
    The most difficult thing has been having to physically feed jacket potato smothered in cheese to my stroppy 3 yr old on a fast day!
    Am doing a final fast day today before breaking for a week and a half for Easter holidays … Hope I can get back on track ok after and not gain everything I’ve lost!!!

    Hi Daisydoodle – MANY thanks for your response – really helpful! Also Michelle Maurice for your post mentioning Hypothyroidism, which was a question I was going to ask! Also (sorry) when is the best time & on which day is it best to weigh myself, I’ve been on the IF for a week now.

    Hi bingo2013! I found a couple of posts on this site a few months ago really useful. They suggested not doing weekly/ daily weighing, as you really just get lots of fluctuations to work out rather than good comparative overview data. I know weight always fluctuates, but I’ve found it better, as these posts suggested, to just weigh myself once a month. I fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and – knowing it’ll be my lightest day – weigh in on a Friday morning. Before my Saturday wine and nibbles hit my waistline! I suppose this way at least gives me a picture of an overall trend, which is really what I’m interested in. Having lost (apparently ) 7 lbs in my first month, I figured that even if I knock 2/3 lbs off as a fluctuation, I’ve still lost a good amount. Not too fast and not too slow!
    Good luck fasting – it really does get easier the more you do it!

    Michelle….WOW VERY helpful, thank you

    Hello, I’m new here, about to start the 5:2 tomorrow, Mon., April 1st.
    My question, what about on fast days not eating anything at all, just drinking calorie-free fluids?
    Has anyone tried this, is it advisable, healthy, doable?
    I’d love to hear Michael and Mimi’s thoughts.
    Thanks.

    Bill, the whole idea of the fast diet is to eat 600 cals on your “fast day”. If you forego any food then you are not really following Michael and Mimis programme. Read the book or read other posts. Michael also suggests checking with your doctor if you have any medical conditions especially if you are going to do a true fast and eat nothing. If you look at it logically, based on a recommended calorie intake for a male of 2500 cals per day by following Michaels suggestion then you only use 600 cals. Not a great difference in consumption but I suggest a great incentive to be able to do it. I would advise the 600 cal approach, it works for most people. Good luck.

    Hi, I have been on this new lifestyle changing diet for the last 6 weeks, and have shed 28.8lbs. Yes , i could not believe it either. My wife has also lost 10 lbs, we are supporting each other which helps a lot. I have found that using the My fitness pal app to keep a check on the calorific values has been invaluable. I have been sticking to an 1800 calorie intake on non fast days, and go 24 hours between meals on fast days. Monday and Thursdays, I tried to split this over breakfast and evening meal, but found easier to have just the evening meal. Other pluses include, i’ve apparently stopped snoring (yeh) and have become calmer and more mellow, something appreciated by both my wife and 2 children. Thank you Michael Moseley.

    Right now I’m sucking down a no-cal flavored water. Am I breaking my fast?

    Looking through the posts Claudia there is a load of useful info…. on fast days it is advisable to drink lots and lots of water, black tea so I don’t see that zero cal water is a bad thing, flavoured with or not. Myself did find the 3rd day fast a real trial and don’t know why. But I wasn’t tempted and stuck to the 500 cals.
    The only thing I cannot seem to get an answer to is… Is it best to leave as long as possible between breakfast an supper? Then when to start to eat on the non fast days. I can’t get my head round what is the optimum time to leave between meals. I can’t do the 7am – 7pm as Michael does. I’ve never been able to eat before 10am and can’t eat after 7pm (terrible heartburn). HELP!!!!!

    medders01, Really impressed with your weight loss and your wife’s. Like several others on the site, I find not eating easier than severely reduced eating. Could you explain more about your management of your two fast days?
    as in ‘go 24 hrs between meals?’ I presume you have fluids? When do you start and stop the fast days?
    I have just started on the diet and might be able to follow your fast day system. I would certainly be able to be careful, as you are doing, on the non fast days.
    Your results are very encouraging.

    @holidaygirl, forgive me, but I think you were way too impatient with yourself when you posted on 11 March “I have just completed my third day of fasting. … I have weighed this morning and haven’t lost anything and my BMI has stayed the same.” Remember, Dr. Moseley’s original interest was to review and evaluate diets that promotes _longevity_, not weight loss. If I had to make a choice between feeling more energy and weight loss, I know what I’d go for. Therefore, I will consider any weight loss that might occur as a welcome bonus, but not the main measure of the diet’s success.

    Nevertheless, imagine that you will lose only one pound a week. In three months you would have lost 13 pounds. If you kept going, in a year you would have lost 52 pounds assuming you had enough extra weight to lose. It’s my understanding that those pounds would stay off much longer than if you had lost them with some sort of crash diet. The tortoise, not the hare, wins this race.

    Come to think of it, in some recent vacation photos, I’ve noticed that I’ve begun to notice that my face looks a little less “puffy”. I still have an super-size-me gut, but my pants are slipping on a little more easily. As I said, I don’t bother to weight myself, but that’s good enough for me.

    So relax, @holidaygirl. Enjoy the energy and better health and consider any weight loss that might occur as a bonus. Most of all, enjoy your “feeding” days!

    Medders01 I would also love to know your regiment of your eating plan,
    I am very impressed with your overall results,would you mind sharing,age & weight
    I am 63 and need to lose about 15 pounds! Thx for any input you can give me
    I am on my 4th fast with a 2 lb loss

    I have an odd question. I’ve been fasting for four weeks now and I’m finding it quite easy, I’ve lost 4lbs so far. I usually really feel the cold, so I was expecting to feel very cold on my fast days, as it suggested I might do in the book. But, what I’ve actually found is that I’m warmer than usual, and I get a really hot face on fast days, with really rosy, hot cheeks. It’s a great look! Has anyone else found this? Any idea why?

    @adockery1973 I work 4 night shifts a week and tend to fast from midnight to midnight. I eat my evening meal at 6 with my family then start my fast from midnight. I have a 200 cal meal at 9am and then a further 300 at 6pm after sleeping. If I work again that night I break my fast at midnight if I’m hungry. If I’m not working that night I go to bed and eat again at lunch time the following day. I have given up breakfast on non fast days having just two meals a day as I am not that hungry anymore. I have lost 20lb in 12 weeks and have another 8lb to go.

    I work one night plus 3 half day shifts per week and have been making that night/day one of my fast days. I have only drinks after midnight and have a low cal hot choc drink before I go to bed the next morning. I have a 400cal meal about 6pm that day then 100cal snack before bed. I then choose either Thursday or Friday whichever is a 5-10 shift, or a particularly busy day. I find it best to be flexible. My weight loss has been slow but that’s ok. To my surprise, I find I am less hungry if I don’t eat breakfast. As long as I’m busy I can ignore any hunger pangs. Its a great feeling being able to have small amounts of previously “forbidden food” on any of the other 5 days in the week.

    I have another question. My mum has been doing the fast diet too and finds she gets a very dry mouth on fast days, even when she drinks a lot. I found I had this on my first couple of fast days, but not any more. Is this caused by dehydration or is there another reason?

    I’ve just started this 7am-7am method this week. I’m on my 2nd fasting day today and I’m suffering of a terrible headache. The same thing was with the 1st day. Could anyone have any tips for the situation?

    The first fasting day was quite terrible because of the headache and some dizziness. The day after that instead was very nice and I felt light and lively.

    I’ve drinked a lot of water and some tea. I’ve eaten those 500cal as told.

    I’m a 35-years old women (from Finland), healthy, with a rather low blood pressure.

    I’m grateful for any piece of advice!

    I guess I’m doing it wrong, but it works for me. I just don’t eat anything for 2 days. It’s only been a few weeks, but it hasn’t been that big an inconvenience.

    E.g. my last meal was dinner Wednesday, and I next plan on eating breakfast Saturday.

    My appetite tends to peak at dinnertime the first day (about 24 hours after last eating), and then wanes. This is why separate days seems less pleasant to me.

    I also end up with a surprising amount of nervous energy. I don’t think it would last if I seriously exerted myself, but I seem to fidget and get up out of my chair a lot more while fasting.

    (Of course, I know what’s going on: my body hopes I’ll take a walk to the pantry! Hopefully this will fade with time.)

    For those asking, as I understand it, there’s no need to consume any calories; 500 kcal is just a maximum.

    I finished my 20th fast day on the 5th April and have lost about 12lb give or take a blow out. I think that each person doing this has their own individual take on Michael and Mimis ideas of the “Fast Diet”. Whatever works for you is ok provided it does not cause any adverse medical effects. Personally I stick to 600 cals per fast day, Mon – Wed, my last meal normally being around 6pm – 7pm the previous evening, then my fast day of 600 cals and normal eating from 7am following my fast. My Doctor has just contacted me today asking me to go in for my yearly “old man” tests. I feel pretty confident that my “bloods” etc should be ok. That is the thing about this, it is the “Inner Body” benefits that come first and weight loss second. Having had cancer scares in the past I recognise the possible health benefits the “Fast Diet” brings to us all.
    Good luck to all “Fasters” out there.

    I have only been doing this 5:2 fasting business for 3 weeks. Fine so far. Fasting is actually quite easy if you’re home alone (as I was for the first week). It is rather more difficult when you are in a house surrounded by others eating high calorie foods all day long. But even then, it’s easier than a regular diet as you only have to suffer the feeling of deprivation two days a week.
    I have a comment to make about the issue of timing of the fast days. I have just stuck to the normal definition of a day and have shared my 500 cals. between a light ‘breakfast’ at around 10 am and ‘dinner’ at around 7.30pm.(I also ensure that only a minimal amount of carbohydrates are consumed). In so doing, however, I am fasting for a lot longer than I would be if my fasting ‘day’ ran for an exact 24 hours. I have usually finished my dinner on a regular day by 9pm at the latest. If, the next day I ‘fast’ and then don’t eat normally again until a late morning breakfast ( I have never been able to eat in the early morning)the day after, then I have been ‘fasting’ for around 36 hours. I guess I’m wondering if a strict 24 hour ‘fast’ might achieve less.

    Hi all, only 4 days into fast diet, two of which were fast days – so far I have discovered the following:

    GREATEST app and website ever!! is MyNetDiary, phone, web and tablet apps, all sync, it is free to join, there is a wealth of information on the site and it calculates all calories for you. it also allows you to upload any ‘new’ foods and recipes, and it scans bar codes for your food diary entre. Has made keeping track of 500 cals so easy.

    DUMBEST idea, to use calories on a green smoothie in an attempt to detox as well – I was so so so hungry, will always include some protein from now on.

    QUESTION – which is the best forum for discussing 5:2 diet ideas and experiences on?

    I have been on this wonderful diet for almost a month and have lost close to 8 lbs. My energy has increased and I have discontinued my very expensive Nexium (heartburn relief pill) with my doctor’s o.k. The one thing that surprises me is that with all the extra vegetables and fruits I now consume I am having problems with constipation but do not feel bloated. Any suggestions please?

    2 quick questions Mimi…apologize if they have been already asked.

    1. I’m about 1/2 way done reading your book and I don’t recall reading why on fast days you still consume 500-600 calories. Why not abstain from all food on fast days?

    2. Is there any issue with sugar substitutes on fast days, like Splenda, Equal, Stevia?

    Thank you for the book. It is interesting and inspiring.

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