How to deal with cravings on feast days.

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

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

TJ_Nashville

1:46 pm
4 Apr 14
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Hi, I am doing an alternate day fast because it seems easier for me. I am on week 8 or 9 and have definitely plateaued. I don’t have much problem on my fast days as long as I wait as long as possible to eat anything, so I usually just have a really small snack or bowl of soup for dinner on fast days. But on feast days, though I don’t wake up very hungry, as the day goes on I get more and more cravings and get hungrier and hungrier as the day goes on. Sometimes I crave protein like sausage or cheese, or sometimes carbs or ice cream or chocolate. In the book he talks about how your body should adjust and you will want to eat healthier and have less desire for sweets or fatty foods, but I am finding exactly the opposite. I have lost about 8lbs, but it seems now my body is rebelling and demanding that I eat high calorie foods on my feast days. Anybody notice similar effects or does anyone have any tips or advice? I am actually enjoying the diet and feel so good on my fast days – I intend to follow this regimen for the rest of my life, but these crazy feast days are making me mad and of course I don’t feel too great at the end of them.

Amy C.

4:07 pm
4 Apr 14
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I had to reorient my thinking on the non-fast days. Note that I didn’t call them feast days. In order to lose weight, I have to eat less than my TDEE and this is much less than what I want to eat when left to my own devices.

The sense of eating sensibly naturally has been destroyed for me with the dieting I have done since I was 16 – 37 years ago.

I track what I eat religiously making sure to eat about 500 calories less than my TDEE. I do get hungry on my non-fast days, but wait it out like I do on the fast days. Realizing that I will be hungry no matter how much or how little I eat is helpful.

I am not like other with this plan — I cannot depend on my natural instincts to eat correctly and I accept that I am this way and probably cannot change this. I can, however work with it.

SAMM

12:10 am
15 Apr 14
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One strategy I used last year was to eat at the same times.
So if my first meal is at noon on fast day. My first meal will b at noon on feed day too.

Also there is usually a nutritional aspect to cravings. However if the cravings are for foods that don’t have a nutritional value. I would suspect a poor balance of probiotics especially for starchy breads. Especially if a diet soda drinker it wouldn’t hurt to put some probiotic foods into the menu regularly. Reason why I key in on this approach is in my opinion when I’m semi-fasting regularly. I want my digestive system working well with what I put in it. To get the most Nutrition out of what I do get.
It may just be me wanting it to work this way I’m not sure. Something is working, because I only had 1 hunger pang last week. Not sure if this will work for others but it seems to with me, so I share.

5 tbls red kidney beans = 70 calories – makes me feel full longer when eating soup. +very high in antioxidant. Holds off my hunger pangs for 4 hours when my meal is 250 calories total. Other beans don’t seem to have same effect. This is my staple lunch when on a 4:3 week.
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4302/2

SAMM

9:37 pm
18 Apr 14
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Hi Karen
im looking for somethong to read this weekend.
could you help me by posting the almond details?

Also what is in the almonds that triggers fulness feeling. I only eat almonds on feed days because of their fat calories, but I would like to read your information. A combination of spinach, red beans, almonds, and catfish seems appealing for a 300 calorie brunch. Especially if hunger pangs can be avoided till a 300 dinner.

SAMM

9:56 pm
18 Apr 14
Permalink

Hi Karen
im looking for somethong to read this weekend.
could you help me by posting the almond details?

Also what is in the almonds that triggers fulness feeling. I only eat almonds on feed days because of their fat calories, but I would like to read your information. A combination of spinach, red beans, almonds, and catfish seems appealing for a 300 calorie brunch. Especially if hunger pangs can be avoided till a 300 dinner.
Now that im back on 4:3 and not struggling. My attention turns to feed days and getting good fiber and nutrition. I use 7 almonds on feed days to get my day started with fatty vitamins. I hadnt considered them for fasting. On fast days I eat 1/2 brazil nut three days a week to get a fat boost and its with selenium.