Little confused as to when to eat on fast days?

This topic contains 6 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by TracyJ 9 years, 3 months ago.

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Laurey

12:16 pm
8 Jan 15
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Hi guys
Today is my first ‘fast day’ and im wondering if I have messed up already?

I stopped eating yesterday at 8pm. I woke up today planning my fast day and had a small bowel of cereal at 7am. its now 12.15 and I haven’t eaten again yet. I was planning on having a small meal/fruit before my gym class at 5.

Is this ok? or do you need to ‘fast’ for a certain amount of time during the 24/36 hours for it to be effective?!

Thank you for any help and well done to you all who seem to be doing so well!

Bootsy Badger

12:47 pm
8 Jan 15
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Hi Laurey

Welcome!

As you’re just starting, I’d eat whenever you like, as long as you keep to within the 500 cal limit on a fast day.

Just to confirm, 36(ish) hour fasts are recommended for each fast ‘day’ ie eat supper on non fast day; sleep overnight; eat 500 cals next day; sleep overnight; next morning it is a non-fast day again.

Experiment and find what suits you re times of meals on fast days. When I began (Aug 14) I used to eat a small breakfast and then the rest for dinner. Now, as my body has become more accustomed to not eating, I usually save my cals until late afternoon?early evening as I find one ‘big’ meal suits me better. I do drink tea with a dash of milk throughout the day, so subtract those cals. Your plan of eating again before your gym session sounds fine to me.

I’d suggest that, when you’ve got a few fast days under your belt, you have a read of some of these forums. Type 16:8 in the search box. Some people do advocate eating all their food (on both fast and non fast days) within an 8 hour ‘window’. But meanwhile, I would Keep it Simple!

There is a thread called ‘the basics for newbies’ which has some useful tips.

Good luck and best wishes, BB

Bootsy Badger

12:58 pm
8 Jan 15
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* correction: late afternoon/early evening, not late afternoon?early evening :-/

TracyJ

3:38 pm
8 Jan 15
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I’d echo Bootsy Badger on everything and I’ll also say that as you’re just starting out you may burn through whatever you eat before your workout very quickly and be famished after (the only time I’ve ever been unbearably hungry after a swim on a fastday was the one time I had my 500kcals BEFORE I swam). If this happens don’t beat yourself up, just have something small and protein rich (preferably whey protein like milk or a small slice of cheese)to stop yourself getting headachy with it and just learn from it for your next fastday.

Having said all that – your body might work completely differently to mine and be fine with you eating prior to the workout rather than after.

Laurey

5:51 pm
9 Jan 15
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Hi ladies thanks for your responses.

I made it through the first day – just about. I formed a terrible headache that kept me up all night and feeling sick. I gave in and had two square of a chocolate bar and water and eventually fell asleep. I was probably just dehydrated.

I also didn’t particuarly have ‘healthy’ fast meals – 2 bowels of ceral lol. But I’m still proud I resisted all other food as I am a serial binge eater. All in all it was still only 500 calories whether they were heathy Calories or empty ones :p

Hoping Monday will be easier 🙂

Laurey

5:51 pm
9 Jan 15
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Bowls* rather

TracyJ

10:24 am
12 Jan 15
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Hi Laurey, Yep – you must be like me then. Next time, (if you MUST) have something like a handfull of almonds or a small energy bar before your exercise and save your fastday calories until AFTER your class – also, drink water like it’s going out of fashion and hopefully you’ll avoid all of the above.

Don’t worry about what you eat on fastdays – eat what will work for you! I have all my 500 calories right at the end of my day and they consist of a bowl of museli with soya milk and a cup of tea (with sugar & soya milk) and maybe a piece of fruit. I never have breakfast any other day anymore so I really look forward to my fastday meal all day and because I eat AFTER my full day (including a 1 hour Body Combat class and a 2.5K swim on a monday) I don’t suffer headaches & crippling hunger pangs anymore (literally just that once when I ate BEFORE exercise).