Social acceptance – Experiences?

This topic contains 7 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by panchkarma27 6 years, 7 months ago.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

june_

8:21 am
4 Jun 17
Permalink

Hi everyone 🙂

I have started fasting a couple of weeks ago and it has been working great for me. However, so far I haven’t been very open about it towards people around me (being a student, I have a quite irregular lifestyle, eat with others on a less regular basis, and therefore haven’t often had to explain). What reactions have you guys faced when first explaining to people that you simply do not eat a couple of days a week, or just little? Have people been understanding, or have you faced negative reactions (for instance sitting around a table with people eating and not accepting why you wouldn’t)? I especially wonder because, being normal weight, I am not fasting for weight-loss but rather for general health reasons, and I would really like to make it a long-term lifestyle. Does anyone have useful tips on how to explain and communicate the choice?

Thanks in advance for all advice 🙂

LJoyce

10:24 am
4 Jun 17
Permalink

I don’t tell people I’m fasting, because by the technical definition (no food), I’m not – and it can give people the wrong impression. I usually tell people I’m trying to eat less a couple of days a week as it helps me manage my weight. I haven’t had bad reactions to that. I’ve found that I’ll give more detailed explanations to some people that I’m closer to, but I don’t want to go into lengthy explanations with acquaintances.

I certainly aim to keep most social occasions to days when I’m not trying to stick to 500 calories. The only exception in the regular Sunday family brunches that I go to – they are too frequent to not clash with the occasional fast day, but my family know that sometimes I will choose to only have a cup of tea and they are now fine with that. (If I did it every week I know they would be worried and would try harder to tempt me to eat, but because it’s only sometimes it bothers them much less.)

bigbooty

12:31 am
5 Jun 17
Permalink

I just found it easy to tell everyone I fast. The reaction is overwhelmingly positive. I reached my goal weight in March 2016 and have been in maintenance ever since. I still water fast every Monday. Never skip it. Work colleagues even make allowances for my Monday fasts by bringing in a birthday cake on a Tuesday even if its their birthday on a Monday (office tradition of bringing in cake if its your birthday). Family social occasions everyone knows I don’t eat on a Monday so its not an issue. I can quite happily watch others eat and it doesn’t bother them or me.

Cinque

12:37 am
5 Jun 17
Permalink

I got to the point where I want to be a bit of an ambassador for 5:2. I generally say “I’m doing the 5:2 way of eating where I eat lightly two days a week” I don’t say diet because it sounds as if it is a short term change for weight loss, whereas I am talking about a longterm way of life for health.
Sometimes when I am out I’ll say “I’ll just have a coffee, it is a fast day for me” (even though I agree with LJoyce that it isn’t actually fasting). Never had negative reactions, not much interest either!

penguin

10:10 am
6 Jun 17
Permalink

If I am in company at meal times on fasting days, I just tell them I am fasting. The usual initial response is that it can’t be healthy and I will have no energy. I refute that by telling them that I go to the gym on my fasting days and that energy levels are not a problem. I have been fasting Monday/Tuesday for some time and those around me now accept this as my routine. The change of shape and obvious improvement in my health has converted a few.

Cinque is right – this isn’t a diet, it is a healthy life style – one with centuries of history and lots of recent scientific support.

june_

1:53 pm
7 Jun 17
Permalink

Thanks a lot for your stories and opinions, everyone! I have been telling some people and the first reaction I get is they think I’m crazy, but explaining a bit definitely does help. Also, as bigbooty said I have absolutely no problem watching people eat, either; I just hope people don’t have a problem with me not eating with them. But I guess I and everyone else will get used to it.

Big_Bill

3:20 am
8 Jun 17
Permalink

My week is Monday to Sunday.

Both this week and last week I have fasted (< 600 calories) on both Monday and Tuesday.

That way I don’t have to worry about fasting for the rest of the week. I might squeeze in another fasting day or a couple of lowish calorie days, but as long as I’m eating reasonably well and not bingeing it’s all good. If I overeat on a non-fasting day I will try to nip it in the bud by fasting the following day – otherwise a chocolate bar on Saturday becomes 3 chocolate bars and half a tub of ice cream on Sunday.

If I get to lunch time or dinner time on Monday or Tuesday and I find that I have a social occasion to attend or some food I really want to eat, no problem. I just cancel fasting for that day – I’ve got Wednesday thru Sunday to catch up.

panchkarma27

6:34 am
10 May 18
Permalink

It has been argued that behavioural models of technology acceptance do not serve equally across cultures. This study aims to extend technology acceptance model (TAM) to suit in a developing country context. The model attempts to identify the relationship between social norms, management support and moderating factors voluntariness and experience.