Hi Ger and welcome:

Here is some information that may be helpful: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

Hi Ger32,
Having read the book, I’ll start tomorrow the 5:2 for the first time and I feel nervous. I’ve just measured how much I’m allowed to have for breakfast and got a bit of a fright!
I need to lose about 8 kg, so similar weight to yours, and will also do Monday and Thursday.

Good luck!

I miss breakfast and have lunch.

I eat the evening before, have a cup of tea in the morning and then walk 45 minutes to work-much of it uphill to the school where I work. If you are busy it is much easier when you are fasting.Try it-take some fruit as back up. Sounds perfect if you have teach 5 lessons before lunch.

Hi Ger52,
Thank you!
I will have some muesli with a bit of milk (can’t have an egg in the morning for some reason), but want to wait as long as I can through the morning before I have it, a bit what Annette52 suggests. I’m usually not hungry when I wake up, so want to use it.
I’ll then prepare 1 or 2 carrots for the day.
And thank you for reminding me that I can have a normal breakfast on Tuesday – it’s a thought I’ll hang on to when things get tough… Just hoping that the day full of meetings will keep my head off food.

I just have to stop thinking about it and go for it! 🙂

F

Ger & Francesca: you can do it! Just give it a start and keep hydrated. A good, positive attitude will help too. As Annette says, keep busy: correcting papers, cleaning the closets, walking. Protein keeps you full longer.

Tomorrow will be our Fast Day: cheese-baked eggs for breakfast, something with fish for dinner [haven’t decided yet — so many choices!]
Let me know if you need recipes — I’ve got lots.

fasting_me, thank you for the encouragement. I’m almost at the end of my first fasting day which is a big relief!
Between 5 and 6pm was really the hardest time and had to have an early dinner but now it’s alright and I’ve really enjoyed my food!
Being able to tell myself that tomorrow I’ll be able to eat normally is very helpful.

Tedbob, you can do it!

Ger52, I will be keeping you company on Thursday for my second day… And Annette is right, if you’re busy it’s easier.

F

Ger, here are some of the baked egg and cheese recipes:

Chevre & Spinach Bake: 279 calories 7.3 g fat 2.9 g fiber 13.4 g protein 39 g carbs 230 mg Calcium PB GF This one is really delicious.
1 two-oz egg 2 Tbsp cooked spinach, drained/squeezed and chopped [frozen works well, just be sure to thaw and drain it the night before] 2 tsp creamy chevre cheese lemon-dill seasoning + salt + pepper 2 oz pear OR 2 oz apple OR applesauce blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon in hot water 5-6 oz fruit smoothie, green smoothie or natural apple cider
Combine the spinach, cheese, and seasonings. Whisk in the egg and pour into a lightly-oiled or spritzed ramekin. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes.

Cheesy-Bake: 248 calories 4.6 g fat 6.2 g fiber 12.1 g protein 40 g carbs 267 mg Calcium PB GF This is the baked version of a cheese omelette that thinks that it is a cheese souffle! Delicious.
One 2-oz egg 1/2 oz cheddar cheese, grated 1 Tbsp reduced fat ricotta cheese 1/2 c raspberries [When I use frozen fruit, I portion it into its dish the night before, so it will be thawed by morning] ½ oz apple, sliced blackish coffee or blackish tea or lemon juice & hot water, 5-6 oz fruit smoothie or natural apple cider
Spritz a ramekin with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set the toaster oven at 350 degrees F. Stir the two cheeses together with a fork until blended and whisk with the egg. Without waiting, pour into the ramekin and bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and beginning to brown.

Bleu Cheese Bake: 292 calories 7.3 g fat 2.3 g fiber 14.3 g protein 37 g carbs 250.7 mg Calcium PB GF You’ll go ga-ga over these flavors!
1 two-oz egg ¼ oz bleu cheese, crumbly rather than creamy 1 Tbsp fatfree cottage cheese, drained 2 oz applesauce, unsweetened, with 2-3 raspberries mixed into it 5-6 oz green smoothie or fruit smoothie or natural apple cider. Black-ish coffee, black-ish tea, or lemon in hot water
Mash the cheeses together with a fork and whisk in the egg. Bake in a lightly-spritzed ramekin at 350 degrees until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.

We always have a home-made fruit smoothie at breakfast. If you don’t drink that, take 88 calories off the total. The meal will be lower in fiber and carbs, too.
Hope you’ll enjoy these.

Welcome, Tedbob. That positive attitude will take you far.

ffrancesca, glad you got through the 1st day. Now you know you can do it.

Hi Ger,

good luck for tomorrow. I’m preparing myself and my food for my second day…

Fasting_me, thank you for the support. It’s good to know that it’s there!

Tedbob, how did it go today?

F

Good going, Everybody!
As Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day.” We’ll be Fasting in our house, getting rid of some birthday party weight. It was delicious, but away it goes.
Happy Fasting tomorrow.

Hi all,

Ger and Tedbob, how’s your first day going?
I’m feeling very motivated today: apart from a bad couple of hours around lunchtime and some slowness, I’ve been holding well. Not sure whether it’s because this time I’ve gone less carbs and more proteins or I’m already getting used to it or both but it now feels more manageable. Even with my family sitting in the kitchen munching away spaghetti with tuna next to me…! (I can have that tomorrow if I want to)

Hope all is well and look forward to hearing from you.
F

Hi AngiePee,

welcome to the mid-January starters! It’s great that some of your colleagues are fasting with you – I actually miss sharing the challenge which is why it’s so good to have this forum.

Thank you!

My only complaint so far is headaches – I am a little worried I will trigger a migraine with the fasting, but I have heard this goes away with time?

Welcome to AngieP & Scorpio. You CAN get through your 1st day, and by now you have. How did it go? Angie, I have heard of people who get headaches when Fasting, but I can’t advise you on that. Catnip tea helps people to relax.
Scorpio, your idea of taking a walk away from the lunch smells was brilliant. Keep strategizing.

Yesterday was a good Fast Day for me. Breakfast was an egg scramble based on the flavors of Malta. It was really savory and delicious. Dinner was haggis spring rolls [NOT deep fried, but slowly cooked in a barely-oiled iron pan] with a flavorful salad. Husband liked them! Best news: I lost the 1.9 pounds which have been hanging on since New Year’s. Hooray! Got to be mindful today, too, so the weight doesn’t come bouncing back.

What did you eat yesterday, Ger? ffrancesa? tedbob?

Thanks for the support everyone! I ended up taking a product called Sports Salts from Pure Planet (basically a powerful electrolyte in a pill), and I had 200 calories left to eat so I ate a piece of fish and riced cauliflower – I felt great for the rest of the night and woke up energized! I’m excited, and I can’t wait for my next fast day.

Ger,
don’t be disappointed! It’s hard work and requires a lot of energy, both mental and physical. I was exhausted on Monday and dreamt about food the whole night…
But it helps to think it gets easier and that the day after you can eat normally.
Just try and have as much protein and as little carbs as possible for breakfast. And some electrolytes ready as AngiePee suggests. I was also thinking about the electrolytes. We must ingest many more when we eat than when we fast, so it makes sense to have a supplement ready.

Enjoy the weekend and don’t get discouraged!

F

HI all

I started fasting before Christmas and lost 6lb but have lost my way over the Christmas period and finding it difficult to complete my fast days.
One of my problems is my health, but another is I work nights in no particular pattern I have decide to allow myself 600-700 calories on fasting days to get me back into the habit then reduce it back to 500.

Listen to the advice from Fasting Me it is usually good and helpful

Yey Ger! This is great news. Amazing that you were not hungry.
I’ve also had my 3rd day yesterday although I had a small relapse in the evening because of health reasons (bad shoulder pain – hence not writing much). But I think I stayed within 800, so not bad! And it was def easier than last week.
So very encouraged.

Well done to all and thinking of you!
F

Hi! Today is actually my second day – I’m doing Tues and Thurs for some reason. Today is going pretty well, I have a cold so I’m not very hungry anyway 😛

I love how mindful this is making me about eating – I didn’t realize how much I snack in the evening. I am also not as afraid of feeling hungry – I know I can get through it.

It’s so inspiring to see other folks here, with all the ups and downs of this change!

Keep on Trucking’, all you new and continuing Fasters. Tomorrow will be a great day to lose some weight.

Yes fasting_me, ready for tomorrow although I haven’t had the chance to prep myself (my food), so a bit worried that I may cave in. however I saw last week that even if I do, I still keep it within 700/800 cal, which isn’t too bad.
I lost 1.5 kg so far. Not too bad and a good motivator.

Typh00, welcome to the “club”. Liquorice tea also helps a lot to calm down the hunger.

Ger, hope all is well.

That’s another advantage!
Also, 2 days a week of basically no cooking (I try to prepare stuff in advance on the weekend not to be tempted in the kitchen…).

Hi everyone. I am posting for the first time in this forum, but it’s the second time for trying out this diet. I lost 20lbs 3 years ago doing this, but sadly it’s almost all crept back on. I have done 2 800 calorie days last week and now on a fast day today. How many of you have had success with 800 calories, 500 calories is very hard I find at times. Thanks