Traps for new players

This topic contains 7 replies, has 8 voices, and was last updated by galexinda 8 years, 7 months ago.

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

BelleEtoile

9:16 am
17 Feb 14
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I began this lifestyle 10 days or three calories restricted days ago. I have found those three days to be comfortable and, like many here, I have quickly experienced a surge of energy and a loss of appetite on the days following fast days.

However, I think based on my experience today, that while this seems like a gift, at this stage it is something to be managed with caution.

Yesterday, the day after my third fast I feltsuper-buzzy, ate breakfast, took my usual 10k weekend walk, made sure I was properly hydrated throughout the day (or at least thought I had), didn’t bother with lunch (almost unheard of for me), ate a small dinner, and in tallying up the day’s calories realised I’d eaten a little under 1500, which included a glass of wine. Brilliant, I thought, tomorrow will be even better… er, no.

Today dawned, I went out and about and the surge of energy vanished. I was utterly washed out – as if I were recovering from a major stomach bug or had hit the wall in a half-marathon – and had a very slow, painful and unproductive day. A migraine threatened, the world was a fog.

There might be other factors at work, but I choose to take three lessons from this: one, I am not made for two consecutive days of restricted input; two, we need to be gentle and careful with ourselves at these early stages – the big changes are tempting but we are placing new demands on our bodies and need to do so with care. And the third is that, for me anyway, 5:2 really, really means that – 5 days of standard recommended consumption for height, weight, age and activity and two days of restricted intake. Glad I learned this early!

I had been planning another fast day for tomorrow, but after today, unless I feel spectacular in the morning, will probably postpone it.

Have others struck this? I’d be interested to hear your experiences.

Angie090465

9:23 am
17 Feb 14
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Hi Belle Etoile!

thank you for posting about your experience, you are absolutely right, if it does bot feel right then don’t do it, simple as that.. I could never do 2 days back to back, am just not that strong lol!!

and 2 fasts a week are enough for me, I wouldn’t even attempt a third as I know myself and I would fail miserably!!

you have to do what is right for you, trial and error I guess, with 5.2 there is no fast rule ( no pun intented lol)

good luck, take care and well done on your 10k walk!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 have a lovely day xx

macloud

8:40 pm
17 Feb 14
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My understanding of the 5:2 regime is that the 2 ‘fasting’ days are NOT meant to be consecutive. That is my interpretation anyway and I have never even been tempted to try back to back fasting days, lest I start chewing the carpet. Even Dr Krista Varady’s comparatively hard-core Alternate Day Fasting is fasting every other day, never two together, as I understand it.

To paraphrase your other responder, I would say if it don’t feel right, for whatever reason, stop doing it !

Until there is an overwhelming body of evidence for Intermittent Fasting being safe in all respects (or with clear provisos) we have to recognise that we are putting ourselves up as pioneering guinea-pigs to anecdotal science. And they do say that you can tell a pioneer by the arrows in the back !

new woman

7:53 pm
18 Feb 14
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I tend to do my fasting days together and find it easier to manage them that way. On non fasting days I am very aware that I have a smaller appetite and definitely don’t eat as much as I was doing prior to starting this. This is evidenced by My Fitness Pal records.
No ill effects so far (other than the loose bowel situation when the fast is broken, which I have commented on in the other thread).

Lizamor

10:29 am
19 Feb 14
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Hi Belle Etoile,
I have done similar experiences, as I understood early on we need
to be kind to ourselves. Fasting is not easy, some days will be touhger
than others. I assured myself that if I find a fastday impossible to do,
I will simply let it go and try again the next day.

Today is my 6th fastday, and although I haven’t lost anything (actually I
have gained 0,4 kg) I am optimistic and keep my eyes on the health prize.
I feel calmer than ever, my skin is clearing up and that is so far more than
I could hope for.

Also, my creativity on fastdays has increased, as I suffer from cronic illnes
and need to stay at home some days of the week. The calmness has given me
patience to endure/ignore the hunger, and increased my interest in reading –
instead of zapping randomly through the TV channels 🙂

I truly beleive this WOE is good for many of us, let’s keep it up! 🙂

Iwillbe12st

10:43 pm
19 Feb 14
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I do consecutive day fasting.. now but it is a big but I have been doing 5:2 / 4:3 / 1:6 since the beginning of August and didn’t start doing consecutive days until I’d got the fast on Mon and Thu established.. then started mixing things up with some consecutive day fasts.. I did manage to do a 5 day fast as was experimenting with how that felt .. re the Walter Longo research that reccommends a monthly 5 day fast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGafhm1cuSI&list=FL_fg2kbEx2CNdRP4m8h3Rdw&index=7

But as above the fasting needs to be eased into and then it can be a truely wonderful feeling and is beneficial menatlly as well as physiologically.

Inmyprime

6:41 pm
2 Oct 15
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Hi first time posting. I started fasting three weeks ago I’ve noticed my bowel movements are getting very loose, not diohrea but ive been to the toilet four times today
Is this normal? On fast days I drink black coffee,2 litres of water.porridge for breakfast,tuna & ryvita for lunch and chicken and veg for dinner. Do you think the food I’m eating is causing the loose motions

galexinda

1:49 pm
3 Oct 15
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Looking at the food items you have eaten Inmyprime I would think that you are taking in a lot of fibre which would account for the loose bowel actions. I tend to avoid starchy carbohydrates on a fast day ie porridge,bread, rice, crispbread and eat more protein and vegetables, especially salad vegetables. I prefer two or three small meals a day within the 500 calorie limit but I think most people fast until their evening meal.

It’s early days, so don’t let this put you off. I’ve only been doing 5:2 since April and am still trying out new ideas – that’s the beauty of intermittent fasting, you find a ways that suits you.