I know what you mean. I have to eat a proper meal the night before – something healthy with enough protein – and then not eat until dinner. If I have something in the morning (barring milk with coffee), I don’t feel as good during the day.

Also, I find it very very important to drink much more than usual – I think we get a lot of fluid from food, so I feel I have to make up for that. Or maybe the drinking enough thing is all in my head, but whatever – it helps.

That might not work for you, but I hope it gives you some ideas of things you might try. Good luck!

That reminds me: a hot cup of miso soup or veg bouillon is great when I get super hungry in the afternoon! I agree with Sylphadora, the warmth helps assuage the hunger pangs.

I’ve found that I’m actually quite cheery on fasting days – more so than usual – provided I do eat my 600 calories (I’m a large bloke, hence the different number). Those 600, though they aren’t a lot, make the difference between excruciating discomfort and mild discomfort. I doubt I could bear a true zero-food fast, but the 3 small meals are quite welcome… and make me appreciate them more.

For what it’s worth, I also second (third, fourth…) everything said here about drinking lots. Coffee, fruit teas, fizzy water, maybe even the odd diet can. It makes a small but noticeable difference. If you have heartburn, though, fizzy drinks and coffee are probably not that good an idea, as they can exacerbate it. Fruit teas may not taste quite as good as their heavenly scents, but they remain pleasantly palatable even when they cool.

I also suffer from heartburn (not specifically on fasting days, though if it happens then it gets worse than normal) and I found that Gaviscon (which is a true miracle cure for acid reflux and heartburn, IMHO) keeps it at bay. You might want to give that a try.

Week 5 feeling fine. Week 6, so far, I have been a total grouch. I feel like I have been pretty positive about things, but yesterday I was totally grouchy. I sorta blame it on my muscle soreness from working out. But I was frustrated that I couldn’t eat more because I felt hungry. I went to bed early last night and I am feeling better today. Hopefully the grouchiness has passed. Good luck to everyone!

Hi Very Grumpy on Fast Days,
All of what is said before me resonates. The beginning of the diet is probably the hardest time for everyone. Remember to be kind to yourself and that your body and your mind are going through changes and they’re telling you so in no uncertain terms (hunger, mood etc). I found the first week a bit of a killer, but I reinforced what I was trying to achieve by reading some of the stories written in by ordinary people in the 5:2 book and also what Michael wrote on the physiology/psychological side effects. We are so used to eating any old time that our bodies expect it and sends signals to the our brains saying ‘hey, let’s have a coffee and a muffin because it’s 3.00pm and that’s what we’ve always done’ … or whatever the habits are that we’ve created.
It does sound as if you’re a long time between your normal evening meal and your fasting day breakfast. Maybe you need to tweak the timing a little if that is possible (I don’t know what your job etc may, so that may be difficult in reality). I have found that eating a couple of poached eggs with tomato and greens really does take me through now with relative ease to the late afternoon. I use the afternoon to take a walk – I’m in Australia so have daylight until 7.30pm, which obviously makes that achievable – more difficult if you’re in the UK. I also cook on fast days from the 5:2 recipe book and that takes up around 30 minutes, plus cooking time. We sit down earlier, by 7pm(ish), on the fasting days. If you don’t have the official recipe book, I urge you to get it. The food is truly delicious and we comment every time that we can’t believe this is a diet! Make sure your food looks great too. I think it’s important in making those days special rather than viewing a couple of blobs on your plate and thinking ‘bleugh, when will this end’.
I am especially lucky because I’m doing this with my partner. He doesn’t need to lose any weight but has a history of alzheimers/dementia in his family and will try anything to lessen or slow his own risk. So he eats a little more on his normal days. We have just entered our sixth week and both reckon it’s become habit already and both feel quite profound positive affects. I generally recognise, for the first time in my life, when I am full. I don’t think I really appreciated that before. I wasn’t terribly overweight but had allowed myself to creep up over the past year from around 62kgs to 70kgs. I’m 167cm so could almost pass it off if I dressed well, but I was uncomfortable and not enjoying carrying the extra around, especially if exercising or having fun. I was really fortunate that in the first couple of weeks I did lose quickly. Truth be told, we changed not only what we were cooking on normal days, but how we were cooking it. We are foodies and love cooking from Jamie Oliver’s recipes, stuff like that. The past 6 weeks has been less oil, less bread, substituting cream for low fat yoghurt or reduced carnation milk, that sort of thing. We’ve also entertained a fair bit over the past few weeks and had family stay, so have enjoyed desert and wine and long breakfasts. I really believe that the fasting days have jogged my metabolism into working more efficiently on the normal days. I have lost just over 5kgs in 6 weeks. I am prepared for this to slow considerable over the next period and my goal is to be back to around 62kgs (I am just under 65 now), by around February … Christmas WILL be enjoyed!
I guess what my advice to you would be, is don’t be hard on yourself and reward yourself for both wanting to change and also taking the step to effect that change.
Like everyone else said, drink, drink, drink. It does help. And if one day is not working for you on the fast, let it go for that day – you’ve lost nothing. Over half of your day was probably more successful than you give yourself credit for. I’ve never been into the motivational banter, but I readily say that re-reading the official 5:2, as well as checking out the personal forums, does offer a bit of solace when the going is tough. Saying that, it now doesn’t seem tough. It’s approached as a positive and we shop and cook according to what recipe we’re next trying out.
I wish you loads of luck and best wishes in your journey. It’s different for all of us. I figure if the population really is going the way it’s reported to be – a huge percentage of us will be over 70 years of age, possibly obese, if obese then definitely with all the flow on health issues that come with that, a pension that seems to not afford a very good lifestyle and limited choices given to us at that stage of life. All not good! If we’re prepared to be ‘greener’ in terms of our environment, why on earth would we not also want to be healthier ourselves and leave less of a footprint for the kids coming up behind us. I read the other day that in Japan (talking of the rising older population) that nappies are bought at a significantly higher rate for adults as opposed to for babies. That’s alarming. I for one want to be fit and healthy when I’m older, or at the very minimum, know that I looked after myself and that whatever comes my way was not made worse because I gave up and continued the way I was headed.
This somehow became more serious than I had intended.
I should have said “Dear Very Grumpy on Fast Days – It gets easier and good on you. Everyone thinks your terrific for doing this.”
I hope to see your name change to ‘Fabulous on Fast Days’ sometime soon!
Cheers, Rebecca

I’m grumpy the morning after a fast day!! Have had to say to my poor husband to let me eat before asking me to function or discuss an issue!!

I’ve found upping the water intake really helps with adjusting n to get results. Still trying to get into more exercise esp. on fast days but only just about to start my fifth week. Feeling better n healthier than I have in a long time so the weight loss might take its time but I know I’m doing something great for myself.

Persevere n always listen go your body. Be prepared to experiment with slightly different ways of applying the 5:2! These forums are great to grab ideas from all over the world!

Happy fasting.