5:2 - Small meals or a 20 hour gap before food?

[TartyMcTart]

If that makes sense!

I try and go as long as possible before eating on a fast day but can't seem to get past 2pm before I feel weak from lack of food However my friend regularly fasts (4:3) and will go 20+ hours before she eats and then uses all her calories in one evening meal.

What do you do and which is best?

DH and I both started off having lunches and dinner, and now don't eat anything till dinner. I found it means I am 'full' when I go to bed - which was the only thing about it that bothered me before - and I don't get especially hungry in the day. I find that odd (on a NFD I'm starving by 8am), but good!

Different approaches suit different people.

I do: cup of tea with milk morning, one at lunchtime with an apple, then evening meal ~350 cals and final decaf tea at bedtime. Herbal teas and no-sugar squash and water between times (very important to drink plenty when fasting as usually a lot of your liquid comes from food!). I'm ok with that but my DH tried it and simply can't. I did that yesterday, then this morning had a couple of teas, did the Shred and a couple of miles run and only had brekkie after that.

I also tried the approach of fasting from lunchtime to lunchtime - so early lunch one day, late the next day gives 24+ hr fast with only herbal tea/black coffee/water/squash between times- I found that doable just logistically more awkward.

I'm on my 2nd fast day, but could be doing it all wrong (experts please tell me if I am):

Both times I've started in the evening (so had eve meal abt 7, then eaten nothing after 8, so this being the start of the 24hrs. When I get up next morning it's black coffee/hot water etc all day, then today I've had nothing but will have a meal soon to have my cals, whereas the first time I ate soup at midday (16 hrs from start), and grazed to use my cals and found I was hungrier.

It somehow feels like cheating to 'start' before bed an effectively sleep through most of the fast! Too good to be true or just the beauty of the plan?

I do exactly the same as you, time the ending of the evening meal, eat one low calorie meal 24 hours later, then eat breakfast as normal the following day. And drink nothing but black coffee and warm water through the day.

Too good to be true or just the beauty of the plan? It's the beauty of the plan' SR!

I go to bed (late) thinking, "I'm 5 (or more) hours into my fast", and when I wake in the morning, "I'm 13 (or more) hours into the fast".

I eat around 24 hours after finishing the previous meal, then go through to the following morning, when the fast will have lasted longer than 36 hours.

Like you, I found that if I ate during the day, it would kickstart the hunger and I'd just want more, so eating one filling meal in the evening suits me fine.

Thanks for the reassurance breadandwine. This just might be the weight loss solution I've been looking for (and I speak as an ex Ww leader!)

Same here as sibling and b&w start timing from last meal (7pm ish) then 1 meal only the next day (anything from 250-500 cal) then go through to next day (sometimes manage til lunch time)

Don't forget if you are timing from the end of your last meal then your 500 cals has to last 34-36 hours rather than just 24 hours. So if you finish eating your meal at 8pm on Sunday, you have 500 cals until breakfast on Tuesday.

Thanks frenchfancy, I hadn't thought of that! Could have been sabotaging myself before I even give myself a chance!

Another one who goes for as long as I can without food on fast days.

Have a read through the tips and hints thread as there are various ideas of weekly schedules on there ...

I find that some fast days I can easily survive on coffee/tea/water all until my evening meal around 8pm, and other days (especially when weather is warm) I am light-headed by lunchtime. An apple and a miso soup at midday are usually enough to keep me ticking over though.

Definitely think that different approaches suit different people - my colleague also does 5:2 and has to have something small at breakfast and lunchtime or she can't concentrate on her work!

I have been doing it for a couple of weeks now and find that I'm better if I try not to have anything until lunch. I couldn't survive the whole day without food though, I get weak and shaky, so I need something then I will have a 3 cal jelly in the afternoon, then a light meal in the evening.