Splurging on non fast days

[Stripytee]

On my second week of trying this... Had fast day yesterday, and today I have not stopped eating, is this normal, or am I going to put on a ton more weight??

Hijacking. Am contemplating this. How's it going?

Entirely normal, Stripytee! It's what we're programmed to do - have a look at this:

nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/52-diet-intermittent-fasting-aand.html

Let me know what you think.

Both of you, come and join us over on thread Nr 36 - all your questions answered with loads of support.

Thanks! Not even sure I'm hungry, just thinking I am eating because I am allowed! But am loving it, feel thinner and healthier already...

I found when I started 5:2 I did eat more because I felt liberated from the 'shouldn't have that' 'watch what you eat all the time' syndrome. Initially I wasn't really trying to lose weight, just for the health benefits and get out of that mentality - which I did, and lost weight slowly too (did also start exercising regularly).

But now now I find I don't want to eat so much (esp carbs) on non-fast days, and also don't want to eat till later in the day (breakfast/brunch ~11-12).

Stick with it, you'll soon get to 'yes, I'm allowed...but I'm not really hungry so I won't have it now'.

Stripytee it's perfectly normal. For most of us the compulsion to overeat on non-fast days diminishes over time as our appetites re-set.

It is normal and as bssh says normally it passes. Try to be mindful about your eating. You can eat what you want (though not necessarily in unlimited quantities). Try to think "am I enjoying the flavour of this". 5:2 teaches you that we don't need as much fuel as we have been used to eating, so why eat food that isn't delicious.

Glad to see these answers. I've just started 5:2-ing. Yesterday was my third fast day, and today has been a huge struggle not to eat everything in sight. I'm quite a lot over TDEE already, and it's only just gone 5pm. Tomorrow is another 'between' day so I'll remember those tips about the hunger switch.

for the first time in ages you are allowed a cheese sandwich on buttered white with crisps and donuts
its tempting to "go for it"

in time you'll realise that strong cheddar on a single thin slice of really nice home made white with mayo and salad and a mini donut gives you the same stuffed feeling

but you have to reconnect brain and stomach - something that the food and diet industries have been carefully disconnecting for many years

Apparently the brain confuses thirst with hunger, or something like that, either way as someone who frequently over eats on my NFDs, Ive often realised too late, that actually I was thirsty. And I mean down a pint of water in seconds thirsty.

I think you have to try and keep the fluid intake high as you would on your fast days.

On the main thread we are constantly reminding each other to drink water

I have still lost weight though, 2 stone despite much over eating, just really slowly. And talkinpeace is right, I don't over eat as much as I used to, and Im much more discerning.

Hope you enjoy 5:2.

when I did WW many years ago, the tip of

drink a pint of water before any eating

was the best advice ever

Trying to be more restrained today, you are right about the drinking, I agree that usually when I eat I am actually thirsty.

I was (sometimes still am!) like this, so weight loss was slow. I did 4:3, to speed things up.

Now I use the My Fitness Plan app to keep track of my calorie intake on NFD, but I'm not religious about this. Also, I've upped my exercise considerably. If I can get my eating on NFD under control I'll go back to 5:2 - soon hopefully!

This weekend has been better. Things have definitely settled down.

On most NFD, aim to drink plenty of water, skip breakfast and eat nothing after 8pm. This will help prevent binging.

I've had/am having a much better NFD today. I had a substantial 'brunch', a couple of apples as a snack mid-afternoon and not feeling tempted to have anything else before supper. If the rest of the day goes to plan I should be comfortably within TDEE today. The tip about water was very helpful, thanks.