what to eat on NFDs - compulsive binge eater

[yentil]

So I am a newbie. Started 5:2 last week. last week chose mon and thurs then binged fri - sunday . Decided to have monday AND Tuesday as fast days this week as i am in the office and more in control until i get home (evenings are the problem).

i am having trouble coming to terms with if i don't eat much 5-600 calories (I am 6' tall and 100 kg so assumed i could eat 5-600 claories) on two days a week and eat relatively normally on the other 5 days i will lose weight. In fact i am sceptical that that would work at all.

Am i right in thinking the key is what you eat on the NFD? Beacuse that is where I struggle. I find the fasting easier than dieting because i don't have to think of food IFSWIM. I am from the can't cook / won't cook brigade. I have a full time job and small children and a hectic life so this should suit me better.

I am currently not having breakfast a soup for lunch and four pieces of fruit per day (an apple and three tangerines - or two pieces if i have a banana) and a small/childsize dinner or bowl of cereal in the evening is that ok for fast days? sorry so many questions. I feel very desperate as I am a binge eater (chocolate and sweets) boderline diabetic and don't know any other way to combat this compulsive/emotional eating other than all or nothing!

Any advice on any of the above appreciated. I also go to the gym 3x per week but rarely lose weight due to binge eating at weekend.

thanks

oh yes and i consume lots of fluid on fasting days - trying to avoid coke zero (major obession which i am starting to think makes me crave sweet things more)

You do have a lot of questions! Let's try to take them one at a time.

Fast days - you seem to have these sussed OK. Many people find it a relief not to have to think about food so much. Is the food you've listed for a fast day? I would maybe switch the cereal for something like eggs, and have veggies rather than fruit, but to be honest, just get going whatever way works.

Non-fast days - you should stick to around your TDEE or maintenace level. Now that might sound like just more calorie counting, and yes, if you are prone to binging then you will have to get that under control.

Lots of liquids is good. Diet sodas are fine for some people, but you've identified that they set off sweet cravings, so you're probably wise to limit those.

I've got a history of binge eating and bulimia and I've been doing the 5:2 diet for 4 weeks. I don't know about you but trying to diet every day makes me binge as soon as I 'fail' and eat something I shouldn't. Binging makes me feel awful and ashamed. My reason for trying the 5:2 diet was that I'd only have to diet for 2 days a week and the rest of the time I could be a little bit naughty and not feel guilty (and therefore not feel compelled to binge). My goal was just to stick to 2 fast days and rather than calorie count on NFD my goal was just to not binge. I find that being freed of the guilt associated with dieting every day has taken away the urge to binge.

What is it that triggers a binge for you? For me it's the feeling of guilt or failure when I eat chocolate. If I'm trying to be 'good' and I eat something I shouldn't I try to make myself feel better by eating more of the 'bad' food. And then I feel worse so I eat more to try to take away the bad feelings. The beauty of the 5:2 is that I am allowed to eat something naughty without calorie counting. Therefore there is no guilt, no ashamed feeling and no need to try to soothe myself with more chocolate.

Another thing that has triggered evening snacking for me is mistaking thirst for hunger so drinking lots in the evenings helps.

If I were you I wouldn't try to restrict my calorie intake too much on NFD because that's likely to cause you to binge.

I find I eat chocolate feel guilty/depressed the. Write the day off and eat more. Then continue for another two days then try a 'diet' for three days then repeat. I think I'll take your advice Jennifer. Have you lost weight?

Jennifer, the book does say that it's not a good approach for anyone with a history of disordered eating, so a cautious approach is a good idea.

Yes I know, I am using a cautious approach. I'm only fasting 2 days a week and I eat normally the other 5 days with no guilt or compulsive eating or calorie counting. I tried Slimming World last year and although its a great healthy eating plan, trying to stick to less than 15 syns every single day didn't work for me long term. 5:2 feels much more healthy and natural.

Yentil I lost just over 2lb the first week but haven't weighed myself since. I want to wait 6 weeks before weighing to give it a proper chance. I feel slim though. I'm definitely not gaining weight. I'm enjoying my fast days and enjoying my food on the NFD.

5:2 might work for you as there is no need to feel guilty or depressed for eating a bit of chocolate on a NFD as long as you do your fast days. If you are currently binging a few days a week, you should lose weight if you fast two days a week and don't binge on the other days as that will equate to a few thousand less calories a week.

People also say that their tastes and attitude to food changes in 5:2. In the first 2 weeks I did feel ravenous after a fast but that has settled down now. I'm not feeling a compulsion to overeat on NFDs anymore.

For both yentil and jennifer
if bingeing is a problem then there are two steps that are linked to 5:2 but do not involve full on fasting.

The first is 16:8
where you only eat within an 8 hour window (noon to 8pm) each day. So just tea and coffee for breakfast, a light lunch, a hearty supper and no evening snacks

The second is to close the kitchen between meals
try to get out of the habit of snacking.
Save your calories for meal times and your chocolate for pudding, but then no evening scoffing on the sofa.

yentil
your days seem very high sugar.
Vegetables are your friend : raw carrot chunks make a great snack as do nuts
Ready made vegetable soup tubs are an excellent fast day food - if you are tall you can get away with one for lunch and then a vegetable omelette for supper

Non fast days : try a mega veggie stir fry with prawns or chicken and a few noodles : lots of vitamins, fill you fit to burst but no sugar ar other empty calories

Have just read your post & it struck a cord. Ive got a fair bit of weight to lose after dc2 and am feeling pretty stuck in the guilt/shame cycle of eating "bad" food, that often spirals out of control....

Ive also been thinking about doing the 5:2. From what I've read & everyone I know who's done it, somehow those 2 days do work wonders, even if the NFDs aren't so good... I just need to muster up the motivation & energy to finally get rid of that baby weight!

Just wanted to wish you both the best of luck with it Yentil & Jennifer, and say that from my experience, eating disorders can linger on in the background for a long time, so if there is a way of losing weight without making it worse, then I'm in! I'd love to know how you get on & Jennifer - I like your more cautious approach - will try to follow that myself.