How does anyone do this diet if they have obligations? How do you put up with mood swings and concentration problems? What if your kids are really demanding ? is it fair on them?

[GlitteringGrass]

I want to do this but I keep having false starts because of damn real life always knocking on my door

1. I don't really have mood swings.
2. I find my concentration is better on fast days.
3. DD is demanding. She'll be demanding whether I'm fasting or not, so I just suck it up
4. This diet is perfect for someone with lots of obligations, because you can just move your fast day if necessary, so it doesn't clash with other plans.

I was worried before I started 5:2 but my worries proved to be completely unfounded. I love this WOE.

FDs (Fast Days ) save time and money.
I fast on my busiest work / exercise days and it helps me get a lot done.
It takes a couple of weeks to get used to fasting, then it becomes easier.

Most folk find it best to concentrate on protein and veg on FDs, going low GI e.g. chicken / ham / egg / bean salad. Avoid breakfast cereals, addded sugar, sweets or fruit juice, because the sugar causes hunger spitals.

Advance planning helps:
. Plan and roughly calorie count your FD, doing any shopping / cooking for it if need be
. On the FD, just don't eat anything unplanned.

I just posted some help for people struggling with starting fasting - on the main 52Thread56

Come join us for support; everyone's v friendly.

So long as you are hydrated and in control there should be no reason for mood swings

even on those lovely days when you get up at 6:30 get kids out to the bus for college, drop one at school, drive an hour to work, drive home va the supermarket and picking up from college to hope that child did not forget their key and is not sitting on the door step for 3 hours
and then throw together an omelette having not eaten all day and work in the evening
before flaking out at 10

fast days are a vacuum into the corners day, they are not hardship, they are control and motivation.

As a greedy girl, I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do this. I would possibly faint and definitely be hangry, but wasn't either of these things. I find what helps me is having a coffee in the morning, 100 calories of protein at 11 (boiled egg, prawns, smoked salmon etc, then chicken in a sauce and salad at 6pm. Having a busy day helps, as I'm less likely to think about food.