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Fasting / 5:2 diet

Talk about intermittent fasting and 5:2, including what’s worked for others. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Fast triggers binge-and what to do about it

12 replies

OneMoreForExtra · 15/09/2019 14:42

Anyone found that fasting triggered binging? I was going along very happily on a 1300 cal low carb 18:6, for about 2 weeks, feeling great and losing weight. Then oh my god. Binge. 2 weeks of hysterical binging with zero control, extending not just to food but spending, dropping all exercise and housework, erratic sleep etc. I never want to go there again and of course I've finished up 3lb heavier than pre fasting - grateful it wasn't more.

But I'm a bit despairing because my weight has been creeping up for years and I really must find a new balance. I'm pretty sure I'm insulin resistant so low carb and fasting must be the way to go, but at non-binge-risking levels.

Considering a 12:12 pattern dropping lunch, which was how I got into it and was very comfortable. Anyone have any experience of this, both in terms of weight loss and in avoiding triggering a binge?

OP posts:
OneMoreForExtra · 15/09/2019 22:02

Bumpety bump?

OP posts:
boptist · 16/09/2019 10:54

I understand that binging following any kind of restrictive diet is pretty much shown in the research for all diets.

I see so many people saying things like, “I lost loads of weight on LCHF/ Slimming World/MyFitnessPal last year. I’ve put it all back on so now I’m doing it again cos it really works for me.”.

OneMoreForExtra · 16/09/2019 11:19

Yes, I've seen that too and it's a bit terrifying. I'm trying to resist the implication that some of us are doomed to be fat! I thought that the IF / low carb route looked and felt much better than a highly managed calorie counting approach as I could see myself just not having the discipline to stick within such rigid eating. I've done that sort of diet before and just lost interest (rather than binged) in the effort required. Wasnt prepared for the eating storm I ended up in this time!

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boptist · 16/09/2019 11:27

Someone shared a quite convincing TED talk, from which I took away that once you’ve been fat you’re never going to be thin again. I’m a size 14 and overweight. I’ve accepted that I will never be an 8 again, or even a 10. But neither will I diet.

I’ve decided to eat for health (another conclusion of the TED talk is that being overweight is not as significant a risk factor as other lifestyle factors).

I’ve quit pop (I was a Diet Coke addict) and junk sugar. I’m now working on eating a wide variety of vegetables every day. I’m focusing on being compassionate to my body and eating as though I actually like myself Smile

boptist · 16/09/2019 11:37

Here’s the video that made me think differently.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=jn0Ygp7pMbA

OneMoreForExtra · 16/09/2019 13:09

Ooh, thank you!

I gave up diets as a bad job some years ago and just ate healthily- 90% of my food is home-cooked, leftovers for lunch, refined carbs only as a treat etc. It made zero difference to my weight- so the 40 years of dieting were no different to just not bothering! - but I have continued to gain at a slow creep. I'm about the same as you and have just tipped over a threshold that makes me snore for the first time 😪. I don't even need to be size 10 slim, I'd just like to be healthy and not creeping towards diabetes and heart problems, so really want to stabilise down from where I am now. I'll watch the TED !

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boptist · 16/09/2019 13:27

Oh God, the snoring! I wake myself up sometimes.

I’m glad you’ve found it helpful/ interesting. I sometimes think it’s very unhelpful information when people are trying to commit to a strict diet (my mum and sister have always been size 18+, done Weight Watchers for years and years, and I’m sure would find my blathering on very unsupportive).

OneMoreForExtra · 16/09/2019 16:41

Watched it - it goes beyond The Obesity Code in a very helpful way. Thank you! Its reinforced my view that diets arent the answer and challenged me to think harder about what new normal I want to adopt. (Preferably one without snoring)

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FinallyHere · 20/09/2019 09:04

to resist the implication that some of us are doomed to be fat

Have you had a look at Gillian Riley's approach to http://eatingless.comm*

rushka · 17/10/2019 16:25

Hi there, I am trying to get sensible with my eating, too - as in not dieting, but also not letting that mean all-out scoffing!

What has helped me recently was searching on here for a couple of threads entitled something along the lines of 'what do slim/thin people actually eat.' !! I felt like I'd genuinely forgotten what 'normal' looked like.

Not everyone had healthy tips to share by any means, but sifting through, I felt like I did get an overall picture of what I could imagine myself managing... That has turned into allowing myself a few things that previously I'd feel guilty about - so I now have peanut butter & banana on toast for breakfast... and not just once slice, but two.
And I SIT DOWN to eat it (rather than scoffing whilst making the kids' packed lunches). I really Enjoy it, whereas before I'd have felt like I had now 'failed' before the day even got going.

I have definitely reduced the amount of grazing I do. So, I don't have a morning snack, although I've been eating lunch quite early, at midday... although that is almost 5 hours since breakfast so not that early! Today it was leftovers, which was a quinoa & veg stew thing (having leftovers for a quick lunch is also a huge help, I'm finding.)

Another thing is that I am trying to slow down as I eat, as that is definitely an issue for me, and something I find weirdly hard to do. I think I almost try to pretend I"m not eating by rushing and not thinking about it, whereas now I'm trying to be calm about it and enjoy it.

Then I'll have a snack when the kids get home from school. Today was a bit random - a small tin of sweetcorn and an orange and a cup of tea.

Then dinner tonight is quorn fajitas. I'm not sure yet if I'll have the tortilla wrap or just the filling, and whether I'll have all the additions - cheese AND sour cream - or limit myself slightly... Again, this seemed a rule of thumb that slim people ate everything, but would sometimes tweak things to make them less calorific but in a way that wasn't too severe if that makes sense.

I think what struck me on the 'slim people' thread was they ate smaller portions, snacked less, were generally active even if not exercise addicts, and were consistent in this as a lifestyle rather than doing the continual restrict/overeat cycle that I have been falling into. I knew all this, I just seemed to have forgotten!

Anyway, so I feel for you but I also think you don't have to be stuck feeling unhappy with your body and eating habits. I think if we give ourselves a break (which goes along with this TED talk by the sound of things) and go about making healthy choices in a really positive, gentle way then the weight side happens on its own, but we will already be feeling better about ourselves anyway. When I feel fat I eat far worse than when I feel happy about myself, so don't punish yourself!

Lastly (sorry this is so long!!) I'm also walking for an hour a day and that's my exercise. I have been fully into intensive running and weights and circuits before but right now I just can't get myself to do that consistently, whereas i have to walk the dog and so that happens. And, again, I think by not punishing myself and letting the walking be enough I'm forming a healthy habit that I am maintaining, rather than doing 3 days and then stopping for a week.

Good luck!

rushka · 17/10/2019 16:26

I should add that I once tried intermittent fasting and also found it triggered bingeing, so it is definitely not for me either!

rushka · 18/10/2019 22:25

@OneMoreForExtra - Hi, I realised you might not have seen this as i've replied a month after you posted, so thought i'd tag you, just in case it's of help! How are you getting on?

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