Fast 800 as a vegan

[Midlifelights]

I did fast 800 last year & lost a stone so it was really good but as with anything, I found it hard to sustain after on a vegan diet.

Have been trying again but with little success and I think it could be because I struggle to meet my nutritional needs & start to feel a bit crap- this was my average day;

B- soya yoghurt, walnuts, chia, frozen cherries & some soya cream - 240 cals

L- veg & bean soup or salad - prob 250 cals

T- veg chilli with quinoa or veg sausages with a pile of green veg - around 300 cals

I monitor carbs & protein & my protein was always around 40g which isn’t enough.

I was starting to feel weak & under nourished on it this time around & have gone back to my calorie counting of about 1400 with my fitness pal but I can see it’s not going to work.

So what to do? Can fasting mess with your metabolism?

Intermittent fasting is generally thought to improve your metabolism but it certainly doesn't suit everyone, and the Fast800 is probably the most 'extreme' of all the fasting based diets. Low-carb type diets are quite hard to sustain as a vegan as well so I can see your issue.

Would you consider trying the 5:2 and/or the 16:8 as an alternative? With the 5:2 it would be a case of skipping one meal a day of your 'normal' fast 800 diet, so either having breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner (or even just one meal a day if you prefer), for a total of about 500 cals. The remaining 5 days per week you can eat much more, a 'normal diet' up to your TDEE, and there is no requirement to low carb. Although generally people find reducing refined carbs and increasing fat and protein to be more satisfying. You will probably experience some minor side effects when getting used to fasting (headaches, fatigue, slight weakness, nausea, dizzyness not uncommon but usually resolve with plenty of water and just generally adapting to fasting)?