After two days of
normal eating, we are on our second fasting day – and I have to say it’s a
struggle. The first problem is the schedule – finding a day we can both fit eating
very little into our diaries. It’s not as easy as you may think.
The second, and
far bigger, problem is HUNGER.
If the schedule doesn’t
bring our diet plans down, then hunger surely will.
Hunger has a
cumulative effect, and although I got all the way through the morning and a
midday Aqua class without feeling too hungry after my fruit salad breakfast, I
am now – at 4.30pm – feeling weak and grumpy, despite fuelling up at lunchtime.
This is what I’ve
had so far today:
. 9.0 am: ½ grapefruit, ½ kiwi, ½ pear, ½ small
orange + 1 small banana. Coffee with skimmed milk.
. 1.0 pm:
gazpacho.
. 3.0 pm: small
salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, spring onion and olives.
. 4.0 pm: caving
in, and had a small banana.
We are wondering
if we can get away with some spicy lentils for supper – I have suggested
turning them into a sauce to relieve the tedium of a plate of broccoli...
OK, if you’re a
human calorie counter, I am sure you will have worked out that we are probably
already exceeding the 500 calorie allowance on these fast days... But I have
decided not to count and to remember that if this was WeightWatchers, I could
eat as much fruit and veg as I like with impunity (at least that is what my
hairdresser told me, and he is usually a reliable source).
Steve wondered if
the 5:2 method would fail by dint of encouraging binges on our normal food
days. So far, I would say not – I
just love the fact that I can happily eat 500 calories PER MEAL on a normal day
and still have some to spare if I go by the health guidelines of 2000 per day
for women. And, as on Tuesday, I found that yesterday I was also more mindful
in my eating – and can tell you exactly what I had: small 0% yogurt with banana
for breakfast; gazpacho, greek salad with feta and one slice of sour dough
bread with butter for lunch; and, for supper, lamb curry, rice and a little
leftover dahl from Tuesday plus a small glass of Viognier. Then I entertained
the Franglais group and had a glass of prosecco to celebrate two birthdays (one
of them our dog who turned 10 yesterday) plus a few strawberries and one
square of my current favourite chocolate: Lindt 60% with salted caramel crispy
bits.
Am I sounding a
bit food obsessed?!
Bring on tomorrow!
* Wonderful bit of news if you want to do the 5:2 and still eat at Pizza Express - see HealtheHelen's lovely blog, and her link to Juliet Kellow's nutritional advice for people trying to do just this.
2 comments:
Thanks for the link Karen - and to stop you starving. Add protein (I'm sure you know this). One egg at breakfast and 100g of prawns would only take up around 160 calories leaving you 340 for fruit and veg - that's a fair bit used wisely!
Thanks Helen - yes I know about the eggs, but am not a boiled egg girl: I don't like the white and am not sure an egg yolk on its own will be as effective. But prawns - yes - will start adding those to my salads!
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