One meal on fast day?

pinelakecutie

Hi, everyone. I'm new to 5:2 fasting. Do you eat one big meal, or several small snacks throughout the day that total 500 calories (e.g., boiled egg at breakfast, small can of soup at lunch, carrots as a snack, etc.)? Does it make a difference? Thanks.

flumi_f

Everything is allowed. I prefer two meals, 100-150 cals for lunch and rest for dinner. Lots of veggies and lean protein. Grain carbs make me hungry thus I avoid them on fast days. It's all trial and error until you know, what allows you to make your fast as easy as possible.

pinelakecutie

Thanks. I just noticed the fast day menu thread, too. Great ideas there. I think several small meals will probably work best for me. That way I won't reach the stage where I'm starving.

mamainthekitchen

Yup trial and error! Everyone's different. I usually like 150 cals around noon or early afternoon then rest for dinner. Lots of extra water & teas help throughout the day! Good luck!

flossyruby1

I'm better with one meal at night and drinking water all day. Usually, I'll have a Diet Pepsi around lunchtime and maybe miso soup. Sprouts has a great product called easy miso. Just 2 tbsp is 30 calories (it's either 30 or 60). Hunger is so transient. Yes, there are times when I start chewing on inanimate objects, but that's ok. If I can't find a calorie count for bar stools on MFP, then there are none.

Now, the only caveat to that is if I'm taking class. If I'm fasting on a day when I'm at ballet, which starts at noon, I'll take a GU energy gel. I find it gives me the energy to put all my effort into class and it's only 100 calories. Sometimes I subtract them from my 500 calorie allotment and sometimes I don't. It depends on how much I've exercised that day. It seems to have worked for me.

pinelakecutie

I like the miso soup idea. I'll have to look for that. I'm going to try frozen meals for a bit and see how that works. It's just easier because the calorie counting is done for me. That will still leave me with a few calories to play around with for breakfast (which is usually light or non-existent) and in the evening.

Marmitegeoff

We find, wife and I, find that we are better off eating nothing until the evening meal, if we are about to eat cardboard then a carrot helps, then it is either a one skillet dish or an omelette with a bit of cheese and loads of steamed greens. The Kalettes or Kale flowers are fantastic, but they are a new vegetable this year, and may not be available everywhere. They are a cross of Kale and Sprouts.

Karen_can_do_this

I drink plenty of water, black coffee and then a cup of soup for lunch. This leaves me room for a small meal at dinner