500 calorie fast day tips?

Mellie289
Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm looking for some advice from you 5:2 dieters or others who are having fast days to learn how you manage your days to not feel desperately hungry.

I'm not trying to diet and lose weight here before I get flamed for eating fewer than 1200 calories! I'm trying to fast for 4 consecutive days only to help manage the side effects of chemotherapy treatment. There is some exciting research out from the lab of Valter Longo that shows that starving yourself for the few days around chemo treatment is protective of good cells by their slowing metabolism, but the tumor cells are more susceptible. Also, one of the major problems with the chemo treatment is some digestive issues that a fast will really help with.

What works best, particularly on a work day? - Trying to spread the calories over the full day or fasting the entire day and saving everything up for one meal with a certain time window like with IF?

Today, I'm starting my day off with coffee sweetened with Stevia and will later eat some grilled chicken breast and roasted eggplant dish. I'm not sure if that would be best to have middle of the day to keep me going or to stick with liquids (maybe some broth for lunch) until dinner time. I plan to drink lots, including some Emergen-C Electromix zero calorie sports water for electrolytes and I'll take some vitamin supplements.

I would greatly appreciate responses with advice on how to manage low calories on fast days.

I know some people will probably want to post that this isn't a good idea to try, but please read the link before just dismissing this plan. Much of what people have tried already is a total fast (water only), but I can't starve myself for 4 days and I wouldn't try that without being under doctor's supervision, so I'm just going with caloric restriction. The researchers have formulated a low calorie supplement (chemolieve) that is being used in current trials, but it isn't available to patients outside the trials until probably December (when I will be done with chemo) and I couldn't join the trial because my particular chemo regimen didn't qualify, so I'm trying a modified diet instead.

http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/071012/page5

Of course, I woke up hungry today since I'm trying to limit my food, as usual like when I've tried diets in the past. Nothing like trying not eat to make you think about food!

Replies

  • Gianna44
    Gianna44 Posts: 124
    I've only been doing this a week and so far prefer to eat something small late morning (like an egg), although I have coffee upon waking. A light, late lunch and a "regular dinner" works so far for me. I also drink a lot during fast days - water and iced berry green tea. I know that some prefer to hold off and eat all of their calories in their evening meal - it extends the fasting period and allows for greater physiological benefits related to IGF-1 levels.

    There is a 5:2 group on here which has some great ideas and different ways in which people do this:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8005-5-2-fasting

    Good luck to you - both with this and your chemo treatments.
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
    Thanks so much for the link! I will check out the group. :smile:
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
    Coffee or tea has helped even non caffeinated herbal tea
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    I'd definitely vote coffee or tea. Both tend to help with hunger.

    Hope the chemo works well for you! My aunt just finished her treatments and it did a great job (better than expected). Good luck!
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    I'm another fan of coffee to help suppress the appetite.

    Good luck with your chemo, and I hope you are well on your way to recovery soon.
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
    I haven't done consecutive fast days, so I'm not sure if my routine would work for you. Basically, you have to find what keeps you the most satisfied. Some prefer mainly fats, some mainly protein, and some need bulk to keep their bellies feeling full. I find I do best with a good mixture of bulk and protein, with not much fat. I also do best to keep my largest meal in the middle of the day (but I know I'm going to eat the next day, so that's why I say I don't know if it'll work for a 4-day fast).

    A typical fast day for me would be black coffee in the morning (2-6 calories depending if I have 1, 2, or 3 cups). If I get hungry before lunch, I'll have some broth (5 calories) and may add a Serrano pepper for 2 calories. Warm liquids and spicy food make me feel full.

    Lunch would typically be a small Wendy's chili (I eat out a lot, sorry) for 180 calories. I also add Trader Joe's habanero hot sauce to that.

    Dinner might be nothing if I'm not hungry, some Miso soup (25 calories) if I am hungry, and if I'm really hungry, I might have a tomato, a cucumber, and a 70 calorie pack of tuna with some Walden Farms zero calorie dressing. That comes to about 145 calories. So a typical fast day for me, IF I eat lunch and dinner, comes in less than 350 calories. It's really pretty doable.

    I've also read that fasting near chemo is beneficial. Best of luck to you!!
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
    Thanks for the suggestions so far and well wishes.

    DanaDark - that's wonderful news about your aunt. Glad to hear it!

    Keiras_Mom - thanks for sharing your plan for the fast days. I also eat out a lot, so no need for apologies on that! I'm going to force myself to prepare food at home for this though since I will feel more in control of what goes in my body - something I've lost a bit with the whole cancer treatment.

    I've brought a can of beef broth and two cups of diced celery with me to work for lunch today and I'm going to hold off until about 2 PM... only 3 hours to go!

    Tomorrow should be interesting as I start taking steroids for my next chemo infusion on Thursday and a lot of people complain that the steroids make them hungry! I'm already hungry! I think I will be drinking a vat of coffee this week. :tongue:
  • ritasice21
    ritasice21 Posts: 200 Member
    I agree with the coffee/ tea. When I do a 500 calorie fast I made a huge vat of lemon iced tea, and I try to get through till dinner with food, but that does not always work. Best of luck with your chemo and prayers for a speedy recovery. My mom goes tomorrow for hers (no cancer though, she goes 4x a year) Make sure to stay hydrated afterwards!!

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