Life in the Fast Lane

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Another newbie saying hello..and I have a couple of questions too :)

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kaytee232013
kaytee232013 Posts: 16 Member
in Social Groups
Hi everyone!

I just wanted to say hi as I'm finding it so helpful reading on the posts in this group.

I’ve decided to follow the 5:2 diet for the health benefits this diet is said to achieve as my mother has dementia (and I’ll do anything I have to to try and avoid this horrible disease) and my father has diabetes and as an experienced calorie counter I’d like to be more flexible with my calorie intake. However, I’m still planning to still log and control my calories on the 5 'free' days to make sure I lose my goal of 1lb a week because I know myself and I know I will go crazy and overeat if I don't.

I completed my first fast day yesterday and found it quite easy until 5pm and then once I'd had my first meal of homemade soup, I started getting peckish. Then I got a headache and felt dizzy. Is that normal when you start the diet? I also did an exercise DVD (cardio, full-on and I hadn’t done any exercise for weeks!!) so I’m sure this must have been a factor in the headache. Will I be able to exercise on fast days without feeling so dizzy afterwards?

If anyone has just started and is also looking for another diet buddy for support and motivation please do add me as a friend and I'd love to hear of any tips and advice from experienced 5:2ers as well! :)

Bye for now!


Replies

  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Hi Kaytee - sometimes a bouillon will help against dizzyness or a headache. The water you drink on a fast day can sometimes flush out too much of the sodium, causing these symptoms.

    Starting a new and hard exercise routine on your first fast might have caused this too. You sweat out more salt here and lost fluids.

    Ease into the fasts, then add light exercise and see how it goes. After a while you may notice no difference and be able to do any type of exercise on a fast day. Some people find it easier to do exercise in the morning on a fast day, some don't. It is a bit of touch and go. Try things out and see how it feels. Some of my best runs have actually been on the morning after a fast day ;-)
  • k_wills
    k_wills Posts: 82 Member
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    Hi, I'm on my 3rd week. Can't say I had the same problem when I started but I'm used to going most of the day without food anyway..so I have coffee for breakfast and a piece of fruit until dinner. I found the earlier I ate, the hungrier I felt.
    Good luck

    Karen
  • karen_fitzgibbon
    karen_fitzgibbon Posts: 736 Member
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    Hi!! Welcome to this awesome group. They really are amazing people.
    I am in my third week and love this way of life. I wouldn't really recommend starting a new exercise thingie in the early days of fasting. But that's me. To each their own. Try drinking water every time you're hungry. That's a little trick is picked up along the way.
    I'm sorry about your mum. Dementia sucks monkey balls. I work in the special care dementia ward at a nursing home and I find the families are the ones that suffer the most.
    Add me as a friend if you want to talk about either your mum or your diet or anything else you like :)
    Karen

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